D&D 5E Your one best piece of GM/DM advice?

pemerton · Dec 6, 2016

There's a lot of advice that has helped me be a better GM.

Something I discovered for myself - always lead with your best material. Don't save it. Because if you use it, you've got a chance to make up new stuff (maybe even better!). But if you don't use it, the chance mightn't come around again.

The Human Target · Dec 6, 2016

pemerton said:
There's a lot of advice that has helped me be a better GM.

Something I discovered for myself - always lead with your best material. Don't save it. Because if you use it, you've got a chance to make up new stuff (maybe even better!). But if you don't use it, the chance mightn't come around again.

This I was just thinking about this as I prep for a new game.

I'm looking at all my random adventure/NPC/world detail notes from over the years and thinking "God, I have so much fun stuff in here I've never used. What am I saving it for?"

Good advice.

pemerton · Dec 6, 2016

The Human Target said:
Good advice.

Thanks!

Wednesday Boy · Dec 6, 2016

There's room for every single GM to improve. Regularly ask for honest session feedback from your players and strive to improve subsequent sessions based on their feedback. Not only does this help you improve your weak spots and illustrate what did not pan out and what your players do not enjoy, it communicates to you what you're doing that worked well and what your players enjoyed.

(And accept feedback--especially constructive criticism, amiably without taking offense. If your players are not comfortable with your reactions when critiquing you, they won't give you honest feedback. If you don't get honest feedback, you will overlook room for improvement.)

DM Howard · Dec 6, 2016

Don't be afraid to run the system that YOU (the GM) enjoy. Players should have input in the game played, of course, but the game cannot even begin to exist without GM buy-in.

robus · Dec 6, 2016

OB1 said:
Can't help myself, I've go to do two.

Best piece of philosophical advice - Know, understand, and play using the rules of the system you are running before you begin to break them.

Best piece of practical advice - Whether in ToM or Grid, any creature engaged with another at the border of an AoE spell is also affected by the spell. IE you can't place a fireball to hit the kolbold engaged with the fighter and not also hit the fighter.

Instead of saying no, why not set a challenge. It's a hard or very hard INT (or whatever) ability check to place the fireball just so. If you fail the fireball hits the fighter. Spell casters have too many fire and forget spells. Adding a skill roll can make it more fun for them.

Jeremy E Grenemyer · Dec 6, 2016

Keep your campaign world consistent with itself. Player immersion in the campaign is a big part of the fun when it comes to playing D&D.

manduck · Dec 6, 2016

Remember, it's not YOUR game. It's OUR game.

MechaPilot · Dec 6, 2016

kalil said:
Marry one of your players. Make new little gamers. We all need to man/woman up to keep the hobby alive!

Just remember not to give that spouse-player or his/her character special treatment in-game. If you want to give your spouse a +24 Godsword of Awesomeness, do it in real life, but don't give it to his/her character.