Joyful GMing: RPG Success Strategies

Success for a GM will have various nuances, but certain results are mandatory for success. After these critical conditions are considered, a GM can dig deeper and find unique outcomes he is seeking.

• Assumptions: The GM wants to continue to run games with no end date currently foreseen, the GM wants a regular game on a regular schedule, the GM wants a campaign (one set of ongoing adventures with a group of player characters interested in those connected events), and the GM wants to successfully end the campaign with a wrap up. After that, the GM and player can start a new campaign and repeat the process. With the assumptions considered, the victory conditions become clear. An individual GM may have more desired outcomes such as wanting to build a shared world or have events from one campaign resonate into the next campaign. But let’s stick to the barebones basics for now.
• Success: A series of ongoing campaigns with a group of interested players played on a regular cadence with a finale for each campaign. If this sounds easy to you, then I assume you haven’t talked to many GMs! Pursuing this success is a worthy endeavor, but it takes a lot to become a skilled GM and have more victories than defeats.

Most GMs probably agree on the basic tactics and the desired success when running TTRPGs. And yes, it is a lot of work, a lot of fun as well, but then why do so many hard-working GMs struggle to have more victories? Why do we discuss GM burnout, games ending due to a lack of interest or participation, or even games not being able to get started at all?

• Assumptions: The GM lives somewhere with enough people to get players who are willing to show up on a regular basis and contribute to playing a TTRPG. This assumption sounds easy, but it isn’t. If a GM is committed to success, he has to find players who are willing to show up on a regular basis and play to the best of their ability. The good news is, a GM can experiment to find the right mix of players. This is strategy.
• Strategy: The GM is ready and willing to do the work to achieve success. The GM must always be on the lookout for players who show up and play to the best of their ability to introduce into his campaign. The GM must then strive to lead those players to success. This strategy takes a bit of work. A GM will likely want to start at a public venue if they don’t want to invite strangers into their home. Here are some suggested guidelines.
  1. The GM will need to advertise to find players. Many game stores or libraries will help with this step.
  2. The GM picks the same night and time (every other Wednesday from 6 to 10 PM for example).
  3. The GM starts with one adventure but with a promise of another one to follow the next scheduled night.
  4. If the table does not fill up or repeat players do not start appearing, the GM may need to try a new game system.
  5. Once regular players start to show up, the GM will find his table being full for future game nights.
  6. The GM must then hone tactics, chase strategy, and strive for leading his players to success.
  7. A GM who develops a reputation for achieving success will find that players want to be part of his ongoing campaigns.

In all of my forty years of GMing, I have never had to invoke guideline 4 except with D&D 4E. I showed up at college and offered to run Warhammer Fantasy RPG. I never wanted for players and one of my players still gets together with me to game every once in a while. I married another one of the players!

As a GM I have had to start completely over at step 1 sometimes because of a move and one time because of D&D 4E. I still see some former players, so all was not lost. But I did have to form a new group in those instances. Starting with new players does not change the strategy, it just means more work to get going each time it happens.

I wanted to cover this topic because many TTRPGs have excellent GM advice for that particular RPG. But GMs usually want to ply their trade for the long haul. With a bit of planning ahead, the GM can lead his players to strive toward victory. However, as originally discussed by Helmuth von Moltke the Elder and later paraphrased, “no plan survives first contact with the enemy.” Or as Mike Tyson put it, “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the mouth.” A GM has to bend and move with ever changing events to achieve success. Strategy will need to be modified, resilience built up and practiced, and GM brilliance and skill developed. Those are great topics for another day!

Your Turn: What is your long-term strategy as a GM?