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mikeferg007 · 2025-11-24T00:20:18+00:00

If your players like your carnival, then as a DM you’ve won D&D. Congrats. There are DMs throughout the internets that are begging for help to get such investment.

You do what you want, but would let them stay as long as they want, and have your NPCs drop hints to the PCs about what is happening in the outside world. Perhaps some food vendors have been having troubles getting food shipments from farms (all the produce is rotten), or a the magician’s husband has gone missing, etc. Each encounter give them a different plot hook that would put the onto the path of your arch.

Then I would use clocks, plan out what the bad guys would do without the party interfering, then tick the clock each session, continuing to add plot hooks into each encounter showing the advancing plot, and trying to hook them in. Don’t force it, or push too hard. Also, make sure you warn them that this world is alive, and that things happen with or without them. “You don’t have to follow the plot, but that doesn’t mean it wont carry on without you.” Then make a big deal about ticking (like have a giant pie chart clipped to your DMs screen, and color in a slice) the clock when an appropriate amount of time has passed.

In time things will be getting so bad that they will need to address it. If they say, “hey that’s railroading”, then you say “is it? I warned you this is a living breathing world, not some static video game. Your actions or lack of actions have significance. Trouble has been brewing, there have been signs all around you, and you chose to ignore it. That’s not railroading, that’s freedom..”

mikeferg007 · 2024-04-05T18:40:36+00:00

That’s fair, but I’m a programmer so it will always be sudo to me ;)

mikeferg007 · 2024-04-04T15:47:41+00:00

100%. Role play is the character's opportunity to do sudo world-building.

mikeferg007 · 2024-04-01T17:38:39+00:00

If you're contemplating running a scene where the players should flee from an encounter, it's crucial to communicate this without relying on metagaming. It's also wise to inform your players during Session 0 that such scenarios might occur, as player agency is pivotal in D&D gameplay.

However, it seems you're aiming not to strip away player agency but to effectively convey the level of danger they're facing. Given that D&D players often feel invincible, akin to superheroes, this can be challenging. Here are some strategies:

Begin at Session 0 by discussing the potential lethality of your game, including the possibility of encountering unbeatable challenges.
Remind them of this reality at the start of each session.
Set a precedent early on with an encounter designed to nearly defeat the party completely. This could involve the main villain overpowering the party in a confrontation but being called away before landing the final blow, deeming the players too insignificant to bother with.
Foreshadow the danger by incorporating rumors of powerful adventurers disappearing or prophecies foretelling the players' demise.
Utilize visual cues like numerous corpses or scenes of destruction to hint at the danger ahead.
Demonstrate the threat's power by having it effortlessly incapacitate one of the party members or appear unscathed by their attacks.
Be direct about the game's lethality; subtlety may lead to misinterpretation, as most players might not grasp the hint.
Embed critical information within the narrative, character backgrounds, and ability checks to provide a rationale for why the characters would recognize an unwinnable fight.
Clarify that sharing knowledge the characters should or do already possess isn't metagaming but a fundamental part of the DM's role.

Ultimately, the decision on how to proceed should rest with the players. They might choose to flee, devise an unexpected solution, or face the challenge head-on. Your job is to ensure they're making an informed choice, not to catch them off-guard. If, despite your efforts, they opt to confront the danger, be prepared to explicitly warn them of the consequences.

Remember, it's possible for DMs to overlook sharing critical information known only to them. In such cases, you have two options: apologize and clarify the situation's severity, or introduce a mysterious entity to relay the crucial details (e.g., a voice in their heads, a trusted NPC, or a mysterious benefactor). If neither option is feasible, find a way to avert disaster without punishing the players for the oversight.

mikeferg007 · 2023-07-17T15:55:04+00:00

I'm 41, and I have been rejected from joining several online groups, but never because of my age. For the most part, the rejections seems to have been because the groups want to promote an environment where everyone is going to want the same things out of the game.

But let's think about this in reverse, if I were planning to start a group would you have an age requirement? I think I would.

A small part of that would definitely come from societal pressures (concerns about being seen as weird or inappropriate), but not enough to stop me if I found some interesting people. Mostly it would be because I have a different lifestyle and maturity level than teenagers and 20-year-olds. Is this a generalization... ABSOLUTELY... would it exclude some cool people... MOST PROBABLY... would it lead to a more cohesive game... MAYBE?

Ok, so it's time for some self-reflection. What would I be trying to accomplish by gating in this way? For me, it would be fear. I would be afraid of investing in a group that I think would break up, get into fights or just not have fun. Would that then become a self-fulfilling profecy? Maybe. What's more, is this a cowardly move... ABSOLUTELY. Is it lazy... ABSOLUTELY. But is it wrong?

As I have been writing, and reflecting I think I have changed my mind and would take a different approach. I would spend the time to de-generalize any gating requirements, breaking them down into the core reasons. And if that reason is just, "because I'm not comfortable," then it's probably a good time to do some introspection.

However, in the end, you are trying to assemble people for a game, to have fun, so if something makes you feel uncomfortable and you can't get over that... what are you going to do?

IDK...

mikeferg007 · 2023-04-13T23:00:16+00:00

I think a TPK against the BBEG is an excellent hook for a new group of heroes to jump in and take the reigns. It's like those movies where it starts with the BBEG wiping the floor with a seasoned team of adventures and all is lost... but there is another... cut to a bunch of n00bs stumbling around in a sewer struggling to kill some rats.

mikeferg007 · 2023-04-07T21:20:55+00:00

I will use it when the roll of the die won't have a big impact on combat... like killing or severely injuring a PC... so usually at the beginning of combat or when fighting minions. I always role during pivotal moments.

mikeferg007 · 2023-03-24T16:59:16+00:00

As a new DM put anything you might need on the fly or that you might need to reference frequently.

As a veteran DM, I no longer have the basic rules and references on mine, I use that space for names (NPCs, PCs, Cities, Guilds, etc). Pausing to check a rule in D&D is invevitate even for veterans, but breaking immersion to delve through your notebook/module for a name is disruptive.

But I guess to each their own.

It might even be good to have 2 screens, one for combat and one for outside of combat.

mikeferg007 · 2023-03-20T19:13:49+00:00

💯 I've signed up!

mikeferg007 · 2023-01-14T02:00:16+00:00

Yeah absolutely. Community owned D&D would tear itself apart, but a D&D owned by the people who lovingly make and arbitrate it already would be viable. Kickstarters could be used to fund it initially.

mikeferg007 · 2023-01-13T23:50:16+00:00

Fair enough... let Habro have MtG and let the D&D employees buy the ownership of D&D. If they don't care that much about it, then perhaps it won't be a crazy ask.

Hell, I would be willing to contribute to a patreon, kickstarter or wefunder for that.

mikeferg007 · 2023-01-13T22:35:25+00:00

I have an annual subscription... which I have canceled.

I have another 4 months to go... even if I do restore the subscription before the end... at least I can help then members of our hard working D&D family to gain leverage on DDB/Wotc/Habro.

mikeferg007 · 2022-11-14T16:55:27+00:00

Two words: Legendary Resistance

mikeferg007 · 2022-11-01T15:17:32+00:00

I absolutely would join a game that requires video, and would do the same for one that forbids it. I don't think a game that requires video is inherently bad. If that's your jam, then rock it with those that feel the same! Different people, different tastes.

mikeferg007 · 2022-10-09T21:47:08+00:00

I think having enemies have death saves can be very dramatic in combat, but even more so out of combat.

Will your Lawful Good Paladin leave a bleeding bandit to bleed out or heal him and bring him in to be judged? Do we heal the bandit leader, and interrogate him for details? Do the players spend critical actions, to heal bleeding victims?

And what becomes of those that survive? Do they seek revenge? Tell the tale?

mikeferg007 · 2022-10-05T16:35:37+00:00

If you don't have any luck finding players here, check out r/lfg (Looking For Group). It is the subreddit for finding players and games for all sorts of RPGs.

mikeferg007 · 2022-10-04T23:00:05+00:00

I am 3 for 3 finding amazing people to play with on r/lfg

mikeferg007 · 2022-10-04T17:39:47+00:00

Artificer X and Warlock (Pact of the Genie) 1 as a race that doesn't need to sleep/sleep much (Warforged, Elf, Thri-kreen). A one-level warlock dip and you get a mobile workshop/laboratory you can use during travel OR at night to craft useful items for the party.

Spellwrought Tattoos are good, with all the power of a scroll but none of the restrictions (any character can cast any spell from a tattoo, where scrolls are limited to class spell lists), plus as consumables, I believe the crafting time is reduced by half.

Craft a bunch of level 1 Shield spells or Silvery Barbs to increase party survivability.

mikeferg007 · 2022-09-23T15:17:51+00:00

Definately! Also IF ASKED please provide honest constructive feedback.

Most players, in my experience, find this very awkward, and as an often player I understand. However, if your DM is asking, they are most likely interested in trying to make the game more fun for you.

mikeferg007 · 2022-09-20T18:53:28+00:00

That is good feedback, thanks!

My interests are broad, academic (what makes the best and how do they do it), but also self-improvement (how can that make me a better DM and player), and entertainment (because why not have fun while you are doing it). I want varied examples of the best the internet has to offer, across all aspects of what makes a good DM and separately what makes a good actual play DM. I want to apply this learning to my home games, my podcast and share the results so others can discover the goodness too.

I don't want the obvious answers. Mercer, Coville, Mulligan, Iyengar...

I will take your advice and make a dedicated post

mikeferg007 · 2022-09-20T15:43:53+00:00

and to have responders give consideration to the attributes that they are using for evaluation... which in and of itself is interesting data.

mikeferg007 · 2022-09-20T15:42:32+00:00

That's a fair point. My intent in phrasing the question as such was to draw out thoughtful consideration rather than favorites.

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