D&D 5E DM Bad Habits

[Iry]

This was inspired by the Anti-DM Tips thread. Even the best DM's have bad habits and things they know they need to improve on. What are you personally bad at, or need to learn to do better?

1) I struggle when the players split the party. I find it really stressful to run two scenes simultaneously.

2) I'm too slow to kick out problem players. I can let things fester and the situation can turn toxic.

 

[Lanliss]

I need to work on my improv, since I never remember to plan ahead.

(Personal peeve, nothing wrong with those who prefer it this way) I am not a good actor. I know it is optional, but I want to learn how to act out all of my NPCs, right down to different voices.

 

[UselessTriviaMan]

I need to work on my improv, since I never remember to plan ahead.

(Personal peeve, nothing wrong with those who prefer it this way) I am not a good actor. I know it is optional, but I want to learn how to act out all of my NPCs, right down to different voices.

I assign each important NPC as an actor or TV/movie character. It really helps me determine their voices, their mannerisms, and even motivations.

Examples: The nice lady at the Adventurer's Guild? She sounds and acts just like Marge Gunderson from Fargo, dontchaknow? Oh yahh! And the crime boss of the South Market? He's totally - and very obviously - Teddy KGB from Rounders. The cool bartender at their favorite inn? He's not so blatantly obvious, but I try to do my best (pre-crazy) Charlie Sheen. It makes it so much easier to carry on a conversation as those characters.

As for bad habits, I overprep. MASSIVELY. I already have enough prep for the next 4-6 game sessions, and we only play once per fortnight.

 

[Lanliss]

I assign each important NPC as an actor or TV/movie character. It really helps me determine their voices, their mannerisms, and even motivations.

Examples: The nice lady at the Adventurer's Guild? She sounds and acts just like Marge Gunderson from Fargo, dontchaknow? Oh yahh! And the crime boss of the South Market? He's totally - and very obviously - Teddy KGB from Rounders. The cool bartender at their favorite inn? He's not so blatantly obvious, but I try to do my best (pre-crazy) Charlie Sheen. It makes it so much easier to carry on a conversation as those characters.

As for bad habits, I overprep. MASSIVELY. I already have enough prep for the next 4-6 game sessions, and we only play once per fortnight.

There is no such thing as too much prep.

 

[TerraDave]

Forgetting the key detail at the key moment. A crucial thing to be found or some essential exposition: totally not remembered. And I always think before hand "of course I will remember, its the key detail".

 

[guachi]

Like when speaking in public, I can fail to direct my speaking to all the players rather than speaking to one or a few players, or sometimes none at all (like when speaking while reading something or rolling dice or whatever).

Forgetting character names.

Not having needed stuff handy so I waste time looking for something. E.g., bringing too many minis (or monster tokens) than I need so I spend time looking for the right ones when I could have separated them out at home in the first place.

 

[pdzoch]

Forgetting to maximize the capabilities of the monster. I'm always forgetting to use special abilities of a monster, so as a result, the monster is defeated either too easily or without revealing what makes this monster so special other than its visual picture.

 

[Caliban]

Forgetting the name of the NPC the player characters just had an important, plot relevant interaction with last session - because I didn't come up with a name for the NPC until just after the PC's decided to talk to them.

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[hejtmane]

I need to work on my improv, since I never remember to plan ahead.

(Personal peeve, nothing wrong with those who prefer it this way) I am not a good actor. I know it is optional, but I want to learn how to act out all of my NPCs, right down to different voices.

I am the opposite I have need to have a better layout for my plans; sometimes I do not describe the scenes as while as I should and I need to work on naming my towns and getting a map of my world. I am just bad at drawing etc.