DM-less D&D

[FireLance]

I don't know--if you take away the GM from the equation entirely, you lose many of the advantages that tabletop games have over a multiplayer online RPG. I think the GM factor is utterly crucial to keeping the hobby alive in the wake of those MORPGs (and MMORPGs)--the human GM factor is the one thing we still do better than computers

I agree wholeheartedly with the human factor. I also generally agree with the human GM factor, although it is less of a given. A human GM can do many things better than a server, e.g. portrayal of NPCs, pacing a session, adapting to the players' plans on the fly, flexibility in terms of what the players want to do, etc. What I heartily disagree with is the apparently fairly common notion that a DM who constrains himself to follow the rules is somehow less of a DM than one who reserves the right to change them at any time.

 

[JoeyD473]

I am a DM, and I play a regular PC. Reason being is many of the guys in my game want to eitehr DM because they're better then me, or take a crack of it because they havn't done it before. So when my 1st campaign is over one of them will DM, and my character (if we don't need to make new ones) will still be on par with them, and no annoying "trying to figure out how to get him in the world" needs to happen

 

[Rystil Arden]

I agree wholeheartedly with the human factor. I also generally agree with the human GM factor, although it is less of a given. A human GM can do many things better than a server, e.g. portrayal of NPCs, pacing a session, adapting to the players' plans on the fly, flexibility in terms of what the players want to do, etc. What I heartily disagree with is the apparently fairly common notion that a DM who constrains himself to follow the rules is somehow less of a DM than one who reserves the right to change them at any time.

I agree with you that both styles of GMing are valid and the choice is a matter of style. But I will never agree with your statement previously:

I personally have a different perspective and am generally supportive of anything that takes the DM out of the equation.

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

Isn't DMless D&D a boardgame?

 

[takyris]

You could do it for a dungeon hack easily enough. Be difficult to do it with a political intrigue adventure, though, unless you've got a utility that generates the quest-giver's dialogue and lets you press buttons like "Sense Motive" -- and then gives you responses based on your roll (which it doesn't tell you).

At which point you're effectively playing a video game with tiles.

 

[Shemeska]

Inappropriate metaphors for all!

Isn't DMless D&D a boardgame?

D&D with a DM is like sex for your brain, while D&D without a DM is the sort of thing that cheeses Grandma off. Now while I'm sure everyone with arms does the latter, I'd suggest that most of us prefer the former.

Perhaps I could have phrased that better... but it felt good saying it nonetheless. *chuckle*

Mod Edit - Not everything that feels good is appropriate for these boards.

 

[Belen]

D&D with a DM is like sex for your brain, while D&D without a DM is just not very cool. Now while I'm sure everyone with arms does the latter, I's suggest that most of us prefer the former.

Perhaps I could have phrased that better... but it felt good saying it nonetheless. *chuckle*

Darn it, I cannot posrep you here.

 

[Belen]

I believe Belen just doesn't like anything that makes a DM unnecessary because it puts the DM in a weaker position and forces him to be more accomodating of what the players want out of the game. If players can have fun playing D&D without a DM, then they will only play with DMs because they want to, and not because they have to.

I personally have a different perspective and am generally supportive of anything that takes the DM out of the equation.

Believe whatever you want, buddy, but if you want a real discussion about this one, then please feel free to come to www.circvsmaximvs.com

Otherwise, please discontinue the passive-aggressive attacks.

 

[I'm A Banana]

Where have you people been?

There's random dungeon generation rules right in the DMG. Stacks of tables sitting right there telling you if there's stuff in it. There may be a few holes you need to fill in (Gygax style), but the framework for a random dungeon is definately already there.

And yeah, it's kinda like a dungeon crawl videogame without the cool graphics or math engines.

I'm usually pro-demystifying-the-DM. The DM is not a special snowflake and his world is not a unique flower and the players should have as much stake in the world and events as the DM does. IMHO, the DM does not need the omnipotent power of absolute judgement that he can come with. But removing the DM entirely seems to remove the heart of story out of the game. It can still work, but Diablo does it better already. The DM is part of what D&D's uniqueness is, it is how D&D is different from Diablo and Final Fantasy and MMORPGs and minis games and CCGs.

The DM doesn't need to be a special unique snowflake, but to get rid of him entirely...why don't you just play a videogame, then?

 

[Flexor the Mighty!]

The only reason I view a DM as a special unique snowflake is he has a lot more work to do than the players, who can just show up for the sessions.


Back to DM'less D&D, I'd like to see a D&D boardgame ala Talisman or something like that.