Most of the people I know never want to GM. There seems to be an informal sort of etiquette, about it, even where someone who is sort of “Due” to GM is coerced in to running a game by having no one else agree to run them. It’s actually kind of depressing…
So, in my player-free(because I am a sucker) days I often wonder whether there is a way that the traditional style of RPG(Pencils, Character Sheets, Dice, Rulebooks) to which I have become accustomed can be adapted to work without a GM. I came up with a couple of solutions,which were:
This worked OK if the game met 2 of these 4 criteria- it was simple with it’s types of encounters, had less than 4 players, was at low level, or used primarily shambling undead. It made a magnificent Savage Worlds zombie game, but the preparation process definitely requires an imagination, and probably requires an advanced course in statistics. The text of this is going to be made available once I figure out how to generate the map effectively as the game goes along. The Zombie game is 6 pages of typewritten tables detailing the- Contents of each possible area, The likelihood of finding a set of resources, likelihood of behaviors for each monster type and for randomly generating NPC’s and their behaviors, the rules for randomly generating buildings and their degree of repair, randomly determining dead-ends, and a system for tracking the in-game time using the adventure, and modifiers to each table based on the player’s actions. Pros: Requires absolutely no GM, quick and easy to play, TOTALLY REUSABLE Cons: Limited Circumstances where the system is practical, Entirely too complicated to set up, Outliers occur and break the action, Final product is disproportionately small compared to work involved Points: Almost all Roll-Playing, for good or ill. Also, probably will drive those who attempt to create it insane.
The primary role, for all participants, is still the player character, but the secondary roles are Adjudicator, Storyteller, and GMPC. When the participant is acting as the adjudicator, he is responsible for determining the difficulty of an action when it is provided by the storyteller, and for concealing that difficulty from the Storyteller and Players. The Storyteller is responsible for coming up with the action of the story. When the participant is the storyteller, he also controls all NPC actions and temporarily relinquishes control of his Player character to another participant. The Player who’s secondary role is the GMPC is responsible for playing the storyteller’s character when he is moving the action of the story along and controlling the NPC’s. These roles are rotated several times during the game when the Storyteller dictates thus. Pros: I don’t know. I haven’t tried it yet, but it is a cool hypothesis. I think the “pro” here is that it requires no real alteration of the pre-existing game system, but rather compartmentalizes the role of the GM. Cons: None forseen by me. Points: The Participants would have to agree on a general story concept before beginning the game. Certainly would require experienced, comfortable, and cooperative players. People who like eachother and want to role-play will probably find this fun. Kind of an homage to Lord Byron’s party game, who’s name I cannot remember, but supposedly was the game in which Mary Wollstonecraft came up with the beginning of Frankenstein. If anyone can remember what it is called, it would save me a trip to see the world’s worst poetry professor… Please?
Anyway. I thought they were good enough ideas to show folks. If you try them, please let me know what you think!
Related Post: Players Build the Dungeon, Sandbox Dungeon Master’s Tool Kit
Originally fairies from Ireland, Leprechauns have the ability to create convincing false coinage that lasts for 1d6 hours. They are intelligent and varied creatures, but tend toward slightly eccentric, mischievous behaviours.
Attributes
5 Health
Abilities
(+3)Conjure Gold(Medium Spell, Will Based, Roll greater than 11 to succeed) This spell allows the leprechan to conjure what, for all non-magical methods of detection, appears to be gold coinage similar to wizards gold. 2d6*10 gold coins appear, and they disaappear in 1d6 hours.
(+3)Evasion Illusion(Medium Spell, Intelligence Based, Roll greater than 10 to cast) this allows the leprechaun to do whatever it needs to to escape an otheriwise inescapable situation and reappear within 20 feet on a successsful use.
(+3)Shillelagh(Strength Based, Roll greater than 11 to succeed) A leprechaun who finally needs to defend himself with strength has probably already lost and surrendered some of his fake gold, however, if he has no choice but to fight or die, he an conjure a shillelah that deals 1d3 damage.
The Japanese water spirits known as Kappa, monkey-like green skinned reptiles with water-filled impressions atop their heads, prey on the blood of humans that wander too close to their shallow-water nests. Although they often attack, they can easily be appeased by giving them a cucumber inscribed with a name, or by causing them to spill the water from the top of their heads.
7 Health
(+3)Tackle(Strength Based, Roll greater than 10 to succeed) A kappa will attempt to tackle it’s victims to immobilize them and drink their blood. A successful strength resistance check has a 50% chance of spilling the Kappa’s head water and forcing it back in to it’s lake.
(+3)Bite(Strength Based, Roll greater than 11 to succeed) Upon successfully attacking it’s victims, it will attempt to strangle and bite it’s victim to drink it’s blood. A successful strength resistance check will spill the kappa’s head and force it back into it’s lake.
A hippogriff is a flying creature comprised of the head, back, wings, and forelegs of an eagle and the hind legs, hindquarters, and tail of a horse. Noble, intelligent, and highly proud creatures, sometimes their impatience with the actions of humans causes conflict. Properly approaching and interacting with a hippogriff is essential.
12 Health
(+5)Fly(Strength Based, Roll greater than 17 to succeed) Hippogriffs are skilled at flying and can maneuver very well while doing so.
(+5)Slash(Strength Based, Roll greater than 16 to succeed) A hippogriff will rarely attack, and when it does it will usually show restraint and only inflict minor injuries, but if it is in danger it can do serious damage to it’s victims. 3 Damage.
