Look at the "Dungeon Master's Workshop" chapter's rules options in the DMG, and give those options some serious thought. In particular, there are some skill variants that could really change the feel of your game.
I've been playing for only five months with a brilliant bunch of lunatics but have decided to make my first foray into DM'ing with some close friends who are all totally new. Do you think this is too soon? I'm running the Mines of Phandelver and we've had one session so far. we laughed so hard we nearly pee'd, there were tears. I totally missed the traps on their way to the hideout and they seem to have picked up a pet goblin! So, the things I have learnt so far:
Fun, always fun, a Nat 1 is funnier than you think
Don't sweat the mistakes, they will probably never know.
Let the PC's build the story, otherwise you might as well just read the manual to them
All your comments have been so helpful and I hope that this will pay it forward.
1. I disagree. A DM is just a neutral umpire that helps the players to tell their stories. With this DM can’t do no wrong is wrong! If you make a mistake, apologise. It’s a big deal. Players will start not trusting the DM when it’s simply ignoring the rules, ignoring what the players are saying and feel bullied by the DM. This kind of DM is stopping role playing and also changing the narratives of a player’s character story. I say this is a sign of bad DMing. Not apologising for their mistakes certainly encourages them not to make any preparations at all. Simply ruining people’s game.
when the DM does it so often, it closes up the players. Who will confront the DM and tell him making a mistake when the DM won’t listen and threaten the players to leave the table. Lastly, some bad DMs think that it’s all because of them that his players have a good game. In reality, it’s the players that make it a good game.
Too many DMs think that their players do not give any negative feedbacks mean that they have done a good job . The truth may be that the players scare of giving any feedbacks because they fear Being cut out of the game. DM coerced their players or put them into doing something or not do something under duress is certainly criminal. We really need to change this kind of culture because it’s poisoning the gameplay. Thus, don’t listen to this guy. He is absolutely wrong. He knows nothing.
I agree. This isn't DnD, but one time when I was playing Call of Cthulhu, my character had died, but the DM forgot to let me roll power, so later he let me do that and my dead zombified husk of a body reached into the other zombie's mouth and pulled my soul back out. Later, my face was being caressed by a vampire, and I had failed my charm check. So he grabbed me by the arm and threw me across the room, severing limb from body. normally I wouldn't like that I'm armless, but after the way he phrased it, it was great. probably the greatest thing that happened to my character actually. Bad karma for being self-centred.
Your rules are against AL rules. If you run any AL games, you should do what you are asked to do or you will be banned from running AL games.
"THE RULES OF THE GAME
Adventurers League play uses fifth edition Dungeons and Dragons. You can issue rulings to your table when the rules of the game are ambiguous or vague, but you must otherwise adhere to the rules as they are provided in the core rulebooks, and can’t change them or make up your own; “house-rules” aren’t permitted for use. "
But there are many DMs who say that they run their games using AL rules. Yet, they never realise that they are not allowed to use any house rules. These DMs are the ones that start creating trouble for everyone when they are the ones that do not follow rules and yet chanting they are always right even though they are wrong!!!
People posting those rules stating that DMs always right are simply irresponsible and if they have a god complex... please do not be DM. They are the ones that ruins the actual game.
Sarfay, I think you're responding to my initial post at the beginning of this thread, if not, I apologise. I am not sure if you read the entirety of my first point? I will give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you did, and perhaps there is a misunderstanding about what I wrote, so let's look at it again together.
1. Rule 0, aka "The DM is always right." - You might hear this "rule" in many places, and at first glance it might seem heavy handed and destructive. Let's be clear, your job as DM is not to be an opponent for your players. Your job is to be part of telling a cooperative story, and take care of all the NPCs, monsters, traps, and plot points the players will encounter. In this case, what Rule 0 (aka The DM is Always Right) means is that you don't need to worry about the rules, or the text of an adventure, verbatim. If, during a session, something comes up in game and you're not sure what rule applies, or how a rule might apply, you can either stop the game and look up the rule (and debate it with the players), or you can make a ruling on the spot for the sake of keeping the game flowing. I vote for the second option. Make it clear to the players that you are making a ruling now, and will check the rule later, just keep the game going! After the session you can look up the rule and parse it out. If you got it wrong, no big deal. Next session you can tell the players what you learned and let them know that going forward if the same situation comes up you will all follow the rule as you've learned it to be. The same can be said for adventures. If you're playing through a published adventure and make a mistake, no big deal! You can retcon it later, or just change the story to fit the mistake. The Adventure as written is not the law! You can make it your own. Rule 0.
If you read through what I wrote, I am NOT (let's say it again to be clear... NOT!!!!) saying that the DM can ignore the rules, what I said in the text above is that during the course of the game if a question arises about how something works the DM has two choices, 1. pause the game and look through the rules, then debate what they mean (this happens often); or 2. rule on the spot for the sake of keeping the game running and look it up later.
So what I wrote does not conflict with what you want, which is for the DM to adjudicate the rules. Some groups are okay with pausing the game, but this can take up valuable playing time. You cannot expect a DM to have memorized every rule, that's not realistic. For groups who are limited on time, or who don't want to break the immersion, the point of Rule 0 (The DM is always right) is that the DM is (as you put it) the adjudicator of the rules, and for the sake of expediency can make a ruling on the spot and move on. By social contract, the group agrees to abide by that ruling so that the game can continue, then when the session has ended, the DM and the players can look up the rule, search online for errata or discussions, etc, and then come to a consensus on how the rule should/does work, and agree to play it that way in the future.
There are many DMs who like to play with their own house rules. There is nothing wrong with that. A good DM lets the players know up front the house rules they want to play with. The group can then negotiate that, agree to it, or find another game. Most D&D games are not AL games.
If you've got a DM who plays with their own rules, and you don't like the rules, then unless it's an official AL event you have no recourse but to find another game. The designers of D&D have said repeatedly that D&D is a framework for telling stories, and no one (outside of officially sanctioned AL events) is obligated to follow those rules.
"Orcs are savage raiders and pillagers with stooped postures, low foreheads, and piggish faces with prominent lower canines that resemble tusks." MM p245 (original printing) You don't OWN your books on DDB: WotC can change them any time. What do you think will happen when OneD&D comes out?
I understand what you are saying but I think you need to write down the rules I have mentioned for AL games. I know too many DMs will simply hijack what you have written not reading the rest of what is written and simply concentrate on the phrase "The DM is always right" even when they are the rules breaker. Even I make a complaint afterwards, it simply wont help because the damages have already been done. Its like in an English football game before VAR is introduced. A goal which is not supposed to be allowed is allowed resulting a team losing a game. Likewise, a DM who is not supposed to have a monster hitting a character kills a PC and the PC is dead. People think thats ok but in reality trust is lost and at the end of the day DM and player both lose. I hope you see where I am coming from.
In conclusion, I suggest you put up a big sign that the DMs in AL games need to follow AL rules and your rules may not comply with AL rules. In such case, I think you will not be seen as helping those rulebreaking DMs to keep their arguments up and it will help players not being abused by these DMs who wont listen and simply chanting to them "DM is always right"! Also DMs, are simply humans, they are not God! They can be wrong.
Sarfay, I don't have to do anything. It's not my obligation to "make" DMs follow AL rules. The only DMs who have to follow AL rules are DMs running games in officially sanctioned events. And if those DMs aren't following the rules, then the recourse is to complain to the event organizers. NO ONE else has to follow those rules.
Do you understand that if you are playing in someone's private game (NOT an official AL game) they are under NO obligation to follow AL rules? Your choice in such a situation is to play, or not play. That's it. That's the choice.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
"Orcs are savage raiders and pillagers with stooped postures, low foreheads, and piggish faces with prominent lower canines that resemble tusks." MM p245 (original printing) You don't OWN your books on DDB: WotC can change them any time. What do you think will happen when OneD&D comes out?
I have already provided a solution to resolve the differences. I simply see people will use what you state and ruin people AL games and they will cite your rules as a result. It happens to me and it will happen to someone else. So you are responsible whether you like it or not. But seriously, you can be a better man and do the deed.
I have already provided a solution to resolve the differences. I simply see people will use what you state and ruin people AL games and they will cite your rules as a result. It happens to me and it will happen to someone else. So you are responsible whether you like it or not.
This is why I never want to play AL. Coming up with the world and the story is half of the fun. If I do decide to run an official adventure, I always give it my own twist. IMO, playing AL isn't really playing D&D as it was intended to be played. It's playing a restrictive RPG that demands you follow the rules no matter what.
All stars fade. Some stars forever fall. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Homebrew:Magic Items,Monsters,Spells,Subclasses ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If there was no light, people wouldn't fear the dark.
I have already provided a solution to resolve the differences. I simply see people will use what you state and ruin people AL games and they will cite your rules as a result. It happens to me and it will happen to someone else. So you are responsible whether you like it or not. But seriously, you can be a better man and do the deed.
Word to the wise, don't try to shame people into doing what you want with weak manipulative techniques and gas-lighting.
No one is going to cite a random post on the interwebs as their carte blanche to ignore AL rules in an official AL event, because 1. that would be dumb; and 2. the players could complain, and that DM would no longer be allowed to run officially sanctioned AL games.
Your inability to understand why I am not obligated to do so, nor why it would matter if I did, already makes me the "better man", since that seems to be really important to you.
So, in response to your request, I will channel my inner Captain America and say, "No, I don't think I will." In closing... I don't work for you.
"Orcs are savage raiders and pillagers with stooped postures, low foreheads, and piggish faces with prominent lower canines that resemble tusks." MM p245 (original printing) You don't OWN your books on DDB: WotC can change them any time. What do you think will happen when OneD&D comes out?
I'm new to DMing and this thread is really amazing and definitely mirrors the advice that my friends have given me when it comes to DMing. I find that I am struggling a little (mostly cause I did a homebrew), I always feel better about it when my players finish the session by telling me that they really enjoyed it. I 100% second the advice in this thread , especially those that focus on fun at the table. I went into this as a player who really enjoyed the game and wanting my friends to experience a shared interest, and I love being able to create and share the world in my head.
Thank you to everybody who's been posting onto this, this community is so focused on helping, its truly amazing.
I will add re voices, accept your players may not want to roleplay social encounters at all, they may not want to overt roleplay there own inter party stuff. I know of at least one DM who expected a session of roleplaying with party members out meeting new people, talking about what had happened, sharing character stuff only to get 10 mins in and have a table of players looking at him to feed them the next thing to hit. Find out what your party wants and realise there are a multitude of different ways to Der n der.
When players roll very low whether for a skill check or an attack it is a great opportunity to input some humor.
A little (or even a lot, preference depending) of humor is great for the game.
One just needs to be mindful that the humor added doesn't end up making the characters look incompetent. Things like master swordsmen losing their grip on their blade through no cause other than their own bad luck can get old very fast, but scenarios like failing a perception check because of issues with the curtains in front of a window stays in the realm of humorous without making it seem like the character actually sucks at perception - they failed because they can't see through curtains, not because of their own skill at the task being comically insufficient.
I have a tabaxi in one of my current parties, when she rolls low for investigation or perception I spend a few seconds describing how she suddenly became fascinated with a patch of light, a piece of thread or saw a mouse and had an urge to see where it went.
My players actually have told me they prefer sometimes rolling low and failing because my descriptions as to why get some great chuckles. Like the minotaur Barbarian who rolled a 1 when searching for a library, he found himself in a children’s book shop convinced that the BBEG was called spot. He then started reading aloud for the children, got a nat20 on his performance roll and made 3 silver from the owner for drawing in so many customers. Then, asked a child about the strange symbol he had wanted to look up in the library, rolled a 3 for trying to remember the image and got thrown out for drawing lewd pictures for a child. A 5 min Segway that my party loved.
Great job on the list. I'm a newer dm with 20-30sessions under my belt and I keep trying to absorb info to become increasingly better at it. Good to know I'm doing a few things right and can improve with these good tips. Thx to contributors as well, every bit helps and makes it more fun for everyone.
Ok, just to start, this ENTIRE thing is practically about letting the players have freedom. Besides, you already should apologize, but it isn't a big deal. Oh, and for the record, I'm using this to teach as a professional, so I know what I'm talking about.
Love it guys. big-headed DM's are the worst but you also MUST be careful to hold onto a little control because you don't want things to get out of hand. That can be as not-fun as restricting everything. Use authority but not power. Be careful to be kind in your directions and actions but you still need the players to understand that they can't have everything they want. ya know?
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Look at the "Dungeon Master's Workshop" chapter's rules options in the DMG, and give those options some serious thought. In particular, there are some skill variants that could really change the feel of your game.
I've been playing for only five months with a brilliant bunch of lunatics but have decided to make my first foray into DM'ing with some close friends who are all totally new. Do you think this is too soon? I'm running the Mines of Phandelver and we've had one session so far. we laughed so hard we nearly pee'd, there were tears. I totally missed the traps on their way to the hideout and they seem to have picked up a pet goblin! So, the things I have learnt so far:
All your comments have been so helpful and I hope that this will pay it forward.
Peace (and dragons) be with you
One I see not mentioned to often and is a treasure trove of great information. Look up How to be a Great Game Master on youtube
1. I disagree. A DM is just a neutral umpire that helps the players to tell their stories. With this DM can’t do no wrong is wrong! If you make a mistake, apologise. It’s a big deal. Players will start not trusting the DM when it’s simply ignoring the rules, ignoring what the players are saying and feel bullied by the DM. This kind of DM is stopping role playing and also changing the narratives of a player’s character story. I say this is a sign of bad DMing. Not apologising for their mistakes certainly encourages them not to make any preparations at all. Simply ruining people’s game.
when the DM does it so often, it closes up the players. Who will confront the DM and tell him making a mistake when the DM won’t listen and threaten the players to leave the table. Lastly, some bad DMs think that it’s all because of them that his players have a good game. In reality, it’s the players that make it a good game.
Too many DMs think that their players do not give any negative feedbacks mean that they have done a good job . The truth may be that the players scare of giving any feedbacks because they fear Being cut out of the game. DM coerced their players or put them into doing something or not do something under duress is certainly criminal. We really need to change this kind of culture because it’s poisoning the gameplay. Thus, don’t listen to this guy. He is absolutely wrong. He knows nothing.
I agree. This isn't DnD, but one time when I was playing Call of Cthulhu, my character had died, but the DM forgot to let me roll power, so later he let me do that and my dead zombified husk of a body reached into the other zombie's mouth and pulled my soul back out. Later, my face was being caressed by a vampire, and I had failed my charm check. So he grabbed me by the arm and threw me across the room, severing limb from body. normally I wouldn't like that I'm armless, but after the way he phrased it, it was great. probably the greatest thing that happened to my character actually. Bad karma for being self-centred.
Your rules are against AL rules. If you run any AL games, you should do what you are asked to do or you will be banned from running AL games.
"THE RULES OF THE GAME
Adventurers League play uses fifth edition Dungeons and Dragons. You can issue rulings to your table when the rules of the game are ambiguous or vague, but you must otherwise adhere to the rules as they are provided in the core rulebooks, and can’t change them or make up your own; “house-rules” aren’t permitted for use. "
From ALDMGv10_0.pdf (wizards.com) page 3.
But there are many DMs who say that they run their games using AL rules. Yet, they never realise that they are not allowed to use any house rules. These DMs are the ones that start creating trouble for everyone when they are the ones that do not follow rules and yet chanting they are always right even though they are wrong!!!
People posting those rules stating that DMs always right are simply irresponsible and if they have a god complex... please do not be DM. They are the ones that ruins the actual game.
Sarfay, I think you're responding to my initial post at the beginning of this thread, if not, I apologise. I am not sure if you read the entirety of my first point? I will give you the benefit of the doubt and assume you did, and perhaps there is a misunderstanding about what I wrote, so let's look at it again together.
If you read through what I wrote, I am NOT (let's say it again to be clear... NOT!!!!) saying that the DM can ignore the rules, what I said in the text above is that during the course of the game if a question arises about how something works the DM has two choices, 1. pause the game and look through the rules, then debate what they mean (this happens often); or 2. rule on the spot for the sake of keeping the game running and look it up later.
So what I wrote does not conflict with what you want, which is for the DM to adjudicate the rules. Some groups are okay with pausing the game, but this can take up valuable playing time. You cannot expect a DM to have memorized every rule, that's not realistic. For groups who are limited on time, or who don't want to break the immersion, the point of Rule 0 (The DM is always right) is that the DM is (as you put it) the adjudicator of the rules, and for the sake of expediency can make a ruling on the spot and move on. By social contract, the group agrees to abide by that ruling so that the game can continue, then when the session has ended, the DM and the players can look up the rule, search online for errata or discussions, etc, and then come to a consensus on how the rule should/does work, and agree to play it that way in the future.
There are many DMs who like to play with their own house rules. There is nothing wrong with that. A good DM lets the players know up front the house rules they want to play with. The group can then negotiate that, agree to it, or find another game. Most D&D games are not AL games.
If you've got a DM who plays with their own rules, and you don't like the rules, then unless it's an official AL event you have no recourse but to find another game. The designers of D&D have said repeatedly that D&D is a framework for telling stories, and no one (outside of officially sanctioned AL events) is obligated to follow those rules.
I hope that clears it up.
"Orcs are savage raiders and pillagers with stooped postures, low foreheads, and piggish faces with prominent lower canines that resemble tusks." MM p245 (original printing)
You don't OWN your books on DDB: WotC can change them any time. What do you think will happen when OneD&D comes out?
I understand what you are saying but I think you need to write down the rules I have mentioned for AL games. I know too many DMs will simply hijack what you have written not reading the rest of what is written and simply concentrate on the phrase "The DM is always right" even when they are the rules breaker. Even I make a complaint afterwards, it simply wont help because the damages have already been done. Its like in an English football game before VAR is introduced. A goal which is not supposed to be allowed is allowed resulting a team losing a game. Likewise, a DM who is not supposed to have a monster hitting a character kills a PC and the PC is dead. People think thats ok but in reality trust is lost and at the end of the day DM and player both lose. I hope you see where I am coming from.
In conclusion, I suggest you put up a big sign that the DMs in AL games need to follow AL rules and your rules may not comply with AL rules. In such case, I think you will not be seen as helping those rulebreaking DMs to keep their arguments up and it will help players not being abused by these DMs who wont listen and simply chanting to them "DM is always right"! Also DMs, are simply humans, they are not God! They can be wrong.
Sarfay, I don't have to do anything. It's not my obligation to "make" DMs follow AL rules. The only DMs who have to follow AL rules are DMs running games in officially sanctioned events. And if those DMs aren't following the rules, then the recourse is to complain to the event organizers. NO ONE else has to follow those rules.
Do you understand that if you are playing in someone's private game (NOT an official AL game) they are under NO obligation to follow AL rules? Your choice in such a situation is to play, or not play. That's it. That's the choice.
"Orcs are savage raiders and pillagers with stooped postures, low foreheads, and piggish faces with prominent lower canines that resemble tusks." MM p245 (original printing)
You don't OWN your books on DDB: WotC can change them any time. What do you think will happen when OneD&D comes out?
I have already provided a solution to resolve the differences. I simply see people will use what you state and ruin people AL games and they will cite your rules as a result. It happens to me and it will happen to someone else. So you are responsible whether you like it or not. But seriously, you can be a better man and do the deed.
This is why I never want to play AL. Coming up with the world and the story is half of the fun. If I do decide to run an official adventure, I always give it my own twist. IMO, playing AL isn't really playing D&D as it was intended to be played. It's playing a restrictive RPG that demands you follow the rules no matter what.
All stars fade. Some stars forever fall.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Homebrew: Magic Items, Monsters, Spells, Subclasses
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If there was no light, people wouldn't fear the dark.
Word to the wise, don't try to shame people into doing what you want with weak manipulative techniques and gas-lighting.
No one is going to cite a random post on the interwebs as their carte blanche to ignore AL rules in an official AL event, because 1. that would be dumb; and 2. the players could complain, and that DM would no longer be allowed to run officially sanctioned AL games.
Your inability to understand why I am not obligated to do so, nor why it would matter if I did, already makes me the "better man", since that seems to be really important to you.
So, in response to your request, I will channel my inner Captain America and say, "No, I don't think I will." In closing... I don't work for you.
"Orcs are savage raiders and pillagers with stooped postures, low foreheads, and piggish faces with prominent lower canines that resemble tusks." MM p245 (original printing)
You don't OWN your books on DDB: WotC can change them any time. What do you think will happen when OneD&D comes out?
I'm new to DMing and this thread is really amazing and definitely mirrors the advice that my friends have given me when it comes to DMing. I find that I am struggling a little (mostly cause I did a homebrew), I always feel better about it when my players finish the session by telling me that they really enjoyed it. I 100% second the advice in this thread , especially those that focus on fun at the table. I went into this as a player who really enjoyed the game and wanting my friends to experience a shared interest, and I love being able to create and share the world in my head.
Thank you to everybody who's been posting onto this, this community is so focused on helping, its truly amazing.
Thanks for the tips, and resources! Even with a couple years of GM/DM experience, helpful info is always useful.
I will add re voices, accept your players may not want to roleplay social encounters at all, they may not want to overt roleplay there own inter party stuff. I know of at least one DM who expected a session of roleplaying with party members out meeting new people, talking about what had happened, sharing character stuff only to get 10 mins in and have a table of players looking at him to feed them the next thing to hit. Find out what your party wants and realise there are a multitude of different ways to Der n der.
I have a tabaxi in one of my current parties, when she rolls low for investigation or perception I spend a few seconds describing how she suddenly became fascinated with a patch of light, a piece of thread or saw a mouse and had an urge to see where it went.
My players actually have told me they prefer sometimes rolling low and failing because my descriptions as to why get some great chuckles. Like the minotaur Barbarian who rolled a 1 when searching for a library, he found himself in a children’s book shop convinced that the BBEG was called spot. He then started reading aloud for the children, got a nat20 on his performance roll and made 3 silver from the owner for drawing in so many customers. Then, asked a child about the strange symbol he had wanted to look up in the library, rolled a 3 for trying to remember the image and got thrown out for drawing lewd pictures for a child. A 5 min Segway that my party loved.
Great job on the list. I'm a newer dm with 20-30sessions under my belt and I keep trying to absorb info to become increasingly better at it. Good to know I'm doing a few things right and can improve with these good tips. Thx to contributors as well, every bit helps and makes it more fun for everyone.
Ok, just to start, this ENTIRE thing is practically about letting the players have freedom. Besides, you already should apologize, but it isn't a big deal. Oh, and for the record, I'm using this to teach as a professional, so I know what I'm talking about.
Love it guys. big-headed DM's are the worst but you also MUST be careful to hold onto a little control because you don't want things to get out of hand. That can be as not-fun as restricting everything. Use authority but not power. Be careful to be kind in your directions and actions but you still need the players to understand that they can't have everything they want. ya know?