10 Tips to Being a Better Dungeon Master – A Dungeons and Dragons Guide

SomthinClever · May 15, 2019

10 Tips to Being a Better Dungeon Master – A Dungeons and Dragons Guide

Hey, guys! I'm back. Hope everyone is having a good week.

Anywho, I've published a new D&D article. This time around, I have some tips and tricks for how to be a better dungeon master.

If you guys could provide me with some feedback or additional tips, I would greatly appreciate the constructive criticism.

Have a good day, everybody!

https://www.gametruth.com/guides/10...-dungeon-master-a-dungeons-and-dragons-guide/

Mort · May 16, 2019

SomthinClever said:
Hey, guys! I'm back. Hope everyone is having a good week.

Anywho, I've published a new D&D article. This time around, I have some tips and tricks for how to be a better dungeon master.

If you guys could provide me with some feedback or additional tips, I would greatly appreciate the constructive criticism.

Have a good day, everybody!

https://www.gametruth.com/guides/10...-dungeon-master-a-dungeons-and-dragons-guide/

I like 9.5 of your 10 suggestions.

The .5 is the critical fumble. I like the suggestion about making a miss memorable, you should have hit, but by some fluke you missed!

But I hate critical fumble rules. You punish characters, particularly melee characters, extra severely, just for doing their thing (and since they're the ones in the thick of it, the fumbles happen to them the most).

Take hopping on one foot, as a result of stubbing your toe. Does that mean disadvantage on attacks? You've just hamstrung the fighter's effectiveness until he recovers.

This is just my opinion, of course.

BookBarbarian · May 16, 2019

Mort said:
This is just my opinion, of course.

It's my opinion too actually.

As is enjoying the rest of it.

It's your best work yet, SomethingClever

Gradine · May 16, 2019

The key to approaching critical fumbles is to read the room. Often times critical fumbles add an element of slapstick to a combat. Would that be appropriate to the situation? Then embellish to your heart's content! Would slapstick instead be a significant tonal shift? Best to avoid. Tone is something that is often very particular to a group, and even changes scene-to-scene.

One thing I'd avoid codifying is a critical fumble table. This takes away from your ability to control the tone associated with a fumble. The other thing I'd avoid is trying to suss out the direct mechanical implications of every critical fumble. A critical fumble doesn't always have to result in damage, or a status condition, or disadvantage, etc. It's enough, when they're appropriate to use in the first place, for the result of the fumble to just be highly embarrassing. That can be memorable in its own right.

Of course, ideally a critical fumble changes the situation of the combat in such a way that clever combatant (on either side) can then take advantage of. Perhaps the barbarian missed and driven their greataxe into a tree so hard it takes a greater degree of effort to dislodge it (a not uncommon trope in fictional combats). Before the barbarian removes it, your Monk can attempt to use the exposed handle as a stepping stone, leaping into the air to grapple the giant bat fluttering just out of reach. Critical fumbles can shatter cover, create difficult terrain, etc.

ccs · May 16, 2019

I dislike the crit fumbles/failures.
But that's because I actually don't like crits - either good or bad. I don't like the idea that there's something more special (beyond always succeeds/always fails) about rolling a particular # that has the exact same odds of occurring as the other 18.
Nor do I buy the crap about crit failures being extra punishing to the players, particularly those who make more rolls. Consider: those same players are perfectly willing to accept extra positives 5% of the time.

Pre-rolling.

Look, part of this game IS rolling the dice. Even though I'm the DM I still enjoy rolling the dice at the table come game time. Initiative, Saves, To-Hits, skill checks, etc. And I roll in the open using bright yellow dice so that the results can be seen.
Besides, me pre-rolling would be really poor form. Afterall, if a player came to the table with pre-rolled results I wouldn't accept it. Why in the world should the reverse be true?
Because of this? Our stories have taken dramatic & surprising swings as the dice gods have given their input spur of the moment.... For Ex: In the last PF campaign I ran, the grand finale boss fight - that was going to be sooo epic & cool & really test the heroes, etc - ended in the 1st round. PC1 casts a spell/uses effect & can bypass Spell Resistance. Boss will Save on a 2+. A 2+! I roll a 1. Boss has the means to re-roll any one save. I roll another 1!

Players almost die laughing. Campaign wraps up. That is not quite how I'd envisioned that scene going.... I hear about my epic failed boss save about every three sessions. This will continue until approximately the heat death of the universe.
This story would not be possible with pre-rolling as I'd roll those 1s in the Saves column & then do everything in my power {wich as I'm the DM, is considerable) to not have them apply to the same effect.

SomthinClever · May 16, 2019

Mort said:
I like 9.5 of your 10 suggestions.

The .5 is the critical fumble. I like the suggestion about making a miss memorable, you should have hit, but by some fluke you missed!

But I hate critical fumble rules. You punish characters, particularly melee characters, extra severely, just for doing their thing (and since they're the ones in the thick of it, the fumbles happen to them the most).

Take hopping on one foot, as a result of stubbing your toe. Does that mean disadvantage on attacks? You've just hamstrung the fighter's effectiveness until he recovers.

This is just my opinion, of course.

Hey, Mort. Thank you for the feedback! Everyone seems to unanimously dislike fumble rules, lol. I'll make sure to take that to heart. I'm glad you liked the guide though!

SomthinClever · May 16, 2019

ccs said:
I dislike the crit fumbles/failures.
But that's because I actually don't like crits - either good or bad. I don't like the idea that there's something more special (beyond always succeeds/always fails) about rolling a particular # that has the exact same odds of occurring as the other 18.
Nor do I buy the crap about crit failures being extra punishing to the players, particularly those who make more rolls. Consider: those same players are perfectly willing to accept extra positives 5% of the time.

Pre-rolling.
Look, part of this game IS rolling the dice. Even though I'm the DM I still enjoy rolling the dice at the table come game time. Initiative, Saves, To-Hits, skill checks, etc. And I roll in the open using bright yellow dice so that the results can be seen.
Besides, me pre-rolling would be really poor form. Afterall, if a player came to the table with pre-rolled results I wouldn't accept it. Why in the world should the reverse be true?
Because of this? Our stories have taken dramatic & surprising swings as the dice gods have given their input spur of the moment.... For Ex: In the last PF campaign I ran, the grand finale boss fight - that was going to be sooo epic & cool & really test the heroes, etc - ended in the 1st round. PC1 casts a spell/uses effect & can bypass Spell Resistance. Boss will Save on a 2+. A 2+! I roll a 1. Boss has the means to re-roll any one save. I roll another 1! Players almost die laughing. Campaign wraps up. That is not quite how I'd envisioned that scene going.... I hear about my epic failed boss save about every three sessions. This will continue until approximately the heat death of the universe.
This story would not be possible with pre-rolling as I'd roll those 1s in the Saves column & then do everything in my power {wich as I'm the DM, is considerable) to not have them apply to the same effect.

Hey, CCS. I see your point about pre-rolling. I was on the fence about placing that tidbit in my guide, because I often feel as you do. That being said, I just felt like it was a concept many DMs don't consider. I figure it is better to know your options. Plus, my friends tend to enjoy pre-rolling. But, I honestly agree with you most of the time. The gambling thrill of rolling die is kinda the whole point!

aco175 · May 16, 2019

I had a simple rule in 3e where a crit allowed you to make another attack and a fumble made you skip one attack. It worked and was easy to play, but seemed to lack the big number of crits some of the characters had.

SomthinClever · May 16, 2019

Gradine said:
The key to approaching critical fumbles is to read the room. Often times critical fumbles add an element of slapstick to a combat. Would that be appropriate to the situation? Then embellish to your heart's content! Would slapstick instead be a significant tonal shift? Best to avoid. Tone is something that is often very particular to a group, and even changes scene-to-scene.

One thing I'd avoid codifying is a critical fumble table. This takes away from your ability to control the tone associated with a fumble. The other thing I'd avoid is trying to suss out the direct mechanical implications of every critical fumble. A critical fumble doesn't always have to result in damage, or a status condition, or disadvantage, etc. It's enough, when they're appropriate to use in the first place, for the result of the fumble to just be highly embarrassing. That can be memorable in its own right.

Of course, ideally a critical fumble changes the situation of the combat in such a way that clever combatant (on either side) can then take advantage of. Perhaps the barbarian missed and driven their greataxe into a tree so hard it takes a greater degree of effort to dislodge it (a not uncommon trope in fictional combats). Before the barbarian removes it, your Monk can attempt to use the exposed handle as a stepping stone, leaping into the air to grapple the giant bat fluttering just out of reach. Critical fumbles can shatter cover, create difficult terrain, etc.

Hey, Gradine! Thanks for your thoughts. I like where you are going with this. I think you should read the room. Honestly, reading the room can wisely apply to a whole bunch of things in D&D.

SomthinClever · May 16, 2019

BookBarbarian said:
It's my opinion too actually.

As is enjoying the rest of it.

It's your best work yet, SomethingClever

Hey, Barbarian! Awh, thank you. That means a lot. I hope I'm at least not getting worse, lol. I'll be back when I have another interesting idea for a guide. If you have any ideas you would like to see, feel free to message me.