by jodokast

GrimoireOfJank wrote:

Hello, I've been playing TTRPG's for about a decade now (which isn't much compared to alot of people, it seems). I started with D&D 5e and played a handful of other things over the years but I've mostly been detached from the greater community. I've done a bunch of GMing but that was mostly one-shots or in westmarch servers. Usually over text, whereas this campaign was over voice for most of it.

I am completing my current and first campaign soon, D&D 5e in my own setting with a party of friends I've had for a while. 36 of (probably 38) sessions down and I am just exhausted of the system and my own story. I was far too ambitious and I was not prepared for how rambunctous and close three of my players were, while the other felt left out. They say that they've been having fun, which I'm glad about, but I had a whole host of things I just don't have the willpower to get to (NPC questlines, better/more in-depth puzzles, more significant dungeons, etc.)

So, for my next campaign- after a break- I'm planning on doing it online using M&M 3e and Foundry VTT. Or M&M 4e, if it comes out and is a significant improvement. I'll be running with a new party and don't know M&M super well mechanically but am eager to learn (it's street-level superhero stuff anyway so surely it won't get too bonkers). I also hope it will be less long, but we'll see.

The specific advice that I am looking for is:
- How to set limits for what I can reasonably prepare for
- How do I set a benchmark for tone
- How do I handle the tone or story straying from what I want without being a jerk
- Lastly, how do I keep the motivation to continue planning content rather than petering out and deciding "well the final boss is available now"

My big comment:
Your question assumes a D&Dism that I actively hate - why is it the GM's job to provide the tone, keep the story from straying, and hand out the motivation?

I think it is a terrible assumption and leads to GMs who are not sure 'they can cut it'.

Players (and the GM) need to drive the story (in any system). Keep pushing it forward in the tone that everyone knows and accepts. Sure the players will have no idea what is room 3c of the next dungeon. But they better be actively making choices that raise stakes and push scenes towards where they want the story to go. Once they do that GMing is so much easier.

My advice is to be clear with players you expect this and then let them 'create more'.

by xeirwn

I'll skip the prep question because I'm not familiar with M&M and the genre. I'm sure others will chip in.

Have a look online about session zero, and how you can use it to set expectations around tone. The same page tool gives a useful format for ensuring the game you want to run is also the game the players want to play. You can add a question about tone. Same page tool

As part of session zero you can discuss what you're going for in terms of tone, and use comics or movies that have the tone you're going for versus ones that don't for X and y reason. Is the tone more like invincible, Watchmen, Avengers 1 or Endgame etc. Specify what it is about those stories that you like to emulate and which aspects you want to avoid for this campaign.

Once you have ensured players understand what you're shooting for, and are hopefully on board. Then you can perhaps think of ways to reward players that take actions that reinforce the themes. Something similar to Advantage in 5E that is mechanically appropriate for M&M. There's more heavy handed approaches like keys in Lady Blackbird that encourage players to play an arc. That's just to give you an idea of what is possible, not sure if it's necessary to tweak the system of M&M. I reckon you won't need to.

Then you can do something we do in our martial arts group. At the end of a session you can go around the table and ask people one thing that worked for them, one thing they didn't love and perhaps also add the question of how well did we do in terms of hitting the right tone. This means you are creating a space for people to voice opinions, and you can also voice yours, so that in the future if the tone stays you can address it in a gentle way.

The last one is a tough one, and again I feel is system-specific. The joy of old school dungeons was that you could prep the dungeon, and just be the referee. These days with the emphasis on story, GMs have this burden of being "entertainers". Have a look at resources like Justin Alexander 's book "so you want to be a GM" for advice on prepping, and also check the M&M Reddit forum for good tricks and trips that are genre / system / procedure appropriate for prepping efficiently in M&M. A good trick is if you can find a comic that you read, and they haven't, that is halfway there in terms of the theme you want. You can borrow a lot from something like that. Good luck. You got this. You already completed a campaign. That's an achievement that many GMs have not reached. Hope you guys have fun with it.

by gaaloechild

An item RPG Designer: John Cooper has been added to the geeklist The objective bi-monthly ranking list of abstract game designers

by unmistakeable

Any chance someone has a copy of sibille

by gaaloechild

An item Board Game Designer: Emerson Matsuuchi has been added to the geeklist Ranking the top designers bi-monthly using games ratings

by gaaloechild

An item RPG Designer: Isaac Childres has been added to the geeklist Ranking the top designers bi-monthly using games ratings

by GrimoireOfJank

pestigor wrote:

Uplifted dolphins in power armor from Rifts…never going back there, man.

Blue Planet type beat, dang.

by NormandyWept

An item RPG Item: Advanced Lovers & Lesbians has been added to the geeklist 2026 RPG Character Creation Challenge

by Lagnis

Related Item: RPGG News

I think that’s the wrong question of the day.

by Benevolentgamemaster

One of our less astute players once submitted the Wereworm that was supposed to be the Werewyrm. General hilarity, but we decided that this would still make great fishing baut. One worm catches all!

by GrimoireOfJank

Hello, I've been playing TTRPG's for about a decade now (which isn't much compared to alot of people, it seems). I started with D&D 5e and played a handful of other things over the years but I've mostly been detached from the greater community. I've done a bunch of GMing but that was mostly one-shots or in westmarch servers.

I am completing my current and first campaign soon, D&D 5e in my own setting with a party of friends I've had for a while. 36 of (probably 38) sessions down and I am just exhausted of the system and my own story. I was far too ambitious and I was not prepared for how rambunctous and close three of my players were, while the other felt left out. They say that they've been having fun, which I'm glad about, but I had a whole host of things I just don't have the willpower to get to (NPC questlines, better/more in-depth puzzles, more significant dungeons, etc.)

So, for my next campaign- after a break- I'm planning on doing it online using M&M 3e and Foundry VTT. Or M&M 4e, if it comes out and is a significant improvement. I'll be running with a new party and don't know M&M super well mechanically but am eager to learn (it's street-level superhero stuff anyway so surely it won't get too bonkers). I also hope it will be less long, but we'll see.

The specific advice that I am looking for is:
- How to set limits for what I can reasonably prepare for
- How do I set a benchmark for tone
- How do I handle the tone or story straying from what I want without being a jerk
- Lastly, how do I keep the motivation to continue planning content rather than petering out and deciding "well the final boss is available now"

by gaaloechild

An item Board Game Designer: Richard Borg has been added to the geeklist Ranking the top designers bi-monthly using games ratings