The Greatest DM in the World

[delericho]

Having now read the article in question (the site was down for maintenance previously), I think the biggest problem with the answer Chris gives is his use of the word "rails" and the phrase "illusion of choice". If, instead, he'd talked about keeping the game (and the group) moving, and about subtly 'guiding' the group towards fun for all, I think he might well have done better.

That said, I'm not sure this one aspect is really satisfactory as an answer to "what must I do to become a great DM?" It strikes me that it is rather incomplete.

(I do also like his point about a great DM being one who surrounds himself with great players. There's a lot of wisdom in that.)

 

[Piratecat]

Sometimes the DM brings out the Banewarrens, and the players just say: "SCREW THIS. That place is scary. I'm not going back there." Okay, the DM has obligations to listen to his players some.

Agreed. I'm one of those guys who learned this the hard way.

 

[Maggan]

It's the DM's job to provide players with a good time.

I disagree with that. Providing a good time can not be achieved by a DM, unless the groups works with him. So it is the group's job to provide the good times; players and DM together. It is not the job of the DM, IMO.

/M

 

[Ashrum the Black]

Be that as it may PC, you did learn it and judging by your story hour, you learned it very very well.

I believe you also mastered the lesson of surrounding yourself with great players too.

I've learned a geat deal by reading your story hour and the various brainstorming threads you created on how to be a better DM PC.

For that I'd like to say thank you.

-Ashrum

 

[TerraDave]

I completely agree with his post.

And he does confirm that players should have choices, and motivition.

They just shouldn't be doorknobs.

 

[Ambrus]

Great DMs aren't always proven by their ability to improvise.

The key to great improvisation is preparation. I know that sounds dumb, but I've found it much easier to run an unexpected scenario if I've put in the effort needed to understand the game-environment, think about who's around, what they're up to and what their initial attitudes to the party might be. Then it's just a matter of having the NPCs react appropriately to whatever the PCs are doing. Much easier and more fun than trying to invent something from nothing.

 

[Pbartender]

Example where he is wrong:

The PCs enter a dungeon. It closes on them so that they are trapped. They spend the next 4 gaming sessions trying to get out of the dungeon whilst the DM is trying to keep them in. He did, after all, work hard and long on his mega-dungeon.

But that's not exactly what he was proposing...

If the DM is following Perkins' example, he wouldn't close the dungeon on them in the first place. He'd let the players leave, let them wander about for a bit on their own, files the serial numbers off the original mega-dungeon, move it somewhere else, and come up with a better in-game reason for the PCs to explore the place.

The PCs never went deep enough in to recognize it the first time, so the DM get to use what he put so much effort into planning, and as far as the players are concerned they're someplace where they want to be.

If the DM is careful about it, he's "railroaded" them back into that dungeon without them knowing, but this time they want to be there.