D&D 5E In Search Of: The 5e Dungeon Master's Guide

[MGibster]

I'm not sure I could disagree much more. Every DM and group has to find their own groove and what works for me and mine may not work for you and yours. I think emphasizing that flexibility is part of the appeal of 5E. For example when it comes to the role of the dice I'd be frustrated with a table where overcoming every obstacle came down to a dice roll. On the other hand I want investment skill proficiencies to mean something. I'm glad they talk about the extremes and explain a middle ground.

If you narrowly focus on one style that doesn't happen to fit, DMs will think they're doing it wrong just because someone somewhere thought that particular style was best.

Given how few people seem to have even read the DMG, I'm not sure it helps anyone find their own groove. And I'm not sure how different most D&D games actually are. I feel as though I could probably sit at most tables and be just fine. There are probably some outliers, but I don't think most D&D tables are going to be radically different from one another.

 

[AnotherGuy]

Stuff in the 2014 DMG that isn’t used by most of the market can probably be dropped. Very few games reach high levels (and the planar cosmology doesn’t even exist in some campaign settings), so planar travel may be dropped.

I'm not sold on this being removed, but some of your other ideas...

I suspect that the 10 pages of tables for randomizing settlements awkwardly stuck in the middle of the book will also likely be dropped.

They should just put many of these resources online and they can just keep adding to them, and DMs can print or use when necessary. This would save a lot of space in the DMG.

But it’s not just about the 2023 market. It’s also about what else is being done at WotC and in the industry. Will 2023 DMG keep the Honour and Renown variant rule? Probably not if it gets reprinted in greater detail in Dragonlance.

It's been a decade, I'd love for these to be expanded on. I do not wish to have to purchase 2 books though.

Same thing for variant rules on gritty play or hexcrawling if WotC announces Greyhawk and sticks the rules in there.

Same with this. Although having said I don't want to acquire more books, you know...I most likely will at some point. Wisdom is my dump stat.

Clocks are big on the RPG scene, so we may see D&D’s take on clocks in the 2023 DMG.

Clocks, Skill Challenges, expand on Plot Points, dials for low-level magic worlds. We all have our personal preferences

 

[Oofta]

Given how few people seem to have even read the DMG, I'm not sure it helps anyone find their own groove. And I'm not sure how different most D&D games actually are. I feel as though I could probably sit at most tables and be just fine. There are probably some outliers, but I don't think most D&D tables are going to be radically different from one another.

If no one reads the DMG then it doesn't really matter does it? Kind of like if a tree in the forest falls on a mime does anyone care?

The rest? People have preferences and what is best for them. This whole thread (with a few outliers) is that the book is okay it could be better. I'm okay with a variety of styles, but I still think one is better for me.

 

[MGibster]

If no one reads the DMG then it doesn't really matter does it? Kind of like if a tree in the forest falls on a mime does anyone care?

The rest? People have preferences and what is best for them. This whole thread (with a few outliers) is that the book is okay it could be better. I'm okay with a variety of styles, but I still think one is better for me.

I suspect a lot of DMs either read it once or at least make one attempt at it. It gets read and it’s mostly forgotten because it’s full of a bunch of different suggestions which aren’t regularly used in the game.

Like I said earlier, I also question the prevailing narrative that everyone’s game is unique. I believe one of the things that makes D&D so popular is that you can sit down and play it with anyone else who is familiar with the rules.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

I suspect a lot of DMs either read it once or at least make one attempt at it. It gets read and it’s mostly forgotten because it’s full of a bunch of different suggestions which aren’t regularly used in the game.

Like I said earlier, I also question the prevailing narrative that everyone’s game is unique. I believe one of the things that makes D&D so popular is that you can sit down and play it with anyone else who is familiar with the rules.

You can sit at the table and play the game, but the table will do something or interpret a rule differently than you thought was correct.
I spent a big chunk of time watching Vox Machina on YouTube and I still do not know if Matt was getting surprise wrong, or that was a house rule (or maybe I am to one getting it wrong.)
It still would not prevent me from sitting in on his game though.

 

[delericho]

Maybe sacrifice a bit of artwork, though I don't want to downplay the role of the art, and wouldn't want to cut back too much.

I support making the art smaller, certainly. A pass for efficiency couldn't hurt, I suppose.

I will be extremely surprised if the new core rulebooks have less art - I would strongly expect the opposite (and a larger font size, a $70 price tag, and no more pages).

Consequently, I really don't expect to see more text in the new books than the current ones - I'd instead be looking to see what can be dropped just to make room.

 

[Aldarc]

I will be extremely surprised if the new core rulebooks have less art - I would strongly expect the opposite (and a larger font size, a $70 price tag, and no more pages).

Consequently, I really don't expect to see more text in the new books than the current ones - I'd instead be looking to see what can be dropped just to make room.

I think that there were a lot of random rolling tables added to 5e as a way to court OSR's love of random tables.

But I really think that the One D&D DMG would greatly benefit from looking at the structure and layout of the 4e DMG:
1. How to be a DM
2. Running the Game
3. Combat Encounters
4. Building Encounters
5. Noncombat Encounters
6. Adventures
7. Rewards
8. Campaigns
9. The World
10. The DM's Toolkit
11. Fallcrest

Not pictured is how each chapter begins with bullet points that provide an overview of the chapter contents. Notice how the book starts from the basics of being a DM and builds up from there to running various types of encounters. Then it goes onto Adventures. Then Campaigns. Then the World. It starts narrow in scope but then it widens its scope. Then finally at the end is a DM Toolkit as well as a sample starting location (i.e., Fallcrest of the Nenir Vale). This format, IMHO, made DMing far more approachable for me.

I played in 3e, and I only really played in 3e because I did not find the 3e DMG to be all that accessible. 4e changed that for me, and one reason it did so was because of how its format, spacing, layout, and structure presented the contents.

 

[AnotherGuy]

I think that there were a lot of random rolling tables added to 5e as a way to court OSR's love of random tables.

But I really think that the One D&D DMG would greatly benefit from looking at the structure and layout of the 4e DMG:
1. How to be a DM
2. Running the Game
3. Combat Encounters
4. Building Encounters
5. Noncombat Encounters
6. Adventures
7. Rewards
8. Campaigns
9. The World
10. The DM's Toolkit
11. Fallcrest

Not pictured is how each chapter begins with bullet points that provide an overview of the chapter contents. Notice how the book starts from the basics of being a DM and builds up from there to running various types of encounters. Then it goes onto Adventures. Then Campaigns. Then the World. It starts narrow in scope but then it widens its scope. Then finally at the end is a DM Toolkit as well as a sample starting location (i.e., Fallcrest of the Nenir Vale). This format, IMHO, made DMing far more approachable for me.

I played in 3e, and I only really played in 3e because I did not find the 3e DMG to be all that accessible. 4e changed that for me, and one reason it did so was because of how its format, spacing, layout, and structure presented the contents.

I can admit, it is a good structure. I'm guessing the Rewards chapter would have to include Magical Items for 1D&D.

 

[FrozenNorth]

I think that there were a lot of random rolling tables added to 5e as a way to court OSR's love of random tables.

I agree. It is also a prime place to find more space in the book.

But I really think that the One D&D DMG would greatly benefit from looking at the structure and layout of the 4e DMG:
1. How to be a DM
2. Running the Game
3. Combat Encounters
4. Building Encounters
5. Noncombat Encounters
6. Adventures
7. Rewards
8. Campaigns
9. The World
10. The DM's Toolkit
11. Fallcrest

The 4e DMG was laid out in a very intuitive manner.

 

[Campbell]

I think an adjustment in tone would fo a lot of good to encourage people to give this DM thing a shot. Matt Colville's excellent video series doesn't emphasize the weight of the role. Instead there's a real you got this vibe that I think is really important in establishing the confidence people need to give this whole thing a shot. Some of the video Chris Perkins used to do have a similar vibe. I really hope that's the vibe we see moving forward.