D&D General Your quick post-it-note DM reminder

[Lyxen]

We give inspiration at the end of the game: one given out by the players, and one given by the DM. We also have a cap of three inspiration rather than just one.

I have a checklist of things to do at the start of the game, one of which is awarding the DM's inspiration to a player for what he did during the previous game. I try to fill it during a session, otherwise I give it based on what I remember of the session.

 

[TheSword]

Post It Note Advice

For every choice or major action the PCs take, have there be three consequences. At least one good, at least one bad.

linking events to what PCs did is the surest way to make the world real, make PCs take their actions seriously and save yourself time making up the next adventure.

 

[Eltab]

Does the NPC have a Plan?

Strategically, minions and cannon fodder are supposed to fight and get beat, but BBEGs or Godfathers are supposed to be working toward some goal.

And tactically, my best fight as DM came when I worked out three turns of what the Dragon would do ... and after I got distracted by a PC deciding to try out a not-previously-used-in-play spell, they took 3 turns to finish the Dragon off !

 

[Older Beholder]

Remember to make concentration checks

 

[Audiomancer]

This is a great thread for quick-bite DM advice!

As a player who’s looking to make the transition to being a DM… it really, really is!

 

[Raith5]

Remember to make concentration checks

Everyone in my group should stick this note on our respective foreheads - the DM included - we are hopeless at remembering this.

 

[Older Beholder]

Everyone in my group should stick this note on our respective foreheads - the DM included - we are hopeless at remembering this.

Yeah, same. Probably the most forgotten thing in my game for both sides of the DM screen.
You know you can always trust a player if they keep track of their own concentration checks.

 

[Malmuria]

from BitD: "think offscreen"

 

[Campbell]

Be a curious explorer of the fiction. Hold on lightly.

 

[BrassDragon]

"When an attempt fails, something changes."

I need to remind myself to use failure as a catalyst to make scenes more interesting, dramatic or complicated instead of just telling the player they don't succeed.

The Apocalypse World system introduced me to the concept of using a player's failure as a DM prompt every time.