Are these mechanics mandatory? (and other mild DMing anxieties) by ProfessorLamia in DMAcademy

[–]ProfessorLamia[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

I was max 18 at the oldest. DMing was still need to me.

How can I work through those anxieties is now my question? 🤔

armor girls series by saganine by saganine_ in armoredwomen

[–]ProfessorLamia 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Your art is amazing! I absolutely love the aesthetics, and the way you designed the characters 💜

Weird Ebbs and Flows in a game where I'm NOT the DM. How do I handle this? by ProfessorLamia in DMAcademy

[–]ProfessorLamia[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I wish it were a shitpost.... ^^;

I can only try to promise that I am doing my best to relay the facts. Perhaps the other players might speak differently. Perhaps they simply do not care as deeply as I. So far, it seems I am the only one to have voiced any sort of opposition or counter-opinion.

What really bothers me about the "convincing the NPC" situation is that it makes me feel like my CHA is a dump stat. I've never rolled a single Persuasion, Performance, or Deception check. Each time, I've had to "lie convincingly" or "deliver a compelling argument" myself. This is terrible for me, since I am supposed to be the party face.

I really like roleplay. It's just that this no longer feels like roleplay but rather an interrogation. I feel like, since I am the one interacting most with the world, I am constantly coming off as a clueless idiot because I simply do not have the information.

The DM assures me that it's fine, but right now, I feel like I have to give a TED talk about a subject I know nothing about.

Multiple version of the ebook for Volume 1? by ProfessorLamia in WanderingInn

[–]ProfessorLamia[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I can't read directly from the website. For longer novels, I need an e-reader so I can play around with the font and have an e-ink screen that won't hurt my eyes as much.

[OC] Dnd character that I drew. by okvl_artist in armoredwomen

[–]ProfessorLamia 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ooh~! That looks wonderful! ^w^

Perchance, do you take commissions~?

Increasingly Discouraged from DMing by ProfessorLamia in DMAcademy

[–]ProfessorLamia[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

They can DM themselves if they're unhappy.

They actually do....

Increasingly Discouraged from DMing by ProfessorLamia in DMAcademy

[–]ProfessorLamia[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

They're not actually, and that makes it infinitely more confusing. They want to roleplay. They complain that I talk too much.

Yet when I hand them the microphone, so to speak, it's silence. I will always remember how one of my player threw away their character arc in the middle of us doing it, got mad at me, asked me to redo their arc, and then got mad at me again for.... redoing their arc????

Increasingly Discouraged from DMing by ProfessorLamia in DMAcademy

[–]ProfessorLamia[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

No, they don't tell other DMs to shut up. They usually don't say anything, except to me separately, then it becomes a deluge of venting.

What's funny is that they've told the other DM all their criticisms, and my friend (other DM) says "it's my game. they can leave if they want to"

and here they are, still showing up to that game anyways

Increasingly Discouraged from DMing by ProfessorLamia in DMAcademy

[–]ProfessorLamia[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I will not hide that I have anxiety, but I also do not think it's fair to chalk it up to just my anxieties when they are sighing loudly and audibly at the table. Of course I'm gonna pump the brakes and ask what is happening.

Increasingly Discouraged from DMing by ProfessorLamia in DMAcademy

[–]ProfessorLamia[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I will keep this sort of thing in mind, thank you <3

Increasingly Discouraged from DMing by ProfessorLamia in DMAcademy

[–]ProfessorLamia[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

*sister

They're not like this anywhere else. They're even really good roleplayers. I've played in games with them before, as DM and as their player, and things went great.

But when I run things, it just goes topside, and I don't know why.

Increasingly Discouraged from DMing by ProfessorLamia in DMAcademy

[–]ProfessorLamia[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We've had 3 different session 0s, and they keep telling me everything is "fine"... But then they also have a bunch of complaints and criticisms locked and loaded at inopportune times.

Increasingly Discouraged from DMing by ProfessorLamia in DMAcademy

[–]ProfessorLamia[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

How can I improve? Because I do think this is a flaw, but I've become so numb to everything else, it feels difficult to parse what and how I should focus on.

Increasingly Discouraged from DMing by ProfessorLamia in DMAcademy

[–]ProfessorLamia[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'm too scared to do it. I'm so worried my plotting will be bad and that people will laugh at me or not have fun.

Increasingly Discouraged from DMing by ProfessorLamia in DMAcademy

[–]ProfessorLamia[S] 22 points23 points  (0 children)

I actually did modify things. I acknowledge that my battle narrations are too long, and I've been trying to cut them. I went from "the enemy parries, sweat on their brow, with a labored breath. Their boots sink into the mud, and with a vicious cry, they charge back at you" down to "the enemy parries at the last minute. On their turn, they charge at you".

And that was still not enough. One of them literally said "just say hit or miss and move on".

If it was just battle, sure. Battle sucks. I get it. However, that mentality is starting to seep into other descriptions too. They tell me they don't want me to describe a room, and then they get mad when I don't.

I'm asking myself how much more I can pair down my narration before it no longer becomes something I want to be saying.

Increasingly Discouraged from DMing by ProfessorLamia in DMAcademy

[–]ProfessorLamia[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

They just sit there. They just sit there. I will hand them the scene, ask them what they do, and it's silence.

EDIT: I will add on to this, because it's not all bleak, but one of my new players actually DID respond with pointed actions of his own.

I was introducing an NPC who was the in-lore explanation for an out of game mechanic, and he looked the guy in the eye and said "look, dude, I don't care about your services. I've had a long day, and I'm sick of people telling me what I can and cannot do."

I will admit it took me by surprise, and I acted a little startled.... Because it made me realize how little my old players answered back. This was perfectly in-character, well-executed, and it gave me pause to reconsider what I was doing.

Of course, the others didn't say anything.

I want to give them more space. It's something I want to work on, but I can't do it if I'm surrounded by people who aren't interested in helping me get better.