Discord Configuration for a Meeting Room

Discord is configured for a single person, single mic by default. However you can handle it to handle many people using a single mic, e.g. a meeting room setup.

Since this has come up a few times, here is the instructions.

1. Go to Your Settings

2. Go to the Voice & Video Settings

3. Turn Off Automatic Input Sensitivity and Adjust the Sensitivity. You can see the noise your mic picks up in the dark moving area

4. Turn Off Advanced Voice Activity and Automatic Gain Control

End of Session Routine

When you have about an hour left in your session, work towards a dramatic moment that can serve as a climax for the session.

Let players know that I like to do a three-part end-of-session breakdown.

Per Character Epilogue

Let each player riff for two minutes at the end of any episode, season, or one-shot.

End-of-session Experience

Based on the game, read the notes. FATE [Thirsty Sword Lesbians](Thirsty Sword Lesbians) [Monster of the Week](Monster of the Week)

Decompression

Let players know the three steps before we go around the room.

1. Highlight Reel
   1. What was your or your character’s highlight moment?
2. Bloopers & Outtakes
   1. Bloopers are the Haha, whoopsie moments
   2. Outtakes are more serious things we want to offer feedback for hopes of improvement
3. Feels & Final Feedback
   1. Time to process and feels
   2. And Get the last word in

End of Season

Ask players on a scale of 1-5;

1. how in control of their characters they felt
2. How In control of the party did they feel they had
3. How much control over the plot?
4. How much control of the world?

Fate Game Creation Worksheet

Game Name

Settings and Scale

This is aspects

Issues

Both can be current or impending These are aspects too

Issue One

Issue Two

Faces and Places

Name

issues/aspects

Dials

Skills

Stunts & Extras

Gaming Code of Conduct

By participating in this server/games, you agree to the following code of conduct (stolen shamelessly from the Lodestone game community in Minneapolis):

Nobody shows up for a game with the goal of feeling uncomfortable or unsafe, but open play brings together many different types of people with different expectations and approaches to playing. So we’ve set ground rules that everyone can recognize and follow, resulting in better games and more fun for everyone.

All participants (players, Game Masters, and admin/moderators) are expected to adhere to these rules. Participants must conduct themselves in a manner that is conducive to the enjoyment and safety of others at the event. Follow the directions of server admins and moderators. Follow the GM’s lead, and avoid arguing with the GM or other players over rules. Let other players speak, avoid talking over others. Allow other players to get attention from the GM. Be attentive to the table, and don’t distract other players. Respect and abide by content decisions, lines, veils, X-cards, and other safety tools at the table. Be upfront with your expectations. If you have a particular theme you wish to avoid, talk to your GM.

There is zero tolerance for theft or aggressive behavior. Abusive and aggressive behavior is grounds for immediate removal. Aggressive behavior includes threats of or actual physical aggression, using racial, gender, cultural, or other slurs against another person, and otherwise harassing other people. This also includes actions taking place outside the server, both online and in person.

Participants who feel as though they are in an unsafe environment should notify an admin, moderator, or server owner immediately. Participants noticing disruptive behavior should make those responsible for the behavior aware of their actions. Say something. Participants will never be retaliated against by admins or moderators for reporting conduct issues.

If someone feels uncomfortable bringing it to the attention of the disruptive individual, the participant should notify the Game Master or an admin or moderator immediately.

The Game Master has the right to ask a disruptive player to leave the table and speak with an admin or moderator. Admins and moderators have the right to remove a disruptive or aggressive player or Game Master from the server.

These rules may change as needed.

General GM Takeaways

Specific to Me

• Corral the players more, keep them on topic
  • especially during setup
• Make the one shot setup faster!
• Organize my Ref sheets/GM table!
• Make an NPC card for me too!

General

• Don’t get lost in my descriptions; give chars just enough.
• Describe the room and establish where people are regularly
• Don’t speak over the players but in silences, take a round-robin
• Let the players play, encourage their play.
• Don’t be excited to speak as the GM.
• Count to eight on silences and ask players to check in where they are.
• Keep all the player’s books up when they talk so I can suggest moves.
• Don’t ever call out players in the wrap-up.
• Don’t sit in silence during character creation, offer help where needed.
• Have each player post in chat when they are done with the character setup.

Calling on Players Online

Calling on individual players online

Address the character, not the player.

Ask the individuals “Name, what do you think of the situation?” instead of asking the group overall “what do you do.”

Ask the character “what do you think” instead of “What do you do” to give people a chance to talk it out.

Keep a list of the characters and players in front of you when running your games to remind you who you haven’t heard from in some time.

Let the next character know that we’ll be asking them next.

Let players know we’ll be doing this, and why.

One-Shot Takeaways

• Pre-build out characters with names for One-Shot
  • Let players mod them as desired
• Keep it off rails, and let the players run about.
• Four to Five hours is nice.
• Ideally one hour for setup, two if possible.
• Still use the

Roll20 & Discord Usage Takeaways

Set up Session Aides in Advance

Add a starting splash page with characters, art, and the agenda for each session. Update this every session

Create a “What’s Happening Now” card for everybody to see.

Add a Lines & Veils Card for everybody to look at at any time. Add a note to this that points out

As a quick reminder, since we just spend time talking about these things, they become front of mind for us; they are now in our heads. They may want to come up unintentionally, so please use caution.

Start with a rollup card listing all the NPCs, or make a card for each one with a small detail about them.

Add a picture of the Character sheet in a scene to point things out to players during setup and training.

Audio Visual

• Audio on discord
• video on Roll20 to keep eyes there
• text chat and OOC in roll20 to keep eyes there

I also like to keep game chat in roll 20 with image dumps in discord tabletop-chat

Discord Setup

• Set up a read-me with locked Gaming Code of Conduct
• Make a dedicated space for game announcements
• A group with the audio lobby and game-table chat
• Consider a memes dump space
• Turn up Audio quality on Game Chat

Help Players with Roll20 & Discord

• Go over double click Roll20 header to minimize and expand
• Explain how to change icon size at the bottom
• Show players how to change Roll20 A/V settings
• Show players how to change individual people’s Discord Audio
• Have players change Roll20/Discord display name to Char name and pronouns

Discord Configuration for a Meeting Room

Online Etiquette

Be aware of how much space somebody is taking up.

When you are n a call, whoever talking is taking up all the space, talking over is hard. You can’t have side talk.

Use Roll20 for general and side chats.

Have a plan for “No, you go first” moments

• The nose goes for it
• GM picks

Set aside chat time before and after

Session Zero/One-Shot Start

Before Session

1. Send out a copy of the RPG Consent Checklist.
2. Verify all submitted and compile to a Lines and Veils Cards
3. Make the “What’s Happening Now” Card
4. Make an NPC Card

Session Start

1. Go around with Names, Pronouns, Game experience, & fun fact introduction.
2. Start with Safety tools.
   1. Discuss X-Card & Script Change
   2. Have players demo safety tools and cards
   3. Review Lines and Veils Card
      1. Allow Players to Add to it.
   4. Discuss the desired/comfortable rating of the game.
3. Ask in turn what everybody is excited to do or for
4. High-Level Describe the Game, our style, and tone
5. Lead Game and Character setup from the guide

TSL Setting Template

The Setting

Overview

Principals

Three solid principals?

Setting

Setup Questions

Custom Relationships?

Campaigns

Characters

Location/Faction

Name (pronouns): big description For important characters let’s put some question prompts on them

• Name (pronouns): Smaller descriptions for the minor characters

Names

First Names

Surnames

Locations

• Location, a short description

Custom Rules

GM: Section Contain Spoilers

What’s Really Going On? One Possibility

Scene Ideas

TSL World Building Worksheet

GENRE AND TONE

What Genre is Our Story?

Historical fantasy, original fantasy, space opera, urban sci-fi, modern secret immortals, intrigue, punk, fanfic based on existing media

What is the Tone We’re Aiming For?

Goofy, dire, cathartic, escapist, power fantasy, sweet, angsty

What Elements of This Genre and Tone Do You Want to See in the Story? What Do You Not Want to See?

(Record these on a palette.)

COMMUNITY

The PCs live in a community sharing positive, feminist values, even if it’s not perfect.

What’s The Scale of This Community?

Secret coven, well-regarded social group, insular commune, widely known village, guardians of the great library, run-down city, glittering metropolis, wandering folk, pirate fleet, notorious horde, wild continent, paved continent, scattered villages on an inhospitable planet, a heavily developed planet, asteroid dwellings, half of a contested star system, all the planets of the star system (save one?), scattered among the stars, galactic union

What is Especially Positive About This Community?

Reliable emotional support, skill-sharing, virtuous leadership, safe stronghold, wisdom from diverse experiences

What NPC Epitomizes This Virtue? What Do They Want From the PCs?

What is a Serious Flaw of Your Community?

Complacent, ignorant, combative, endless deliberation, resources stretched thin, hedonism, dependence on a problematic activity, moral blind spots, unfair governance structure

What NPC Epitomizes This Flaw? What Do They Want From the PCs?

Define at Least One Location Associated with Your Community. Why Would it Be a Dramatic Place to Have a Sword Fight?

TOXIC POWERS #1

Toxic powers threaten the well-being of your community. Generate two of them, answering the following questions for each:

Do They Threaten Your Community From Within, or From Outside?

What Do They Want?

Domination, order, safety, strife, conformity, silence, possessions, to humiliate, to tear down your achievements

Why Are They so Dangerous?

Blackmail, magic, ruthlessness, social standing, numbers, evil genius, divine power, agents everywhere, skill at arms, clever manipulation, control of media, technological advantage

What’s Appealing About Them?

Define at Least One Location Associated with Each Toxic Power. Why Would it Be a Dramatic Place to Have a Sword Fight?

Create an NPC to Act as the Face of Each Toxic Power

How Do These Toxic Powers Relate to Each Other?

Rivals, Enemies, Allied, Unaware

TOXIC POWERS #2

Toxic powers threaten the well-being of your community. Generate two of them, answering the following questions for each:

Do They Threaten Your Community From Within, or From Outside?

What Do They Want?

Domination, order, safety, strife, conformity, silence, possessions, to humiliate, to tear down your achievements

Why Are They so Dangerous?

Blackmail, magic, ruthlessness, social standing, numbers, evil genius, divine power, agents everywhere, skill at arms, clever manipulation, control of media, technological advantage

What’s Appealing About Them?

Define at Least One Location Associated with Each Toxic Power. Why Would it Be a Dramatic Place to Have a Sword Fight?

Create an NPC to Act as the Face of Each Toxic Power

How Do These Toxic Powers Relate to Each Other?

Rivals, Enemies, Allied, Unaware