Need GM advice.

Anyone?

Dont make the adventure about characters shitty backgrounds

>>48391706
It usually isn't. But someone reacts more to the setting, they get more involved with the NPCs, who in turn get more involved with that character, and you seem to get a Main Hero as the process continues.

>>48390198
The obvious solution is to try to figure out who is becoming the main character and then actively toss stuff towards the other PCs.

Joe the Fighter keeps interacting with the NPCs all the time and doing really well, maybe have someone come along who needs trap-related help from Steve the Rogue, or maybe just have some other Rogue pop up who happens to like Steve because he picks locks rlly gud or stabs people in the spleen and doesn't afraid of anything (or whatever). People wanting to be characters' apprentices would also potentially work, depending on your style of gameplay and how likely they are to get killed.

You'll probably be painfully obvious about it at first, but if they ask or complain just say you're trying to spread the spotlight around a bit this time and they should be fine with it.

Also, it occurs to me that they may actually want "the incredible dudeman and his several minions" type games and are deliberately making that sort of thing happen. I doubt it, but potentially double check as to whether that's the case or not before changing things up.

The patch for your next game is trying to start with the player on your left and spotlighting them, then working left to right around the table, but don't force it, just start thinking "how can I get Adam involved? How can I get Adam involved?" and then once you get Adam's involvement in go on to "how can I get Beth involved?." But if you're looking to get Dan involved but a scene is headed for Adam let Adam take it. There's not going to be an even distribution but at least people won't be left out.

Just be aware some people like playing the supporting cast.

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>>48393116
>Just be aware some people like playing the supporting cast.
To add to this, be aware of people that are incapable of being anything but the supporting cast, despite how hard they try.
Like me for example.

>>48393116
>>48394620


OP here again. That isn't what seems to be happening. A lot of my games will start off something like this.

>So you guys are on the road
>And you're adventurers, looking for work
>And here are problems A,-F that all need fixing yesterday.
>You of course, do not have the time and power to do all of them.
>Which one (or two, if you really stretch) do you want to go after?
>Internal debate as to which one sounds coolest.
>Eventually go after one, usually at someone's behest.
>Whomever wins that initial, in party argument almost inevitably becomes the focal character of the campaign, as usually things start to branch off from whatever that initial merc hit went, and they usually are the prime moveri n that quest. So they're talking to all the NPCs, building the relationships, moving forward as things continue to develop, etc.

>>48395067
So don't have it be that the first quest branches out into more of the same. Have it branch out into different types of quests that are likely to engage the other PCs.

>>48396344
They don't branch into the same type of missions mechanically. But they'll usually stick to at least around the same area geographically, and more importantly, to the same social groupings.

And it's usually that angle that leads to one PC dominating the scene, because they're the one that likes interacting with the crowd of NPCs they've fallen in with.

I should mention, as an aside, that the system we play about 90% has no mechanics for social rules, so you don't have a dedicated party face.

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Just remember there is absolutely nothing beyond your power.

Don't be afraid of coincidence. Oh, this looks like it leads to something from X's players background? Why, it actually leads to something from Y player's background!

The NPCs like talking to X? Well, X is wearing the wrong shoes on the day after a special holiday, so everyone wants to talk to Y instead.

Do whatever you feel like, as long as you can justify it. And, wanting to balance the spotlight is an easy justification.

>>48396441
So have a series of unconnected missions, people occasionally approach the group for help. Or maybe the people they just helped don't need any more help right now.

You really only need a gentle nudge (with most groups, at least) to pull this off.

>I have no idea how to properly balance spotlight. Every game I run eventually seems to turn into one main protagonist PC and his or her support staff. It switches up from campaign to campaign, but usually there's one person who things start revolving around; usually whomever is most dynamic about character creation and makes someone I can fit well in with the world, which I tend to build as I go.

This is natural, and the only way to prevent this is to have everyone make side characters.

>>48390198
i just made a world, factions, cultures, points of interest. the PCs made the story. they were the good guys who made the roads safe and such. then war came and they decided to rebel after words. then they became the BBEGs. just let them do what they want. as long as everyone is comfortable with it, it's ok.