To those that have DMed before...

[Rando]

Something tells me I'm going to be posting a lot on this board...

Alrighty then, those that have been DM's at one time or another, I have a question.
I have often been accused of DMing with an iron fist. I don't think I'm that much of a dictator at the game table, but I have to admit that I don't like to be argued with (too much) and I've always believed in the rule of "The DM is always right"
Also, I always swing the game in the players favor, but I try hard to make it not seem this way. I have only killed 4 characters in my 10+ years of DMing. And they were all mighty deaths worthy of a bards song. The way I see it, there is no point to creating a "heroic" character just to see them die at the hands of a few smelly orcs at first leval. And when the party is having trouble with a puzzle or some such, I change the solution to something they have thought up, even if it's not what I wanted the solution to be, just to get the game rolling. Once again, there is no use to creating a "heroic" character just so that they can get discouraged at the first secret door they come across and turn around to go home. I guess I'm in it for the story being told, not a fight between the PC's and my vilians/monsters.
But now I ramble.
I guess my question is, how do the rest of you do it? How would you describe your style of DMing. Do you cheat on the players behalf as I do, or do you stick stedfastly to your original plan as writen, regardless of where player faliure would take it.

 

[Ed Sullivan]

In general I cut corners for the players. I mean, if the player gets killed off early in the adventure, what will they have to do for the next 4 or so hours?

The only time I've really killed players was at the end of an adventure (note: this isn't a weekly session, so this was the end of the end). For example, I was DMing Ruins of Undermountain 2. The PCs finally got to the last guy - I forget his name now Anyway, he carries a vorpal sword.
1st round - decapitates player 1
2nd round - miss
3rd round - decapitates player 2
4th round - gets hit with Iron Bands of Bilarro (doh!)

I think I cut corners for players since I have been a player before (sometimes DMed AND played - that was weird). The player doesn't have any fun if they get killed. Challenge them, but don't make them fight a Tarraquase (sp?)

 

[krichaiushii]

Well, I will hedge bets in the PCs favor, but if they are terminally stupid, then I will let them die.

For example, charging headlong into combat without first trying to gauge the enemy's strength (or number), refusing to run away from (or surrender to) hopeless odds, or carelessly using fire-based spells in the woods or open plains -- forest and range fires kill (and piss off elves and druids, besides). These are examples of being terminally stupid. (See the Darwin Awards for real life examples).

Certain adventures demand PC death. A known death-trap of a place (say the Tomb of Horrors) is going to be fatal. Don't pull the punches in that case -- legends abound of how fatal (and treasure-filled) such places are. Those legends should be warning enough to the PCs.

Having played terminally stupid characters before, I have no qualms about experienced characters dying. The first few levels should be about learning how not to be terminally stupid, anyway -- by the time you have hit the point of a large investment of time and effort, your character (or player at least) is generally careful enough to avoid most foolish situations.

That's about it.

 

[Whimsical]

Dungeon Mastering? <sighs> It's been a while...

In general, I tend to have a general plot/theme when running a game and work the campaign around the players' actions and decision. I know it sounds like a very fast and loose style ... but hey, it works. 'Sides, a linear plot would kill PCs in the Demiplane of Dread faster than dropping an Oni no Akuma in the middle of bunch of newbie samurai and shugenja... <smiles and shrugs>

Players DO die in my games ... but only though either terminal stupidity ... or player decision. Oh, the humanity of role-playing a fallen in battle scene... ^_^

I guess running a game all boils down to this:

Always give the players a break ... but never ever let them run roughshod over your overworked heinie...

 

[Riva Iron-Grip]

well DMing. well you just have to see if their having fun and if they aren't make it more interesting. we've been playing alot of d&d out here so i have to dm. but most importantly the players are always right. i know i'm not suppose to say that, but you dont want them pissed or bored. you want them to have fun. and another thing, try some pre-made-campaigns, that usually gets the ball rolling on what your supposed to do. and sometimes steal from other stories. players like that when they experienced something and know that it can be accomplished. well that's enough for now. maybe later.
bye
Riva Iron-Grip

 

[Rando]

I never use pre-made campaign settings, never have. I just find something unsetleing about using someone else's material.
I always make up my own world...unfortunetly that means there is a lot of work that I do that gets wasted because the group didn't stick together or get together in the first place.
Oh well...

 

[arhar]

4 player deaths in 10 years?!!??!!

Oh my!!

I would call that SUPER - GENEROUS

Generally, when I DM, I don't kill off character when they are not stupid, but I am one of the very few people that do it. Most DM's I know kill off the whole party when they feel annoyed with some characters, or are not satisfied when they don't kill at least one character in one gaming session. Personally I feel that if you create a situtation for PCs that there's no hope for getting out alive, or winning, you better have a damn good reason for it.

And I love boxed settings Of course, creating your own world from scratch is much more fun, but for people in the severe time constraint, like myself campaign settings, or homemade adventures on the internet are a life-saver.

But overall, I like playing much more than I like DMing. Much less work

 

[sageridder]

I cannot use boxed sets,ect. they are not bad reading for some ideas,well at least they weren't 12 years ago.DM IS GOD.There are too many forces involved for the player to say "i roled a 16 i won".I use common sence for weight encumberances and aging,ect.I use npcs to aid a party off the trail.I often use egg timers (little sand glasses) to prompt players, i have 1,3,and 4 min hourglasses.With no warning i will put them out on the open table.They suddenly come togher and make a choice.Hell sometimes i just do it to keep them on there toes.In 16 years of occasional playing i have kiled 3.But i would not want count the number of times a player was watching tv or some other distraction and was raped by a carnivious ape.hehehe

 

[Purple_jester]

Hey, read this thread and comment, okay?

<GUEST: Sure... Hey, wait a minute, this is about GMing styles and techniques... Should I comment when you can read it?>

I know your style already. So go ahead.

<GUEST: Okay. Where the heck do I begin? I take pride in my games. I NEVER run a boxed game or adventure. I may get ideas, characters and/or locations from pre-made game worlds like RIFTS-Earth or Forgotten Realms, but the storyline is entirely me.

<The story is never swung in the player's favor. That's why there's conflict in the story, to provide obstacles for the characters to overcome. However, the story as it's being told lends itself to the players, so that they have the advantage. What advantage is that? Simply put, they are the heroes. And heroic events and experiences always happen to heroes, whether these occurences be big or small.

<I do not kill players on purpose. Not once. If they die because of an obstacle, then that's that. But since I run dynamic style campaigns, again, this almost never happens. Death, in the rare instances that it occurs, is always an epic affair. The exception is any player or chracter that starts to wreck the experience for the other players. Such deviants are removed swiftly and harshly.

<I do not run a set plot, only a vague outline of the main skeletal elements of the story. This way, I have the flexibility of allowing my players freedom. I make it a habit not to put my "avatar" into the party. I can influence, but never control.

<In summary, I always remind myself that and RPG is a game. And games are meant to be fun and enjoyable. Everything else --- plot, realism, GM pride --- is secondary. I want to have fun, but most of all I want my players to have fun. That's my prime directive, and it should be the same for every GM out there, regardless of style or genre.>

Amen to that. And I do have a lot of fun.

<GUEST: Thanks.>

 

[Cateran Emperor]

No, I haven't benaccused of that too often. Though granted, just for fun I have occasionally done something goofy if my players are getting me POed. For example, after an argument about dice rolling and falling off the table (this was weird, but they ended up shutting up eventually anyhoo):

Player: Okay, I attack the Goblin in the front rank with my short sword +1 (the characters were levels 2-3 just so ya know )
Me: Okay, the Goblin dispels it's polymorph and turns into a Red Great Wyrm.
Player: Um, crap. You're kidding right?
Me: The Dragon is using its breath weapon. [rolls] Okay, it hits, now I roll damage [rolls] You take 117 damage. You die. [huge evil smile]
[Player stands up and shakes fist at me]
Player: WHAT????? No way am I dead. This is f***ing crazy!
Me: Just kidding, it was an illusion
[Player sits down, looks kind of dazed for a minute or so. Never argues about dice rolling again ]

So, just have a sense of humor about everything. It works very well for me

BTW Ed, it's spelled "Tarrasque" [or Painful Death, whichever you want ]