Why I Love Being the DM

[mearls]

I just sent my players an email this evening confirming that our weekly game is set for Wednesday night. At the bottom of my email, I included the following passage:

"BTW, my policy for character death is that you come in one level behind the
survivors' average. If everyone dies, I take the complete party's average level
and you all start a level below that."

They're already making plans to leave the city they're in, find a nice, safe stretch of land, and start a farm. Or, they might sign up as crash test dummies, since that'd probably be a safer profession.

I LOVE THIS GAME!

(As an aside, during the last session they learned that the mayor is a monster in disguise, githyanki warriors keep trying to kill them for no apparent reason (well, no reason they see *yet*), and there's some big, dark, evil thing lurking out in the woods that they have to kill at some point per order of the most powerful elven cleric in the world. Oh, and some of the most powerful criminal masterminds in the area are set to have a huge meeting that they need to infiltrate. One the good side, half the party didn't get knocked below 0 hp's this time...)

So, anyone else have any moments that remind you why you love DMing?

 

[BiggusGeekus]

So, anyone else have any moments that remind you why you love DMing?

I get to jab my players with knitting needles to simulate where their characters got hit in combat.



.... um .... from the looks on your faces I'm guessing I'm the only one who does that?

 

[Mark]

"BTW, my policy for character death is that you come in one level behind the survivors' average. If everyone dies, I take the complete party's average level and you all start a level below that."

They're already making plans to leave the city they're in, find a nice, safe stretch of land, and start a farm. Or, they might sign up as crash test dummies, since that'd probably be a safer profession.

Put the fear in them, did ya?

 

[Crothian]

THis was about two years ago, we'd been playing d20 for almost a year and the campaign was getting quite complicated. So, my roommate at the time and player in the game begged me to write up the loose plot threads that they had. I typed up a list of 33 loose plots!! I knew it was a big list but was not expecting almost three dozen of them. I still have that e-mail saved.

 

[mearls]

Re: Re: Why I Love Being the DM

I get to jab my players with knitting needles to simulate where their characters got hit in combat.



.... um .... from the looks on your faces I'm guessing I'm the only one who does that?

Yes, of course. Everyone knows that a *cattle prod* is the appropriate tool for that.

Sheesh, what did 2e teach you kids? =)

 

[ForceUser]

I just love watching them do everything they can to avoid being heroes.

 

[mearls]

Re: Re: Why I Love Being the DM

Put the fear in them, did ya?

Oh yeah, fear is the DM's best weapon. I love ending sessions like this:

Me: Make a Spot check.
Player: Ok, 17.
Me: Great, let's pick this up next week.

You know that the players are going to obsess over what they did (or did not) see all week.

 

[Piratecat]

I just sent my players an email this evening confirming that our weekly game is set for Wednesday night.

I miss you at Spycraft, though.

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

My favorite part of DMing is Power Word: No!


"Can I have this?" "No."

Particularly with our group, because we have a lot of min/maxers and powergamers, this power is excellent!

 

[Nightfall]

So far it's the sheer joy of seeing the party wizard keep saying "Geez I hope I don't die today". (He's died once and nearly died again in 14th level game. You know I love it )