Good Game Mastering Part I

A lot goes into being a good game master.  We've chatted a bit about quality encounters and plotting but let's take a second to hit on what good game mastering is all about.  To do that I'm going to start with what it isn't.  Like how owning all the books for a particular game or even masses of games does not make a person a good GM.  Having as one's occupation, social orator, actor, or even professional game designer or publishers; none of those mean you are automatically a good game master.  In fact, every one of those occupations likely steers you farther from being a good game master.  The list actually continues ad nauseam but I'm more interested in talking about what it is over what it isn't.

So let's be about it.

Your probably noticed the "Part I" in the title so expect I'm going to break this up into a couple of posts so it makes sense.  Its a large topic and I'd rather not inundate you with every point in one elongated post that stretches a mile.  Its something that has to be learned in some amounts, which is a part of my first point in good game mastering.

Becoming a good game master takes time.  No one is awesome out of the box, not in a repeatable fashion that happens night after night, session to session.  In fact, you are likely to suck mightily in the beginning.  Hopefully, you are with a table of neophytes or forgiving grey beards who will take it in stride.  Beginners learn with you while grey beards teach you to be better by showing you the way through good playing.

Now, let's clear the water of a couple of obstacles that you'll need to overcome before you comprehend this point.

Fact 1:  Having and employing a lot of tools does not compensate for the time it takes to mature into a good game master. Oh, and by tools I'm talking about nifty apps for your smart phone, programs for your computer, GM notebooks, guides, and a mountain of books.  It's all a tool. Game mastering, though, is like exercise or any skill you can name that improves with use, you have to perform what you want to improve over and over to achieve advancement.  You may have a native advantage or good equipment (tools in this case) to make great strides with but nothing replaces the element of time.

Don't forget this point.

Fact 2:  Like exercise, you are going to have plateaus and valleys.  Some times you are going to be so alive and unforgettable, and other times you won't.  Persevere.  Akin to exercise, to beat that analogy to death, you need to moderate your pace to get better.

Fact 3:  The more you beat your chest about your good game mastering, the more likely you are not.  Feedback and consensus on this point is only gifted by your players.  If they don't think so, then you can bet you are not there yet.  Now, if they are still going on about a game you ran six months ago and can't seem to get it, the session or what they did during that time out of their minds, then you can start patting yourself on the back.  If they are not, and are not panting to tell everyone else about it, then figure you've a bit more to go for achievement to that lofty goal.

Fact 4:  Maintaining good game mastering means forever striving to get better.  A GM who rests on his laurels will lose the coveted spot they've worked to achieve.  Don't let success blind you to continuing the work you put in to get there.  Like life, its a journey that changes and grows different with every session, every year that turns.

Keep these in mind.  They'll not steer you wrong.