The Single Most Important Rule in Dungeons and Dragons
A lot of my posts are simply me barfing up words into a blog to straighten out my thoughts on a topic. For instance, you could read what I thought about running a thieves' d&d campaign to see how I was really just trying to wrap my own head around it, and see that the post really has no structure, no discernible style to it at all. In fact, you should probably do yourself a favor and read someone else's blog in additon, if you really want some good advice on running a rogue's campaign.
This time, though, is a little different. I'm trying to put down the things that I do to make me the marginally successful DM that I am, and hopefully someone, anyone who ever reads this will appreciate my efforts. In this case, I attempted to quantify what I thought would be the most important tip or trick I could possibly share, and after going back and forth, and renumbering the list, I landed with this one, single, cardinal, canonical, most important, absolutely critical rule that every dungeon master, game master or any random dude with a screen to hide behind must remember:
HAVE FUN
Well, that sounds easy, of course it's fun.
Of course. Of course you all think this is supposed to be fun. That's why you gathered up your cheetos and mountain dew and are sitting around a table staring at each other hoping to have a great time. But trust me, if you aren't careful, this simple concept will simply slip out of your grasp.Frustrating Rolls
When someone isn't having fun at the table, it can spread to the remainder of the table like some odd disease that infects the people around them. It's a fact, though, that all players should have to deal with, that sometimes things just don't go well. And as more and more 1's pop up on the D20, a player character can think the fates have aligned against them, and their frustration, borderline anger, about the situation can start to bleed through their role playing and affect how everyone at the table is enjoying the game. As the game master, it is your responsibility to keep that under control. If a player is having a really rough time, that's their own problem to deal with, but once it starts to affect other players, then it is time for you to step in. There are a few things you can do, my personal favorite is humor. Referencing Yakity-Sax is always a good one, and encouraging the player to embrace the bumbling nature of bad luck they were experiencing will go a mile. Another option is to relieve the stress on them. If there is a pile of opponents in front of them, allow some of them to be distracted and pushed to combat another character. Or, allow one of those opponents to stumble to give the player a one-round break. Lastly, something you can do is to actually fudge the numbers. I do not recommend this, but roll behind the screen, and just pretend success. In my opinion, that is going too far. Death, as the extreme result, is a real possibility every player should be aware of. Fudging it ruins the game to some degree. Still, if it is really bad, go ahead, fudge it once or twice, just don't make a habit of it.
Pacing the Game
Boredom is a real thing. If you've spent five straight minutes with a single player, and someone across the table is playing with their phone, texting, yawning, or otherwise indicating that they are bored, then you are failing to pace the game properly.
First, you should pay attention to the non-verbal cues that your players are giving you. It's quite simple to sometimes get wrapped up in the action at the moment, and that's fine, but you should look around and make sure everyone else is as sucked in as you and a single player are. Second, you should make an effort to bring every character into every encounter. Sometimes the party gets split, sure, but otherwise you should encourage everyone to take part. It's very simple to just ask a player who hasn't spoken about a task yet: "what do you think you would do to help this?" or: "What will you be doing when they execute their plan?" Whatever you do, get everyone engaged.
Frustrating Scenarios
In a future post, I will make the point that it is one of the hallmarks of a good DM is that sometimes his players lose. That can be very difficult for players to deal with, but it is your job as the DM to make sure that they get through the frustrating pieces and carry on having fun with dungeons and dragons. How is the only question, and there is no easy answer. The best way to do it is to make a profit for the players following their loss. First, you could end their loss with the characters gaining an ally, or finding a new resource, so their is a bright-side to their frustrating, no-win scenario. The better option is to actually make it a profit for the players, not the characters. A loss is a loss for characters, and bright-siding everything that happens is being dishonest the brutal realities of the world. But, if you can make the storytelling engaging and wrap the loss into a grander scheme, it will take a frustrating piece, and make it, in the long-run, that had a few of their friends not died, had they not lost their money, had their tank not drowned in a river under the weight of his armor, the story would not have been as fun as it ended up being. That is how you know you did it right.
Frustrating Characters
In the players' handbook, there is a great story about a fighter with terrible rolls, and how it would still be fun to role play it. Yeah, we as DM's see that opportunity. But players, as their fighter with a 9 strength continues to deal 3 damage at a time while they watch the dwarf carving a path through kobolds with his broadsword can make them not feel special, to feel a little jealous, and to resent his die rolls a little bit. So what do you do to stop his frustration from bleeding out into the table? Two options. You allow him to commit some kind of altruistic suicide. Have the character sacrifice himself to save the group, or have the character take one for the team in another way (stay in a town and become an NPC training the villagers in how to properly hold a spear, for instance). Then the player gets to roll up a new one they can be more comfortable with. The second option is straight abandonment. This is what I choose, though I do keep track of the old character as an NPC. In this case, the player looks around at the scenario that they are in, and finds a story-point way to bring in a new character. A current example with the Mürmaids is our second session (soon to come). As they were all introduced to the game with pre-rolled characters chosen randomly from a pile, it would make perfect sense that they might want a new character now that things are moving along. So at the beginning of the second session, I have rolled up a new sheet for the dwarf captive who surrendered, and they will be entering the hide-out of a band of river-pirates, where they could choose from any number of first level characters to start over with.
This sounds all shining-happy-people-holding-hands, right? Well there is a cost. I never allow a player switching characters to do so at the same level they are dropping off. I usually draw the line 3 levels at a time. While the party average is 1-3, new characters always come in at level 1. 3-6, all new characters are level 3. 6-9? Level 6. I also use this rule for character death, so all players are familiar with it, and have to think about dropping their 3rd level fighter for a first level thief.
Frustrating Players
There's nothing good about this one. There are a lot of things a player can do to be disruptive. Texting, not paying attention, making people uncomfortable in any way, being a whiny little B....the list of possible things a player can do to ruin a game is limitless. There are 2 options....warn them, then fire them. Tell the player in a one-on-one (never in front of the rest of the group), that their behavior is not okay, and that it is having an impact on the other players. If it continues after the warning, then you just have to bite the bullet and not invite them back. It would be best if you dont mention to the remainder of the group that someone became un-invited, and just answer "where's bob?" with "he couldn't make it," or "i'm not sure." If the rest of the players start to say let's invite him back, maybe he didn't know, then you have a barometer reading to see that maybe Bob didn't bother everyone like you thought he did. Invite him back, apologize for leaving him off the latest invite, and carry on with your day. But, chances are you won't be having that as a problem, since as a good DM, you are monitoring your players, and chances are you aware that they are bad for the team.
Keep Having Fun
Nothing is more important than this. And it is what you should always remember. Nothing is more important. So keep it up. And if you had fun once, don't let the campaign die, and make it fun next time again, by scheduling your next session as soon as possible.
No comments:
Post a Comment