Palum
what Suineg set it to
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He sounds like the perfect DM for my last play group. They just want to roll dice at things, not think!
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The D&D thread
- Thread starter Kovaks
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He sounds like the perfect DM for my last play group. They just want to roll dice at things, not think!
Grabbit Allworth
Ahn'Qiraj Raider
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For those of you that DM, have you ever had a session (or two) that made you wonder if you're actually cut out for the role?
I've been a forever-DM for 30+ years and generally confident in my ability to run a game, but my performance in our last 2 sessions has been objectively terrible and it continues to bother me, days later.
I know I'm being irrational and it'll pass, but knowing I've laid a giant shit-egg doesn't feel great.
I've been a forever-DM for 30+ years and generally confident in my ability to run a game, but my performance in our last 2 sessions has been objectively terrible and it continues to bother me, days later.
I know I'm being irrational and it'll pass, but knowing I've laid a giant shit-egg doesn't feel great.
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Kovaks
Mr. Poopybutthole
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Urlithani
Vyemm Raider
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I continually push back against this by reminding myself nobody else wants to do it if offered. Can't let the perfect be the enemy of the good.
Heres something i want to try: If your group is older and filled with career people like mine, maybe you can hire DM's to run one shots? The other players wouldn't know it, but I would play and take notes on their style as well as reactions by my normal players.
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Hoss
Make America's Team Great Again
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Grabbit Allworth
Ahn'Qiraj Raider
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No single thing was particularly egregious. It was the sum of all the little mistakes that made it garbage.
The situation that I'm referring to played out over two sessions and it was something that the campaign had been building up to for over a year, but when it happened, I choked. In the over-arching narrative, it was supposed to be an important, impactful scene, but the flow was glacially slow, disjointed, anti-climactic, and unsatisfying.
I deleted ~1400 words explaining the sessions, but the details aren't that important.
In short, I broke some of my own cardinal rules:
1. Never take away player agency. Either directly or indirectly.
2. Don't fudge dice rolls.
3. If at all possible, maintain consistency.
Like I said before, I know I'm being irrational and I doubt my players care 1/10th as much as I do.
I was genuinely just curious if anyone had ever had a session that made you feel like you were a garbage DM.
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Grabbit Allworth
Ahn'Qiraj Raider
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Palum
what Suineg set it to
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Kind of, but mostly people who can't really navigate a non linear story, murder or otherwise. They want a 90s QuickTime game.
Indyocracy
Stock Pals Participant
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Absolutely, especially when I have a big reveal or epic moment planned in my mind but then when the time comes the players hit you with something so off the wall you feel like you completely flub the role play, presentation, or monologue. I think the biggest thing to remember is that no matter what the PCs never know what you had in mind, as long as they were enjoying what you did they didn't "miss out" on anything. Sure maybe it could have been "better" but it is all so subjective it is impossible to know what outcome was the most enjoyable for them.
It does crush my soul though when I make a reveal and the players either don't seem to have have made the connection or seem let down their theories for what was happening weren't correct. Those sessions really make you rethink if maybe my story telling skills are just not up to par.
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Every single time we play. Its oh man i hope i do a good job. And about 18yrs forever DM.
But dude. It's ups and downs. They can't all be winners.
But also if they didn't enjoy it. They wouldn't come back for more.
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Srathor
Blackwing Lair Raider
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The perfect story, and or perfect moments, only exist in your head. The best shit and funniest shit is always in the beats in between. You are the conductor, but the fuckers across from you have their parts to play, and 99% is Jazz notes.
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Djay
Trakanon Raider
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This is my first campaign DMing, so I feel it all the time. The first several sessions, I would ask for feedback a lot and wasn't very confident. Early on, I would get really anxious if they missed something or were on the wrong track, so I tried to guide them more...now I realize that letting them go down the wrong track and eventually figure it out is part of the fun. I do feel bad sometimes when I have to say that a good idea by them doesn't work as a solution, but I also know that it wouldn't be rewarding if everything they did worked all the time.
I've been trying to stick with the book for this campaign, but I did add a couple items and try to tie their backstories in to different things...and that's where I sometimes feel like I've failed when they bring it up and I realize I didn't figure out an end-game or way to wrap it up nicely for them. Some of our best moments have been when I had to improvise suddenly, but as we're nearing the end, I'm not sure we're going to get satisfying conclusions for everyone.
I might have a session soon where I have them, in-character, tell each other where they see themselves going after this adventure is over, should they survive...and then see if I can somehow connect dots for them between now and then. But, for example, one of the characters had a vision during which I was basically giving him the choice between 2 deities without him realizing it. I kept giving him scenarios and asked which path he would choose. Well, he ended up choosing Gruumsh over Corellon, so his Patron is Gruumsh and he has a cursed weapon now that's possessed by a balor. This is going to come to a head at some point, but I haven't figured out yet how I would let him resolve this without sacrificing himself, which may very well be what he is planning.
Anyway...yeah, sometimes I wonder, but they're having fun and I know I get a break from DMing once this campaign is over, so it's all good. If they don't like my style, I'm sure they'll balk at the idea of me running another one when the time comes.
I've been trying to stick with the book for this campaign, but I did add a couple items and try to tie their backstories in to different things...and that's where I sometimes feel like I've failed when they bring it up and I realize I didn't figure out an end-game or way to wrap it up nicely for them. Some of our best moments have been when I had to improvise suddenly, but as we're nearing the end, I'm not sure we're going to get satisfying conclusions for everyone.
I might have a session soon where I have them, in-character, tell each other where they see themselves going after this adventure is over, should they survive...and then see if I can somehow connect dots for them between now and then. But, for example, one of the characters had a vision during which I was basically giving him the choice between 2 deities without him realizing it. I kept giving him scenarios and asked which path he would choose. Well, he ended up choosing Gruumsh over Corellon, so his Patron is Gruumsh and he has a cursed weapon now that's possessed by a balor. This is going to come to a head at some point, but I haven't figured out yet how I would let him resolve this without sacrificing himself, which may very well be what he is planning.
Anyway...yeah, sometimes I wonder, but they're having fun and I know I get a break from DMing once this campaign is over, so it's all good. If they don't like my style, I'm sure they'll balk at the idea of me running another one when the time comes.
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As I read your post I think of a few months ago where my group started making jokes about shit. And it ended up with me having to add in a new legendary item. Vecnas testicle. Yeah we're all children lol
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Well fuuuuuuu. 4 of my 6 party memebers canceled for tomarrows dnd. Now my main story and 2 back up stories are a no go lol. Now I need to plan somthing totally fresh for 3 people lol
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Hoss
Make America's Team Great Again
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We killed a half dragon (that we weren't supposed to kill because he was supposed to show up again later) and we harvested his hide and his dick. DM didn't make any items for the dick, one of us just wore it around our neck as a trophy ... but he made a set of boots and gloves with the skin that gave the wearer lightning resistance.
What properties did you give to vecna's testicle?
Kovaks
Mr. Poopybutthole
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Had a game once with a Claric of the Tentacle god, we got into a fight with a bunch or bandits, we killed or knocked them all out including their ogre, the claric cut off the ogres dick and asked the DM if he could shove it up against the wound on one of the bandits heads and try to heal/graft it there as a rite to the Tentacle god. Our exasperated dm said he could try and he rolled a nat20. I then charmed the guy , we named him dickhead, and we took him with us to the bar to hang out. Still one of the crazier things we did, but that was a younger group that went a bit overboard.
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I haven't made the item yet. They only spoke of it in jest. So now I'm going to have it somewhere eventually.
I was thinking of maybe a few things along the lines of charming. Or seduction oriented silliness.
Or giving an encounter power or daily that makes it out as if vecna was a Dom lol
So one of my friends whos char was a 13yr member of my current party passed away tonight. We were just about to start a huge arc revolving around his char and his weapon "The Crazy Hammer" I wrote 90% of it already. But now I think I'm going to rewrite it for us as a send off for his char. Then I'll be retiring it.
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Grabbit Allworth
Ahn'Qiraj Raider
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That's rough. My condolences to you, your group, and his family.
Before I share, I want to say that I'm definitely not trying to make your tragedy about me. My story is more about shared experiences.
That said, my current group also had someone pass about a year ago. He wasn't a close friend or had been a part of our campaign nearly as long as your friend, but he was well-liked by everyone, a fantastic player, and and passionate about D&D. He was also the only player that would really get into his character.
Occasionally, after our Thursday sessions he'd stick around in Discord and the two of us would chat about all kinds of D&D stuff. I distinctly remember two nights where I had to tell him I had to go because we had talked until after 2 a.m. (from 11 p.m.). Telling him I had to go was tough for me because I could tell the guy was incredibly lonely. He also very candid about himself. He told me that he was morbidly obese and that he needed to do something about it.
Anyway, at some point he vanished without a word, but none of us thought he'd abandon the group so we figured something serious must have happened and he'd be back eventually. After a month I got worried and started looking for him online. Fortunately, he did a few things for me in Googledocs which gave me a couple breadcrumbs to follow and I was able to learn his name and where he was from. That's how I found out that he'd died from heart failure.
I won't lie and say the other players were devastated, but his passing definitely bothered them and the group re-named the Inn they use as their base of operations in his honor.
Fair winds and following seas, adventurers.
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