How do you deal with a bad DM?

[Mr. T]

In my small RPG group one member (we'll call him R) is well... lacking in his descriptive skills. For example:

R: You see a large hairy creature.
Me: We're 30 ft. from it. Is that all we can tell?
William (other member): Yeah, what color fur does it have?
This goes on for several minutes
Me: So it's a buffalo?
R: Yes.
Me: I've seen buffalo before and what you described was not a buffalo.
William: Why the [expletive] didn't you tell us this in the first place?

Has anyone had to deal with this before and how did you deal with it?

 

[BiggusGeekus]

Has anyone had to deal with this before and how did you deal with it?

No, but I think I know where the DM is coming from.

It sounds like he's from the give-the-players-no-extra-information school of thought.

This can actualy be good if you are in a mystery or intriuge campaign. For identifying varios species of bison, however, it can be kind of dull.

I'd suggest trying the following on a one-on-one basis where you can talk to the guy alone:

Hey, R, I really like the campaign we're in. The encounter with the <insert cool encounter here> was really cool. But I think the descriptions of the monsters that you are giving are detracting from the rest of the game. If you want to take us by surprise, have the monsters sneak up on us or put us in really twisty dungeons so we can't tell what's coming up. I think this twenty-questions stuff is taking away from your story and that's not good, right?"

Just point out to him how his lack of descriptions is hurting, not helping his game. If that doesn't work ... well ... you can always hire mercenaries to incinerate his living room or something.

Happy gaming!

 

[tonym]

WHOA! I had a DM do something like that. He did did it because he was under-prepared for his game and wanted to drag everything out until the session was over.

When I figured that out, my PC steamed ahead through his un-designed dungeon at full speed. The DM panicked and tried to distract me with a library filled with strange books. Clearly he thought he could make me ask 100 questions about each book--slowing things to a crawl. But I set the room on fire and plowed ahead. Empty room, empty room. No listening at doors, no checking for traps, just kick in the door and charge onward. Empty room, empty room, empty room.

There were no combats and no treasure that session, but the DM was better prepared next time.

Man, I'm glad I've never had any players like me. Haha.


Tony M

 

[Shemeska]

When I figured that out, my PC steamed ahead through his un-designed dungeon at full speed. The DM panicked and tried to distract me with a library filled with strange books. Clearly he thought he could make me ask 100 questions about each book--slowing things to a crawl. But I set the room on fire and plowed ahead. Empty room, empty room. No listening at doors, no checking for traps, just kick in the door and charge onward. Empty room, empty room, empty room.

There were no combats and no treasure that session, but the DM was better prepared next time.

Man, I'm glad I've never had any players like me. Haha.


Tony M

You are an evil evil man. I approve of course.

 

[adriayna]

Talk to the DM, as suggested above. If that doesn't work, maybe you want to consider switching DMs?

I;ve had a DM who did the opposite--he described everything in such detail that by the time he was done, you'd forget what he was describing. But once we talked to him, he was able to bring it to a managable amount.

 

[Scarbonac]

Has anyone had to deal with this before and how did you deal with it?

Poison in his Doritos and Fresca.

 

[shock the monkey]

Poison in his Doritos and Fresca.

Not funny.

 

[Andre La Roche]

There were no combats and no treasure that session, but the DM was better prepared next time.

Man, I'm glad I've never had any players like me. Haha.


Tony M

Man, he really needed to put some skill points into Perform (Improv). I can't believe he didn't even try to make a go of the stats from memory and use the old "these are special <Insert creatures here> that you're fighting.

 

[Andre La Roche]

Not funny.

Of course it's not. The poison ought to go into the Mountain Dew.

 

[Jdvn1]

"Could I roll a Knowledge check to find out what it is/get more information?"