D&D General Biggest DM regret

[Nevvur]

When I first started cutting my teeth on DMing 5e, I did it in Adventurer's League right when the system launched, weekly Expeditions at the FLGS for about 9 months. I had GM experience in 4e and other systems, studied the 5e texts before committing, and even now I recall the experience as generally positive. Met lots of new players and inducted dozens of them into the game. A couple of them are regulars at my table almost 5 years later.

There was one incident that sticks in my craw as the worst mistake I've ever made as a DM, however. A group of 4 high schoolers had arrived for this drop-in style of play. I'd had 3 older-aged regulars and 0 drop-ins before that, so it was a bit of shock. Still, 7 players = legal table, so I took it in stride and I feel like I handled it well.

On the last fight of the module, one of the brand new players landed a pretty hefty sneak attack against the boss with her rogue. DM fiat, this 'drew aggro' and his next attack would target her. It crit hit and maxed both damage dice, instant kill at level 1. During this particular phase of my DMing career, I was pretty anal about sticking to the rules and I rolled everything in the open, so I thought it would've felt squickier to retract than to confirm the kill.

The look of disappointment and confusion on her face haunts me to this day.

What's your biggest DM regret?

 

[Mycroft]

You didn't do anything wrong, but I can see how you would feel empathy for the crestfallen player. This is a tough one, do you go into fudging territory, and we know how those debates go...

 

[Shiroiken]

Since this was AL, you did the correct thing. A DM running a non-AL game has a lot of lee-way with the rules and even "fudging" dice. At an AL event, however, the DM is expected to be a neutral arbiter of the game. The only thing you could have done is explain that unfortunately death is a possibility in the game, especially at lower levels.

 

[jasper]

My biggest DM regret, not tossing the goobers aka problem beep due to social contract or just wanting to play.

 

[AriochQ]

The 5e insta-kill rule is problematic at first level. It makes more sense at level 2 or higher, but at level 1 it breaks down and just becomes a bad rule. I would guess 80-90% of the time I have had an insta-kill due to massive damage, it is against a level 1 character. I don't believe that is how they intended the rule to function. The interaction of monster damage and character hit points is most disproportionate at level 1, making the insta-kill somewhat random at first level. Getting insta-killed by an ancient red dragon is one thing, getting insta-killed by an orc just seems wrong.

 

[Mycroft]

The 5e insta-kill rule is problematic at first level.

The OP did not mention use of the death by massive damage variant.

 

[Doug McCrae]

Not putting more work into games that needed it. I'm a GM that benefits from high prep.

 

[AriochQ]

The OP did not mention use of the death by massive damage variant.

"It crit hit and maxed both damage dice, instant kill at level 1."

See above. If it was a normal hit, the character would have been making death saving throws. Also, it is not a variant rule. It is a base rule listed in PHB.

 

[Mycroft]

"It crit hit and maxed both damage dice, instant kill at level 1."

See above. If it was a normal hit, the character would have been making death saving throws. Also, it is not a variant rule. It is a base rule listed in PHB.

Ah, do you mean the rule where you die if you take enough damage to reach negative your hit point max?

 

[Oofta]

I hit basically the same scenario as the OP on my first AL game. I wouldn't do it again in a public game. I don't really care if "it's the rules" or not, in a public game you can't have a session 0 to discuss preferences on death and dying.

One hit dead is not fun for most people, we play the game for fun. So personally? I'd either just fudge the roll or ask the player what their preference was.