Comments on: 4 ways to leave a lasting impression on your players http://www.dungeonmastering.com/tools-resources/4-ways-to-leave-a-lasting-impression-on-your-players The D&D Blog Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:54:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: pete http://www.dungeonmastering.com/tools-resources/4-ways-to-leave-a-lasting-impression-on-your-players#comment-6099 pete Tue, 25 Nov 2008 18:20:23 +0000 http://www.dungeonmastering.com/?p=576#comment-6099 the next day i'd go rob an armored car. oh -wait that's already been done. the next day i’d go rob an armored car. oh -wait that’s already been done.

]]> By: Ethan http://www.dungeonmastering.com/tools-resources/4-ways-to-leave-a-lasting-impression-on-your-players#comment-4682 Ethan Wed, 23 Jul 2008 00:48:51 +0000 http://www.dungeonmastering.com/?p=576#comment-4682 As a DM, roll a d20, on an even, everyone takes 10d6 lightning bolt damage, no saving throw, on an odd, spawn a terrasque, or 6 As a DM, roll a d20, on an even, everyone takes 10d6 lightning bolt damage, no saving throw, on an odd, spawn a terrasque, or 6

]]> By: Kurtis http://www.dungeonmastering.com/tools-resources/4-ways-to-leave-a-lasting-impression-on-your-players#comment-4672 Kurtis Tue, 22 Jul 2008 16:42:45 +0000 http://www.dungeonmastering.com/?p=576#comment-4672 If you read anything I have written then you know that I have been DMing for (sigh) 20+ years. One thing that I came up with was a DM's challenge for the players. As we all have gone through a campaign where as Bitsy put it: my players become lethargic. The DM's challenge is that you have your circle of players each come up with 5 ideas for adventures that they would like to see in a game, then you have them all choose five ideas from the ones they came up with. Now you have 5 ideas that the players came up with, therefore they feel like they have had a roll in the creation of the campaign you now build around there ideas. In this way your players will be more engaged in the campaign waiting with baited breath (some needing breath mints) until there "adventure idea" comes up in the campaign. It also lets you use your intelligence and "time" to better use. If you read anything I have written then you know that I have been DMing for (sigh) 20+ years. One thing that I came up with was a DM’s challenge for the players. As we all have gone through a campaign where as Bitsy put it: my players become lethargic. The DM’s challenge is that you have your circle of players each come up with 5 ideas for adventures that they would like to see in a game, then you have them all choose five ideas from the ones they came up with. Now you have 5 ideas that the players came up with, therefore they feel like they have had a roll in the creation of the campaign you now build around there ideas. In this way your players will be more engaged in the campaign waiting with baited breath (some needing breath mints) until there “adventure idea” comes up in the campaign. It also lets you use your intelligence and “time” to better use.

]]> By: Norm http://www.dungeonmastering.com/tools-resources/4-ways-to-leave-a-lasting-impression-on-your-players#comment-4511 Norm Wed, 16 Jul 2008 20:21:24 +0000 http://www.dungeonmastering.com/?p=576#comment-4511 I have been DMing since I was 12 and I know that I have grown because of the various people that I have run games for. I have had a huge number of players over the past 20 years (wow just realized this is an anniversary year) and I can name each as well as remember something that they have done in a game. I make it a point to have the players write a history for their characters and then I will use some aspect at somepoint in the game. This really has helped bring backstories into the game and seems to bring the characters out of the paper and into technicolor. Many have been suprised that I would go to such links as to remember and include a minor portion of a characters history into a game that I am running. It's a lot of work but I can't run into even someone who has played just one with me and have them ask if I remember when . . . I know that it has been a long developement for my games and I am constantly refining them, but the goal is to have fun and nothing to me is as rewarding as having someone ask "Do you remember in youyr game when . . ." Thanks for the chance to share. I have been DMing since I was 12 and I know that I have grown because of the various people that I have run games for. I have had a huge number of players over the past 20 years (wow just realized this is an anniversary year) and I can name each as well as remember something that they have done in a game. I make it a point to have the players write a history for their characters and then I will use some aspect at somepoint in the game. This really has helped bring backstories into the game and seems to bring the characters out of the paper and into technicolor. Many have been suprised that I would go to such links as to remember and include a minor portion of a characters history into a game that I am running. It’s a lot of work but I can’t run into even someone who has played just one with me and have them ask if I remember when . . . I know that it has been a long developement for my games and I am constantly refining them, but the goal is to have fun and nothing to me is as rewarding as having someone ask “Do you remember in youyr game when . . .” Thanks for the chance to share.

]]> By: Ravyn http://www.dungeonmastering.com/tools-resources/4-ways-to-leave-a-lasting-impression-on-your-players#comment-4490 Ravyn Wed, 16 Jul 2008 07:54:53 +0000 http://www.dungeonmastering.com/?p=576#comment-4490 Bitsy: Meh, combat isn't the best part of the game for everyone. Some of us tend to wish it would all go away so we can get back to the interesting stuff; I'm as often as not one of the scariest people in my group when it comes to a fight, but I'd much rather be playing political games with the next group of condescending troublemakers or getting to know the nifty NPCs, and running mystery arcs or attempts to throw parties where I can play to my strengths. What I'd do: Try something really different. Two of the best-liked sessions in my game involved, respectively, fourteen high-powered individuals (including the PCs) playing high-stakes Calvinball, and the attempt to defend an abandoned city from invaders using only maintenance- and entertainment-specialized constructs. (I don't know which was more priceless, halting one of the invaders using Magitech DDR, or the staredown between another of them and the robo-potted-plant.) Ask them what they want. I wouldn't give it to them exactly as they expected, of course, but if there are elements they'd really like to see, it shouldn't be too hard to work them in. Give them world. If I don't have a vibrant place planned out for them to walk through, with a little bit of history to look into and at least something there they've never seen before, I need to be able to invent one. (At least that's the easy part.) Bitsy: Meh, combat isn’t the best part of the game for everyone. Some of us tend to wish it would all go away so we can get back to the interesting stuff; I’m as often as not one of the scariest people in my group when it comes to a fight, but I’d much rather be playing political games with the next group of condescending troublemakers or getting to know the nifty NPCs, and running mystery arcs or attempts to throw parties where I can play to my strengths.

What I’d do:

Try something really different. Two of the best-liked sessions in my game involved, respectively, fourteen high-powered individuals (including the PCs) playing high-stakes Calvinball, and the attempt to defend an abandoned city from invaders using only maintenance- and entertainment-specialized constructs. (I don’t know which was more priceless, halting one of the invaders using Magitech DDR, or the staredown between another of them and the robo-potted-plant.)

Ask them what they want. I wouldn’t give it to them exactly as they expected, of course, but if there are elements they’d really like to see, it shouldn’t be too hard to work them in.

Give them world. If I don’t have a vibrant place planned out for them to walk through, with a little bit of history to look into and at least something there they’ve never seen before, I need to be able to invent one. (At least that’s the easy part.)

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