So I get really irritated when I have an idea and the push back comes immediately. "Why play a co-op game alone! Just play a video game." But I have the time and I'd like to, and there's nothing physically stopping me from playing a tabletop game by myself unless I have to be really fast. SO WITH THAT OUT OF THE WAY.
NEW DMS -- Play DND published adventures by yourself. A lot of DM tips I hear come from experienced DMs. If you're new, why not take the time to get a feel for the adventure and what it's like to roll a deadly random encounter. If you don't know what a deadly encounter feels like, it's kinda lame to find one at the table where you and your new friends have no idea what just happened.
You also learn what you need to remove from the adventure, not just for your players, but for you! You're the guy who paid for the adventure. You wanna have just as much fun as your players.
In Initiative, do you like rolling for every combat? Or do you like static initiative like in the DM's guide? Or would you like more unpredictable initiative?
In combat movement, do you like the traditional grid? Or do you prefer to look at the battlefield abstractly with X's and O's. Like a football plan. Or do you like theater of the mind?
You can learn this by playing by yourself without ruining anyone's fun.
Also, this benefits role play as well. You're practicing player knowledge and character knowledge. You know what it's like to make a poor decision in character because of your characters flaws or bonds. And you know how that can make an encounter easier or harder. And sometimes, albeit easier it's a lot more rewarding.
I completely agree. I THOUGHT I liked theater of the mind combat... until I had the party fight in a gladiatorial ring during one of my sessions. I originally just wrote down placements in a notebook, and kept track of it there. Eventually, I did get a grid, and enjoyed it far more. I've tried to go back to theater of the mind, but it just never feels as satisfying. I also started going over possible tactics that my party could use in combat and various other situations, and found out that it's a lot of fun preparing extra ways to torture my players rather than just having the bad guys attack whoever dealt the most damage to them, or the person healing the party the most. It's so much more fun to throw off the party from having the villain attack those defending healers or spellcasters, and brawling with the barbarian, to having an enemy run straight past the group and attack the rogue or ranger that was hanging behind to shoot from a distance. It keeps the party on their toes after they learn how much time you spend thinking of different tactics for the enemies other than "Random bandit b swings his shortsword." I find it more fun to have a situation where: "Random bandit b shouts: 'never forget the name George! For he is the one that has defeated you this day!' as he runs past the barbarian and hits the least expectant member." That's just so much more engaging, and it shows the party that you actually care about the world you've crafted.
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So I get really irritated when I have an idea and the push back comes immediately. "Why play a co-op game alone! Just play a video game." But I have the time and I'd like to, and there's nothing physically stopping me from playing a tabletop game by myself unless I have to be really fast. SO WITH THAT OUT OF THE WAY.
NEW DMS -- Play DND published adventures by yourself. A lot of DM tips I hear come from experienced DMs. If you're new, why not take the time to get a feel for the adventure and what it's like to roll a deadly random encounter. If you don't know what a deadly encounter feels like, it's kinda lame to find one at the table where you and your new friends have no idea what just happened.
You also learn what you need to remove from the adventure, not just for your players, but for you! You're the guy who paid for the adventure. You wanna have just as much fun as your players.
In Initiative, do you like rolling for every combat? Or do you like static initiative like in the DM's guide? Or would you like more unpredictable initiative?
In combat movement, do you like the traditional grid? Or do you prefer to look at the battlefield abstractly with X's and O's. Like a football plan. Or do you like theater of the mind?
You can learn this by playing by yourself without ruining anyone's fun.
Also, this benefits role play as well. You're practicing player knowledge and character knowledge. You know what it's like to make a poor decision in character because of your characters flaws or bonds. And you know how that can make an encounter easier or harder. And sometimes, albeit easier it's a lot more rewarding.
"All I'm hearing is words... DO SOMETHING!"
I completely agree. I THOUGHT I liked theater of the mind combat... until I had the party fight in a gladiatorial ring during one of my sessions. I originally just wrote down placements in a notebook, and kept track of it there. Eventually, I did get a grid, and enjoyed it far more. I've tried to go back to theater of the mind, but it just never feels as satisfying. I also started going over possible tactics that my party could use in combat and various other situations, and found out that it's a lot of fun preparing extra ways to torture my players rather than just having the bad guys attack whoever dealt the most damage to them, or the person healing the party the most. It's so much more fun to throw off the party from having the villain attack those defending healers or spellcasters, and brawling with the barbarian, to having an enemy run straight past the group and attack the rogue or ranger that was hanging behind to shoot from a distance. It keeps the party on their toes after they learn how much time you spend thinking of different tactics for the enemies other than "Random bandit b swings his shortsword." I find it more fun to have a situation where: "Random bandit b shouts: 'never forget the name George! For he is the one that has defeated you this day!' as he runs past the barbarian and hits the least expectant member." That's just so much more engaging, and it shows the party that you actually care about the world you've crafted.