Rotating DM Game - need help fast!

[Piratecat]

I'll dig 'em up when I'm back late tonight. Going out for bbq!

[hijack] http://www.muddyriver.com/menu_restaurant.htm

 

[Rel]

I'll dig 'em up when I'm back late tonight. Going out for bbq!

[hijack] http://www.muddyriver.com/menu_restaurant.htm

Rat-BASTARD!

 

[Rel]

So, by way of a small bump, Henry came by today to pick up some stuff he left during the NC Game Day last weekend. I invited him to stay for dinner and he said he had to decline because he and his wife would be dining on a rack of ribs tonight!

When was this, "Mod's BBQ Day" announced?

 

[Piratecat]

That reminds me, PC, can you repost or link to the rules of DMing jericho mentioned?

Tracked them down - post # 710 of my story hour. Lela had asked what my personal DMing rules are.

Rule 1: Don't believe hype or take yourself too seriously. It's a game, not the cure for world hunger, and pretentious ego-bloated DMing isn't a lot of fun for anyone. Most importantly, play with friends who you'd want to spend time with outside of the game.

Rule 2: Give the players opportunities to use their cool abilities, because a neat class ability or spell that doesn't get used isn't fun. For this reason, I tried to cut off PC limbs for months after Velendo got access to regeneration. You can be sure that if the group had a rogue, this last adventure would have been laden with more rogue-tastic opportunities.

Rule 3: Don't over-prepare. It makes my games more boring and my thinking too rigid. On the other hand, document NPCs and game history scrupulously, and tie it into later adventures.

Rule 4: Demand that your players bring nasty, unidentifiable Japanese candy to each game. This creates group bonding when the candy is tried and evaluated. An actual quote:

"This salted plum-flavored candy tastes like Worcestershire Sauce-covered cigarette butts! It's utterly revolting! Here, try one."

Rule 5: Plan far ahead, and build on what has come before. This allows you to steer the game towards cool occurrences and to successfully foreshadow.

Rule 6: Scatter plot hooks near and far, dozens of them, then only use the ones that seem like fun.

Rule 7: Give every player/PC screen time and story focus, spreading the attention out equally. I really learned this from Sagiro, who is astonishing at giving each PC their time in the spotlight.

Rule 8: Ask your players for regular feedback on how you're doing, at least once a year. When you get bad news, which is inevitable, embrace it and work to improve those rough edges. Ask your group for ideas on how to improve problem areas (such as slow combat), especially when they can be part of the solution.

Rule 9: Long epic-ish plot arcs are great, but only if they're broken up with fun side-adventures that are unrelated. Too much of anything (including grim despair or fear of death or in-game humor) gets old fast.

Rule 10: Make the world change as a result of the PCs' actions, even when the group isn't around. Houses burn down and get built, babies get born and elderly people die. Revolutions occur and politicians connive, other heroes make names for themselves, and the seasons turn. This sense of time passing can help make a game come alive.

 

[Rel]

Tracked them down - post # 710 of my story hour. Lela had asked what my personal DMing rules are.

Thank you sir. And I hope you enjoyed your BBQ.

 

[JoeBlank]

Thanks, PC. Some down-to-earth advice, worth saving and reviewing often.

Rule 3: Don't over-prepare. It makes my games more boring and my thinking too rigid. On the other hand, document NPCs and game history scrupulously, and tie it into later adventures.

This is a biggie, and one I am just getting the hang of. I usually DM online, and there is a temptation to overprepare so that I will have descriptions to cut and paste and pics handy. But some of the best times are when the PCs do something completely unexpected and I have to wing it.

 

[Mark Causey]

So, blargney the second, how did it work out?

 

[blargney the second]

So, blargney the second, how did it work out?

It worked out wonderfully! So well, in fact, that this has become our main campaign, and we've gone from playing once every five weeks to three games in the last six days... and we're playing again on Sunday. Whee!

The unheroic highlight of the first game was the TPK, quickly followed by a Scooby Doo moment where I said, "Let's start over, and how about this time you guys use some tactics and read your character sheets?"

The heroic highlight of the first game was a dwarven cleric/fighter who ran headlong into the ship's mast eight times, taking damage from the collision and the burning sail each time. (He'd discovered that he had Improved Bull Rush, and decided to use it to knock over the mast. The rest of the team helped him as much as possible. It was really fun to let it work, but hurt him at the same time! *evil grin*)

-blarg

 

[Wycen]

My personal rule of DM'ing is: "Do whatever Piratecat says". By all accounts he is an amazing DM and if I were Planetary Emperor the very first thing I would do is give him a column in Dungeon.


Happy gaming!

Would you like to join the Imperial Conspiracy? I'm afraid the position of Emporer is already taken, but you could be an Imperial Governor. I think Russia/China and the two arctic areas are still unclaimed.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

Would you like to join the Imperial Conspiracy? I'm afraid the position of Emporer is already taken, but you could be an Imperial Governor. I think Russia/China and the two arctic areas are still unclaimed.

Barsoomcore, right?

I, for one, welcome our new Martian Overlord.

I don't want land or titles, no no no no. I just want something modest and small. You know, like Minister of Propoganda?