D&D 5E "I’m that DM. . ."

[el-remmen]

"I’m that DM. . . that doesn’t bother to look at the stat block until after he’s decided to include that monster, sighs, and then makes his own version.

Your turn. . .

 

[Stormonu]

I think this says it all

Spoiler

 

[Reynard]

I'm that DM that thinks a squad of Doomtroopers in power armor wielding pulse rifles is exactly the kind of random encounter that Descent into Avernus needs.

 

[Tutara]

“I’m that DM that shamelessly hijacks my players’ explanation for what is going on because it is substantially better than my own”

 

[Clint_L]

I'm the kind of DM that plans a story hook for almost every possibility even though the players just choose the obvious path 90% of the time and most of my work is wasted and yet I keep doing it.

 

[RoughCoronet0]

I’m the DM who was told by one of her players that their character found magic mushrooms and proceeded to look up a dozen different times of wild magic surge charts and made finding and eating these mushrooms the running gag of the campaign.

 

[CleverNickName]

I'm that DM, the one that doesn't balance all encounters to your character's level and ability. In fact, I refuse to even try.

There are places you should avoid until you are stronger, and there are places you should avoid at all costs. When you hear rumors of a dragon circling a particular forest, or when sailors tell you that ships never return from a particular island, or when the guards remark that you "don't look strong enough" to handle whatever is inside a certain cave...those are called "hints" and you should listen to them.

 

[Ruin Explorer]

I'm that DM who doesn't prep properly because I kept procastinating, but manages to nonetheless convince the players that the entirely winging-it course I've sent them on is some sort of in-depth ultra-detailed deal I spent days on. They still think some stuff I made up on the spot involving a tower in a forest and alhoon was part of an elaborate subplot.

One time I managed to sideline them for an entire 3hr session simply by making up a massive extraplanar market on the 30 minute bus journey to the session, which they were of course much more interested in than saving people or bashing heads.

I do normally do prep, I swear, like real prep, except when I don't...

 

[Ruin Explorer]

When you hear rumors of a dragon circling a particular forest, or when sailors tell you that ships never return from a particular island, or when the guards remark that you "don't look strong enough" to handle whatever is inside The Howling Spire...those are called "hints" and you should listen to them.

It's unfortunate that much of fantasy fiction, videogames, and even a lot of pre-written adventures totally undermine this common-sense approach by slapping these "omen of doom"-type things all over entirely doable encounters, and presenting them almost as an incitement to adventure.

I suppose that might result in a certain period of... adjustment... when you work with new players!

 

[CleverNickName]

I suppose that might result in a certain period of... adjustment... when you work with new players!

It really does. I had to explain several times that "this ain't Skyrim" when they were rolling up characters, and I've written it a couple of times in the handouts and stuff. But I bet I'll still get angry emails after the first few games, about how monsters don't "belong in the game" unless the party can beat them.

Some players honestly think they should be able to step to Strahd at 1st level and win.

 

[Maxperson]

I'm that DM who doesn't prep properly because I kept procastinating, but manages to nonetheless convince the players that the entirely winging-it course I've sent them on is some sort of in-depth ultra-detailed deal I spent days on. They still think some stuff I made up on the spot involving a tower in a forest and alhoon was part of an elaborate subplot.

This. I do the same thing. Including having thrown in an Alhoon this campaign!

 

[Dioltach]

I'm that DM who gives NPCs and places names that are secret puns, and doesn't tell the players because it's my secret.

 

[prabe]

I'm that DM who runs for 3+ hours on no written prep. Like @Ruin Explorer my powers of procrastination are mighty.

I'm also that DM who spends hours prepping a scenario, just so the PCs can ignore it entirely.

 

[Benjamin Olson]

I'm that DM who is pretending to pay no attention to the players' tabletalk about what they are predicting will happen next, as I poach it for better ideas.

 

[J-H]

I'm that DM who has 200+ pages of typed notes for my current campaign (it'll go on the DM's Guild eventually like Castle Dracula did). If the party has a choice, I usually have something prepped for the top 3 most likely choices they'll make.

I've been told I'm "hyper-prepared."

Next game I'm hoping to back down to <50 pages of notes for the entire campaign including magic items.

 

[James Gasik]

I'm the DM who makes custom magic items that I think are cool, then laments about how easily the players defeat encounters.

 

[Shiroiken]

I'm that DM with the evil reputation. I don't hold back, and I don't do "encounter design." I build a realistic setup that can be well harder than the player's expectations and abilities. Conversely, I'm also that DM who lets good ideas work, allowing the PCs to entirely bypass challenges and sometimes even the BBEG.

I think this says it all

Spoiler

View attachment 264473

Spoiler

This completely threw me off because of an incident back when I first started as a DM, but it's the same kinda thing I'd do. My incident involved DMing a PvP duel where one player was allowed to use a useless NPC that had no abilities or attacks. That player had a mech, and put the NPC in it to use the mech's attacks. That player's name was Steve...

 

[payn]

I'm that DM that has the PCs meet the BBEG in the first session but they dont know it until they reach level 10+.

 

[prabe]

I'm that DM that has the PCs meet the BBEG in the first session but they dont know it until they reach level 10+.

In my games, if they find out at level 10, I figured it out when they were like level 8. That's not criticism, I promise.

 

[Lidgar]

I’m that DM that still manages to make mistakes and forgets about all the cool abilities that the monsters have even after doing it for over 40 years.