Rat Bastard DM Requirements

[kaomera]

Wow. People have radically different definitions of RBDM. My initial post would characterize RBDM's as evil, cruel, people who wanted to kill players characters.

Many posters instead say that a RBDM is someone who (paraphrasing) is manipulative and tricky to the characters but the players love him/her.

Did I get that correct?

As has been stated upthread by FireLance, if the players don't enjoy your ratbastardry, you aren't going to be DMing (RB- or otherwise) for long. There's an issue of trust here - the players have tom accept that your game is fair, specifically that the consequences you throw at them are not arbitrary. This also speaks to the expectations of the players - a good RBDM makes it clear what is up from the beginning, and plays things fair. He does not stop the PCs from being awesome and even encourages it. But he also does not shirk from doling out the repercussions of hubris... (And this is all besides creating a game and world that is fun and awesome in and of itself.)

 

[WanderingMonster]

Wow. People have radically different definitions of RBDM. My initial post would characterize RBDM's as evil, cruel, people who wanted to kill players characters.

Many posters instead say that a RBDM is someone who (paraphrasing) is manipulative and tricky to the characters but the players love him/her.

Did I get that correct?

ENWorld has, over the years, defined being a rat-bastard DM to be more in line with your second definition.

Players in a RBDM's campaign will never forget the time he screwed them over. Player's in an evil DM's campaign will never forgive him.

Gamers will boast about being a killer DM. Players boast about their RBDM.

You must master your fury, lest your fury become your master.

 

[TarionzCousin]

This thread has gone totally off the "simple question" rails and developed into a thoughtful, interesting discussion.

Should I ask a mod to close it?

 

[WanderingMonster]

This thread has gone totally off the "simple question" rails and developed into a thoughtful, interesting discussion.

Should I ask a mod to close it?

Better report it. These kinds of threads are dangerous.

 

[Wolf1066]

This thread has gone totally off the "simple question" rails and developed into a thoughtful, interesting discussion.

Should I ask a mod to close it?

That might be the safest option.

But then, we're battle-seasoned veterans who have faced Black Dragons, vampires, zombie hordes, eldritch creatures from the Dawn of Time, Old Ones and 'dorphed-up boostergangs - what the hell do we care about "safe options"?

 

[InVinoVeritas]

This thread has gone totally off the "simple question" rails and developed into a thoughtful, interesting discussion.

Should I ask a mod to close it?

You see? Such is the value of tracking unintended consequences in an organic world.

 

[Doug McCrae]

I'm angling much more for the feeling that when you push the world, it pushes back: not in a reactionary or petty way ("have to be negative"), but in a way that shows the world is a living, breathing thing, inhabited by uncountable urges and agendas.

Basically, when you poke the world, expect it to react in a more complex manner than "yes" and "no".

I'd describe that as verisimilitude, rather than RBDM-ery.

Though it depends on one's view of the world. All the DMs I know that are closest to being RBs have a very dark weltanschauung.

 

[Dausuul]

I'd describe that as verisimilitude, rather than RBDM-ery.

RBDMing is when you apply such verisimilitude to a world where the bad guys have a) the good guys at a drastic disadvantage, and b) a nasty sense of humor.

 

[Nifft]

I'd describe that as verisimilitude, rather than RBDM-ery.

Though it depends on one's view of the world. All the DMs I know that are closest to being RBs have a very dark weltanschauung.

Yes! Verisimilitude is VERY much related to rat-bastardry.

One can think of rat bastardry as taking verisimilitude and weaponizing it.

Well, that's not quite true, but it's a good sound bite, so I'll stop here.

Cheers, -- N

 

[billd91]

On the subject of ripping up a character sheet:

I would never do that. We post them up on the dead PC wall for all to see.

 

[TarionzCousin]

One can think of rat bastardry as taking verisimilitude and weaponizing it.

That's a very cromulent word.

 

[Pbartender]

That's a very cromulent word.

It certainly does embiggen one's vocabulary.

 

[Doug McCrae]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOSYiT2iG08]C is for contrafibularity[/ame]

 

[Wolf1066]

A classic scene, Doug. Sadly, I haven't "spread the luurve" enough to give you any more XP as yet.

 

[WanderingMonster]

It certainly does embiggen one's vocabulary.

The only word for it is...scrumtrilescent.

 

[Wolf1066]

I've even faced boosted-up Dorf-gangs.

Too bad I can't give out XP for XP - I now want to create for my universe a suitably heroic but fictional famous person called "Dorf" that poser-gangers would want to emulate...

 

[Emirikol]

>Originally Posted by Nifft
>One can think of rat bastardry as taking verisimilitude and weaponizing it.



Ha! Great quote!

 

[Celebrim]

What does it take to be a Rat Bastard DM? Are you one?

Yes, but...

How many TPK's have you caused?

None. Though I did reduce a party to 1 survivor in the first 15 minutes of the campaign once.

How many dice have been thrown at you?

None.

How many character sheets have you ripped up?

None. They make good trophies.

How, exactly, have you caused mental anguish to your players?

ERrrr... mostly unintentionally. The Shaman ends up unintentionally in violation of her taboos three days straight. The Champion is unsure if he can bear the burden of RPing his character. The Sorcerer takes phobia (vermin), then spends the next 2-3 sessions running around screaming in a dungeon filled with beetle swarms, giant beetles, giant spiders, giant crawfish...

Have you ever fudged a die roll to kill a character. For example, you rolled a 3 but told everyone it was a "natural 20."

Certainly not. The true RBDM needs none of these things. The essence of being a RBDM is defeating the PC's fairly and deviously in a way that they know they are deserving of the defeat. It's when you are fair but harsh, and the NPCs though they should be at a disadvantage find devious ways to turn the tables on the PC's.