By Tony Reeves.
The
following is an article I wrote for new Dm's based largely
on my own observations as both a player, and DM over the last
20 years. As a Dungeon Master, I live and die by the enjoyment
my players receive from my games. As a player, a single rule,
or rule change can mean the difference between a good game
and a great one. I run what is considered an "open style
game" which means that I get a lot of input from the
players. This works exceptionally well for me and has for
as long as I been a Dungeon Master. Feel free to use any of
my ideas herein to help you. Any by all means, if you have
found any other easy or effective ways of doing things then
please send me an email. I'm always on the look out for new
or better ways of doing things! Meanwhile, enjoy!
Be Realistic.
Have you ever had to make a quick rule on a situation you've
never encountered before? Well, Here's help! I've always been
a stickler for detail. So much so in fact, that I always feel
that there has to be a bit of realism incorporated in my scenarios,
and campaigns. To start with, I always make it a point to
arrive 30-45 minutes early, no matter where I play. Part of
this is because I hate to be late to anything, but there are
some added benefits you can turn to your advantage just by
being there early. I always set out my equipment first, brush
up on any finer points of the game that I need to remember
for the session (I have a terrible time remembering names!)
then about the time I'm ready, all of my players arrive. I
specifically set this time aside so that the players can discuss
rules, ask questions, or to clarify any specifics the players
need. Since I have both long time, and new players, this is
a great time to discuss rules that the players disagree with,
or would like see changed, or simply have questions about.
This is one of the most important things to do with your players,
because it allows you to develop trust. It also provides me
with a bit of extra time to look up rules if I need to, in
case a question comes across that I don't know the answer
to before the actual game starts. We usually spend about a
half hour doing this.
Respect and be respected.
In order to be a referee, I've found that the best ones are
ones that I respected. Respect when it comes to a DM has to
be earned. The key way to earn it is to follow a few simple
steps. Always use the same rules for everyone. This also includes
the monsters! Nobody likes a Dungeon Master who changes the
rules all the time! Conversely, no one enjoys a "rules
lawyer" or someone who is always by the book for every
circumstance, either. Always be fair, honest, and open to
the players criticism. Allow the players to voice their opinions
and when they do it's very important that you listen. That
doesn't mean to argue with them. First of all you'll never
get anything solved. Second, you'll have lost that particular
players respect, and maybe even lost a player or friend. All
of my players are also my friends. This makes it even easier
to be open with them as well as take their criticism, even
though it does hurt sometimes.
Admit your mistakes even when you are
wrong.
This is one my players love the most, especially the one's
who haven't played that long. My players believe that I rarely
make a mistake, but when I confess to one, even if they didn't
catch on at the time, they feel as though I've shared something
with them. It doesn't show them you're stupid. It shows that
you're human, that you care about the game for their sakes,
and are making an honest to attempt to make sure the game
is fair to all! Another reason to allow the players to point
out mistakes is that you don't forget them later! When a player
tells you that you've made a mistake, thank them for reminding
you, after all everyone who's played very much realizes how
hectic it is to keep control of all the players for the duration
of the game. This also makes it easier on the players when
they make a mistake, especially if they're new. They're not
as likely to take it so personally if they do happen to be
a silly mistake. It serves to make a friendlier game, because
no one picks on anyone else, because they do something goofy.
That's one thing I never allow and neither should you. It
only creates hard feelings between the players and that's
not what your there for!
Keep Combat simple, understandable and
orderly.
As player and DM, I've noticed that combat is what gives most
DM's headaches. It seems to be when the most peculiar actions
occur, when most arguments start, and when things are the
least controlled and most disruptive. First you need to establish
order. I do this in several ways as you'll see shortly. The
way I do things is specifically designed to keep things in
my control, keep it easy while still keeping the flow of the
game fast, and also makes sure everyone has their turn. To
begin, when a combat sequence starts I call out for an initiative
roll either by the party (one person rolls for the party,
which generally is the case) or by individual, whichever way
the situation dictates. As soon as I call out for the initiative
roll, the players inform me of what actions they're taking
if I don't already know. Always make sure you know what everybody
is doing. If I have questions or suspect someone did not get
a turn, then starting with the player to my immediate left
I begin to ask questions of everyone, going clockwise around
the table until everyone tells me their actions, whether they're
moving, fighting, casting spells, and if so what specific
spell(s) are being cast, and the casting time and last but
not least if there are multiple spells. As I go round the
table and the info comes in, I make a note and establish which
segments the spells go off in the round, based on who wins
initiative. This is a very effective method to control multiple
spell users, as it keeps it all straight for you! In addition,
if a mage decides to cast more than one spell, he or she can,
so long as I know the details. I just have to write the info
down so I remember what segment the spell falls in. Whoever
wins the initiative of course, goes first, but the following
is always true whether I go first or if I let the players.
I let all the players roll for their attacks, and damage at
the same time, except for spells, spell like effects, psionics,
etc, unless the spell falls in that particular segment, for
example a magic missile which has a one segment casting time.
Usually the spells will go off at different times than the
physical attacks, so I watch the entire melee round carefully
and when I announce the spell goes off, the player(s) responsible
gives me their to hit roll(if necessary) and any damage applicable.
I roll the saving throws for the monsters and tell the mages
their effects. Note that a spell caster could potentially
cast a spell ten times in one round and it has happened that
that many and more spells have been thrown around in one of
my high level adventures!
Anyhow In all cases except magic, I start
with the person on my immediate left and go through the players
one at a time for the physical attacks during the correct
segment in the round and they give me their damage and I state
the effect if any on their opponent. After they attack, it's
my turn and I assign them their damage. I mae all of the monster
rolls one at a time to keep it a bit more fair. This allows
me to adjust the numbers as necessary. More on this later.
This continues in an orderly fashion until the entire melee
is over. Keep in mind that we use casting times but even if
you don't it still makes things easier. It sounds like a lot
of work, and in a way it is at first because you're not used
to it, but once you do things in this manner, you won't want
to do it any other way. I know it sounds a little harsh to
make the players take turns like this but most players will
understand it you explain why you're doing it. In reality
if you point out the fact that not only is it easier for you,
and also assures that everyone gets their turn, then the players
will agree. One other thing that makes things easy is the
use of miniatures. With miniatures, you can have the character
move their piece to show where their character is. You can
draw out room dimensions, and show the spell effects in great
detail. It creates a much better visual picture overall, and
this helps you. You may find that you don't use quite the
same way of keeping time in the round, initiative etc, the
same way that I do and really it doesn't matter. The main
point is that you get the data in an orderly manner in a way
you can interpret it easily without disrupting the flow of
the game. The only other thing of importance is that you do
your melee rounds the same way every time. This will help
keep player confusion to a minimum.
Special situations require special rules.
Sometimes the players just plain don't like a certain rule.
If you look in the beginning of the 1st edition books, you'll
see that even Gary Gygax said that the rule books are only
guidelines and that the main thing is to make sure the players
had fun! To keep things short, things like combat, spell effects,
abilities, utilization of time, races, class level limitations,
damage, healing, etc, are all critical to the players and
their enjoyment. There's a lot of ways to circumvent problems.
Use what works with your group of players. If a problem comes
up during the game and you don't have an answer immediately,
ask the players how they feel about the rule! Experienced
players, like some of mine are, can sometimes offer their
own logical solutions right off the bat, although sometimes
the solutions make no sense as well. Use your own judgment
in any case, but at least let all the player have a say, and
listen to them all. If possible make a ruling as fast as possible
so the flow of the game isn't interrupted. There's nothing
worse than waiting for ten minutes for a referee to make a
decision because he's looking through 3-4 books for some obscure
rule that you'll only use 1 time in ten years! The ruling
only needs to last for a single session in most instances.
You can almost always make an overruling later if absolutely
necessary. Generally, if I can't make a ruling on the spot
or within 5 minutes, then I will make a snap decision based
on the circumstances and all other input, then finally I ask
the players if it sounds fair, and make a promise to them
to research it further. Sometime before the next session,
I do the research. At the beginning of the session I present
them with either a definite answer or logical options to vote
on. This is at the beginning of the following session before
the game really starts. It's important, if you DM this way,
that you never back out of a promise to research a rule or
settle an argument. Solving problems quickly will help show
the players that you take the game and them seriously, and
they'll appreciate that. Voting on problems is a good way
to stop arguments since it gets all of the players input.
Likewise, it stops arguments because everyone has a chance
to affect the rule and voice their opinion.
Be prepared.
In order to be prepared, you have to know what you need. This
depends mainly on you and how you DM as well as how much you
or your players have invested. In my group, the players somtimes
have purchased pre-made modules and given them to me to run.
Of course, I allow this and after I run it, the player gets
it back. Of course I never highlight or otherwise write in
them. If you allow this you can assume that some players will
read the module before they give it to you, thinking this
will give them an advantage. This isn't a problem for me though,
because I always assume this and thus have the nasty tendency
to add things and give them a personal twist anyway! In any
regard whether you run a pre-made module or create you own,
make sure you know it well. The game slows and the players
get bored if things begin to drag or move slow. This is especially
true in modules set in a city! Make sure you know any new
spells or effects, traps and monsters, so you don't have to
stop and research in the middle of a scenario. Other things
are dice and books. How many and which ones are up to you,
and your financial situation. When I first started, I hardly
owned anything but a players, monster manual and DM guide!
This required a vivid imagination, but those games were some
of the best ever! One item I won't do without now, is a DM
screen. These are a great way to put a ton of information
right at your finger tips and can often be purchased cheaply.
I laminated mine and it's held up for several years. It also
serves the purpose of hiding your dice rolls from prying eyes,
so the players don't really know what I'm rolling. (Yes, they
listen to me and watch me very closely! They've learned that
if they don't, they might miss something very important or
a deadly hint!)
Fudge the die!
As a player I've seen times when my die rolls were absolutely
terrible. It really stinks! I've also seen them be quite good
and that's another story. As DM you need to make adjustments
to your own rolls as appropriate. If the players win every
initiative ten times in a row, then change your roll from
a six to a one! Even the odds a little to make the battles
more realistic. If your die rolls all happen to be too good
to believe, lower them! This is important with low level characters.
I can't tell you how many times I could have killed a character
with just one lucky die roll! What fun's that? It's so much
more fun if the character is in a long, tough, one on one
battle to the death, sweating over your next die roll and
their own as well! You don't have to do it every time, just
occasionally when things seem to be going the wrong direction
or if things need livened up a tad. Try it sometime, and you'll
be amazed at what you'll hear. It's a wonderful feeling to
hear the player brag how much fun they had and also to hear
them brag a little about that big battle with the bugbear
and how he though he was a goner!"
Add a little humor.
AD&D isn't just all magic, or hack and slash. Add what
I call the "human factor." Some people might even
call it the Murphy Factor. Everyone knows him! "Whatever
can go wrong will." "The best laid plans of mice
and men.." Use this to your benefit. For instance, A
male paladin in one of my adventures years ago located a girdle
of femininity. The item was cleverly disguised as a girdle
of hill giant strength! The character put it on and POOF!
He was a she. ( For full effect, I passed around a note to
all the other characters detailing her wonderful figure and
her sweet voice!) The other players presented his condition
to him/her via role play. It was slightly funny. Needless
to say the player thought it was a bummer. That is until,
they came to a door that no one could open. He/She was the
only one who hadn't tried it. One comment from a certain stubborn
dwarf was "Go ahead, but I couldn't open it and ain't
no wisp of a girl gonna do it!" I fudged the die a bit
then, and then everyone at the table cracked up after she
door swung open! The poor dwarf suffered to no end at being
outdone by a girl. That girl is now a 15th level paladin!
That one scenario totally turned the situation around! The
really good thing was I no longer got to hear the moans and
groans when something was cursed, etc and it provide a bit
of role play. something even funnier happened later...Remember
the dwarf? He married the paladin girl!
Know how to keep a secret.
Some Dungeon Masters are not capable of this. Nothing can
ruin a players best laid plans (and fun) like a big mouthed
DM giving away too much data to one or all of the other players.
One thing I recommend is the passing of notes. This works
so well, that I've incorporated them into other aspects of
our game as well. My group always has either scratch paper
or post it notes handy at all times. I use them many times
to let a character know they've found a secret door, drank
a potion of insanity, heard something and for dozens of other
reasons. Merely hand the character a note that says "Congratulations!
You have just ingested a potion of paranoia. Please role-play
this in the following manner until further notice: You are
certain that someone is out to get you! You're deathly afraid
that someone or something is following you! Whatever it is,
also means to kill you in most gruesome manner! Please also
note that your character doesn't realize that there's anything
wrong with himself and will argue vehemently with any to suggest
otherwise!" Pass a note like this, and watch the fun
start! A note like this can create hilarious situations and
can provide serious help for games that are starved of role
play. If something occurs that is more than I want to write
on a piece of paper then many times, I'll lead the person
into another room have a private chat with them. A good example
is if a character is killed (out of sight of the others!)
by a doppelganger. I lead the person into the other room and
tell them all about it. This can be fun too! All in all humor
can take many forms and the better role players will use this
to the hilt, which merely serves as an example to the lesser
experienced. Notes also serve to make the players physically
learn the secret, and this is where the DM has fun!
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