Roleplay Clubs - The Game Master’s Guide
Tips and Tricks
Communication
Make sure that you keep the communication flowing between yourself and the players involved in your roleplay. That way, if any questions come up, they can be answered. This also helps you form friendships with those that you are roleplaying with, and hopefully encourages them to stick around with your roleplay.
Disputes
Try and settle them fairly and neutrally; take in all the facts before you make a decision. Don’t be hostile, don’t use an accusing tone, and don’t assume guilt right off the bat. If you can’t deal with it, don’t hesitate to get a member of staff to come in and act as an impartial third party.
Say No
Don’t be afraid to say no to players. If you’re the Game Master of a roleplay, you need to keep the players in line to prevent them from going off all over the place and ruining the roleplay. Don’t be afraid to refuse a character if it is not suitable for your roleplay; although if you refuse a character, take the time to explain why the character is not suitable so that the player can attempt to correct what is wrong, or create a newer, more suitable character. Don’t be afraid to take the blame when things go wrong. It makes the players respect you, as you’re willing to own up to mistakes. The players are looking to you, being the one in charge, and thus you are more relatable if you admit your mistakes. Treat your players the way that you want to be treated.
Injuries and Death
If a player refuses to allow their character to become injured, don’t hesitate to enforce injury onto the character. Their characters cannot always get away from situations without a scratch and will pick up injuries along the way; force the issue if you have to. When it comes to death, though, try and avoid it, especially if you are new at being a Game Master. If your roleplay has the potential for character death, let them know in the extra information, the opening post and the homepage of the roleplay so that it is expressly clear, and let players know yet again when they join. Don’t let them accuse you of not letting them know when it’s clearly stated, as players sometimes do not take the death of their characters seriously, especially if it comes as a surprise.
Mental and Medical Disorders
Sometimes it is best to avoid both of these, especially when it comes to players that you are unfamiliar with. Some players can roleplay both medical and mental disorders well, however others will not play it so well and can end up ruining an entire roleplay, because they are more after attention than they are after a good roleplay. This can cause a lot of friction between Dreamers, and can have a dramatic affect on the Roleplay as a whole.