What are your strengths as a DM?
- Thread starter EricNoah
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Crothian
First Post
My biggest strength in using my books. THere are maybe two or three d20 products I've bought that I haven;t in some way used in my games. I tend to have do NPCs well, especially with defining there usefulness. I never have a few NPCs who seem to know everything. THe knowedke is always scattered among many NPCs. I'm good with epic adventures and involving small details that are very important. However, I'm best at designing and playing neutral NPCs. NPCs that are both good and evil. They frustrate PCS the most I've found out.
Dingleberry
First Post
My players give me the most praise for the story - the delicate balance between a railroaded saga and mindless hack & slash.
Truth be known, that means my strength is assembling a coherent story retrospectively out of the random plot elements I included early in the campaign (i.e., throw it at the wall and see what sticks). The players usually theorize better connections between the disparate elements than I ever could've, so I listen to their hypotheses, pick the best one, tweak it just enough so it looks like something new and clever, and present it in a shiny way. Campaign gold.
Truth be known, that means my strength is assembling a coherent story retrospectively out of the random plot elements I included early in the campaign (i.e., throw it at the wall and see what sticks). The players usually theorize better connections between the disparate elements than I ever could've, so I listen to their hypotheses, pick the best one, tweak it just enough so it looks like something new and clever, and present it in a shiny way. Campaign gold.
Nellisir
Hero
If you ask my player's being generous with XP & treasure would probably top the list of their favorite things about me... 
Fast-thinking -- this goes along with underpreparing. I can shift gears quickly, and make snap decisions. Now if a few people would just stop arguing them...
Interesting encounters and areas -- My NPC skills have been lacking recently, but I like making different sorts of challenges and encounters that utilize different sorts of things. Illusionists are always fun, particularly combined with summoners.
Good judge of encounter balance.
Campaign continuity/sense of overall storyline -- My homebrew world can handle anything the PCs can do. I know it well enought to not get confused, and I'm pretty good at adjust storylines to fit the PCs actions.
Nell.
Fast-thinking -- this goes along with underpreparing. I can shift gears quickly, and make snap decisions. Now if a few people would just stop arguing them...
Interesting encounters and areas -- My NPC skills have been lacking recently, but I like making different sorts of challenges and encounters that utilize different sorts of things. Illusionists are always fun, particularly combined with summoners.
Good judge of encounter balance.
Campaign continuity/sense of overall storyline -- My homebrew world can handle anything the PCs can do. I know it well enought to not get confused, and I'm pretty good at adjust storylines to fit the PCs actions.
Nell.
Great to have a thread like this!!
As a DM/Player, I appreciate both aspects of gaming, and think we all ought to be more appreciative of what a DM does in order to generate and maintain a campaign. I asked my players and this is what they said.
My strengths:
1) Background Story and Detail--The players feel like they are in a real world, and that things are happening that they can influence and be influenced by.
2) NPCs--Personalities, real, alive, engaging, complex, with their own motivations. Not particularly impressed with self-perceived heroic qualities. Makes interactions more complex.
3) Hand-Drawn Maps--Yep, I draw them all.
4) Willingness to Discuss Rules (Within the bounds of the "2-Minute Rule)--We figure something out and if we find something out that is different in the rules, we let everyone know. Plus, if there is something we need clarification on, we do it. No one knows everything.
5) Refusing to Compromise the Integrity of the Campaign--This has led to a couple of arguments and lots 'o' emails with a couple of players, and we were able to reach an understanding. The game and the campaign must go on.
6) Hanging Out With Everyone Beyond the Game--Yep, we all have lives and interests beyond gaming
and some of us go fishing, some go to bars, some to concerts, some play music, etc.
I
As a DM/Player, I appreciate both aspects of gaming, and think we all ought to be more appreciative of what a DM does in order to generate and maintain a campaign. I asked my players and this is what they said.
My strengths:
1) Background Story and Detail--The players feel like they are in a real world, and that things are happening that they can influence and be influenced by.
2) NPCs--Personalities, real, alive, engaging, complex, with their own motivations. Not particularly impressed with self-perceived heroic qualities. Makes interactions more complex.
3) Hand-Drawn Maps--Yep, I draw them all.
4) Willingness to Discuss Rules (Within the bounds of the "2-Minute Rule)--We figure something out and if we find something out that is different in the rules, we let everyone know. Plus, if there is something we need clarification on, we do it. No one knows everything.
5) Refusing to Compromise the Integrity of the Campaign--This has led to a couple of arguments and lots 'o' emails with a couple of players, and we were able to reach an understanding. The game and the campaign must go on.
6) Hanging Out With Everyone Beyond the Game--Yep, we all have lives and interests beyond gaming
and some of us go fishing, some go to bars, some to concerts, some play music, etc.I
Ma'varkith
First Post
Knowing when to simply close the books, put away the dice, and tell an interactive story.
Obese Squirrel
First Post
Probably the best people to ask for both strengths/weaknesses are the people who play in my campaign.
But... I'd say for some strengths.
- Flexibility : I'll bend the rules or snap them if the reason is warranted.
- Adlib: Depending, I can do adlibbing reasonablly well. Though thinking of unique names on the fly can be a bit of a task.
- Story/Hack'n'Slash Balance: I try and balance them. Most the people in the group seem to like current balance. Although trying to stick battles into some playing session ( ie when they're in sections of cities) can be difficult.
But... I'd say for some strengths.
- Flexibility : I'll bend the rules or snap them if the reason is warranted.
- Adlib: Depending, I can do adlibbing reasonablly well. Though thinking of unique names on the fly can be a bit of a task.
- Story/Hack'n'Slash Balance: I try and balance them. Most the people in the group seem to like current balance. Although trying to stick battles into some playing session ( ie when they're in sections of cities) can be difficult.
Darklone
Registered User
Urghs
Strengths?
- I know the rules best.
- I can imagine a lot of NPCs, prepare them and play them. NPC groups and villains: I plan ahead of gaming what they want to do, that way, they don't REACT to the players and spoil everything.
- I can pull off epic battles. I can easily bring every player to 5 hp and noone dies without cheating.
That's it. And I am not even sure if my players like all that stuff
Strengths?
- I know the rules best.
- I can imagine a lot of NPCs, prepare them and play them. NPC groups and villains: I plan ahead of gaming what they want to do, that way, they don't REACT to the players and spoil everything.
- I can pull off epic battles. I can easily bring every player to 5 hp and noone dies without cheating.
That's it. And I am not even sure if my players like all that stuff
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