RPGaDay 2020 Day 4 – “Vision” #RPGADAY2020
Day 4’s prompt is “Vision”.
Does it take vision to be a Gamemaster? I would say no… Lord knows I’ve played in my share of games that had no sense of purpose or direction. For one-off sessions, there doesn’t need to be a vision… an idea, sure, but not necessarily a vision. For a long campaign, vision is required, but not just for the GM. While the GM has to keep the scope of the story he wishes to tell in sight when designing a campaign, the players should also have a vision for their character within the world the GM has built. Characters with dreams, aspirations and personal quests are far more interesting stories to hear about and when every character has depth and motivation.
It’s why I have always asked my players for some kind of backstory… I don’t want the “only child, orphan, with no friends” at my table. Those one-dimensional characters might be mechanically sound, but you’ll find yourself bored with the character in no time, when others are seeing their characters evolve and change and the plot evolves with them, while your dice machine merely comes along for the ride. Have a vision for everything you do and your games will always be fun, even if your character takes a back seat to another in your party, as the story you’ve all crafted is interesting enough without being in the limelight.
J.
