D&D General worst (real) advice for DMs

[hawkeyefan]

I’d say advice that uses words like “always” or “never” is advice that should be taken with a grain of salt. Not necessarily that these are the worst kinds of advice, but they’re very common.

It’s a bad habit people slip into, myself included; something works for us, so therefore it will always work.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Honestly, any advice that pushes a playstyle before the group has found its preferred playstyle is a problem.

yeah a lot of what I find (Especially with curse of strahd that seems to be the one with the most online advice) comes down to "This could cause a problem or be good, take it out because this advice assumes you have no idea if it could or would cause a problem...then replace it with this less flavorful less thematic replacement"
that is why the BEST advice is session 0 and talk to/know your players.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

This reminds me of Matt Colville saying he believes there are no Bad Players - the players you feel are bad players just aren't right for the table/group/game they're at, but will be perfectly fine with others who share the same ideas.

that also sounds like bad (but well intentioned) advice... there are toxic players, there are players that will make every game in every session toxic. I know this because we as a group (roleplayers) only pull from the lowest worst type of creature I know...humans.

 

[Greggy C]

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.

Definitely agree, nobody knows how to play DnD except enworlders

 

[Guest 7034872]

There was a local GM I used to have to play with before.

Not only was he the GM trope who's trying to write the Great American Novel at the table, but his idea for encounters, to make them feel heroic, the PCs should (out of six encounters) lose 3, stalemate 2 and win 1 outright. He once complained about people not interacting with his 'oceans of plot' and my friend said 'Yeah, you have an ocean of plot, but at most you let a couple characters ride around on jet skis on it while most of the others just sit in the train you're railroading over the ocean'

I realize some frown on mixed metaphors, but I have to say this one is just--just gorgeous. Seriously.

 

[Musing Mage]

that also sounds like bad (but well intentioned) advice... there are toxic players, there are players that will make every game in every session toxic. I know this because we as a group (roleplayers) only pull from the lowest worst type of creature I know...humans.

Only play with humans? That sounds like bad advice to me... behold a rather engaging game with some stuffed toys... note the content smile on the cupcake's face!

 

[GMforPowergamers]

"If you're DMing a published adventure and you discover that a player has read it and is using their meta-game knowledge to overcome all the challenges, it's your responsibility to change and re-write everything rather than the player's responsibility to stop being a jerk."

yeah... cause if I use a publisehd adventure I totally want to make up the rest...ugh

 

[Bayushi_seikuro]

that also sounds like bad (but well intentioned) advice... there are toxic players, there are players that will make every game in every session toxic. I know this because we as a group (roleplayers) only pull from the lowest worst type of creature I know...humans.

It becomes one of those 'tree falls in the woods' things, I guess, because for every toxic player, I am sure there is a table that will be completely fine with whatever flavor of toxicity it is. Is it a player who's always 'it's what my character would do!' and derails the game? There's a table SOMEWHERE for that person - it doesn't have to be YOUR table, even if it is your dearest friend. Is it the min-max hack-and-slash guy? There's absolutely a table for those players, the type that the whole exercise in gaming is to theorycraft (as as GM, counter-theorycraft) and roll dice.

In a way, I think the players I have the most trouble with are those who are just there because that's what they do. They don't want to interact, they want to just be told when it's 'their turn', they avoid any attempts to engage them. Often times, but not always, it's a players significant other, to who the whole exercise is to just be with their person and be part of the group activity. YMMV

 

[guachi]

"Sure, you can do X. It won't break the game."

Especially terrible when said by a game developer.

 

[guachi]

Only play with humans? That sounds like bad advice to me... behold a rather engaging game with some stuffed toys... note the content smile on the cupcake's face!

Of course the cupcake is content. Look at that d20 roll.