Party Roles

Small gaming groups (2-3) are simple to manage because players spend less time waiting and the plot importance of each character is high. But once the group gets larger (4+) players spend more time waiting. The narrator has more actions to track, encounters must become bigger and more complicated, etc. Once this administrative drag sets in, people tune out. Keeping the action moving requires player participation. When a game reaches a size where officers are needed, the following four positions should be filled immediately:

Caller

In GSS it is customary at the beginning of each new session to elect a Caller. This player's job is to quickly gain consensus and then inform the Narrator of the party's actions as a whole. This keeps the party organized and acting uniformly. Unless the players prefer it otherwise, it is customary to rotate the Caller between sessions. This ensures that the quiet people get to participate too, and prevents outspoken players from dominating the game. It also supports a uniform level of commitment, ensuring that everyone knows what is going on and develops a firm grasp of the rules. The executive power of the Caller means they don’t need to gain consensus on petty or trivial matters: they may simply make these decisions for the group and move on to the meat of the story. If the group descends into chaos at the start of each new scene and players begin declaring actions and vying for the narrator's attention, it's a sign that a caller is needed. 

Treasurer

The treasurer is responsible for keeping track of party equipment, consumables, properties owned, and any monies or treasures they obtain. At the end of each session, they work with the group to determine the disposition or sale of loot, where and how items are being stored, etc. This is particularly important because there are limits to how much each character can haul. The treasurer's secondary job is to monitor the gear and possessions of every character, confirming what they are wearing or carrying on a single page that is easy to access and read. If the group keeps a huge messy sheet of random items that everyone has full access to, and nobody is quite sure whether certain expendables got used or not, it's a sign that a treasurer is needed. 

Chronicler

The chronicler is responsible for taking notes on the events of each session. This includes the names and roles of important NPCs, important locations, mapping services, important clues or mysteries, major events relevant to the plot, and most importantly quest objectives. As the chronicle progresses players will naturally develop a long list of smaller goals and NPCs they’ve met. It can be easy to lose track of these in the chaos of play. In addition to keeping a record of events, the chronicler's secondary job is to drive progress by being on the lookout for opportunities to cross items off of the list. If the group begins every game wondering what to do and waiting for the narrator to drive the action, it’s a sign that a chronicler is needed. 

Marshal

The marshal is responsible for leading discussions with the other players to hash out their tactics in battle. A party without a marshal is chaotic and disorganized, with players impulsively doing random things on their turn in combat. It is important to note that the marshal should not make characters’ combat decisions for them. They advise combat policy; who is protecting whom, when and how magic should be used (not blowing up friends), what sorts of enemies should be prioritized, and so forth. How exactly the players fulfill those objectives should be up to them. The marshal's secondary job is to maintain a general sense of how injured or dangerous each enemy is and then gently notify players of their options on their turn if they are feeling indecisive. This should never come across as harassment, however. It is a service the marshal is obliged to provide only if a player needs it. If the group begins attacking random targets, asking how many enemies are left, or casting spells that end up being ineffective because they don’t fully understand the current situation, it’s a sign that a marshal is needed. 


Speeding Play

The following optional rules can be used to further speed up play;

  • Combatants may choose to do average damage with spells or weapons on a successful hit instead of rolling. If players wish to roll their damage, have them roll their attack and damage dice simultaneously instead of separately. 

  • Combatants may choose to pre-roll initiative. If the narrator pre-rolls monster initiative it should be kept secret. Create a digital spreadsheet of initiative rolls and then sort them from high to low to simplify the initiative countdown. 

  • Require all players to declare their action within 10 seconds of their initiative beginning. This requires that they pay attention to the combat and think about their intended actions before their turn, not after it begins. It is rude for players to space out and then make people wait because they weren’t paying attention. 

  • Keep a spreadsheet of monster statistics in tables that can be referenced easily. Unless a creature has complicated abilities requiring research, it is sufficient for most enemies to be represented by a small line item instead of a stat block. Keep a separate empty column on the spreadsheet where asterisks can be placed before each combat. If you sort the table by this column it will bring the marked creatures directly to the top for easy reference. 

  • Create a rolling spreadsheet (using Excel or Google Spreadsheets) listing every roll each character can make (initiative, attacks, saves, skill checks, etc.) in a series of columns. Use the function RandBetween to create ranges for each die type: RandBetween(1,20) or RandBetween(1,10), for example. You can also add modifiers to these rolls as needed: RandBetween(1,20)+8 for example. Once this is done, insert a check box at the top of the spreadsheet. By checking or unchecking this box, you will refresh and randomize every RandBetween value on the sheet all at once. This will allow you to roll a die (or multiple die) and add all the modifiers with a single click of a button. This can be used for just about anything. You can roll the entire party's initiative, multiple attacks, etc. 

Adventuring is about teamwork. Each character contributes to the team, which then becomes greater than the sum of its parts. 

Protocols

It is not necessary for players to constantly reiterate actions that should be obvious or redundant. Instead, have the players determine their marching formation and any passive activities their characters routinely perform. This allows players to focus on the story without clamoring for the narrator's attention or being excessively paranoid. If the rogue is constantly scanning for traps and looking for hidden loot and ambushes, it doesn’t need to be repeated every minute. If the warrior is always the first into a room with her shield raised and never lets the wizard wander more than 10 feet away, that’s fine. Players are responsible for writing down these protocols, and they must declare their characters to be taking a reasonable set of actions. The purpose of this policy is to speed up play. Pacing is crucial to a good game, and having a mob of players shouting out individual actions every time a new scene begins slows things to a crawl. Having protocols does not completely solve this problem, but it mitigates it by doing away with repetition. 

Cohesion

If a character is following the party leader and adhering to whatever formation and protocols the group normally keeps (marching order, etc.), then they are in Cohesion. If asked what their character is doing, it is perfectly fine for a player to simply say they are remaining in Cohesion. This reinforces the idea that not every character must declare special actions all the time to participate.