DM that never read the DMG

[IronWolf]

The purpose of reading the whole thing is not for instruction, but for information. For instance, a lot of situations can be confusing if you don't realize that Attack is a standard action listed in the combat chaper, which a lot of DMs don't realize. If you don't read the book, you won't know that, unless you ask someone who has.

Attack as a standard action is listed in the PHB. The handy table (well, the one I find handy) listing frequent standard actions and move actions is also listed in the PHB.

One can also pick up on a lot of the nuances by playing in several games or observing several games as well.

 

[radmod]

Another things is that you rarely see anyone pull out the DMG during a game but you certainly do the PHB! And I'm not even talking about spell reference.

I've done this a long time so whenever the DMG came out I would peruse it but rarely use/refer to it. So a player well versed in the rules doesn't really need it, except, of course, the magic items unless he does his own thing.

Also, unless he's well versed in the rules, the "Starting an Encounter" section is something that should be read.

The only thing absolutely essential though is the condition summary. That's about the only time many of the experienced DMs ever refer to it.

 

[pawsplay]

I've consulted the DMG for XP for encounters, PC Wealth by level, NPC Wealth by level, and various other things. The DMG does give you CR, ECL, EL, APL, and LA.

 

[radmod]

I've consulted the DMG for XP for encounters, PC Wealth by level, NPC Wealth by level, and various other things. The DMG does give you CR, ECL, EL, APL, and LA.

Right. Should've thought of that. I don't use CR/ECL/EL but for a relatively new DM, it's probably a must. Can't go TPKing the party in the first encounter, can we?

 

[Man in the Funny Hat]

I was just curious if it is odd for a DM who learned the rules by watching gaming sessions and reading the players handbook and monser manual and by just skimming for a couple key things in the DMG lke the xp table and the magical item to he never actualy read more than the first chapter of the DMG.

Yes, it is odd. I congratulate you on successfully running a game of which your players approve without needing to be more deeply versed in the details, but it is definitely a rare accomplishment and never something that should be recommended that anyone try.

All the gaming groups i've played with have never noticed that i never read the DMG and wen i told one of my players that i trust to DM in my absence, he was shocked and slightly angry about it.

If he's enjoyed your game up to this point he OUGHT to let it slide without too much comment. HOWEVER...

He probably has the notion as a result of your admission that you have almost certainly "cheated" him at some point out of sheer ignorance of rules.

What in the DMG is actually all that essential that isn't in the Players handbook? I mean i looked at the NPC classes and the prestige classes, looked at the traps, and took a quick check of the enviromental hazards and like hunger and such.

Put it this way:

When you agreed to run the game as DM the players had reasonable expectations that since they would be PLAYING the game under the restriction of certain rules as set forth in the PH and DMG that you would be RUNNING the game according to those very rules - or else you'd have informed them specifically what rules you were changing, adding, or omitting - and why. Players have a right to know that they're NOT actually playing by rules which they THOUGHT they were playing by, and instead are just having their DM make it all up as he goes. There is nothing wrong with running the game that way - but players have every right to feel betrayed if you admit that you routinely overlooked details of the game system that THEY thought they'd been operating by.

Better that you should KNOW the rules and CHOOSE not to use them for defensible reasons, than to not use them because you simply haven't bothered to know them.

Again, if your players have been enjoying your game they shouldn't care too much - but you do owe them an apology and an explanation of how you will/will not be running your game in the future.

 

[Summer-Knight925]

Rules in D&D are more like guidlines to help keep everything balanced and PCs alive...you dont really HAVE to do anything with the DMG other than xp, everything else is just nice to have...the idea is rules only the DM should know, mainly traps, and help for the DM, random encounter tables and the like

its all to help, so yeah....you can BS the whole thing and get away with it, if you do it right

 

[Greg K]

Based upon statements in forum discussions on several sites , I think that there are many DMs did that not read the DMG for 3.0 (and, probably, 3.5 as well).

 

[TheClone]

I have never read a DMG for a long time. But I dmed mostly non d20 Systems like Shadowrun, d20 modern or Savage worlds. Just this spring I read the 4e DMG 1, which was my first DMG ever. It does contain a lot of helpfull information, but reading it would not have prevent my cruel first sessions and not reading it did not prevent becoming a fairly good DM. But I'd definitely sugges reading it. It contains information for the beginner and advanced DM.

 

[BrickBronze_E-Genasi]

Yeah, i've read half of it now an havn't found anything that i didn't know befor hand. Everyone else in the gaming group didn't have any complaints about it and as for the encounter levels and such i like to through in some lower than average encounters and some encounters that the party will have to run from. Like i had them, while 3rd level meet up with a tarrasque that was fighting some Tyrannosaurus Rexs. One of them decided to stay behind to try and finish of the rexs after the tarrasque wounded them, but he got slaughtered.

I find it makes the world seem more real when they come across stuff that is outside their level range.

 

[Beginning of the End]

What in the DMG is actually al that essential that isn't in the Players handbook? I mean i looked at the NPC classes and the prestige classes, looked at the traps, and took a quick check of the enviromental hazards and like hunger and such.

The DMG is mostly advice, treasure lists, and XP. But there are a few valuable things tucked away in there:

PAGE 19-20: Diagonal movement, extended reduced speeds for encumbrance, aerial movement. Chase rules (don't get too excited).

PAGE 21: Bonus types.

PAGE 22: How to start encounters.

PAGE 28: Weapon size (extended charts).

PAGE 36-41: XP Awards.

PAGE 51-56: Treasure.

PAGE 59-62: Detailed rules for walls, floors, and doors.
PAGE 63-64: Detailed rules for stairs, bridges, pillars, tapestries, and pools.

PAGE 66: Cave-ins.

PAGE 67-76: Traps.

PAGE 76: Yellow mold, green slime, brown mold.

PAGE 86: Wilderness exploration rules.

PAGE 87-92: Detailed rules for forests (forest fires), marshes, hills, mountains (avalanches), deserts (sandstorms), plains, aquatic (underwater combat). All of this is more useful than you'd think.

PAGE 93-94: Weather.

PAGE 99-100: Siege engines.

PAGE 101: Cost to buy a building.

PAGE 104: Cohort and leadership rules.

PAGE 105: Cost of hireling services.

PAGE 107-126: NPC classes and pregenerated PC classes.
PAGE 127: NPC gear value.

PAGE 137: GP limit for towns.

PAGE 145-147: Asian, Renaissance, Modern, and Futuristic weapons.

PAGE 147-169: Planar Exploration rules.

PAGE 169: Alternative ability score generation.

PAGE 176-197: Prestige classes.

PAGE 199-206: Special cohorts, familiars, mounts, and animal companions.

PAGE 206-210: Epic characters (bleh).

PAGE 211-288: Magic items.

PAGE 289-299: Special Abilities
PAGE 300-301: Conditions
PAGE 302-303: Environmental Effects