Comments on: The Five Maxims of the Dungeon Master http://www.dungeonmastering.com/tools-resources/the-five-maxims-of-the-dungeon-master The D&D Blog Wed, 17 Mar 2010 01:36:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: DandDGuy http://www.dungeonmastering.com/tools-resources/the-five-maxims-of-the-dungeon-master#comment-9625 DandDGuy Mon, 16 Nov 2009 05:13:42 +0000 http://www.dungeonmastering.com/?p=2559#comment-9625 Number 4 is right dead on, DND in any form 3rd ED, 4th ED, or any earlier editions of the game need thought and preparation and are not computers the Game evolves and changes over time and it is defiantly Not a machine that you can turn ON and OFF at will. Number 4 is right dead on, DND in any form 3rd ED, 4th ED, or any earlier editions of the game need thought and preparation and are not computers the Game evolves and changes over time and it is defiantly Not a machine that you can turn ON and OFF at will.

]]> By: Day DM http://www.dungeonmastering.com/tools-resources/the-five-maxims-of-the-dungeon-master#comment-9619 Day DM Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:58:57 +0000 http://www.dungeonmastering.com/?p=2559#comment-9619 i got a jerk on the table the thing is he says it's fine that he is a jerk. man i'm going to kill that player. over and over. I'll keep in mind what you said. anyways thank you. i like the first one it gave me a flash back to a time when i was playing and that what we did everyone fit the role in the party. and we had fun. and the undead thing. that make me smile. you are mad man of thoughts i may just use that. i got a jerk on the table the thing is he says it’s fine that he is a jerk. man i’m going to kill that player. over and over. I’ll keep in mind what you said.

anyways thank you. i like the first one it gave me a flash back to a time when i was playing and that what we did everyone fit the role in the party. and we had fun.

and the undead thing. that make me smile. you are mad man of thoughts i may just use that.

]]> By: Nicholas http://www.dungeonmastering.com/tools-resources/the-five-maxims-of-the-dungeon-master#comment-9618 Nicholas Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:49:22 +0000 http://www.dungeonmastering.com/?p=2559#comment-9618 @Day DM: Usually I have players make their characters together, it makes them a lot more likely to make complementary characters. Another way of dealing with it is to introduce a threat greater and more evil than the evil characters. In one of my games the party does not get along at all, but the land they live in is overwhelmed with undead. In any other situation they would not be seen together, but they have banded together to survive. The characters argue sometimes, but it would be too dangerous to split up. One more thing. There are people who make characters who are jerks, like rogues who constantly rob from the party. Then when they piss everyone off they'll say "I'm just playing my character". That's not an excuse! If you make a character who will purposely ruin everyone else's fun at the table that you are the jerk, not your character. @Day DM: Usually I have players make their characters together, it makes them a lot more likely to make complementary characters.

Another way of dealing with it is to introduce a threat greater and more evil than the evil characters. In one of my games the party does not get along at all, but the land they live in is overwhelmed with undead. In any other situation they would not be seen together, but they have banded together to survive. The characters argue sometimes, but it would be too dangerous to split up.

One more thing. There are people who make characters who are jerks, like rogues who constantly rob from the party. Then when they piss everyone off they’ll say “I’m just playing my character”. That’s not an excuse! If you make a character who will purposely ruin everyone else’s fun at the table that you are the jerk, not your character.

]]> By: Day DM http://www.dungeonmastering.com/tools-resources/the-five-maxims-of-the-dungeon-master#comment-9617 Day DM Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:39:18 +0000 http://www.dungeonmastering.com/?p=2559#comment-9617 so i'm running my game (DnD) and i keep having one problem that hurts the group on being a team. they are mix of evil people with good people. can anyone give me tips on how to get my team of players together? i know if i say they all come the same village and have some little background slips that makes them close in there background (ex: "player to the 3th right of DM and the player to the 1 left of the DM, when were kids stole a house for the local farm, later after there fun with the house there mothers fond them and they were in big trouble") they work better together. but if i let them make there oun background they all just want to kill one another. i mean WTF? can some one shot me some tips? so i’m running my game (DnD) and i keep having one problem that hurts the group on being a team. they are mix of evil people with good people.

can anyone give me tips on how to get my team of players together?

i know if i say they all come the same village and have some little background slips that makes them close in there background

(ex: “player to the 3th right of DM and the player to the 1 left of the DM, when were kids stole a house for the local farm, later after there fun with the house there mothers fond them and they were in big trouble”)

they work better together. but if i let them make there oun background they all just want to kill one another. i mean WTF? can some one shot me some tips?

]]> By: Nicholas http://www.dungeonmastering.com/tools-resources/the-five-maxims-of-the-dungeon-master#comment-9603 Nicholas Sat, 14 Nov 2009 23:36:29 +0000 http://www.dungeonmastering.com/?p=2559#comment-9603 @GroovyTaxi: That's always a tough one because you can't know until you've played with them before. I'm lucky that the group I usually run if pretty flexible, but I still have to be aware of what they will enjoy and how much they will tolerate. @GroovyTaxi: That’s always a tough one because you can’t know until you’ve played with them before. I’m lucky that the group I usually run if pretty flexible, but I still have to be aware of what they will enjoy and how much they will tolerate.

]]> By: Yax http://www.dungeonmastering.com/tools-resources/the-five-maxims-of-the-dungeon-master#comment-9602 Yax Sat, 14 Nov 2009 23:29:00 +0000 http://www.dungeonmastering.com/?p=2559#comment-9602 @ GroovyTaxi: that one is right on. Same thing for the setting or theme - some players want to smash things, others like investigation style games. @ GroovyTaxi: that one is right on. Same thing for the setting or theme – some players want to smash things, others like investigation style games.

]]> By: GroovyTaxi http://www.dungeonmastering.com/tools-resources/the-five-maxims-of-the-dungeon-master#comment-9601 GroovyTaxi Sat, 14 Nov 2009 23:24:35 +0000 http://www.dungeonmastering.com/?p=2559#comment-9601 Here's another one : Make sure your players have compatible tastes. It's what kills every single game I make, because my usual group of players is always arguing and fighting (one of them goes with the ''we're not here to have fun, we're here to play D&D!'' mentality, while the rest just wants to laugh and tell jokes while rolling dice). We can have much more fun if I just match players with other players that have the same vision of D&D. Here’s another one :
Make sure your players have compatible tastes. It’s what kills every single game I make, because my usual group of players is always arguing and fighting (one of them goes with the ”we’re not here to have fun, we’re here to play D&D!” mentality, while the rest just wants to laugh and tell jokes while rolling dice). We can have much more fun if I just match players with other players that have the same vision of D&D.

]]> By: Yax http://www.dungeonmastering.com/tools-resources/the-five-maxims-of-the-dungeon-master#comment-9600 Yax Sat, 14 Nov 2009 21:01:11 +0000 http://www.dungeonmastering.com/?p=2559#comment-9600 Anyone has maxims or guidelines they use that aren't here? I could throw one out there: always assess if all players are involved and are having fun. Anyone has maxims or guidelines they use that aren’t here?

I could throw one out there: always assess if all players are involved and are having fun.

]]> By: Bartoneus http://www.dungeonmastering.com/tools-resources/the-five-maxims-of-the-dungeon-master#comment-9599 Bartoneus Sat, 14 Nov 2009 19:41:56 +0000 http://www.dungeonmastering.com/?p=2559#comment-9599 Some great advice and baselines for DMing, great work Nick! I especially like the suggestion of thinking about how a monster like a goblin would react with all of its family/friends dying around it, something which I think a lot of DMs would improve leaps and bounds by doing - putting themselves in the shoes of the monsters/characters they're playing. As for the last one, a great suggestion to always keep in mind! I would also throw in something intriguing, interesting, and unexpected even if you never planned for it - such as if a large explosion or loud noise sounds from inside of the throne room, and the adventure ends as the PCs enter the room. They will hopefully be excited to figure out what happens, and if you didn't figure it all out yet you should have at least a week to hammer things out before the next session. Some great advice and baselines for DMing, great work Nick! I especially like the suggestion of thinking about how a monster like a goblin would react with all of its family/friends dying around it, something which I think a lot of DMs would improve leaps and bounds by doing – putting themselves in the shoes of the monsters/characters they’re playing.

As for the last one, a great suggestion to always keep in mind! I would also throw in something intriguing, interesting, and unexpected even if you never planned for it – such as if a large explosion or loud noise sounds from inside of the throne room, and the adventure ends as the PCs enter the room. They will hopefully be excited to figure out what happens, and if you didn’t figure it all out yet you should have at least a week to hammer things out before the next session.

]]> By: Nicholas http://www.dungeonmastering.com/tools-resources/the-five-maxims-of-the-dungeon-master#comment-9597 Nicholas Sat, 14 Nov 2009 18:06:27 +0000 http://www.dungeonmastering.com/?p=2559#comment-9597 I'm best at knowing my weaknesses. Every time I plan a game I set a goal to improve something I haven't been good at. For instance, try to make better use of traps, have monsters with more personality, or include more roleplaying encounters. As much as I like cliffhangers myself, it's something I'm bad at doing. If I planned something as a single session, episodic adventure then I always want to get through it in one session. That doesn't always work out. I’m best at knowing my weaknesses. Every time I plan a game I set a goal to improve something I haven’t been good at. For instance, try to make better use of traps, have monsters with more personality, or include more roleplaying encounters.

As much as I like cliffhangers myself, it’s something I’m bad at doing. If I planned something as a single session, episodic adventure then I always want to get through it in one session. That doesn’t always work out.

]]>