GM Preparation: How To Make The Most Of It

What do you as the GM spend most of your time on in the planning and prepping for your RPG games? And do you even enjoy what it is you’re doing for your games? In this video, I’m looking at time management as game masters and dungeon masters in the roleplaying space. What is it that we’re spending our time on as GM’s and how do we make sure that we’re spending our time in the right places. How do we find the right balance between what we actually do for our games and what we need or have the capacity to do? Find out here!

GM Preparation: How To Make The Most Of It

In this video, we’re looking at time management as GM’s. 

What do you do, versus what do you need to do versus what can you actually do? 

Here are some questions to ask yourself when assessing how you spend your prep time as a GM: 

• Understand/read your group – what do they want/expect? 
  • What engages your group? Is it pretty maps? It is mini & models? Maybe it’s just you and your game. 
  • Continue with what your group responds to
  • No rule says you must. You volunteer your time, so use it wisely. 
  • Find the minimum balance. What do you NEED to play the game vs what is NICE to have for the game. 
• What do you like the most? 
  • If you like doing it, do more. If you don’t like doing it, do less or stop. 
  • You are not the only person playing the game. You are not providing an entertainment service. You are a fellow player of the game, your title is GM. 
  • Find a balance between what your players like and respond well to and what you enjoy doing. A little effort can make a huge difference but it must be mutual. 
• Why do you GM? Would you prefer not to? 
  • Do you GM because you’re the only one willing to GM? Why not share the load if that’s the case? 
  • Share the load – players and GM’s have an equal stake in the game, so the effort and work should be equal. 
  • Including others – leads to a more inclusive and engaging game. It allows others to contribute to the game which gets them to invest in the game. 
  • Focus on why you GM – it will seem like less effort if you are doing what you like to do rather than what you have to do. 
• Challenge yourself/adjust your style – enjoy upping your game sometimes. 
  • Learn to love it – resisting makes it harder, sometimes, actively engaging in new learning and new things reveals new hobbies and skills. 
  • How can you combine what you like doing with what you’re currently doing and then take it one step above, by incorporating what the players like too – that’s how you advance.   
  • Don’t do what you hate – simply work around what you hate doing by not doing it. It’s better than doing it (with hate). 

Your task – what do you enjoy? Do more. What do you not enjoy? Try to do it with an open mind. 

Learn to love one new thing – find a skill or GM tool and learn to love it by learning more about it.