D&D General What makes a good DM good?

[Fenris-77]

Meeting the expectations of the table and players, whatever those are.

 

[Sadras]

Just off the top of my head, here are a few reasons

1. Ensures, at all cost, the players do not derail the adventure which would minimise her preparation efforts.
2. Rolls behind the screen thus allowing her the freedom to use GM Force on die results to make stories better.
3. Ignores characters' backgrounds given that RPGing is not about playing to discover the players' notes.

But most importantly, knows and reminds the participants often that she is the most important person at the table.

 

[Jacob Lewis]

What are the qualities that make for a good DM? How do you know you're in the presence of a good DM when you're playing with one?

A good GM meets the expectations of the players, but a great GM will exceed them.

Keep this in mind if/when the thread devolves into a debate about what is and isn't expected for someone to qualify as a "good GM". It is a highly subjective opinion because different people will have different expectations based on their own personal preferences, experiences, and perspectives.

For those who come to this thread wanting to know if they're a "good GM", just ask your players. If you have a group (or groups) that show up regularly and are looking forward to every game, chances are you are doing just fine. Otherwise, keep looking for more ideas and aspire to improve what you're already doing.

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[Maxperson]

Adequately describes the environment in a way that the players can begin acting without playing 20 questions, building on these actions with more description of the environment as the scene builds.

You mean something like...

DM: "In the room you see a large wooden desk. On the desk is a book that is bigger than a bread box, but smaller than a microwave."?

 

[Fenris-77]

You mean something like...

DM: "In the room you see a large wooden desk. On the desk is a book that is bigger than a bread box, but smaller than a microwave."?

Is the desk bigger than a baby's arm but smaller than something really big? Details matter...

 

[Stoutstien]

The number one skill a GM needs to be considered good is adjudicating. All the planning and game knowledge is useless once the first time someone wants to do something weird and the DM has to figure out how to resolve it.

Once someone gets good at this the rest falls into place fairly quickly.

Also patiences. Patiences helps.

 

[Jediking]

Pacing
Adjudication
Improvisation
Enthusiasm
Narration
Exposition
Game Design
Interpersonal skills
Leadership

 

[Quickleaf]

Learning to listen to & play with your players.

I believe this is the fundamental DM skill: Listening to the players.

A DM can falter with rules knowledge, be insufficiently prepared and need to wing it, muddle through improvisation, provide lackluster descriptions, make poor moves for the monsters, struggle with adventure design, or not have a good grasp of conflict resolution, and the game can still run OK. It may not be the best game ever, but everyone can still have fun playing.

But when a DM isn't listening to the players, when the DM fails to gauge what hooks them, when the DM cannot read the room for when attention is drifting, then the game can no longer run OK. That disconnect invariably leads to the DM no longer adapting to the players and the players no longer having fun.

 

[CleverNickName]

One thing that makes a good DM: bravery. Being brave enough to kill your own darling NPCs and "special" story arcs when the tide of luck turns against you...and brave enough to enforce the rules and let the players' feel the consequences of their actions when the tide of luck turns against them.