Stephan Hornick
Community Goblin & Master of the Archive
Platinum WoA
Wizard of Story
Wizard of Combat
Borderland Explorer
Role-Reversal: GMing other GMs
From Jinx Strange | Published ???, Updated May 23, 2021Roleplaying Tips Newsletter #471
How is gaming with a GM inherently different from gaming with anyone else?
Fundamentally, it isn’t.
The same game rules apply; the same expectations of manners, courtesy and participation are all relevant. On the surface, running a game for someone who has run games of their own shouldn’t be any different than with someone who has not.
That being said, it can still be a nerve rattling task to have to perform in front of your peers. Imagine a dentist giving a lecture on dentistry to fellow dentists. He’s going to feel pressure to be knowledgeable and on point by virtue of being in front of people who know what to ask, and how to decipher the answers.
GMs are not a special breed, subject to rigorous, individual training, who are then issued forth from GM Academy armed with grid paper, pencils, and voluminous technical knowledge unavailable to the unwashed masses.
They are people just like you or me (and include you and me) who have tried on the GM hat.
Getting to the meat of this week’s tips, I’ve answered some questions you might have when going into a new game with a fellow GM.
What if I don’t know the new GM?
That’s okay. Chances are favorable you didn’t know anyone you’ve gamed with at one point or another. The very fact that you don’t know their gaming experience can actually serve to calm your nerves a bit; are you more likely to be intimidated by a known factor, or an unknown one?Just treat them as you would any new player. Ask them a few questions about what they like and don’t like, and toss the fact out the window that they’ve run games before. You’re new to each other, so establish your relationship on the only lines that you have: As player and GM.
What if my game isn’t as good as his?
For something to be competitive it generally has to be quantifiable.Unless your group keeps a Fun-o-Meter at the table (and if you know where to buy one, please send me a link), then it’s unlikely anyone is measuring your game by any strict standards.
It doesn’t matter if you run the same kind of game as your friend. If you know what the group enjoys then you can figure out how to break the Fun-o-Meter by taking a page from Charles Darwin, and using a little natural selection of your own. Favor activities that engross players, elicit emotional responses and keep the players interested in what’s going on. Dispense with activities that leave them stacking corn chips and fiddling with iPhones.
There are hundreds of tips in the archives on how to run a fun game. Dive into some back-issues and quit worrying about how your buddy runs things. This is your show.
What if the other GM knows more about the setting than I do?
Bone up on any setting you’re going to be running consistently. It’s just a good idea.Admit to yourself there isn’t always time, especially on the spur of the moment, and think small. Use what you do know; keep the scale of the session local, small and don’t try to cram every bit of lore into the first session.
You can run a great session inside a single room (or tavern, or hospital ward, or geostationary space research vessel) with the world in which you’re running it being virtually indistinguishable from any other of the same mechanics. This option will buy you time.
Use Mister Lorepants over there to your advantage. If it doesn’t interrupt the flow or mood of the game, ask for input occasionally. Think of him as your tour guide, and have him help flesh out the map for your adventure. It’s okay. It doesn’t make you any less of a GM.
What if the GM uses his mechanics knowledge to gain advantages?
It sounds like you have a Rules Lawyer on your hands, a disease not limited to GMs by any means.I would hope anyone who has sat behind the screen would be especially respectful of not trying to pull this, and would only offer rules clarification to help the game run smoothly, but alas, I am a realist.
In this instance, you treat them no differently than any Rules Lawyer. There are already tips on handling this, among them:
Roleplaying Tips Newsletter #179 | The Logic Death Guide to Players
Roleplaying Tips Newsletter #362 | Readers' Comment: Two Types of Rules Lawyers: De Facto and De Jure
My Player-GM is giving me a lot of feedback and it’s a little overwhelming
Sometimes people who feel experienced like to offer a stream of coaching and feedback to newbies in any activity. Sometimes this is to assert dominance through knowledge, and sometimes it’s out of a genuine desire to help and contribute to everyone’s overall enjoyment.If the main point of the feedback seems to be to point out just how much you don’t know, you’re probably dealing with the former. If the subject seems to be a handful of tips and tricks of the trade, it’s likely the latter.
In either case, always try to take what you can out of any feedback and be open to suggestions and ways to improve your game. The GM who’s done learning how to GM probably isn’t going to run a very fun game for long.
Thank the person for their input, but feel free to put boundaries on it if it’s making you uncomfortable. “Thanks for the heads-up! You can be sure I’m reading up as much as I can as we go. I’ve got a lot going in my head right now, though, so would you mind saving your thoughts for the end of the session/week/month/campaign? If you think of something, just jot it down and give it to me at the end, and I’ll read it.”