As this is my first time DMing on a regular basis, and I've made several rule mistakes and mechanics. Most notably, I said that critical damage is 1dX x 2 instead of the 2dX it should be...
How do you guys handle DM mistakes? Make it a new house rule? Or do you admit your mistake and then use the right rules during the next session?
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You're new to being a DM - it's your job to keep the action flowing and sometimes that will mean improvising rules you're not sure of, rather than spending 5 minutes checking through the books.
It also means you get stuff wrong at times.
Just talk to your group and tell them this - you know you got some of the rules slightly wrong, but you checked and now you know. It may happen again from time to time, but it's about having fun playing the game, rather than slavishly sticking to the rules.
Generally I tell them we're going to do it this way and if we find we were wrong later we'll go by the book. There are a lot of people that do 2x damage for crits - It really depends on what you prefer. As always, DM has the final say so it's not necessarily a mistake but more of a judgement call in the moment. No one has time to go flipping through books when action/drama is going on.
Mistakes happen, just fess up, let the players know how it should be handled, and move on.
During a session, if you or your players can't find the real answer in under a minute or two, just make up something that sounds reasonable and stick to that ruling for the remainder of the session. After the session, look up the real answer. This lets you avoid downtime in searching for rules during a session. If a player is sitting back because their character isn't taking an active role in something (such as a social encounter), maybe ask them to look up the rule for you while they're sitting around doing nothing. Would keep them more engaged with the game rather than them just playing around on their phone.
I agree with this skizzerz. I always make a note and wait until the end of the session to look things up. Also, I know that a couple of my players have a better memory than me or know their particular rules better than me, so rather than argue rules I'll listen to their opinions and make an executive decision in the moment. If they disagree with me I tell them to show me the rule later, but I try not to let the game break stride and I rarely retroactively change the effect of something I decided, even if I was wrong.
But really it's all up to you and what you deem fair. As a DM you have to be confident in your ability to act as a "benevolent god" of the world you're creating for your players. Just try not to get pushed over.
When I make a mistake, I always admit it as soon as I am aware of it and correct it. There is a little extra step I put in there that many other DMs don't; if I made a ruling and the players liked it, but it turns out it wasn't "right" I'll invite them to vote on whether we should do it the "right" way going forward, or if they'd like to house-rule it whether that is to how I mistakenly thought it worked before or some other way they think would be even better than that.
Mistakes are always going to happen, no matter how long you DM for, so I think it is very important to embrace that making a mistake doesn't say anything about you - it's how you handle mistakes that matters.
As discussed there's nothing wrong about admitting a mistake and correcting it in the future. Rules from other editions and even other games find their way onto my table and the players are like.. "That's now how we found the archers last time!" "Well this is different." You don't have to stick to any ruling you've made or as written in a book, or even in a Twitter post by the ALMIGHTY AUTHORs either for that matter. Keep the story going. Fix what you feel needs fixing. Stick to stuff that you think works.
As this is my first time DMing on a regular basis, and I've made several rule mistakes and mechanics. Most notably, I said that critical damage is 1dX x 2 instead of the 2dX it should be...
How do you guys handle DM mistakes? Make it a new house rule? Or do you admit your mistake and then use the right rules during the next session?
Keep in mind there's two things that can happen when you make a ruling. You can say "This is how we are playing it" or you can say "This is what I think the rules state"
The first is valid, if you think this setting or table should play with variation on official rules that is within the DM rights. However, playing with the rules can lead to unexpected consequences, and should be clearly stated, and be stated before the midst of a combat they are involved in. "Hey players, I don't like cantrips scaling up in damage, so they won't in my campaign."
If you simply made a mistake in interpreting the rules, just speak with the players, maybe even ask them how they want to proceed. "Hey, turns out you can't actually use a Rapier/Dagger combo without an extra feat and get the bonus attack. We can go forth using the normal rule or keep allowing it."
Generally I try to stick to the rules unless I have a compelling reason to do otherwise. Some DMs like to bend and break the rules whenever they think it might cause extra tension.
I recommend making a judgement at the table to keep things moving, and note the question to look into after the game.
I've had this exact one and now I let people choose...must announce first but they get to roll as they wish - some enjoy rolling extra dice some the quick double - minor not the end of the world. (If you have players concerned about this level of mistake - get new players - don't sweat the small stuff - it's a game have fun!)
As this is my first time DMing on a regular basis, and I've made several rule mistakes and mechanics. Most notably, I said that critical damage is 1dX x 2 instead of the 2dX it should be...
How do you guys handle DM mistakes? Make it a new house rule? Or do you admit your mistake and then use the right rules during the next session?
I've been playing since 2e, spend a lot of my downtime (my wife would say too much) reading through the various rulebooks multiple times, and I STILL find new mistakes I've been making. I do a combination of the two: if it's something I think makes more sense the way I originally interpreted the rules, I'll make it a house rule. In either case, I'll tell the players what I found out about the ability and what my ruling is going to be about future uses of the rule.
If it's something like a spell/feat/ability that my player chose for their character because of an misinterpretation issue, I'll allow them to switch it out if they want. I don't want them stuck with something because they thought something did something that it doesn't actually do. Some of them are either new to D&D or not as in to it as I am, and sometimes info in the DMG supplements the info in the PHB and so they don't normally have access to the info. I figure it's my responsibility as DM to make sure they know their options (especially since I'm a horrible min/maxxer in every non-pen-and-paper RPG I've ever played).
“It is a better world. A place where we are responsible for our actions, where we can be kind to one another because we want to and because it is the right thing to do instead of being frightened into behaving by the threat of divine punishment.” ― Oramis, Eldest by Christopher Paolini.
As for the crit rules: my personal homebrew rule is to have them roll for damage as normal and add an extra amount equal to the maximum of the weapon's die roll.
So, for example, a critical hit with a longsword is 1d8 + strength modifier + 8, dagger is 1d4 + strength/dexterity modifier + 4, etc...
I find it gives them a higher amount of guaranteed damage, because there's nothing worse than rolling two 1s for your crit damage.
“It is a better world. A place where we are responsible for our actions, where we can be kind to one another because we want to and because it is the right thing to do instead of being frightened into behaving by the threat of divine punishment.” ― Oramis, Eldest by Christopher Paolini.
Your mistake is actually how a lot of people do criticals in order to "save time". I think this is debatable because the rule change can be forgotten (especially if people are in multiple games). Also rolling 2x dice also helps avoid people doubling the static bonuses. Which I really don't know why those aren't doubled anyway.
Anyway feel free to do it however you want and if you want to change it go ahead and fess up to being wrong.
I always look at what I've stuffed up and then evaluate - majority of the time I usually change (notifying the players of course), and have a discussion about why the rule is changing - usually its due to a misinterpretation of the rules. Sometimes we prefer the way we interpreted it.
Your mistake is actually how a lot of people do criticals in order to "save time". I think this is debatable because the rule change can be forgotten (especially if people are in multiple games). Also rolling 2x dice also helps avoid people doubling the static bonuses. Which I really don't know why those aren't doubled anyway.
Anyway feel free to do it however you want and if you want to change it go ahead and fess up to being wrong.
Static bonuses aren't doubled because it exaggerates the effects of stat bonuses and magical items.
My sharpshooter with a +3 weapon and 5 dex mod can do 24 damage on a hit with a hand xbow, or 30 damage on a crit. If he were to double everything a normal hit would be max 24 and crit could be 48. When you get to really insane is if you allowed static bonuses to crit, then had a half orc barbarian..
A Half-Orc Great Weapon Master Barbarian with a Storm Giant Belt and +3 Greataxe can hit for 73 on a crit right now. If they got to crit everything then they could hit for up to 136. The difference is even more pronounced if you look at an average crit comparison Current average crit in that setup is 6.5*4+9+3+10=52 , if all crit, it would be (6.5+9+3+10)*4=114.
I will talk it through with my players, a lot of the time a situation will occur and to keep things flowing I will make a decision on the fly then browse through my rule books/internet to see if there is a better way next time. For instance a player falls in lava, I might hand wave the damage the first time then have a look and see I massively over/under stated it so I will let my players know and use the proper rules next time, or if I prefer my own approach stick with that.
Remember Gary Gygax himself said pretty much all the rules are optional as long as you are having fun.
What I will say is where my hand waved application of the rules has resulted in something really bad happening, for instance a character dying, I have held my hands up the next session, told that player not to roll up a new character and instead had the character come back to life.
The above does not just apply to rules issues either. If in far I have made a storytelling decision that over the course of a week I think isn’t right then depending on the circumstance instead of trying to story my way forward out of it, I might go back and retcon it. This might be especially true of the decision I made was at the end of a session, the time you are most likely to make a rushed mistake because your mentally drained, tired, a little inebriated or just trying to I end the session.
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As this is my first time DMing on a regular basis, and I've made several rule mistakes and mechanics. Most notably, I said that critical damage is 1dX x 2 instead of the 2dX it should be...
How do you guys handle DM mistakes? Make it a new house rule? Or do you admit your mistake and then use the right rules during the next session?
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D&D Beyond FoundersYou're new to being a DM - it's your job to keep the action flowing and sometimes that will mean improvising rules you're not sure of, rather than spending 5 minutes checking through the books.
It also means you get stuff wrong at times.
Just talk to your group and tell them this - you know you got some of the rules slightly wrong, but you checked and now you know. It may happen again from time to time, but it's about having fun playing the game, rather than slavishly sticking to the rules.
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Generally I tell them we're going to do it this way and if we find we were wrong later we'll go by the book. There are a lot of people that do 2x damage for crits - It really depends on what you prefer. As always, DM has the final say so it's not necessarily a mistake but more of a judgement call in the moment. No one has time to go flipping through books when action/drama is going on.
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It depends on the mistake, but I generally admit it and then use the right one. But no worries if you do some mistakes, just keep going.
Mistakes happen, just fess up, let the players know how it should be handled, and move on.
During a session, if you or your players can't find the real answer in under a minute or two, just make up something that sounds reasonable and stick to that ruling for the remainder of the session. After the session, look up the real answer. This lets you avoid downtime in searching for rules during a session. If a player is sitting back because their character isn't taking an active role in something (such as a social encounter), maybe ask them to look up the rule for you while they're sitting around doing nothing. Would keep them more engaged with the game rather than them just playing around on their phone.
I agree with this skizzerz. I always make a note and wait until the end of the session to look things up. Also, I know that a couple of my players have a better memory than me or know their particular rules better than me, so rather than argue rules I'll listen to their opinions and make an executive decision in the moment. If they disagree with me I tell them to show me the rule later, but I try not to let the game break stride and I rarely retroactively change the effect of something I decided, even if I was wrong.
But really it's all up to you and what you deem fair. As a DM you have to be confident in your ability to act as a "benevolent god" of the world you're creating for your players. Just try not to get pushed over.
When I make a mistake, I always admit it as soon as I am aware of it and correct it. There is a little extra step I put in there that many other DMs don't; if I made a ruling and the players liked it, but it turns out it wasn't "right" I'll invite them to vote on whether we should do it the "right" way going forward, or if they'd like to house-rule it whether that is to how I mistakenly thought it worked before or some other way they think would be even better than that.
Mistakes are always going to happen, no matter how long you DM for, so I think it is very important to embrace that making a mistake doesn't say anything about you - it's how you handle mistakes that matters.
As discussed there's nothing wrong about admitting a mistake and correcting it in the future. Rules from other editions and even other games find their way onto my table and the players are like.. "That's now how we found the archers last time!" "Well this is different." You don't have to stick to any ruling you've made or as written in a book, or even in a Twitter post by the ALMIGHTY AUTHORs either for that matter.
Keep the story going. Fix what you feel needs fixing. Stick to stuff that you think works.
I've had this exact one and now I let people choose...must announce first but they get to roll as they wish - some enjoy rolling extra dice some the quick double - minor not the end of the world. (If you have players concerned about this level of mistake - get new players - don't sweat the small stuff - it's a game have fun!)
I've seen things you people wouldn't believe....
If it's something like a spell/feat/ability that my player chose for their character because of an misinterpretation issue, I'll allow them to switch it out if they want. I don't want them stuck with something because they thought something did something that it doesn't actually do. Some of them are either new to D&D or not as in to it as I am, and sometimes info in the DMG supplements the info in the PHB and so they don't normally have access to the info. I figure it's my responsibility as DM to make sure they know their options (especially since I'm a horrible min/maxxer in every non-pen-and-paper RPG I've ever played).
Click Here to Download my Lancer Class w/ Dragoon and Legionnaire Archetypes via DM's Guild - Pay What You Want
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“It is a better world. A place where we are responsible for our actions, where we can be kind to one another because we want to and because it is the right thing to do instead of being frightened into behaving by the threat of divine punishment.” ― Oramis, Eldest by Christopher Paolini.
As for the crit rules: my personal homebrew rule is to have them roll for damage as normal and add an extra amount equal to the maximum of the weapon's die roll.
So, for example, a critical hit with a longsword is 1d8 + strength modifier + 8, dagger is 1d4 + strength/dexterity modifier + 4, etc...
I find it gives them a higher amount of guaranteed damage, because there's nothing worse than rolling two 1s for your crit damage.
Click Here to Download my Lancer Class w/ Dragoon and Legionnaire Archetypes via DM's Guild - Pay What You Want
Click Here to Download the Mind Flayer: Thoon Hulk converted from 4e via DM's Guild
“It is a better world. A place where we are responsible for our actions, where we can be kind to one another because we want to and because it is the right thing to do instead of being frightened into behaving by the threat of divine punishment.” ― Oramis, Eldest by Christopher Paolini.
Your mistake is actually how a lot of people do criticals in order to "save time". I think this is debatable because the rule change can be forgotten (especially if people are in multiple games). Also rolling 2x dice also helps avoid people doubling the static bonuses. Which I really don't know why those aren't doubled anyway.
Anyway feel free to do it however you want and if you want to change it go ahead and fess up to being wrong.
I always look at what I've stuffed up and then evaluate - majority of the time I usually change (notifying the players of course), and have a discussion about why the rule is changing - usually its due to a misinterpretation of the rules. Sometimes we prefer the way we interpreted it.
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I will talk it through with my players, a lot of the time a situation will occur and to keep things flowing I will make a decision on the fly then browse through my rule books/internet to see if there is a better way next time. For instance a player falls in lava, I might hand wave the damage the first time then have a look and see I massively over/under stated it so I will let my players know and use the proper rules next time, or if I prefer my own approach stick with that.
Remember Gary Gygax himself said pretty much all the rules are optional as long as you are having fun.
What I will say is where my hand waved application of the rules has resulted in something really bad happening, for instance a character dying, I have held my hands up the next session, told that player not to roll up a new character and instead had the character come back to life.
The above does not just apply to rules issues either. If in far I have made a storytelling decision that over the course of a week I think isn’t right then depending on the circumstance instead of trying to story my way forward out of it, I might go back and retcon it. This might be especially true of the decision I made was at the end of a session, the time you are most likely to make a rushed mistake because your mentally drained, tired, a little inebriated or just trying to I end the session.