So another thread recently got me thinking, what are some of the most useful things you have picked up on DMing?

For me it has been not to over think everything. I have also discovered that halfway decent players will tell you things about the game world that you may have not thought of. In fact I have been leaving lots of blank space in my new homebrew and already little things about character backgrounds have helped me flesh the world out.

I have also learned to give the players just enough rope to hang themselves with if they aren't careful, but not to set out to undo them. If its too easy then there is no real reward, if its too hard then it's just annoying. Also there should be big scary shit out there that they can't just rush headlong into.

Oh and fuck keying every room on the map, just key the important ones and know enough about the area to wing the rest with a little help from some tables.

DMs need to just role-play their NPCs, and tell players how difficult their die rolls are.  That's it.  Players are smart enough to role-play their PCs.

Quote from: Arkansan;672839So another thread recently got me thinking, what are some of the most useful things you have picked up on DMing?

Never share your tips online where potential or actual players can see them.

Quote from: Black Vulmea;672849Never share your tips online where potential or actual players can see them.

Ha! True. Unless it is in fact a clever ruse to lure them into thinking they should know what to expect.

Prep less, play more.

Quote from: Arkansan;672850Unless it is in fact a clever ruse to lure them into thinking they should know what to expect.

Now you've got it.

Quote from: Orpheo;672864Prep less, play more.

Yep, because in a campaign you soon get to a stage where your play IS much of your prep.

Never let a disrupting Player ruin the game for everyone else. If they do not get their shit straight, do not be afraid to kick them out.

There are gamers out there whose idea of fun is pissing off everyone else at the table. Get rid of That Guy as soon as possible.

Don't ever attempt to run games you don't enjoy running.

Furthermore, don't ever run a game to a player that doesn't enjoy some core conceit. Run something else or get a different player.

Don't plan to run a multi-year campaign before it starts. Chart out a goal that can be accomplished in several sessions at most, then if you complete that see about more.

Quote from: Black Vulmea;672849Never share your tips online where potential or actual players can see them.

That's silly. Some of those players will probably be inclined to GM at some point and they need all the help and encouragement they can get.

the more prep and the more data you have, the better the feel for the campaign and setting and the more consistent the setting appears.

Every GM thinks they can wing it as well as they can do a prepped game.  But nearly every GM disaster I have watched has had one thing in common.  Too much winging it.

Energy and enthusiasm.  Cannot stand it when the DM sits behind the screen emotionlessly delivering what would otherwise be a great session.  

Let the players have agency.  The game is about their characters, not whatever plot the DM has in mind.

Quote from: Old One Eye;672938Energy and enthusiasm.  Cannot stand it when the DM sits behind the screen emotionlessly delivering what would otherwise be a great session.  

Let the players have agency.  The game is about their characters, not whatever plot the DM has in mind.

I like this, as I often say one of my jobs is to make it all about the PCs while making it seem like the world goes along with or without them.

• Don't over prepare.
• Don't be afraid to wing things.
• If you have made a bad decision then admit it.
• If the players work out a better reason for a plot line then steal it and congratulate them on how clever they were at working it out.
• Leave many things open-ended so the players can tell you what has been happening.
• Always roll the dice openly, never fudge them.
• Assume the PCs will be able to overcome whatever you throw at them very easily.
• If players come up with a good idea/rationale then use it.

Wank less. Play more. Make mistakes, and learn from them.

Although advice may be occasionally helpful in providing some distance when considering this or that practical problem running your games, no amount of advice is ever going to replace personal experience. You need to play. Run games. Learn by doing. Acknowledge your mistakes. Listen to what the players tell you they like and don't like, and learn to read between the lines. Make mistakes - lots of them. You will learn that much more and become more aware, more conscious, in a word, better, over time.

Quote from: Benoist;672951Wank less. Play more. Make mistakes, and learn from them.

Although advice may be occasionally helpful in providing some distance when considering this or that practical problem running your games, no amount of advice is ever going to replace personal experience. You need to play. Run games. Learn by doing. Acknowledge your mistakes. Listen to what the players tell you they like and don't like, and learn to read between the lines. Make mistakes - lots of them. You will learn that much more and become more aware, more conscious, in a word, better, over time.

and different GMS find different pathways to success.  We don't all do ith the same way.