Knowing the rules...

Let's talk about an important facet of any table-top RPG, the rules. Obviously the rules of a game are rather important. Not only do the rules define what game you are playing and the differences between games, without the rules, it would just be a free-form story-telling session around a table and would get old fast. I would like to hone in on something specific, however. I want to discuss the DM knowing the rules and the consequences thereof.

I can't tell you how little respect I have a for a DM that has to ask the players for clarification on some of the most basic rules in the game. Yes, I realize that this is a personal problem, but it is, for lack of a better expression, unprofessional. Half of the DM's job is to be a referee and utilize the rules fairly. That's pretty hard to do if you don't know them. Now, that is not to say that there won't be times that forgetfulness will set in or you are unfamiliar with obscure rules.

The main reason this is so important is to keep the pace that you want. If you know the rules, whipping through even the most complicated situations in-game will be that much faster and you can keep the players engrossed. Taking just a few minutes to familiarize yourself with at least the concept of rules can make a big difference in how fast a scene in-game will take place out of game. Nothing kills a table-top session like flipping through books to find what you need.

Another, less used, tactic is to make rules up on the spot. This can be very dangerous because there is usually a rule that already exists for what you are trying to accomplish. If that is the case, you may be throwing the balance of the game off with your single rules change. Also, the only way for the on-the-spot-rules-change to work is if you keep the change FOR THE REST OF THE GAME. It absolutely has to be consistent, otherwise it could end up feeling like you are swaying the rules in your favor.

I have one last point to make on the spontaneous rules. Some games lend themselves to on-the-spot rules more than others. For example, it would be easy to make a rules change or make a rule up for a White-Wolf game like Vampire where the rules are looser and may need some touching up depending on what type of game you are playing. In contrast, Dungeons & Dragons would be much harder to do so because most rules depend on other rules to work. The main point here is to be mindful of the consequences that come with the changes you make.

Remember, rules were made to be broken, but without them there is no reason to be playing the game.

Pacing...

I was going to write a post about knowing the rules of the game. But, I think a more core and basic aspect of table-top gaming needs to be addressed. Pacing. The pace of the game can make or break it and take the game from an envelopment of reality to a cheap bunch of words that have no flow or purpose. Pacing is the difference between an epic story and a board game with a referee.

Okay, you get it, pacing is important. So how do you control it? Well, step one is not to let other, more experienced, players intimidate you. Confidence is very important when DMing. It is also something that I can't teach you here, you will have to find it out in the world somewhere for yourself. I will say, the next topic, knowing the rules, can help a lot, but, that is a later discussion.

Step two is also something I can't teach you. Feeling the mood. This can take a bit of empathy which some have and others don't. If you feel the mood around the table is rather sullen, step it up a notch. It the players seem frustrated by everything that has hit them take it down a step. The key, however, is once you sense the mood, adjust the game to fit it and LISTEN to what the players are saying. The game is about them and for them, give them a bit of what they want.

Step three is don't be afraid to add or remove things from the game to control the mood. It's your world. You were the only one that knew the orc was waiting down the road to ambush the players. If you think the players need a breather, no orc. He's gone. Simple as that.

None of this is intended to be overwhelming, just be mindful of what is going on around the table and make adjustments as needed.