DM's Marks... ? Yay or Nay? - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

DM's Marks... ? Yay or Nay?

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
warfteiner
Apr 10, 2009 1:18:26 One of the things that really drew me to the Xen'drik Expeditions setting was the inclusion of DM's Marks. To be able to flex my own creative muscle in an organized play format was absolutely fantastic!

Have the powers that be considered adding something of this sort to LFR? I know it didn't exist in LG and I really hope that we can see some more DM-driven creativity beyond DME in our games.

What does the community think? Would it be worthwhile, or would it merely cheapen the LFR experience, to allow DMs to design and run their own adventures (even if only once per quarter) without guidance from the writing admins? I understand the desire for a closer ride with established canon, but I can also feel a definite yearn for more user-created content after talking with a number of DM friends of mine.

Please - sound off!
#2
smerwin29
Apr 10, 2009 7:16:01 Official word on this topic might be coming within the next month or so. That's all I can say.

Shawn
#3
warfteiner
Apr 10, 2009 7:31:37 I could hug you, Shawn.

You know, if it weren't so weird.
#4
eivo
Apr 10, 2009 9:56:02 DM's Marks?

What is this?
Players take a -2 penalty if they hit another player with an attack that doesn't include the DM?
Why would I want this?

(Seriously though, what is it?)
#5
smerwin29
Apr 10, 2009 10:34:47 DM's Marks were a type of adventure in Mark of Heroes and Xen'drik Expeditions campaigns. With these adventures, the DM was provided with an outline/guidelines for an adventure, and the DM could basically create his/her own adventure within those guidelines. Like other adventures in those campaigns, there was a limit on rewards that could be given (xp, gold, treasure, story awards, etc.).
#6
warfteiner
Apr 10, 2009 10:38:19 rofl, nicely said

In all seriousness, though...

A DM's Mark was an adventure (usually) written by the DM and custom-tailored to the playgroup. There were official rewards and story objects, but everything else was crafted by the DM.

For instance, when you sanction a DM's Mark game (like I did oh-so-many times for Crimson Codex online games in Xen'drik), instead of downloading an adventure you would download a guide file that pretty much just said "here are the story objects, please include some thematic similarities between the adventure and these objects." You could run a Dungeon adventure, something you wrote yourself, or a pre-printed adventure for your table and have them gain sanctioned rewards for the organized campaign.

For what it's worth, I was the DM for a Blackwheel Company table that thought they were incredibly tough... so I updated and ran Thoughts of Darkness, an old Ravenloft adventure with
Show
alhoon: illthid liches/ illithiliches!
#7
Dragon9
Apr 10, 2009 11:02:30 I say Nay... but then again, if they threw them in there I wouldn't care as my Nay is more from my own personal viewpoint and not the advantage to the community at large. I would never take advantage of them myself, only because I don't have the time to work up an adventure. It's much easier for me to download a mod, prep it and run it.
#8
Alphastream
Apr 10, 2009 13:43:00 I suspect something like this will be the solution to the issue of DME. It would allow WotC to limit DME for the standard modules, making DME all about adjudication and not about editing. You could have creatures surrender, but not change their powers. You could give a bonus to a skill in a skill challenge, but not morph the skill challenge into a combat or skip it.

Having some mods that are a framework and which can be heavily edited would provide a nice outlet for those wanting to play with the rules. It would showcase the awesome 4E rules for designing encounters and would greatly improve replay opportunities (since each would have different components). It would be a nice training ground for folks to learn how to write mods. And, it would be a nice way for folks to take creative liberties the authoring rules can't allow. I could see some real fun in an encounter with a goal for the combat but with the DM picking the monsters, for example. The encounter could have suggestions, but the DM gets to pick. There could be some fun possibilities here in how the initial author provides for options for modification.

I have no experience with DM's Mark, but I did see the high-level LG mods. They seemed to have too little information, such that the workload was too high to attract participation. I think the key is to provide enough that a DM can easily add to what is there, rather than making it a huge amount of work. It could be interesting to have enough that the mod could run as-is, or with little work, but then allow various of those pieces to be edited.
#9
Herrbard
Apr 11, 2009 2:22:38 Yay

I ran a metric ton of these for our Cabal of Shadows group in Xen'drik Expeditions, and quite a few in the Mark of Heroes Campaign as well.

I even got to run one of my MoH creations at Winter Fantasy. I think it was '06, the last year it was called Winter Fantasy. Right next to Keith Baker (creator of Eberron) who was running his own DM's Mark adventure.

Yeah, I would have rather played at his table, too. :D
#10
eivo
Apr 11, 2009 8:57:29 Yay!

I think it sounds good. I'd like to see it in LFR.
#11
_Mithreinmaethor_
Apr 11, 2009 12:38:53 I would definitely have to say Nay to this as well if it was meant for general use. If it is something that could help GM's to reskin a module for replay reasons, or something restricted to use as a sort of "interactive" at conventions then I would support it.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 warfteiner Apr 10, 2009 1:18:26	One of the things that really drew me to the Xen'drik Expeditions setting was the inclusion of DM's Marks. To be able to flex my own creative muscle in an organized play format was absolutely fantastic! Have the powers that be considered adding something of this sort to LFR? I know it didn't exist in LG and I really hope that we can see some more DM-driven creativity beyond DME in our games. What does the community think? Would it be worthwhile, or would it merely cheapen the LFR experience, to allow DMs to design and run their own adventures (even if only once per quarter) without guidance from the writing admins? I understand the desire for a closer ride with established canon, but I can also feel a definite yearn for more user-created content after talking with a number of DM friends of mine. Please - sound off!
#2 smerwin29 Apr 10, 2009 7:16:01	Official word on this topic might be coming within the next month or so. That's all I can say. Shawn
#3 warfteiner Apr 10, 2009 7:31:37	I could hug you, Shawn. You know, if it weren't so weird.
#4 eivo Apr 10, 2009 9:56:02	DM's Marks? What is this? Players take a -2 penalty if they hit another player with an attack that doesn't include the DM? Why would I want this? (Seriously though, what is it?)
#5 smerwin29 Apr 10, 2009 10:34:47	DM's Marks were a type of adventure in Mark of Heroes and Xen'drik Expeditions campaigns. With these adventures, the DM was provided with an outline/guidelines for an adventure, and the DM could basically create his/her own adventure within those guidelines. Like other adventures in those campaigns, there was a limit on rewards that could be given (xp, gold, treasure, story awards, etc.).
#6 warfteiner Apr 10, 2009 10:38:19	rofl, nicely said In all seriousness, though... A DM's Mark was an adventure (usually) written by the DM and custom-tailored to the playgroup. There were official rewards and story objects, but everything else was crafted by the DM. For instance, when you sanction a DM's Mark game (like I did oh-so-many times for Crimson Codex online games in Xen'drik), instead of downloading an adventure you would download a guide file that pretty much just said "here are the story objects, please include some thematic similarities between the adventure and these objects." You could run a Dungeon adventure, something you wrote yourself, or a pre-printed adventure for your table and have them gain sanctioned rewards for the organized campaign. For what it's worth, I was the DM for a Blackwheel Company table that thought they were incredibly tough... so I updated and ran Thoughts of Darkness, an old Ravenloft adventure with Show alhoon: illthid liches/ illithiliches!
#7 Dragon9 Apr 10, 2009 11:02:30	I say Nay... but then again, if they threw them in there I wouldn't care as my Nay is more from my own personal viewpoint and not the advantage to the community at large. I would never take advantage of them myself, only because I don't have the time to work up an adventure. It's much easier for me to download a mod, prep it and run it.
#8 Alphastream Apr 10, 2009 13:43:00	I suspect something like this will be the solution to the issue of DME. It would allow WotC to limit DME for the standard modules, making DME all about adjudication and not about editing. You could have creatures surrender, but not change their powers. You could give a bonus to a skill in a skill challenge, but not morph the skill challenge into a combat or skip it. Having some mods that are a framework and which can be heavily edited would provide a nice outlet for those wanting to play with the rules. It would showcase the awesome 4E rules for designing encounters and would greatly improve replay opportunities (since each would have different components). It would be a nice training ground for folks to learn how to write mods. And, it would be a nice way for folks to take creative liberties the authoring rules can't allow. I could see some real fun in an encounter with a goal for the combat but with the DM picking the monsters, for example. The encounter could have suggestions, but the DM gets to pick. There could be some fun possibilities here in how the initial author provides for options for modification. I have no experience with DM's Mark, but I did see the high-level LG mods. They seemed to have too little information, such that the workload was too high to attract participation. I think the key is to provide enough that a DM can easily add to what is there, rather than making it a huge amount of work. It could be interesting to have enough that the mod could run as-is, or with little work, but then allow various of those pieces to be edited.
#9 Herrbard Apr 11, 2009 2:22:38	Yay I ran a metric ton of these for our Cabal of Shadows group in Xen'drik Expeditions, and quite a few in the Mark of Heroes Campaign as well. I even got to run one of my MoH creations at Winter Fantasy. I think it was '06, the last year it was called Winter Fantasy. Right next to Keith Baker (creator of Eberron) who was running his own DM's Mark adventure. Yeah, I would have rather played at his table, too. :D
#10 eivo Apr 11, 2009 8:57:29	Yay! I think it sounds good. I'd like to see it in LFR.
#11 _Mithreinmaethor_ Apr 11, 2009 12:38:53	I would definitely have to say Nay to this as well if it was meant for general use. If it is something that could help GM's to reskin a module for replay reasons, or something restricted to use as a sort of "interactive" at conventions then I would support it.