What's Your Biggest Failing as a DM

[Henry]

... One time after a planar mishap dropped the PCs in the "real world" in a game, they not only ignored the instructions they had on how to get home, but became wanted fellons for something like an octuple homocide (of good people, I might add, and they were good aligned as well), and their killing spree just kept up.

Tsyr, you sound like you were running that "Mace of Saint Cuthbert" adventure back in Dragon #100. (Probably not, but I'd love to hear from other people who ran that module way back when.) I dropped a Party into that module about 12 years ago, and not only did they not find the mace, but they went on a killing spree (including one ten-year-old girl) that I have never seen in a game since. Admittedly, the players involved in the killing were between ages 16 and 18, but I still reacted...badly... to the actions they took.

I would say that my failings as a DM are a lack of ability to come up with murder-mystery style plots and long complex political situations. For some reason, by Machievellian plans always wind up coming out much simpler than planned, or so complex that I do not leave enough clues for even sharp players to figure out.


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In regards to the incident mentioned above... anyone remember the little 10-year old named Charlotte from the adventure, who wants to help the PC's? The PC's met up with her (the killer in question dressed up in a cheap 3-piece suit and acting like a Chaotic Evil Dirty Harry), she traveled with them to help them out, then they got involved in a police chase which led to them driving a car into the Thames river. Charlotte the NPC couldn't swim, so I had her call for help to the PC, screaming "I don't want to drown!" I figured that this would kick in his 'hero's nature' and get him caught by the police, because the next segment of the adventure would be in the police station. Not wanting to be captured by the police at the river's edge, he took action, not wanting to see her drown. Rather than swim with her back to the bank, he decided to end her suffering with a 9mm slug.

I stopped the game for about 10 minutes so as to retrieve my jaw from the floor where it had fallen. I seem to recall that that was the last game of that campaign we ever played.

 

[Piratecat]

Anyone noticed that Piratecat is absent from this thread... ?

My biggest fault is that long battles start to bore me. I hate combat that slogs, so I'm more likely to use a few more powerful monsters than a whole lot of medium strength monsters.

I also fail on organization and tracking people's names. I need a master list of everyone who the PCs have met.

Most other stuff I'm tolerable at. If I railroad, I try to make it more or less transparent, with other options available as well. Mind you, those other options may lead to the exact same scene in a different adventure, but shhhh - don't tell the PCs that!

I've been trying hard to focus on everyone equally in terms of plot. I don't always succeed, but I certainly work at it.

 

[Utrecht]

I have to admit, it is nice seeing others have difficulty DMing. Reading the story hours (most notably Pcats) can really throw the proverbial wet blanket on your ego as a DM.

However, then I tell myself that:

1) Worlds are not built overnight
2) They have been playing together for many years
3) This is my only my second attempt at DMing
4) The players thus far like what I am doing

And quite frankly #4 is what counts.

So what are my weaknesses

Difficulty bridging the overarcing metaplot into the current campaign

Inability to provide good descriptions - I have these wonderful images in my mind of scenes and when I hear what comes out - well it seems bland

Preperation - I have to say, I was shocked at how much time it actually takes to do this.

To hung up over details. I am one of those poeple where things have to make sense... I.e. Why would a society of Evil Necromancers arise there - I actually build up societies using real life analogs.....

I am sure that there are others - I am sure that my players would have complaints, but overall, they and I have fun and in the end that is all that counts......

 

[Ruined]

Yeah, there needs to be a self-help group for this, methinks.

Confidence: Periodically I'll get one of the biggest self-doubt complexes you've ever seen. My game sucks, I'm just a hack, etc., etc. And it will cause a bad session if I don't get it under wraps.

Too Easy: Until recently, I don't feel that I've been challenging the players enough, especially with combats. Problem identified and being worked on. "Did he say a beholder floats up from the hole in the floor?"

Pacing: I have this thread going on a different msg board. Sometimes I'm having difficulties keeping the pace going at an appropriate speed. I'm very hesitant to have random combats (i.e. Ninjas) pop out just to keep the game fresh. But as before, identified, and struggling with it.

All in all, the players seem to really enjoy the game, and they seem very happy not having to run it themselves.

 

[Piratecat]

Inability to provide good descriptions - I have these wonderful images in my mind of scenes and when I hear what comes out - well it seems bland

For me, the secret is describing small (seemingly inconsequential) details. Describe the shimmer of the magical energies coursing across the bad guy's armor. Describe the smell of the undead as "Remember when you were young, and you thought your pet dog was lost - and then you smelled that odor coming from the well?" Touch, scent, sound - these things can really make a scene vivid. You can overdo it with the flavor text, so use your best judgement, but a little goes a long way.

Hope that helps; it did for me, when I stole it from an old Ravenloft book!

 

[DizzyKungFu]

My biggest failing as a DM

I tend to be the opposite... I sometimes give the players
too many options! When I reach a "crossroads" point
between adventures, I can have as many as 6 or 7
different adventures planned for my players to choose
from local rumours and other plot entrances.

While the players sometimes like this freedom, it tends
to leave me with way to much material to prepare
adiquately.

 

[Arkham]

I have trouble with dialog. It is hard to keep from answering the PC's questions, or to rationalize a bad guy doing something stupid.

I don't railroad enough. Most of my players don't want to play leader or decisionmaker type characters, so they will often sit there staring at me, unsure of what to do with this huge freaking plot-hook in their laps.

 

[EOL]

Re: My biggest failing as a DM

While the players sometimes like this freedom, it tends
to leave me with way to much material to prepare
adiquately.

I think that's the biggest obstacle for me in leaving things open ended, prep time. I've tried to strike a balance by having a fairly detailed idea of what will happen in any given session but then allowing them a lot of flexibility as to what happens in the next session just as long as they give me adequate warning so I can prep.

 

[Vymair]

Failings

Roleplaying NPCs. I would say this is a strength of most of the DMs I've played with and I'm mediocre at it.

 

[LostSoul]

Inability to provide good descriptions - I have these wonderful images in my mind of scenes and when I hear what comes out - well it seems bland

We've all had this problem at one time or another, I'm sure.

I found that reading some really good writing in the proper style - short, terse, evocative sentences - helped. Nice, long, flowery prose looks good on paper; but when you're speaking, you have to get your point across quickly, or your players will lose focus.