I started Watching Dice, Camera, Action and It has been said how great of a DM Chris Perkins is. One thing I noticed is how much more I liked his Acquisitions Inc, adventures where he made everything up vs Dice Camera Action where everything seems kinda blah. In particular it seems like he isn't comfortable letting the NPCs go off script as he might mess things up and occasionally has to recheck details because he doesn't remember what something was suppose to be. This might not be a big deal, but I do think it seems like Chris is a better DM when he isn't running Modules.
Do you typically feel like you are a better DM when running your own stuff or Modules? or does it really not matter?
There's a major difference between running your own content and running a module.
With your own adventure, you created everything and you know the reasons for everything being where it is, as well as a better understanding of the motivation for each npc/monster.
With a module, you're interpreting someone else's content and with each npc you only have the text present to understand motivation and background - you might get it wrong or have to pause to check details.
The flip side is, modules are a LOT easier - creating your own adventure takes way more effort.
I definitely DM differently when running a module and when not.
When running a module the majority of my brain-power is being spent trying to not pass on the organizational or writing hiccups (example: when the boxed text tells you the size and furnishings of a room, the first two paragraphs of DM-only text elaborate on those details, and then the third says "Oh yeah, and the room is full of pissed-off man-eating monsters that didn't rate worth mentioning compared to the extravagance of the rug on the floor... it really pulled the room together, man.") to the players, and patching any of the wholes created by the author assuming something that ends up being untrue of my group of players (example: assuming the characters are going to kill all their opposition without hesitation, remorse, or even an inkling of a more subtle or soft-touch plan, even when the "bad guys" are intelligent species - because sometimes my players look at The Glacial Rift of the Frost Giant Jarl or the like and say "Let's go talk with the jarl and see if trade agreements and military alliance against potential shared enemies works for him.").
Running my own stuff, however, 100% of my brain-power goes to "...that'd be cool" sorts of thoughts.
And for me, because I've spent years honing my ability to completely wing it while DMing, running my own adventure is a whole heap of a lot easier and less time-consuming than running a module.
I DM differently with modules as compared to homebrew, but I don't think it's a bad difference. When using a module, I feel like I have a tighter play as a DM, and I'm more organized just because of the nature of the modules. With homebrew I'm more loose and open to whatever might happen, which definitely opens up some easily-enjoyable moments, but it also seems more sloppy at times. That's my 2 cents anyway
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I know what you're thinking: "In that flurry of blows, did he use all his ki points, or save one?" Well, are ya feeling lucky, punk?
There is defiantly a difference between running a per-made adventure vs running something you have created.
Pre-made adventure often follow a script. The major difference I find is in the NPC line up. These are characters that someone else dreamed up and you can never capture the whole story or the various thought that might have been going through their heads as they write these up in an often shorter version. This is part of DM prep. Reimagining them and putting your own spin into their personalities.
You have a story that is reliant on a set of events that take place and the players catching the cues and continue on with the story. This often doesn’t happen the way the book expected. You cannot expect the writers of an adventure and anticipate every player decision. The writes don’t know your particular set of players. I’m sure we can all agree that the player’s ability to derail an adventure is high and includes getting sidetracked on something that was either a minor encounter or heading off in a direction not noted in the pre-made guide book.
When you create your own adventures you know who your players are and their play style. You can anticipate what they might do. This makes for better planning and an adventure that is more tailored to them.
Your NPC’s are yours. You know everything there is to know about them. How they act, what they look like without some detailed art to show you, and what their mannerisms are. You made them and you can act out the part with voices and action that you have a personal connection to.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
JT "You will find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view."
I try not to differ. I don't usually run premades, but when I do I read then until I know it fairly well to do it as my own story. And I keep shorthand notes instead of checking the book too often as I feel it can ruin the mood if the DM got their nose down a book for the majority of the game.
I try not to differ. I don't usually run premades, but when I do I read then until I know it fairly well to do it as my own story. And I keep shorthand notes instead of checking the book too often as I feel it can ruin the mood if the DM got their nose down a book for the majority of the game.
Exactly! That's the way to do it. One of the greatest DM tools ever is the "NOTEBOOK"
Do you add in your own set of NPC's? I like to add my own little crazy spin on the premade books.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
JT "You will find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view."
When I do run a module I have to change a lot of it as I don't use all the rules the way the module wants. Example I removed Multi classing, , Inspiration, and Advantage/Disadvantage and I run a 5e module that takes that into account I have to rework the encounter to fit the more old school AD&D style we play
Absolutely. When I run modules it matters much more that I keep the main plot in sight—even if the party zig-zags across it. If they go completely off then I'm just running my own stuff with the module laying on the table. With D&D AL it's a lot more important to follow the module because the ongoing plot of the season may depend on certain information being revealed or certain NPCs acting a certain way or doing certain things.
If I were running something completely my own then none of that would be a concern because I could just work with what the players do and roll with the consequences of their actions or (lack of actions).
I feel like people I have gamed with would end up not trusting or killing the important npc. Lol
And guess what? It happens and you dig deep in your DM bag trick and pull out your wand of Improve and roll with it.
Most Dungeon Masters have a story to be told. We spend countless hours drawing maps, creating exciting NPC’s and mastering the plot of the story we wish to share with our loyal players who show up every week to see what you have prepared for them.
There are lot of us that put the players on a train and head them down the tracks of an exciting adventure built for 4. Along the adventure track the players will have numerous stops. These could include a night in the tavern listen to stories and gather rumors and intelligence for what is on the next stop. Rumors of a nasty band of Orc that is ambushing locals along the path to the next stop are often included.
It would be nice if all game sessions started and ended on the same adventure track, but as we all know, they don’t. The players make choices and decide on things as a group that are not always in line with what you had in mind.
What we forget is that the players often bring to the table their own story. The player’s background could have included that they are looking for a long lost relative or ancient magic ritual book. So while that one player is slowing convincing the others that they should head south to help them find their lost relative you quietly begin crumpling up the notes you had made earlier that day in a silent fit of rage.
Many years ago as a young warrior, I too tried to enlist my fellow adventurers to help in traveling to a different city from the one we were currently on course to arrive at. I never would have thought that our Dungeon Master had spent the better part on the day planning our night according to where we had decided to travel to last session.
The entire party agreed to travel to the different city within 5 minutes of us sitting down for a night of monster slaying and eradicating evil form the realms. Once we came to our decision we announced to the DM our change of plans. He was sitting in silence, the kind of awkward silence when you think you’ve upset a parent but not really sure what you have done.
After a brief moment of that awful silence our DM responded with “If you travel there you might regret it”. I’m thinking if we don’t travel there we might regret that also. Our party discusses our options and now the other city is sounding even more exciting. What could we possibility regret? We stood by our decision and announce our intent. Our DM looks at us with cross between an evil grin and perhaps a slight resemblance to a child who just dropped their ice-cream cone on the ground.
To give you the short version of our night, we were soon attacked by some not so friendly Hill Giants, which proceed to slaughter our mounts and causally bring us down to a group of Monty Pythons version of running away. Our disgruntle DM looked up from the screen of doom and smiled. “I told you it would be regretful.” We decided to go back to the original plan to avoid any further confrontation which seemed to make our DM extremely happy.
This scenario can be applied to many instants where the players have one plan and the DM has something different in mind. This becomes more of a reality when dealing with an adventure you have purchased. It can be frustrating for a DM who saved up a few dollars to purchase the latest adventure booklet with the players in mind and they decide to do something different or constantly get side tracked. I will discuss purchased adventures at a later date.
If I get side tracked on purchased material I might be ambushed by giants again.
I like to plan my stories like anyone else. It takes imagination and some creative thought to come up with new and exciting adventures every month but it is something I really enjoy. Over the years I’ve picked up a few things that have helped me run my games.
The first thing that helped wise up was reading. Each adventure story really kick started my own creative thought process. I could name a dozen authors that helped fill my imagination cup with countless ideas for NPC’s and epic quests that would lead my players to greatness.
There is huge difference between reading or writing a story and playing one out with a group of random heroes. When playing one out you are not the sole author to the story but rather a facilitator. This means you are there to plant the seeds and perhaps add a few challenging hooks and see how it plays out. I call it the adventure tree. How the tree grows is not always up to you as the author. You only planted the seeds and kept it watered with sprinkles of gold and magic. How it grows is mostly up to the players.
Once I discovered the secrets of the adventure tree I’ve the used it in every game I’ve run. It’s really not much of a secret when you think about. To offer an example how it works picture a real tree. Maybe something similar to a giant oak. You need your players to climb the tree. At the base of the tree there are perhaps dozens of roots which can be a starting points. Each root can have its own story. Once you have your players begin to climb your nefarious tree of doom the players will soon discover hundreds of branches. All these branches could represent the decisions they make along the path to glory.
You might think that you need a hundred different ways to help the players reach the top before they get too lost in the vast ever growing tree of awesomeness. This is where real planning takes place. You have to think on the fly often having your patience tested to the max.
Be calm and carry a big map.
Nobody knows your players better than you. This is where you change from having a firm plan of the night to an array of notes and possible outcomes. I have often approached my sessions like a game of chess. If the players move to the other town I will move my ogre there as well. I set up encounters with the idea that I can place them anywhere and steer players without directing them. It’s takes a bit of creativeness to be able to load severely different possible outcomes but with practice it will come naturally.
My suggestion is start building an encounter and NPC library. Doesn’t’ have to be huge a collection but enough to cover a variety of options. Think about the various branches of your tree and plan for those. If you don’t’ use one or two ideas save them for later. Coming up with a ways to steer your party to where you need them can be a bit of a brain tease. I would suggest trying to keep it simple.
Simple helps the game move along without the extra frustration level of you the DM building to the point of releasing your wave of Giants. As an example, one the easiest ways to get a group of players heading the direction I need them to go is have something stolen from them. All trails lead to the tree top. It can be that simple, and you would be surprised how much value that spell book has that just went missing.
The best advice for building your tree is don’t limit yourself. Each branch can be its own adventure and story. That humble group of players might toss an ax into your plan and you need to be prepared for it. There are times when the ax has been tossed and I have taken it to a whole new level. A new story begins to unfold and begins to take shape and you roll with the swing and start tossing your seeds on the ground once again.
Dungeon and Dragons doesn’t have an end. It has a beginning and then stuff happens and more stuff and suddenly your tree begins to grow.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
JT "You will find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view."
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
I started Watching Dice, Camera, Action and It has been said how great of a DM Chris Perkins is. One thing I noticed is how much more I liked his Acquisitions Inc, adventures where he made everything up vs Dice Camera Action where everything seems kinda blah. In particular it seems like he isn't comfortable letting the NPCs go off script as he might mess things up and occasionally has to recheck details because he doesn't remember what something was suppose to be. This might not be a big deal, but I do think it seems like Chris is a better DM when he isn't running Modules.
Do you typically feel like you are a better DM when running your own stuff or Modules? or does it really not matter?
There's a major difference between running your own content and running a module.
With your own adventure, you created everything and you know the reasons for everything being where it is, as well as a better understanding of the motivation for each npc/monster.
With a module, you're interpreting someone else's content and with each npc you only have the text present to understand motivation and background - you might get it wrong or have to pause to check details.
The flip side is, modules are a LOT easier - creating your own adventure takes way more effort.
Pun-loving nerd | She/Her/Hers | Profile art by Becca Golins
If you need help with homebrew, please post on the homebrew forums, where multiple staff and moderators can read your post and help you!
"We got this, no problem! I'll take the twenty on the left - you guys handle the one on the right!"🔊
I definitely DM differently when running a module and when not.
When running a module the majority of my brain-power is being spent trying to not pass on the organizational or writing hiccups (example: when the boxed text tells you the size and furnishings of a room, the first two paragraphs of DM-only text elaborate on those details, and then the third says "Oh yeah, and the room is full of pissed-off man-eating monsters that didn't rate worth mentioning compared to the extravagance of the rug on the floor... it really pulled the room together, man.") to the players, and patching any of the wholes created by the author assuming something that ends up being untrue of my group of players (example: assuming the characters are going to kill all their opposition without hesitation, remorse, or even an inkling of a more subtle or soft-touch plan, even when the "bad guys" are intelligent species - because sometimes my players look at The Glacial Rift of the Frost Giant Jarl or the like and say "Let's go talk with the jarl and see if trade agreements and military alliance against potential shared enemies works for him.").
Running my own stuff, however, 100% of my brain-power goes to "...that'd be cool" sorts of thoughts.
And for me, because I've spent years honing my ability to completely wing it while DMing, running my own adventure is a whole heap of a lot easier and less time-consuming than running a module.
I DM differently with modules as compared to homebrew, but I don't think it's a bad difference. When using a module, I feel like I have a tighter play as a DM, and I'm more organized just because of the nature of the modules. With homebrew I'm more loose and open to whatever might happen, which definitely opens up some easily-enjoyable moments, but it also seems more sloppy at times. That's my 2 cents anyway
I know what you're thinking: "In that flurry of blows, did he use all his ki points, or save one?" Well, are ya feeling lucky, punk?
There is defiantly a difference between running a per-made adventure vs running something you have created.
Pre-made adventure often follow a script. The major difference I find is in the NPC line up. These are characters that someone else dreamed up and you can never capture the whole story or the various thought that might have been going through their heads as they write these up in an often shorter version. This is part of DM prep. Reimagining them and putting your own spin into their personalities.
You have a story that is reliant on a set of events that take place and the players catching the cues and continue on with the story. This often doesn’t happen the way the book expected. You cannot expect the writers of an adventure and anticipate every player decision. The writes don’t know your particular set of players. I’m sure we can all agree that the player’s ability to derail an adventure is high and includes getting sidetracked on something that was either a minor encounter or heading off in a direction not noted in the pre-made guide book.
When you create your own adventures you know who your players are and their play style. You can anticipate what they might do. This makes for better planning and an adventure that is more tailored to them.
Your NPC’s are yours. You know everything there is to know about them. How they act, what they look like without some detailed art to show you, and what their mannerisms are. You made them and you can act out the part with voices and action that you have a personal connection to.
JT " You will find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view."
I try not to differ. I don't usually run premades, but when I do I read then until I know it fairly well to do it as my own story. And I keep shorthand notes instead of checking the book too often as I feel it can ruin the mood if the DM got their nose down a book for the majority of the game.
JT " You will find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view."
I'll do a little bit of reflavor on the NPCs to make things a bit more interesting. I've done a few changes with the premade in the Starter Set
When I do run a module I have to change a lot of it as I don't use all the rules the way the module wants. Example I removed Multi classing, , Inspiration, and Advantage/Disadvantage and I run a 5e module that takes that into account I have to rework the encounter to fit the more old school AD&D style we play
Absolutely. When I run modules it matters much more that I keep the main plot in sight—even if the party zig-zags across it. If they go completely off then I'm just running my own stuff with the module laying on the table. With D&D AL it's a lot more important to follow the module because the ongoing plot of the season may depend on certain information being revealed or certain NPCs acting a certain way or doing certain things.
If I were running something completely my own then none of that would be a concern because I could just work with what the players do and roll with the consequences of their actions or (lack of actions).
I feel like people I have gamed with would end up not trusting or killing the important npc. Lol
Most Dungeon Masters have a story to be told. We spend countless hours drawing maps, creating exciting NPC’s and mastering the plot of the story we wish to share with our loyal players who show up every week to see what you have prepared for them.
There are lot of us that put the players on a train and head them down the tracks of an exciting adventure built for 4. Along the adventure track the players will have numerous stops. These could include a night in the tavern listen to stories and gather rumors and intelligence for what is on the next stop. Rumors of a nasty band of Orc that is ambushing locals along the path to the next stop are often included.
It would be nice if all game sessions started and ended on the same adventure track, but as we all know, they don’t. The players make choices and decide on things as a group that are not always in line with what you had in mind.
What we forget is that the players often bring to the table their own story. The player’s background could have included that they are looking for a long lost relative or ancient magic ritual book. So while that one player is slowing convincing the others that they should head south to help them find their lost relative you quietly begin crumpling up the notes you had made earlier that day in a silent fit of rage.
Many years ago as a young warrior, I too tried to enlist my fellow adventurers to help in traveling to a different city from the one we were currently on course to arrive at. I never would have thought that our Dungeon Master had spent the better part on the day planning our night according to where we had decided to travel to last session.
The entire party agreed to travel to the different city within 5 minutes of us sitting down for a night of monster slaying and eradicating evil form the realms. Once we came to our decision we announced to the DM our change of plans. He was sitting in silence, the kind of awkward silence when you think you’ve upset a parent but not really sure what you have done.
After a brief moment of that awful silence our DM responded with “If you travel there you might regret it”. I’m thinking if we don’t travel there we might regret that also. Our party discusses our options and now the other city is sounding even more exciting. What could we possibility regret? We stood by our decision and announce our intent. Our DM looks at us with cross between an evil grin and perhaps a slight resemblance to a child who just dropped their ice-cream cone on the ground.
To give you the short version of our night, we were soon attacked by some not so friendly Hill Giants, which proceed to slaughter our mounts and causally bring us down to a group of Monty Pythons version of running away. Our disgruntle DM looked up from the screen of doom and smiled. “I told you it would be regretful.” We decided to go back to the original plan to avoid any further confrontation which seemed to make our DM extremely happy.
This scenario can be applied to many instants where the players have one plan and the DM has something different in mind. This becomes more of a reality when dealing with an adventure you have purchased. It can be frustrating for a DM who saved up a few dollars to purchase the latest adventure booklet with the players in mind and they decide to do something different or constantly get side tracked. I will discuss purchased adventures at a later date.
If I get side tracked on purchased material I might be ambushed by giants again.
I like to plan my stories like anyone else. It takes imagination and some creative thought to come up with new and exciting adventures every month but it is something I really enjoy. Over the years I’ve picked up a few things that have helped me run my games.
The first thing that helped wise up was reading. Each adventure story really kick started my own creative thought process. I could name a dozen authors that helped fill my imagination cup with countless ideas for NPC’s and epic quests that would lead my players to greatness.
There is huge difference between reading or writing a story and playing one out with a group of random heroes. When playing one out you are not the sole author to the story but rather a facilitator. This means you are there to plant the seeds and perhaps add a few challenging hooks and see how it plays out. I call it the adventure tree. How the tree grows is not always up to you as the author. You only planted the seeds and kept it watered with sprinkles of gold and magic. How it grows is mostly up to the players.
Once I discovered the secrets of the adventure tree I’ve the used it in every game I’ve run. It’s really not much of a secret when you think about. To offer an example how it works picture a real tree. Maybe something similar to a giant oak. You need your players to climb the tree. At the base of the tree there are perhaps dozens of roots which can be a starting points. Each root can have its own story. Once you have your players begin to climb your nefarious tree of doom the players will soon discover hundreds of branches. All these branches could represent the decisions they make along the path to glory.
You might think that you need a hundred different ways to help the players reach the top before they get too lost in the vast ever growing tree of awesomeness. This is where real planning takes place. You have to think on the fly often having your patience tested to the max.
Be calm and carry a big map.
Nobody knows your players better than you. This is where you change from having a firm plan of the night to an array of notes and possible outcomes. I have often approached my sessions like a game of chess. If the players move to the other town I will move my ogre there as well. I set up encounters with the idea that I can place them anywhere and steer players without directing them. It’s takes a bit of creativeness to be able to load severely different possible outcomes but with practice it will come naturally.
My suggestion is start building an encounter and NPC library. Doesn’t’ have to be huge a collection but enough to cover a variety of options. Think about the various branches of your tree and plan for those. If you don’t’ use one or two ideas save them for later. Coming up with a ways to steer your party to where you need them can be a bit of a brain tease. I would suggest trying to keep it simple.
Simple helps the game move along without the extra frustration level of you the DM building to the point of releasing your wave of Giants. As an example, one the easiest ways to get a group of players heading the direction I need them to go is have something stolen from them. All trails lead to the tree top. It can be that simple, and you would be surprised how much value that spell book has that just went missing.
The best advice for building your tree is don’t limit yourself. Each branch can be its own adventure and story. That humble group of players might toss an ax into your plan and you need to be prepared for it. There are times when the ax has been tossed and I have taken it to a whole new level. A new story begins to unfold and begins to take shape and you roll with the swing and start tossing your seeds on the ground once again.
Dungeon and Dragons doesn’t have an end. It has a beginning and then stuff happens and more stuff and suddenly your tree begins to grow.
JT " You will find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view."