As a DM, what aspects of the game do you feel weakest in?

[StalkingBlue]

I couldn't write an adventure model to save my life. But ...


.../snip/...

I thought I was the only one.

I usually have a good idea what's going on in the world and how it is going to react to those pesky PCs again - then a day or so before a session, I'm scrambling to put it all into rules.

In spite of all this, in my experience my players tend to prefer my free-form stuff to modules, which I have tried occasionally for changes of pace.

 

[Bagpuss]

I ticked Other (call me a square peg if you want).

I'm weakest in preparation. I can do all the rest if I get my preparation done, but weak preparation leads to weakness in other areas sometimes.

 

[FungiMuncher]

I voted "other." I think I do a fairly good job with most aspects, and throw a variety at my players (dungeons, wilderness, new mechanics, goofy role playing opportunities, etc.). However, one thing I haven't been able to do, which my players have specifically asked for, is politics.

I guess I just don't grasp both the subtleties and motivations of politically inclined people. All my villians are so obviously villianous, its pathetic. And everyone's plots and plans are very straight forward. I would love the opportunity to introduce a character which was seen by the players as an ally, but turned up several sessions later to be something else. But so far, I haven't been able to pull it off.

Any suggestions?!?

FM

 

[Hand of Evil]

Descriptive adjectives!

 

[John Crichton]

I've never written a module so I'll assume I'm weak there.

I haven't done many dungeon crawls. Most of my campaigns are city/wilderness based. So I'm a little weak there.

My biggest weakness is that I don't describe things out of combat very well. Not that I leave things out or give vanilla descriptions (like, you see a 20x20 room) but that I sometimes find it hard to tell the players what I see in my head. Not all the time but it happens enough that I've had to repeat/clarify things multiple times and that slows down the game.

I'd like to think I make up for it by having colorful NPC's, interesting situations and keeping game balance most of the time.

BTW, this is a helpful thread. Realizing weakness is the one of the truest ways to grow.

 

[Wicht]

I don't do voices. But I will. Someday.

 

[The Serge]

I consistently have great ideas, provide interesting story-lines, strange characters with varying forms of motivation, and a significant degree of suspense, mystery, and conspiracy.

I am weakest when it comes to game mechanics. I think I've improved a great deal since 3ed came out and I can hold my own now, even to the point of clarifying rules, but that is where I'm weakest.

 

[Furn_Darkside]

Salutations,

I have trouble writing adventures right for my group. I want to have my kind of game and they want theirs- the compromise is the hardest part.

FD

 

[kengar]

Re: Damn!!!

I forgot the biggest one most novice DMs fear the most.

Improvising.

Improvising is a tough one for me. Not because I can't make things up, but because I just know the players are going to find some way to twist it in an unexpected -and unbalancing- situation. I end up scared to introduce anything of interest if it hasn't been extensively tested for min/maxing.

 

[Victim]

I have a number of, IMHO, cool and interesting ideas. However, I have extreme difficulty making those ideas into playble adventures. Either the idea itself isn't condusive to gaming, or I don't do the necessary work to pull it off.