Iron DM "Home Game"

[Rune]

For anyone interested in trying this out, I've recently taken to having my players write up lists of ingredients for me to incorporate into the following session.

It's not quite like Iron DM in that I reserve veto power over anything that would screw up the game, but it helps to get me thinking creatively, it helps the players to feel like their contributing something vital to the creation process, it offers a kind of game-within-the-game for the players as they try to play "spot the ingredients" or just watch to see what I do with them, and it's just all around fun. My players love it, and it actually helps me to come up with a basic scenario quicker.

Give it a try!

 

[mmadsen]

For anyone interested in trying this out, I've recently taken to having my players write up lists of ingredients for me to incorporate into the following session.

That sounds like fun! I especially like the "spot the ingredient" game-within-a-game.

My players love it, and it actually helps me to come up with a basic scenario quicker.

One thing I found interesting about Iron DM is that you can throw together four or five of the ingredients surprisingly easily to come up with something original. If you're willing to toss that last ingredient that doesn't fit -- cough*earth elemental*cough -- you've got an exotic adventure that practically wrote itself.

 

[LostSoul]

For anyone interested in trying this out, I've recently taken to having my players write up lists of ingredients for me to incorporate into the following session.

That is an excellent idea. I think I will have to get on that.

By the way, how does one decide what ingredients are selected?

 

[Rune]

That is an excellent idea. I think I will have to get on that.

By the way, how does one decide what ingredients are selected?

I use everything that I can without ruining the game, the well-being of which is more important to me than inclusion of ingredients. If, for instance, all of the items I got were silly, I might run a silly session because everybody apparently wanted one, but I would be more likely to toss them all out and include nothing.

Also, I the players may not get a chance to spot an ingredient that I have included. In those cases, my goal is to bring them back to their attention later.

 

[mmadsen]

This is a great idea mmadsen, and I'll make an attempt at an entry this weekend if my schedule stays clear like it is now.

Hey, Quickbeam, did your schedule ever clear up? (Never ask an Ent to write up an adventure quickly...)

 

[mmadsen]

By the way, Rune, thanks for stepping to the plate and giving a well though out critique!

I can't believe that I passed up a perfect opportunity to use "nemmerlesque". I go through all that trouble to coin a term, and I don't use it!

 

[mmadsen]

I'm interested to see more...

Thanks for the interest, Hypersmurf. Would you be up for writing an entry? Or judging one?

Is the "Home Thread" restricted to ingredient lists from the reent competition, or can the Home Viewers propose new combinations?

Earlier I said that we hadn't used up all of our ingredient lists, but I didn't post what we had so far. Here they are:

Sample Ingredients List:

Carnival
Manticore
Crystal Hypnosis Ball
Stirges
Con Games
Giant Snakes

First Ingredients List:

Bones
Earth Elemental
Ghouls
Magic Key
Kuo-toa
Holy Ground

Second Ingredients List:

Paladin's holy mount
Gargantuan fire beetle
Crippled rogue
Flooded mine
Diary
Intelligent Greatsword

Third Ingredients List:

Amnesia
Island Fortress
Evil Monks
Eggs
Hangman Tree
Cursed Spear, Back-biter

Fourth Ingredients List:

Sundial
Were-bear
Drider
Ring of Elemental Command
Triptych
Butler

Fifth Ingredients List:

Beggars
Corrupt Fire Priest
Defiled Graves
Penitent Undead
Sacred Plants
Tainted Blood

Sixth Ingredients List:

Oval Door
Permanent Image
Quicklings
Female Hill Giant
Staff of Thunder & Lightning
False Beard Made from Dwarf Hair

Seventh Ingredients List:

Tea Party
Opium
Talking Mouse
Murlynd's Spoon
Pixies
Dire Bear

Hypersmurf's Suggested Ingredients:

Nystul's Undetectable Aura
Windmill
Sovereign Glue
Gelatinous Cube
Pathological Liar
Thunderstorm

We've only "used up" the first three lists.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Thanks for the interest, Hypersmurf. Would you be up for writing an entry?

Intending to... but it'll be "when I get a round tuit", unfortunately.

I don't have the time I'd like these days

-Hyp.

 

[mmadsen]

It looks like Angelsboi went and started his own Iron DM contest on the WotC boards!

http://boards.wizards.com/rpg-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=135&t=010994&p=

 

[mmadsen]

Anyone up for a head-to-head challenge match? Fourth Ingredients List (Sundial, Were-bear, etc.)?