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General Tabletop Discussion
*Dungeons & Dragons
What are the common features of the best DMs
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<blockquote data-quote="Lanefan" data-source="post: 7220202" data-attributes="member: 29398"><p>The best DMs:</p><p></p><p>- can not only hit the curveballs thrown at them by their players, but don't complain when the players throw 'em</p><p>- - occasionally throw curveballs back at the players/PCs: "yeah, that stone giant you took down a few adventures ago - well somehow it's come back as a lich and it wants your heads on platters"</p><p>- - can run an unprepped game and a prepped game without the players being able to tell the difference</p><p>- have an overarching plot or storyline in mind but keep it all malleable or disposable enough that contact with the players doesn't ruin it</p><p>- run a living breathing game world where things happen when the PCs aren't around as well as when they are, and with the PCs as an integrated part of it rather than special-snowflake exceptions</p><p>- play to win (as in, treat combat as war and don't pull punches) but are able to gracefully lose</p><p>- have the nerve to kill off someone's favourite character (or an entire party) if the dice go that way; in other words, are able to follow through on the game's implied bluff</p><p>- don't get bent out of shape if the players (in character) decide they want to spend all session arguing with (or killing) each other rather than doing the prepped adventure</p><p>- give as much character to their NPCs as players do to their PCs</p><p></p><p>- and someone else said this but it bears repeating: have a very good poker face.</p><p></p><p>Lan-"I call your Ranger and raise with a Frost Giant and two Ogres"-efan</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Lanefan, post: 7220202, member: 29398"] The best DMs: - can not only hit the curveballs thrown at them by their players, but don't complain when the players throw 'em - - occasionally throw curveballs back at the players/PCs: "yeah, that stone giant you took down a few adventures ago - well somehow it's come back as a lich and it wants your heads on platters" - - can run an unprepped game and a prepped game without the players being able to tell the difference - have an overarching plot or storyline in mind but keep it all malleable or disposable enough that contact with the players doesn't ruin it - run a living breathing game world where things happen when the PCs aren't around as well as when they are, and with the PCs as an integrated part of it rather than special-snowflake exceptions - play to win (as in, treat combat as war and don't pull punches) but are able to gracefully lose - have the nerve to kill off someone's favourite character (or an entire party) if the dice go that way; in other words, are able to follow through on the game's implied bluff - don't get bent out of shape if the players (in character) decide they want to spend all session arguing with (or killing) each other rather than doing the prepped adventure - give as much character to their NPCs as players do to their PCs - and someone else said this but it bears repeating: have a very good poker face. Lan-"I call your Ranger and raise with a Frost Giant and two Ogres"-efan [/QUOTE]
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What are the common features of the best DMs
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