The Civilized Guide to Tabletop Gaming, page 12
Role-playing is best done in groups. If you can work within the party dynamics, you and those in your party will have a substantially more enjoyable time.
Being a Great (Although Novice) DM
Every dungeon master starts somewhere.
It used to be the case that virtually all DMs started as players and eventually became DMs as they grew in confidence and knowledge. That’s no longer the case. With the explosion of interest in RPGs and entire groups taking on a new RPG, someone—even someone inexperienced—needs to step up to be the DM. There are a lot of resources out there now for DMs who are brand new. If you want to DM for your friends and you and they are new to RPGing, watch Critical Role role-play videos at Geek and Sundry (http://geekandsundry.com) or listen to the Acquisitions Incorporated podcast at Dungeons & Dragons (dnd.wizards.com). No matter where you learn how to DM, the fundamentals of facilitating a good game will help ensure that all your players will enjoy the experience of playing in your dungeon.
Avoid Saying No to Your Players
Sometimes your players may describe an action they’d like to take, but you know that it’s either impossible or a very, very bad idea. Here’s my advice: Don’t say no.
Let your players make mistakes, but make sure there are consequences to bad ideas and actions. Instead of saying, “You can’t do that,” let them play out the scenario and deal with what happens.
Playing the Game
In a game you’re running, Ron, who’s playing a cleric, says he wants to make a Perception check while in a cave with running water. As DM, you know there’s nothing in there to perceive.
You: Okay. Roll a d20.
Ron: Fine. I rolled a 12.
You: You hear the noise of the running water echoing off the cave walls.
Ron: That’s what you told us when we first entered.
You: Right.
Ron (to the others): Okay. Nothing to see here. Let’s move along.
Similarly, if a player decides to do something exceedingly stupid, describe the consequences. But avoid telling her she can’t take the action she wants.
Playing the Game
You: As you’re sitting by the campfire, you hear a rustling in the bushes, accompanied by a low growl. The next minute, a very angry bear bursts from the shrubbery and rushes at you.
Maria: My character steps toward the bear and falls in front of it.
You: Uh, why?
Maria: I’m playing dead so it’ll go away.
You: What’s your character’s Wisdom stat?
Maria: 4.
You: Ooookay! You fall in front of the bear. The huge creature bends down and sinks its teeth into your arm. Roll for damage.
Maria: Crap!!
Janet: I fire my crossbow. (Rolls die.) All right! A natural 20!
You: Your crossbow bolt strikes the bear in its throat. It gasps, claws the air for a moment, and drops dead.
See how much better and more exciting that scenario is than if you’d just told Maria, “You can’t do that action”?
Just remember all actions are possible—some outcomes may be neutral, some may be negative. You’re facilitating an experience that is a sandbox set in a collective imagination so support creativity and experimentation in that space.
Don’t Feel Like You Have to Know Everything
As DM, you are like the god of the world. You are the ground beneath the players, the air above them, the nonplayer characters (NPCs) who dispatch them on quests, and the foes they fight. You are everything, and that bears a heavy responsibility.
You may feel like you need to know how every mechanic works and what every rule is, but that is patently false. What you do need to know is how to figure out a way to address situations fairly within the confines of the game. The rules support the gaming experience; making that experience fun for the players is your first priority.
You are not expected to have an encyclopedic knowledge of the game. Sometimes if you can’t find a way to address an unconventional situation, and a cursory scan of the rulebook yields no support, don’t hold up the game to find an answer. Instead, make it up in a way that feels intuitive and fair. You can always go back later and do a more thorough investigation on how to handle such situations, but in the moment keep the game moving forward.
Which brings us to the final point:
Don’t Stick to the Rules When They Don’t Feel Intuitive
If you want to reward players for great role-playing but the rules don’t allow you to do so, feel free to bend or break the rules to facilitate the fun.
Playing the Game
In one game I was playing in, we were fighting a group of kobolds (for the fantasy uninitiated, kobolds are lizard people—very nasty in large numbers). The group’s druid turned into a bear and killed one of the kobolds with a critical hit—in fact, he chomped the little bastard in half. He then described how he wished to try to intimidate the remaining kobolds in the combat by sitting up on his haunches, letting out a loud roar, and shaking his head to cover his enemies in the blood and viscera of the eviscerated enemy.
The rules of the game don’t allow for intimidation actions midcombat, but given the exceptionally well-described action, combined with the typically cowardly nature of kobolds, the DM decided to allow it. He asked the player for a roll, which he passed. The remaining kobolds ran for the hills.
The DM in that moment chose to prioritize the gaming experience over the rules. Ultimately that choice improved the experience, and that’s the goal. Feel free to modify, ignore, or use the rules as you see fit to make the adventure the focus rather than the rulebook.
As DM you should be fair to your players while doing your best to apply the spirit of the rules to the game. Be sparing with your rule breaking (after all, the rules are there for a reason), but remember, facilitation is your job. The confines of the game set boundaries so that you are the god of the game rather than your players.
Whether you’re a novice DM or have years of experience, you want to be able to walk out of a session with your head held high and smiles on the faces of everyone in the room (including yours). Have fun with your world and be fair to your players, and they’ll be able to appreciate you as the DM. The last thing you want is to be the DM whose tires got slashed by his players because he wasn’t fun or fair.
Chapter Nine
Attending Conventions: Gaming with Thousands of Your Closest Friends
If you get serious about hobby gaming, at some point you’ll probably find yourself having the wonderful experience of attending a gaming convention. It may be a small local convention or it may be a vast convention such as Gen Con or ComicCon. Within the walls of a convention center (or something smaller) you will have the opportunity to buy limited-edition or con-exclusive gaming expansions, play games competitively, meet new people, and try some great games.
Surviving conventions and making the most of them for you and for other attendees requires a very specific approach. There’s so much more to it than just showing up, spending money, and rolling dice. You may be faced with dilemmas that you’d never considered: gracefully declining friends who ask you to buy stuff for them, having to cope with postcon illness, or even figuring out how to play at conventions with total strangers (though many gaming conventions are covered in a previous chapter).
Within this chapter, I’ll give you the rules to convention survival.
Conventions to Check Out
There are a number of great gaming conventions to check out in the United States. Here are a few of them:
AdeptiCon: Held in the spring (late March/early April) in the Chicago region, AdeptiCon is the largest tabletop war-gaming convention, with a growing board game component. The con features twenty-four-hour gaming for many miniature war games as well as board games. While hosting events for virtually every major tabletop miniature game, it also boasts the largest Warhammer 40K event on the continent (the team tournament attracts approximately 1,000 players year after year). The Crystal Brush Awards are considered the pinnacle awards for sculpting and painting on the North American continent.
Origins: Both a consumer and trade show, Origins Game Fair in Columbus occurs in May and is put on by the Game Manufacturers Association (GAMA). It allows game publishers to show off their newest games and expansions, as well as offers opportunities for fans to play and celebrate their games.
Gen Con: Gen Con, hosted in August in Indianapolis, is a true celebration of tabletop gaming. There's a large variety of representation for gaming publishers: from Wizards of the Coast and Fantasy Flight to indie publishers the likes of GCT Studios (who make Bushido and Rise of the Kage) either as vendors or in gaming events.
PAX: PAX (Penny Arcade Expo) has gotten so big that it now has three events over the year in the United States plus one event in Australia. In the winter, PAX South is hosted in San Antonio, PAX East is held in Boston in the spring, and PAX West (previously known as PAX Prime) is held in Seattle in the fall. Tabletop gaming is a huge element of this full-spectrum geek event, and if you can catch the Acquisitions Inc. panel, you’ll be able to experience what happens when tabletop RPGing becomes a fun spectator sport.
Take Time to Plan Your Convention
Depending on how large a convention you’re attending, planning might be a straightforward thing, or it may feel like being a hungry man in a grocery store with unlimited money and no care for calories.
Before you look at the convention, think about how long you’ll be attending and what you want to prioritize. Do you want to shop? Do you want to game? What is it that is motivating you to attend?
Vague statements like “I just want to experience it” won’t do. Have specific intentions for the convention—it’ll give you the ability to focus. For example, if your goal is to simply attend the convention to play a specific game, plan for that. Look at the schedule for the game you want to play, prepare the components you need to participate, and be deliberate and committed in your participation.
If, on the other hand, you’re looking to try new games and experience many demos, plan for that. Games that are highly anticipated may have longer lineups for demos, so showing up earlier for those might help you skip lines.
If you want to shop in the vendors’ area, budget for it. Prepare a list of the things you’ll be looking to buy and settle on how much you’re willing to spend. Sometimes you might have to prioritize that shopping list. It’s easy to get caught on the convention floor, loaded with purchases you hadn’t planned for, and miss out on the stuff you wanted. If you want a special and highly sought-after, con-exclusive product, expect it to sell quickly—meaning you’ll want to be in line for it.
If you want to do all these things, create a timetable for it. Prioritize and build a schedule for yourself so you don’t feel rushed. Sometimes you can’t do everything within the limited time you have, so make sure you look at your priorities and are happy with them. Allocate time to travel from one event or convention area to another, which can take quite a long time in large conventions with big crowds.
The key to planning your convention is thoughtfulness and being clear about your intentions. That way you’ll have clear expectations for your experience and you’ll be able to get what you want out of the convention you’re attending.
Be Clear about How to Shop for Friends at Cons
In a world where con-exclusive expansions and components exist, sometimes you will be put into an uncomfortable position of shopping for friends. Before you embark on being a game-stuff runner for your pals back home, you need some basic rules in place to make sure that shopping for friends won’t hamper your experience.
Know Who Your Friends Are
If you’re going to a big convention where there’s stuff that is highly sought-after, you may find you suddenly have friends you didn’t know you had. Some of them you may know in passing; others are mere acquaintances. Just remember: Not all friends are created equal.
The people you are probably willing to shop for are those whose relationship is meaningful enough to you that you’d go out of your way to do them a favor. I like using the moving metric: If I’m willing to help lift heavy furniture when this person is changing apartments, muling a few toys back for her in exchange for pizza and beer seems like a reasonable thing.
If it’s someone you friended on Facebook because you see him occasionally at your FLGS, it might be less worthwhile. Why? Because you’re giving up a part of your convention experience for him. Which brings us to the next rule.
Make Sure You Have the Time and Luggage Space
Let me be clear: If you plan on doing this for your friends, make sure you budget time for it in the planning of your con experience. There is nothing that can create tensions in friendships faster than feeling obligated to miss out on stuff you wanted to do because you committed to friends that you’d shop for (and stand in line to buy) toys for them.
Similarly, hauling stuff can cost money, particularly if what you’re bringing back is bulky or otherwise sizable. This is especially true if you're travelling by air, since luggage space is even further limited and at a premium.
Decide How You’ll Get the Item and How They’ll Pay You for It
It’s very strange that you lined up early, rushed around a convention, and hauled back stuff, and now it’s been sitting in your house for weeks. Make sure you’ve got a decent idea of how you’ll be giving your friends their stuff before you agree to bring it back for them.
If your friend lives far away, consider mailing the items to her from the city where the convention is being held. It will save you the stress of hauling it back.
You shouldn’t be out of pocket for something like this, unless it’s a gift (in which case none of these rules apply). If you see your friend regularly, you’re quite likely to get paid back, but for other situations, it’s usually better to get money in advance.
If You Should Fail in Your Quest .
Sometimes despite your best efforts you can’t get the stuff on your friends’ shopping list. In which case, e-mail or phone them from the con and give them back their funds (if you took them in advance) as soon as possible, in the same form they provided it to you.
Prepare a Convention Survival Pack
Attending a gaming convention, particularly a big one like Gen Con or Essen Spiel, is like making a holy pilgrimage. You’re surrounded by gaming devotees expressing their love and passion; being in that kind of environment creates kinship and community. It can be a profound experience.
It can also be physically demanding in ways you wouldn’t consider. Following are a few things you should pack to address your basic needs and ensure that your convention experience is ultimately a positive one. Most of this stuff can be carried in a pocket or a backpack.
A pair of comfortable shoes. You’ll be surprised how much walking you’ll do, from wandering the convention floor to finding your gaming event to shopping the vendors’ hall. You’ll also likely be waiting in lines: lots and lots of lines, particularly if you want convention-exclusive gaming accessories or gaming merch. As well, keep in mind that the floor of the convention hall is probably concrete, overlaid with a thin layer of carpeting. So be sure your shoes have soles that will help you withstand that.
A bottle of water, snacks, and sandwiches. Bring a refillable bottle and refill as you go. It’s best to avoid sugary or caffeinated material like soda and energy drinks. The caffeine and sugar will irritate your bladder and interrupt your gaming sessions with required potty breaks (or just leave you very uncomfortable for prolonged periods).
Snacks and sandwiches are always good to have on hand. Bring healthy options like fruit and nuts (apples and trail mix pack well). Carrying some sandwiches as a small, healthy meal option will keep you from bankrupting yourself by eating convention-priced food. It will also save you from the inevitable gastrointestinal problems later on in the day.
A fresh set of underwear. This may sound like advice from an overbearing mom, but give it a chance. When you’re feeling tired, worn, stressed, and sweaty, changing your underwear can make you feel refreshed in a way that nothing else can. Pack the underwear in a ziptop bag so you have somewhere to stash the old set without contaminating the rest of your backpack’s contents.
A big fabric bag. Some conventions may offer one of these, but I prefer using one bought from a grocery store. They are able to endure a pile of abuse and are immediately identifiable in a crowd (unlike a convention bag everyone else has). It’s perfect for stashing any purchases made at the convention, particularly when you purchase games or expansions.
A memory foam bathmat. Convention chairs and concrete floors are the enemy of comfort, and if you’re going to be gaming for hours, a cushy bathmat can save your butt. Whether you’re playing games where you’ll be sitting for the session or ones that require standing (like many tabletop miniature or war games, where seeing the entire board is important), you’ll appreciate having something under your butt or underfoot. Just fold it up and stow it in your backpack and you’re ready to go.
A cell phone charging cord and powerpack. There’s nothing worse than having to sit in a convention venue hallway next to a power outlet to charge your phone while gaming is happening around you. A powerpack will save you that inconvenience, allowing you to use your phone to connect with the gamers you meet, take notes on games you want to buy, or just capture a memory with a photo.
