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General Tabletop Discussion
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Basic DMing - The Advice of the Times
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<blockquote data-quote="LostSoul" data-source="post: 6143911" data-attributes="member: 386"><p>I think what I do is to try to stay aware of my own thoughts while DMing and use specific randomness mechanics when certain thoughts pop up in my head. Usually the trigger is "I have no idea" in response to something the player asks or the PC does.</p><p></p><p>The rabbit example was one of those "I have no idea" times; can it talk, and more to the point, why is it wearing a piece of jewellery? I didn't know, so I reached for my "game world randomizer" - the d6, with 1 being bad for the PCs and 6 being good. I was thinking the range of possible outcomes were that it was a horrible monster, the pet of someone good or bad, just a strange coincidence, or yeah, it can actually talk.</p><p></p><p>"Did they remember to bolt the trap door?" "Is there a stone on the ground in reach?" "Is there a hot poker in the fire?" When detailed questions about the game world come up and I think to myself, "I don't know," I reach for the d6. (If I do know, then I don't.)</p><p></p><p>Reaction rolls and social skill checks trigger off of that "I don't know" a lot. When I roll a wandering monster, I don't know how they are going to react. That's the most obvious example. When the PCs start talking, and they say something, and I don't know how the NPC is going to react to what's just been said, then I call for a social skill check.</p><p></p><p>I might do the same for physical actions - "I don't know if this will succeed" - but I don't really think about it.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="LostSoul, post: 6143911, member: 386"] I think what I do is to try to stay aware of my own thoughts while DMing and use specific randomness mechanics when certain thoughts pop up in my head. Usually the trigger is "I have no idea" in response to something the player asks or the PC does. The rabbit example was one of those "I have no idea" times; can it talk, and more to the point, why is it wearing a piece of jewellery? I didn't know, so I reached for my "game world randomizer" - the d6, with 1 being bad for the PCs and 6 being good. I was thinking the range of possible outcomes were that it was a horrible monster, the pet of someone good or bad, just a strange coincidence, or yeah, it can actually talk. "Did they remember to bolt the trap door?" "Is there a stone on the ground in reach?" "Is there a hot poker in the fire?" When detailed questions about the game world come up and I think to myself, "I don't know," I reach for the d6. (If I do know, then I don't.) Reaction rolls and social skill checks trigger off of that "I don't know" a lot. When I roll a wandering monster, I don't know how they are going to react. That's the most obvious example. When the PCs start talking, and they say something, and I don't know how the NPC is going to react to what's just been said, then I call for a social skill check. I might do the same for physical actions - "I don't know if this will succeed" - but I don't really think about it. [/QUOTE]
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