DDAL Things I learn from being a DM for 300 Adventure League sessions.

[jasper]

1. The rules and guidance will always be adjusted.

2. Players will be from all races, education levels, economy levels, skill levels, interest levels and various backgrounds.

3. Some people will love your DM style and others will hate it.

4. Reputation for starting on time is important.

5. DMing for Autistic and other special needs players is interesting, a joy, and sometimes a pain.

6. Players will give you with snackage, dice, and other gifts. Remember to thank them.

7. Run the adventures you want to run.

8. Don’t run when not feeling well. (Includes hangover. HIC.)

9. Sometimes you will need to say no to your players.

10. I will spend more than I should.

11. Breaks are important.

12. Listen to feedback.

13. There is no thirteen.

 

[tommybahama]

I have often read that there is little to no role playing in Adventures League. From my experience in about 30 or so AL games that has been true. Has that changed at all with shows like Critical Role? Are there more people showing up wanting to roleplay?

 

[jasper]

Plenty of people role play. It is no more or less than when I was homebrewing. Now there are more mechanical builds than my homebrew was. I always have people skip magic items or choose less than optimal choices. But I also have new people just learning the game. So role play is hard for them.

 

[jgsugden]

There is short term role playing and long term role playing. You can hope to find good short term role playing, but unless you have a regular group for AL, you won't see long term role playing.

In short term role playing, there is little character development, and more character exhibition. You bring out the things that make your character fun and show them for people to experience with you.

In long term role playing, your character evolves as they encounter the world. They learn. They respond. They evolve.

 

[Scott Christian]

I have often read that there is little to no role playing in Adventures League. From my experience in about 30 or so AL games that has been true. Has that changed at all with shows like Critical Role? Are there more people showing up wanting to roleplay?

I have played in quite a few AL games. In my experience, this is true.

Even when I ran 4e's Wednesday games, there was little - and I am diligent about the 1/3rd rule.

No real knock on the AL games. But the way they are set up, the time constraint, and the players, all seem to drift toward very little RPing. Heck, even the exploration parts seem to be less than a home campaign.

 

[darjr]

Their are RP AL groups out there. I have ran a fair few. True the time constraint can pinch things but there are mods that are MUCH better at leaving room than others.
If you really wan't a heavy RP AL experience run AL out of one of the hardcovers or in sessions that are not time constrained or multiple sessions.

Epics, however, are always time constrained and a whirlwind. I live for those. I ran an convention with 10+ tables of 7 players per table and it was thrilling.

I ran tables at Gameholecon with 40+ tables in an Epic and several people dressed as giant dinasours as wandering monsters. That was amazing!

I ran Grung events at GaryCon LATE into the night which, if I was drinking like everyone else, I never would have made it to my early morning games. Several times my entire table were up and dancing and singing!

This is why I do AL.

 

[Shiroiken]

What I learned from years of DMing organized play: don't!

 

[RobJN]

13. There is no thirteen.

Shouldn't that be number 14?

 

[Paul Farquhar]

You missed an opportunity, you should have called this thread Three Hundred Leagues Behind the Screen.