As I wrote a while back, when I resume my current AoR campaign, it will be to end it, hopefully with a memorable finale. I have played in so many games that were recalled and recounted, and I want to give my players–who have been very patient as I learn to GM–that kind of ending. So, to help other relatively new GMs, I have opted to write about my experiences as I work on the finale of this game. Since we are still in January (barely!), I have made a few resolutions related to planning. Fortunately for me, I have a very good example of how to tie up a campaign, as my good friend Jon Stevens is wrapping up his Force & Destiny campaign. So here are my Resolutions for my finale.
Save the Date! Yes, this one is done. I do my best work when I have a deadline. Not an urgent, ASAP, “Stop the Presses!” deadline–those just stress me out. However, I need some sort of time frame, to discipline myself to sit down and do the work, whether it’s practicing a prelude or planning a game arc.
A couple weeks ago, my group talked about a rough “schedule” for GMs running their games. I will take the virtual GM’s chair this summer. It’s been our experience, over several years, that trying to nail down specific dates this far ahead just doesn’t work for us, but YMMV. However, “Roke Squad resumes early this summer” is good enough to get me started planning these last arcs and a finale.
Take more notes and write things down. Lots more notes! I confess, I didn’t realize how few notes I had until I started reviewing them. Except for the Little Girl Lost arc that I made into a module (Part 1 and Part 2), most of my notes are pretty sketchy. I am going to err on the side of “information overloading” as I plan these last arcs. Well, at least until I run a session or 2, when I should have a better idea of how much detail is enough for me to do a good job. Right now, the notes I am focusing on are what my players want to see happen, both for their respective PCs and the campaign as a whole. Once I get those, I will be able to outline a few plots. Speaking of plot outlines,
Tackle one thing at a time. All my players, who are more experienced GMs, have strongly encouraged me to deal with one PC’s story per session or short arc. This doesn’t mean that other PCs won’t have anything to do; everyone will be involved in each session. It’s fine for one or two characters to star in a session–but is wrong in so many ways to not get everyone involved. The F&D campaign I mentioned above is really giving me some insight as to how this can be done well, as I play.
Go over the rules. Take a hint from Santa’s playbook and check them twice. Or more. One of my weaknesses on either side of the GM screen is that I have trouble switching between systems, especially if I am learning a new system, or haven’t played one in a long time. Yes, many players have this problem, but I do have more of a problem with this than most of the group. And even if I wasn’t, it is always a good idea to review rules that you will use in a session, especially those you are less familiar with.
Besides reading, I will ask one of my players to do some mock combats with me over the next few months. I have found this is an enjoyable way to both familiarize/review rules, as well as improve my skill at judging encounter difficulty. Finally
Continue to seek good advice. So, fellow GMs, if you have some other ideas for preparing, please tell me in the comments.
Linda Whitson
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