GMs: What Could You Use Right Now To make Your Life Easier/Better?

Reynard · Tuesday at 2:34 PM

People often talk about how it is difficult, complex, and/or a lot of work to GM a TTRPG.

So, what do you, as an individual GM in your current situation, need to make your GMing life easier, better, less work, more fun, or whatever? Is there some product or service you could use, some change in your table's culture or circumstance, some skill you wish you had?

For me, it is simply the circumstances that allow for in-person rather than VTT gaming. I am tired of Fantasy grounds and Roll20 and Zoom. I want to play with people in person. I am a 100x better GM in person than online, and I feel much freer and less stressed running in person.

What do you need?

payn · Tuesday at 2:45 PM

Not need so much as want more detailed campaign guides for published adventures and campaigns. Though, this one is sort of a two-fer becasue I want them as a player too. I find them to be great sources of inspiration.

By that I mean a booklet that combines mechanical options and flavor specifically tailored for the genre, setting, and adventure of the RPG. I want it to stand alone and not be added to GM material, particularly not intermixed in the GM material where I need to separate it out.

Why does this make life easier? Well, becasue as GM I have my hands full putting together all sorts of things for the game to happen. It's nice to pull a piece off for the players to read on their own time. Although, its also nice to have a piece both mechanical and flavor based to connect the GM and players.

Reynard · Tuesday at 2:46 PM

payn said:
Not need so much as want more detailed campaign guides for published adventures and campaigns. Though, this one is sort of a two-fer becasue I want them as a player too. I find them to be great sources of inspiration.

By that I mean a booklet that combines mechanical options and flavor specifically tailored for the genre, setting, and adventure of the RPG. I want it to stand alone and not be added to GM material, particularly not intermixed in the GM material where I need to separate it out.

Why does this make life easier? Well, becasue as GM I have my hands full putting together all sorts of things for the game to happen. It's nice to pull a piece off for the players to read on their own time. Although, its also nice to have a piece both mechanical and flavor based to connect the GM and players.

Suuuure they will.

Moonmover · Tuesday at 2:50 PM

I run my campaign at a game shop. It would be nice to do it in my own home, though. I want to go all-in on terrain and minis, but transporting that material would be prohibitively inconvenient.

Unfortunately, my home is the most remote out of anyone else's in the group.

Reynard · Tuesday at 2:51 PM

Moonmover said:
I run my campaign at a game shop. It would be nice to do it in my own home, though. I want to go all-in on terrain and minis, but transporting that material would be prohibitively inconvenient.

Unfortunately, my home is the most remote out of anyone else's in the group.

Could you keep those things at the store in a secure way? That way you wouldn't have to schlep them back and forth?

payn · Tuesday at 2:59 PM

Reynard said:
Could you keep those things at the store in a secure way? That way you wouldn't have to schlep them back and forth?

This can work if you have a good relationship with the owner. We have a solaris set up at a FLGS that we run once a month for Battletech. We have a storage tub that fits under a giant sandtable.

Reynard · Tuesday at 3:03 PM

payn said:
This can work if you have a good relationship with the owner. We have a solaris set up at a FLGS that we run once a month for Battletech. We have a storage tub that fits under a giant sandtable.

View attachment 371584 View attachment 371585

Nice!

I just (re)discovered Battletech after 30 years and am excited to explore what you can do with it. Two person 4v4 deathmatch (the first mission in the boxed set) was perhaps a little much for effectively newbs, but it was fun nonetheless.

payn · Tuesday at 3:04 PM

Reynard said:
Nice!

I just (re)discovered Battletech after 30 years and am excited to explore what you can do with it. Two person 4v4 deathmatch (the first mission in the boxed set) was perhaps a little much for effectively newbs, but it was fun nonetheless.

I'll send you some stuff in a PM for BT.

Retreater · Tuesday at 3:18 PM

Now that I think about it, I don't think I've ever been content in the hobby. I've always been chasing some ideal system, group, adventure module, etc. Chasing that perfection has drained so much of my enjoyment from the game.
I came here to post a list of things that I thought would fix the game for me. But I think what I need is to stop chasing an ideal, to stop searching for perfection, and to enjoy the time I spend playing these games - even though they aren't perfect.

p_johnston · Tuesday at 3:26 PM

1) time is the biggest. Just more downtime where I'm not drained from work/life to prep and play.

2) a slightly bigger room/table. The place we play is good but between snacks, laptops, dice trays, etc it leaves very limited room for any decent sized battle map and usually involves lots of shifting crap around.

GMs: What Could You Use Right Now To make Your Life Easier/Better?

Reynard

Legend

payn

I don't believe in the no-win scenario

Reynard

Legend

Moonmover

Explorer

Reynard

Legend

payn

I don't believe in the no-win scenario

Reynard

Legend

payn

I don't believe in the no-win scenario

Retreater

Legend

p_johnston

Adventurer

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