How I Roll - Game vs Table

In my previous post I ended with saying that it's everyone's game but your table. What does that mean?

The game is a cooperative effort in storytelling. The players and GM work together to make something special. While as the GM you really, really want things to happen they may not. Or they may not work out as you expected. But the story goes on. The group has to be having fun or it's not fun. Yes. The group includes you.

The table is the GM's place. This is the "under the hood" place. It's where house rules are set, expectations are laid out, and player behavior is monitored. That doesn't mean it's a dictatorship. Don't do that. It's where the GM has the final say in how things work.

Don't confuse the two. It's easy to do. As the GM you're in control of a lot of things during the game. Sometimes it feels like you're juggling chainsaws but you're in control. For a given definition of control.

When the story goes off the rails that's a game situation. If the players are happy with the direction its taken then as the GM you go with it. Exceptions would be if it goes against how you said you want to run games in Session Zero or if it's going someplace truly dark and icky. Remember that you can always reskin your original intentions and still get them where you intended them to go.

When a player goes off the rails then that's a table situation. Never solve that at the table. Every problem you have with a player regarding table situations is discussed in private. They may be setting up their own parallel storyline that doesn't conflict with the game at all. In that case you're golden and the player is helping you. They may not realize that they were going that far. Or they may not care.

No matter what the result that's something to be handled GM to player. And once it moves into game territory it's out of your hands. Having someone ignore a house rule because they don't like it isn't the same as someone who didn't understand the house rule and why it's there. And no, you don't have to change your table rules because a player doesn't like them.

Make sure you separate out the game vs the table. Go with unexpected situations happening in the game. Reskin monsters for those who have memorized the Monster Manuals. Take an existing module and cherry pick parts you like, because you know they've read the thing from start to finish. Change things up mid game to keep them on their toes.

And never break your own table rules. Player see, player do.