Rashak Mani
First Post
Anyone noticed that Piratecat is absent from this thread... ? That must be a very good DM... 
What's Your Biggest Failing as a DM
- Thread starter EOL
- Start date
Talking of rail-roading we once had a DM in a tournament match say to our team.
"Will you all stop role-playing for a while so we can get on with the adventure!"
He was a bit frustrated that we had spent the first 2 hours of the 4 hour slot talking and acting in character and not actually left the prison cell we were trapped in at the start of the adventure.
We never did get out of the prison before the time ran out, but then Gully Dwarves aren't known for formulating brillant escape plans.
"Will you all stop role-playing for a while so we can get on with the adventure!"
He was a bit frustrated that we had spent the first 2 hours of the 4 hour slot talking and acting in character and not actually left the prison cell we were trapped in at the start of the adventure.
We never did get out of the prison before the time ran out, but then Gully Dwarves aren't known for formulating brillant escape plans.
Black Omega
First Post
Hmmm......
1. Mega plots can get needlessly complicated.
2. Occasional troubles using friendly NPC's properly.
3. Not always properly prepared.
4. Overly self critical.
My players seem to like the game though, so I guess i'm doing something right.
1. Mega plots can get needlessly complicated.
2. Occasional troubles using friendly NPC's properly.
3. Not always properly prepared.
4. Overly self critical.
My players seem to like the game though, so I guess i'm doing something right.
Theron
Explorer
rounser said:
An all Gully Dwarf campaign would rock. Especially at epic levels!
Epic levels. For Gully Dwarfs, that's 3rd, right?
In all seriousness, my biggest weakness with D&D is that I seem to inevitably fall back on dungeons for adventuring environments. Instead of spinning the intricate plots I've managed to pull off in other genres/systems, I find myself uttering the words "You see the entrance to the dungeon in front of you" far too easily.
Making it worse, most of my group hate dungeons. My wife is so claustrophobic that even the description of being in a dark hole in the ground is enough to ruin her fun.
And yet, I'll be designing/choosing an adventure and suddenly my brain locks up, and a dungeon seems like just the thing.
<*sigh*>
At least I'm aware of the problem.
Theron said:
I had a dream last night that I was in a police station, and the police were having a "secret" party to which I was invited. To get to the party, you had to go into a back room and jump down a hole in the ground that was filled with dough. About 30' down, you came out in a small room inside of a giant loaf of sourdough bread. It was dark, it was warm, and it smelled like sourdough. Thank goodness I'm not claustrophobic.
Anyway, I think I have two major failings. First is lack of preparation. I am great at creating vague backgrounds and stories that hint at secrets beneath them, but I never know what those secrets are. I create organizations, and villains, and plots, but I never know the details. So far it hasn't hurt me too much, but I'm sure it will.
Second, I'm pretty easily distracted sometimes. I'll join in off-topic conversations that last for 5-10 minutes. A few of those quickly eat up time, and before we know it, our evening is gone and we have to go home and go to bed. Still, I'm not sure if I should count this as a failing, because we all get together to socialize as well as game.
Gez
First Post
I tend to have lots of ideas for background, myths, etc., and create a good homebrew world. And the ideas stops here. No good idea for a campaign. Or just the idea ("the players will do this and that, they'll meet so and so, and they'll end up thi way") and then no concrete way on "how to implement all these ideas".
So, my campaigns are glorious and epic and brillant, but ends for lack of inspiration before they really begin...
Notably, before they begin to be glorious, epic and brillant.
So, my campaigns are glorious and epic and brillant, but ends for lack of inspiration before they really begin...
Notably, before they begin to be glorious, epic and brillant.
ForceUser
Explorer
My greatest strengths have been covered in the other thread. As for my greatest weaknesses:
Organization. I am horribly, horribly disorganized. I often ad lib NPCs, combat encounters, and story hooks because I misplaced my notes. I don't know how many times I've arrived to DM only to discover that I left my campaign notebook - with today's adventure in it - back at the house.
Preparation. I often wait until the night before (or the morning of!) the next session to write the adventure. I might have had a hazy idea in my head for three weeks, but I won't write it down until hours before the next session. During the last couple of years I have been heavily into EverQuest, and there have been times when I simply chose not to write an adventure because I'd rather be playing EQ. Then I'd show up and wing it for 4 to 8 hours. I believe my players can tell the difference.
Rules Lawyering. I know just enough to get by. I don't study the DMG. I watch and learn when playing in other people's games, and I often pause a session to ask my players to explain a rule to me. If I don't know something off the top of my head and don't want to stop and ask a player, I wing it.
Obscure Story Hooks. I hate leading my players by the nose, so I will often throw a story hook out there and let the players flounder around trying to find it. This amuses me, but it can be terribly frustrating for the players, I admit. I also put in riddles and clues that are far out of reach given their current knowledge. More than one adventure have they failed to understand what's going on in time to do anything about it. I make it up to them by giving them big crunchy battles they can win.
Bad Judgement. I often make decisions or arbitrations that I later regret. I'm not good at making snap decisions and I often feel pressured to do so to move the adventure along. Sometimes I make stupid decisions that anger my players, and later when I review it I realize they were right to be angry.
Organization. I am horribly, horribly disorganized. I often ad lib NPCs, combat encounters, and story hooks because I misplaced my notes. I don't know how many times I've arrived to DM only to discover that I left my campaign notebook - with today's adventure in it - back at the house.
Preparation. I often wait until the night before (or the morning of!) the next session to write the adventure. I might have had a hazy idea in my head for three weeks, but I won't write it down until hours before the next session. During the last couple of years I have been heavily into EverQuest, and there have been times when I simply chose not to write an adventure because I'd rather be playing EQ. Then I'd show up and wing it for 4 to 8 hours. I believe my players can tell the difference.
Rules Lawyering. I know just enough to get by. I don't study the DMG. I watch and learn when playing in other people's games, and I often pause a session to ask my players to explain a rule to me. If I don't know something off the top of my head and don't want to stop and ask a player, I wing it.
Obscure Story Hooks. I hate leading my players by the nose, so I will often throw a story hook out there and let the players flounder around trying to find it. This amuses me, but it can be terribly frustrating for the players, I admit. I also put in riddles and clues that are far out of reach given their current knowledge. More than one adventure have they failed to understand what's going on in time to do anything about it. I make it up to them by giving them big crunchy battles they can win.
Bad Judgement. I often make decisions or arbitrations that I later regret. I'm not good at making snap decisions and I often feel pressured to do so to move the adventure along. Sometimes I make stupid decisions that anger my players, and later when I review it I realize they were right to be angry.
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