NOW LIVE! Today's the day you meet your new best friend. You don’t have to leave Wolfy behind... In 'Pets & Sidekicks' your companions level up with you!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Rune" data-source="post: 8147489" data-attributes="member: 67">Back in the 2e era, I was going to run a game for one player who was really into anime (and associated aesthetics) and wanted her character to have purple eyes. I wouldn’t have it. And that game never happened.Was I in the right? I sure thought so at the time. But I definitely didn’t win.I’ve learned since that it is the DM’s responsibility to get the players’ buy-in before starting the game. Any parameters the DM wants to establish need to be clearly communicated for that buy-in to happen.If not everyone buys-in, it’s time for compromise. You’ve got to ask questions to find out why people want to play what they want to play (and that means all the players, not just the ones who haven’t bought-in). Then, ideally, find a way to work it in that works with your conception of the campaign.Which should be fluid, by the way. If it isn’t, you are effectively saying that your vision is the only one that counts and that is...not a good way to keep players interested. Pro tip: players are more invested when they feel some ownership in a campaign.With that said, the DM shouldn’t feel pressured into running a game they don’t feel excited about. That way lies burnout and disappointment for all.At the last, if no consensus can be found, it is the DM’s responsibility to say, “Look. I really have no interest in running the game you want to play, for all the reasons I’ve already put forth. And I’m definitely not going to pour a bunch of time and energy into a running a game that doesn’t interest me. Someone else should DM.”</blockquote>

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