D&D General DM Authority

[Charlaquin]

Nope. Scenarist writes at most a synopsis or outline; the playwrights craft the dialogue and work out the specifics.

I don’t know if that metaphor really works either, because the DM is “writing the dialogue” for all but the characters the players control, as well as deciding the results of all of the characters’ actions. Also, while opinions differ on how much of an outline the DM should prepare, I think the general opinion is that a plot outline tends to infringe on player agency.

I do like the term “scenarist” though. It jives well with my preference that the DM prep scenarios as opposed to plots. They set the initial conditions and the rules for how the world will respond to the players’ actions, and the “plot,” such as it is, is the emergent results of the players actions and the natural consequences of those initial conditions and rules governing the environmental responses to those actions.

I particularly like the way Griffin McElroy put it, by proxy via the character the TAZ crew decided to call Jeffandrew: “Whenever we make a world, we’re… guessing, mostly. We’re- we’re putting some English on a ball that will roll and roll for eons, and we hope that it lands somewhere good.”

 

[DND_Reborn]

We have to teach DMs and players to recognize when they are not a match and to separate once that happens during Session zero.

The problem many newbies face is they don't know until they play for a while--heck, it even happens to veterans. shrug

So, IMO, it doesn't have to happen at session zero, but it will likely happen at some point, and then is when the conversation needs to take place or DM/player can simply part ways.

Players need to feel empowered to leave if that type isn't to their liking.

If they don't feel empowered to leave, they likely have other things to work on. It isn't an issue of "empowerment" but choice. A player can always quit a group if they want to. Even friends don't have to play together to remain friends. I have one guy who left our group because he got tired of the house-rules. No problem. If he ever wants to rejoin he can. He is still my friend and I don't take it personally, it is just he wants a simpler game than I want to run.

Another player was going to DM (other issues prevented it) and I encouraged him to throw the house-rules out since it was his first DMing experience and running a more RAW game would be better for him to learn with. I suggested he invite the other player back since this would be a house-rules free game and that is what he wanted. If he ever gets to run his game, I hope the other player returns as he is a friend.

Finally, there is a point of accepting when the game isn't quite to your liking and when it is completely not what you want. I think, by far, most players end up in games that have something they don't like about them.

For people who are timid, shy, or such and don't feel comfortable speaking up for themselves, I'm sorry but that is on them--I am not a mind reader. I ask if my players are okay with X and Y and Z, but if a player doesn't speak up when they aren't, I can't help them. I give them the chance in what I hope is a comfortable and safe atmosphere, but that's about all I can do.

 

[prabe]

I do like the term “scenarist” though. It jives well with my preference that the DM prep scenarios as opposed to plots. They set the initial conditions and the rules for how the world will respond to the players’ actions, and the “plot,” such as it is, is the emergent results of the players actions and the natural consequences those initial conditions and rules governing the environmental responses to those actions.

That was kinda what I was thinking of, but I couldn't think of a good word for what the players are doing, because I think they're the ones turning the scenarios into stories, even if the DM is supplying dialogue for NPCs.

 

[Charlaquin]

That was kinda what I was thinking of, but I couldn't think of a good word for what the players are doing, because I think they're the ones turning the scenarios into stories, even if the DM is supplying dialogue for NPCs.

Yeah. It’s tricky to try and frame what D&D is in terms of traditional storytelling because that just isn’t how the game works. It’s closer to like... Improv, where the DM is the one supplying the actors with the scenario they’re acting out. The players are the Who’s Line Is It Anyway cast and the DM is Drew Carry, maybe? Does that scan?

 

[DND_Reborn]

The players are the Who’s Line Is It Anyway cast and the DM is Drew Carry, maybe? Does that scan?

It is pretty close, since Drew awards the "points" for the actions the players take. The only thing missing is in the shows the players are actually doing things and in D&D the players are telling what they are doing and rolling dice...

 

[prabe]

Yeah. It’s tricky to try and frame what D&D is in terms of traditional storytelling because that just isn’t how the game works. It’s closer to like... Improv, where the DM is the one supplying the actors with the scenario they’re acting out. The players are the Who’s Line Is It Anyway cast and the DM is Drew Carry, maybe? Does that scan?

The comparison works about as well as anything else is likely to. I've described the experience as being like simultaneously reading and writing the story, with the gestalt vibe of playing in a band, but ... I suspect that two of those three things are outside the majority of people's experiences, which makes it not a useful comparison.

 

[Oofta]

Yeah. It’s tricky to try and frame what D&D is in terms of traditional storytelling because that just isn’t how the game works. It’s closer to like... Improv, where the DM is the one supplying the actors with the scenario they’re acting out. The players are the Who’s Line Is It Anyway cast and the DM is Drew Carry, maybe? Does that scan?

I was just going to say the same. I set the stage, provide the props, feed the players lines and they riff on it.

Of course for some people with DM's that have posted to this thread it might be more like Survivor.

 

[Don Durito]

Any advice on how to do that?

For me, I have a wiki type campaign documents in Obsidian Portal*. In it I have an intro page that describes what type and style of campaign I'm going to be running with a short intro story and a "current situation" and a link to the known timeline. I also have links to character creation guidelines and restrictions, other links include the pantheon of the region, maps and so on. It would take a while to read everything if people are interested so I do a quick "what I do" on the invite/intro post or email. If it's not clear that I value RP and story from everything, it should be.

But even with all of that, hundreds of words if not thousands I'm sure I don't communicate everything. How could I other than to stream some of my old games?

*Not the greatest site in the world, but I've been using it for a while now and transferring all my info would be painful.

One shots with pregens before character creation. Nothing communicates play like play.

 

[DND_Reborn]

Of course for some people with DM's that have posted to this thread it might be more like Survivor.

I wonder who that could be...

 

[prabe]

I wonder who that could be...

I'm going to presume it's someone @Oofta is disagreeing with, but I'm not going to ask for more specificity than that.