10. The GM’s Role.

The Games Master (GM)

Although it may seem obvious that the GM has a role to play, it is not always obvious exactly what that is, or what might be expected from you. Every GM is free to run their games as they wish, but it never hurts to hear what others think are good practises.

The Agenda.

Show them what you see:

• Make your world with large and small details.
• Make the players’ characters’ seem real.
• Play the important moments with passion.
• Imagine every scene clearly in your mind’s eye, be lucid, succinct and accurate. You are the eyes and ears of your characters.

Make your world large with small details.

Your world needs to seem real, and some detail helps achieve that. Large details are features or landmarks, like the Comms Tower on the hills. Things that are always there and provide reference and continuity. Small details are things that may seem minor but should always be there, details that recur often, that set an expectation and define some aspect of everyday life. The Fog is red is a small detail, the colour is something you should remind the players of, its effects should recur over and over until the players are telling you the Fog is red. When your players are telling each other about the small details, or asking you if they can see the large details, then you are part of the way to where you want to be.

Don’t over do detail, you can’t recall too many and if you try you will forget some that your players think really important. Only have a half dozen in your mind at a time. Try to get your players to remember them for you. Swap out 2-3 of them every scene for new ones and use them for 2-3 sessions so your players get use to them. Bring old ones back so they are not forgotten.

When you remove a detail make a big thing about it. When the Comms Tower falls it should be a MAJOR event, your players should be eager to go investigate what happened. When they want to know, you will have a better game.

Make the players’ characters’ seem real.

Different people have different levels and expectations of what a role playing game is, and what roleplaying is. My experience is with general gamers, who will indulge in small amounts of ‘role playing’ when it seems easy to do. So that level is what I am writing this game to match, whilst at the same time trying to shift it up just a little.

For my purposes I want my players to think and act like they know their characters. A lot of the time characters simply act like a duplicate of the player, the players don’t really stretch themselves much. If you can get them to act in ways reflecting some of the actual values of the character, rather than as a clone of the player, then you are making some progress.

To that end the GM has to make a mental decision to interact with the character, and not the player. The GM should address the character by name, not the player. I would suggest you put out name plates in front of each player so you can see and remember who you are dealing with until it sticks in your mind. Make sure your players talk the same way, get them to address characters by name, and by function, by task and role. Generally (and in particular in this game) each character will have strengths, get your players to acknowledge each characters strengths and talk and act like they are actual real things. When your players are thinking of the character, and not of the player running it, then you are making progress.

Play the important moments with passion.

You need to make the times that count as exciting as you can. The combat, the mystery, the discovery, all of them must be stimulating and exciting to you and to your players. If you are not excited about what you are doing, what you have created, what you are presenting, then how can your players be? They will only reflect back to you what they see, feel and hear. You have to be passionate about your world for them to learn to be afraid of it, and thus take excitement from it.

As events escalate you have to escalate your words to match. Describe clearly what you want them to see, get them to give you details, get them to make up details, get them into the moment with you. When your players are describing things you haven’t yet, then you are making progress.

Imagine every scene clearly in your mind’s eye, be lucid, succinct and accurate.

You are your players eyes and ears, fingers and toes.

You can only work with what you see, you need to see your world, this place, the time, the events, to be able to tell your players about them. Only by telling them what you see can they see it as well, then they can tell you what they see. If you can get them to listen, and if you listen to them, together you can create a richer place.

Pace yourself to allow time to refresh the image you have in your head, it only needs a few seconds to refresh and update what has happened, where your characters are and where your monsters are. Nobody likes the moments where a player says ‘but I thought it was behind this, not over there…’ That kills the immersion, frustrates the players, creates chaos and confusion. Be lucid, succinct and keep it short. The more you try to say the more you will likely contradict yourself or confuse those listening. Learn to stop as well, often times you will say too much and swamp the moment in confusion.

Always Say.

• What the principles demand.
• What the rules demand.
• What your story demands.
• What honesty demands.

The Principles.

• Talk about your world, especially the small things.
• Address yourself to the characters, not the players.
• Let your players decide, listen to them.
• Make your move, but never speak its name.
• Name everyone, make everyone human.
• Ask provocative questions, get answers, work with them.
• Respond to what they say, reward creativity, never say no.
• Value the characters as much as your players do.
• Look at the big picture but notice the details.
• Don’t be a slave to the dice, to the rules, or to your traditions.
• Espouse the environment, make it spooky and alien.
• Offer Hope, promise Despair.
• The Alien is alien, stop thinking about it and just do the weird.
• Tell them the possible consequences, show them what you see.
• After every move ask, “what do you do now?”

Talk about your world, especially the small things, then change them.

Its the little things that have the biggest effect. Subtle things. So that when they change, everyone notices.

Address yourself to the characters, not the players.

Use their names, the characters names, get them to use them also. Names are a very human thing. Make sure everyone has a good name. Don’t let stupid names devalue your work or disrespect everyone else. Its good to have a laugh, but you need to contrast that with some seriousness. If someone insists on a dumb name try to get them to make it a nickname and work out a real one.

Let your players decide, listen to them.

Present your image of the situation, make sure they heard you, then listen to what they say. Try to use what they see so that you are all closer to the truth. Avoid correcting them if you can, correct yourself if they all seem to agree. You don’t have to be right all the time.

Make your move, but never speak its name.

Try to avoid using the formal names of the move being made if you can. Sometimes it will be needed for clarity, but most of the time everyone will have a good idea of what is happening, just ask them for a roll of the dice and see what they think is happening.

Name everyone, make everyone human.

Names are important. Stupid names, joke names, devalue your product, your story. Take the time and effort to have real names for the real people in your game. Talk to your players about the importance of appropriate names, unless you are running a comedy game. Even monsters should have names.

Ask provocative questions, get answers, work with them.

Question your players actions, turn their words back on them, suggest something horrible to them. Make them think about what they are doing, or what they might do. Not all the time, but enough to make them think about things.

Respond to what they say, reward creativity, never say no.

Listen to what they say to you, if it sounds awesome or original, or it stimulates responses from the others then reward it. Give them 1Ammo, just lying on the ground. Give them 1 Resource, hidden in a bush. Give them +1Forward. Avoid giving experience, unless it is significant.

Never say NO! to what a player suggests, let the players do that for you. At worst you will say Yes, but… Suggest the problems you see, let them discuss it and come up with a response. If they insist on something then YOU need to adapt, not them. Make it up as you go along, that’s your job. Listen to all they say.

Value the characters as much as your players do.

Value your characters, they are the heroes of the future of your world. They are not fodder to be cut down by stray bullets, or a loose brick. If a character goes down it should be in a blaze of glory, and NEVER, EVER by the result of a random dice roll. If the dice conspire against you then find a way around them. You are in control, not the dice. Don’t be a slave to the dice, or the rules. Make it up as you go along, that’s your job.

Look at the big picture but notice the details.

When describing the scene start big and broad, compare it to something your players already know… its a bit like…. Set the picture in their minds, and the expectations in their thoughts. Then quickly zero into the details. Don’t worry too much about the middle ground unless you intend to use it. Let the players fill in the gaps between big and small.

Don’t be a slave to the dice, to the rules, or to your traditions.

Make it up as you go along, that’s your job. If the story opposes any of the systems you are using then it is your systems that should adapt. Systems are created to handle specific things, but they rarely cover everything. Your story however covers everything.

Use all the stories you have read or watched, steal their ideas, make use of their history and stereotypes, do what feels right in accordance with the story. Don’t change your story because your rules, your traditions or the dice hijack things.

Espouse the environment, make it spooky and alien.

There is an alien dimension overlapping our own, invading our physics, defying our sciences. What more do you need? Make up your own sciences, create your own physical laws, apply them selectively. Everyday physical laws should apply everyday, but now and then, make them weird. Don’t get over excited though, change one thing and start giving them clues before they encounter it full power.

Offer Hope, promise Despair.

Fallen Cities is all about a world that is fucked up. I have taken a lot of the things that I think look pretty nasty from our real world and pushed them toward their limits. Heroes are created to offer Hope (mostly), when they fail we cry out in despair.

Unless your players are a very dark lot they will be playing to be Heroes, and trying to create Hope for the future. As GM you have to counter this, within reason, and try to generate despair, that’s your job. Don’t feel that this has to be one for one, the idea is that Hope will win out, that won’t happen if you try keep up with them. Feel for the dark moments and the light.

The Alien is alien, stop thinking about it and just do the weird shit.

Alien is by definition, Alien. You don’t need to understand it, you can’t. Just make stuff up, try to be random at times, do things that don’t make sense. Every now and then get all your players wondering if you are loosing it.

Tell them the possible consequences and ask questions, show them what you see.

Don’t hold back on warning your players about the danger, their characters have eyes and ears and training, they know what is dangerous so you should always tell them. You are their eyes and ears to a large degree, so don’t blind them just to fit your story. Let them decide what they are going to do, don’t make their decisions for them. If they make a mistake it is probably your fault, so adapt.

After every move: “what do you do now?”

After you take a Move ask them ‘what do you do now?’ Don’t leave a moment hanging there, push them to ‘do something, anything’, if they don’t then do something to them. They will get the message soon enough and not give you any moments of silence you might use against them.

Silence is your enemy, fill it.

GM Moves.

These are just a few of your options.

• Get someone alone.
• Capture someone.
• Put someone in a spot.
• Eat their supplies.
• Trade harm for harm
• The Fog is your friend.
• Use all the senses, make them blind.
• Inflict harm or stress
• Activate their stuff’s downside.
• Tell them the possible consequences and ask.
• Offer an opportunity, with or without a cost.
• Turn their move back on them.
• Break their Comms.
• Use the Rift.
• Incoming message…
• Its a hard world out there.
• Offer Hope…
• Promise Despair...

Get someone alone.

Try to get a player alone, make them the focus, get them worried but give them an out. Use the Fog, use the Alien.

Capture someone.

Use it as a story line, start the session with a set piece where one of the team is captured and they have to be rescued. Capture doesn’t have to be for long either, you can capture characters for brief periods and let the others rescue them. Who gets captured, the player who couldn’t make it tonight is ideal.

Put someone in a spot.

Someone should be on the spot all the time, or in the spotlight if you prefer. Don’t try to put pressure on the whole group, you won’t have as big an impression as zeroing in on one player. The rest of the group will follow anyway. You can shift to another player if you like, but just one at a time.

Eat their supplies.

The economy is there for you to use just as much as it is for them. Nobody promised them plenty, give them draughts, make them appreciate what they have, make them frugal and thoughtful, they will appreciate what they have more. Use maggots, nobody ever sees them coming.

Trade harm for harm

Don’t save your monsters, even the human ones, they are fodder for your story. If they start dying then make up some more. Let them die, your players will feel safe, then bring in the next wave...

The Fog is your friend.

The Fog is your BEST friend, your spooky friend, your eerie friend, your blood curdling sound in the distance but not able to see what it is friend. Movies that are scary do not occur in open fields for a reason, up close and personal, just behind you, just on the other side of the door is much more scary.

Use all the senses, overwhelm them.

The Fog robs them of their vision, deadens their ears, takes away the light, but don’t stop there. Explosions rob them of their hearing, shock and stun can rob them of their touch, smell can rob them of their lunch. Don’t forget smell, it is extremely powerful and highly overlooked in rpgs. The smell of fresh blood, of old bodies, of vomit and decay can make the strongest person retch.

Inflict harm or stress

Don’t be afraid to hurt your players, particularly if you can do it a little at a time. The game offers them ways to fix it, don’t hold back on giving them a chance to use those features.

Activate their stuff’s downside.

Guns are noisy, they break, they jam at the worst times. Grenades are indescriminate and effect a larger area than you might expect. Ruined builds fall over. The Rift eats away at high tech. Break things, they have Moves to fix things up, let them use those Moves.

Offer an opportunity, with or without a cost.

Options, options, options, give your players choices, people love making choices and being right.

Turn their move back on them.

If it seems like a good idea, use it against them.

Break their Comms.

Communications are a big advantage to the Team, be sure you break it now and then, especially if you can get someone alone. The Rift is your friend in this regard.

Use the Rift.

The Rift is this weird unknown. It doesn’t like technology or electricity, so it breaks it at odd times.

Incoming Message…

A message comes from your Commander with new or extra orders… right in the middle of...

1. Search your current location for...
2. Wait where you are, someone will meet you…
3. Be warned of …
4. Storm approaching, take cover…
5. Static, obscured message, but part of it said “Warning…”
6. Detour via Sector ?? to investigate.
7. Bandits nearby are causing problems, suppress them.
8. Halt! Stay where you are for ?? hours.
9. Rift forming. Stop and conduct scientific tests.
10. Pickup a parcel from nearby, bring it back with you.
11. Make contact with ??, follow their orders.
12. A battle has been reported nearby, go investigate...

Offer Hope…

Offer the hope of Hope, that is a primary part of the game…

Promise Despair...

When things look bleak, remind them why.