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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Zappo" data-source="post: 485707" data-attributes="member: 633">I think I'm fairly good. The first session 10 years ago or so, all the players had great fun, and I've been striving to improve ever since. I feel I am the best DM in my group, because I am asked to DM much more often than anyone else. I have played many games at conventions or with other groups, and I have had a large number of relatively bad experiences, which makes me certain I am at least above the average. I've arrived 3rd in a DMing competition once (not bad, considering that, due to the unexpectedness of said event, between me and the five players we had two sets of dice, one pencil, three sheets of blank paper and no manuals).I used to be able to adlib very well, though I feel I'm slowly losing that particular skill. I dunno why, it could of course be just my impression. It could be because I've grown used to a higher standard of consistancy and originality that is just too difficult to maintain when adlibbing.Consistancy and originality are two strong points for me. I use villains, themes and characters repeatedly, because players need to have things repeated a few times before they are able to grasp the concept. Recurrent locations and NPCs give the players some stable points, and I am able to manage them in a consistant fashion, without contradictions. I am also good at inventing original stuff; I almost never borrow from books or movies, always coming up with truly new plots.Another point in my favor is the good knowledge of the rules. I know what the rules are, but more importantly I know why they are so. This allows me to make a good guess at a rule I can't remember and be correct more often than not, and also to make consistant and fair rulings. This has been made a lot easier in 3E where, as opposed to 2E, most rules actually have a good reason to exist. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" />Finally, I am very good at spotting and preventing abuse. I can usually tell at a glance whether a spell or ability is broken. I have never allowed a custom made spell, item or ability to find afterwards that it was overpowered. You want a hint in this sense? Leave something undefined. This confuses the little powergamer inside everyone.For example, a player of mine wanted a combat drug. I had him find a herb which reproduced the exact effects of the barbarian's rage ability, save that the fatigue lasts hours instead of rounds. You'd expect him to use that at every big fight. What I did was simply telling him "That's what it does. Beware, it can give addiction". No when, how or whats about that addiction; I frankly haven't even figured them out myself. Worked like a charm, his character uses it only occasionally and is the only one using it. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f600.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":D" title="Big grin    :D"  data-smilie="8"data-shortname=":D" /></blockquote>

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