TheRPGSite

Hi Guys.

Been thinking about this question for a week or two.

Remember more than a year ago I asked for advice for making a D&D 3.5 style Bard? Yeah well that campaign finally ended or 'imploded'. The DM twice showed up and said basically this: "Um, I was too stressed to make anything for tonight. Sorry, let's watch movies...or something."

He says this, but STILL has a shitload of D&D books with him. (I could have run a quick encounter/adventure with half the shit he brings...more on that later)

One of these two times that he pulled that stunt was a night that I was hosting the game at my place. In 20/20 hindsight it made me pissed off - because I had spent two days cleaning the room we were going to game in and making sure I had everyone'e favorite drink in the fridge (or something very close) and he shows up ..and then 'doesn't feel like it".

There were SIX people, including me, there to game, the waffly DM was the seventh person there. The group was 4 women and 3 men . (Two married couples in the group)

SO....RECENTLY....

One of the players in that D&D campaign is also  in my STAR TREK campaign and I tell her that the night at my place I was on the verge of saying to the group: "Fine, he doesn't feel like it or didn't have time to make stuff up? My books are all here . You guys are all here - I'm going to run something - Who wants to play?"

She told me that it was probably a good thing that I didn't - because the other DM has ego or other issues.  (Yeah, whatever)

Basically it boils down to she told me that I was more ADAPTABLE in general than many GMs and Reffs that she has run into over the years.

QUESTIONS:


1) How ADAPTABLE are you?


2) Could you Run a Game Session at your own House with less than 20 minutes notice?


3) Should I have just done my first choice impulse and Run an impromptu session anyway? - Stepped on that guy's toes and such?


4) What would you have done in a similiar situation?


- Ed C.

Quote from: Koltar;592756QUESTIONS:

1) How ADAPTABLE are you?

I'd like to think very adaptable. Sometimes I end up being more so than the group. I need to get a feel for the table to know where my limits are.

Quote from: Koltar;5927562) Could you Run a Game Session at your own House with less than 20 minutes notice?

Easily.

Fifteen of those minutes would likely be The Table Talk narrowing down what genre and style we feel like that session, what are the group's assumed party dynamics and boundaries, and then digging out the core book. Give me five minutes for a spread of premises to choose from and I'll world build on the fly. It's all Terra Incognita until you pay attention to it, kids!

Quote from: Koltar;5927563) Should I have just done my first choice impulse and Run an impromptu session anyway? - Stepped on that guy's toes and such?

I'd be strongly tempted to, personally. I mean, egos are easily bruised and all, but there's six other people whose time is also valuable. If the lackadaisical GM just wants a bullshit session, a few movies, and a slice o' pepperoni pizza, he should be quite upfront about it.

However, then there's also long term friendships and other relationship dynamics. If your wife said it is best this way, perhaps she's reading something in the winds you're not. My time is important, but so are my friends. And as much as I may want a game, I prioritize my friends and enjoy what time I get with them.

Barring other information, I'll follow your wife's lead here (based on the completely sexist notion that she's likely paying more attention to back-room drama and social politics to know how best to decorously maneuver through this).

Quote from: Koltar;5927564) What would you have done in a similiar situation?

Really depends on my group of friends. I will have a chat with the guy in private to see if he's in a funk or whatnot, and whether he's amenable to rotating the GM responsibility. Like in any relationship we say it's 50/50, but it often ends up being 40/60 or 70/30 and flux back again. So some days we need to lean on our friends for support.

However, I eventually end up being a tactless, upfront ass when my patience is blown. I'll be honest, at some point I'd just come out and ask that if anyone else feels like a game I'll just run one on the fly immediately. Twice is enough to raise eyebrows, dig any back story, and have "The Chat"; three or more and I'm going to offer my alternative in front of him at the least.

Adaptability
Being able to just run anything at the drop of a hat is something I aspire to but I am not quite there.

For an active, ongoing campaign, I can probably get a game going with 20 minutes notice. It may not be my best session it is doable.

For a one shot I could probably swing a short notice game for something like ICONS mostly relying on resources I have already handy for that game from like published adventures I've read, adventures I have already run or random notes for for other stuff I was planning.  The character generation application also cuts down prep time.

Coming with fresh material for a one-shot is hard as involves thinking up a strong premise, interesting NPCs and situations. I can't do that in 20 minutes, and I rather not run a game than run something lame. I guess I suffer from misplaced GM-pride.

I have a few no-prep games like 3:16  and Mythic but I find I don't enjoy running them very much.


Gaming etiquette
Gaming etiquette varies between groups. With us it is perfectly normal if the GM says "Sorry guys I'm not really up for running a game tonight" for someone else to step up. But then always been in groups with multiple GMs so we are used to taking turns and sharing the coveted GM role.

It has also happened that the filler game, if successful, goes on to become the regular game for a while and the previous campaign never really recovers, but that's the evolutionary force of the free market ensuring that the games that please the most players get played more.

Other groups may be different. There people who really only ever want to be GMs and if they put a lot of effort recruiting new players to run a campaign. I can why said person might not take kindly if someone else takes over as GM. But even then,  that might be a sign that the GM was underperforming.

What you don't do is as player deliberately undermine the current GM's game in order to plug your own game. But then that kind of individual is going to be toxic to the group regardless and in the your example it clearly the GM who is undermining himself.

Quote from: Koltar;5927561) How ADAPTABLE are you?

Very very adaptable. I can run any game I know at the drop of a hat.

Quote2) Could you Run a Game Session at your own House with less than 20 minutes notice?

Totally, without a problem.

Quote3) Should I have just done my first choice impulse and Run an impromptu session anyway? - Stepped on that guy's toes and such?

Absolutely. As long as the guy has said that he didn't have the time, there's nothing improper with you proposing a game for the evening.

Quote4) What would you have done in a similiar situation?

I would have run something.

Quote from: Opaopajr;592763However, then there's also long term friendships and other relationship dynamics. If your wife said it is best this way,....

Huh...what?  My Wife?

QuoteBarring other information, I'll follow your wife's lead here (based on the completely sexist notion that she's likely.....

OOPS!! - And there it is again.

The woman or female friend I am referring to is in or played in both RPG campaigns. She's been one of my most loyal and best players for more than a decade. HOWEVER - we're NOT married. She plays RPGs, her husband does not - tho he is socially friends with the game groups that his wife tends to play with.
She is more like a 'big sister' to me because of age difference. Tho, your guess about her personality/psychology skills isn't too far off - she has had professional training as a counselor or therapist and is pretty good at reading body language and other non-verbal signals.

She's also a damn good player in most RPG campaigns...

- Ed C.

1) Fairly adaptable. If I know the system well then I can easily create adventures on the fly.

2) Yep. I could but probably wouldn't. This isn't due to unpreparedness, I just wouldn't have a housefull of people coming over to game without giving my wife fair notice.

3) Certainly. You looked forward to an evening of gaming and I'm sure the other players were too. Offering to run something for the evening if the regular GM isn't ready isn't stepping on anyone's toes. It isn't like you were planning on taking over that GM's campaign or anything. Anyone butthurt by someone running a one shot would be welcome not to participate.

4) I would have run something fun, and easily playable in a single session that included pregens.

This reminds me, I need to start on next week's SWN adventure. And do the other session write-ups.

Quote from: Koltar;592756QUESTIONS:

1) How ADAPTABLE are you?

Not very. If I can bring in some Insane Aliens the players have to deal with - like the Stryxis from 40k, for example, who are mad hoarder/inventor/genius/retards in my 40k universe - then I can fill up a session with lunacy, and amuse players, but that gets old really fast (A session a year, at most). I'm not good at making something utterly up on the fly, though.

Quote2) Could you Run a Game Session at your own House with less than 20 minutes notice?

Haha, fuck no. I'm not that good and I wouldn't even pretend to be - A week is barely enough time for me (Of course, that includes fitting session planning around relaxing from work, dealing with the baby and girlfriend, studying, working...).

Quote3) Should I have just done my first choice impulse and Run an impromptu session anyway? - Stepped on that guy's toes and such?

I think so, yeah. If I'd shown up to play, I'd be unhappy about not getting to play. As adults, there's so much time pressure to do boring adult things, organising a steady game is a nightmare. Losing a night just to hear some guy say "oops, I didn't write anything, soz peeps" would piss me off.

Quote4) What would you have done in a similiar situation?

If it had been me, I'd have been a bit unhappy, and probably suggested some manner of board game or something to fill the evening.

1) How ADAPTABLE are you?
On a scale of 1-10, I'd probably say pretty adaptable. Impromptu is not my first choice of DM'ing styles, but adults living real lives causes it to happen more often than I'd like, so I'm comfortable doing it.

2) Could you Run a Game Session at your own House with less than 20 minutes notice?
Sure. It won't be as good as the game that I have ample time to prepare, but I'll run it, no question, and it will not totally suck. Only real downside is that I might not have enough beer for everyone with only 20 minutes notice.

Note, this is where having a megadungeon comes in handy. At the drop of a hat, you can throw guys right into the action and already have a map, a key, etc. In 20 minutes, I can easily update an area for new monsters or draw up a simple key for an unkeyed area.

3) Should I have just done my first choice impulse and Run an impromptu session anyway? - Stepped on that guy's toes and such?
I think you probably could have found a tactful way of running an impromptu session. Something like, "Hey, well, because everyone's here, we might as well do something. I'll take a stab at an impromptu session - DM X can take a breather this week and the rest of us can still game a little bit."

4) What would you have done in a similiar situation?
See above.

Quote from: Koltar;592771Huh...what?  My Wife?

Awwww.... And you didn't even invite me to the wedding!


For the record, 20 minutes is quite sufficient for a 3.x game. Like any good GM, I have several adventures that have already been designed and printed, so it would be simply a matter of choosing one that would fit with the players that showed up.

It would probably take the players longer to get their characters ready.

For 0D&D, no prep time needed.

For Spycraft, no prep time needed.

For Terra Incognita, No prep time needed.

For Traveller, No prep time needed.

For New BSG, mmmm... maybe 15 minutes.

For Gurps: Alpha Centauri, no prep time needed.

For Star Wars... 20 minutes would be sufficient.

Metamorphosis Alpha, no prep time needed.

Gamma World, no prep time needed.

Twin Crowns, no prep time needed.

Aces & Eights.... Maybe an hour.

Castles & Crusades... No prep time needed.

Really, most real GMs have one or more adventures ready, if not, any decent GM would have at least purchased one or more adventures or supplements so they could run a game without much prep.

I wouldn't consider a "player" with the GM books a GM, unless they could and did run an adventure on fairly short notice.

As long as I know the system, I can run on the fly. The prep I do is setting design, which I then run as a sandbox. I have a few settings in my back pocket.

All I need to start is some sort of event or crisis, and the game proceeds from there.

Quote from: Koltar;5927561) How ADAPTABLE are you?

Very.  My players tell me that I'm at my best when I'm just making shit up on the fly.  That being said I think they're wrong and I absolutely hate to do it.  Mostly because I'm not going to remember what I said five minutes from now.

I typically always use my 'on the fly' creativity to put things back on track, back in my comfort zone.

Quote from: Koltar;5927562) Could you Run a Game Session at your own House with less than 20 minutes notice?

Yep.  Multiple systems, too.  But a lot of that is preparation.  I have a zillion modules that I haven't yet ran, and could dust one off and wing it.

Quote from: Koltar;5927563) Should I have just done my first choice impulse and Run an impromptu session anyway? - Stepped on that guy's toes and such?

Um, I like the impulse, but you said yourself that you were miffed about it.  I'd wait a day or two and then give him notice.  "Look man, I understand how much work it is to run a game, but next time you're not ready, I'm going to offer."  Something like that.

Quote from: Koltar;5927564) What would you have done in a similiar situation?

First time it happened, I'd have done what I advised above.  We used to trade GMs all the time back in the day, and it works really well for this kind of thing.  It's a go-to for me, for sure.

1) How ADAPTABLE are you?

Insanely. Probably my greatest strength as a gm.


2) Could you Run a Game Session at your own House with less than 20 minutes notice?

Yes, I have learned a few tricks to create a quick session work without prep.


3) Should I have just done my first choice impulse and Run an impromptu session anyway? - Stepped on that guy's toes and such?

As long as its a oneshot, sure. probably don't want to freak out the unprepared gm that you might replace him.


4) What would you have done in a similiar situation?

Been annoyed, but done whatever the majority prefered.

Quote from: Koltar;592756Hi Guys.

Been thinking about this question for a week or two.

Remember more than a year ago I asked for advice for making a D&D 3.5 style Bard? Yeah well that campaign finally ended or 'imploded'. The DM twice showed up and said basically this: "Um, I was too stressed to make anything for tonight. Sorry, let's watch movies...or something."

He says this, but STILL has a shitload of D&D books with him. (I could have run a quick encounter/adventure with half the shit he brings...more on that later)

One of these two times that he pulled that stunt was a night that I was hosting the game at my place. In 20/20 hindsight it made me pissed off - because I had spent two days cleaning the room we were going to game in and making sure I had everyone'e favorite drink in the fridge (or something very close) and he shows up ..and then 'doesn't feel like it".

There were SIX people, including me, there to game, the waffly DM was the seventh person there. The group was 4 women and 3 men . (Two married couples in the group)

We've run into similar situations. The general problem is a lack of decorum on behalf of the storyteller (the person flaking on you, despite you providing the location), as he is clearly displaying a lack of concern for the effort and generosity that you (the host) have put into the evening, not to speak of your time and the time of others.

I have personally, often noted that people who are out of work, or do not work, regular or not, for some reason--people with unlimited free time--have less, if any, regard for the time of others.  They will look at an evening that six other need to plan around as just another night, and if they flake on you, in their mind, there's no qualms, as they can always do it later. The best thing, IMHO, is to explain that your time is valuable, and that you aren't going to put up with no-notice flaking.

That isn't to say that nobody ever has problems, but unless there is some clear medical issue that hit them suddenly, giving 48-hours of notice is not unprecedented.

We initiated a 'three strike' rule because of these situations. The first time someone flakes, we accept it; the second, we have a talk; the third, and they are barred from offering to run any events for one year. (We define 'flaking' as canceling an event without 48-hours of notice, unless eternal influences entirely beyond your control are the cause.)

QuoteSO....RECENTLY....

One of the players in that D&D campaign is also  in my STAR TREK campaign and I tell her that the night at my place I was on the verge of saying to the group: "Fine, he doesn't feel like it or didn't have time to make stuff up? My books are all here . You guys are all here - I'm going to run something - Who wants to play?"

She told me that it was probably a good thing that I didn't - because the other DM has ego or other issues.  (Yeah, whatever)

Basically it boils down to she told me that I was more ADAPTABLE in general than many GMs and Reffs that she has run into over the years.

Hogwash! You were well in your rights to request to not waste your evening. A good storyteller can produce material off the cuff, with zero planning, be it fantasy, science-fiction, space opera, drama, mystery, or what-have-you. I ran a game the other night with no planning. It took longer (about 10 minutes) to set up the characters, and another 5-minutes of background information than it did for me to piece together a suitable mystery scenario.

Obviously, some people will need more or less time, but to be honest, you need to spend more time on long tales, than on short stories, as you will need to do more layout in advance; and then toss it when that part of your story is skirted by clever play.

Typically, I generate game elements, spending most of my time on detail on-the-spot, and don't go nuts making any locked adventures. I let people do what they want--or try to, based on the character and setting, and common sense--establishing key story points they they may follow, or not; consequences follow action and inaction alike.

I've received what I deem praise by several players, one of which had nightmares after a session, dreaming about being devoured by a giant brain. Another, in the latest sorry, got tense t o he point of trembling over a mystery in the style of Agatha Christie, set in space. The fear of his character (for his life) bled through to the player. I set that story up in about two minutes, and played the details on the spot, to the point of creating NPCs by name and personality, and playing them set in the situation (method acting).

Naturally, not everyone can do this but there is no excuse to require days of set-up to tell a story. In fact, I have found that most storytellers that do this are shocked and disappointed when the players avoid their carefully-mapped dungeons or intricate planned encounters. I ha a GM literally go ballistic once, as he spent two months designing a dungeon, and we elected not to go there, as the description of it made it sound like suicide, with no benefit to us for bothering. He spent all that time on layout, but had no story presentation that would make anyone want to play the situation.

Games that use dungeons on a regular basis may need some set-up, but if the storyteller wants to run and doesn't have his labyrinth or castle ready, he can use one of the thousands of modules from any system, and quickly adapt it to his story. I have done this on many occasions and players become bewildered when what they thought was entirely my creation came from a module. Once in a while, they layer read the module and pose 'How did you get that, out of this?', as I normally use the layouts, but not the story of the boxed-adventure, although I pick and choose the elements that I keep and those that I replace as needed to meet my goal.

The only time a storyteller truly requires more time is when they are establishing a key plot point toward which, the characters are moving, and then only when the story cannot progress without it.

Of course, if you are in a futuristic setting, you can always zap people back in time and use a mythical or historical module, or sideways through time for any time period, to an alternate reality for a quick adventure out of the box as well. There are always options when you need material: handing the reigns over to an assistant GM is another.

Letting one of you players GM a few sessions of your game, while you play one of your NPCs can put a new face on the story, and allow you to be on the flip-side, to enjoy new details in your own setting.

I will also mention that the time it takes to start a game on the fly is more based on player familiarity with the system and character generation, than on my familiarity. I rule that my decisions stand, and if a rule exists that would make them not stand, that it should be directed to me when I am not in the middle or a situation, unless it puts the life of a character in jeopardy

After-with I will adhere to the rule if I think it is reasonable and fitting, but I will not retcon an event because of it,. This makes the story more fluid, and prevents halts for trivialities. I will often rule in favour of the player if they pose an objection that is logical.

Thus, the slow part is not creating a setting or story: I have those floating in my head at all times. It is getting players ready to go with one. Therefore, if your group is ready to begin, there is no reason for you not to run.

Honestly, what it comes down to is that your pal was infringing on your space, generosity, liberties and personal enjoyment of your evening. Before you are afraid to let him know how you feel, bu considering his feelings, ask yourself if he is thinking about your own. Talk about the situation with reason and logic, but make it clear that you won't let it continue happening, and if he needs time to do what he wants, then he should take a 3-to-6 month hiatus, come up with his material, and then resume when he is set with enough scratch to last for a good, long while.

Quote from: Koltar;5927561) How ADAPTABLE are you?

One time to test myself I took three small levels dungeon (10 room each) and made everything up on the fly. Everybody had fun including me. Although afterwords. it was pain in the ass trying to write down everything I came up with. Especially next session when the players lost the treasure list.

It about the Bag of Stuff that I keep talking about in my sandbox campaign posts. The bigger and more diverse your Bag of Stuff then better able you are to just throw something together at the last minute.

Quote from: Koltar;5927562) Could you Run a Game Session at your own House with less than 20 minutes notice?

Sure, the problem it if its something I have be consistent with later.

The downside of on the fly material is that you have no time to reflect on your ideas, which hurts consistency and continuity. This is also one area where experience dominates natural talent. The average 15 year old starting out refereeing is going to find doing this way harder than a 45 year old who been doing this off and on for 30 years.

Quote from: Koltar;5927563) Should I have just done my first choice impulse and Run an impromptu session anyway? - Stepped on that guy's toes and such?

4) What would you have done in a similiar situation?

It a group of friend, a social group. If the main activity is cancelled then consensus should rule. The referee abrogated his leadership when he decided to cancel the game  If he feel threatened by your ability as a referee that on him. However if you like the guy you could causally talk about it if he looks bothered.

1) How ADAPTABLE are you?
I am sandbox style, so extremely. I ran a D&D Mythic Greece campaign that ended up in Egypt within 10 minutes. The 9th Plague and the Exodus happened.

2) Could you Run a Game Session at your own House with less than 20 minutes notice?
20 minutes before everyone shows up, then 20 minutes after.

3) Should I have just done my first choice impulse and Run an impromptu session anyway? - Stepped on that guy's toes and such?

No, I would have fired him. "You clearly don't really want to do this, so I will. Okay, guys, let's talk about a new campaign." This guy's ego shouldn't protect him from being a flake.

Also consider that if he was all tired and stuff, he could have sent out an email to that effect that morning. Instead he waited until everyone got there.

4) What would you have done in a similiar situation?

See above.

Quote from: TaoJeannes;592850I ran a D&D Mythic Greece campaign that ended up in Egypt within 10 minutes. The 9th Plague and the Exodus happened.

Not to derail, but it sounds like you might have some good contributions for this thread (http://www.therpgsite.com/showthread.php?t=24365)...

Quote from: Koltar;5927561) How ADAPTABLE are you?

Quite. I'll have a go at running any genre/system/setting that takes my fancy - heroic fantasy, sci-fi, horror, urban fantasy, Amber, intelligent animals, post-apocalyptic robots looking for existential meaning in the absence of the humans they were built to serve...

Quote2) Could you Run a Game Session at your own House with less than 20 minutes notice?

Absolutely. I've run game sessions with less prep time and without the benefit of being in my own house.

Quote3) Should I have just done my first choice impulse and Run an impromptu session anyway? - Stepped on that guy's toes and such?

Yes. That guy lost the right to get pissed off when he showed up without being ready to run a game. If he wasn't going to be able to meet his GMing commitment, and knew it in advance, the least he could have done was to let the other 6 people know before they wasted their time and effort.

Quote4) What would you have done in a similiar situation?

I'd have offered to run a game without caring about the other guy's ego. I'd view the lack of game (and lack of advance notice) as being a problem he created. If his ego can't stand someone else offering to run a game when he flakes, he should either take a break from GMing until he's ready to do it again or stop flaking.

Quote from: Koltar;5927561) How ADAPTABLE are you?

If you mean systemwise, I'm an old fogey, I don't like narrative mechanics in my games, it totally throws off my mojo as GM.  I can play those games however and have fun, as usually those games are designed to be one-shots or short campaigns anyway.  D&D, D20, Shadowrun 1-3, any BRP equivalent, Dragon Age, Deadlands, Rolemaster Any, WFRP1-2.  Sci-Fi hard or soft, Fantasy, Post-Apoc, Western, Horror, about the only genre I don't do is TOON or outright Anime.

Quote from: Koltar;5927562) Could you Run a Game Session at your own House with less than 20 minutes notice?

Depends on the systems.  Early versions of D&D, Dragon Age, Runequest Yes.  Shadowrun, yes, but don't expect Ocean's 2057.

Quote from: Koltar;5927563) Should I have just done my first choice impulse and Run an impromptu session anyway? - Stepped on that guy's toes and such?

Yes. Absolutely.  He forfeited his right to any consideration when he showed up without anything ready and with no notification whatsoever.  He knew damn well a day or two before he wasn't going to have anything ready and should have notified everyone.  Some of my players travel an hour to get to my house, so them showing up and me not actually having anything and not telling them is definitely "being a dick."

Quote from: Koltar;5927564) What would you have done in a similiar situation?

I would have run something if the players were up for it.  Not all my players like one-shot RPGs, they'd rather do a good boardgame.

This entirely depends on the length of the adventure, my degree of inspiration, and other factors. More specifically...

Quote from: Koltar;592756QUESTIONS:


1) How ADAPTABLE are you?

Moderately. If I'm just not feeling like playing D&D and someone wants to and I have nothing prepared, well they can run it, or it won't get run. I can't just cold start.

If I am, and I can think, and I want to play D&D then I'm much better about short notice things (but it still works better when I get more notice because I'd rather know about things that take hours well in advance).

Quote2) Could you Run a Game Session at your own House with less than 20 minutes notice?

I could but would really rather not, and the quality would suffer a fair bit.

Quote3) Should I have just done my first choice impulse and Run an impromptu session anyway? - Stepped on that guy's toes and such?

In your case, that'd have probably been best.

Quote4) What would you have done in a similiar situation?


- Ed C.

I'd have said give me a bit, made something, or found a short prewritten scenario and ran a game myself.

Quote from: Koltar;592756Basically it boils down to she told me that I was more ADAPTABLE in general than many GMs and Reffs that she has run into over the years.

QUESTIONS:


1) How ADAPTABLE are you?
2) Could you Run a Game Session at your own House with less than 20 minutes notice?
3) Should I have just done my first choice impulse and Run an impromptu session anyway? - Stepped on that guy's toes and such?
4) What would you have done in a similiar situation?

1: As long as i'm allowed to use my own system, or at least an odd mix of the storytelling system, then all i need is papers, pens/pencils .... because i tend to carry my head with me.
But that is at its worst: i prefer to bring at least the core rules with me, otherwise.
2: Yup, i definitely could. But again, My system or an odd mix of the storytelling system ... or a mix of them both.
3: At some time, a GM/DM/whatever with an ego that won't let others have intended fun ... either must learn, or have to go.
I'm not certain that was the right time, so i guess you did right at that moment.
It is important to remember though, that most GM's aren't very flexible, and needs time to prepare adventures, to do them well enough.
4: I would have suggested i'd do something, and then asked what the others thought, going by majority.
.... I think i would have, but then, i do not know how that GM is, so perhaps i would have done like you.

Quote from: Imperator;592766Very very adaptable. I can run any game I know at the drop of a hat.


Totally, without a problem.


Absolutely. As long as the guy has said that he didn't have the time, there's nothing improper with you proposing a game for the evening.


I would have run something.

These are my answers as well.

Quote from: Koltar;5927562) Could you Run a Game Session at your own House with less than 20 minutes notice?

I've done it in the past and feel pretty confident that I could do it again. I haven't used this in actual play, but this sample scenario (http://thealexandrian.net/wordpress/7999/roleplaying-games/node-based-scenario-design-part-4-sample-scenario) from my essays on node-based scenario design only took about 10 minutes to draft up into a playable outline. (And that included googling the floorplans and visuals.)

Recently, I haven't had the need to whip up fresh scenarios on-the-fly because my OD&D open table (http://thealexandrian.net/wordpress/1223/roleplaying-games/opening-your-game-table) hexcrawl is specifically designed to give me an "open the box and play" solution.

This can be tougher if we're talking about a system which requires complicated stat blocks for NPCs but doesn't include a ready-to-use stock of such stat blocks. But for systems where winging NPC stat blocks is easier or where there's a Monster Manual-style resource to draw on, it's really, really easy.

Quote3) Should I have just done my first choice impulse and Run an impromptu session anyway? - Stepped on that guy's toes and such?

I'd say yes. One of the examples I'm thinking of from my own past consisted of running a D&D3 game when the group's regular GM wasn't ready to run Star Wars that evening.

I mean, I wouldn't present it as "any idiot could run an adventure with 20 minutes of prep, so what's your problem?". But I would offer it up as an alternative for the evening's activities.

One thing I will add to this discussion: There have been times when I'll say "I'm not ready for tonight's game, we're going to have to postpone". This happens in longer campaigns where I feel a greater responsibility to "get it right". For example, in my current D&D 3.5 campaign we've invested 75+ sessions into the game. I'm going to take the time to get it right.

But usually one of the first options put on the table for an alternative activity is a session of OD&D or some other one-shot.

I'm a really strong advocate for the idea that playing an RPG should not require a huge amount of commitment and time.

Since some people are saying they can't, let me take a moment to explain how I do it. (YMMV.)

If I'm whipping something up on-the-fly, I generally default to one of two options: A dungeon or a simple investigation.

Dungeon: This doesn't have to be fantasy. It could be a haunted house or a deserted space station or whatever.

Step 1: Come up with a single interesting concept.
Step 2: Spin-off five specific ideas involving that concept.

Example 1 - Goblins: Goblin cannibals feasting around a stew pot. The bloody trophies taken from the rival goblin tribe displayed next to the heads of their original owners. Goblins in a hidden upper chamber pouring alchemist's fire brewed from humanoid blood down into the chamber below. Goblin chieftain wearing the shrunken heads of those he's feasted upon. A room of prisoners whose limbs are being removed one by one for food.

Example 2 - Space Ghouls: Medbay where the space ghoul infection broke loose. The bridge has been vacuum-sealed, but the person inside succumbed to the infection. A hallway coated in ghoul chitin, with ghouls bursting out of it to ambush passerby. A half-transformed crewwoman. A nursery with a half-dozen babies, for some reason both uninfected and ignored by the ghouls.

Step 3: Draw a floorplan.
Step 4: Stock it with your ideas.

Across these two steps, you'll probably also toss in a few perfectly generic examples of the concept to fill in the gaps: Rooms with goblins or space ghouls in them that you'll fight.

Step 5: Ta-da. You're done.

Simple Investigation: I'll generally use a simple four-node structure, like the one I linked to in my last post (http://thealexandrian.net/wordpress/7999/roleplaying-games/node-based-scenario-design-part-4-sample-scenario). Or I'll add a fifth node that you reach by going through the clues found at A, B, and C.

I've found it's easiest to lay down clues that point to another location where you can find more clues. So once you've got that simple structure in mind, it gets pretty simple.

Step 1: What's the mystery?
Step 2: What's the hook?
Step 3: What are three or four interesting locations that could be involved?
Step 4: Stock the clues.

Example - Bank Robbery: A bank was robbed by a gang of robbers wearing elaborate masks.

What's the hook? The PCs are cops. They're called in to solve the case.

Clues at the bank: One of the robbers was killed. One of the bank's customers was also killed when he tried to be a hero and rush one of the robbers. Clue 1: He can be ID'd as a guy on parole, so they've got a current address on file for him. Clue 2: The mask he's wearing was actually made for a local opera's production of Verdi's Oberto. Clue 3: In the dead customer's hand, there's a torn bit of clothing that includes the tailor's name.

These clues lead to the dead robber's house; the opera company; and the tailor. Go from there. (Why Oberto? Because the robber was killed in an act of betrayal for deeds that echo the incestuous love stories of the opera. When did I decide that? When I read the plot synopsis for the opera I randomly picked off a list of famous operas.)

The players may invent their own leads. (For example, they might go talk to the parole officer of the dead robber.) Let 'em. With your revelation list (the locations they need to check out), it should be easy to use any improvised encounters to point them toward prepped material and/or the conclusion.

Quote from: Koltar;5927561) How ADAPTABLE are you?

Extremely. My default setting is to just come in with a few notes of an idea and then act responsively to the Players actions.

Quote from: Koltar;5927562) Could you Run a Game Session at your own House with less than 20 minutes notice?

Yes, without a doubt.

Also, outside of my house, I usually keep some dice in my pocket and a simple game with me in the car or a notebook.

Quote from: Koltar;5927563) Should I have just done my first choice impulse and Run an impromptu session anyway? - Stepped on that guy's toes and such?

Yes.

It is OK if the majority has had a bad week and just want to hang out, but if you came to game then you should game.

Quote from: Koltar;5927564) What would you have done in a similiar situation?

Told the Whisky Delta that he can take his sandy vagina and go stand in the corner, because I'l throw a game out there to be played by those interested.

Thing is, I've done this before when the GM pussed out on us at the last second.

EDIT: Yeah, I'm all Tough Guy here, but I'm also middle aged and busy with everything else in life. So when I actually manage to have time set aside to game, then it is really annoying to have the game fall through because the GM wimps out. I'd rather run something myself than not play at all just because of my time limitations.

As long as I have randomizers, paper, and pen/pencil I can do it. I may require a occasional 5 minute prep break, but any official motherfucker can pull this off.

With access to the proper chemical enhancement, I require no prep at all. Otherwise 15 minutes is both necessary and sufficient.  

If allowed, though, I will spend hours and hours and hours a week on prep.

Quote from: Koltar;592756QUESTIONS:


1) How ADAPTABLE are you?


2) Could you Run a Game Session at your own House with less than 20 minutes notice?


3) Should I have just done my first choice impulse and Run an impromptu session anyway? - Stepped on that guy's toes and such?


4) What would you have done in a similiar situation?

1 & 2) Very! If I know the system it's no problem at all. Just a small idea is enough and I take it off from there.

3 & 4) I guess I would offer, in a diplomatic way if I'ld feel that would be necessary, to run a one-shot of some game the group knows. I guess nobody would have a problem with that (not even the would-be GM for that evening), at least not in my group.

Quote from: Koltar;5927564) What would you have done in a similiar situation?

The solution people I've gamed with have used a few time is to ask each player for an element they want in the game, the GM describes the setting, they create characters, and go.  This works best if everyone is familiar with a fairly lightweight universal system that can handle just about any genre.

So the players might say, "Horror", "Comedy", "Urban", and "Space".  The GM would pick a setting (e.g., "You are all on board a highly populated space station city being overrun by a malfunctioning shipment of murderous vending machines that spout marketing phrases at people as they murder them.").  The players create characters and go.

Quote from: John Morrow;593555The solution people I've gamed with have used a few time is to ask each player for an element they want in the game, the GM describes the setting, they create characters, and go.  This works best if everyone is familiar with a fairly lightweight universal system that can handle just about any genre.

Check my subtitle - I'm that GURPS Guy.

Anyway, your solution...at least in my case that particular night wasn't really 'possible'.

That guy - the other DM just has issues (bordering on 'back issues')

In 20/20 hindsight I'm still kind of pissed about it. Also 'pissed' that I didn't suggest a quick one-shot game session that night. (We wound up watching DVDs instead)

Since 2008 I've been a 'player' in two different D&D campaigns - both times these D&D campaign situations wind up going bust or are just a big disappoinhtment for me. (One was a 4th edition campaign, the other this 3.5 campaign I've been referring to)

I really WANT to 'like' D&D - but it just doesn't wind up working out that way for me as a player.

Seems like I'm going to be stuck being the GM most of the time gaming - like usual

- Ed C.

Quote from: Koltar;593567Check my subtitle - I'm that GURPS Guy.

That's why I added the qualifier "fairly lightweight". :p

If you've got a group of people familiar enough with GURPS that they can create characters in half-an-hour, then it would work with them.  In such a pop-setting situation, the players need to be fairly good with improv, too, and if you've got players who take hours to craft GURPS characters, such a game isn't really going to work.  

Quote from: Koltar;593567Anyway, your solution...at least in my case that particular night wasn't really 'possible'.

Yeah, I got that, but I also saw this thread as you basically looking for confirmation that expecting a GM to be able to improv a session isn't crazy, and it isn't.  But not every GM is up to it or feels comfortable with it.  Maybe the answer is to ask the GM to run an improve one-shot, where there are no pressure that doing badly will ruin a campaign for everyone, could help him figure out if he'd do OK improvising or maybe you'd discover that maybe he's not up to it.

I should also add that despite the fact that I improvised just about everything I've ever run, including some fairly long campaigns, with a minimum of prep, I ran a D&D 3.5 game where I mapped out and stocked all of the dungeons beforehand and had a lot of trouble improvising D&D 3.5 because everything was so tightly balanced.  So at least some of the problem could be the system and that the way D&D 3.5 is designed, it can leave a GM feeling uneasy about improvising.  Have you ever played anything else with this GM?

QUESTIONS:


1) How ADAPTABLE are you?
Preference gets in the way.  I have not only run sessions at the drop of a hat, I created a whole ruleset and adventure.  Myself and a few of my older gamers were driving up to my house in Maine, and they waxed rhapsodic about our old gaming sessions up there, and before you knew it, everyone in the car was pushing me to run a game once we settled in.  
But not only did I have very little, my main ruleset is very paperwork heavy, and chargen is pretty long....and I just could not see spending hours in chargen when I had spouses involved etc.
So in the car ride on the way to Maine, I created in my head the basics for my d20 OSR homage, Accis, World of Bronze and Heroes... and damned if we did not have 6 characters ready to play in 30 minutes once we started, and played that night and the whole next night.
Now, if you included running a ruleset I am not familiar with, the answer is no.  


2) Could you Run a Game Session at your own House with less than 20 minutes notice?  In my house and your house.  One thing I do is I put a lot of stuff online in wikis and in dropbox.  So if I fell asleep here at my keyboard at work and woke up in the Land of Banned and PastRPGsite members, and had to run a game with Abysmal Maw and pals, or your house, I could do it as long as I had my ipad and wireless.


3) Should I have just done my first choice impulse and Run an impromptu session anyway? - Stepped on that guy's toes and such?
I woukld have.  I'm there to game.  Period.  I mean, at my sessions, we eat and drink wine, and socialize and have dinner, but we are there to game still.  I really would have considered the faux pas of inviting people over to game and not being ready of such greater magnitude that someone else saying, 'screw it, I'm going to work on gaming' that it really would not matter.


4) What would you have done in a similiar situation?
See above.  I will also add that I have stepped in twice to run games.  Neither time was I part of the original invite, both times people called me up because of some GM snafu in another game and they knew I can run a game in the drop of a hat.

Quote from: Koltar;592756Hi Guys.

QUESTIONS:


1) How ADAPTABLE are you?


2) Could you Run a Game Session at your own House with less than 20 minutes notice?


3) Should I have just done my first choice impulse and Run an impromptu session anyway? - Stepped on that guy's toes and such?


4) What would you have done in a similiar situation?


- Ed C.

1) Very. I am considered the only one,of the GMs that dare to run for the people I know, that is willing to run a sandbox game while sticking (close enough) to the rules.

2) Have done so before.

3) You should always do what feels comfy to you.

4) In a similar circumstance I've taken the reins before and if it was that or everyone lose out on the fun then I'd probably do it again. However if there are videogames I like to be played probably wouldn't go for it.

Quote from: Planet Algol;593239As long as I have randomizers, paper, and pen/pencil I can do it. I may require a occasional 5 minute prep break, but any official motherfucker can pull this off.

You aren't an official motherfucker until its written on your wallet you know.

The answer would probably be it depends. If the group demands something I don't know, going in blind to the system, no. But any GM who's been more or less active for a few years should have a raft of notes and previous plot threads as well as NPCs, so even a modicum of knowledge about the system should be enough to carry the day. If the GM knows the system back to front then he or she might barely even need paper to run it.

Lets see, 6 adults allocating roughly four hours of time to leisure, thats 24 hours and with their time being worth $20 (rough guess) per hour that is like $500 of leisure/opportunity cost/potential work time wasted cause the DM was not on his game.  You (or any other player) was well within their rights to offer up another option (I think that is point 13.13.b in the Gamers Code).  

For quick ideas, pull out the Ultimate Toolbox, Tome of Adventure Design, CDD #4, or a equivalent web page.  Roll up some places, conflicts and missions, pull out a random monster chart and go with it.  Alternatively, use the quick character creation guide in the back of the 1e DMG and the other charts and rough it in quickly.  

As it is a group activity, 7 minds can fill and expand on any gaps that may exist.  Characters can be polished up later after the game or in medias res.  The magic of rpgs is in the mind as it fills in these gaps.

Roll dice, roll punches, and roll on!

Make a game of it, roll d6 to see who has to rush prep that night.  Then the average DMing skill in the group will rise, and rise fast!

QuoteQUESTIONS:


1) How ADAPTABLE are you?


2) Could you Run a Game Session at your own House with less than 20 minutes notice?


3) Should I have just done my first choice impulse and Run an impromptu session anyway? - Stepped on that guy's toes and such?


4) What would you have done in a similiar situation?

i) Pretty adaptable

ii) There is another way to do it?
Seriously I can run a game at your house using a system I vaguely know with no rule books providing that there are no rules lawyers in the group.
I have run Ad libed games at cons where the PCs get to vote on the components of the game rules before they make up PCs. So Skills based system with %d, based in ancient Persia with Geni magic okay we can do that. D10 Dice pool Scifi that feels like Blake Seven...sorted.
then I make up a 4 hour adventure. Some of my best home campaigns started this way.
I have had a recurring nightmare though where it's 2 hours before a Murder Mystery weekend and I have 80 paying guests and I haven't written the characters or decided the plot yet and I try to wing it on the night.... painful.

iii) The first time he did it no the thrid time yes. I would have suggested a board game though with a role play feel, maybe Arkham Horror or Talisman or something along those lines. Blood Royale is a good game when you have gaming couples playing.

iv) See above. 3rd time this happened I would have just suggested using the impromtu design method and building a quick system and running a game for it.

I am if anything too adaptable. I devote very little time to prep and have developed a GMing style that compensates for this. It certainly has its disadvantages (I'd love to sit down and crank out a beautiful setting like Aos' Metal Earth or Benoist's megadungeon), but given my lifestyle, all too often it's this or no gaming.

Quote from: Koltar;592756QUESTIONS:


1) How ADAPTABLE are you?


2) Could you Run a Game Session at your own House with less than 20 minutes notice?


3) Should I have just done my first choice impulse and Run an impromptu session anyway? - Stepped on that guy's toes and such?


4) What would you have done in a similiar situation?


- Ed C.

1) Not terribly adaptable, as you're using the term here. I'm "adaptable" as a GM when I'm running a game I've prepared, in terms of "The players are doing something I never expected, again." I can adapt to that all day and all night. But coming up with a game on the spot, not so much.

2) Now this is where I reverse course and say Yes I could. But I've spent the last several years doing convention demos for my publisher(s) so I have a stack of RPG scenarios ready to run, for various games and genres. So I could easily print off one of those, along with character sheets for same, in 20 minutes and get things rolling.

3) I think you should have made the offer and gotten a sense of what the rest of the group wanted to do.

4) I would absolutely offer to run a game, make it clear that it would be a one-shot (probably one of my convention demos) and see if the rest of the group was interested. Either they're pissed about the would-be GM not prepping his game and they want to play something, or they're aware of his "ego issues" and they'll vote the idea down. I'm prepared either way.

But I have to say, I don't really like what I'm hearing about this guy and his "issues." So he's not prepared to run a game, and he's got a problem with someone else stepping up? Not cool. Nothing personal, but I'll run something just to light a fire under his butt: it's either gonna motivate him to prep his game on time, or motivate him to step aside, both of which are improvements for the group as a whole.

Quote from: Xavier Onassiss;593886But I have to say, I don't really like what I'm hearing about this guy and his "issues." So he's not prepared to run a game, and he's got a problem with someone else stepping up? Not cool. Nothing personal, but I'll run something just to light a fire under his butt: it's either gonna motivate him to prep his game on time, or motivate him to step aside, both of which are improvements for the group as a whole.

YES on that thought.

 That individual has moved out of the 'friend' category to the 'just an aquaintance' one with me (whether he knows it or not)

Its going to get awkward because he and have friends in common and friends and aquaintances in at least two social circles that overlap.

- Ed C.

While running Rogue Trader, the PCs got a warp transit result of 'voices heard in the warp'.  The PCs decide to answer and I whipped up an adventure where the PCs rescue a pilgrim ship from hungry Tyranids.

1) How ADAPTABLE are you?

Very. Players throwing me for a loop is one of the pay offs I get from GMing. I consider GMing to be an improvisational art.

2) Could you Run a Game Session at your own House with less than 20 minutes notice?

If I know the game setting well, and know who the PCs are, and have a good sense of their motivations OR have proactive players? Then absolutely. But if it's a brand new game, and the players are reactive, then I'd need to ask them a few questions about what they want.

3) Should I have just done my first choice impulse and Run an impromptu session anyway? - Stepped on that guy's toes and such?

I think I would have offered to run an impromptu session. Something more like "hey guys, we can either watch movies or something, or I have all my books here, so I can run something for you guys instead, if you want. What do you guys want to do?" and leave it to the rest of the group.

4) What would you have done in a similiar situation?

See above.

Quote1) How ADAPTABLE are you?
2) Could you Run a Game Session at your own House with less than 20 minutes notice?
3) Should I have just done my first choice impulse and Run an impromptu session anyway? - Stepped on that guy's toes and such?
4) What would you have done in a similar situation?

1) About as adaptable as the average game-player; if I know the system/game, I'm game. If it's new to me, no way Jose.
2) On a good day, yes. A bad one might take 30 minutes.
3) Yes, but offer a different game. When the D&D game I played in went bust, I'd offer to run a MSH (faserip) as a light alternative. That way, the other GM doesn't feel like your trying to "steal his game/group". You can always try something new, if you feel confident on the rules (or everyone's ok with bumbling thru the adventure).
4) see above.

Give me your backstory and 5 minutes and well that's how I usually roll. Horrible isn't it? Word of advice people over 20 have jobs, commitments, significant others, and children just for a start.  So whipping stuff up on the fly is at a premium.

Quote from: Marleycat;594502Give me your backstory and 5 minutes and well that's how I usually roll. Horrible isn't it? Word of advice people over 20 have jobs, commitments, significant others, and children just for a start.  So whipping stuff up on the fly is at a premium.

It is funny, though, how those gaming lessons and skills honed at the gaming table are immeasurably useful later in life, and in turn get further honed in arena of life.

20 minutes to set up a game for 4 people is nothing compared to 15 minutes to whip up a coherent and meaningful seminar on client retention for 450 paying participants (due to...as usual...an overbooked flight and the original speaker being bumped).

Or, for that matter, it is nothing to the mom or dad who answers the phone call from stuck employees at work while running two kids around with errands and stocking the household and sports practice with the paperwork for the closing on a new house.

Learned skills and raised bars, you ain't kidding.

Quote from: Koltar;5927561) How ADAPTABLE are you?

Fairly adaptable, but lazy...

Quote2) Could you Run a Game Session at your own House with less than 20 minutes notice?

Using the Scotty Principle, I'd tell e'm, gee, I'll need at least an hour but I'll try (then get it done in 20). :D

Quote3) Should I have just done my first choice impulse and Run an impromptu session anyway? - Stepped on that guy's toes and such?

Yup.  There's not enough room behind a DM screen for an ego.

Quote4) What would you have done in a similiar situation?

Assuming they'd not just play a board/card game, I'd reach for the binder with a bunch of One Page Dungeons I printed out, grab one or two NPCs from the pre-gens in my DM Gamebook, do quick writeups for some monsters and some treasure (if the OPD needs more), formulate some BS story in my head and It's On.

-SJ

"The Scottie Principal" it's the story of any person with responsibilities personal mantra. :)

Basically make due with what you have, tell the bosses it can't be done in a reasonable time then improvise.  99.9% of the time you will shock yourself because you end up succeeding beyond all reasonable expectations.

I can run a game with basically zero prep time, IF I'm in the right mood to do so.

RPGPundit

My current 4e D&D campaign started off as my emergency fill-in when the GM we were supposed to have kept cancelling on us. He'd cancel with a couple hours' notice so I'd rush home from work, grab my D&D stuff, then back into town to run the game at the Meetup.

1) How ADAPTABLE are you?

Pretty adaptable.

2) Could you Run a Game Session at your own House with less than 20 minutes notice?

Probably I would need an inkling that the official GM was going to flake. So maybe not the first time, but certainly the second time. It would depend on stuff like workload though; in a quiet time of year I might already have a bunch of stuff ready to run any chance I got.

3) Should I have just done my first choice impulse and Run an impromptu session anyway? - Stepped on that guy's toes and such?

Yes. For the benefit of the other players, who matter more than one jerk.

4) What would you have done in a similiar situation?

I've never had a GM actually turn up then refuse to GM. If that happened, I would probably run a game rather than let everyone go home disappointed. Unless the GM was a good friend he probably wouldn't be coming back to my house after a maneuver like that.

1) How ADAPTABLE are you?

I find it relatively easy to adapt to things once the game is underway but I have to have a solid start first. I can't just adapt to an... empty sheet of paper :p

2) Could you Run a Game Session at your own House with less than 20 minutes notice?

Not really, I don't handle pressure well and I get anxious in social situations which means I need a little more mental preparation for my games than that.

3) Should I have just done my first choice impulse and Run an impromptu session anyway? - Stepped on that guy's toes and such?

It's not stepping on their toes if they're not running the fucking game, is it? Unless you have a policy that only one person GMs ever until they step down and someone else replaces them, I don't see why having a side game or even a simultaneous side campaign hurts anyone.

4) What would you have done in a similiar situation?

Played some boardgames or watched TV, I suppose.

Quote from: SmokestackJones;594543Yup.  There's not enough room behind a DM screen for an ego.

This....is a whole 'nother thread.  

Becasue I do think we have a ton of very, very talented and great GMs here, and that there are a lot of valid viewpoints, and more than one way to have fun.

But if I can fit my swelled head behind a GM screen....pretty much eveyone else is safe.

If I know the system, and it isn't a system intense game? (Intense system: Shadowrun or similar) I can write an adventure in five minutes. I can usually come up with one in the time it takes a person to make a PC for most games.

Albeit a few very fast games (BECMI D&D) it might take longer if the players are familiar with making PC's.


Would I give in to pressure to run a game? Not unless I wanted to run one right then, and felt comfortable doing so.

How quick can I throw together an adv . . . there, done.

Bah. I had five done while you were writing that post.

RPGPundit

Quote from: RPGPundit;596628Bah. I had five done while you were writing that post.

:worship:

Quote from: Koltar;592756QUESTIONS:


1) How ADAPTABLE are you?

Very.

Quote2) Could you Run a Game Session at your own House with less than 20 minutes notice?

Depends on the game. D&D I can do very quickly, provided I have my card boxes.

Quote3) Should I have just done my first choice impulse and Run an impromptu session anyway? - Stepped on that guy's toes and such?

If you think you're up to it, why not? I have had some of my biggest EUREKA! moments while improvising.

Quote4) What would you have done in a similiar situation?

I would have done my best, since people came expecting a game. I would have made clear that this was short notice, so it would involve making shit up as you went along.