Why You Haven’t GM’ed This Before

Despite the title of this section, chances are (if you’re an experienced GM) you may find this system familiar in a number of ways.

My Little Pony: Roleplaying is Magic is different than most other systems, but also shares similarities with many of them; in essence, it is an amalgamation of many ideas, refined and reworked so as to fit together into a cohesive and unique pen and paper roleplaying game. However, if you have focused primarily on one game system or another, or have played only with one group of players for a long time, some elements of this system—and the experience of GM’ing this system—may be new to you.

In this section, we will explain the core unique elements which set My Little Pony: Roleplaying is Magic apart from other game systems, and help you to understand how your GM’ing experience may differ from what you are used to.

Not a Beginner System

My Little Pony: Roleplaying is Magic is not a system for ‘beginners,’ or those seeking a regulated gaming experience; it is for experienced roleplayers, writers, or at least those with creative minds. The foundation of the game is in interpretation, story and character development, imagination, and narrative thinking. Often, gamers who come from a background of other pen and paper roleplaying games have been conditioned to think tactically, efficiently, and seek the way to ‘win.’ This is also often the case with gamers who come from a background of video gaming. This mindset, this ‘winner attitude,’ is what we consider to be a ‘beginner mindset’ when it comes to My Little Pony: Roleplaying is Magic.

The mindset which must be cultivated for a game group to thrive while playing this game is one of collaborative storytelling and imaginative, cooperative, creative thinking. Much like the characters themselves, the game group must be a cohesive unit, working together toward the common goal of creating a fun experience and story. Once the game group grasps the concept of collaborating in order to have fun, instead of working efficiently to defeat a challenge, they are ready and are well-suited to playing My Little Pony: Roleplaying is Magic.

Concept Heavy, Rules Light

Players and GM’s who are playing My Little Pony: Roleplaying is Magic must be good at conceptual thinking and consideration of the situation at hand. This is because there are no tables or charts with exact difficulty ratings for individual tasks, nor are there many numbers of any kind except those which are necessary to keep track of vital statistics or to aid in the resolution of task attempts. This lack of reference, which we call ‘rules light,’ produces two main effects on gameplay:

First, without a chart of exact numbers for things, the GM must use their best judgement when deciding what those numbers should be. This leads to a development of reasoned thinking and fairness, a connection between the players and their GM, and gives the GM a comfortable position from which to exercise narrative discretion; that is, if a plot point is important, it might be easier (or harder) to accomplish, and/or have less (or more) dramatic consequences.

Second, it fosters an attitude of narrative responsibility in the players. If players can look at a chart or a table and know that their character has a certain percent chance of success, they will look for a way to increase that chance for the purpose of ‘winning.’ However, without such a binding resource, players are free to play their characters more accurately and honestly; a character who is a hothead and forges ahead through strength, and a character who is more cautious and uses their mind, can both be equally valid.

These aspects, these gameplay effects, are what make pen and paper roleplaying games special in the world of gaming; where video games require hard rules and perpetually consistent numbers to ensure game balance, pen and paper games like My Little Pony: Roleplaying is Magic are concerned more with narrative balance, and leave considerable leeway for GM’s and players to ‘make the numbers match the story,’ instead of the other way around.

Improvisation: Your Best Skill

In most pen and paper roleplaying games, preparation is the key to being a good GM. From having references to the stats of a particular adversary, to knowing the difficulty of opening locks or evading traps, to having prepared encounters written out in advance, traditionally, preparation has always been the most important skill for a GM to develop.

Not so in My Little Pony: Roleplaying is Magic.

In this game, the most important skill for a GM to develop is improvisation. Improvisation takes two abilities and merges them into a single skill: First, the ability to identify what element is lacking or could improve a given situation, and second, the ability to decide on what and how to alter a situation to make it more fun, dynamic, and interesting. Improvisation allows a good GM to turn a boring or otherwise not fun scene into a memorable story chapter.

Everything on the GM’s side of My Little Pony: Roleplaying is Magic is designed to facilitate improvisation. While a GM should prepare their Episode in terms of situations and plot points, they must be free to change anything at any time. This is one reason why the system is so rules light; without needing to memorize or continuously consult rules, a GM is free to interpret situations and improvise elements, using and adapting basic guidelines.

Players, Trust Thy GM

All of this power to change things on the fly which the GM has, has the risk of fostering distrust between the players and the GM. If the players feel like the GM is ‘cheating,’ or is working against them unfairly, or is trying to force them to do something or have their characters punished, the necessary trust to play the game itself is shattered. For this reason, establishing—and not betraying—the trust of the players is of paramount importance for a GM running a game of My Little Pony: Roleplaying is Magic. Be honorable and fair, trust your players to make their own choices, and they will trust you.