Here’s something interesting. I’ve had a chance to pitch a couple of campaigns to my players as of late, and their reaction has been… interesting. It seems that I’ve been running with a given style for so long that I’ve been typecast as a particular type of GM. In my case, it is as the “Consequence” GM, and while that sort of reputation does have it’s advantages, (I can pitch a Mage: the Awakening campaign and pretty much guarantee that some players will want in) there’s also a downside to this sort of thing.
In my case, a lot of the players feel that I would probably end up being a poor fit for some of the other games. Fantasy seems to be a question in many people’s minds, and even others worry about what a Vampire or Changeling game that I’d run might look like. Being typecast is an interesting dilemma since it does happen, and some GMs don’t even notice it.
So what do you do when you’re typecast? Well, to some GMs, the answer is to simply play against type, run something new, something different, perhaps even something that flies in the face of what you are normally known for. This can keep you and your players on your toes in a good way as it forces you and them to adapt to circumstances that you’re not accustomed to.
The other reaction is to play with type, and keep running games of that stripe. After all, if it ain’t broke, then why fix it? Some GMs are perfectly happy with the idea of being shoehorned as “The Action GM” or “The Political GM” and use it to the fullest when pitching for a game. The good thing is that the players and the GM know exactly what they’re getting when things take off… though there’s the risk of growing stale.
In the end there’s nothing wrong with being Typecast, but it does help to acknowledge what kind of games you’re known for running. Think of it as a mirror to reflect your play style’s most apparent form, and see if it is something that you want to keep or to change. After all, being typecast isn’t something that can’t be changed or corrected later, and if anything, it’s another form of feedback that a GM could find use for.
I am curious as to what a “Consequence GM” is. Does it mean that actions have consequences in your game?
I guess I just don’t understand how consequences can make you unfit for other game types, unless the players are just looking for something like a GTA sand box where they can run around blowing things up with little to no consequences. (heck, even GTA has the army show up eventually).
That being said, I am constantly on the look out for where I can improve, and where I am weak. As well as the kinds of games that I am not good at running. I’d like to be able to run more things in more varied ways, so I guess I am also trying to fight off being type cast.
Hey there Anthony,
I guess I’ve been a little vague with that. I’ve managed to develop a reputation for being a GM that pays attention to a lot of the little things that the PCs do, and often have NPCs that plan and react to the players in a fashion that tend to surprise my players. Most of my players have learned to adapt and accept that the NPCs I run operate on the same level of intellect that the PCs do, but those that don’t have enough experience under me tend to underestimate the consequences of their actions and then panic when things go south.
“I’m like my mother, I stereotype. It’s faster.”
- Ryan Bingham – Up in the Air (2009)
Yes, what you said, Anthony.
D&D-inclined players tend to avoid him like the plague since he doesn’t conform to the I-kill-stuff-and-forget-that-left-a-body-out-in-the-open type of games.
Escapist Gamers don’t feel at home in his campaigns since they can’t escape the consequences of their actions.
Personally, I think “Consequence” isn’t the right tag for pointyman as a GM. I consider him more of a “Refined Physics Engine” GM.
Where Physics Engines of today are getting more finely tuned to adapt to more imaginative Player input, nothing is still more adaptable than a human being. And thus, there is no ‘I bulldoze my way into a storehouse and ransack it for all its worth’ without the full strength of the law and House that you stole from coming down on your head – bounty, bounty hunters and all.
Then Changeling would be RIGHT up your alley, Pointyman! Consequences are vital in this game of paranoia and burgeoning trust. It’s HUGE.
Vampire might work, too- what with that safe deposit box sitting full of whatever, who KNOWS what the banker NPC might do? Yes, consequences in Vampire are a major element in any game I ran, ages ago.
I can whole heartedly say that both Vampire and Changeling are perfect for that style of play, since that is the way I play. The plegde system in Changeling in particular is perfect for this.