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As it just so happens, the bulk of what you need to know to be your own soloist GM is covered in the prior chapters. If you have done a few sample scenes with the entire scene procedure you have already been GMing your self.
What this chapter mainly gives you one useful tool, Scaling Boxes, and some good advice about how to start and maintain interesting adventures.
First, lets look at the tool, and then we will look at the advice.
The tool is the scaling box.
As was mentioned in Chapter 1 all things have a Mythic rank to describe them. The Scaling box allows you to keep track of your baselines. They can be used for any describe Attributes unique to your setting, Abilities of any sort, object hardness or complexity. Of course, you can do this off the cuff, but the scaling box provides a useful anchor so that contextual logic is preserved scene to scene and, in the case of a campaign, adventure to adventure.
Page 80 has four sample scaling boxes covering Telekinetic power, Occult Power, High Tech Weapons, and different Wealth levels. In my own private cyberpunk themed game I will be using the scaling box to delineate what you can do at various levels of Drone Design, and with Remote Drive. If you try to crack a safe, how hard is it? If you are trying to punch through a wall how hard is it? How big a group can your mystical bard entrance, what does increased skill as a swords master mean besides higher rate to hit?
In many games there are progressive powers that are tied to Levels of achievement. Do you want emulate that in Mythic, well Miniscule ranked Brother of the Black Robe, probably has barely perceptible powers, but an Awesome ranked Brother has learned a cornucopia of dark magics.
Anything you can slap a rank on can fit somewhere in a Scaling Box, and there be preserved.
Now, lets talk tips. The first tip is about getting that first scene rolling.
Adventure Setup
"You can come to the gaming table armed with only your character and nothing else. In fact, it’s often best if you don’t have any clear ideas for an adventure. The only thing you need to get started is an adventure setup and a setup for the first scene; there has to be some kicker to get the ball rolling." pg. 81
So, what is an Adventure Setup? It the opening lines generally given by the GM at the start of a game. The author uses several examples such as being called in by law enforcement because your character is an expert of some sort; waking up with no memory in a room but a few "clues" scattered about; and the classic "You are in a tavern drinking when you are approached by a man, who drops a bag of coins on your table...". All of these could be considered the precursor that sets the stage, before the first scene shouts "Action".
(You could also have a more detailed start in mind, that will freeze a few game world facts and anchor your game around some central themes, but that is probably covered better in World Building, which is in the next chapter)
Where to go from here?
Well the next step is the first scene, as was covered in Chapter 7, but with the extra boost from the Adventure set up. As you play update the various sheets (Adventure sheet, Scaling sheets,) and as you learn more about the world around you just keep some notes scene outcome, and update your lists. I wouldn't say the start is the "hard part" but a solid start and good upkeep, mean that the rest of the Adventure will run smoother and a smoother game leave the imagination free to roam.
We are closing in finishing the book. The next chapter is World Building, a process I am endlessly fascinated by.
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