So much to respond to, so many great things said. Dave, if there's ever a "GM'ing 101" you should not only write the book on it, you should also teach the class.
First let me state unequivocally, there is nothing NOTHING in Dave's discussion that isn't pure GOLD.
Things I'd add (in reverse order of the posts since that's the way they show up on the Reply feed)
Do's and Don'tsDO give up some control of the plot. One of the greatest 7th Sea sessions I ever ran was an all-fate-witch adventure in which one of the players, seeing that we were WAY over time, gave one of the most creative shortcuts I've ever seen. When he initially said he had an idea I was afraid he was going to take us even further off script (and was worried about how to get it back) so much so that I almost shut him down before he could speak. But I realized up to this point all the players had been laughing and enjoying themselves despite their lack of progress. So I decided to just roll with whatever was coming, in effect giving up control of the plot. Not only did he get us back on track, but he also did it in a way that everyone thought was logical and humerous.
DO NOT be afraid of silence. Many GMs feel the need to jump in when players get even the slightest bit stuck. But not spoonfeeding them the answers and making them work for it only increases their enjoyment. Over time you'll learn the signs of losing them (yawns, looking away from the table, fiddling with stuff, etc.) which indicate that it is time to jump in.
DO NOT be afraid to limit PC character options. If you have an idea about the kind of plot you want to run and there are certain character ideas that simply won't work, don't let the players wheedle or cajole you into allowing them. Look at HoA as an example. I wanted HEROES so I took out the secret societies most likely to engage in non-heroic activities (Rilasciare, Sophia's Daughters, DK). And I also took away the option of Crescent (because dealing with herecy will already be hard enough) and Cathayan (because I simply HATE everything about their handling in 7th Sea) characters.
That being said,
DO be willing to listen to players who come up with creative, or role-playing reasons to bend those same limitations. In a very early 7th Sea game, I'd also ruled out Crescents* (because I didn't want the players to travel there, and because I didn't want to introduce their strange knowledge into the game). However, one of my players came up with a Crescent character who had been horribly tortured (and specifically had his tongue cut out) so he had the knowledge but was unable to share it in any way. And better, he spent the time playing by simply pointing or making gutteral sounds (which the players, over time, learned to understand).
*in this game I didn't outlaw Cathayans because the Cathay book hadn't been released
Your Voice at the Tableyes, Yes, YES! You can
never have too much energy. Players at the PA at GenCon last year can testify to that. I roleplayed a crazy man coming to Ken's character's book signing who ran around the table, yelled and cursed out the other players (who took the place of the other people waiting at the book signing) and I can say without fear of contradiction, the only thing players were disappointed at when we got finished was that I hadn't gone on for longer.
At the same time, let me reiterate that silence is not your enemy. Once they have the information, and they're mulling it over, let them stew. They'll let you know (by their behavior) that they need a push. Its one of the things I commend Shadowrun for. GMs provide the information about the job PCs are to do and then simply sit back. Their players telegraph their actions. Certainly the description of the job will influence them as to what they must do, but success can vary quite a bit. And they tell you extactly what they plan on doing so you can plan accordingly.
Drama Dice and Their ApplicationDave didn't hit upon this, but it seems a natural extension of what I was reading so I'll point it out. One of the things that you ABSOLUTELY must do in 7th Sea (as opposed to most other games) is establish a bond of trust between you and the players. Players used to "Killer Dungeon" GMs write down EVERYTHING they carry on their character sheets, carefully consider ALL actions before performing them, expect the GM to kill them for the minorest of mistakes (often using the dumbass excuse of, "it's not me, it's the roll of the dice..."), and never, EVER take chances.
They do this because they are afraid their carefully crafted character will die (often capriciously).
NONE of that can (or ever should) happen in 7th Sea. You don't need to list all your equipment. You don't have time to carefully consider all actions. The GM will NEVER kill you (even if the dice say differently). And you should always, ALWAYS take chances!
Retraining such players is difficult but Drama Dice can help with that. When your other players engage in the behaviors you're looking for and are rewarded, these players see it and eventually get the hint. When they do it and are rewarded they get the hint. When they come up with a creative solution that (for some reason) interferes with your main plot, the application of a Drama Die can show them they did the right thing even if it didn't work.
Drama Dice are, in effect, your way of subtly saying, "I'm on your side, I want you to win."
Skill Checks and Target NumbersI'm not really a numbers kind of guy, my adventures don't usually have very many TNs outside of combat because, as Dave said, the dice rolling is really interfering with the story we're telling.
As for whether or not to reveal TNs, you know before I read this it never occurred to me there was even a choice. I don't do it, not because I am trying to get the players to be more cautious, but mainly so I have an easy fudge if I need it. That, by the way, is also the reason my adventures don't have TNs. If I say that all players must roll TN 15 before the adventure can continue, and someone doesn't roll that, then we're stuck, and as Dave said, I just killed everyone's enjoyment. But if I say, have everyone roll and the highest roll wins. Well then players got to roll some dice it looked like there was the possibility of failure, and we continue the story.
One tangent to the "Fair Fights" discussion and for that we again go back to the inestimable Mr. Wick. It's several paragraphs, so I'll just point you to it. Game Master's Guide p. 244, "The Die Hard Effect" It neatly sums up my belief about 7th Sea in a nutshell. You don't have to fight fair, the players expect you not to. They want to feel like they've been dragged through the mud filled with broken glass and poison, and... they want to win.
The part he doesn't say (but implies) is for this to work, you have to have players who trust you. They have to know that what happens to them is by design and that they won't die at the roll of a die. They have to understand that this story won't happen without them and that their input is imperative!
Traits and Their UsesABSOLUTELY!!! In every single one of the HoA adventures you will find at least one (often several dozen) attempts to pare some unorthodox Traits and Skills. I do it partly to make sure players don't become complacent with their hero's abilities (Oh I have a X Finesse, I should be fine for whatever the GM throws at me), and partly to let the other GMs know, creativity in this game is a thing to be encouraged. Now obviously, if I can get the player to roleplay the situation, that's the best outcome, but if they can creatively describe how using Brawn + Cartography will help him earn a Knighthood by seducing this farmer's daughter, that's almost as good...
The Platinum Rule of 7th SeaDave has mentioned Roger's Rule to me many times. It meshes quite well with Mr. Wick's thinking and meshes
very well with the overriding rule of 7th Sea
Have FUN or Go Home.Never Say Die (or Dice)Though I get what Dave is trying to say, and for the most part I agree with him, I think in an ideal world we would be able to have 7th Sea games without dice rolls. However, this isn't an ideal world. But I would go a step farther and say that while there are some players who are married to dice rolls to resolve things, dice rolls have contained within them the element of failure. Barring the "TNs designed so mid level players can reach them" (Which is the first time I've ever heard that as a reason and it makes perfect sense, Thanks Dave), I think dice rolls can help GMs give players the belief that they might fail (by letting them fail the unimportant things).
Thematic Stylesalamanca wrote:7th Sea is first, foremost, and at it’s best as a CINEMATIC game. The most important rule to remember when you run this game is that it is never intended to reflect the physical reality of our world. Many GMs get hung up on the mechanics of this game not being realistic, screw those people. In this game, impossible feats are what we do before lunch. You should think of your actions in the game as stunts in an action film. Your NPCs should also be attempting amazing feats (and succeeding less often than your heroes) in battle and your descriptions should highlight those stunts.
The first rule is to always think about what is taking place and turn it up a notch higher. If the villain is going to leap to the chandelier and swing out the window, add a back flip. If the players try and blow a hole in a wall, have the explosion knock down the entire wall. Bigger is always better. Never send 6 brutes when you can send 12.
As a cinematic, this also means the heroes ALWAYS win. Your players need to succeed in this game at the end of the session. Before that session ends, however, you are obligated to knock them around at every opportunity.
You also need to add flair everywhere you can in your descriptions in this game. The more you describe, the more the players will get involved and return the favor. Every fight should be a movie scene with you describing how the villain made his attack. Never attack when you can stab, never stab when you can dodge around their blade and thrust, never thrust when you can whirl around and slash at their cheek. The more you put into these descriptions, the greater your player’s enjoyment.
-----------------------
So what does all that mean? It means adventure is first and foremost in this game. You don't care that the good guys win, you know they are going to win. Instead you care about HOW the good guys win. Build the challenges so they feel they have overcome a great obstacle (and make sure they think you intend to beat them) so that they have a great story to tell years later. The biggest secret in 7th Sea is that the GM is actually on their side, making sure the bad guy triumphs right up to the very end of the fight, then loses to the hero.
As a bonus to the descriptive flairs, the method is contagious when you get the players used to it. They will start giving back cool descriptions of their actions as they become immersed in the story and the activity around them. At first you may need to nudge them in the right direction with Drama Dice awards and bonuses to action rolls that are well described.
Enthusiasm is a drug and you are a pusher. When you are excited about what is happening, they will become excited as well. This is your best weapon for player involvement.
I quoted this because, First, I haven't quoted you yet Dave, and Second, because this is perfect. I don't want to change a thing...