Episode 14

Metagaming and Martyrs

I tend to sway on the side of letting a player try anything. The only bound I put is to do your best to keep from metagaming.

Metagaming has been thought to be any strategy, action or method used in a game which transcends a prescribed ruleset, uses external factors to affect the game, or goes beyond the supposed limits or environment set by the game. (copied from wikipedia LOL, but it makes sense)

That being said, in an RPG you as a game master set the limits and environment of the game. This means you are the one who puts metagaming in motion or puts a stop to it. Which in itself is metagaming. woah right !!! hahahaha

Whether it be a very small or very large part of your campaign, metagaming is happening and it's not always a bad thing.

• Have you ever handed out inspiration?
• Gave advantage on a roll because it made sense to you?
• Been asked by a player to adjust an interaction and you said let's try it?

All of these aspects are part of the game and you are doing it right! Don't let anyone tell you that your fun is wrong 😜.

We stream our adventures online and we have viewer interaction from time to time. We don't have a specific set of rules for viewer involvement, yet we went with it during this session. With the introduction of live RPGs streaming online many channels have allowed viewers to affect the game. This is PURE metagaming. We hope to put more of this in our adventure since it brings a bit more craziness and unpredictability to our fun.

It can also move your story along in ways that you may want/need it to. The direction the players take can be a bit off the beaten path, but some key elements still exist.

• Who's the hero?
• Who's the anti-hero?
• Who's the bad guy?
• Who is to be the martyr?

Finding a common direction to find loot may be the drive of the party, but that can only be done so many times in a row. A more difficult path is to find a "Giving Tree moment" (Shel Silverstein) or what I have used lately is an "Agent Coulson moment" (Marvel's Avengers). These moments can be tough to administer and sometimes they don't work out as planned.

I found a way to create that moment through some reoccurring NPCs, the metagaming of a viewer, and the relationship between some player characters. Hopefully this will pull at some heart strings and help them find some common goals. If not, well we had a good time and enjoyed our type of fun. You should too!

-Scooter

@discopreacha

Episode 13

Who Needs Maps?

As you tell the players the size of the building, the possible entrances, and the possible dangers you get a list of questions regarding what you felt you had just described quite well.
Is this a communication disconnect?
Are you not describing it well?
Does the player really give a crap about what you just said?
ANSWER: Yes, no, maybe so 😁

Different players have different needs and styles as I have mentioned before. This means that there will be times that a player will NOT be hanging on every word you spew out.
SHOCKING, but so very true. 😉

In the New Trippers we have decided as a group to not have a traditional map on the table. This does allow for the imagination to run free as the players all interpret what is presenting itself more personally. It also presents some challenges in gameplay.
How big is the facility?
How far are they from me?
How come they can see me I was supposed to be hidden?
These types of questions can be answered quite easily if you have a drawn out map or a prebuilt terrain in front of them. Especially if it is built to scale and has a grid on the map. I have run many games with this type of map. This just happens to be one that we don't.

We are actually using Maps!

We set up a Discord server just for us so that I can communicate certain information to individuals and as a group. Especially if they have acquired a physical map of an area. This makes moving around the area so much easier.

Sometimes I draw them out myself and sometimes I use some of the great resources already online. http://davesmapper.com is one of my favorites since it is quick and you can build an area that may even surprise the game master.

Transmission Station 0624

Make sure to use tools that work for you and your group. Either put out a grid map, terrain, a digital map, etc. I have been known to use everything from a full scaled building all the way down to absolutely nothing, but words. Use what works for the group and ALWAYS be willing to adjust!

-Scooter
@discopreacha