Everything I Ever Learned About DMing I Learned From Comic Books

[Sammael99]

I kinda cringed when I read the title, but actually I very much agree, although I guess we all have different reference sources, and I guess I view super hero comics in a different light Actually, I probably haven't read the "good" superhero comics, and having been "schooled" in European Bande Dessinée, what I expect of a comic is now auite different...

That being said, the two things that made my DMing evolve a lot in recent years were World of Darkness games and Vampire in particular, which showed me that setting based RPGing with great NPC depth was not only possible but enjoyable, and Babylon 5.

Babylon 5 had this thing which I really enjoyed and now replicate in all long-term campaigns I run : multiple layers of story arcs. In each episode of B5, you had

* a short-term story arc, usually resolved in the episode and/or within two or three episodes, which keeps you watching until the end of the episode,

* a contribution, sometimes minute, sometimes more important, to the main story arc. Usually, you didn't understand the impact of that contribution until later, but it was easy to spot some of the significant elements...

I loved that. In my current campaign, usually every three or four sessions, my players sit down and try to sort out the plot elements and tie in various story lines. They do this unprodded : they WANT to understand. I just love that !!! Makes me feel like I've done my job properly

And these rare moments when they bang their foreheads and go "Of course ! Such and such was the guy behind that crime there ! It makes sense !" are just pure DMing bliss !!

 

[el-remmen]

Ennis' "Hit Man" Spoilers
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Of course, I'd love to run a comedic but dark game like Garth Ennis' Hitman (the best Ennis Title) - we all knew how THAT was bound to end, and yet we went along for the ride none-the-less and had fun.

If I can run a campaign where everyone knew they were going to die, but had fun anyway I would count myself a damn good DM.

 

[el-remmen]

I realize now that all of my PCs are either:

1) Wolverine
2) Captain America
3) Spider Man
4) Dr. Doom, or
5) Some combination of the above.

Well, whomever is playing Heydricus definitely has Wonderman on his list.

 

[Black Omega]

Well, whomever is playing Heydricus definitely has Wonderman on his list.

Talk about iconics, though. You don't get much more iconic than Contact's list, though Batman and Superman could be added as well.

For me it was all about the X-Men, I started reading comics with them and Chris Claremonts long soap opera plots. Not surpising all my early RP'ing was with Champions instead of D&D

 

[KidCthulhu]

Hey, Sagiro's Story Hour is a perfect example of this (whether he knows it or not). I was trying to figure out what about this story hour was so great t ome and then I realized - the heroes in his group remind me of the Avengers! They have a headquarters, a butler, a patron, they fly around the world saving people - they have characters that remind me Scartlett Witch and the Beast. It is great stuff!

This is really very true, Nem. Pkitty insists he became a Deadlands fanatic after reading the Jonah Hex series that came out a few years ago (Children of the Worm?).

But I don't see Scarlet Witch and Beast. Who's who? I bet Ernie is Cap!

 

[el-remmen]

Re: Re: Everything I Ever Learned About DMing I Learned From Comic Books

This is really very true, Nem. Pkitty insists he became a Deadlands fanatic after reading the Jonah Hex series that came out a few years ago (Children of the Worm?).

But I don't see Scarlet Witch and Beast. Who's who? I bet Ernie is Cap!

Well, I was thinking Dranko as the Beast - since he is kind of roguish, independent and ugly

And Morningstar with all her dreaming stuff reminds me of Scarlett Witch whenever they emphasize her mystical gypsy orgins.

And Kay - well, I guess she could be Ms. Marvel

Not sure who else would be who. . .

 

[Trevalon Moonleirion]

That's such a great observation nemmerle...I never realized that two of my greatest loves were related so closely...Now that just rocks! I'll have to be reading through my old comics to get some ideas going!

 

[barsoomcore]

you can really learn how to read your players and the story and know when to emphasize certain aspects and de-emphasize others -without ever having to get into a discussion about it.

Exactly. One thing I've learned is when to call "cut" on one scene or another -- leaving one player hanging while I move over to someone else for a while. The tension that can build is great!

One member of my party was recently arrested in a city that had just been subjugated by a rival nation. He was thrown in a cell with the woman who had come to get them all out of the city (now in a certain amount of chaos following the takeover). So of course the rest of the party has to break him out, and are thinking about waiting until 2AM or some such thing -- UNTIL they hear that a powerful sorcerer is coming to kill the arrested party member (insert very complicated back story here -- including part of a fractured soul of an ancient seeress that is currently lodged in the poor PC's head).

Then I cut to the prisoner and have the door blow open and aloha! there's the evil sorcerer. He uses sacrificial heart on their contact woman (which freaks out the whole party) and smiles at our poor hero.

NOW I cut back to the party and their efforts to get into the palace dungeons. I kept going back and forth -- they were going insane by the time we got to the big climax. Very amusing.

Dunno what that has to do about comic books. Oh, well.

 

[el-remmen]

That sounds like some great stuff Barsoom. . Do you write a story hour or campaign logs?

 

[barsoomcore]

Do you write a story hour or campaign logs?

There are campaign logs on the site (link in the sig) but I have been told that they are sufficiently lacking in detail so as to be incomprehensible to anyone who wasn't there. I'd like to put together more thorough material for Story Hour but honestly, I barely have enough time to make all this up, never mind writing it all down afterwards.

I would love some feedback on the campaign logs on the website, though. In case I do find myself strangely compelled to post Story Hour tidbits, I'd like to know where I need to expand things.

If you, unlike me, have a spare hour or so...