I spent this morning walking my daughter to kindergarten, and then reading to her class for about a half hour. On my way home, I was turning a project some friends of mine and I are working on under the d20 OGL, and I sort of mentally put these two things that are so important in my life, parenting and gamemastering, and realized they're awfully similar in some ways. So I thought I'd share them with you, maybe some of you parents might get a chuckle out of it:
In many ways, parenting and GMing are less different than you�d think. It�s not necessarily because players are like children, but more because you are responsible for your players development in the same way you are responsible for your children�s development. 1) You must teach and enforce the rules of the game to both. As a parent, you are the one that has to teach your kids right from wrong, how to behave, and what the rules for getting by in the world are. They�ll never know the rules if you don�t teach them. As a GM, you have to know and enforce the rules of the game, and chances you will know them better than your players. It�s your responsibility to make sure that your players follow them. 2) You can apply some of the techniques you used as a GM as a parent. For example, if your NPCs are all acted in different ways, using voices, facial expressions, etc., you can do the same when reading to your children. Change your voice for the giant or the troll or the teeny tiny baby bear. It�s more engaging for them, and more fun for you too. 3) Life isn�t fair. This is a lesson your PCs will learn when they roll a critical failure or their plans go bust. This is also a lesson your kids will learn. Since you�ve already had to console a distraught player who lost his favorite character, you�ll at least have a little experience when your kid doesn�t make the team or winds up in the chorus instead of getting a lead role. 4) Players are convinced that you�re out to get them. Your children are also convinced you�re out to get them. In many ways, this may even be true. 5) Players make unrealistic wish lists. Children make unrealistic Christmas lists. In both cases, it is your responsibility to tell them �No.� And in both cases, you�ll be listening to a lot of whining about how unfair it is. (See #3) 6) As a GM, it is important to give your players the illusion of independence. They have to feel that their choices are their own. Yes, sometimes they will surprise you, and go off somewhere half-cocked, but most of the time, they will do what you would like them to do with the proper guidance, while still feeling independent. As a parent, you have to let your kids start to find their own way. But you also want to make sure they�re not putting themselves in danger. For example, the first time your child crosses the street alone, he feels a huge sense of accomplishment. But you will likely be watching surreptitiously to make sure everything�s OK. The illusion of independence is there, and your child feels like he truly accomplished something. 7) There is always randomness in life (Diceless game GMs can skip this one). Your players learn this, and your kids will too. 8) Seeing as you�re the one that spends the most money and does the most work, you really do have the final say in your game and in your home until they�re ready to leave the table or the house. 9) Your imagination is what keeps your players coming back. Apply it when you play with your kids. 10) A GM is often just an adult with a sense of wonder. Share that with your kids too. 11) It�s up to you to maintain discipline, both as a parent or a GM. If you don�t, neither kids nor players will. They just can�t help themselves. Jim ------------------------------------------------ Join Excite! - http://www.excite.com The most personalized portal on the Web!
