Comments on: The GM Sounding Board http://www.gnomestew.com/gming-advice/the-gm-sounding-board The Game Mastering Blog Sat, 11 Feb 2012 00:00:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: BryanB http://www.gnomestew.com/gming-advice/the-gm-sounding-board/comment-page-1#comment-9137 BryanB Tue, 23 Mar 2010 15:36:08 +0000 http://www.gnomestew.com/?p=6122#comment-9137 I love the idea of a GM Sounding Board. It is one of the reasons that I participate in the RPGnet forums. Most of the local GM's that I would value using as a sounding board play in my games. That just doesn't work for obvious reasons. :D So I turn to the forums on RPGnet and see what GMs at large think about what I am planning. Since none of my other players frequent this forum, I am fairly confident that my plots remain unseen. And if they saw a game thread by me, I'm sure that they would stay out to avoid the spoilage.<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('9137','BryanB'); return false;">Reply</a> </div> I love the idea of a GM Sounding Board. It is one of the reasons that I participate in the RPGnet forums. Most of the local GM’s that I would value using as a sounding board play in my games. That just doesn’t work for obvious reasons. :D

So I turn to the forums on RPGnet and see what GMs at large think about what I am planning. Since none of my other players frequent this forum, I am fairly confident that my plots remain unseen. And if they saw a game thread by me, I’m sure that they would stay out to avoid the spoilage.

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]]> By: longtooth http://www.gnomestew.com/gming-advice/the-gm-sounding-board/comment-page-1#comment-9122 longtooth Sat, 20 Mar 2010 06:28:12 +0000 http://www.gnomestew.com/?p=6122#comment-9122 While not a player, My wife is very supportive of my gaming. She knows when I have just come up with something cool and lets me tell her all about it. I have also started trying to make a more a more permanent record of my ideas, and she helps me edit the content, and gives me feedback. She rocks!<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('9122','longtooth'); return false;">Reply</a> </div> While not a player, My wife is very supportive of my gaming. She knows when I have just come up with something cool and lets me tell her all about it. I have also started trying to make a more a more permanent record of my ideas, and she helps me edit the content, and gives me feedback. She rocks!
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]]> By: Scott Martin http://www.gnomestew.com/gming-advice/the-gm-sounding-board/comment-page-1#comment-9094 Scott Martin Fri, 12 Mar 2010 19:40:23 +0000 http://www.gnomestew.com/?p=6122#comment-9094 That's a drawback I hadn't really considered to gaming with my wife. We get to play together, which is awesome, but when I'm GMing, I rarely get to draw on her insight. I was a pretty good sounding board when she was making her first adventure-- she had the vision and knew what she wanted to do, while I was able to ask the "so how does this follow from the last scene" and "hey, your villains are were-beasties... why not make that puzzle moon based"? That was for the girls group-- a game I knew I wouldn't be playing in. It would be awesome to harness some of that for the other weeks...<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('9094','Scott Martin'); return false;">Reply</a> </div> That’s a drawback I hadn’t really considered to gaming with my wife. We get to play together, which is awesome, but when I’m GMing, I rarely get to draw on her insight.

I was a pretty good sounding board when she was making her first adventure– she had the vision and knew what she wanted to do, while I was able to ask the “so how does this follow from the last scene” and “hey, your villains are were-beasties… why not make that puzzle moon based”? That was for the girls group– a game I knew I wouldn’t be playing in. It would be awesome to harness some of that for the other weeks…

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]]> By: Kurt "Telas" Schneider http://www.gnomestew.com/gming-advice/the-gm-sounding-board/comment-page-1#comment-9092 Kurt "Telas" Schneider Fri, 12 Mar 2010 18:43:20 +0000 http://www.gnomestew.com/?p=6122#comment-9092 My wife and I often emulate the lopsided interaction between Drs House and Wilson on House MD. I have something simmering on the back burner, and am talking about something else entirely, and BAM! there's the answer in an analogy. Or I'll just be explaining the situation and she will ask a simple question that will break the logjam in my head. She's not a gamer, but she's smart and willing to listen to my gamer prattle. And that works for me.<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('9092','Kurt \"Telas\" Schneider'); return false;">Reply</a> </div> My wife and I often emulate the lopsided interaction between Drs House and Wilson on House MD. I have something simmering on the back burner, and am talking about something else entirely, and BAM! there’s the answer in an analogy. Or I’ll just be explaining the situation and she will ask a simple question that will break the logjam in my head.

She’s not a gamer, but she’s smart and willing to listen to my gamer prattle. And that works for me.

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]]> By: jaydot http://www.gnomestew.com/gming-advice/the-gm-sounding-board/comment-page-1#comment-9091 jaydot Fri, 12 Mar 2010 17:17:29 +0000 http://www.gnomestew.com/?p=6122#comment-9091 Hmm maybe that's my failing then. Every time I've tried to surprise my players, I find they'd have rather had a greater hand in the plot reveal. ... Or maybe I need a better GMSb!!<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('9091','jaydot'); return false;">Reply</a> </div> Hmm maybe that’s my failing then. Every time I’ve tried to surprise my players, I find they’d have rather had a greater hand in the plot reveal.

… Or maybe I need a better GMSb!!

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]]> By: DNAphil http://www.gnomestew.com/gming-advice/the-gm-sounding-board/comment-page-1#comment-9090 DNAphil Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:40:40 +0000 http://www.gnomestew.com/?p=6122#comment-9090 <a href='#comment-9087' rel="nofollow">@jaydot</a> - I like to use my players for a sounding board for some things, and I am a huge advocate for letting the players drive the direction of the game, but there are times when I have ideas that I want to surprise the players with, that I cannot use them as my sounding board. It in those cases, I like to go to my GMSb and run ideas past her.<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('9090','DNAphil'); return false;">Reply</a> </div> @jaydot – I like to use my players for a sounding board for some things, and I am a huge advocate for letting the players drive the direction of the game, but there are times when I have ideas that I want to surprise the players with, that I cannot use them as my sounding board. It in those cases, I like to go to my GMSb and run ideas past her.
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]]> By: jaydot http://www.gnomestew.com/gming-advice/the-gm-sounding-board/comment-page-1#comment-9087 jaydot Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:51:22 +0000 http://www.gnomestew.com/?p=6122#comment-9087 Of course a DM needs a sounding board! I'm a big advocate of using my actual players as a sounding board. Sounds crazy, but I pretty much keep them in the loop on where the adventure is going, and they love it. They've done more to make the game more epic and awesome than I could have ever come up with on my own. I'd say, don't forget your players as a valuable resource for making sure your plot ideas are sufficiently awesome--after all, they're the ones who're going to be playing through it!<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('9087','jaydot'); return false;">Reply</a> </div> Of course a DM needs a sounding board! I’m a big advocate of using my actual players as a sounding board. Sounds crazy, but I pretty much keep them in the loop on where the adventure is going, and they love it. They’ve done more to make the game more epic and awesome than I could have ever come up with on my own. I’d say, don’t forget your players as a valuable resource for making sure your plot ideas are sufficiently awesome–after all, they’re the ones who’re going to be playing through it!
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]]> By: Patrick Benson http://www.gnomestew.com/gming-advice/the-gm-sounding-board/comment-page-1#comment-9085 Patrick Benson Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:57:41 +0000 http://www.gnomestew.com/?p=6122#comment-9085 "Members of a Discussion Board, where your players do not frequent" Shameless plug - http://www.youmeetinatavern.com/index.php A forum for GMs where the admin is a former GS contributor and the moderators are current GS contributors. At the Tavern we are all about helping GMs in a friendly and polite manner.<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('9085','Patrick Benson'); return false;">Reply</a> </div> “Members of a Discussion Board, where your players do not frequent”

Shameless plug – http://www.youmeetinatavern.com/index.php

A forum for GMs where the admin is a former GS contributor and the moderators are current GS contributors. At the Tavern we are all about helping GMs in a friendly and polite manner.

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