-
NOW LIVE! Into the Woods--new character species, eerie monsters, and haunting villains to populate the woodlands of your D&D games.
The role of the DM in the game and the group.
- Thread starter Kahuna Burger
- Start date
Kae'Yoss
First Post
Anti-Sean said:
I don't know. I wouldn't pay the DM, and as DM I wouldn't expect payment. If the players decide that they want to buy me some book or something, I won't say no, but I won't be mad at them if they never do it.
Honestly, if I was paid for DMing, I'd feel like a prostitute. I'd feel preasured into performing, and being "worth what they paid me", and I guess it would alienate me from them and vice versa.
And I'd never think about hiring a "professional DM".
But that's just my opionion.
Nifft
Penguin Herder
Hell, I'd be excited if they remembered the plot, more than one NPC each, and what happened last session.Kae'Yoss said:
Also, I wouldn't pay someone to DM, nor would I accept cash to DM. It's a labor of love, and money would make me feel vaguely conflicted about ruthlessly crushing the PCs.
Cheers, -- N
Kahuna Burger
First Post
Guess that answers if you recognized the reference and were playing along or not.... What was it "Bagaboo" or some similarly named fellow?Kae'Yoss said:You have to make them remember!![:]](http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devious.png "Devious :]")
cmrscorpio
Explorer
How the games are run depend on who DMs and who hosts. In the past this has been one and the same person (me), but in the past year, I've been DMing at another player(s) house.
As for etiquette at the host's house, the host determines all out-of-game aspects, and the DM focuses on in-game stuff.
Host has absolute say on out-of-game stuff. No negotiation. When the host says "no shoes are worn beyond the front door of this house", then everyone obeys.
As far as in-game stuff - genre, setting, character options, basic campaign direction - when I DM, I generally present options and the players choose which they want. I am open to suggestions.
As far as interpretation/implimentation of rules, the DM has absolute say. We trust our DM to run a fun game. If the DM says something that completely and utterly contradicts something in the books, players are allowed to show proof of contradiction but the DM has final say on how the rules work. Usually, I and the other person who has occasionally DMs will bow to the books, but there have been a couple instances where we just didn't like what the books said. Intentional contradictions to rules and other house rules are typically brought up by the DM at character creation and discussed for group approval. We never nerf after a campaign has started.
As for etiquette at the host's house, the host determines all out-of-game aspects, and the DM focuses on in-game stuff.
Host has absolute say on out-of-game stuff. No negotiation. When the host says "no shoes are worn beyond the front door of this house", then everyone obeys.
As far as in-game stuff - genre, setting, character options, basic campaign direction - when I DM, I generally present options and the players choose which they want. I am open to suggestions.
As far as interpretation/implimentation of rules, the DM has absolute say. We trust our DM to run a fun game. If the DM says something that completely and utterly contradicts something in the books, players are allowed to show proof of contradiction but the DM has final say on how the rules work. Usually, I and the other person who has occasionally DMs will bow to the books, but there have been a couple instances where we just didn't like what the books said. Intentional contradictions to rules and other house rules are typically brought up by the DM at character creation and discussed for group approval. We never nerf after a campaign has started.
Arnwyn
First Post
Hmmm.... tough choices, and I may not interpret them the same as anyone else, but given those particular choices I voted:
- Absolute power over houserules, genre choices etc but only in advance.
- Final say on scheduling.
Everything else ends up as entirely group consensus. (I'm not sure where the mutually exclusive choices begin and end, so I voted on those 2 options, above.)
However, for our particular group, I'd yank out "houserules" from the above, and move that one to the "primary but not absolute" choice, since that was an inappropriate lumping together AFAIC, but that's the way it goes with internet polls, I suppose.
Further for our particular group, the DM (me) also happens to have:
- Final say on group membership, and
- Final say on social aspects (table rules, eating, smoking, etc);
... but that's only because it's at my house. For us, these two would be the host's role in game and group, not the DM's.
- Absolute power over houserules, genre choices etc but only in advance.
- Final say on scheduling.
Everything else ends up as entirely group consensus. (I'm not sure where the mutually exclusive choices begin and end, so I voted on those 2 options, above.)
However, for our particular group, I'd yank out "houserules" from the above, and move that one to the "primary but not absolute" choice, since that was an inappropriate lumping together AFAIC, but that's the way it goes with internet polls, I suppose.
Further for our particular group, the DM (me) also happens to have:
- Final say on group membership, and
- Final say on social aspects (table rules, eating, smoking, etc);
... but that's only because it's at my house. For us, these two would be the host's role in game and group, not the DM's.
blargney the second
blargney the minute's son
Yeah, cmrscorpio summed it up very well. *applause*
Glyfair
Explorer
IMO, this isn't tied to DM. This is tied to the host. In many cases (and usually in my case) these are the same. However, it's not always true.
If I was hosting but not DMing and the DM could say smoking was fine at the table then the group can find a new place to play. On the other hand, if the reverse was true, then I wouldn't be DMing, so there is some balance here.
While a bit strong, if the DM can't make it then there isn't a game. If the group still runs, then someone else is the DM, aren't they?
Anti-Sean said:
True. The group dynamics tend to be non-standard in the games run by Bugaboo franchisees.
Last edited:
EricNoah
Adventurer
As DM, I can't force anyone to play in a game they don't enjoy. And the players really can't force me to run such. So compromise is certainly needed. Still, at the end of the day, if I as the DM say No and a player says Yes ... I guess I would win that one (though the price of "winning" might be losing that player).
As noted, some of the "social rules" are much more dictated by the host's desires than the DMs.
As noted, some of the "social rules" are much more dictated by the host's desires than the DMs.
Similar Threads
