D&D General worst (real) advice for DMs

[GMforPowergamers]

So with talk of playing or running a 5e adventure I have been diving into redit and YouTube for advice on how modified them to make the game go more smoothly. I have found people that do NOT understand how to run a game, and some that do have the idea down but miss the point of some of the adventures...

Now of course every gaming group is different but what are some of the worst bits of advice (not just making up bad ideas) that you have gotten/found?

my top 3

1)Back in 2e... "First game of each campaign kill a character so the players know you wont pull punches"
2) in 4e "You need to bring back save or die effects for both players and monsters"
however some of the advice I just saw for Rime of the Frost Maiden
3) take all magic weapons out of the adventure so that resistant and immune creatures feel tough...

and this isn't counting all of the thematic changes I see advice being handed out.

 

[jmartkdr2]

Don't use monsters than can be hurt by weapons if there's a fighter in the party. You need to challenge them by making them come up with other ways to deal with encounters.

I said that "encounters where you can use primary class features are fun once in a while, but shouldn't be overused." Someone VEHEMENTLY disagreed: than must be overused, indeed all encounters must be this way, or your a terrible dm.

You know they don't want to use weapons because they chose to play a fighter. No one chooses to pay a fighter if they want o use weapons.

 

[payn]

Oh, the one where first level characters on their first adventure are set against an encounter they cant possibly face, or run from, which ultimately turns out to be a dream or some such nonsense. Turns out a powerful NPC decides to drop on them as a lesson.

 

[Guest 7034872]

"Just wing it--you'll be fine."

^^ This is actual advice I once received.

 

[Vaalingrade]

RAW is important. If your table doesn't like an aspect of RAW, it is them who are wrong.

Don't bother with contingency plans. The players will totally do the first thing you expect. If they somehow do, gent angry with them.

 

[overgeeked]

“Railroads are fine.”

A commonly repeated and utterly terrible bit of advice for DMs.

“Balanced encounters are a must.”

Again, common and terrible advice.

 

[Smackpixi]

The most upvoted response to any D&D question posted on Reddit.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

"Balance doesn't matter, just make fun things."

Which is more than a little bit like saying, "Ingredients don't matter, just make tasty food." It's a lot easier to make tasty food when you aren't spontaneously re-inventing recipes from whole cloth every single time you cook...

But by far THE worst, most useless, most dismissive, most pointless advice I've ever seen, and which has been utterly rife on the internet ever since 5e came out:

"You're the DM, you decide [how to do X/how X works.]"

As though reminding the DM that they have the power to do what they wish to do is in any way productive when they don't know what to do and are looking for help.

 

[Seramus]

"It's a medieval setting. It has to have racism and sexism to be realistic!"

If there's real racism and sexism in your game, it's because YOU want it to be there.

 

[delericho]

"If a player acts up, punish them by having a pink lightning bolt fall from the sky and change their character's sex." No, really.