D&D 5E DM takes the wheel

[GMforPowergamers]

Yeah, that is way too long. But it sounds like this guy was new to DMing? I'd cut him some slack to learn the ropes. None of us was a great DM our first however many time out the gate. The key to improving as DMing is to do it a lot with room to F-it up.

yeah if I wasn't clear this is a new guy 1st time running he doesn't even normally play with us. This wasn't "man this guy sucks" as much as it was "this felt sucky" I would hope that he will improve.

 

[iserith]

In my experience, DMs learn to do this because the players aren't offering much in the way of describing what they try to do, so they are just filling in the vacuum the players create. Then it just becomes a habit for the DM. Players that make a clear statement of goal and approach in a reasonably specific, but succinct way don't leave a lot of room for the DM to do this. If the DM is habituated to this practice though, sometimes even that doesn't matter. And a lot of actual plays have examples doing this, so people pick it up there, too.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

In my experience, DMs learn to do this because the players aren't offering much in the way of describing what they try to do, so they are just filling in the vacuum the players create. Then it just becomes a habit for the DM. Players that make a clear statement of goal and approach in a reasonably specific, but succinct way don't leave a lot of room for the DM to do this. If the DM is habituated to this practice though, sometimes even that doesn't matter. And a lot of actual plays have examples doing this, so people pick it up there, too.

okay, so when the hexblade described himself as stabbing the creature (with a piercing sword) and "You go to slice and look for an opening and see he drops his guard but it's a trick and when you swing he sees it and dodges, but you adjust and get a glancing blow for XX damage"

 

[iserith]

okay, so when the hexblade described himself as stabbing the creature (with a piercing sword) and "You go to slice and look for an opening and see he drops his guard but it's a trick and when you swing he sees it and dodges, but you adjust and get a glancing blow for XX damage"

That's a bit much in my view and is an example of the DM establishing what the character is doing. All they need do it narrate the result - the orc is wounded, but still in the fight, then move on.