I. Dear Reader, This week, I’m having complex feelings about a recent’ fantastic post from Lowell Francis on the Gauntlet blog. In this blog, describes the five faces of the GM: GM as traffic manager, GM as meeting manager, GM as interviewer, GM as showrunner, GM as counselor. Lowell is a designer as well as one of the most prolific GMs that I know so when he talks about GMing, it’s always useful to pay attention.
I do think more groups should delegate "meeting manager" responsibilities differently. For instance, I see use in designating a non-GM player as the time tracker, reminding the table when to take breaks and when it's near the end of the session.
At the same time, I understand why the GM has traditionally been the assumed meeting manager. While a game can go on with one non-GM player, it can get very awkward if the GM doesn't show up to a pre-scheduled session. If the GM weren't the organizer, the thinking goes that the GM might not be as invested in showing up and nudging other players to show.
The solution may involve a group having plans for if the GM doesn't show, such as having an alternative game and players who are willing to assume GM duties. This is a departure of the assumed default model that RPG groups come together for one game only, and I wonder if more groups would benefit from departing from that model.
I do think more groups should delegate "meeting manager" responsibilities differently. For instance, I see use in designating a non-GM player as the time tracker, reminding the table when to take breaks and when it's near the end of the session.
At the same time, I understand why the GM has traditionally been the assumed meeting manager. While a game can go on with one non-GM player, it can get very awkward if the GM doesn't show up to a pre-scheduled session. If the GM weren't the organizer, the thinking goes that the GM might not be as invested in showing up and nudging other players to show.
The solution may involve a group having plans for if the GM doesn't show, such as having an alternative game and players who are willing to assume GM duties. This is a departure of the assumed default model that RPG groups come together for one game only, and I wonder if more groups would benefit from departing from that model.