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General Tabletop Discussion
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Advice on how not to feel like a lousy DM
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<blockquote data-quote="Theo R Cwithin" data-source="post: 7864656" data-attributes="member: 75712"><p>This could be decent gauge for when to make a ruling vs look up a rule. If the DM feels a poor ruling might need a retcon (eg, a risk of TPK, a critical negotiation, a powerful magic item lost/acquired) then, yes, maybe look it up. But most of the time, just run with a quick ruling and correct it afterward. There's no hit to consistency as long as it's corrected and players understand why the change. (If they even remember, heh.)</p><p></p><p>Really I think it just depends on the table. If a DM is afflicted with a bunch of rules lawyers and powergamers, well, good luck with that.<img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite2" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=";)" /> But I suspect most tables have some combo of inexperienced players, kids, "narrativists", casual/social gamers, etc, who usually don't worry too much if the "correct" ruling is made, as long as it seems fair. For the most part, people just want to play through an interesting story, not waste 5 minutes watching the DM flip though a book.</p><p></p><p>One other point: IMO, one mark of good DM is mastery of the skill of making rulings that are already pretty close to "correct" (for varying values of "correct"<img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite6" alt=":cool:" title="Cool :cool:" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":cool:" />), so risks of serious inconsistency or retcon are practically nonexistent, anyway.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Theo R Cwithin, post: 7864656, member: 75712"] This could be decent gauge for when to make a ruling vs look up a rule. If the DM feels a poor ruling might need a retcon (eg, a risk of TPK, a critical negotiation, a powerful magic item lost/acquired) then, yes, maybe look it up. But most of the time, just run with a quick ruling and correct it afterward. There's no hit to consistency as long as it's corrected and players understand why the change. (If they even remember, heh.) Really I think it just depends on the table. If a DM is afflicted with a bunch of rules lawyers and powergamers, well, good luck with that.;) But I suspect most tables have some combo of inexperienced players, kids, "narrativists", casual/social gamers, etc, who usually don't worry too much if the "correct" ruling is made, as long as it seems fair. For the most part, people just want to play through an interesting story, not waste 5 minutes watching the DM flip though a book. One other point: IMO, one mark of good DM is mastery of the skill of making rulings that are already pretty close to "correct" (for varying values of "correct":cool:), so risks of serious inconsistency or retcon are practically nonexistent, anyway. [/QUOTE]
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