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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Iron Sky" data-source="post: 5186188" data-attributes="member: 60965">AImprovisation: I've been improvising since I started DMing 17 years ago.  I wasn't aware there was any other way of playing until they invented the internet and those search-engine things and I read about this "planning" thing and the "adventure" concept.  17 years later, I still improvise 70-99% of my games (depending on the system, with DnD being on the "most planning" end).Rules mastery: Until very recently, I'd consume rulesets just for fun.  I consider it important to master the rules to be as fair and consistent as possible.  I'm also OCD about playing RPGs as RAW as possible, so it bothers me whenever I need to house-rule something.  I do occasionally get rules wrong, but its the exception rather than the norm.Unique and fantastic worlds: Worldbuilding is half the fun in DMing for me.  I tend to spend a bunch of time before the game starts thinking about the world/universe of the game, then random ideas tend to come to me during the week between sessions about the "big picture".BEncounter design: I try to make combats interesting, unique, and challenging.  I sometimes fail at one or more of these, especially if I'm winging it and just throw together some enemies on the fly without any inspiration.Enemy design: I've created some really cool, mechanically interesting enemies for some pretty cool combats.  Sometimes I get so into the mechanics that I forget about actually describing what the enemy's cool powers and abilities look like though...CGuiding the players: My games are usually pretty "sandboxy", so the players can do whatever they want.  Sometimes, however, I give too many options at once or don't make what options are available clear enough, so they can't figure out what to do next.Remembering to tell PCs details: Often I'll have a really neat idea of what the terrain, setting, enemies, etc look like, but I'll forget to tell the players.  Especially in combat.  I have a tendency to say "you're hit for 23 damage" and forget to say which enemy is attacking which PC in what way.  Leads to some confusion and breaks immersion in what's going on.NPC design: My NPCs tend to be pretty bland.  I'll come up with  occasional interesting NPCs, but (especially with DnD games), I tend to  get caught up designing the world and monsters and NPCs lose out.  This is one of my primary "to fix" items.DRoleplaying NPCs: Due to the above, my portrayal of NPCs if often pretty  bland.  Sometimes I'll make a special effort to make an NPC distinguishable (accent, way of talking, mannerisms, etc) but I'll forget about them in the midst of the scene and find the PCs saying "didn't this guy have an accent a while ago?"In systems where  combat mechanics aren't as important, I spend more time on NPCs  personalities and would give myself a C, but we've been primarily playing DnD lately...FI don't think I have any Fs.</blockquote>

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