D&D General Which Aspect of DMing Do you Struggle Most With?

[Reynard]

I am barely competent at the online tech parts of our online group using FG. We each bought subscriptions and others are more proficient so it works well enough to use and it is our system as we are scattered across the country, but it is really frustrating as DM to be limited to some basic existing element stuff and not to be able to modify things as I'd like while knowing it can be done.

Multiple times I have spent half an hour before the game adding walls to a dungeon map only to have them show up only for me. I know how to modify creature names and numbers like attack bonuses and hp, but not to add abilities or do a creature from scratch.

The limited pallete of tools adds some good use of those tools, but it is frustrating.

Learning to marry my improv heavy style, which in person necessitates a lot of scribbling on dry erase grids, with FGs "You Must Pick A Map!!" User environment has been a chore. Frankly all the lighting and line of sight tools in FGU has made it worse. But I'm getting there.

 

[payn]

At this point, and since its a D&D general question, its keeping my rulesets straight. 3E, PF1, 5E, PF2 turns into a tangled mess in my brain. I lean on players at times to help recall every mechanical sub-system like dying, or grappling, or....

 

[Malmuria]

One thing I've struggled with in the past is plot consistency and plot fatigue. I'll put some interesting clues in front of the players, but when I try to figure out what is going on behind the scenes it becomes a tangled mess. And that's even before I figure out how to get that information to the players so they can act on it. It led to dm burn out.

Related to the other thread about railroading, this is why I prefer low prep, high improv, sandbox style games. Rather than trying to get everything together behind the scenes I just have a few minimal ideas and improv things at the table. Still learning/practicing how to do that best.

 

[ccs]

It's funny we have this problem in our home games, but at a convention we can make it happen. I guess people at a conventions are more willing to allow the Dungeon Master to 'hand-waive' things in order to maintain the pacing.

Not the same thing at all. At least not for me.
What I write/run/& how at a convention is not the same thing as what I'd put on the table elsewhere.
At a con there's 3:45 minutes to tell a coherent story. There's no such time limit at home even though our individual sessions 4-4.5 hours long. So at home the story can develop at a natural pace.
And at a con we're not BSing about work, the kids, the current Marvel movie, having the great "What do we want on the pizza?" debate, etc etc etc.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

The part I struggle most with, at least as far as I feel about it, is "over-supporting."

I think, particularly with the quietest player who is new to RPGs and not sure how to engage, I'm TOO eager to offer support, TOO afraid of long silences, and thus coddle him heavily in this regard. He doesn't need to step up to the plate much, because all it takes is five seconds of awkward silence and I'm altering the topology of the field so the plate is already under his feet.

Now, this may be a perception issue. But there are some other small ways that I feel I might be over-volunteering suggestions, rather than letting my players' natural creativity run wild. Whenever they DO have an idea I strive to be maximally supportive....but I worry that I'm invading their creative space by presenting options before they have a chance to let their own ideas grow first.

 

[Magean]

What I struggle with is deciding on the details of the plot when designing my own adventures.

I can easily picture what kind of tone, setting and casting I'd like to see in play. But, when it comes to deciding on who did what and why, the possibilities appear endless and I'm struck with paradox of choice. There are so many options, so many ways to assemble the puzzle of factions, NPCs and events, that I can't decide which one I like best.

Instead, I always see their flaws and keep starting back from scratch until it's game time; at which point I hurriedly throw the PCs in one of the situations I had in mind, choosing nearly at random, and find myself forced to wing the details based on players' expectations (either to support or trump them).

 

[Ath-kethin]

Keeping myself involved in an adventure I've discovered I don't care for.

In the past two months, I've literally just summed up the last half to 2/3 of three different adventures at the next session because I discovered a short way into running them that I just didn't care. And it's a problem I've had for decades, too - I remember similar occurrences all the way back in the mid 90s.

My argument has always been that the game has to be enjoyable for all participants, including me (always DM). And I strongly believe that's true. But it also true that as DM, I wield a disproportionate amount of power in the game/group. If the fighter quits or the wizard checks out, we can keep going. I'd the DM throws in the towel, it's hard for the game to move forward.

 

[jasper]

Bad guys spell casting.

 

[hopeless]

I'm amazed at times when the players own efforts provide ideas for where to focus the game on.
Unfortunately trying to pursue that course I think scares them, which is why they seem to want to limit what they tell me despite the fact I'm trying to discuss these details and they later turn around to claim I'm rewriting their character when they're the ones who gave me that information.
In retrospect I believe I was trying to establish the game when all they wanted was to do was blow off some steam and not worry about such details.

 

[Vael]

Generally, voices and in-character stuff, but that's also as a player. Keeping good notes, organization, but that's also a life issue, lol.

As a DM, sometimes table management is an issue, pacing.

As a 5e DM, balancing combat. I dunno, it seems to me that combat encounters are either so deadly that I have to reign in or TPK, or complete cakewalks. I'm not sure I'm getting that sweet spot where I am challenging the PCs without overwhelming them. Now, this might be my party as well, my current campaign has a Paladin, Druid, 2 Rogues and 2 Warlocks. The Druid player is the least available, so often the party is in combat without a lot of support. So, the party itself feels glass cannon-y.