Getting Selected: A Player's Guide to Finding a Group

[thecal714]

In a GM-dominated market, it can sometimes be discouraging as a player. This guide is written from a GM perspective and compiled from a handful of discussions with the hope of helping you find a table.

One should note that all GMs are different. This advice is a compilation of a few GMs' opinions, but someone will certainly disagree with various points here.

Don't Try Too Hard

GMs are usually looking for cool people that will fit in at their tables, not cool characters. Trying too hard in your response by showing off your rule expertise or "interesting" characters is probably having the opposite effect of what you'd hope.

GM Privilege

Players outnumber GMs at least 10:1. Some of that is because it may seem daunting for people new to the hobby and some of it is due to GMing being a huge commitment that not everyone can undertake. In this “seller’s market,” a GM has their choice of players: a GM that posts a listing for a popular game system will quickly be inundated with applications. With the GM’s ability to curate the table, the question is “how do you convince the GM to pick you?”

Things You Should Do

• Keep it simple. Unless your GM asks for it, don’t send over a dozen character ideas with fully fleshed out backstories. Let them know which of the three pillars you enjoy most, what types of characters you usually play (e.g. “I enjoy playing reluctant heroes who are only doing the ‘noble quest’ because they know their friends need them.”), and what intrigues you about their pitch.
• Be flexible. Rolling with the punches is a key skill.
• Offer to help. Offering to be the party note taker, help new players with the rules, or other similar tasks can help remove some of the mental load from the GM and can give your application a leg up over others. Of course, don’t offer to do these things if you cannot.
• Stay engaged in the session and support everyone at the table.

Things That’ll Get You Dropped

• A bad Internet connection. It sucks and, if you have one, there’s often little you can do about it, but if we spend most of the time unable to hear you, your seat at the table is in jeopardy.
• ”But my last GM…” Constant comparisons aren’t fun for anyone. Everyone runs a different table and if you like that GM so much, you should still be playing with them.
• Being inconsiderate to other players. TTRPGs are social games and the rules of society apply. If you don’t have empathy and don’t know proper social boundaries, you’re going to have a hard time finding a long-term game. You’re going to need to learn to play nicely with others.
• Not giving others their time to shine. Don’t inject your character into the spotlight when it’s shining on another. Give other players a chance for their characters to shine and, if you can, give them a gentle nudge when it’s their time.

Things That Will Make You Hard to Pick

• Wanting only to play your premade character. Unless you built it in mind for a specific published campaign which the GM is running, bring loose character ideas to the table that you can tailor to fit the GM’s setting and the adventure.
• 90 page backstories. I mentioned this under “Keep it simple,” but GMs already have a large cognitive load. Limit your backstory to one page and make sure it fits the GM’s setting! Leaving notes or placeholders (e.g. “I want my character to be from a nomadic tribe. Do you have one already in your setting or is there a place where one can fit?”) is perfectly acceptable if you don’t fully know the setting yet.

Keep these in mind as you apply to listings and I hope it helps you get in!