Burning Questions: What's the Worst Thing a DM Can Do?

dave2008 · Sep 18, 2018

While in general I agree with most of your points, I have in issue with your example for issue #3. A lack of energy is never fun, but simply reading the box text does not denote a lack of energy.

Nagol · Sep 18, 2018

The absolute worst thing a DM can do is interfere with player decisions wrt his character. Saying "Your character doesn't do that" or even "You feel X" better have a strong in-game reason that becomes apparent to the players. The player gets exactly one chararacter (subject ot the game type), the DM has innumerable. The player gets to decide how the chatacter feels and acts.

ajevans · Sep 18, 2018

Some DM's fudge dice rolls, right or wrong is a different argument, however the DM letting it become apparent that they are fudging dice rolls is the worse thing!

Nagol · Sep 18, 2018

ajevans said:
Some DM's fudge dice rolls, right or wrong is a different argument, however the DM letting it become apparent that they are fudging dice rolls is the worse thing!

If a DM is fudging, I find it much better to be done in the open with the players in the know than trying to perform it surreptitiously

Rya.Reisender · Sep 18, 2018

Nagol said:
The absolute worst thing a DM can do is interfere with player decisions wrt his character. Saying "Your character doesn't do that" or even "You feel X" better have a strong in-game reason that becomes apparent to the players. The player gets exactly one chararacter (subject ot the game type), the DM has innumerable. The player gets to decide how the chatacter feels and acts.

I would agree to this except for the "You feel X" part. The DM is eyes, ears, nose and skin for the PC and needs to transfer the knowledge of seeing, hearing, smelling and feeling to the player.

ajevans · Sep 18, 2018

Nagol said:
If a DM is fudging, I find it much better to be done in the open with the players in the know than trying to perform it surreptitiously

I think we may be talking at cross purposes. By fudging I mean the DM rolling the dice then pretending a different result was rolled.

Rya.Reisender · Sep 18, 2018

Nostalgia Ward said:
A major emphasis or strict adherence to specific rules. I love the mechanics of D & D as much as the next guy, but an over emphasis on rules can render an otherwise fun adventure tedious.

I'm the opposite. I need a DM that absolutely strict with the rules and doesn't add any house rules (and rulings only when he can provide a source e.g. a tweet by Jeremy Crawford). I want to play the game as it was intended by the creators and not what the DM likes it to be.

The DM insists upon railroading the players and not accounting for their ingenuity.

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Yeah, it sucks that on occasion, the players will completely bypass that insane dragon encounter you spent all afternoon building, but you have the ability as a DM to improvise right along with them and figure out a way to work that encounter back into a new path. As a DM, always has a contingency plan for unexpected player action. It doesn’t always work, but at least we have fun.

Depends for me. I think a DM doesn't need to accept everything. Like if the players are like "Let's not pursuit evil and instead let's run a bakery!" I think it's okay to tell them that's not going to happen in your games. Even dungeon order is okay to be railroaded by the DM (though of course it's cooler if the players at least think they are making that decision themselves), since going to a dungeon that's not too hard and not too easy is also in sake of maximizing fun.
However, smaller things like the players coming up with unique ideas to resolve the problem that the DM doesn't expect at all - here I'd say a good DM needs to be flexible and work with the player's ideas.

A lack of energy in the game.

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Simply reading the box text of an adventure, without emotion or flair, puts me to sleep. The DM’s job is to engage the players. Without engagement, the game is boring and easily

Sure a good DM is a great roleplayer. I'm not, but I tell my players that ahead of time (when recruiting them). I definitely read all box text of an adventure by the word. I find that's important because it might contain hints that I as DM didn't even recognize but my players might.
I don't think that's one of the worst things a DM can do.

The DM gives special treatment to another player.

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This has ruined far too many games in my own experience. The party is a team with each member possessing their own strengths and flaws and I’ve always had more fun when the party functions as a team, rather than individual units.

Yeah, that's pretty much a no-go. I agree with that.

For me the worst things are:
1. House ruling
2. Inability to properly interpret rules and make use of Sage Advice when in doubt
3. Hiding rolls / fudging dice
4. Not putting much effort into the game / lack of dedication (aka when I feel I invest more than the DM does)
5. Telling players what their PCs do (unless it's a spell effect)

Maxperson · Sep 18, 2018

Rya.Reisender said:
I would agree to this except for the "You feel X" part. The DM is eyes, ears, nose and skin for the PC and needs to transfer the knowledge of seeing, hearing, smelling and feeling to the player.

I think he means something like, "Your character feels worried about the Mayor's daughter."