Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="clockworkjoe" data-source="post: 484114" data-attributes="member: 1321">The absolute hardest part about DMing aside from the factors mentioned above is getting the action started. Once a good campaign gets underway, it partially writes itself as you just have to react to what the players are doing and they just react to what's going on.But when you start off, and you ask "so what are you going to do?" the first time, pray for responses. Silence from the players is death.There are two extemes in DMing, railroading and having no idea of what to do. The first has been described above. The second is when players don't know what to do and the DM can't prod them into doing something.This happens for a few reasons like:1. The players don't know the campaign setting and thus can't react to it. So you know everything about Darksun. Great. But when your players are thrown in Athas with only a brief introduction and no primer to help them, they're probably going to stare at you blankly and say 'uhhh, ok?'2. There's nothing to do in your campaign setting. This usually happens when the DM shoots down any player conceived plan. 'We go look for a dungeon to explore.''You don't find any.''We go to the tavern and ask around for rumors and news.''Nothing is going on.''We attack the bartender.''He casts an epic quickened hold person and humiliates your characters.''...'3. The players don't have enough information to act on. Your words are literally the only information the players can move on. Give them more information than they need. Repeat important pieces several times. More than you think is neccessary. Chances are they won't remember an important clue if you only mention it once.</blockquote>

Verification