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GM Guidelines

A guide for GM on how to host quest

Quest Hosting General​

General guideline on timing and organizing a quest

Session-Based Hosting​

The recommended method for hosting a quest is to do it like other TTRPG - using session-based hosting - where the GM and the players commit to a session and recurring sessions to finish their quest. Sitting in VC is not mandatory, and we still recommend typing out and writing out your actions for future record.

Some recommendations:

  • You can expect a detaild combat encounter to end in around 3 hours maximum in Drase, varying based on the amount of effort spent looking up information and deciding.
  • Inform players they shouldn't spend too long deciding what to do in their turn.
  • Schedule a 2 - 3 hours session, expect to finish the quest in that time, and another 2 hours session to finish in that time. Including plot / exposition, you can expect an average quest to take 5 hours or so.
  • DO NOT host a quest for someone of the wrong timezone unless you are absolutely sure that you can accomodate them and all players

Session-based hosting are the recommended method - as it reduce the time commitment and time wasted per quest - making the players only pull up handbook once. It also reduce the stress from replying anytime or spontaneously

Asynchronous Hosting / Play by Post​

Technically, all game of Drase (on the server) are play by post. Asynchronous hosting involves players commiting to making a certain amount of post per day or per week, and replying in turn.

This method is no longer recommended as it encourage and amplify quest ghosting problem and impose extreme stress on GM and players as they are required to be available anytime every day to make one post for an indefinitely long amount of time.

Ghosting in Session Based Quest​

If a player no show without any prior explanation for a quest session, and did not inform the GM reasonably beforehand, and does not have extenuating circumstances, GM has the authority to apply punishment.

Once again, session quest is recommended as it is much easier to set expectations and meet it

They should be applied if:

  • A player no show to a session they've promised to show up to without any explanation or prior information.
  • A player is in an asynchronous quest and suddenly stop replying without any reasons or is taking an unreasonably long amount of time to reply.

Punishment should be agreed upon with at least another staff, and may be:

  • 14 days, 1 month, 2 months or 3 months of quest ban, based on severity AND
  • Forfeiture of the XP from the quest (If a minor offensive)
  • AND reduction in one character's XP (The one in the character), by up to -40 XP. On second offense, -100 XP. If reduced below a level threshold for the first time, they can still use their original level, if reduced and punished again, they must resubmit their character at the lower XP level.

When unable to attend a session, there should be a two days notice for such matter - if the session was planned less than 2 days ago, then punishment need not apply unless they fail to show up to a previously promised session. If unable to attend a newly organized session, the GM should accomodate and NPC their character or fill in their position with a NPC instead.

Taking over quest​

GM Techniques​

GM's Role​

A GM serves multiple roles:

  • Narration: The GM provides narration that sets the context for a story - like the environment they are in, the particular situation the adventurers are here to solve or observe. Provide just enough details for the players to interact with and come up with their own innovative solution or observations.
  • Arbitrator: The GM serves a fair and impartial arbitrator who decides what happens - the ruling needs to be fair, and perceived as fair. Entrusted with the power of directing the plot and challenge, a GM must use this power responsibly, players should be made to feel that they are not hopeless, that consequences are largely caused by observable circumstances and player actions or inactions.
  • Mentor: A GM should be mentoring the players, in both the mechanics of the system and the lore and the world around them - they should be assisting the players in understanding and filling in the gap. And if there's a gap in ruling or people who don't understand how things work, help them out actively
  • Loremaster: A GM also serves as a loremaster and world builds within the limits of a shared world (More of this later). They set up the setting, adding in details about the NPCs, the laws of the land.

The GM should be actively assisting the player - which doesn't mean removing all challenges from the quest - but always make sure you are on the side of the players, helping them achieve story goal and move the story forward as long as they put in good efforts.

Improvisation, Interaction & Details​

Improvising plot elements and interactions is an important part of the experience. To improvise - we recommend you use your player's creativity to your advantage, and to reward your players for their creativity. As an example, if your plan did not initially include hidden documents behind a locker - but they are looking for documents, and one of the players proposed to look behind such a spot - you could conjure new (Or replace the old document's location) there. Or if a player proposes to look for or to find clues - you could follow their lead, and give them items - make them feel like they've figured out a mystery or a new solution. In general, don't reject a player's solution - instead, follow them around and expand on their proposals - it makes for a highly rewarding environment.

Don't be afraid to steal ideas from other adventures, stories you've read and change it up for your players to experience.

When it comes to writing down details in a scene, give enough for players to get a handle on the general situation, but leave enough room for players to propose different solutions or things their character might've noticed or attempted to do.

Self-GMing / GMNPC / GMPC​

These sections are guidelines for GMing when you are using your own PC (not NPC) in a quest / campaign you are hosting yourself.

There are two scenarios we want to cover: 1. Using your own PC as a NPC to facilitate the story 2. Having your PC actively participate in the story as a party member.

A good guideline on how to play a GMPC: https://theangrygm.com/here-comes-tagalong/

Using your own character as a NPC​

You may use your character as a NPC to give out quests, as a quest-giver and give jobs, in a side role. Your characters:

  • Should not directly benefit from the quest (In the sense of actually receiving the quest rewards - you can consist your GM claim to be part of the benefits they derive)
  • Should only participate in combat when it makes sense, and not to handhold the PC or steal the spotlight.

Direct Participation in Quest​

You can directly participate in a quest you're hosting yourself, subject to the following guidelines:

  • Only full GM and PGM with 1+ month of experience and have actively hosted may self-GM.
  • You cannot do a normal GM claim - as your participating character is already receiving a reward.
  • Where possible, your character should not take the spotlight in the quests and making most plot decisions should be done by characters that are not yourself - in short, don't present decisions that are then mostly resolved by your own character.
  • Unless the quest is specifically about your own character's plotline and other characters are aware of these.
  • There must be more than your own character in the quest, at least one, and the other players agree to and are fine with this arrangement.
  • If a GMPC and normal PCs are present, make sure there isn't excessive level disparity or spotlight differences.
  • Don't do this too often. Trade GMing if you can.
  • If it involves combat, it should be of sufficient difficulty and it should correspond to the reward. It should not call into question the GM's own bias.
  • Rewards for your own character need to be approved by another GM in the #gm-claim channel

Shared World​

Since the world of Drase is a shared world, a GM cannot have total control over the world - however, a GM has freedom to make plenty of changes. Here are some examples of what you can do. In general, if it isn't significant enough to be written down in lore, you can do it:

What you can do​

  • Make up a local cult, criminal organisation, rivalry, variation of main cultures
  • Small settlements that isn't significant enough to be noted on the map, or catastrophe to be happening to it - so long as it isn't going to be a big regional / national event
  • Creating insignificant figures of a city, NPC that hand out quests, etc.
  • If unsure, just ask a GM / Admin!

What you should ask for approval​

  • A named figure in lore or significant change of circumstances, meeting etc.
  • Significantly upset geopolitical balance or implying a major change in diplomatic relation (For example, large scale fighting between X and Y country who are not canonically at war)
  • Violent death of a named figure or a count or above
  • Events, or series of events that will likely alarm significant figures of lore and lead to a big change in circumstances (Killing a baron / assassinating a baron is fine, if it is an entire campaign with 10+ baron in the same area, that needs approval)
  • Destruction or catastrophic events. Since a town is pretty rare, destruction of a town is a big event that needs approval (Short of a campaign / plot event where it makes sense), while villages / hamlets destruction or looting etc. is fine, especially in a warzone. However, if enough happens in a short time to start a significant event, please ask.

Remember, we are always willing to grant permission if it makes sense - just ask.

Homebrewed Contents​

  1. Don't homebrew new traits, monsters etc. Submit them and have them approved before using them.
  2. GM has discretion on things that the rules don't cover. Be reasonable, and do not make judgment that can have large balance implications, or one that cannot be walked back narratively later. If something is not reasonable, it can be retconned later. Within reason there will be no penalty made to a GM.
    1. Do not tweak class, weapon, etc. balance on the spot unless it is mind numbingly obvious not intended. These rules apply to things the rules don't cover but can be reasonably done to a player's advantage in game.
  3. Where possible, avoid addition of rules that can be seen as disadvantageous to the players
  4. If the bestiary doesn't cover it, suggest it in the GM channel.

Other GM Tools​

Adjusting Mission Difficulty​

There are several tools GMs may use to adjust the difficulties of a quests

Mentor's Boon​

Mentor's boon is a way to boost lower level members to partially alleviate level; gaps so that GM can have an easier time hosting for others. Its an optional mechanic that GM can choose to opt in - or they can use other methods to compensate for the level gap.

Mentor's Boon are quite simple:

  1. Takes the level of the highest level party member.
  2. During the quest, based on the gap between the highest level character and the lower quest. they gain the following bonuses:
    1. Level 3 or Above: 1 attack bonus to all attacks.
    2. Level 5 or Above: 1 universal damage bonus (to physical attacks.) If Mage archetype, give additional 12 mana instead.
    3. Level 7 or Above: 1 attack bonus to all attacks.
  3. Apply the following bonus to lower level members, based on the level gap and the archetype of their class (Hybrid pick one):
    1. Martial Archetype gains 12 Max HP + 3 Max Focuses per level of gap between them and highest level member
    2. Magic Archetype gains 4 Max HP + 12 Max Mana per level of gap between them and the highest level member.

Mentor's Boon cannot fully compensate for level gap and is simply used to make questing across level gap a bit more bearable.

Adjusting Monster Stats​

GM can adjusts HP, damage, to hit and AC within a reasonable range - approximately 30 - 40%, within the realm of believability, up or down. GM may also hide stats and their own rolls.

Adjusting Rolls (Fudging)​

GM can adjust the statistics of monsters on the fly, provided they weren't revealed to the player beforehand to gain a desired outcome. GM should not make it obvious or knowable they're fudging, and should avoid obvious fudging by presenting an impossible statistics. Most of the time, fudging should be done in favor of player's victory and never make the players believe the GM is trying to screw them over on purpose.

Phased Encounter & Tactics Adjustment​

GM can phase encounter and spread out monsters arrival so they do not arrive all at once, and try to deoptimize the enemy party's tactics to give the players an easier time (Or optimize it more, if the quest is turning out to be too easy)

Other Rules & Suggestions​

Retcon​

If a quest was found to be unfair or highly problematic, the owner / administration team reserves the right to retcon the quest and/or hand out partial rewards. This may include reversing the death of a character, if necessary..

Quest Timeliness:

  1. When setting up a quest and you receive no responses on scheduling timezone, drop them aggressively. Launch the quest as soon as you have a group of ready, able-to-commit players.
  2. If ghosted by a player in a quest, skip their turn, then drop them if they still don't respond by the time it is their turn to do so.
  3. Always ping players when it is their turn, encourage your players to do so, do it for them if you need to. Pinging improves response time massively because it happens as soon as the turn is ready, rather than as soon as the player decides to check the place again.

Other Best Practice:

  1. Put efforts into your response, this is a must
  2. If there's nothing in your quest of significance to do, consider writing out a longer post that timeskips to the end and hand out rewards. Don't delay your players for more than a few days simply wrapping up.