First and foremost if you're not a Dungeon Master.. TURN AWAY NOW!
I was taught this secret technique long ago and I've recently used it at 2 different tables and it worked super well each time. The first puzzle began as a number of orbs, some inert, others infused with power. Soon the party began casting spells at the orbs and they lit up. They soon reasoned it was all of the schools of magic and boom the puzzle was completed.
The secret is I didn't have any solution planned. I just needed something to break up the pace and figured here'd be a good place to wing it.
Did the same thing with a circular room - the party was trite and tried to tie it into time. I decided that would be too easy to reward. So they then reasoned with some checks and clues that it was a bit more abstract. I googled some key words about a routine and eventually they came up with a poem about the duties of a King to his court.
Again, nothing planned but I had to invent on the fly.
We all know improv is a great utility belt item for DMs. What's your favorite improv trick? Or maybe you did something that changed your game for the better?
Are you a trained IMPROV actor / comedian? Got any tips?
My favorite improv "trick" as a DM is to steal liberally from whatever the players are saying regarding the game. It's very common that players say things along the lines of "Just watch, we took the time making sure we had all these supplies to handle harsh terrain and weather and we won't even need any of it" or "Ooh, a mine! I bet there's something valuable in there" or the like, and I take those statements (and the tone behind them) as guidance what challenges to put in front of the characters.
My second favorite tool to use is to bring a session to close with something unexpected - along the lines of a new character/creature showing up, or a potentially natural occurrence like a cave-in or a mud slide - especially when the session itself was kind of low-energy around the table. Then I chat with the players a bit between the end of that session and the start of the next, usually giving them an apology for the session not being my best DMing or me cutting the night short because I got tired, and invariably they mention something about the cliffhanger ending and where they think the next session will go. So I have the session go where they think/want it to, unless I think up a real stunner of a twist to throw at them which I think they'll like better.
And one thing that has made my life as a gamer, not just a DM, better is to not buy-in to or propagate the segregation of the sort that this thread starts with - No one could ever have actually become a dungeon master in the first place, and no one could be a dungeon master of one campaign and a player in another, if there was really a requirement for non-dungeon masters to turn away from particular information.
And one thing that has made my life as a gamer, not just a DM, better is to not buy-in to or propagate the segregation of the sort that this thread starts with - No one could ever have actually become a dungeon master in the first place, and no one could be a dungeon master of one campaign and a player in another, if there was really a requirement for non-dungeon masters to turn away from particular information.
Come on now. You know as well as I do that'll just make everyone read it more. 😉 It's not like aligning is an esoteric art. It's just cooler to play along than accuse people of cheating. We're I being right cheeky about it there's a spoiler feature.
First and foremost if you're not a Dungeon Master.. TURN AWAY NOW!
I was taught this secret technique long ago and I've recently used it at 2 different tables and it worked super well each time. The first puzzle began as a number of orbs, some inert, others infused with power. Soon the party began casting spells at the orbs and they lit up. They soon reasoned it was all of the schools of magic and boom the puzzle was completed.
The secret is I didn't have any solution planned. I just needed something to break up the pace and figured here'd be a good place to wing it.
Did the same thing with a circular room - the party was trite and tried to tie it into time. I decided that would be too easy to reward. So they then reasoned with some checks and clues that it was a bit more abstract. I googled some key words about a routine and eventually they came up with a poem about the duties of a King to his court.
Again, nothing planned but I had to invent on the fly.
We all know improv is a great utility belt item for DMs. What's your favorite improv trick? Or maybe you did something that changed your game for the better?
Are you a trained IMPROV actor / comedian? Got any tips?
My favorite improv "trick" as a DM is to steal liberally from whatever the players are saying regarding the game. It's very common that players say things along the lines of "Just watch, we took the time making sure we had all these supplies to handle harsh terrain and weather and we won't even need any of it" or "Ooh, a mine! I bet there's something valuable in there" or the like, and I take those statements (and the tone behind them) as guidance what challenges to put in front of the characters.
My second favorite tool to use is to bring a session to close with something unexpected - along the lines of a new character/creature showing up, or a potentially natural occurrence like a cave-in or a mud slide - especially when the session itself was kind of low-energy around the table. Then I chat with the players a bit between the end of that session and the start of the next, usually giving them an apology for the session not being my best DMing or me cutting the night short because I got tired, and invariably they mention something about the cliffhanger ending and where they think the next session will go. So I have the session go where they think/want it to, unless I think up a real stunner of a twist to throw at them which I think they'll like better.
And one thing that has made my life as a gamer, not just a DM, better is to not buy-in to or propagate the segregation of the sort that this thread starts with - No one could ever have actually become a dungeon master in the first place, and no one could be a dungeon master of one campaign and a player in another, if there was really a requirement for non-dungeon masters to turn away from particular information.
There is no wrong way ti get a puzzle,
Adaptability is a sign of a good DM.