Schedules

Recently, I was asked to run another one-shot for a group of people who enjoy playing, but do not have the time to commit to a long campaign. The thing I find ironic about this request is if they do not have time to commit to a regular game, are we going to find a common time to even do this short one?

As a GM, this is a bit frustrating. You put in time to prepare and build a game that you believe the players are going to enjoy. Gathering monster stats, NPCs, maps and even miniatures can be a grueling task (well, they are for me), but you do it anyway. When you finally get a date nailed down, it’s still not set in stone. If one person cancels or has a conflict, the whole event can fall apart.

Don’t get me wrong here. I still think we should continue to try to schedule a date/time for these games, especially if you are introducing someone new to RPGs. The biggest issue is one person needs to spearhead the scheduling. If everyone is just throwing out available times, and no one is committing, it will not happen. (Honestly, I think this is why I am asked to be the GM. I will set a date and time and whoever shows up I will take on an adventure.)

I have come to realize that our Tuesday night group is unique. It is unusual for people to commit to gaming on a weekly basis, spending three or more hours every week with each other. I always try to have something for my players every week, and I enjoy roleplay heavy games with minimal combat. Thankfully, I have four people who like to play with me and also show up every week.