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General Info
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How do I run combat?
- Determine your combat/game type
- Figure out your combat 'ritual'
- Make sure combat runs smoothly
- Offload tasks on your players
Offload tasks on your players
As the previous example of the combat ritual showed, the GM made his players responsible for typing up their characters' actions in combat. The GM should also have players do any necessary in-game research when at all possible. If there's a question as to someone's skill level, have them look it up on their character sheet. While they're doing so, keep things moving with necessary OOC discussion of the next character's actions.
Trying to run multiple bad guys, make sure your players' characters are doing logical things you understand, keep the order of go organized, and handle the map is a bit much for any one person, of course. We suggest a co-GM for the minutiae of mechanics, but you can use helpful players for this as well, if you have no co-GM.
Delegate responsibilities. Have one player take care of the Speed Chart, another who reads fast do all necessary research (if any), and perhaps another can manage the map for you. The important thing to remember is to delegate to those you trust, to keep things moving smoothly in-game, and to be sure you, as GM, are comfortable with how things are moving along.
Here's an example of rules- or log-research being mostly dealt with by a player. Ask one of your players to find the relevant section that needs looking up, and then type it in but not hit return until you restore your attention to him. While he's researching, make a note to your log editor about where in the log things may be changed -- then keep combat moving.
When you're ready, have the researching player put the rule on-screen, so it can be discussed by everyone. Alternatively, you might ask your players to all be sure they have a copy of the rules book of whatever system you're using, so that several paragraphs of text don't have to be typed in for each discussion. Instead, have the researching player say on which page, and where, the relevant information can be found.
In the discussion, listen to your players, of course, but don't let things get excessively drawn out -- five or ten minutes is probably enough discussion time. After that, make a decision, implement it, put in a note to your editor if necessary -- then keep the game rolling.
- Determine your combat/game type
- Figure out your combat 'ritual'
- Make sure combat runs smoothly
- Offload tasks on your players
Back to the GMing FAQ page.