D&D General How to be a Not-Terrible DM: Thoughts on the Upcoming DMG

[EzekielRaiden]

That's why you get XP for failed rolls in Dungeon World.

Frankly, the Dungeon World XP system is genius and if I could adapt it usefully to D&D, I 100% would.

It doesn't need to be exponential, because the rate at which you gain XP slows down. You fail less, and your strengths become quite reliable (failing at most 1/12th of the time, and if you can get any +1 at all--such as via Discern Realities--it falls to only 1/36th of the time.)

 

[Li Shenron]

And all of this is why, in my opinion, the advice for new DMs in the upcoming DMG will be viewed as lacking by people. One of the major issues that we see in D&D is that there is always a tension between WoTC telling people how to run the game and WoTC allowing flexibility for the infinite variety that table might have. If the new DMG is overly prescriptive, telling DMs how to run games, I am sure that people will rebel against that. On the other hand, if the new DMG (like the last DMG) is too "here's a bunch of stuff, do what feels good!" people will complain that it doesn't provide enough specific guidance for new DMs.

Which tells me that the most sensible thing to do would be to abolish the concept of a DMG, and replace it with maybe an official blog/podcast or series of articles. They make a DMG only because "tradition" and of course extra revenue, as every DM feels morally obligated to buy it even if they have no use for it. It's not good enough for newbies anymore in the internet era, because all the information it can hope to contain is stock stuff easily found on the web, and it's nearly useless for expert DMs who already know 10 times more. (Talking only about "how to be a good DM" material here, the extra rules modules or variations could very much be a book of their own)

 

[Mannahnin]

Which tells me that the most sensible thing to do would be to abolish the concept of a DMG, and replace it with maybe an official blog/podcast or series of articles. They make a DMG only because "tradition" and of course extra revenue, as every DM feels morally obligated to buy it even if they have no use for it. It's not good enough for newbies anymore in the internet era, because all the information it can hope to contain is stock stuff easily found on the web, and it's nearly useless for expert DMs who already know 10 times more. (Talking only about "how to be a good DM" material here, the extra rules modules or variations could very much be a book of their own)

I like having the range of options we do now.

Some books are excellent resources. So are some videos.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Which tells me that the most sensible thing to do would be to abolish the concept of a DMG, and replace it with maybe an official blog/podcast or series of articles. They make a DMG only because "tradition" and of course extra revenue, as every DM feels morally obligated to buy it even if they have no use for it. It's not good enough for newbies anymore in the internet era, because all the information it can hope to contain is stock stuff easily found on the web, and it's nearly useless for expert DMs who already know 10 times more. (Talking only about "how to be a good DM" material here, the extra rules modules or variations could very much be a book of their own)

Well, I disagree in part for a few reasons.

1. Money. They will never stop making DMGs because, as you note, people buy them.

2. Tradition. I am not someone who demands tradition be followed, but D&D has always had the core three books- PHB, DMG, and MM.

3. Nattering nabobs of negativity. Yes, I think people will complain about the new DMG. But people always complain! It's modern life, and the internet. I mean, people have spent innumerable words, so many words that even I look at them and say, "That's too many words!" arguing about whether this is a new edition. Why do people fight? Because they can.

4. The DMG presents all sorts of cool things- from magic items to rules variants. I know that we all like to complain about the 5e DMG (um, the 5e14 DMG), but it actually had a lot of good stuff in it. Stuff most people didn't know was there, but still.

5. All that said, I agree that on-line videos and short "how to" instructional guides and starter kits designed for it are probably the best way to teach new DMs,* not the DMG. I think that the issue is that we need to stop thinking of the DMG as the guide to teaching DMs how to DM, and instead think of it as a resource for DMs.


*Well, the best way is to play and observe. And then to get reps as a DM, because you will mess up and make mistakes and learn from those mistakes. But specific and targeted videos, such as the ones WoTC already has made, are better than reading the DMG.

 

[Bedrockgames]

Well, I disagree in part for a few reasons.

1. Money. They will never stop making DMGs because, as you note, people buy them.

2. Tradition. I am not someone who demands tradition be followed, but D&D has always had the core three books- PHB, DMG, and MM.

3. Nattering nabobs of negativity. Yes, I think people will complain about the new DMG. But people always complain! It's modern life, and the internet. I mean, people have spent innumerable words, so many words that even I look at them and say, "That's too many words!" arguing about whether this is a new edition. Why do people fight? Because they can.

4. The DMG presents all sorts of cool things- from magic items to rules variants. I know that we all like to complain about the 5e DMG (um, the 5e14 DMG), but it actually had a lot of good stuff in it. Stuff most people didn't know was there, but still.

5. All that said, I agree that on-line videos and short "how to" instructional guides and starter kits designed for it are probably the best way to teach new DMs,* not the DMG. I think that the issue is that we need to stop thinking of the DMG as the guide to teaching DMs how to DM, and instead think of it as a resource for DMs.


*Well, the best way is to play and observe. And then to get reps as a DM, because you will mess up and make mistakes and learn from those mistakes. But specific and targeted videos, such as the ones WoTC already has made, are better than reading the DMG.

Honestly the DMG, even in editions I don't like, is like the thing I would complain about the least. I do think 2E kind of made things hard by shifting a good portion of the book to the Campaign sourcebook and Catacomb Guide (which ended up being great but it was a little confusing trying to work off that first DMG). Still the DMG itself had all kinds of useful stuff. The D&D DMG is really more about the tables, the tools, magic items, NPC types, world building widgets, etc. There are bags of goodies in there that make running the game so much easier and so much more fun. The advice I think is mostly there for new people (unless they are trying to highlight something significant to the game or a particular edition, for example having a section on dungeon ecologies). I think it is very hard to give overly proscriptive advice in D&D because every table approaches the game differently so they are better off trying to give an overview of approaches and sticking to nut and bolt details on prep like how to map, approaches to planning out adventures, types of adventures, etc).

 

[OB1]

@Snarf Zagyg think you really missed the mark on the Critical Role comparison to the adult film industry. I'd more likely compare watching CR for a would be GM akin to watching Spielberg/Fincher films for an aspiring director or reading Sanderson/Jordan for an aspiring fantasy author (or to bring sports back into it, a high school football player watching the NFL). CR is unquestionably playing D&D and Mercer is almost always more interested in the question of if his players are having a good time than if the audience likes what they are doing. I've personally learned a lot about DMing from watching Mercer (especially when I disagree with a choice he makes), and I suspect a lot of other people have as well.

There are some other examples of streamers that stretch how the game is played to it's limit in order to apeal to an audience, and who's lessons wouldn't be applicable to a regular D&D session (BLeeM and Dimension 20 comes to mind), but even then I'm not sure that watching those would give you BAD advice on how to play in the same way that you're suggesting in your analogy.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

@Snarf Zagyg think you really missed the mark on the Critical Role comparison to the adult film industry. I'd more likely compare watching CR for a would be GM akin to watching Spielberg/Fincher films for an aspiring director or reading Sanderson/Jordan for an aspiring fantasy author (or to bring sports back into it, a high school football player watching the NFL). CR is unquestionably playing D&D and Mercer is almost always more interested in the question of if his players are having a good time than if the audience likes what they are doing. I've personally learned a lot about DMing from watching Mercer (especially when I disagree with a choice he makes), and I suspect a lot of other people have as well.

There are some other examples of streamers that stretch how the game is played to it's limit in order to apeal to an audience, and who's lessons wouldn't be applicable to a regular D&D session (BLeeM and Dimension 20 comes to mind), but even then I'm not sure that watching those would give you BAD advice on how to play in the same way that you're suggesting in your analogy.

You did open the spoiler, right? The ones that says, "Aside about that paragraph for those who want to argue."

If you didn't, this is what it says-

Please note that I am not saying that Critical Role is scripted. IT IS NOT.

Instead, I am making the point that home tables do not consist of a bunch of talented entertainers. And that most DMs are not Matt Mercer. And that most of us aren't paid to prep and run games, and can't afford to put in the prep time that Mercer does. Or have the amazing battle maps. And we don't have an audience that we are aware of.

If you have picked up some tips from Critical Role, that's awesome! They do an amazing job. They have brought a lot of people into the hobby. But expecting a home game to be the "Critical Role" experience will lead to disappointment.


Further Snarf sayeth naught, as Snarf has learned that there is little that can be gained from discussions about Critical Role. For those who love it, any thing you say, no matter how nice, will never be enough, and for those who don't, any credit given is too much. ¯\(ツ)/¯

 

[OB1]

You did open the spoiler, right? The ones that says, "Aside about that paragraph for those who want to argue."

If you didn't, this is what it says-

Please note that I am not saying that Critical Role is scripted. IT IS NOT.

Instead, I am making the point that home tables do not consist of a bunch of talented entertainers. And that most DMs are not Matt Mercer. And that most of us aren't paid to prep and run games, and can't afford to put in the prep time that Mercer does. Or have the amazing battle maps. And we don't have an audience that we are aware of.

If you have picked up some tips from Critical Role, that's awesome! They do an amazing job. They have brought a lot of people into the hobby. But expecting a home game to be the "Critical Role" experience will lead to disappointment.


Further Snarf sayeth naught, as Snarf has learned that there is little that can be gained from discussions about Critical Role. For those who love it, any thing you say, no matter how nice, will never be enough, and for those who don't, any credit given is too much. ¯\(ツ)/¯

Did not see the text under the spoiler, but my point still stands that the better comparison would be to a would be director watching a Hitchcock film. If you're in high school doing productions with your friends, you won't have access to world class actors, world class technical teams and equipment, and you certainly won't be Hitchcock, but that doesn't mean that you can't learn from watching those films and apply those lessons to what you are doing in your neighboorhood with your iPhone. I wouldn't have an issue if you had suggested something like that, it's the comparison to watching adult films to learn how to be a better lover that's the issue.

 

[Clint_L]

Of all the Live Play shows, I think Critical Role is the best one for aspiring players to watch, because it plays like a lot of home games. Especially Campaign 1 and the first half of Campaign 2. The episodes are long, like actual games, the players have different skill levels when it comes to the rules, often making suboptimal choices, and there is quite a bit of a "just friends hanging out" vibe. Through Campaign 1, they're sometimes eating while they play, just like us. Even though Mercer knows his stuff, he still screws up on occasion, and the players do all the time, and how they handle those disagreements is a model of how to do so.

Agreed that few if any of us will approach their acting chops or Mercer's storytelling ability, but in terms capturing the essence of a group of friends playing D&D, I love Critical Role.

 

[KYRON45]

I know what you mean. People sometimes think I am a jerk... and I think ... sometimes?

You can’t possibly be a jerk; you went to law school.