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F1zban
2015-06-29, 10:31 AM
Hi Forum,

I just ran a one shot session for FGDaze where the game premise was a sci-fi detective show. I had so much fun running the game that I'm seriously considering turning it into a full campaign in the future.

My girlfriend plays also but she want's to start GMing, and wanted her first game to be a detective style game as she loves the genre. However she isn't yet comfortable with the idea of GMing a game herself. So we had a brief discussion and she made an interesting suggestion; that she takes sits with me as a sort of assistant GM, but more in the role of a player controlled NPC. I'll elaborate:

She has a great deal of experience in the genre as she is a huge fan of detective novels and tv shows. However she has never run a game before.

Her GM Duties will be limited to assisting me in creating the story arcs (both episodic and series storylines) including correct layout of the archetypes, and the pace of feeding clues to the players. She is comfortable doing so in a way that would mimic a tv show episodic feel.

She will observe the running of the games directly and offer advice with 'on the fly' decisions which can be easily managed as the game will be hosted through fantasy grounds, allowing us to take a couple of minutes aside when needed without alienating the other players.

She understands that I will be the GM and she is happy to simply observe the mechanics of running a game, assisting only in the story telling.

She will not be controlling any NPCs outside of her own PC-NCP (Player Controlled NPC).

She will participate in the game itself as a PC-NPC, specifically a section chief similar in effect to Chief Aramaki (Ghost in the Shell).

As section chief, she will not take part in the investigations themselves unless the story requires a vital clue to be dropped.

She will also adopt the burden of taking the need for 'contact' skills away from the players (the players can still take those skills of course) that would rather spend their skill points on other pertinent skills.

She will assist me (as the GM) in helping to guide the campaign if the players get too distracted by false leads.

So let me know what you all think? Is this doable? Has anyone done something similar, and if so do you have any advice?

I have never used an assistant GM before, nor have I ever used this method to 'apprentice' another player to help become a GM. The closest I've gotten is advice shared out of character to new GM's, and usually advice on the pure mechanics of a game.

Thanks in advance.

Geddy2112
2015-06-29, 12:46 PM
I think this is a great idea all around. She will learn how to DM, you have an NPC that is "in" with the party at all times, but not actively being a DMPC, and with 2 DM's you can make a really smooth game and immersive story.

My group varies between 4-8 players+DM depending on the campaign. It can be hard being DM when you have six or more players logistically. I would let your girlfriend take on some easy rules though-things like keeping track of initiative, or handling upkeep and logistics like buying generic goods, answering minor rules questions etc. Let her take on as much of this as she feels comfortable doing. Otherwise give her as much of the story power as possible.

I think Aramaki is a great example for a party. Most parties besides the "wander from dungeon to dungeon" type benefit and often seek out a handler, contact, noble, lord, what have you. These parties can and should use their handler to their advantage, but the handler is not omnipotent. She should help the PC's but she cannot have all the answers. Nor will her character always be around to handle a diplomacy check or other social situation. Also, the team does not always follow Aramaki's orders and often get into their own trouble. Certainly having a person to pull strings if they end up in jail or captured helps, but let both the players and the NPC have some autonomy. Also, be careful to avoid too vital of a clue, overly guiding the players or anything that would really railroad the players. Certainly the party should be up to date about major events happening in the world(that probably have an impact on them) but don't make it so that the party has to act or respond a certain way or that the outcome is the same regardless.