Writing Every Day 24: Choose your Words

The words we use as Game Masters are critical. The world of the game is expressed through how we describe it to the players. Choosing the wrong word won't ruin your game, but choosing the right one can make it far better.

This isn't a rehash of the "A man isn't very tired, he's exhausted!" speech from Dead Poet's Society. I don't advocate that a Game Master keep a copy of Roget's Thesaurus on hand while running the game. We flip through enough print matter referencing rules and tables. What I'm talking about is trying to tailor your descriptions to specific PCs.

When you first describe an environment, individual, or monster, it's usually directed to the whole group. That's the shared experience, the absolutes about what you're describing. If, for instance, the group approaches a six foot tall man with a dark, scraggly beard, you might tell everyone exactly that.

Once you've described the shared experience, individual players may prompt you for more information. That's when careful word choice can improve your games. If you're familiar with the PC, try tailoring your responses as if viewed through that character's eyes and experience. A rich character interacting with a commoner may hear from you that the NPC's clothes are drab or shabby. A poor one might hear that they're sturdy, or practical. It's a simple little narrative trick that helps you feed a player's immersion and can coax them into better portraying his or her character.

As with most Game Master's tricks, this technique can be overused. You don't want to confuse the group by feeding them misinformation, or providing too many contradictory cues. Picking a thing or two about a scene and considering how the PCs might think of them is enough for any game.