# Tabletop roleplayer or Gamemaster? Chat to me!



## Morning Star (Apr 20, 2004)

Hello peoples. I am finally purchasing my first tabletop RPG, Star Wars. Whilst I have had a deep love for roleplaying since I first knew what the word meant, I have never actually taken part in a game, let alone managed one. 

I am looking for anyone who would fancy a chat about techniques or experiences they've had, or any general bits of advice that could help me create a good experience for the players.

If you have msn feel free to reach me at: the_real_stampede@hotmail.com


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## Brian G Turner (Apr 20, 2004)

PSST! Careful - these forums are well spidered, so putting your e-mail address up isn;t necessarily wise - e-mail spiders, you see. 

 As for the Star Wars RPG - yes, think I've played a bit of that. As for DM/GMing - the secret probably lies in flexibility, and being able to think along new plotlines quickly and in context with whatever else is going on. The more restricted character plays feels, the less enjoyable it will be. It's all about letting your imagination do the work.


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## Morning Star (Apr 20, 2004)

Hoho, I only use that address for chatting on MSN...and naughty pics.


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## Morning Star (May 5, 2004)

Just out of interest, had our first game on sunday. Big success, played for 4 hours straight and yes, the players did some really unexpected things of course, but apart from a slight stalling, it went very well.


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## Brian G Turner (May 5, 2004)

Players *always* do unexpected things.


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## Morning Star (May 5, 2004)

Well, it got them thrown out of a night club in Coruscant by Gamorrean bouncers. So a good time was had by all!


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## Brian G Turner (May 5, 2004)

Heh, Gamorreans on Coruscant? Heh, but who else as bouncers.


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## Morning Star (May 6, 2004)

Yes, perfect for the job! Actually you'd be surprised, Gamorreans leave their homeworld and travel the galaxy quite frequently. Their services are very much in demand as they make such good labourers and bodyguards. They HAVE to fight, they can't live without it.

Bacon with a bad attitude.


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## aftermath (May 12, 2004)

I dont know much about Star Wars, but D&D, i have palyed for the 2 or 3 years as DM and player. As a player, i have to say, doing unexcpeted things is one of the funnest things. and as a DM, coming up with the events ans story to follow these events is just as fun. 

Also, try to drop some the rules if you want. If a rule is unnessacry, like weight and movement, sleep, etc, drop them. it free's you up and the player. it allows for a smoother time. and just use to own (i can't spell the word I want) git feelsings. EX: a player carrying 9 rifles... isn't going to happen. make him drop them or something. 

or

A monster is at the end of a tunnel nad it has a bow. the player will get shot a few times before they hack it apart with a sword. 

sorry if i said things to already know. but my friend tries to follow the rules to the T and it pisses me off to no end.


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## Brian G Turner (May 12, 2004)

Oh, yes - the rules lawyer. 

 One of my better role-playing experiences was a scenario for Bushido, an old RPG set in feudal Japan, The rulebook was just so darn hard to read that the GM rventually just improvised the whole experience. And very good it was too. The more your imagination plays a part, the better it all was.


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## Vodstok (May 12, 2004)

i have been playing on both sides of the board since '87. As a player, I live to make life hard for the DM, usually doing the last thing they expect. As a DM, I improv quite a bit, using only an outline to start off with. That way, i am covered in case one of the players tries to one-up me .


A hard lesson that many dms-turned players have learned with em is that i can dish out BECAUSE i can take it in  I'm evil like that.


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## Morning Star (May 17, 2004)

Thanks for the advice Vodstok and Aftermath, I agree completely re: dropping rules to keep it flowing, I mean, it's a bit difficult to immerse yourself in an RPG when the DM keeps having to make calculations and flipping through the rule book in the heat of a climatic battle.

Next session is going to entail the PCs being betrayed twice by the same character. (A neurotic tech addicted to painkillers who they need to help them infiltrate a cybernetics research facility on Nar-Shaddaa) 

Looking forward to their commentary and their reaction to him when they meet him some time in future campaigns.


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## aftermath (May 17, 2004)

Glad to be of service.  
Vodstok- 87! That's a year after I was born! I only started playing about 2 years ago. I was 15, and playing 1st edition D&D. oh, the good ol' times. Since then, myself and another of my friends have made three different forms of the game based on D20 with different classes, races, etc. that can be really fun :>


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## Morning Star (May 17, 2004)

Do you know anything about the debate between 2nd ed fans and 3rd ed fans? I don't know how widespread it is...but at least some 2nd ed fans are feeling cheated by the changes in the rules.

Not being a D&D player myself, I don't really have an opinion.


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## Brian G Turner (May 17, 2004)

3rd edition? What's in that?


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## Morning Star (May 17, 2004)

Hmm...you see, thats wasted on me! Unless, I take it to mean you're a hardcore fan of 2nd edition?


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## Brian G Turner (May 17, 2004)

I'm not quite sure of the edition numbers - wasn't it the first edition that had Gary Gygax introducing character classes such as monks and bards? If so it was the 2nd edition I bought, and we mixed elements of both.

 I haven't a clue about 3rd edition. What did they change that was so drastic?


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## Lacedaemonian (May 17, 2004)

I am utterly jealous of you RPG peoples.  Back in the eighties all the kids in my village played D&D and the likes, but they would not let me play because I was too young.  Now that I am fully adult nobody plays anymore, and my friends just look at me strangely when I suggest we play.  I have all the new LOTR minitures but have never used them in a game format, I just paint them and look at them.  Sad I know.  My friend did buy the LOTR Risk game, which we played a few times and I enjoyed but he lost interest.  My girlfriend has always said that she would play these games with me but I would just smash her to peices and she would cry.  Has anybody played A Game of Thrones board game?  It looks good.


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## Morning Star (May 18, 2004)

I saw the Thrones game at the local gaming store...sorry mate, haven't played it, but it does look intriguing. 

As for the changes from 2nd to 3rd ed, coming from a noob who listens to the online ramblings of other gamemasters, the biggest complaints I've heard so far are:

Less detail in the Monsters Manual. I read the 2nd ed manual, it was great, it had all kinds of interesting facts regarding the society and ecology of creatures..apparantly, the 3rd ed version is decidedly sloppy and hurried in comparison and leaves these facts out.

Saturation of magical items, whilst I've been told that the forgotten realms settings are chock full o magic, apparantly in 3rd ed, it's possible for your character to gain a feat quite early in his career and begin spouting out powerful magic items. I'll speak to some more disgruntled gamers and find out what else has changed.

However, from reading the Full Frontal Nerdity Webcomic, I've also learned that many D&D veterans hate changes, really hate them and that Wizards of the Coast get flooded with letters questioning new editions and alterations. So I suppose theres just no pleasing some people.


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## Lacedaemonian (May 18, 2004)

I would greatly appreciate some feed back on the Game of Thrones board game.  With all the George RR Martin fans on these boards, there must be some people who have played it.  I do not want to chuck hard earned (Believe that if you will) money at something that is rubbish.


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## Morning Star (May 18, 2004)

Well, if you have'nt seen this already, here's a review by Wargamer:

http://www.wargamer.com/reviews/game_of_thrones/

I hope this helps somewhat.


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## Brian G Turner (May 18, 2004)

The thing a lot of people forget about D&D - and role-playing in general - is that rule books are _guides_.


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## Morning Star (May 18, 2004)

Good point...but I suppose like in all things, there are just those who are die-harders and have every stat and rule memorised.


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## Lacedaemonian (May 18, 2004)

Thanks for the review.  I will purchase the game, if I can get some of my friends to first read the books, then convince them to play the game.  I am not sure when I became a nerd...


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## Morning Star (May 18, 2004)

You are most welcome of course!

And hey! Nerdity is the new Hula-Hoop!


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## aftermath (May 27, 2004)

I-Brain, I agree with you fully. The books are just to guided you I find. I'vew played f1st,2nd and 3rd. 1st is my fav or it has some cool classes that weren't in 2nd. But like I and you said, they are guidelines. We just use the books to make our characters, and to brush up on some of the basic rules. All the items we use and all the monsters are made up as we go along, that way we can make a fight more interesting by have our own monsters because we can then mold them to the players. I don't see the point of buying 3rd, when you can get 1st second hand for a hell of  a lot cheaper.

As for board games, I'd suggest Axies and Allies and Warhammer(I myself play the LotR kind). It's great. I have 2 cave trolls and 12 berserkers . God do they ever cut through mounted units. 

And to better hte situation, my gf(to be) plays these games with us.


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## Morning Star (May 31, 2004)

Please share with me your advice on how you got your gf to play? I love my gf dearly, she's the best thing I've got on this earth and I understand that differences in interest make for a healthy relationship, but I would love her to roleplay with me (and I don't just mean in the Britney Spears schoolgirl outfit).

However, she has never ever experienced any form of rpgs and only ever saw Star Wars this year (we watched my trilogy together) She is willing to try though and I won't think any less of her if she doesn't enjoy it, but it would be great to have her with me.


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## aftermath (May 31, 2004)

Hehe, my gf is into sci-fi and likes fantasy but never really had a chance to explore it. So, I brought her along to a d&d meet and she wanted to join. after that, she wanted to start playing other games with us. it's great. play warhammer and D&D then go out for the night  oh yeah... lol

i'd just suggest having her sit in on a few games to see if she enjoys them instead of bogging her down with all the rules rite of the bat.


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## Morning Star (Jun 1, 2004)

Yes, I agree thats a good idea. Nothing puts off a newcomer more than looking at a blank character sheet....all that small print!!!

I am also planning on a one-on-one gaming session with just me and her, so she can test the waters without worrying about other people.


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## aftermath (Jun 1, 2004)

yes... an one on one gaming session.... lol. just picking. It's a good idea. I'm trying to get my siblings playing. but they're dumb as rocks so I think I may have to do the same thing with them


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