One of the most powerful elements in role-playing games is agency. When RPGs claim “you are only limited by your imagination” or something similar, this is “agency” they are referring to. The idea that a group of people could get together and decide, without artificial constraints, how a group of fictional characters would respond to various situations was very appealing.
However, when we talk about agency in RPGs, we tend to focus on the player. Do players have agency when creating their characters? Are they free to make their own choices? Are the safety tools in place? Are they trapped on the dreaded “railway”? I think most game masters would agree to give It’s good for players to have as much agency as possible.
But what about gm’s agency?
I know, I can already hear some of you snickering. Why does GM need agents? Don’t they have full control over their own gaming tables? Don’t catchy terms like “Rule 0” and “Rules Not Rules” say that GM has the final say on both rules and play? Why should they worry about their own institutions?
I used to think so too. But after a year of doing old-school sandboxing, I find myself with more agency these days. I hope today’s article can also inspire you!
Sandbox Sensibility
Often, starting a new activity is a rather daunting task. I needed to design an adventure path and the environment to go with it. While some campaign prep was easier than others, each campaign required a lot of reading and writing to clear my head and get something in the hands of the players to help them create their characters.
In my previous school campaign, World Prep was much easier. As I mentioned in my previous article, all I really need to prepare is a map, a base, and one or three dungeons scattered around the base. That’s pretty much it!
It’s amazing how much prep time this saves me. Occasionally I need to add another dungeon or conflict for the players, but for the most part the campaign is self-sustaining. I didn’t feel the need to read over my notes again and again, nor did I worry about whether I had enriched myself enough for the next class.
Notably, what made my preparation easier was the wealth of materials that were already available. In addition to the many official TSR mods out there (all of which are largely compatible no matter which TSR version or anti-clone you’re using), there’s a wealth of material available on DriveThruRPG and other sources use.
Players Deal With Characters
While I always try to give players as many options as possible when creating my own characters, I usually spend a lot of time writing a rudimentary article explaining the game world and the culture I expect the PC to come from (not to mention when the player is very, very Would love to play with a Drow in my drowless environment (constant adjustments).
Additionally, I often find myself involved in PC-generation games to ensure that this group is well-suited to the quests, or in modern Dungeons & Dragons parlance, the “adventure paths” they face. Then, once the game is perfected, it only lasts until the first character dies or the player gets bored and wants a change, which involves integrating new characters into the ongoing plot.
Running an old-school campaign would get me out of most trouble. The group restarts each turn in a tavern or other safe location, and it doesn’t matter whether they continue with their old characters or introduce new ones. Even class combinations aren’t an issue. This team knows what they have, hires some retained staff to support weak areas, and decides for themselves which areas they want to explore.
That’s not to say I don’t set limits. I do have a list of classes (yes, I’m using species as the class) that they can choose from, but it’s a pretty large list. If someone really, really, really wants to play something else, just have a quick discussion – I wouldn’t have to worry about whether they’re a good fit, just that they might get some resistance (“Do you really want to play something Tolkien-esque?” Playing dragons in the context of the game? Well, the guards have heard rumors of dragon fetuses but have never actually seen one, so be prepared for skeptical looks and awkward conversations.”
No Track
Another key point about GM agency is that in my old game campaigns, I didn’t need to worry about keeping players on track to complete tasks. In fact, there are no “quests” in the game itself, just rumors (these rumors come from the dungeons I chose) that will lead players in different directions. It all depends on where the player goes and how long he stays there. It would be cool if they found the Crypt of horrors too deadly and decided to leave and spend more time exploring Monster Island.
Even better, I let my players know at the beginning of the campaign that a lot of stuff would be made up as we progressed and only become part of the campaign after being introduced. Therefore, my players understand that if they decide to explore an area that I’m not prepared for, they can wait a few minutes for me to randomly generate encounters or lairs (as I write this, our team has Most of the round was spent hunting a randomly spawned monster as the dwarf remembered the value of its eggs, which led to a lair surveillance and ambush (an idea I came up with on the fly).
Leave It to Fate
One of the most difficult things for a GM during an adventure is when a PC dies at a critical moment, prompting you to use GM commands to save them before the entire mission collapses. It’s hard to maintain this deadly façade and tell them “smart play matters” when you’re constantly pulling players away from the mistakes they’ve made.
While running an old-school campaign doesn’t necessarily remove the “GM’s saving grace” when the GM doesn’t want their cherished PCs to die, it does insulate the GM from the effects of losing PCs on the team. In the old-school campaign, a PC’s death doesn’t disrupt mission flow or force you to rewrite plot elements because you expected the PCs to be able to handle them.
Whimsical Space
While much of the above can be attributed to GMO privilege and agency, this is part of where agency really comes into play. When you build a sandbox where the team is free to explore without worrying about the overarching meta-plot and such, you can throw anything (and I mean “anything”) into the mix you want in the desired sandbox.
Want to throw a crashed spaceship into the hills outside your base? Why not? Want to introduce a traveling NPC that looks like it stepped out of a Saturday morning cartoon? Sure! Want to add a new one? Big Bad and a stronghold that has never been mentioned before, but is now across the Great Lakes? Go for it!
The beauty of this agency is that you don’t have to have a fully formed idea and you don’t have to spend a lot of time trying to fit your ideas into the event. It’s okay to have Doctor Strange or The Flash accidentally breach a dimension, get exhausted, and let the computer deal with their rogues gallery of people. It’s nice to have a flying saucer land and release a squad of Daleks to raid the castle where your team is resting.
Finish
In short, I find that hosting an old-fashioned campaign takes my mind off a lot of the usual worries and allows me to relax and have some fun! Hopefully those of you who are addicted to classic drama will also enjoy this establishment!