D&D 5E 9 Things "Pro" DMs Do That You shouldn't

[Charlaquin]

A new DM is basically a deer in the headlights (I certainly was) so anything that made DMing seem doable was a godsend. And yes after a while I grew comfortable enough to have an opinion, but really having ”actual play” examples was so helpful.

I remember when I first starting out I found some local groups on Meetup and of course they weren’t accepting more players (so why list on Meetup??). So I asked if I could sit in on a session just to see how the game works in action. I got no response, lol.

So yeah, for those of us coming to the game cold, having pros show some of the ropes is amazingly helpful.

I don’t disagree, actual plays are great for that.

I really don‘t understand the handwringing, this is the absolute best of times for D&D.

Think of it less as handwringing and more as advice. If you’re a new player just looking for examples of gameplay, without the experience to be able to evaluate what the DM is doing well and what they aren’t… advice like “9 things a lot of pro DMs do but you probably shouldn’t” is probably useful to you, whereas it would not be to someone who already has an idea what they like and dislike about their favorite streamers’ techniques.

 

[Guest 7034872]

A new DM is basically a deer in the headlights (I certainly was) so anything that made DMing seem doable was a godsend. And yes after a while I grew comfortable enough to have an opinion, but really having ”actual play” examples was so helpful.

Though I've played for a while now, I started DMing only this past March and I absolutely agree with this ^^. I do think I'm gradually starting to get the hang of it, but it's a slow process for me and in those first few sessions I was royally lost.

The advice in the OP's video strikes me as probably mostly solid, but I think Mort and others have said the real truth of it: learn to read the room and try to give the players something they'll really enjoy. That's become my goal each week, anyway.

But your advice in that final sentence is the biggest one for me: there's no substitute for learning by experience.

 

[Scott Christian]

This list is ridiculous. All of those things have their place, and many are time dependent, meaning you can do them in small doses.

This list, and thread, seems like yet another thread that tries to break down art; like a freshman art critic breaking down a Monet one week and then a Rodin the next week, and then a Bach song the next week. Just silly. And with titles like that it is even sillier. Opinions clothed as officers of legitimacy.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

If ALL the players are happy, sure. But that's not really what the problem is.

It's when a few talkative players just keep talking endlessly and the rest (likely the majority) just get pushed out and get bored.

I mean, if that’s the intent…the list has terrible wording.

The video somewhat less so, but it still comes across differently from what you seem to have taken from it.

Sure, but a critical eye requires a certain amount of experience to develop. I have enough experience as a DM to recognize when Matt Mercer makes a call I wouldn’t. A brand new DM probably doesn’t.

IME new DMs are more likely to go too big the first time out than to be meek about having opinions on how to run the game. I think every new DM I’ve seen in the last decade or so has run their first game with a specific list of what optional rules are in play, and with at least one house rule.

This list is ridiculous. All of those things have their place, and many are time dependent, meaning you can do them in small doses.

This list, and thread, seems like yet another thread that tries to break down art; like a freshman art critic breaking down a Monet one week and then a Rodin the next week, and then a Bach song the next week. Just silly. And with titles like that it is even sillier. Opinions clothed as officers of legitimacy.

I was trying to be more diplomatic than this, but yeah, qft.

 

[Mort]

This list is ridiculous. All of those things have their place, and many are time dependent, meaning you can do them in small doses.

This list, and thread, seems like yet another thread that tries to break down art; like a freshman art critic breaking down a Monet one week and then a Rodin the next week, and then a Bach song the next week. Just silly. And with titles like that it is even sillier. Opinions clothed as officers of legitimacy.

And yet, quite a large # of people have looked at the points and said "yeah, that sucked when it happened in my game..."

So your mileage may vary.

 

[Scott Christian]

And yet, quite a large # of people have looked at the points and said "yeah, that sucked when it happened in my game..."

So your mileage may vary.

Very true. Tables are different. And when the exact same thing happens to those people with a different DM they might be like, "That was cool."

Again, I can write a blog about how to roll dice properly and a bunch of people will agree. Some will disagree. As I said, it is opinion, aka - mileage does vary.

 

[Reynard]

, I can write a blog about how to roll dice properly and a bunch of people will agree. Some will disagree.

Palm up. Obviously.

 

[Mort]

Very true. Tables are different. And when the exact same thing happens to those people with a different DM they might be like, "That was cool."

Again, I can write a blog about how to roll dice properly and a bunch of people will agree. Some will disagree. As I said, it is opinion, aka - mileage does vary.

It is opinion, but not quite like rolling dice.

With rolling dice, as long as they land on a flat surface, how they got there, really doesn't matter (though I will say, IMO, elaborate dice towers are cool for about 5 minutes - then they get old and take too long).

Here, most of these - yes you can do it, but unless you (the DM) know the pitfalls, you can EASILY get into a situation where players are just not digging it.

You yourself said, "in small doses." New, inexperienced DMs aren't going to know what doses to use. Once you get experienced you can bend/break all sorts of "rules" and ensure things go smoothly, or even better.

 

[Charlaquin]

IME new DMs are more likely to go too big the first time out than to be meek about having opinions on how to run the game. I think every new DM I’ve seen in the last decade or so has run their first game with a specific list of what optional rules are in play, and with at least one house rule.

Yeesh. That seems crazy to me. You shouldn’t go messing with an engine before you understand how it’s designed to work.

 

[Scott Christian]

It is opinion, but not quite like rolling dice.

With rolling dice, as long as they land on a flat surface, how they got there, really doesn't matter (though I will say, IMO, elaborate dice towers are cool for about 5 minutes - then they get old and take too long).

Here, most of these - yes you can do it, but unless you (the DM) know the pitfalls, you can EASILY get into a situation where players are just not digging it.

You yourself said, "in small doses." New, inexperienced DMs aren't going to know what doses to use. Once you get experienced you can bend/break all sorts of "rules" and ensure things go smoothly, or even better.

C'mon the dice rolling is hyperbole. You know that.

The point is any DM can try these at any time and sometimes they work and sometimes they do not. It is an artform. And sometimes, with certain tables, it works, and other times, with other tables, it doesn't.

It is NOT a to do and not to do list. That is what I meant by the art critic analogy.