How do you determine a "Real Bad Dungeon Master"

[werk]

so the more I think about it, the more I think it's time for him to die. Now I just need to figure out the best way to work it into the story to accomplish the most dramatic tension.

Animated vise.

 

[Stalker0]

A lot of the above mentioned is simply a DM apply stuff in excess.

For instance, having an NPC save the party's butt is fine once in a blue moon. Having an NPC lead the party through an important plot point can be fine...in a blue moon (sometimes its fun being able to take on much higher CR than normal because you have a badass NPC cleric or something).

Its when this stuff starts happening regularly than its a problem. My definition of a dm's job:

"The players should feel cool and special."

I don't care if your stories blow...if your players got to do some really neat stuff and they were having a blast, then it doesn't matter, etc.

 

[Vigilance]

I don't think you can make that call for someone else.

I have sat in on games that were total hack and slash, monte haul "kill people and take their stuff" fests.

Not the game for me, but there were a dozen delighted players sitting around the table.

So who's to say?

Chuck

 

[Berandor]

Well yes I suppose it is funny in retrospect, but it's difficult to give the game a serious tone when the party is building a lab so they can make Erky "booties of striding and springing." Oh and for the record, I didn't have any gnome phobias prior to that game.

[hijack]
That reminds me of the Kalamar game I ran. There was a ranger NPC the party was to free from prison and then follow to a kobold or goblin lair. The NPC had favored enemy: vermin. Which was not helpful at all.

Anyway, in order to make his appearance count, I had him attack alongside the PCs, and had worse rolls than ever. I'd miss, only to have the first attack bring him below 0 hp. So when the party revived him, and laughed about his "prowess", he wanted to prove something and charged as soon as the next battle was in sight. Only to be knocked unconscious with the first attack against him. He was healed up, charged, got knocked unconscious. The whole fricking adventure consisted only of the ranger NPC missing and getting knocked unconscious.

And thus, what should have been a friendly NPC and later ally, became a comic character.

 

[Warrior Poet]

My advice . . .

Thanks for the tip. This will certainly help in the future, as will reminding myself to read this thread and try not make alot of these mistakes. I just wished I learned as fast now as I did when I was kid.

Warrior Poet

 

[Warrior Poet]

The whole fricking adventure consisted only of the ranger NPC missing and getting knocked unconscious.

And thus, what should have been a friendly NPC and later ally, became a comic character.

Sometimes you're the bird; sometimes you're the statue.

The Gods of Dice and Irony giveth, and the Gods of Dice and Irony taketh away.

Warrior Poet

 

[JimAde]

And thus, what should have been a friendly NPC and later ally, became a comic character.

Much the same thing happened in my game. The NPC was a couple levels lower than the party but had decent stats, some masterwork equipment, and was built fairly well as a mounted knight-type.

He was rendered unconscious in each of the first three combats he was in, once by accidentally flinging himself off a roof onto his head.

The players were not impressed but insisted he was good to have around because he "soaked up all the bad luck."

Anyway, I agree with most of the traits of a bad dm listed here. But I do insist on the differente between real bad and Rat Bastard. My group christened me a Rat Bastard DM not long ago and I was very proud.

 

[howandwhy99]

The very worst DM I played under cheated. And I don't mean by fudging rolls or using inconsistent monster stats. (he did that too). What he did was favor some players and not others. For those he favored, he gave cool things, bent the rules (horribly) to allow them to take prestige classes at 1st level, and generally always steered the consequences of the world in their direction. They were simply more important than everybody else (including most of the party).

Those of us who weren't his best friends or married to him were left playing standard characters. We had no knowledge of how the "other" players had created their characters and when someone scoffed the DM would become very argumentative. In fact, I think he started out as a rule-lawyer and took the DM chair just so he could "win" rule arguments every time. (even though he had sufficient knowledge to know he was cheating on behalf of his favored PCs)

Needless to say I didn't go back after I learned what was going on. But I know many of his longterm players simply accepted his secretive cheating as normal DMing.

I know it hasn't been said, but I think there are some Real Bad players out their too. And I think they are related in part to why some Real Bad DM's stay in business.

 

[sniffles]

Railroad Tycoon: She has the plot already figured out, and you're just here to admire it. Please keep your hands in your pockets as this DM takes you on a no-stops tour of the pre-determined story line. Also known as Look but Don't Touch.
Warning Signs: Often tells you what your character is doing or thinking; gives strong hints for or against certain courses of action; throws extra monsters at you when you win a fight you're not "supposed to" win.

Agh!! I've just seen a perfect description of one of my GMs! :\ Although fortunately he's usually only guilty of Warning Sign #1.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

You mentioned this twice, and I'm still trying to see the problem with it. My players met my original (circa 1978) PC's in their very first campaign, and have come to view them as a good source of info and adventure. They drink with the dwarf, get healing from the cleric, get in trouble with the rogue, buy magic items from the wizard, and ignore the ranger

You need these type of NPC's anyway, why re-invent the wheel? As long as they stay in the background until needed, their well-developed histories and connections are a good source of material.

Errr, no, I haven't. (Read my posts.)

The reason it is a problem is that the DM is too attached to the NPC and does not let bad stuff happen to it. Or make the adventure center around the 'NPC'. It is a form of Mary Sue character. It is worse when the DM wants to be able to use it as a PC again, with all the stuff that he has given the character while it was an NPC.

I have used my ex-PCs as NPCs, but when I do I am willing to let the chips fall where they may, and will never play that character as a PC again, it is now and forever an NPC.

The Auld Grump

*EDIT* Heh, I did not notice that The Gneech had used the phrase Mary Sue as well...