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DM Prep Work Leading To Burnout: Help?
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<blockquote data-quote="GVDammerung" data-source="post: 3613854" data-attributes="member: 33060"><p>I hear you and feel your pain. My suggestion - Use any and every option you want or your players want. Then -</p><p></p><p>1) Learn just enough about the options in actual use not to appear totally uninformed, if you chose a particular option;</p><p>2) If a player chose the option put the total burden on the player to explain it to you and everyone else until everyone is clear, especially you;</p><p>3) Make a crib sheet that lists the salent points of the options your players will expect to see in action and generally how;</p><p>4) Announce very, very prominently that you like templates (and not just for monsters but for magic and environments too) and will be using them - alot;</p><p>5) Then run the game pretty much any way you want, fudging what you want to fudge, but recalling the crib sheet list and keeping a good record of the big fudges you pulled.</p><p></p><p>If you do this right, your players will not only not know that you are fudging but will consider you a brilliant DM who is fair (remember that crib sheet and fudge record!) but also highly innovative and prep time drops to 1E levels.</p><p></p><p>Now, there are those who have decided that "fudging" in 3X is off limits and that 3X should be played like Star Fleet Battles with endless resort to rule books for justification for any ruling or occurence. Show those so and sos the door. My game. My rules. You want to see behind the DM Screen? Fine. You DM. Otherwise, play my game and and if I entertain you and if you have fun, continue to play with me.</p><p></p><p>In a way, its sort of like going to see Penn and Teller. If they entertain you and if you have fun at one of their shows, you will be willing to go to see them. But they are not going to tell you how they did what they did. You don't have that right. Just as you have no right as a player to have a DM explain why the game went the way it did. Or if you think so - hit the bricks. There's more players than DMs. DMs choose. Players are chosen.</p><p></p><p>And a bit of historical perspective is not out of order. OD&D's rules are so light DMs had to regularly fudge or house rule any number of situations. 1E hardly changed this. 2e was a bit more solid. 3X is so solid that its feet are set in stone, or so many would have you believe.</p><p></p><p>What I'm suggesting? Play 3X rules with a 1E elan. Seems I've heard something like that from some publishing companies even.</p><p></p><p>Don't let the 3X rules lawyers get you down. As a DM, you are in the drivers seat in terms of rules application and being the scarcer commodity than players. So drive already! </p><p></p><p> <img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devious.png" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":]" title="Devious :]" data-shortname=":]" /> <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" /> <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite8" alt=":D" title="Big grin :D" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":D" /></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="GVDammerung, post: 3613854, member: 33060"] I hear you and feel your pain. My suggestion - Use any and every option you want or your players want. Then - 1) Learn just enough about the options in actual use not to appear totally uninformed, if you chose a particular option; 2) If a player chose the option put the total burden on the player to explain it to you and everyone else until everyone is clear, especially you; 3) Make a crib sheet that lists the salent points of the options your players will expect to see in action and generally how; 4) Announce very, very prominently that you like templates (and not just for monsters but for magic and environments too) and will be using them - alot; 5) Then run the game pretty much any way you want, fudging what you want to fudge, but recalling the crib sheet list and keeping a good record of the big fudges you pulled. If you do this right, your players will not only not know that you are fudging but will consider you a brilliant DM who is fair (remember that crib sheet and fudge record!) but also highly innovative and prep time drops to 1E levels. Now, there are those who have decided that "fudging" in 3X is off limits and that 3X should be played like Star Fleet Battles with endless resort to rule books for justification for any ruling or occurence. Show those so and sos the door. My game. My rules. You want to see behind the DM Screen? Fine. You DM. Otherwise, play my game and and if I entertain you and if you have fun, continue to play with me. In a way, its sort of like going to see Penn and Teller. If they entertain you and if you have fun at one of their shows, you will be willing to go to see them. But they are not going to tell you how they did what they did. You don't have that right. Just as you have no right as a player to have a DM explain why the game went the way it did. Or if you think so - hit the bricks. There's more players than DMs. DMs choose. Players are chosen. And a bit of historical perspective is not out of order. OD&D's rules are so light DMs had to regularly fudge or house rule any number of situations. 1E hardly changed this. 2e was a bit more solid. 3X is so solid that its feet are set in stone, or so many would have you believe. What I'm suggesting? Play 3X rules with a 1E elan. Seems I've heard something like that from some publishing companies even. Don't let the 3X rules lawyers get you down. As a DM, you are in the drivers seat in terms of rules application and being the scarcer commodity than players. So drive already! :] ;) :D [/QUOTE]
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