What Does it Take to be a D&D DM?

[Kirin'Tor]

I've got a player who's tried to run D&D as a DM several times, and every one has been a flop. I Our group needs more D&D DM's, and we like the guy,a and he really wants to DM...but he's rotten.

Plot's go nowhere, every NPC is 90% the same (personality directly dictated by class - all rogues are crooked, brash thieve, all fighters are loud, boisterous jerks, etc.), combat is a mess because he doesn't know half the rules, combat devolves into DM vs. Player because he's so attached to NPC's, plots that _do_ eventually conclude are totally unrewarding and shaft character's (not in a treasure way, but always in a 'after you kill the warlord, you discover he was actually a goodly knight, and you've been working for a vile necromancer) - always. Plots are impossible to discover (no NPC's have information on them) so player's have to make huge assumptions about where to go. Oh yeah, and every game there's a fight with an NPC we

And he's not getting better with practice - every game he runs winds up the same- with everyone involved feelign they'd rather have watched a Happy Days marathon...

So, we sat down as a group to discuss how we could help him become a better DM, and it turned into a 'what's it take to DM' discussion. So, I'm adding a poll with all the things we came up with\discussed, and also asking advice on how to help someone learn to DM.

After you vote (please - pick all that apply), consider how to help a potential DM lacking those things you voted for acquire them, without seeming pushy or telling them they suck.Help turn an incompetent DM into a great one (or at least a tolerable one)!!

 

[driver8]

doh double post

 

[Hand of Evil]

A strong drive and other and by other I mean this link: http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=47525

 

[driver8]

Well to be honest not everyone is cut out to be a DM. And 3.5 D&D can be challenging if youve not played enough of it to be familar with the rules. Being a DM can be hard, and the qualites to be one are well, many.

I find it hard to choose one thing in your poll, sometimes being a DM s as much a art as a science. But does your DM use any published modules? I would start off with an easy starter one and let him get experience with those. Im am sure many worthies on the board could recommend good lower level adventures that are well fleshed out for the adventure challenged DM.

As for dealing with hackneyed npcs and silly plots well sometimes theres just no cure for that.

 

[Kirin'Tor]

A strong drive and other and by other I mean this link: http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=47525

Holy Crap! Thanks for that link - I've got some reading to do now!!!

 

[Harmon]

Practice

Being a good GM takes work.

If your buddy wants to GM- do not discourage him, talk to him about what happened in his game, and during it.

If there is a pattern to his villians then stop the game when you see the pattern and let him know what your thinking, what the experience of playing in his game has taught you and what you think you should do right then (let him know that you think you should attack your boss because you know he's actually the bad guy in disguise).

Most of all be patient, and talk to him, let him know what you thought and try not to be harsh.

You could co GM a game with him, help him to understand the workings of the back story and the things that you use.

My wife GMs once in a while. I talk quite often after her sessions about her game and I think it has helped her. She has thanked me a few times.

 

[JBowtie]

It sounds like this guy could definitely benefit greatly from published adventures. The NPCs and plots are already done, so he doesn't need to ad-lib those as much, he's less likely to develop proprietary feelings, and in general things won't devolve too badly if he stays reasonably well on-script.

I mean, he has the drive, but may be missing some of the experience and creativity needed to write his own adventures. It'll come with time, but the easiest way for him to get some experience without alienating the group may be for him to grab some back issues of Dungeon or low-level modules and run those instead. It'll give him exposure to a wider range of plot devices and writing styles so he can develop his own voice, and let him concentrate on learning to run the game without being distracted by adventure development.

Oh, and low-level adventures are a lot easier on new DMs.

 

[Evilhalfling]

Doh.
Ditto Driver8 comments.
I had a player who was not that commited to the game, she was a backgorund player much of the time, not great with the techical aspects of the rules. Occasionally she would com up with flashes of insight from left field that makes it fun to have her in the group.

Then she tried DMing, she used the Sunless citadel as a basis. She had played through the modual once with her husband (rules lawyer) and brother before I saw it, so it was'nt her first try. She wrote a story that roped all the players in, played Meepo as a manic depressive bard - perform (whineing) and really shined.
I would rather that she DM rather than the other experianced player, who runs combat heavy games, with little RP or plot but lots of tatcics, and maintains a realistic and by the rules game. (chosing rules where the two clash)

 

[Turanil]

Being a DM in D&D 3.5 requires tedious long work of preparation.

Being a DM in C&C is much easier (but still requires prep, knowledge, etc.).

 

[TheAuldGrump]

There are a fair number of jump start modules out there, some free, it sounds like he could use some. And it is true, some people should never be a DM.

It also sounds like he has a few control issues, learning that the PCs drive the plot, and should be more important to the game than the NPCs can be a hard lesson to learn. I still remember the game where I learned to just let the NPCs die. Nowdays when I create a villainous NPC I come up with entertaining ways for him to die. (Most recent was one that got hit by a train while running along a bridge...)

The Auld Grump