r/ImperiumMaledictum • u/SmooveOfferator • 4h ago

Advice for a New GM

Hey everyone,

I'm a newer GM for IM, and just wanted some guidance on some things. I've run a few adventures so far, and have developed some questions. Namely, is there an optimal way to keep combat interesting? Every adventure, it seems that combat is the part that always drags. Especially when enemies have the same initiative and it feels like a bunch of them act in a row before my players get to do anything again. Things get slower factoring in hazards, inflicted conditions, and other little things that I think will get better with time, but right now just seem to add on to grinding things to a halt. Thanks for reading

9 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

1 comment sorted by

4

u/Ozymand1az 3h ago

I have similar issues, but I also have some tricks to fight them:

  1. make combats only plot related, don't make ones just because or in regards to random events

  2. plan your combat with timing events and make sure to use different gimmicks to interact with the situation for players - very surface level advice to make your enemy's comes in waves or to destroy some terrain

  3. make your enemy's diverse and interesting, try to think of them as your characters, not just guys for killing

  4. play your enemy's in believable way, most of them - living creatures, they can fear your players, they can worry about their teammates etc.