How to get better at describing actions, not rolls

redrick said:

As for the DM describing PC actions. This is something I probably do more than I should. My wife, who does not play D&D, sat in on a few sessions I ran, and I remember her calling me out on it. ("You shouldn't tell them what their characters are doing.") After reading iserith's admonitions against this type of behavior in another thread, I've been trying to pay attention to it in my game.

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I think it's one of those things you don't notice yourself doing until someone tells you about it or until you see it done in another game. For me, it was watching actual play podcasts. If you're anything like me, you can't un-see it so now I notice it all the time. It's maddening!

iserith said:

I think it's one of those things you don't notice yourself doing until someone tells you about it or until you see it done in another game. For me, it was watching actual play podcasts. If you're anything like me, you can't un-see it so now I notice it all the time. It's maddening!

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That's why I can't watch those things. They drive me nuts.

iserith said:

I think it's one of those things you don't notice yourself doing until someone tells you about it or until you see it done in another game. For me, it was watching actual play podcasts. If you're anything like me, you can't un-see it so now I notice it all the time. It's maddening!

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I've even seen Matthew Mercer do it on Critical role plenty of times. And while I think he is a great DM (especially when it comes to a show that needs to be fun for people watching it), whenever friends bring him up as a great example for how to be a DM, I always caution them to please do their own thing. Learn from what he does well, but don't copy everything he does (or what he does less well).

Adjectives are your friends. Start writing down some and use them as "word of the day/campaign", that when used provide experience. Soon your players will start using them, because there is a reward for using them.

Example:
To Hit becomes slash, cut, stab, thrust, strike, bash, club, etc.
To intimidate becomes stare down, snarl, insult, growl, etc.

Now it is also up to them DM to let players know some of this stuff by just providing information during the encounter...You know from your background that orcs can be intimated by good insults, it is sort of a hello and good manners to do so but warning, lame insults can get you killed. Another way is punching contest, lift your chin to take a blow, if you remain standing the orc will respect you and expect you to hit them back, just wait for the lifted chin.

Do it the old school way! Just increase DCs by 15 and they'll eventually learn to avoid rolling dice at all cost!