D&D General How to be a Not-Terrible DM: Thoughts on the Upcoming DMG

[KYRON45]

^^^This guy DMs.

I'm a mediocre DM at best.
One of my most recent players asked my why i wasn't more like Matt Mercer.
When i asked him why he wasn't more like Mercers players....he saw where he went wrong.

 

[KYRON45]

Not possible!

Allow me to introduce you to my friend, LOGIC!

1. People suck.
2. Players are people.
3. Therefore, players suck.

Q. To the E. To the D.

Seriously....i'd join your cult.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Seriously....i'd join your cult.

 

[Mannahnin]

...this was mostly a re-post, right?

It's still good, though.

I do think the DMG can give more useful and organized guidance. It can't make a reader into a good DM, but it can be more helpful than the current one.

 

[Micah Sweet]

...this was mostly a re-post, right?

It's still good, though.

I do think the DMG can give more useful and organized guidance. It can't make a reader into a good DM, but it can be more helpful than the current one.

I'm not sure that's true. If it isn't the same, "do what feels good" of the 2014 DMG, all it will do is give advice for how to play the WotC way, whatever the new books decide that is. Providing generally applicable advice just isn't possible. You either agree with someone's take and it feels good to you (and not to others) or you disagree and it does nothing good for you (but not for others).

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

...this was mostly a re-post, right?

It's still good, though.

I do think the DMG can give more useful and organized guidance. It can't make a reader into a good DM, but it can be more helpful than the current one.

Recycling is good for the environment!

Plus, I am hoping that someone else makes the West Marches post before I do. To quote Henny Youngman ...

Take my post, PLEASE!

 

[DarkCrisis]

I'm the best DM I know.

Spoiler: SPOILER

this isn't true

 

[Quickleaf]

I mean, if your players keep coming back to your table... does it really matter whether it's for the queso anejo nachos or because of the horrible blackmail you have on them and you kept the rogue player tied in the basement?

 

[DrunkonDuty]

Re. Derek. Snarf, lock the damn drinks cabinet.

 

[DrunkonDuty]

re. GMing advice.

I've found being involved in, or just reading, conversations between GMs to be really helpful. I agree that the specific examples are more useful but there's room for some theory too.

The trouble a book like the DMG has is that it's not going to be a conversation. It will just be a bit of static advice left to float in space without any specific grounding.

I think it would be useful if they had different GMs share anecdotes about particular instances of problems and how they found, or didn't find, solutions. Such a book still hits the problem of being static, not being able to answer questions or have discussions. But at least would be able to include a diverse range of opinions.