Give em a run for their money.

[Alexander123]

I thought I post my thoughts on what being a DM is about, at least in my understanding and experience. To be a DM is to give the players a run for their money. It's not about being out to kill the players, since this is a game and it's a cooperative activity, but it is about challenging them so that their victory is an earned victory as opposed to simply handing them the prize. (I don't fudge rolls by the way, I know some people do for various reasons. Just thought it important to mention.) I know that this is true in martial arts, and that there are many martial arts schools and the authentic one's always emphasize this that in their school black belts are not handed out, they make you earn it. The same with DMing. The DM, just like the martial arts teacher, does not want the players to fail, on the contrary, he wants them to be the best that they can be, but he wants them to earn their blackbelt, or their victory. He wants their pride in their achievments to be an earned pride.

Just my thoughts on DMing. Now I know there are many more experienced people on these forums who have played Dnd more than I have so feel free to post your thoughts.

 

[wedgeski]

I couldn't agree more. The DM is not the players' enemy, but he is ultimately responsible for the level of challenge they face and should consider himself their truest opponent a lot of the time.

 

[DragonLancer]

Alexander, I think you have it spot on. It's about challenging the players and their characters whilst ensuring both sides of the screen have a great game.

 

[kitsune9]

Can't disagree with Alexander's definition here! It works for me.

 

[The_Gneech]

My players are a weird bunch -- they love being chewed up one side and down the other, and are always convinced the next encounter is the one that will lead to the TPK.

I've been playing with some of these guys for 30 years. They've played everything from 0-level schlubs to world-shaking heroes, but never had a TPK once, and for that matter very few PC fatalities. But they're always afraid one is just around the next bend in the corridor.

Generally, if I fudge at all, it's to give the monster another 20 hit points so the encounter isn't over too quick, and I think that's one of the things that's been instrumental in keeping this delicate balance between the fear that "OMG we're screwed," versus them actually being screwed. Anything that doesn't go splat on the first two hits seems huge and scary to a player who can see their own HP go down, but has no idea how the monsters are doing beyond "It doesn't seem fazed by that hit...", "He felt that one!", or the ever-popular "You lop one of its tentacles off! But the rest are still coming at you..."

-The Gneech