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Message: <blockquote data-quote="just__al" data-source="post: 2513463" data-attributes="member: 11068">I prefer...1) DMs with a firm grasp of the rules.2) DMs who know the difference between occasionally presenting challenges that hose the players and DMs with a golf bag full of nerf bats.3) DMs that can balance an encounter and don't throw the party in over their heads and then fudge roll after roll as the party gets further into the hole.4) DMs that can throw something way over the partys head at them and clearly convey if they don't run, get sneaky or lucky it's dying time.5) DMs that don't put the PC they always wanted to play into the group as a NPC, or if they do, don't have it outshine the PCs6) DMs that don't run campaigns that are just one random encounter after another.7) Getting house rules up front.  I'd even like certain house rules presented to the group for a vote.I (when I DM)1) Have a firm grasp of the rules, but will gladly hit the index or a spell description or whatever if we need clarification.  This often happens during bull-rushes or grapples <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f641.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":(" title="Frown    :("  data-smilie="3"data-shortname=":(" />2) I try real hard to balance hosed/neutral/shining for my players3) I've gotten much better than this.  In fact, I know err towards easy and occasionally add HP or HD to an opponent if drama will be served.4) PCs are stupid so try as I might, they don't always get the point.  I mean really, who goes into an enclosed area with 22 stirges who seem to be DEFENDING their nests.5) In the highly unlikely event a tag-along is higher level than the PCs, the person has a skill that the party doesn't have and won't be sticking around.  For example, they went out and found an exiled noble and his diplomacy skills were off the charts but it only came into play once before they got him to safety when he stopped a battle with a rushed diplomacy check and then with further oratory actually got the orcs to escort the party out of their territory. (I was as surprised as the party, but the dice don't lie)6) My campaigns are long on plot, sometimes to the point of quazi-railroading, so the occasional random encounter is a good thing and definately not over used.7) When I house rule, I let the party know at campaign's start or before the first session it's in use (and I rarely add house rules mid-stride).  If it's trivial, we'll vote.  For example I wanted to make dodge +1 always if you weren't flat-footed or denied your dex bonus.  We voted on it, with the understanding I might decide to go back to RAW, and the party liked it.  Turns out I didn't.  So now, if you don't declare your dodge you are dodging the last creature you attacked.  Should it die, and you don't declare a new dodgee then I pick based on what I think is most logical (no arguements, you should have declared)</blockquote>

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