D&D General Cheats & Shortcuts for DM's

[aco175]

I try to have a simple encounter in my pocket for when the PCs wander into something I have not planned for. I tend to have bandits and thugs around that I can add a few or take a couple away to make it more appropriate for the party level. I can even just change the thug to orc leader if needed and nobody knows.

 

[Scott Christian]

1. Names for magical beings: I am terrible with names specially if it's on the spot, so a cheat I discovered was look up books listing medications. You would be surprised how many of the sound like the name of a wizard.

I avoid random names (and most tables for that matter) for a very specific reason, if it doesn't move the story forward - it doesn't deserve a name.

I am all for my players deciding to visit the random shop, talking to the random guard, playing dice with the bar patron, etc. But, I generally do not give them the name. It is an easy, non-spoken context clue that, while you may have fun or get something you need, it is not pushing the main storyline forward.

For example, most of my cities, I have the owners and families and history and décor and services available for at least one of each kind of shop needed: apothecaries, stables, inns, taverns, smithies, tailors, churches, etc... If the players need more than that, then they can explore, but there needs to be an upfront set piece that says, this person is not important unless you want to play dice or chat about the weather. I find this gives the storyline more fluidity, as opposed to an entire session that is devoted to finding the cheapest chainmail or listening to a conversation between an old married couple.

But I know this is just my take on it, and have had a great time being a player when DMs use random tables. There is no correct way, just a better way for me personally to DM.

 

[Oofta]

I avoid random names (and most tables for that matter) for a very specific reason, if it doesn't move the story forward - it doesn't deserve a name.

I am all for my players deciding to visit the random shop, talking to the random guard, playing dice with the bar patron, etc. But, I generally do not give them the name. It is an easy, non-spoken context clue that, while you may have fun or get something you need, it is not pushing the main storyline forward.

For example, most of my cities, I have the owners and families and history and décor and services available for at least one of each kind of shop needed: apothecaries, stables, inns, taverns, smithies, tailors, churches, etc... If the players need more than that, then they can explore, but there needs to be an upfront set piece that says, this person is not important unless you want to play dice or chat about the weather. I find this gives the storyline more fluidity, as opposed to an entire session that is devoted to finding the cheapest chainmail or listening to a conversation between an old married couple.

But I know this is just my take on it, and have had a great time being a player when DMs use random tables. There is no correct way, just a better way for me personally to DM.

The reasons I have random tables is because I lead very player-driven games and rely on improv a lot (not saying you do or don't one way or another). So if they talk to a random guy on the street, they probably don't get a name unless they ask. But if they decide to go to the deputy of the waste removal department and I realize that I could tie him in to the rest of the story in an interesting way, I want a name.

It's just a different perspective, sometimes the decisions of the players take on a direction I never could have expected but that gives me an opportunity to ad-hoc add things in. To me, that's an advantage to having a real DM instead of a computer game. I don't have to think of everything ahead of time; also one of the reasons I prefer in-person games instead of online.

Ultimately though, I'm just lazy. I don't want to come up with as many outlines as you indicate because much of the time they won't come into play but something I didn't think of will. Different strokes for different folks and all.

I will note that I do my best to never let the players know when I'm using a random table, I just say that I need to check my notes as I pick a name and mark it as used. Some of my most memorable NPCs and locations have started this way.

 

[Richards]

As far as shortcuts go, for every adventure I write I also do up a "monster stat sheet" with all of the stats I'm likely going to need to reference when running those monsters in combat. Thus, I have (in abbreviated form) their ACs, hp, initiative modifiers, saves, speed, attacks/damage, any special attacks and special qualities likely to come into play, alignment, abilities scores, and HD. I don't bother with feats unless they're likely to come into play during combat, and I never bother with skills - if that comes up I'll just go look them up in the Monster Manual. So, while preparing the monster stat sheet is in fact a bit of extra work, it streamlines combat at the table when we play because it's a lot faster than having to reference the MM stats for each battle (and it would be much worse having to go back and forth between multiple MM entries for different monsters in the same combat).

And since I save each monster stat sheet as a separate spreadsheet file on my computer (by the adventure's name), it's easy to go "copy and paste" the stats for a monster I've used earlier in a different adventure.

Johnathan

 

[Tinker-TDC]

Would you have a link?

Table Fables: A collection of tables for the weary game master: Hale, Madeline: 9781542678599: Amazon.com: Books

Table Fables: A collection of tables for the weary game master [Hale, Madeline] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Table Fables: A collection of tables for the weary game master

www.amazon.com

Cute little book, just full of tables. At $11 and free shipping it's just real convenient to hand out without breaking the bank. I think now I'd recommend "The Monsters Know What They're Doing" first and then this second as gifts for new DMs but at the time it came out this was my go-to.

 

[Neonchameleon]

The other one worth adding is Sly Flourish's "The Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master".

 

[overgeeked]

Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master is where it’s at. Wonderful resource for new or returning DMs. Tired of all the prep going to waste? Check out the Lazy DM.

Lists of names. Give important NPCs a goal and a disposition. Use maps from the net or theater of the mind. A few adventure hooks, some secrets, a few fantastic locations, and you’re good to go. Replace flanking with Sly Flourish’s Cinematic Advantage. Also use Blog of Holding’s MM on a Business Card for 5E. If you’re even semi-proficient with Excel (or similar) you can drop his formula into a spreadsheet and never have to worry about monster stats again.

 

[ccs]

What are the thoughts on using the average damage on the MM creatures?

I dislike it & don't use it. See, I like to play this game as well & part of that entails rolling dice....