D&D 5E Regarding DMG, Starter Set and Essentials kit: Are they good for the starting DMs?

[hawkeyefan]

I don't want it from either direction.

How can it be avoided?

 

[Oofta]

How can it be avoided?

By giving options and suggestions and reminding people there is no one true way. A fair amount does fall on the DM of course.

 

[hawkeyefan]

By giving options and suggestions and reminding people there is no one true way. A fair amount does fall on the DM of course.

But how does the DM give options and suggestions to the players? Doesn't the DM have to commit to some kind of approach or means of adjudication in the absence of specific rules?

If so, aren't the players then just substituting the source of prescribed play from the rules to the DM?

 

[Oofta]

But how does the DM give options and suggestions to the players? Doesn't the DM have to commit to some kind of approach or means of adjudication in the absence of specific rules?

If so, aren't the players then just substituting the source of prescribed play from the rules to the DM?

I have no I what you're getting at. I gave my answer.

 

[Micah Sweet]

But how does the DM give options and suggestions to the players? Doesn't the DM have to commit to some kind of approach or means of adjudication in the absence of specific rules?

If so, aren't the players then just substituting the source of prescribed play from the rules to the DM?

The DM and players may have a specific playstyle. The DMG should not, IMO.

 

[Aldarc]

I have no I what you're getting at. I gave my answer.

GM says/prescribes what the rules are.

 

[Oofta]

GM says/prescribes what the rules are.

With feedback from the group.

 

[Aldarc]

With feedback from the group.

I genuinely appreciate that you wanted to add that caveat, Oofta.

 

[hawkeyefan]

The DM and players may have a specific playstyle. The DMG should not, IMO.

That's fair. I don't necessarily disagree. Like, I'd personally like them to be less wishy washy, and there are certain styles or methods that can be labeled as potentially problematic without outright condemning,... but I absolutely get why they needed to appeal to a wide set of play styles and sub-groups within the fandom.

But even without going so far as to offer one specific style, I think they can offer advice on multiple styles in ways that are far more useful than how they do so now.

With feedback from the group.

Yeah, this is along the lines of what I was asking about... how does it seem from purely a player point of view, without worrying about how the DM sees it.

Feedback from the group is a way to mitigate that. The DM is more able to read the players and cater to their wants and desires than the books are, for sure.

So should the starter set or the DMG, or any instructional video or text, say that a DM should elicit feedback from their players? Is such advice too strong? It excludes some play styles.

 

[FrogReaver]

I'm personally okay with the DMG giving an initial recommendation to new DM's that might have decision paralysis. Example: "If your a new DM and not quite sure what to do then try doing it this way and see if it works for you. It works for quite a few other people. If this doesn't work for you then experiment and try another way next time."