The idea of being a Dungeon Master in tablet RPG is understandable, amazing. A table full of people watching you constantly, listening to all your words, stumbling a bit in your well-built world with all the spherical semi-trailer tricks? Big nights are human measurements. But don't worry! You have this. We got it – together.
I'll tell you … The Three Golden Rules of DMing.
Not to mention, About Players
Say it with me, I wish Dungeon Master: it has nothing to do with you. It's tempting to think that because everyone is paying attention to you and listening to all your words, that the game is talking about you a lot. "No!" I say, beating your well-written world building without your well-made hand. It is not. It's about players.
Do your players want a crawler and a bet? Give them endless monsters and then write before a text says that it's when barbari lets crit and the goblin's head explodes in blood pressure when your ax slides through it, hitting the tree in the back until it picks up a large wood.
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Are they looking for a cleverly crafted storytelling with dozens of their favorite NPCs appearing every day? Draw that family tree and meat on that map, silencing your players in similar details what business does your family have in this city and how would you say your uncle was killed, right?
The fact is that most teams want your two mixes, in large or small quantities. Every team of players is different and they want different things. If you can give them what they want, they'll be happy. Happy players are happy people, and happy people bring snacks that you shouldn't pay for. If you find yourself frustrated because players don't do what you want – suck it. It's not about you.
Now don’t get me wrong: I’m not saying you don’t write a beautiful landmark or have handmade crafts. But what I'm saying is that if you only want players in your game to compliment your well-written pre-recorded world building, and they resent all well-written moments because all they want to do is put in the owl's chest and pull out the amulet sparkly, then you're in trouble. Change what you do, or go down and let someone else DM.
You have to prioritize players. They pass it, if not.
Stolen Everything, Never Apologize
Coming up with your own stuff is hard. There are so many stories here waiting to be told, and you're sure, you can tell. But you are a busy person and well worth doing. Fortunately, I found the answer: theft (also known as theft). To be clear: I strongly encourage you to steal other people's ideas and present them as your own.
She steals hesitantly. Theft on TV and in movies. He stole books and comics. Steals from another D&D game you watched on Twitch. Listen: just stop acting like two cute shoes and fuckin & # 39; t steal everything. Kill me seriously and it will make you a better Dungeon Master if you do this.
Take your favorite character to something you've read or watched and give them a sword instead of a gun. My! He got an NPC. Use that shocking twist from the end of your Favorite Crime Procedural Show, but put it in a quiet place or hamlet. My! You found a conspiracy. Maybe change the gender of the character or the name of the macguffin or something if you're worried that people will see it all. But my advice to you is that they will not, because they will be too busy enjoying it.
I once stole the entire Metroid Prime plan (great game! -Ed) and introduced it as my own every game. I even built maps by hand (I lived in high school and had a lot of time). You too can be this kind of disgusting and unrepentant thief, or as they are commonly known at the table, "good blood DM". And there's never been a better time to steal directly, with so many digital resources available – and for free.
In a recent D&D 5E game, my players investigate a shady shack outside the city. We were playing using a digital Roll20 tabletop, so I needed a background map to display. I don't have the time or skills to do it myself, but I had something else: to steal. There is a similar shack created by redneck mutant ogres in the Pathfinder adventure called R ise of the Runelords I had read earlier, so when I looked it up, I found that some kind soul on DeviantArt had made their own map, stole it, and uploaded it to Roll20.
Then I simply tapped (I stole) a Pathfinder adventure script that I had already put with my own monsters to fit the story I was telling. And no one was wise! So far, if you're reading this. Sorry for no regrets.
Don't worry, Keep Playing
No plan escapes the battle – and no building is heavy on the players. It's possible. Players will do what they like, put in an innocent voice you said to actually mean nothing, fix the details, or decide that your illegitimate ogre NPC should be bad because every ogre is bad (let alone racist people, Tom). Perhaps a question of rules would prevent a table from being pulled while dragging five more books from the shelf to the shelf.
This is happening and you cannot avoid it. The important thing to keep in mind is this: don't worry about it, and keep the game going. It is possible to recover from the lost trash in the game, but to my knowledge, once everyone is out of the main right area it is hard to pull them back. It's the way our brain works.
When it comes to a legal question that threatens to stop the game, control the players (okay!) But says "We'll talk about it after the game and decide how it will work next," and end the play. If you've hit a dead end with a subplot, be honest with your players. “I am not ready for anything in this forest,” he said. We'll have to get back to the next game, ”and continue playing. Being forward and transparent and consistent makes your games fun.
"But what if the players break my news and I'm investigating!" she says, whispering in the kitchen as she "fills your drink" for the eighth time in this hour. Roll about it, and add what players do to the adventure if they can. The players love this shit (yes you do, you players out).
Are they repaired in the NPC? Make them love to love it and brutally kill the NPC once they get stuck. Is one of them totally determined that this cleverly-formed rock rolled randomly at a loot table is magical? Make it magical. Okay! It doesn't have to be overpowered by madness: it's about having fun and feeling like their actions are important. (Later, make the main character steal the magic item.)
Don't be afraid to change the adventure written before. Your players will never know.
It's not always easy to just move your hand forward, because it can sometimes feel like a failure or you are doing your hard work underestimated (see Golden Rule # 1!). When I started DMing I was always going to get into some really boring rules with my high school friends, or throw some giant monsters at them by continuing from my Railroad for Hidden Control of Preparation.
It's something that takes time, and you'll get it if you keep trying, until you do it so well that no one notices it. And when everyone is so happy to realize that you are growing as you progress and in a state of infinite but invisible state of total shock, that is – when you know you are a very good DM.
Continuing learning
The internet is full of advice on how to be a good DM, and there is no one-size-fits-all solution. But it's not bad to read a lot, so if you're after some great places to start, let me show you some of my favorites.
Balance Tips: This is a weekly newsletter, partially inspired and curated, in which DMs ask questions and exchange tips. There are loads of randomly generated tables thrown around, new and exciting ideas for managing basic equipment, and tips on building a world, table setup and more. You can check it out here and browse the back stories here.
Dungeon Bastard: Bill “The Dungeon Bastard” Cavalier is a great read if you've been to the school's "DMB Attack of the Darkness", with a focus on the old school flavor, the monsters who smash gold when they die, well, the pit is crazy.
Gnome Stew: This blog is written by the Game Masters team and it's all about Game Mastering (no doubt). Take a look at this blog for some solid advice on a variety of topics – not all of them can work for you, but they are an excellent source.
Play Dirty: This book, written by John Wick, is one of my favorite services at DMing. I wouldn't recommend that the Dungeon Masters first jump into this book and apply all the advice right away, but once you've got your feet up, this book will show you how to get your players out from under them. It's a cruel read.
Tim Colwill is this one founder of Poy & Clickbait, a leading website about video games, and one of the creators of Ten Copper, a website about role-playing games, board games, and all tabletop. You can shout it out on Twitter here.
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