D&D General The DM Shortage

[Mort]

But why isn't it? Why not have the first half full of not only teaching how to play the game, but different playable scenarios that build in complexity? A new DM could dive right into the first one, while a veteran would have a bunch of handy plug'n'play adventures ready to insert as desired. Then focus the back half on optional rules, yes, but fully developed ones. Right now, to actually use any of the optional rules in the DMG you have to go to another source where someone has put in the effort to figure out how to make them work in a useful way.

I mostly agree.

For example, the CR assumptions and structuring combat need to be front and center not presented in a nearly throw away format.

And there needs to be a LOT more explicit discussion on weaving exploration and social pillars into the game. It's in the DMG now if you look hard enough, but it should be RIGHT there and much better presented.

Put the magic items in the PHB with the rest of the equipment.

To me, it is weird that I tell new players to skip the DM's Guide unless they really feel they must have everything. It should feel like an almost indispensable book for DMs. I should be saying, "Well, if you are going to DM, then you really should get yourself a DM's Guide ASAP."

Here I disagree.

Putting the magic items in the DMG means they are at the control of that DM. The DM can use them, not use them whatever.

Same goes for magic item crafting. REALLY glad they stepped it back in 5e - to DM control.

The 3e item crafting rules were well intentioned but they made caster supremacy really easy unless the DM kept a close eye (and a lot ofR ule 0) on things.

Edit: I will once again argue that Phandelver is the single best WotC adventure in 5e. That is a hill I will die on.

It's pretty good, have run it a number of times.

And the first two encounters (plus a few of the later ones) are DEADLY to new/unprepared players. Have had many downed PCs, and a near tpk (1 character ran for it, crits at low level are no joke). So I always scratch my head when people call 5e easy mode.

 

[Maxperson]

All the optional rules and worldbuilding advice in the universe won't actually help someone be a better DM, or any DM at all. Those things should be in the DMG, yes, but so should actual guides for DMing.

There is. Not a ton of it, but there's some. And it definitely needs more.

Pages 26-27 gives advice on how to DM.
Page 34 gives advice on how to DM.
Pages 71-72 give advice on how to DM.
Pages 235-247 give advice on how to DM.
Pages 252-253 give advice on how to DM.
Pages 261-273 give advice on how to DM.

31 pages out of 322 is about 10% given the introduction and index pages. I also consider instruction on creating monsters, dungeons, campaigns, smaller adventures, NPCs(and running them), magic items, etc. as advice on how to DM. If you include all of that the pages go way up.

 

[Maxperson]

Everyone jokes about not reading/needing the DM's Guide, but as soon as you propose any serious changes to it...

When a new player asks me what books they need, I always point them to a starter set - Phandelver preferably. Then I tell them a Players Handbook. Then a Monster Manual if they are going to DM. I specifically tell them to skip the DM's Guide and go next to Xanathar's/Tasha's. They can just get the magic items online or buy one of those handy magic item card sets.

All that does is teach them to be hooked and dependent on WotC to make campaigns and adventures for them to buy. I would always recommend the DMG, because it has lots of great world/campaign/adventure/dungeon building advice and tables.

The major issue with the DMG is that it's poorly organized and light on DMing advice. It's still worth getting if you are new and don't know as much as you do about running a game and creating a world.

 

[hawkeyefan]

I agree with @Micah Sweet. If there is room for a "how2gm" book it should be a standalone book or ribbon for ddb subscription. The 5e DMG is far too cluttered with half baked scraps from the cutting room floor that failed to be further fleshed out & included in PHB/MM/MoTP/MiC type books where appropriate.

I personally think that almost everything in the DMG could be presented in half the space. And what little couldn’t can be jettisoned.

As you say, the DMGas it is seems to be made of half-baked scraps. So why keep it that way?

 

[Reynard]

There is. Not a ton of it, but there's some. And it definitely needs more.

Pages 26-27 gives advice on how to DM.
Page 34 gives advice on how to DM.
Pages 71-72 give advice on how to DM.
Pages 235-247 give advice on how to DM.
Pages 252-253 give advice on how to DM.
Pages 261-273 give advice on how to DM.

31 pages out of 322 is about 10% given the introduction and index pages. I also consider instruction on creating monsters, dungeons, campaigns, smaller adventures, NPCs(and running them), magic items, etc. as advice on how to DM. If you include all of that the pages go way up.

Most people that deride the 5E DMG have never read it, or gave it a cursory flip through and decided it was THE WORST. It is actually a pretty good DMG, all told, not quite the 2E DMG, but close.

And before anyone bothers: the 1E DMG is a GREAT book, but it is not, in any way, a guide to learn how to run AD&D. It is a book designed for people who already know the basics of running the game.

Frankly, i don't think the DMG is the thig that should be the teaching tool. The Starter Set should be the teaching tool, just like the 1983 Basic set was the teaching tool for both players and DMs. The DMG should a useful resource for running the game, where the DM can turn when things are uncertain during play as well as during prep time.

 

[Xamnam]

The starter sets are get-to-playing tools, not teaching tools. Now, people argue, and I'm not going to disagree, that playing the game is the best way to learn, but that doesn't make them a teaching tool, in my eyes.

 

[pemerton]

the DMG as it is seems to be made of half-baked scraps. So why keep it that way?

Because they're very precious half-baked scraps?

 

[Clint_L]

Aside from the list of magic items, which you can get from lots of other places, the DM's Guide is totally unnecessary to run the game. You cannot say that about the MM or the PHB. And it doesn't do a good job of guiding folks in how to run the game. Since this is a thread about an (alleged) shortage of DM's, it seems like the one book with the title "DM's Guide," which is currently a mostly extraneous book, would be a useful place to start fixing the (alleged) problem, is all I'm saying.

On the other hand, it does currently provide fodder for lots of memes. So there's that.

 

[James Gasik]

This is a very good observation. I must say the power creep of 5e is almost laughable. Everything seems tailored to character survival and easy mode. Any mention of anything challenging on forums seems to be met with "You are a adversarial DM and wrong". I know it needs to evolve as a game, but it dosnt have to have monaters with nerf weapons while all PCs regenerate hp per round either.

Just a year or so ago, everywhere I looked, people were defending 5e as "the edition that finally empowered the DM". So reading posts talking about how 5e overly empowers the player makes me feel like I've slipped into an alternate timeline.

 

[Mort]

Just a year or so ago, everywhere I looked, people were defending 5e as "the edition that finally empowered the DM". So reading posts talking about how 5e overly empowers the player makes me feel like I've slipped into an alternate timeline.

Yeah, I feel the same way. Plus I don't see all that much player empowerment - from a gameplay perspective.

Player options, sure (which the DM still mostly controls) but that's not the same thing!