Post by McGuffin on Sept 10, 2012 10:41:21 GMT -5
Each DM has a different style and preferences. The best way to learn these is to ask.
I have been running a series events since I have been back and I have engaged a large number of players in various ways and as a DM I just want to say kudos to those of you who have been involved in them because what I have seen has been a testament to the quality of players we have here. You truly make it enjoyable to play with you.
I have also engaged a few players, who are brand new to the server, in an attempt to spread the DM Love as much as possible. I must say some of those new players have impressed me with their tenacity and determination to see the quest through to the end. They have done well and I am not complaining about you. I did through my events learn that there are a few things a player should do when on a DM Quest to help make the entire event flow more smoothly. Again, I am NOT pointing fingers and saying, anyone did bad in fact everyone did pretty good. This is a list of things some players might not have known or leaned yet, so read them as suggestion/learning thing not as a criticism. Also, understand it is very likely the players who did some these things likely never even read the forums.
If you read this list and think oh he’s talking about me. Don’t! Because most of these scenario’s I list where from when I was the player doing things poorly. I have learned the things below through being involved in several events as player here over the last seven years.
The things a player should do on a DM event are:
Remember that DM’s sometimes make mistakes. As a player you have to be patient and be flexible. You have to be willing to allow them to make mistakes because if they get grilled for every mistake they make they won’t want to DM anything.
Example1: I recently spawned the wrong pirates on a party and nearly TPKed everyone. I had to pull them off fix the situation and spawn the correct ones. I often have several foes quick slotted because you never know when you might need one. I just clicked the wrong quick slot.
Example2: In my previous plot I had located the city of Moonever as a Sembian town just over the border of Cormyr. I have an atlas that has detailed maps of Faerun but it does not show the borders on it. I was later corrected and told that Moonever is in fact on the Cormyr side of the border. I had to go back and revise this detail. Now I do my best to not have these types of mistakes but they can and do happen.
Example3: I have said something out of the mouth of one NPC that the NPC should not know. As a DM I know what almost every NPC’s has learned or has not learned. This can at times be a lot of information to keep track of and sometimes mistakes are made.
The point is IF you choose to be involved in a DM plot, especially mine, then you have to be willing to allow me/us to make mistakes. We try our very best to avoid mistakes because we want to have a good event and avoid the confusion that mistakes create.
Also, I type quickly with a very high error rate, if I type slowly the error rate goes down but it gets much slower. I have terrible spelling. These get worse when I get tired. If type a sentence which you can understand. Feel free to stop and ask me about it. Sometimes the NPC isn’t a nut job; the DM is just having a moment.
Be prepared to slow down. DM’s require time to manipulate the environment, set effects, spawn creatures, move them around, describe actions, and describe clues and environmental conditions.
For example: I can’t make lighting strike two places at the same time. There is a delay in the effect and there is lag to deal with. So if lighting strikes a tree and then a moment later lighting strikes a second tree. Watch your chat window for descriptive information. Such as “*You hear a thunderous clap as two trees are struck by lighting at the SAME time.* Visually these had to happen twice so you know which two tree’s where struck and mechanically I would have to do it one after the other but the IG effect is that both are struck at the exact same time. So slow down and read the descriptions. This goes both ways. Some times I describe things very quickly because I know your time is valuable and no one wants to sit and wait for me to type book about what the orc’s funny looking beard actually looks like. This quick description can cause confusion. When it does slow it down ask questions. When possible I type up descriptions ahead of time and cut and paste them or I put the descriptions on an object and ask you to read them.
So being in a DM event is a trade off. You trade your play time for something slower (sometimes painfully slow) and possibly boring where you dig information out and stand in one spot for hours. This might not sound fun but when you see the hero’s of a story doing something heroic and ask yourself, “Man, why doesn’t my PC ever get to be that guy!” It might be because you didn’t put in the hours and hours of leg work prior to it or it might be that this particular story doesn’t fit with your PC.
Everyone has different play styles and if you don’t enjoy long plots seeking out clues having to remember facts in order to investigate a situation then simply avoid that type of RP. Remove yourself form the group standing around learning tons of trivial information.
I will say this though. At the end of those long slow complicated plots is usually the ultimate treasure and by that I mean you get to impact the world around you and you get a statue erected in your honor and or the love and admiration of NPC and fellow PC’s. It is also the most likely way to get fancy customized powerful items for your PC. This is how we as DM’s encourage RP in these long multi-event campaigns. We give the best rewards at the end for those who managed to stick to it.
The next thing you have to do, as a player, on a DM Event is let the NPC’s speak. Especially when multiple PC’s are speaking to a single NPC. The NPC can only answer questions one at a time. It gets very confusing when the following happens.
Player A: Did you kill Bob?
Player B: Did you open the Door?
NPC: No
Player C: Did you eat my apple?
NPC: Yes
Player A: Why did you kill BOB?
Player B: Who opened the door then?
Player C: Why did you eat my Apple?
NPC: No.
In this situation the suspect was saying “No: he did not kill bob” and “Yes: he opened the door” and “No: he did not eat the apple”.
I know you have questions and sometimes you already know the answers to the questions but you have to be patient and listen to a bunch of questions and answers you don’t want to hear because you are not the only player in the room.
It is only natural that your characters will want to “divide and conquer”. Meaning the group will want to send Bob and John to the Docks to question the sailor while at the same time Jane and Joan go to the gate to speak to the town guard. The problem is there might only be ONE DM and he can’t be in both places at one time. So before you divide and conquer ask the DM if that will work for him.
Also, you might miss vital clues being given by the sailor while you are off talking to the guard.
Talk to the other players about the events. I can’t say this enough. We give out clues to the mystery to multiple players that way more people gets to have something to contribute to solving the puzzle. If you never speak to the other players about the events then you cannot put the whole story together.
I don’t know how many times I have seen the one player speaking to another player both with very valuable information to share with one another but they simply don’t talk about it because it’s a DM thing and they think it only relates to them.
I understand the Good Player A doesn’t want to share secrets with Evil Player B. But when the two are trusted allies talk to each other. I am more prone to give RP XP to someone talking about the details of a plot than other RP.
Also, I always reward those who pay attention and learn the clues. Every now and then I will pull a player OOC and quiz them on how many clues they picked up during that conversation. Every time a PC leans a clue. I try to award XP.
I have had PC’s talk to an NPC and leave with one clue and 50 xp when the NPC could have given seven clues worth 750 xp. I have other that talk to the same NPC about the same thing and because they know the questions to ask and know some of the clues they come away with the whole 750xp. Don't assume I am playing favorites or that I like the one PC or another.
Before any PC’s talk to NPC. I make a quick little note that looks like this:
NPC Knows. Information A worth 50xp. B & C Worth 100xp. D worth 200 xp.
The more you know about the story. The more clues you get from each other the more you can know what to ask and when. The more the XP shoots up for these encounters.
Another thing you can do is don’t assume the DM is listening and knows everything you type/say. Sometimes I am up ahead of you preparing the way and I can’t hear what you are saying. DM’s have a hard time hearing whispers just like everyone else. Don’t assume they are standing there listening to you. Even when you are on DM Plot.
I am sure I will think of more things I can recommend and I invite anyone who has a suggestion to feel free to contribute.
I have been running a series events since I have been back and I have engaged a large number of players in various ways and as a DM I just want to say kudos to those of you who have been involved in them because what I have seen has been a testament to the quality of players we have here. You truly make it enjoyable to play with you.
I have also engaged a few players, who are brand new to the server, in an attempt to spread the DM Love as much as possible. I must say some of those new players have impressed me with their tenacity and determination to see the quest through to the end. They have done well and I am not complaining about you. I did through my events learn that there are a few things a player should do when on a DM Quest to help make the entire event flow more smoothly. Again, I am NOT pointing fingers and saying, anyone did bad in fact everyone did pretty good. This is a list of things some players might not have known or leaned yet, so read them as suggestion/learning thing not as a criticism. Also, understand it is very likely the players who did some these things likely never even read the forums.
If you read this list and think oh he’s talking about me. Don’t! Because most of these scenario’s I list where from when I was the player doing things poorly. I have learned the things below through being involved in several events as player here over the last seven years.
The things a player should do on a DM event are:
Remember that DM’s sometimes make mistakes. As a player you have to be patient and be flexible. You have to be willing to allow them to make mistakes because if they get grilled for every mistake they make they won’t want to DM anything.
Example1: I recently spawned the wrong pirates on a party and nearly TPKed everyone. I had to pull them off fix the situation and spawn the correct ones. I often have several foes quick slotted because you never know when you might need one. I just clicked the wrong quick slot.
Example2: In my previous plot I had located the city of Moonever as a Sembian town just over the border of Cormyr. I have an atlas that has detailed maps of Faerun but it does not show the borders on it. I was later corrected and told that Moonever is in fact on the Cormyr side of the border. I had to go back and revise this detail. Now I do my best to not have these types of mistakes but they can and do happen.
Example3: I have said something out of the mouth of one NPC that the NPC should not know. As a DM I know what almost every NPC’s has learned or has not learned. This can at times be a lot of information to keep track of and sometimes mistakes are made.
The point is IF you choose to be involved in a DM plot, especially mine, then you have to be willing to allow me/us to make mistakes. We try our very best to avoid mistakes because we want to have a good event and avoid the confusion that mistakes create.
Also, I type quickly with a very high error rate, if I type slowly the error rate goes down but it gets much slower. I have terrible spelling. These get worse when I get tired. If type a sentence which you can understand. Feel free to stop and ask me about it. Sometimes the NPC isn’t a nut job; the DM is just having a moment.
Be prepared to slow down. DM’s require time to manipulate the environment, set effects, spawn creatures, move them around, describe actions, and describe clues and environmental conditions.
For example: I can’t make lighting strike two places at the same time. There is a delay in the effect and there is lag to deal with. So if lighting strikes a tree and then a moment later lighting strikes a second tree. Watch your chat window for descriptive information. Such as “*You hear a thunderous clap as two trees are struck by lighting at the SAME time.* Visually these had to happen twice so you know which two tree’s where struck and mechanically I would have to do it one after the other but the IG effect is that both are struck at the exact same time. So slow down and read the descriptions. This goes both ways. Some times I describe things very quickly because I know your time is valuable and no one wants to sit and wait for me to type book about what the orc’s funny looking beard actually looks like. This quick description can cause confusion. When it does slow it down ask questions. When possible I type up descriptions ahead of time and cut and paste them or I put the descriptions on an object and ask you to read them.
So being in a DM event is a trade off. You trade your play time for something slower (sometimes painfully slow) and possibly boring where you dig information out and stand in one spot for hours. This might not sound fun but when you see the hero’s of a story doing something heroic and ask yourself, “Man, why doesn’t my PC ever get to be that guy!” It might be because you didn’t put in the hours and hours of leg work prior to it or it might be that this particular story doesn’t fit with your PC.
Everyone has different play styles and if you don’t enjoy long plots seeking out clues having to remember facts in order to investigate a situation then simply avoid that type of RP. Remove yourself form the group standing around learning tons of trivial information.
I will say this though. At the end of those long slow complicated plots is usually the ultimate treasure and by that I mean you get to impact the world around you and you get a statue erected in your honor and or the love and admiration of NPC and fellow PC’s. It is also the most likely way to get fancy customized powerful items for your PC. This is how we as DM’s encourage RP in these long multi-event campaigns. We give the best rewards at the end for those who managed to stick to it.
The next thing you have to do, as a player, on a DM Event is let the NPC’s speak. Especially when multiple PC’s are speaking to a single NPC. The NPC can only answer questions one at a time. It gets very confusing when the following happens.
Player A: Did you kill Bob?
Player B: Did you open the Door?
NPC: No
Player C: Did you eat my apple?
NPC: Yes
Player A: Why did you kill BOB?
Player B: Who opened the door then?
Player C: Why did you eat my Apple?
NPC: No.
In this situation the suspect was saying “No: he did not kill bob” and “Yes: he opened the door” and “No: he did not eat the apple”.
I know you have questions and sometimes you already know the answers to the questions but you have to be patient and listen to a bunch of questions and answers you don’t want to hear because you are not the only player in the room.
It is only natural that your characters will want to “divide and conquer”. Meaning the group will want to send Bob and John to the Docks to question the sailor while at the same time Jane and Joan go to the gate to speak to the town guard. The problem is there might only be ONE DM and he can’t be in both places at one time. So before you divide and conquer ask the DM if that will work for him.
Also, you might miss vital clues being given by the sailor while you are off talking to the guard.
Talk to the other players about the events. I can’t say this enough. We give out clues to the mystery to multiple players that way more people gets to have something to contribute to solving the puzzle. If you never speak to the other players about the events then you cannot put the whole story together.
I don’t know how many times I have seen the one player speaking to another player both with very valuable information to share with one another but they simply don’t talk about it because it’s a DM thing and they think it only relates to them.
I understand the Good Player A doesn’t want to share secrets with Evil Player B. But when the two are trusted allies talk to each other. I am more prone to give RP XP to someone talking about the details of a plot than other RP.
Also, I always reward those who pay attention and learn the clues. Every now and then I will pull a player OOC and quiz them on how many clues they picked up during that conversation. Every time a PC leans a clue. I try to award XP.
I have had PC’s talk to an NPC and leave with one clue and 50 xp when the NPC could have given seven clues worth 750 xp. I have other that talk to the same NPC about the same thing and because they know the questions to ask and know some of the clues they come away with the whole 750xp. Don't assume I am playing favorites or that I like the one PC or another.
Before any PC’s talk to NPC. I make a quick little note that looks like this:
NPC Knows. Information A worth 50xp. B & C Worth 100xp. D worth 200 xp.
The more you know about the story. The more clues you get from each other the more you can know what to ask and when. The more the XP shoots up for these encounters.
Another thing you can do is don’t assume the DM is listening and knows everything you type/say. Sometimes I am up ahead of you preparing the way and I can’t hear what you are saying. DM’s have a hard time hearing whispers just like everyone else. Don’t assume they are standing there listening to you. Even when you are on DM Plot.
I am sure I will think of more things I can recommend and I invite anyone who has a suggestion to feel free to contribute.
