D&D General The DM Shortage

[Paul Farquhar]

In fairness, you don't need to go that far with it. While I have done maps and such in the past, recently when we play online (because players are sick) I just run things ToM and use the VTT primarily for dice rolling and automation. It might not be quite as cool as when I had maps, but it's almost as good and a ton less work for me.

The thing with me is I'm very visual. We usually talk about "visual learners", but of course it applies to communication in the other direction as well. So I love maps and artwork, and use them all the time, both with tabletop and a VTT. If it's just talking my concentration wanders and I lose track (even if it's me doing the talking). And unfortunate weakness for a teacher!

 

[Greg Benage]

I'm surprised to hear so many people suggest that VTTs add a lot of work for them. I'm not exactly tech savvy and it's so easy and convenient it would have set my teenage heart aflutter.

At the risk of confirming my priors, I think the shift from dungeons to more plotted, narrative adventures have made it harder. Dungeons were the killer app of D&D and, I think, one of the reasons it established and maintained dominance in the hobby. For most players, narrative adventures are more challenging to create, more intimidating (especially for new DMs), and more difficult to run (at least with a level of game-mastery that avoids turning them into railroads).

My take: Dungeons with some narrative context (see Phandelver) are the way, but we've lost our way. That said, this ain't a new problem, so maybe it's just something to get used to.

 

[Fanaelialae]

The thing with me is I'm very visual. We usually talk about "visual learners", but of course it applies to communication in the other direction as well. So I love maps and artwork, and use them all the time, both with tabletop and a VTT. If it's just talking my concentration wanders and I lose track (even if it's me doing the talking). And unfortunate weakness for a teacher!

Fair enough.

Have you considered using premade maps? Dyson Logos did a ton of fantasy battle maps a while back that I think were available on DriveThruRPG (just as an example). I wouldn't be surprised if other options exist. It might be interesting to see if there are any AI map makers out there for general use (I'm not aware of any ATM).

 

[Ruin Explorer]

The thing with me is I'm very visual. We usually talk about "visual learners", but of course it applies to communication in the other direction as well. So I love maps and artwork, and use them all the time, both with tabletop and a VTT. If it's just talking my concentration wanders and I lose track (even if it's me doing the talking). And unfortunate weakness for a teacher!

That's genuinely really interesting. Despite being pretty good at art (and particularly drawing stuff in front of me, esp. people), I definitely conjure the world in my mind very easily with words/mental images without needing that stuff, in fact I find detailed colour maps to be an actual problem/distraction (!!!).

I feel like if we really want to make people better at DMing and teach DMing better we're probably going to need someone academic to actually study this kind of thing! WotC's got the money to back studies like that, maybe they should think about it.

Because I suspect we're both decent DMs, but in very different ways, and when learning to DM, very different skills and so on would have benefited us.

I do remember that even when I was brand-new in 1989, I was already better at improvisational DMing than the more experienced DMs I was playing with (which is part of why I ended up as the "main" DM), which suggests maybe an element of talent rather than skill.

Dyson Logos

Now that guy make some maps I can get along with. Beautiful black and white and not overdetailed but also they do have real vibes to them.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Have you considered using premade maps?

Sure. But I can't resist tinkering with them anyway. Show me a black and white map and I get out my colouring pencils.

I quite enjoy arts & craftsy stuff anyway. I have been known to paint sometimes.

 

[Art Waring]

Unless you happen to pick the right adventure, you're going to be expected to absorb a lot of poorly-organised, poorly-presented material, and further, in some cases you'll have to deal with huge and unnecessary gaps in the adventures/campaigns (which again, other RPGs just don't have).

Absolutely agree with everything you are saying, with the caveat that there are exceptions to every rule.

Rifts, for example, IMO had much much worse pre-written adventures than d&d, to the point of being unuseable.

Juicer Uprising: Yes it has an "adventure" in the back of the book, but barely anything is actually statted or written out, it is basically just a written narrative that you are supposed to follow until you reach the end, nevermind if players stray from the adventure (its written as a hard railroad), its all on the GM to prep everything.

Coalition War Campaign: These were possibly the worst of the lot, with a pre-written narrative the players are expected to follow on the rails (and the outcome of the adventure series spanning multiple books is already pre-determined and the players have no way to change it as it is written in the books, the coalition always wins). Significant lack of details and organization, again expecting the GM to do all the work.

By comparison, even some of the worst d&d modules are kinder to GM's in terms of story, guidance, stats, and campaign details.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

I feel like if we really want to make people better at DMing and teach DMing better we're probably going to need someone academic to actually study this kind of thing! WotC's got the money to back studies like that, maybe they should think about it.

Now that is a good thought! There must be a few PhD theses in that!

 

[Greg Benage]

In fairness, you don't need to go that far with it. While I have done maps and such in the past, recently when we play online (because players are sick) I just run things ToM and use the VTT primarily for dice rolling and automation.

I'm not even sure what people are talking about when they talk about "making maps." I grab a map from a five-room dungeon or Dyson Logos, upload it, and do the dynamic lighting. The latter isn't fun, but it's literally "tracing," and as long as I stick to smaller dungeons, it's fast and easy. Then I just have to drag-and-drop monster tokens from by compendium. When I think about the hours and hours I spent making dungeons in the 80s, really, it's a kind of magic.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

Rifts, for example, IMO had much much worse pre-written adventures than d&d, to the point of being unuseable.

Oh god I'd FORGOTTEN ARRHRHRHRHGHHGHGHGHGHGH

You are absolutely right though. So let's be clear I'm only talking most, I retract my "every" statement. God man argh those were bad.

 

[DarkCrisis]

Back in the day you made an offering to the DM of a $5 Footlong Subway sandwich.

But you have all grown entitled and arrogant. Believing your worth as a player is equal to that of the Dungeon Master! The Master!

Now the offerings, if any are had, are bits of left over Halloween candy or perhaps a fun size bag if Doritos.

Well no more!

Takes away all the DMs and Summons a fiery mountain and throws it at the game store

Watches as the surface of the gaming world changes in the wake of the devastation and watches as people are forced to play Shadowrun and Vampire the Masquerade instead.