GMing on-the-Fly: Roll for the Answer

If you get overwhelmed with all the decisions that a gamemaster has to make, there is a quick way to solve that issue in the no-prep GM model.

This is what I like to call the best-case/worst-case roll. (Yes, I need a better name for this, but this will do for now.)

Simply take a six-sided die with six representing the best-case scenario for the player and one representing the worst case scenario.

The numbers in between represent degrees. Five is good. Four is okay. Three is bad. Two is really bad.

This is used whenever a player asks you the GM a question that you do not know the answer to.

Since we’re not prepping we don’t know the answers to many questions players can ask during the session.

When RPG Players Ask Questions

Players always ask tons of questions. It’s impossible to prepare for every question a player can ask.

• Does the innkeeper have a brother?
• Do I recognize the Captain of the Guard?
• Who’s the noble family in this land?
• Is there an active black market in this town?
• What’s over the next ridge?
• Where is the nearest apothecary shop?

All these questions are valid questions. The player needs to know the answer so they can take action.

But if you haven’t prepared anything you most likely do not know the answers to any of those questions.

(Heck, players always stumped me even when I prepared for sessions.)

Maybe with experience, you can just make up an answer on the spot.

Have the Player Roll

However, it is rather engaging to have the player roll the best case/worst case.

For example, a player asks if they know the captain of the guard because they are from the city they are in. Have them pick up a six-sided die and roll.

Six would be the best case scenario. Yes they know the captain of the guard and he was their childhood friend or she is their aunt.

A number one could mean something like, they do not know the captain of the guard and he is antagonistic towards them for something that happened in the past.

It is important during these rolls to take some burden or strain off of the gamemaster.

The Player Should Decide

Go ahead and have the player decide what the consequences of the role are.

If they roll a best-case, what’s their best case. Perhaps their best case is that they don’t know the captain of the guard.

Also, ask the player what the worst case is.

They know these things better than you because it affects them and affects their character.

The player should be honest about their intentions but of course, you are the judge so you can override as you see fit.

The Dice are Telling the Story

This quick little system will help you answer questions during the game quickly and efficiently.

I have found in my games that these best-case/worst-case rolls actually take the story in interesting directions that would have never come about through the prepped session.

Also, the key here to take pressure off the GM, so they do not need to create every little detail of world or spend hours in preparation.

Coming Up

Stay tuned for the next tip of how to run an RPG session with preparing.

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