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I draw the map for my players (by using Mike Schley's maps I bought and Paint.net to be able to put a black layer on it which I can slowly erase) and I always draw only as far as they can see and as far as there is no obstacle in between (they can't see around a corner for example). How...

When my players want to hit a certain body part, I'll just make them roll at disadvantage. After all, it's harder to hit a specific body part than hitting at all. That's well within the base rules of my power as DM. I added a ruling for it lately, though, so my players don't constantly just go...

The players need to tell me their "Persuasion Approach" before any rolls. After all, the approach might be guaranteed to succeed/fail. Only when the result is uncertain, a persuasion roll is done. I guess here it can be reasonable to let the player first roll and then narrate.

I'm as strict as Hriston about it. If you noticed a threat, you can't be surprised. If you are a guard, you consider the people you are escorting as potential threat, so you already noticed the threat. It's also not that the guards attack the Barbarian before he acts at all. This is a matter of...

No, I don't even have the actual PHB. I use basic rules and adventure supplements. :p I do keep a list of important clarifications and hints for the players, though. Other than that, whenever a rule question comes up I research online.

That tie ruling is a bit strange. I usually go by the 5e rules for ties "On a tie, nothing happens". So if a creature hasn't notice you and you try to hide from it, a tie means it still hasn't noticed you. But if the creature already knows you are there and you try to hide from it then, a tie...

New players always start at 1st level or 3rd level for me. Same if a player's PC dies and he wants to try again with a new character. I apply the "Catching up" rules from AL though (instant 4->5, 10->11 and 16->17 if all other party members are higher level than you). For me it's nice to see a...

I don't hate anyone, I just don't want to be a player because of that. Yes, only published adventures. But that's not an issue, if the DM recruits and says "I'm going to run XYZ" I instantly know what to expect and can easily filter out homebrew DMs. When it comes to rulings it's not so easy to...

My main problem is when the DM intentionally doesn't follow RAW and doesn't consider Sage Advice or Jeremy Crawford tweets as how it should be done. Like I'm fine if he makes mistakes when he corrects them after I provided sufficient evidence, but some DMs are like "That ruling is stupid, I'll...

Not really a problem for me. In the few battles that are outside of dungeons, it's a viable tactic for that player. If my creatures have any means to counter that tactic, they will, if they don't, they will focus on the other PCs. Never tanking any hits might not always be the smartest tactic...

I'm also a DM that doesn't like roleplaying. But I tell that to my players during recruitment. I always directly state that I suck at roleplaying and am very combat focused. Yet I continuously get players that are pretty good roleplayers and come up with stuff I didn't expect. I actually enjoy...

I use grid mainly because all the maps have a grid and if I go for gridless my players constantly keep asking me where exactly they can move to. I guess according to the rules, cutting corners isn't allowed. If you can't move through an enemy's space that could be considered to work like a...

I wish I could be a player too, but it usually just ends up with me being unhappy about DM decisions. I guess I'm stuck with being DM.

My group actually escaped through the tunnel, half dead. Now they just want to know if the tunnel was used recently. I know I can just decide as DM, but I'd prefer to let the adventure decide if possible.

In the Sacred Stone Monastery there's a hidden tunnel that leads to a hidden entrance 250ft west of the monastery. I'm wondering if the Black Earth cultists know about it and frequent it or if it's still from the Knights of the Silver Horn who sealed it with a cave-in? What makes more sense? The...

HP is a mix of many things. They just define how close you are to dropping unconscious. Low HP does not necessarily mean you are badly wounded, it could also mean you are about to run out of luck that attacks against you never hit any vital spots. AC just means how likely it is that you get hit...

Oh yeah, one thing I did wrong for quite a while was that I thought "Spellcasting Ability Modifier" (to which spells refer to) is the same as "Spellcasting Attack Modifier" (to which the class description refers to). But now I think that Spellcasting Ability Modifier does not actually include...

Pretty much everything involving stealth is not handled as RAW/RAI by many DMs. Many make hiding harder than it was intended it to be. Also how surprise works is not done correctly by many. Also many DMs did not allow getting advantage from attacking from hiding because they claimed you would be...

There are plenty of discussions between people in disagreement here. You just need to learn to deal with flaming and stubborn ones (by ignoring them).

The knocking prone part might be a bit too good. Comparable abilities: Monk - Flurry of Blows, can use 1 Ki to get two chances to knock prone OR push back (plus some damage), single target Warlock - Eldritch Blast + Rebelling Blast = push back with a cantrip on single target, plus normal...