A friend from high school texted me tonight. She knew about Dad's condition and wanted to know how I was doing. She invited me to sit in on the D&D campaign she's been running with her brothers, husband, and a friend. They use a software program for their character sheets and their rolls. I'm aware of other friends who use a similar interface. I never have. It's always been pen and paper.
I've been both a GM and a player. Being a player allows me to create a character and back story - my favorite part of participating in an RPG - but as GM I am able to create exciting stories and scenarios for my players. (Right now, my boys, nieces, and nephew.) Either is thoroughly enjoyable.
My friend was running a pre-made campaign for her group. (Never used one, probably never will.) By her reaction, it seemed this was not normally the run of things. The basic flow of the game was pretty standard, similar to what I've done in the past in my games - each of the players took a turn during an encounter (solve a problem or defeat a monster). They describe what they'll do during their action or attacks. The GM (or DM in this case) describes the encounter and asks questions to clarify player actions. She encourages her players to describe the results of their actions. I have recently encouraged my players to do this as well. It brings them into the action.
Like my friend, I will also become the NPCs for the kids. In one our most recent campaigns, the kids had to interview a few people in an unfinished fuel refinery in order to determine which ones were working for the CIS. A certain character on the list was an administrative assistant, a secretary. The kids asked her various questions, including what she knew about this big bad guy who had escaped from a prison on Coruscant. Immediately, I pretended to panic. The "secretary" screamed, "WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE!!!" The kids could not stop laughing. They still talk about it to this day.
A big difference, however, is in the execution. My friend plays with adults. She uses maps and a highly regulated sequence of actions (movement, attack, etc.) - and I did, too, at one time because I needed the structure - but I no longer use either when I act as GM, mostly because I have found it interferes with the pacing of events. This is a must when playing with kids. They love action and the less time spent deliberating, the better. I know I'm doing a good job when Arthur jumps up and down or wanders back and forth from the kitchen to the living room. Once, he walked back and forth with such determination, he was dripping sweat.
It was reassuring to see some of the things I do as GM also done by my friend. Does this mean there are consistent aspects of storytelling which we know are effective and fun? Are they the same across different platforms? By giving kids the opportunities to be part of these stories, do they become more creative adults?
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