What is the #1 most important thing to remember about DMing?

[Raven Crowking]

Wait, what? Earlier games where I was told if I don't follow the letter of the rules I'm not playing the game the way it's intended? Those games? Where you had the creator of the game, not once, but repeatedly stating that changing rules, and not playing the official game was wrong?

That book?

No idea what that book is. None that I have ever read.

 

[pming]

Hiya.

Wait, what? Earlier games where I was told if I don't follow the letter of the rules I'm not playing the game the way it's intended? Those games? Where you had the creator of the game, not once, but repeatedly stating that changing rules, and not playing the official game was wrong?

That book?

IIRC, I don't remember anything saying "you were wrong" if you did something different. If you changed stuff, then, yeah, you weren't playing the game as written; that's kinda the point. That every campaign was different, but every campaign had a skeleton upon which other DM's of other campaigns could relate. I used to LOVE hearing from other DM's about there campaigns! So much variety, creativity and uniquness...even upon simple things like how many coins weighed 1 lb. Each DM's campaign was different, as was each DM's way of running the game. Nobody was "right" or "wrong", and nobody cared. If some DM's game had things you felt were silly or outright 'dumb', you simply didn't play with that DM. No harm, no foul. Nowadays? If I start to talk about, say, letting people buy Feats (3.5e) with XP, 25% say "Cool", 25% say "Cool, but not for me.", and 50% jump up and down screaming "WTF?!? You can't do that! It will wreck the whole game! You're an idiot!".

...give me the old days when I "wasn't playing AD&D" after changing a few rules, thanks.

^_^

Paul L. Ming

 

[Jimlock]

ok... a lot of good points have been covered here already...and since ppl have given more than one advice in different posts...i'll share all i have to say in one...

1. LOVE YOUR NPCs AS MUCH AS YOUR PLAYERS LOVE THEIR PCs

2.DON'T BE AFRAID TO ROLEPLAY A FEMALE NPC. IF ANY OF YOUR PLAYERS DOESN'T "LIKE" YOU ALLREADY... YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE A PROBLEM!

3.BE A BAD DM...IN HOPES THAT SOMEDAY... SOMEONE WILL VOLUNTEER TO TAKE YOUR PLACE...(because he considers you incompetent) AND YOU MIGHT ACTUALLY GET A CHANCE IN YOUR LIFE TO PLAY AS A PLAYER...

and the golden rule now....

ALWAYS ROLL DICE BEHIND YOUR SCREEN WHEN DICE ROLLS ARE NOT REQUIRED...
surely one of your players will say "what the f**k is going on now???" keeps them on their toes...

 

[ExploderWizard]

/Begin Derailment

It's funny how we're not supposed to take game designers at their word because they don't know how their game might work at a specific table.

But, bring up the idea that an author doesn't hold final say on how a work is "supposed" to be interpretted and watch what happens.

/end derailment.

Why on earth would you think that having a different opinion on a subject than a game designer is equilvalent to thinking that he/she is lying?

If a game designer writes material that I find doesn't add positively to my game and I decide to discard or change it, that doesn't mean I think the designer was being dishonest or trying to sabotage my game.

As to your second point I don't get your meaning. An author only has control over what is presented (and not really 100% if an editor gets the final say). Interpretation is completely in the hands of the readers.

For example, if I write a post here and it offends someone then all I can do is clarify my meaning and express that my intentions were never meant to be offensive. As the author of the material I don't get to tell a reader that they are not allowed to be offended because I am the writer of the material and have final say on any opinions it is supposed to generate.

 

[Raven Crowking]

Can someone XP Exploder Wizard for me? "For good sense!"

 

[Oryan77]

Can someone XP Exploder Wizard for me? "For good sense!"

I was going to xp him just to tell him that he offends me when he doesn't post. But I gotta spread the xp around too. Dangit. Rather than clarifying when he does post, I'd like some clarification for when he doesn't post. I find it highly offensive.

 

[Hussar]

Why on earth would you think that having a different opinion on a subject than a game designer is equilvalent to thinking that he/she is lying?

Who said anything about lying? Oh, I see, literal reading of "take their word". Sorry, wasn't meant to be presume they are lying.

If a game designer writes material that I find doesn't add positively to my game and I decide to discard or change it, that doesn't mean I think the designer was being dishonest or trying to sabotage my game.

See above.

As to your second point I don't get your meaning. An author only has control over what is presented (and not really 100% if an editor gets the final say). Interpretation is completely in the hands of the readers.

For example, if I write a post here and it offends someone then all I can do is clarify my meaning and express that my intentions were never meant to be offensive. As the author of the material I don't get to tell a reader that they are not allowed to be offended because I am the writer of the material and have final say on any opinions it is supposed to generate.

Wasn't specifically targeted at you. There have been all sorts of threads on En World about how authorial intent is the only "true" interpretation of a work. RC has repeatedly stated that in Tolkien threads, just as an example I can think of off the top of my head.

For the record, I totally, 100% agree with you. Authorial intent is bogus and largely irrelevant when discussing a work. Yet, any time a work of fantasy is brought up in threads, you will see people holding up authorial intent as the final word in any interpretation of a work. That was my somewhat tongue in cheek meaning here.

As far as "No idea what that book is. None that I have ever read. " I suggest that RC go back to the 1e DMG and early Dragon magazines that he loves to quote all the time. Since what I said is almost word for word taken straight from either of those sources.

 

[Fifth Element]

As far as "No idea what that book is. None that I have ever read. " I suggest that RC go back to the 1e DMG and early Dragon magazines that he loves to quote all the time. Since what I said is almost word for word taken straight from either of those sources.

To be fair to RC, Gygax did tend to contradict himself, and say different things at different times in different places.

 

[Hussar]

To be fair to RC, Gygax did tend to contradict himself, and say different things at different times in different places.

Now that's true. I was just reacting to the idea that EW put forth that earlier books were somehow more "tinker friendly" in their writing. Opaque rules, rules that were rarely, if ever actually followed (take a look at the chart for determining the xp value of creatures and then look at the actual xp values given for creatures and you'll see what I mean - at least in 2e (not sure about 1e) the chart and the actual xp values were pretty far apart), and rules that quite often contradicted other rules do not make for a "tinker friendly" environment.

 

[Fifth Element]

Now that's true. I was just reacting to the idea that EW put forth that earlier books were somehow more "tinker friendly" in their writing. Opaque rules, rules that were rarely, if ever actually followed (take a look at the chart for determining the xp value of creatures and then look at the actual xp values given for creatures and you'll see what I mean - at least in 2e (not sure about 1e) the chart and the actual xp values were pretty far apart), and rules that quite often contradicted other rules do not make for a "tinker friendly" environment.

I'd agree with that.

One I noticed today is that for the Climb Walls ability, the PHB says to assume that the thief reaches the midway point safely before making a check to see if he falls, while the DMG says to make sure to check for every round of climbing.