RPG a Day #10 Trust

 

I’m going to try and take part in the #RPGaDay writing prompts for 2021. The idea is there’s a prompt every day that asks you to write about something in RPG’s you really like. There are a couple of alternate prompts offered but I’m going to try and do the main one every day. If you want to try it yourself, you can head here for the calendar for this year.

This is a quick one. I don’t think you can play the game without trust. If the players don’t trust the game master not to destroy them for no reason (unless you’re playing Paranoia) or the game master doesn’t trust the players not to cheat then you can’t really have a game. You can play, but it’s not the game you sat down at the table to start. You’ll be playing a game of catch the other side out.

I think this is part of why session 0 is important. Even if you don’t do that you should set expectations. I always send out an email with a couple of questions about the campaign and what people expect. Then whatever decisions we make about these things I stick to them with few exceptions. Even those are ones with purpose.

For example, I was once running a serious D&D campaign but still had a Christmas adventure where the team was secretly hired by Santa. You can have those moments where you go off tone and setting, but there should be a reason behind them. They should also be the exception.

I’ve run games where the players didn’t trust me not to destroy them. It was back in high school and honestly, they were probably right to. Back then I had the idea that my job as GM was to kill the players.

Now I look at my job as more of the narrator, guide, and facilitator. I think of myself more as Dungeon Master from the old D&D cartoon from the 80’s. I give them the mission, point out a direction, and let them at it.

As a player I try not to overstep the setting and story. I recently joined a campaign in progress where we’re all the crew on a ship. The player who’s Captain is newer and not comfortable with the role play aspect of the game. It would be easy for me to step in and start doing all of the role play and decision making. However, I trust that she’ll find her voice. I trust the DM isn’t going to hose us because she’s not particularly vocal yet, and I trust that we’ll all be fine. Just as I hope they trust me not to dominate the group and hijack every scene.

You need to trust the other players. If not, the game doesn’t work and you’ll soon find yourself without a game.

Like I said a short one today. Tomorrow I’m talking about Wilderness. I’m going to need to think about this.

Until next time, stay safe and be well.