GM Guide

So you'd like to GM something for Lockwood. That's great! But there are a few things you should know first.

Tone

The first thing you should know when coming up with a topic for your run is the intended tone of Lockwood. Lockwood is a mystery RP. This means we are not looking for horror, comedy, romance, although they do have times when they are appropriate and fun, and they will not be denied soley based on their comedic or horrific value. A mystery tone means there is something to be solved and put to right.

Purpose and Goal

The next thing you will need is a purpose and a goal. Hotel doors do not open without a reason. This reason, the reason characters are being sent somewhere, is the purpose. In said "somewhere," the characters will need to accomplish something. What they need to accomplish is the goal. These two are often the same thing, so don't worry if you can't differentiate between the two in practice, but you should have something that explains both before you propose a run.

Be Fun

If the players aren’t happy, we aren’t happy. If things seem to be stagnating, get them moving again. Make things enjoyable. By all means, make things difficult, but don’t make things impossible.

Plot, Setting, and NPCs

Now we get to the real meat of your run. This is the who, what, when, and where of the thing. Don't get too attached to any individual piece of this. The first rule of GMing is that the players will not do what you want or expect. These pieces should all be means to an end, and you should be prepared to pull alternatives out of your hat. While these may be what makes the meat, what makes the skeleton is the tone, purpose, and goal, and the plot, setting, and NPCs should be nothing more than the tools you use to convey the first three.

I've got everything. What do I do now?

Hop in channel and flag down an OP or H-OP! They'll take you to a PM where you can explain your ideas to them. They'll ask you questions to assess how prepared you are to GM the run, and when they're satisfied, they'll give you approval. If the approval is unconditional, you can do your run whenever you like. Otherwise, the OP will give you any information you need to know.

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