A gamemaster needs situations and complications, not huge epic stories and plotlines.
For the no prep GM this is where that catalog of stories we talked about comes in handy.
Don’t think of a plot
Don’t think of an event follows another event or that event is triggered by this event.
Once your players begin interacting with the game world they may (will) make decisions and take actions you never dreamed of.
If you force them to stick to a plot like you are writing a novel, you are doing what it’s called railroading.
That is where the GM kills all player agency and has the players follow a predetermined course.
Also, many GMs can grow frustrated if their beautifully constructed plot is not coming together.
The players have decided to stay at the inn for too long or check out that pile of stones by the road that was mentioned in an offhand remark.
That was certainly true for me.
This is usually where gamemasters begin to lament spending hours in prep.
The solution is to not worry about the plot. Let the players’ actions drive the plot.
Think of situations
What a GM should do is think of situations that can create conflict and then allow the plot to flow out of those situations.
Give the players a situation, then let them give you the plot.
For example, think of situations like a kidnapping, a raid on the town, someone hiring a group of adventurers to explore a dungeon or someone needing a spacecraft to ferry cargo to a neighboring star system.
If you think of terms of situations then you simply present those situations to your players and they will be able to act.
Out of the players’ actions will flow story and plot as well as give opportunities for more situations that you use to weave an interesting RPG session or campaign.
Think of complications
Gamemasters also need to think of complications. They are a critical part of dramatic structure.
Once you have a situation you need to think about what could complicate that situation.
Complications force the players to use their minds and to use their characters’ abilities to overcome those obstacles.
The easiest example is a dungeon.
The situation is to explore a dungeon. Once the players enter the dungeon they face locked doors, traps, monsters, rooms that fill with water, pits and all manner of complications.
This goes the same for any setting in any situation.
If you’re playing a science fiction game and your players have their own ship, give them the situation of carrying cargo.
There are many complications that can be thrown into the mix to help keep driving conflict and produce an interesting plot.
To continue the example of a science fiction setting, the faster than light drive on the characters’ ship can malfunction.
The ship can collide with an asteroid. Pirates can attack. The cargo they’re carrying could spill or explode or be damaged in some way.
All of these complications add to the story and allow your players to react by taking their own actions.
If you are thinking of situations and complications you will quickly realize that a session and even an RPG campaign will spring organically from them.
Coming Up
More gamemaster tips are coming, so be sure to check them out. Never miss a post and get free dungeon maps.