Preparing For Play	-	-	-	The DM as Master Storyteller
-	-	Dungeoneer's Survival Guide	-	-

Creating a story and designing the necessary settings and
encounters are only part of the DM’s job. The second major
responsibility of the referee begins when the players have all
gathered around the table and await the start of the adventure.
The DM’s functions during a gaming session fall into two categories:
    presenting the story in such a manner that the PCs ar drawn into it through their own motivations,
    and refereeing the game mechanics so that they move the story along, rather than hinder its development.
These functions, along with some suggestions
for improving the quality of your game, are detailed
here.

Preparing For Play

As a rule, the more time you spend preparing for the game, the
more smoothly it will run. Since most DMs face time constraints,
it is often necessary to streamline game preparation.
If you do not have the time or inclination to detail all of the
places that the PCs are likely to visit during the game, it may be
useful to create a few lists so that you can randomly generate
information when you need it. A list of eight NPC names, for
example, should provide most of the new NPCs that the players
might encounter in a gaming session. When they meet someone,
you can either roll 1 d8 or select an appropriate name from the list.
Other lists can contain personality traits and characteristics of
appearance. These three lists can easily be combined to provide
you with a ready-made NPC generation system. Since you have
created the lists, you can expand or modify them freely, and thus
have available a tremendous number of combinations of characters’
names, appearances, and personalities.

Most DMs use a coded system of notes for describing areas
and NPCs to the players. If you do not, it is worth developing one.
Listings such as AC, HD, hp, MV, and damage are all important
for encounters. Areas can best be detailed through the use of
your own maps and symbols. The fewer words you use, the better.

A useful piece of shorthand, already known to many DMs, is
the term “THACO.” The abbreviation stands for “To Hit Armor
Class 0” and if you record a THACO score for each of your monsters
and NPCs, you will almost never have to consult the combat
tables during play. To create a THACO rating for any creature,
simply determine what roll on ld20 the creature needs to hit an
opponent with Armor Class 0. For example, suppose an ogre with
4+ 1 Hit Dice would strike an AC 0 opponent with a roll of 15 or
better. Once this number is recorded in your notes, you can easily
determine what you must roll for the ogre to hit any opponent. You
simply subtract the AC of the foe from the ogre’s THACO rating,
and determine the number needed to hit. A creature with AC 6,
for example, is hit by the ogre on a roll of (15 - 6 =) 9 or better; a
character with AC -4 is only hit on a (15 - -4 =) 19 or better.

Map symbols are discussed in greater detail in the section on
mapping (page 114). It is worth the effort to develop symbols for
new types of locations, because the more information you place
on your map, the better the descriptions you can provide for the
players .

It is also a good idea for the DM to spend at least a few minutes
thinking about unexpected courses of action that the PCs might
take. You cannot anticipate everything that the players might try
to do, but careful thought can prepare you for one or two surprises
that might otherwise threaten your entire story line. If you
can anticipate surprising or unexpected PC actions, you can
either steer PCs back into the story line you have created, or take
steps to allow the adventure to expand in the direction the PCs
are taking it.
Preparation is also necessary when placing treasure. You
should carefully consider the amount of wealth placed and the
impact of magical items on game balance. Also, be sure to match
the challenge that must be overcome to the value of the treasure.
These decisions are too important to wait until the last minute.

The DM as Master Storyteller

The DM’s role as storyteller becomes most obvious while the
game is being played. Describing settings to the players, running
the many NPCs that the party encounters, and springing dramatic
surprises are all typical storytelling activities. In a roleplaying
game, the listeners’ involvement with the story brings this
point home even more powerfully.

Just as certain techniques help a DM to effectively create a
story and design a setting, so can he improve his storytelling ability
by applying a few proven principles. Several of these are listed
and explained here, and can easily be incorporated into any DM’s
style of gaming with no advance preparation.

Pace affects both game mechanics and story development.
The DM has great control of the pace of the game. The number of
minutes required to resolve a melee and the rate at which the
characters proceed through the story are both functions of pace.
As it is with all aspects of the game, variety is important regarding
pace. Ideally, there should be moments of dramatic suspense
and intensity with fast, furious actions and desperate challenges.
These moments should be broken by periods of rest and security,
in which the players can take as much time as they want to discuss
their options and make plans.

Game mechanics should be used to help you maintain the
pace of the game at the desired levels. If you find that certain
rules significantly slow the pace of the game, discard those rules.
You can create your own streamlined versions to handle situations,
or simply proceed by DM decree. Game systems such as
Weapons vs. Armor Class Modifications and detailed recording
of spell components can be fun for characters who enjoy great
detail for their characters. For players whose main interest is roleplaying,
the game may proceed smoothly without such game systems.
The more you prepare for a gaming session beforehand, the
greater control you can exercise over the game’s pace. Detailed
notes about your settings and encounters prevent you from having
to waste time thinking up these details during the game. They
can also prevent you from making a snap decision that destroys
the balance of your campaign.

If you review the rules relating to particularly critical areas of
play before the relevant situations arise, you can avoid flipping
through the rulebooks while the players impatiently await your
decision. Of course, it is not always practical or possible to do
this. If you are introducing a complicated monster that you have
never used before, or if your PCs are traveling through specific
environments, review of the pertinent rules can help greatly. If
you have designed an adventure with a watery environment, a
review of the swimming and boating rules beforehand can help
keep the game moving smoothly.

Voice is the DM’s primary tool for providing the players with
information, establishing a mood for your adventure, and conveying
various emotional aspects of the game such as surprise,
anger, triumph, and fear. Your use of voice encompasses the
tone, volume, and rate at which you speak, as well as the words
you use to tell the tale.

Tone is the most effective means of conveying many emotions,
although it is difficult to describe on paper. You can use the tone
of your voice to create an aura of sadness if the PCs are exploring
an ancient ruin that was abandoned under tragic circumstances.
Likewise, the laughter and jolliness of a friendly inn can best be
communicated through the tone of your voice as you describe it.
Volume is an effective tool for conveying sudden or shocking
occurrences, as well for conveying emotional intensity, but
beware of overdoing it. A loud outburst or battle cry is only effective
if the players are not expecting it.

You can develop or create intensity by varying your rate of
speech. An effective storyteller understands the need for an
occasional pause, either to let the listeners fully absorb the
impact of something that has just occurred, or to allow them to
ponder the possibilities of something that is relatively unknown.
Choosing the right word or phrase at any given time is a skill
that can be developed through practice and reading. Make an
effort to be colorful in your descriptions. Instead of, “You get the
door open,” try something like, “The door crashes inward in a
blast of splinters!”

If you write out passages of description for yourself or the PCs,
read them aloud before you use them. You may find that something
that looks very good on paper is less than effective when
spoken.

You may {wish} to develop a variety of voices to use for NPCs.
Some relatively easy voices to use include those of old men, old
women, children, witches, pirates, greedy merchants, suspicious
guards, gloating villains, and heroic leaders. In addition, add
some characteristics that can be easily portrayed. Whining, hissing,
croaking, whispering, growling, ingratiating, angry, or arrogant
voices can all be presented with a minimum of practice.
Any of these voices can be augmented by the use of facial
expressions and hand gestures. In this way, you create wellrounded
characters for the PCs to interact with.