Behin Batean: Fantasy Tabletop RPG GM Manual

HOW TO BE A GM

The Gaming Group

     Each game of Behin Batean requires at least four people- one GM and three player characters. While the player characters get to role play as characters in a campaign, the GM moderates the session, role plays as non-player characters, and makes sure players stay on task and keep having fun throughout the encounters.

Supplies

     To play the game, a GM should come with the necessary manuals (Players' Manual, GM Manual, Atlas, Monster Manual, and Storybook) as well as at least 1 each of d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, and d20; scratch paper with extra pencils, and notes for each encounter to be prepared in case players do things the GM may not have planned for. Useful editions include character sheets for each of the players, a computer or tablet with mood music for the campaign, and snacks (who doesn't love snacks?!). The location is important too. Make sure you have a sturdy table large enough to accommodate the number of players (or at least floor space), a location with little to no distractions, and ample lighting for players to read notes and see what's in front of them easily.

Table Rules

     The GM should also set some ground rules for a campaign- such as how often they will play and at what dates and times, whether guests are allowed to watch- or even occasionally play, and what to do when players can't make it to an encounter. In the event of the latter, feel free to ask a more experienced player to play the character of the absent player or come up with a cannon explanation as to why the character may miss out on that day's adventure.

RUNNING THE GAME

Preparing

     Fortunately each Storybook comes with a suggested schedule for the campaign they detail- giving the GM an outline for how to prepare for each encounter within the campaign. That being said, it is possible to over-prepare. Often, players will choose to go "off script" and do things the GM does not predict, so be prepared and accepting of when this happens. Some great ideas are to plan for the important details- like the location of a battle or obstacle- and to build maps ready to use for these events. It would also be good to be prepared with the details of NPC's the players may encounter for that day including combat features of enemies, names of townsfolk, and fauna of the surrounding countryside. It can also be nice to find ambient music or noise to match the location of the encounter to help immerse the players into the fictional world of the game. 

     It can also be a good idea to plan for how long the encounter should last. Some players enjoy a short encounter of 1.5-2 hours at most, while others enjoy staying up late and playing for 3 or more hours in each encounter. These are questions the GM should ask the players before they begin the campaign so that the GM can have a good bearing for planning each encounter. When estimating the timing for an encounter involving an obstacle like a puzzle or combat, take the number of players and multiply it by ten minutes. Then add about one hour (thirty minutes leading up to and following the obstacle). That means the bare minimum group of players will likely play an encounter lasting a minimum of 1.5 hours. Before starting each encounter, the GM should give the players a synopsis of the events of the previous encounter to refresh their memory and set the scene for the day's encounter.

Supplies

     To play the game, a GM should come with the necessary manuals (Players' Manual, GM Manual, Atlas, and Storybook) as well as at least 1 each of d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, and d20; scratch paper with extra pencils, and notes for each encounter to be prepared in case players do things the GM may not have planned for. Useful editions include character sheets for each of the players, a computer or tablet with mood music for the campaign, and snacks (who doesn't love snacks?!). The location is important too. Make sure you have a sturdy table large enough to accommodate the number of players (or at least floor space), a location with little to no distractions, and ample lighting for players to read notes and see what's in front of them easily.

Table Rules

     The GM should also set some ground rules for a campaign- such as how often they will play and at what dates and times, whether guests are allowed to watch- or even occasionally play, and what to do when players can't make it to an encounter. In the event of the latter, feel free to ask a more experienced player to play the character of the absent player or come up with a cannon explanation as to why the character may miss out on that day's adventure.

Props

     For combat encounters, it is essential to have props to use to symbolize characters and creatures in combat. Pennies are great for representing minions, but small figurines can also provide nice visuals for the table. Outside of combat, puppets, special lighting, and spooky music can all help immerse the players into the world of the game.

Improvising

     Here's a secret: the world of Behin Batean is based on the real world. If players do things the GM did not plan for and can't find information about in the Atlas or other manuals, the GM is more than welcome to check the real world for an answer. Are the players sailing across a sea in the game to a region not showed in the Storybook? Check for where in the real world inspired that location in the campaign, and send the players there. A GM can always come into the next encounter and change the name of a place the characters visited, but they can't regain time lost reading every note of a Storybook in search of an answer.

COMBAT ENCOUNTERS

Preparation

     Everyone rolls for initiative- including NPC's. For larger encounters involving multiple enemies or creatures, the GM should roll once for each types of NPC in the fight- and allow all of that type of NPC to take their turn as one, joint turn. Have a fight involving twelve dwarven marines? Roll once and have them all spend their turns together. Once a "batting order" is put together for all involved in the fight, then the players can move into the battle.

The Fight

     Once in combat, players and NPC's in turn take their turns. Unless otherwise specified, each character gets one turn during each round until the combat is over. While in an combat, characters may fell- such as from a downed wyvern or off a cliff face. Characters that fall take 1d6 damage for each square after the second square. Since a square is defined as 6ft or 2m; a character that falls twelve feet would take no damage, but a player that falls 18 feet would take 1d6 damage.

After the Fight

     After a fight is over- whether successful or not- characters may flee the scene, pick up dropped weapons (like arrows or javelins), tend to wounded allies, and check for loot.

BUILDING ENCOUNTERS

NPC Roles

     In cases of battle, warriors often fall without being killed. Whether by wounds, exhaustion, or shock- warriors with strong health may be taken out of the fight after a single hit. That's why in large battles, a GM is more than welcome to initiate the "Minion Rule." The Minion Rule means that the GM can opt to plan for enemies in an encounter to have only a single hit point- but that these NPC's are not killed in the battle. They may return later in the encounter or campaign. This is a great way to make large fights go by faster. However, occasionally characters will combat strong-will opponents and will have to combat enemies with high HP.

Leveling an Encounter

     Combat involving easily defeated enemies can often be boring for players, and combat involving overly-difficult foes can often be frustrating. To overcome that, a GM should "level" a battle. To do this, add the levels of each player's character and any allies they have in an encounter- then try to equal that number with their foe(s)' number. For example, a group of 3 level two players would have a combined number of 6- so they could fight six level one enemies. Maybe those players have four NPC allies. That means they could fight a Tier 2, level 1 enemy like a baby dragon or a newly sired vampire.

The Map

     It's always a good idea for the GM to make a map for each battle. Whether a bar brawl in a tavern or an epic battle on an open field, having a map helps show players where their characters are fighting. The GM should mark terrain on the map to show differences in elevation, the location of stairs, trees, or other objects, and the location of difficult terrain. Difficult terrain are terrain types that slow down travel- like sharp rocks, wet sand, or slippery ice. A normal character must count two move squares to exit a difficult terrain square instead of one. Difficult terrain can also include a difference in elevation of 3ft or 1m when the character is climbing elevation to leave.

The Timing

     In a combat encounter involving ten or fewer characters per side, the GM should establish each round lasts a single minute in-game. In combat involving more than ten characters for at least one side, each round lasts five minutes in-game. In combat involving at least one hundred characters for at least one side, one round lasts fifteen minutes in-game.

NON-COMBAT ENCOUNTERS

     Sometimes an encounter involved no fighting, but that does not mean it includes no conflict. From attempting to win a card game to competing in a horse race, plays may have obstacles to overcome outside of combat that still requires the use of die rolls. In these situations, the GM is open for determining the length of time for turns in-game.