First time (GM|ST)ing...

mr_angry

I've been role-playing with a group of friends in Dundalk for the past 5 years or so, and its become one of my favourite hobbies. So, having moved to Dublin recently, I've found I have less opportunities to take part in games with my original group. Therefore, I've decided to try to get another group of friends in Dublin into a similar groove, but it means that I'm going to have to run the games for the first time.

Of course, I've picked-up one or two things over the course of my 5 years of role-playing, but I'm still on the lookout for some tips. Most of the group in Dublin are newbies who have never tried tabletop before, although they have plenty of experience with games like Oblivion and the like. I've decided to go with a Cthulhu campaign because (a) the system is very simple, and (b) there's plenty of stereotypes to conform to, and I reckon that will help to ease them into the game.

Still, I feel my biggest concerns are with timing and story development. As a player, I'm part of a very experienced group, and we all know to expand each session with our characters' own motivations, and everything seems to progress nicely. However, with a new and inexperienced group, and as GM / ST for the first time, I'm not sure exactly how much I should be leading the party, and how detailed I should be making the plot. I'm not a massive fan of the general Cthulhu premise (I'm thinking of going for a Constantine-esque campaign plot instead), but I'll probably run one or two plot-kits to begin with.

Does anyone have any general advice for working with a new group / storytelling for the first time?

Sarky

Keep it simple at the start if you can. If someone's not used to RPGs, it helps to lead them in gently, and complex stuff can just get in the way of learning how things work.

If you haven't, have a chat with them to see what they expect and want from the game. If they want a high bodycount like a CRPG, Call of Cthulhu might not be the game for them

And above all, learn to wing it. And NEVER, EVER admit that you pulled the last three hours of gaming out of your ass because they didn't follow the clues. They'll think you're well-prepared and that they did exactly what you wanted them to. Remember, the GM is god. And they always meant for that to happen.

Zillah

You really really need to hammer home the point that its nothing like computer RPGs. Seriously, when I was younger I went straight from PC games to a table top game of D&D without anyone guiding me. Disaster.

Nevyn

Ouch, well there are intro games running at Gealcon this year for those what want to try for the first time.

hairyheretic

If they're coming in from a computer gaming background, perhaps some simple dungeon crawling to start with? That way they could get used to a system and the various gaming concepts while still doing something they know (ie killing monsters )

The only real rules I play by are 1 - have fun, and 2 - when the rules get in the way, break them

I'm running 2 separate campaigns at the moment (City of Lies for Legend of the Five Rings, and an Abyssal Exalted campaign). Generally I just let my players have their head and go where they want. If you're comfortable with it, don't script the games beyond the basic plot outline. Let the players take the plot where they will, and work around that.

As an aside, I've not played Cthulhu before, but do you think thats a good introductary system? When your players start blasting the gribbly horrors with shotguns and they just keep gribbling, will they be able to adapt?

Zillah

A terrible death, or a fate worse than death, is the end for the majority of Cthulhu investigators.

I also think something more basic would be good for introduction.

mr_angry

Man, I loved the City of Lies campaign in L5R! I hope your party are enjoying that one hairyheretic.

As for Cthulhu as a game, I don't think it gets any simpler. The system is basically D100s, and all of the skills are mundane enough to recognise. If I were to go down another route, its gonna take people a long time to adjust to systems, stats, and God knows what. The beauty of Cthulhu is that its all in the real-world setting.

If anyone suggests a D20 game, I'll stab you in the face.

humanji

I've never played Cthulhu, so I can't say if it's a good system to start with, but I suggest making it very simple. When ever I start with a new group, I have a standard "Night Of The Living Dead" type scenario set in an Inn in a fantasy setting. The players arrive and along with some NPC's must defend the inn from a zombie horde. It's plain and simple and you can adlib to you hearts content. The players can do anything they want and you've no real fear of getting over your head. And just make it fun and have a laugh more than anything. After one maybe two games as a group, you'll all have an idea as to how you all play and you'll have a better idea as to a full campaign that you'll all enjoy.

Sarky

mr_angry wrote:

If anyone suggests a D20 game, I'll stab you in the face.

With what? Cos if you only use a dagger you might as well just not bother...

hairyheretic

mr_angry wrote:

Man, I loved the City of Lies campaign in L5R! I hope your party are enjoying that one hairyheretic.

They seem to be. About half the party have their own little agendas going on, though nothing too fancy.

I played it myself years ago, using a scorpion shukenja. Within 2 days of getting into the city I'd hired about half the ronin there as my doshin. I failed to mention it to the other magistrates (a crane and a mantis) til we got in a fight and suddenly 20 ronin samurai are swarming past us

It was fun, but we ended up with the Reservoir Dogs ending. The mantis challenged the crane to a duel, lost, and I fireballed the crane, though took some damage before killing him. I then got cut down by a rival scorpion.

Me - I have information could be of great use to you.
Him - I'll take it from your corpse.

As I was wounded and out of fire spells at that point ... *shrugs*

Was good fun though.

mr_angry wrote:

As for Cthulhu as a game, I don't think it gets any simpler. The system is basically D100s, and all of the skills are mundane enough to recognise. If I were to go down another route, its gonna take people a long time to adjust to systems, stats, and God knows what. The beauty of Cthulhu is that its all in the real-world setting.

If they're coming in from a computer game background though, they may expect the nasties to die when they shoot them. Shooting the average gribbly in CoC is just going to annoy it

How about Feng Shui? Over the top Hong Kong action might work for them. Or Shadowrun?

mr_angry wrote:

If anyone suggests a D20 game, I'll stab you in the face.

My favourite system is Exalted, but then I'm a fan of manga and wuxia movies as well.

Zillah

mr_angry wrote:

If anyone suggests a D20 game, I'll stab you in the face.

Seconded. Although we have about a 1/20 chance actually hitting their head...