3 ms·

I have heard that a DM is a full-time job, and I agree full heartily after reading this.

by markus_zhang 2y ago

pavel_lishin 2y ago
As a DM, it's certainly something that's very easy to sink time into. And rewarding, too!
- markus_zhang 2y ago
  I agree! I'd expect my DM to have knowledge of multiple worlds so that he can pull out things such as Solamnia knights got caught up in a time-space torrent and appear in Greyhawk. I guess it takes a lot of reading and planning.
  - pavel_lishin 2y ago
    Oooh, you'd be disappointed by my style, I think. I know the broad strokes of the D&D "canon", but I have no idea who the Solamnia knights are, I can name maybe five of the gods of the pantheon, and not much else. I prefer to run homebrew games, personally - let the players inform, decide, and deduce the world.
    - markus_zhang 2y ago
      Nevermind, everyone has their own style.
      - pavel_lishin 2y ago
        Yep. As long as everyone is at the table is having fun, there's no wrong way to play.
    - sleepybrett 2y ago
      > Solamnia knights Krynn/Dragonlance
  - runiq 2y ago
    Ya can't just do time/space torrents without throwing Sigil into the mix. And spelljamming. And a kender. (I really, really miss Planescape.)
    - markus_zhang 2y ago
      Yep, although I myself never played tabletop DND gamed, Planescape and Return to the Tomb of Horrors are my two favorite readings.
vundercind 2y ago
It depends a whole, whole bunch on what exactly you do. Custom setting with great attention to detail and an entire campaign mapped out? Every possible semi-important NPC with a biography and set of motivations and stats for every place they might go in the whole campaign? Yeah, shitloads of work, hundreds of hours, maybe thousands. Or you can have a basic setting and a little town with some adventure hooks, a few partially fleshed out items and NPCs, a few more randomly-generated ones for roles like “shop keeper” or “bar patron” when you don’t have anything better, crib some other setting’s gods and politics and what have you, and only fill more stuff in if the players take an interest. They really engaged with that random street juggler and are already trying to figure out how she fits into the plot? Well… she didn’t, but now she does! Time to pick a clue or hook to attach to her and put her in their path again. Only write enough runway to get through the next session, and take your writing & prep where the players go. Saves tons of time, doesn’t necessarily make for a less-satisfying game than an intricately constructed complete world (often, it’s better) Run a decent pre-written module? Usually not much work at all, just read the whole thing once then refresh yourself on the next one part before each session. Provided you’re already comfortable with the game and setting, anyway.

I have heard that a DM is a full-time job, and I agree full heartily after reading this.

pavel_lishin 2y ago

As a DM, it's certainly something that's very easy to sink time into. And rewarding, too!

markus_zhang 2y ago
I agree! I'd expect my DM to have knowledge of multiple worlds so that he can pull out things such as Solamnia knights got caught up in a time-space torrent and appear in Greyhawk. I guess it takes a lot of reading and planning.
- pavel_lishin 2y ago
  Oooh, you'd be disappointed by my style, I think. I know the broad strokes of the D&D "canon", but I have no idea who the Solamnia knights are, I can name maybe five of the gods of the pantheon, and not much else. I prefer to run homebrew games, personally - let the players inform, decide, and deduce the world.
  - markus_zhang 2y ago
    Nevermind, everyone has their own style.
    - pavel_lishin 2y ago
      Yep. As long as everyone is at the table is having fun, there's no wrong way to play.
  - sleepybrett 2y ago
    > Solamnia knights Krynn/Dragonlance
- runiq 2y ago
  Ya can't just do time/space torrents without throwing Sigil into the mix. And spelljamming. And a kender. (I really, really miss Planescape.)
  - markus_zhang 2y ago
    Yep, although I myself never played tabletop DND gamed, Planescape and Return to the Tomb of Horrors are my two favorite readings.

vundercind 2y ago

It depends a whole, whole bunch on what exactly you do. Custom setting with great attention to detail and an entire campaign mapped out? Every possible semi-important NPC with a biography and set of motivations and stats for every place they might go in the whole campaign? Yeah, shitloads of work, hundreds of hours, maybe thousands. Or you can have a basic setting and a little town with some adventure hooks, a few partially fleshed out items and NPCs, a few more randomly-generated ones for roles like “shop keeper” or “bar patron” when you don’t have anything better, crib some other setting’s gods and politics and what have you, and only fill more stuff in if the players take an interest. They really engaged with that random street juggler and are already trying to figure out how she fits into the plot? Well… she didn’t, but now she does! Time to pick a clue or hook to attach to her and put her in their path again. Only write enough runway to get through the next session, and take your writing & prep where the players go. Saves tons of time, doesn’t necessarily make for a less-satisfying game than an intricately constructed complete world (often, it’s better) Run a decent pre-written module? Usually not much work at all, just read the whole thing once then refresh yourself on the next one part before each session. Provided you’re already comfortable with the game and setting, anyway.