A Guide to More Creative DMing: Running Fun Campaigns [Archive] - Wizards Community

A Guide to More Creative DMing: Running Fun Campaigns [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
The_Puppetmaster
10-08-07, 05:09 PM If there were a guidebook, similar to a "how-to" book, with tips to becoming a more creative DM and running a more fun game, what would you want to see in it?

I'd like some opinions, specifically from both beginners who could use some inspiration, and vets who know what they could use in a guidebook. Any ideas are welcome, just try to be serious, please. :D
Prator_the_Legendary
10-08-07, 05:48 PM I'd like to see some instructions on how to improvise. Yes, I fully realize the irony of that statement.
darkneolink
10-08-07, 07:19 PM Oaks guid in my sig
KJW
10-09-07, 10:00 AM I'd like to see some instructions on how to improvise. Yes, I fully realize the irony of that statement.

Improvisation is a skill as much as anything else so it really isn't an ironic statement. Sure some DMs are naturals, but most become naturals through practice. Here is some advice from my experience:

1) Do not give in to fear!: It is natural to be nervous when DMing and improvisation is often the most nerve wracking. From my experience players are very understanding and understand you are out on a limb when you DM. If you encourage them to take chances when they roleplay they will respond in kind to you. So fear not, but really everyone gets nervous from time to time DMing even us experienced ones.

2) React to Players not to Plots!: This is key. Improvisation is basically reacting as naturally as possible and for DMs this simply means reacting to the players. If the players do something unexpected then just run with that course of action. Remember good DMs worry about problems and leave the players to worry about the solutions. Sometimes I just say 'alright the plan goes without a hitch and you have positioned yourself in the fortress!' If the players have a brilliant plan then reward them with instant success or very minor obstacles. Letting players succeed or get an advantage from their smart actions is the height of improvisation as it is the DM encouraging them to play smart. Once you encourage your players to play smart then it will force you to improvise more.

3) Logic!: The hardest things for DMs is to be able to create logical responses to the actions of their players. This is really the hardest part of improvisation. The best rule is to be reasonable and when in doubt give the advantage to the players.

4) Know Your Setting and NPCs!: The better you know your setting the better your improvisation. I use homebrew settings because they are mine and I can modify on the fly as needed, this provides me a safety net when I do improvisation, but you can do this with published settings as well the trick is to make the setting your own. For example, kill Drizzt or Elminister in your Forgotten Realms campaign and your players will realize that this is your campaign and also it will empower them to know that if you can make such changes then so can they. Once you feel like you own your setting and its NPCs it will give you more confidence in improvisation. A related trick is to have a list of NPC names, I find making up names is harder than personalities so usually I have a list of generic names to use as needed.

5) Take Notes!: Record names and facts you come up with on the fly if they are important. Have a spiral notebook you can jot stuff down in. During improvisation you will have some gems of ideas and it is a good idea to record them down.

6) Practice: OK really this should be #1, the more you practice the better you get. It is that simple, also don't be afraid to experiment, try strange voices and the like, so what if your players are all laughing at you, laughter is great it shows they are listening and you are entertaining them. Actually, comedy is often harder than drama so really laughter is good no matter what. :D

7) Master the Art of Illusion and Delay: When you get stuck call for a snack break. Throw a problem at the players that they need to talk over and use that time to prepare. My trick is to just roll dice like I am consulting a table, all I am doing is delaying to come up with a name or an idea. Of course, my players nowadays call me on this all the time as they know I have no tables behind the screen and the dice are merely a delaying technique, but it did last me for a few years.

8) Communication: Talk to your players and get their feedback. Though be prepared to take criticism. I try to encourage my players to speak their mind and when they are unhappy they tell me and I make changes. This makes everyone happy. Many DMs do not like to hear criticism and players will rarely give it unless invited, but if you can accept that you are learning and that DMing is an art not a science then this can really help.

As for a "how-to" guidebook...well the DMG and DMG II have pretty good advice for DMing already for the interested. Creativity is overrated in my opinion, execution of basic DMing techniques is far more important. Good DMs can take mediocre ideas and turn them into brilliant adventures whereas bad DMs take genius ideas and turn them into boring adventures. Execution, execution, execution is the key. Tips are good, but practice is better. Now that said, there are a lot of clever tricks out there. I think a guide with some of the interesting tricks used by various DMs would be useful. I got the basics definitely down pat, but every now and then I pick up little tricks on these forums which are very interesting and often useful. Every DM has special ways of doing their job and while some of these way are questionable at best, some have stumbled upon genius. These ideas definitely need to be shared.
The_Puppetmaster
10-09-07, 09:36 PM Prator, KJW, these are both good responces, and thanks for your input.

I could use some more ideas. What are the main issues of DMs needing a creative boost to their games? The DM's guide does a great job of spelling out the rules, but actually starting play and making your games more fun isn't really in the text at all.

I want to start a guide to help out DMs who need help creating good ideas and running great games, but I need input! :D
Stafir Ortnev
10-09-07, 10:45 PM If you are a quick enough thinker and all you need is a beginning. A good set of random tables can be all you need to start the ball rolling.

Sometimes it is much easier to come up with and roleplay that NPC properly when you already know he's an honest merchant, afraid of the dark, and is henpecked as heck. Then to start off with nothing at all on him.
KJW
10-10-07, 08:12 AM I agree with Stafir that beginning can be hard and a set of tables could be useful for sparking the imagination. Other areas that DMs regularly stumble are with pacing (quick pacing is key), dealing with rules arguments (having a system and sticking to it), time management (not wasting time), roleplaying NPCs (how to get into character), encouraging players to roleplay (many tricks in this regards), proper delivery of flavor text (short and sweet), and handling villains (with rule #1 being to let villains die!). Then there are areas where the rules just don't cover effectively, mass combat and wars (Tome of Battle was OK, but dropped the ball in many ways), politics and intrigue (really this is just way too complex for most DMs), mysteries (a lot of work that can be all wasted if the adventure fails), and the similar which are where the difference between good and inexperienced DMs is most striking.
HandOfDoom
10-10-07, 08:27 AM [QUOTE=KJW;14034370]
2) React to Players not to Plots!: ... this simply means reacting to the players. If the players do something unexpected then just run with that course of action. Remember good DMs worry about problems and leave the players to worry about the solutions. ...

+1 vote for that. And to "flesh-out" NPCs. At least my players give me the best kudos for problems where they can create solutions (in plural!) and for the good, roleplayed NPCs.

I also usually don't use cut-scenes or any other out-of-the-game information system. If the players need to Gather Information, they'd better roleplay it.

I also give circumstancial bonuses for good roleplaying. Especially when it goes (for the skills that my players have neglected) like Diplomacy, Appraise, Bluff,...

HoD

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
The_Puppetmaster 10-08-07, 05:09 PM	If there were a guidebook, similar to a "how-to" book, with tips to becoming a more creative DM and running a more fun game, what would you want to see in it? I'd like some opinions, specifically from both beginners who could use some inspiration, and vets who know what they could use in a guidebook. Any ideas are welcome, just try to be serious, please. :D
Prator_the_Legendary 10-08-07, 05:48 PM	I'd like to see some instructions on how to improvise. Yes, I fully realize the irony of that statement.
darkneolink 10-08-07, 07:19 PM	Oaks guid in my sig
KJW 10-09-07, 10:00 AM	I'd like to see some instructions on how to improvise. Yes, I fully realize the irony of that statement. Improvisation is a skill as much as anything else so it really isn't an ironic statement. Sure some DMs are naturals, but most become naturals through practice. Here is some advice from my experience: 1) Do not give in to fear!: It is natural to be nervous when DMing and improvisation is often the most nerve wracking. From my experience players are very understanding and understand you are out on a limb when you DM. If you encourage them to take chances when they roleplay they will respond in kind to you. So fear not, but really everyone gets nervous from time to time DMing even us experienced ones. 2) React to Players not to Plots!: This is key. Improvisation is basically reacting as naturally as possible and for DMs this simply means reacting to the players. If the players do something unexpected then just run with that course of action. Remember good DMs worry about problems and leave the players to worry about the solutions. Sometimes I just say 'alright the plan goes without a hitch and you have positioned yourself in the fortress!' If the players have a brilliant plan then reward them with instant success or very minor obstacles. Letting players succeed or get an advantage from their smart actions is the height of improvisation as it is the DM encouraging them to play smart. Once you encourage your players to play smart then it will force you to improvise more. 3) Logic!: The hardest things for DMs is to be able to create logical responses to the actions of their players. This is really the hardest part of improvisation. The best rule is to be reasonable and when in doubt give the advantage to the players. 4) Know Your Setting and NPCs!: The better you know your setting the better your improvisation. I use homebrew settings because they are mine and I can modify on the fly as needed, this provides me a safety net when I do improvisation, but you can do this with published settings as well the trick is to make the setting your own. For example, kill Drizzt or Elminister in your Forgotten Realms campaign and your players will realize that this is your campaign and also it will empower them to know that if you can make such changes then so can they. Once you feel like you own your setting and its NPCs it will give you more confidence in improvisation. A related trick is to have a list of NPC names, I find making up names is harder than personalities so usually I have a list of generic names to use as needed. 5) Take Notes!: Record names and facts you come up with on the fly if they are important. Have a spiral notebook you can jot stuff down in. During improvisation you will have some gems of ideas and it is a good idea to record them down. 6) Practice: OK really this should be #1, the more you practice the better you get. It is that simple, also don't be afraid to experiment, try strange voices and the like, so what if your players are all laughing at you, laughter is great it shows they are listening and you are entertaining them. Actually, comedy is often harder than drama so really laughter is good no matter what. :D 7) Master the Art of Illusion and Delay: When you get stuck call for a snack break. Throw a problem at the players that they need to talk over and use that time to prepare. My trick is to just roll dice like I am consulting a table, all I am doing is delaying to come up with a name or an idea. Of course, my players nowadays call me on this all the time as they know I have no tables behind the screen and the dice are merely a delaying technique, but it did last me for a few years. 8) Communication: Talk to your players and get their feedback. Though be prepared to take criticism. I try to encourage my players to speak their mind and when they are unhappy they tell me and I make changes. This makes everyone happy. Many DMs do not like to hear criticism and players will rarely give it unless invited, but if you can accept that you are learning and that DMing is an art not a science then this can really help. As for a "how-to" guidebook...well the DMG and DMG II have pretty good advice for DMing already for the interested. Creativity is overrated in my opinion, execution of basic DMing techniques is far more important. Good DMs can take mediocre ideas and turn them into brilliant adventures whereas bad DMs take genius ideas and turn them into boring adventures. Execution, execution, execution is the key. Tips are good, but practice is better. Now that said, there are a lot of clever tricks out there. I think a guide with some of the interesting tricks used by various DMs would be useful. I got the basics definitely down pat, but every now and then I pick up little tricks on these forums which are very interesting and often useful. Every DM has special ways of doing their job and while some of these way are questionable at best, some have stumbled upon genius. These ideas definitely need to be shared.
The_Puppetmaster 10-09-07, 09:36 PM	Prator, KJW, these are both good responces, and thanks for your input. I could use some more ideas. What are the main issues of DMs needing a creative boost to their games? The DM's guide does a great job of spelling out the rules, but actually starting play and making your games more fun isn't really in the text at all. I want to start a guide to help out DMs who need help creating good ideas and running great games, but I need input! :D
Stafir Ortnev 10-09-07, 10:45 PM	If you are a quick enough thinker and all you need is a beginning. A good set of random tables can be all you need to start the ball rolling. Sometimes it is much easier to come up with and roleplay that NPC properly when you already know he's an honest merchant, afraid of the dark, and is henpecked as heck. Then to start off with nothing at all on him.
KJW 10-10-07, 08:12 AM	I agree with Stafir that beginning can be hard and a set of tables could be useful for sparking the imagination. Other areas that DMs regularly stumble are with pacing (quick pacing is key), dealing with rules arguments (having a system and sticking to it), time management (not wasting time), roleplaying NPCs (how to get into character), encouraging players to roleplay (many tricks in this regards), proper delivery of flavor text (short and sweet), and handling villains (with rule #1 being to let villains die!). Then there are areas where the rules just don't cover effectively, mass combat and wars (Tome of Battle was OK, but dropped the ball in many ways), politics and intrigue (really this is just way too complex for most DMs), mysteries (a lot of work that can be all wasted if the adventure fails), and the similar which are where the difference between good and inexperienced DMs is most striking.
HandOfDoom 10-10-07, 08:27 AM	[QUOTE=KJW;14034370] 2) React to Players not to Plots!: ... this simply means reacting to the players. If the players do something unexpected then just run with that course of action. Remember good DMs worry about problems and leave the players to worry about the solutions. ... +1 vote for that. And to "flesh-out" NPCs. At least my players give me the best kudos for problems where they can create solutions (in plural!) and for the good, roleplayed NPCs. I also usually don't use cut-scenes or any other out-of-the-game information system. If the players need to Gather Information, they'd better roleplay it. I also give circumstancial bonuses for good roleplaying. Especially when it goes (for the skills that my players have neglected) like Diplomacy, Appraise, Bluff,... HoD