Flowery descriptions at the game table

[ThirdWizard]

I like Hemmingway.

 

[Pbartender]

The memory I have of this was a 1E game; we were trekking through mountains, and we all thought we were on a narrow trail on the side of a cliff.

The front PC disturbed an aurumvorax in its lair - small but nasty. He attempted to kick it off the ledge.

The DM looked confused - as far as he was concerned, we were on a narrow trail at the bottom of a canyon.

I still can't figure out how we all ended up thinking we were on a ledge!

That a bit less of a problem, since you now know that you can't kick him off the ledge.

It's a bigger problem when the converse happens...

The players thinking that they're at the bottom of a valley, when the DM thinks they're up on a ledge. The aurumvorax clobbers the party hard, and the DM wonders, "Why didn't they just kick it off the ledge?" Because the DM didn't give enough detail, and the PCs used their imagination to assume without clarification.

 

[LostSoul]

I like Hemmingway.

That overrated hack?

 

[ruleslawyer]

I like Hemmingway.

Ironic that you lengthened his name.

 

[hong]

I don't really care about how long a description is, as long as it's delivered with enthusiasm and gusto. To some extent this works against overly long descriptions, since it becomes harder to maintain that enthusiasm if you're up to 10 paragraphs.

 

[TarionzCousin]

I don't DM much, but as a player, you can usually tell when an item is important by how much time is spent describing it. If the only thing in a room is described elaborately, then the players will tend to spend more time on it, either checking for secret compartments, detecting magic etc.

This was my point (or one of them). My question to the boards is, "How much is too much and how much is just right?"

....and then when she took her hand way there was a tiny symbol of her goddess burned into the flesh right where her palm was....

Nice touch!

Delivery can also make a difference. On the occasion when longer descriptions are necessary, I've found it helps a lot to provide a good pause between key points to let detail sink in.

I agree with everything Talic said, but especially this part. I have taught hundreds of classes and given a couple hundred presentations. Nothing grabs listeners' attention like a long pause--well, except for a blood-curdling scream.

...and I'm going to steal Dykstrav's bullet point description method. Thanks for that!

 

[TarionzCousin]

re: Hemingway

Ironic that you lengthened his name.

Yeah, how about just "Ernest," or "Ernie."

 

[Gentlegamer]

As a DM, I use "flowery" descriptions (the OP's term). Being DM brings out the bard in me. If you'll forgive the term, it's part of the my art when refereeing.