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As a GM, you often feel like you have to plan everything for your players. Sometimes you have a block in your creativity and cannot come up with the next thing. When this happens, what do you do? Ask for help!
In planning a game for a local event, I had wracked my brain for ideas…the theme was 80’s. Although I remember a lot from the decade, putting it into a role playing game (specifically D&D) was taxing my creativity. I thought about all the great things from my younger years, but struggled at getting them into some sort of logical scenario. Talking this out with some others, I finally settled on a popular movie that introduces some very unique creatures. Now I just had to come up with the game plan. This was proving more difficult than I anticipated. How do the characters encounter these creatures? What do they know about these creatures? How do they “win” this game, what outcome did I want? I messaged a friend of mine who’s game mastering I admire for reinforcement. He suggested a couple of things that could happen and a light bulb flicked on in my imagination. In a matter of an hour, I had taken his basic layout of the game and began to fill in the gaps. At this point, it is just creating the details, monster stats, and pregenerate the characters. If you find yourself stuck and unsure how to move forward with the campaign, ask for help! Talk to other GMs, chat with the local game store employees, check out the numerous YouTube and Discord channels. Don’t keep banging your head against a wall thinking you have to come up with it yourself.
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A GM’s best kept secret. What is behind their screens when you sit at a table? I know it seems like we are hiding the game-breaking information. Things we cannot have you know about because it would spoil the fun. It’s just not true (well, most of it anyway).
I have seen others reveal what they keep behind the screen, and it’s pretty much the same as mine (even online). There is nothing that you can take a peek at that would ruin anything we have been planning. Unless you stand there and read everything there, it’s just not possible. Most of what is kept there is quick reference for things, and notes for possible encounters, and perhaps the minis that go with them. What do I have? Well, at my computer I have extra space, almost like a keyboard shelf. There, I keep books that I have pulled that have my monster stats and often the book that has the setting the group exploring. On my desk are my dice, a pen, scratch paper, and my notebook. That is pretty much the same if I play at the table too. Most of us keep our notes for the session in a notebook of some kind. If you don’t want your players to know what is in there, close it when you do not need to use it. Being online, I don’t have to worry about that at all. I have two notebooks, the first half is in my older notebook which I keep handy each session, in case I have to reference it. The other has the current session notes. I do not keep quick references. They are at my fingertips through my computer (or iPad at the table). I have often thought about getting some down on paper and attaching them to my screen, but never do. I still seem to run a decent game without them, so I don’t quite have the motivation to get that done. If you are new to this, keep what is behind the screen specific to the session. Dice, paper, pen, and some notes for the session encounters, both NPCs and monsters are best. Don’t overcrowd your space with extraneous things that are not needed. Remember, it is okay to let your players know that you did not prepare for them to take a left in Albuquerque. If you have spent any time gaming online, a glitch with your equipment can be devastating. It can be the difference between killing the zombie or being killed by the zombie. In a roleplaying game there is no massive consequence (mostly because there is no computer algorithm running the bad guys). So what happens when they do occur?
We have been streaming our home game for nearly two years now, and it still happens. When we experience a lag in timing, or a camera randomly shuts off, we just go with it. Sometimes we have to stop and wait for the issue to be corrected, but often we can continue with whatever we are doing and fill in the other person when the issue gets worked out. In the case of complete power failure, it shuts down the stream, and that can really disrupt the game. When the stream is interrupted, we break (mentally and physically) while it is getting back up. Unfortunately, that means we have two videos for one week. Sure, I can take those and put them together in one video, but that is just extra work. So far, no one seems to mind the way it is, so I’ll leave it for now. The biggest problem is picking up where we left off. Our regularly scheduled breaks do not affect us quite the same way. We have time to mentally prepare and when we return, we are ready to go. Abrupt breaks catch us off guard. We get a little discombobulated and when we come back, it takes a minute to remember what we were doing before we were so rudely interrupted. Most of this is to say…go with it. No one can expect the unexpected, so be adaptable and patient as you work to push forward toward recovery as best as you can. Remember, practice does NOT make perfect, it makes better! Your average NPC is forgettable and blends in with the environment. Shopkeeper Bob is just another shopkeeper, or the "Jennifers" are the servants, no one stands out and any NPC can fill the roll they take on (named or not). But we all have a favorite NPC. When you think about your favorite one, you remember something about them that makes them different. As a GM, I create a lot of characters for my players to interact with, and I have had several I really enjoy. Two in particular come to mind. Let me introduce you.
You are traveling through the wintry forest. As you trudge through the snow, you are cold and getting hungry. You come to a clearing with a monastery whose people are quite friendly and inviting. The courtyard is dominated by an ancient oak tree and sitting on a low branch is a pale blue skinned elf with silvery hair. Meet Spring, the only dryad that lives openly among the people of the monastery and their guests, proving wisdom, healing, and guidance to any who listen. Spring first met the party in another forest where she asked for their aid in stopping an evil mage from taking any more of her children. In doing so, they found out she was the spirit of the ancient oak found within the keep. Eventually, they were able to return her to the oak and in return, still aided the party by providing history and guidance for any situation. As a young page, you come across some ancient texts. You have scoured the library to try to find understanding. After hours of study, you find yourself amid multiple piles of books and still nothing. As a last hope for clarity you turn to the one who would know best. Meet Tatra, an elder within the temple. She provides her wisdom: Thoughts intrude with a breath so deep, Find them more clearly throughout your sleep. Guides for the path to knowledges lost, Know not how steep this action does cost. Tatra is a prophet. In asking her questions, she often provides riddles. Rarely will she speak plainly, but often causes more questions than gives answers. Those that heed her advice are better for it, they just have to decipher it first. With riddles such as this, what could go wrong? The players in my games remember these characters for the reasons I have shown. They are unique and have their own personalities, making them stand out among the other NPCs. These are not the only two, I have several unique ones in each of my campaigns, but I felt these two provide strong examples. So, want your players to invest in a NPC? Make them memorable. I know I need to get on the ball here. More and more people like to use maps as a visual guide, and miniatures to represent their characters on a battlefield. I have to admit, mechanically speaking, it can be far easier to use a map and figures to run a battle. This alleviates questions like, “How many are left?”, “How far are the creatures from me?”, “Can I move in a way to hit more than one creature?”, etc. I think you get the picture here.
I have often played “theater of the mind” in battles and I get these questions frequently. In my small home group it can work. They trust me not to be fickle about who and where, and I trust them not to argue with me every time I make a decision. When I run games at cons, or for a friend of a friend, this is not so easy. So I try to have a map, miniatures, and maybe even some terrain. Going from nothing to something has been a bit difficult (though I imagine going the other direction has its own problems). I find myself looking for new maps, both physical and digital, and finding ways to create more terrain. I have hunted through hobby stores, scoured the internet, and jumped on kickstarters to build my inventory. This can be time consuming and financially draining, but it doesn’t have to be. Some things are as easy as picking it up from your own yard, while others have to be built or bought. I have discovered that out-of-the-box thinking is crucial for this. I work around the costly terrain made specifically for TTRPGs by using train model structures, or even things designed for doll houses. Taking it with me has given me a new set of challenges as well. Traveling to the cons now requires me to carry more things than just my iPad. I have a folding dolly and a crate at the moment, but have already outgrown that. I need a wagon. My advice to you: start small! Pick a specific encounter that you want to build a map for and work to achieve that first. After you complete that goal, then do another. Before you know it, you have a whole inventory of terrain that you can pull from for any scenario. A GM has a lot to juggle, from encounter balance to character backstory. Not only does the GM have to know mechanics, but they can feel like they need a degree in psychology to work with each person at the table. Often the GM gets the brunt of engaging the players, incorporating character history, and managing the tabletop interactions. It’s time to delegate!
To all my fellow GMs, I hear you! I know that you try hard to do better each session. You should learn new tricks and skills to improve. I believe this is important for you as well as your gaming group. However, do not put so much on yourself that it gets overwhelming. Your players have responsibilities too. Like I’ve said before, this is a collective storytelling game. The players have a responsibility to engage in that story and make it come alive. They need to put a little effort into remembering what has happened so they can build upon it. Interact with the other players and learn about each other’s history and dreams for the future. Talk out what has happened and decide upon what actions need to be taken next. Players, your GMs can only go so far. You must take the next step! Do not be afraid to make something up on the fly, especially in regards to your character’s experiences and feelings. A lot of us like playing these games because we can be someone else for a while, so step into that role. Look at the other players as friends (most of them actually are) who want to enjoy this journey alongside you. I’ll admit, it is much more engaging to be the one in the middle of the action. Talking to the NPCs and running the show is exhilarating. Unfortunately, it does put others in the background and will often make them feel as though they are only supporting characters in your story. The spotlight should be shared among the players.
This is not an easy task to do for the GM. Incorporating each character’s background, allies, enemies, etc. is the best, most direct way to do this. However, sometimes it still makes you focus on one character at a time. Don’t forget there are others in this story as well. Take a moment to pause your interaction with the one character to turn attention to the others. This allows the others to engage in the story being created in the moment. Players, you are not off the hook here. You have more control over this than you think. When someone else’s story becomes front and center, you will feel you need to take the back seat, but you do not have to. Have your character work with the other to complete their quest. Form a bond of friendship and they may just become one. When the GM asks what you want to do, think about incorporating yourself into their story. Bandage their wounds, provide a shoulder to cry on, give them a gift, anything to have your character show support to the character in the current spotlight. When it is time for you to be in the spotlight, they will do the same. Developing relationships between the characters is what truly brings the story to life, not the one character’s personal quest. Think of Merry and Pippin, Harry and Hermione, Captain America and Thor. These are all main characters who share the spotlight between them. Though they could each tell their own stories, it’s just not the same without the other. I’m a long term campaign type of GM. I like setting my players free in my world and letting them explore, giving only minor hooks until they grasp onto something. Once they do, I will then build upon it to create the BBEG. Sure, I have general ideas prepared, but nothing concrete until my players begin to focus on something specific.
The hard part for me is the dual nature of my players. Some will really engage while others do not. I know they are enjoying the campaign, but is it enough? I know when I sit down to a table to play, I want to dig into the story. Who is this guy? Where did he come from? How do we defeat him? When I walk away from the game, I don’t just want story development, I want to have developed as a character, and in their relationships among the rest of the party. Perhaps I have answered my own question. This is hard for me because I project what I want from a game onto my players. So, sometimes I walk away unsatisfied. This is why feedback is so important. It gives me perspective on how the game is going and where it may be lacking. I have had conversations with my players on how I could adjust things within the game, both story and mechanically. I take all of these into consideration, but I am a slow mover. It takes time to adjust and form new habits. Unlearning old ways of doing things to make room for new ones to take their place is a process. Even if it looks like I’m not changing, trust me, I am. Players should be encouraged to give you, the GM, feedback on the game sessions. Take into account what they enjoy and adapt accordingly. They also need to be patient with you while you think about and adjust your own gaming style. After all, this should be a fun game of adventure with friends. You all know the saying, having one of my players take a hiatus from playing was definitely lemons. I was not expecting it, nor did I want to pause the campaign. However, now that we have things in place, I realize I need this time too. Now I am thinking through what comes next.
Is this the story I originally had in mind? After nearly two years on this campaign, the answer is, “No.” It is close, but the players have different goals in mind. Each week we sit down to play is different from the last. One week they are really into the story, the next, I feel like I’m pulling teeth to get them to engage. I know I’m not the only GM that experiences this. Right now I am sure the players are asking themselves about their goals. What are they supposed to do? I’ll admit, I’m floundering in this too. I’m at the point where I need to regroup, gather my thoughts, and replan the last portion of this adventure. It’s a perfect time to take a break from this campaign, so the mini campaign we are working through is giving me this time. So, while I’m playing in a side quest, I am working out the next steps on our main campaign. I’m digging a bit deeper into where each of the characters are going, what the NPCs are plotting and planning in the background, and where this will all culminate. I am revisiting my notes from early in the story to ensure consistency and cohesion among all the events. Will it be perfect? No! I am still human. Do I want to just keep going, pushing through the mud until we reach the dry ground? Yes, of course. I don’t like to give up. But, one must take a step back and look at the bigger picture. Taking this moment will help me to refocus and, in turn, having a renewed energy that will spill over to the players. If you find yourself in this spot, take the break, give someone else the reins for a bit, then come back with fleshed out preparations for more sessions. Can’t live with it, can’t live without it. The longer I go, the more I realize my ineptitude with technology. I rely heavily on others to get me through most things on a computer, and don’t get me started on smart appliances. I know what you are thinking, the answer is NO, I still do not know how to use my instant pot!
Do not get me wrong, I am still young (maybe only at heart, but cut a girl some slack). I can learn these things, play around on programs, and discover a whole new world of technology. Will I remember what I did, probably not. I work on cutting and splicing our videos to create shorts for our social media. Each time I sit down to do it I have to pull up a tutorial video to remember the basics. What I lack in technology, I bring in creativity. I bring the story to the table for others to explore. I weave unsuspecting connections between what happened several sessions ago and what will be experienced next time. I give personalities to NPCs and cultivate their relationships to the party (at least I like to think so). Using technology to aid in the creative side can be difficult. I find programs that are easy to work with and do not require hours of fiddling to understand. Sharing it with others is a quick way to gauge if it will work for our group. If it is easy to teach and walk others through the basics, then it might just be a good fit. If you struggle with technology, or have someone in your group that does, think of it on simple terms. Jumping into a complex program, or getting others to join you, will take time…and a lot of patience. It may take explaining the same thing several times, or watching a video every time you forget how to do something, but if you want to learn it, then you will. Me…I just stick to the easy stuff. |
AuthorJodie 
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March 2026
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