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Message: <blockquote data-quote="aboyd" data-source="post: 5534236" data-attributes="member: 44797">Note that I've not read the other replies yet.  If anything I write is redundant, I apologize.  Maybe it'll reinforce that some things are commonly successful?<img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/erm.png"  class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":erm:" title="Erm    :erm:" data-shortname=":erm:" />I know the saying "On the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog," so I'm aware that I cannot expect every poster to be highly qualified.  But what you posted is a bummer.  I actually used Google to search out every posted interaction we've had, because I was disappointed to think that I've possibly taken action on suggestions that were not backed by experience.  I think everything turned out okay, but I guess as a general pleading to anyone reading: if you're going to post as if you have experience with something, it'd be really cool if you had experience with that thing.I don't think this is a big issue.  I often find myself feeling very awkward when I watch a player adopt a fake voice and act out what the character does.  I prefer to narrate: "My character asks what options for peace are on the table for discussion."  Or: "I thank the owner and bow before leaving.  Then I stop, turn, and say that the Red Mages thank him as well.  Does he react?"When I DM, I often find myself typing up dozens of 1 sentence descriptions for all sorts of little things they might do.  I'm a better writer than actor, so I narrate as a DM just as I do when I'm playing, with the addition that I often read little snippets that paint a mood, but which don't require me to speak in a fake accent.I wouldn't worry about this part.  Bring your strengths to the table.  Try things.  Watch what other DMs do.  Learn to appreciate their strengths.  Emulate what you can.  Take baby steps.  It's the only way to become great.Social challenges are very similar to combat.  You are simply doing more opposed skill-based rolls.  Award circumstance modifiers (both positive and negative, depending) liberally.  Steal from Arcanum, if you remember that game.  Have NPCs ask that the diplomancer speak on their behalf.  Have "tests of will" involving verbal back-and-forth.  Don't make every little thing a roll -- get a sense for how the player is directing conversation, and once you know where the player is pushing the conversation, have him roll to see if it gets there, and start on "round 2" of the conversation.Have people challenge his assertions.  Have groups of people agree or disagree.  Have enemies that can be talked down from combat, as well as a few that cannot be reasoned with.Baldur's Gate 2 had a nice scene where you could convince a crowd of pitchfork-wielding bigots to calm down.  It also had a scene where you could feed romantic lines to an NPC trying to woo a girl.  Similar ideas might be interesting.Uh, run away from this idea as fast as you can.  If they're missing a wizard-ish type, put a magic shop with a caster in town, and have him charge for spells.  Don't have the caster join the party.  If they're missing a cleric, have a temple with lots of healing potions.  Or have a bard with healing, or a paladin, or a ranger, or even a wizard with the Arcane Disciple feat (healing domain).  But don't put a cleric NPC into the party.  If they're missing a tank or two, let them hire mercenaries at the usual triple the day rate for dangerous work, and have them equip the mercenaries (they don't offer their own loot as gear).  If you do that, keep the mercenaries as much of a blank slate as possible, and let the players run them like summoned monsters or something.  They're literally meat-shields, and not much else.Why do I plead with you to avoid the tag-along DM NPC?  Because <a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/general-rpg-discussion/258587-what-your-irratating-dmpcs-backstory.html" target="_blank">DMPCs</a> are usually considered in <a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/general-rpg-discussion/180410-explain-why-dmpcs-bad-me.html" target="_blank">derogatory terms</a>.That's why I encourage alternatives.  Often (as happened to me), you can be wary of making a Mary Sue DMPC, only to find that you did it anyway.  So best idea is to avoid that distraction right now, concentrate on being a DM, and have fun.  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /></blockquote>

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