First Session Quick Recap & Consequences

So, I'm a bit late on this one...been an odd week.

I ran my first session last week and according to all reports thus far, everyone liked it. Lots more investigation and detective work and less combat, so they had to work it in character. Was a bit sluggish at first, but they got what they needed to get and had a nasty run-in with some automated defenses and finished up feeling like they had missed something big and important.

This brings me to a topic that is near and dear to my heart: Consequences.

The best thing about running a game, is that you have control over setting, mood, and the obstacles that get in your Players' way. Consequences are all about which obstacles the Players decide to interface with. This is a very important process in gaming. Many GM's try to write a script that the characters will fumble along and get to the end. I should know, I used to be one. writing adventures like that take away the "adventure" of it and it starts to feel like a nose ring and rope. End result: no one has fun.

What I write now is a general concept of where I want things to be at the end, some ideas of what kinds of actions and investigative work the Players should do to get answers, and then I let them run with it. Now that is simplistic, I also make up preliminary visual aids, maps, create NPC stats, all sorts of things to be ready for the session, but as far as storyline goes, I try to keep it loose so the Players can explore and I can better react. Consequences come in when the Players make choices that have a dramatic effect (or could) on the session. Case in point from last week...

We had two suspects being eyed by the Players equally but they couldnt seem to get enough to pin the second one though their guts told them he was the guy. So, two of them decided to try to access a restricted deck and gain access to the person's quarters (Note: suspect was the #4 in charge of the space station and was very good at setting up security on his room). They managed a clean ride to the restricted deck, but got caught trying to cut their way into his quarters and almost derailed the investigation. The roleplaying that happened was nothing special but it was sincere...both players acquiesced to the guards and didn't put up a fight. They explained what they were doing there and why they were trying to break in. The honesty worked well and won over the NPC and he gave them entry. Now, had they decided to resist arrest or act like assclowns, things might have been very different.

Another example from many years ago. I was in a Shadowrun game where I was the computer guy. I did a one-off solo run for some quick cash. My GM made it a challenge but I got the data they requested and took off with my payment. Two sessions later, when the whole group was present, that list of information I had pulled up ended up being a list of potential kidnap victims for a grotesque experiment. What's worse, I knew it too. God awful feeling, especially because when I realized where they had gotten the data, we were about to get shot at buy a lot of people.

Both examples show that the playing creates actions in the game world that necessitate reactions. It should be no different than in the real world...it helps build realism and safety in the environment which often brings players out more in character. If you don't, you may find that the players lose sight of the fact that they are beholden to the laws of the world you have made for them.

First run as GM in a decade

Just a quick blur here about running games...even the best GM's have a bit of nerves about them when they are about to run a session...Don't let them tell you different. I haven't run a game in at least 10 years and I am anxious to get it running to see what happens with this group. I still have a few things to finish up and print out, but all in all I am pretty much ready to roll. Expect an entry later this week on the first session and PC/GM interactions.