Category: DM Resources

How To Handle A Split Party In 5 Easy Steps

Post author By Wimwick (Neil Ellis)
Post date January 7, 2011
9 Comments on How To Handle A Split Party In 5 Easy Steps

It happens in every campaign, one player decides to go off and pursue an agenda or lead that only they understand. The player is totally focused on their objective, nothing else seems to matter. No one else at the table understands it. The DM is at his wits end to contain and control the situation. The other players are slowing losing interest and the entire adventure is about to be waylaid.

If you’ve ever sat at a table where you weren’t the player things were focused on, you know the boredom that soon sets in. The frustration at wanting to move forward, but not being able to due to the indulgence or poor planning of the DM. If you haven’t lived through this eventuality you likely haven’t been playing D&D very long, but don’t worry I’m sure it will happen to you soon enough.

Tags 4e, D&D, DM tools, don't separate the party, Don't split the party, Dungeon Master Resource, Dungeon's Master, Dungeons and Dragons, how to handle a split party

DM Resources

The Little Details Make a Big Difference

Post author By Ameron (Derek Myers)
Post date January 4, 2011
16 Comments on The Little Details Make a Big Difference

One thing I learned from reading the works of the late, great Gary Gygax is that memorable encounters often include a lot of little details. These details aren’t necessarily important to the greater adventure, but are important to the scene. If you’ve ever read any of Gygax’s now-classic adventures like the Keep on the Borderlands, Tomb of Horrors or the Temple of Elemental Evil you know exactly what I’m talking about.

The danger of including these little details is that the players may place more importance and significance on them then you ever intended. How you choose to deal with that eventuality can make a huge difference to your game. In a game I recently DMed, adding a little detail almost changed the course of the entire adventure.

Tags 4e, D&D, DM Resources, Dungeon's Master, Dungeons and Dragons, Gary Gygax

DM Resources Skill Challenges

Greatest Hits 2010: The 5-Minute Rest as a Skill Challenge

Post author By Ameron (Derek Myers)
Post date December 31, 2010
5 Comments on Greatest Hits 2010: The 5-Minute Rest as a Skill Challenge

While the Dungeon’s Master team enjoys some well-deserved vacation time, we’re breaking out the greatest hits and shining a spotlight on a few of our favourite articles from 2010. We’ve searched for hidden gems that our newer readers might have missed and our long-time readers will enjoy reading again. Enjoy a second look at these greatest hits from Dungeon’s Master.

Between my home games, LFR and D&D Encounters I’ve easily DMed over 100 hours of D&D during the past year. Of all the ideas I had as the DM during 2010, this was one of the ideas that stands out in my mind as a solid bull’s-eye.

Turning a 5-minute rest into a skill challenge seemed like such a simple concept. I wasn’t sure how well it would be executed in a real game scenario, but it turned out better than I’d hoped. It was one of those times when I didn’t feel bound or restricted by the rules. I used the existing materials as a guideline and adapted them to the situation at my gaming table. The result was an extremely memorable encounter.

Everything clicked. The players realized the importance and necessity of taking the rest at that point in the adventure and they were willing to role-play the scenario. Even though they’d typically just say they were taking the rest, this time they wanted to play it out. They understood the objective (to rest without being attacked) and knew the limitations they faced as “resting” character.

As one of the players commented in the original article, he felt the skill challenge part of the 5-minute rest was worked into the encounter so gracefully that he didn’t even realize a skill challenge was going on. When running a skill challenge, this is the highest compliment I think any DM can get from his players.

On the surface, I encourage you to use this idea in your next game and have the 5-minute rest become a skill challenge in itself. However, the more important lesson I hope you take away from this article is that the rules are there to provide direction. Ultimately it’s you – the DM – that drives the game. Feel free to bend and even break the rules from time-to-time if doing so will make the game better.

Tags 4e, 5-minute rest, D&D, Dungeon's Master, Dungeons and Dragons, Greatest Hits 2010, Lyrander, short rest, Skill Challenge, Skill Challenges, Skills

DM Resources Skill Challenges

Greatest Hits 2010: Making Boring Skill Challenges More Exciting

Post author By Ameron (Derek Myers)
Post date December 29, 2010

There is one really obvious way to make any boring skill challenge more exciting that I didn’t mention in the original article – getting everyone to participate. I’ve noticed when I’m playing in public games at my FLGS (especially D&D Encounters) that some players aren’t participating in skill challenges. Any encounter you don’t participate in is going to seem boring to you.

Many players assume that it’s the DM’s responsibility to ensure everyone is included. I agree with this, but I also believe that experienced players must shoulder some of this burden. If you’re playing at a table where others aren’t participating try to encourage them to join in.

One reason I’ve heard that some players find skill challenges boring is because their character isn’t that good in very many skills. Too many players – especially newer players – think that they must use their best skills during a skill challenge. You have no idea how much I disagree with this thinking.

Let the narrative and the role-playing guide you during a skill challenge. Don’t look at the skills and then decide on your action, decide on your action and then look at your skills. If you’ve done a good job in-character of explaining what your character is doing and more importantly why they are doing it, the roll should be a lot less significant. Most DMs I’ve played with will usually ignore the roll and just award a success in this situation.

The next time players are complaining that a skill challenge is boring; make sure that it isn’t because they aren’t participating. Once you’re sure everyone is involved in the skill challenge then use the guidelines I’ve described below to work on other ways to spice things up.

Tags 4e, D&D, Dungeon Master Resource, Dungeon's Master, Dungeons and Dragons, Skill Challenge, Skill Challenges, Skills

DM Resources Player Resources

Greatest Hits 2010: Embracing The Total Party Kill

Post author By Wimwick (Neil Ellis)
Post date December 28, 2010
2 Comments on Greatest Hits 2010: Embracing The Total Party Kill

Until recently I’d never played in a game where a character, let alone an entire party, was willing to accept their own death in order to ensure the accomplishment of the greater good. When Wimwick wrote this article I thought it made for an interesting discussion, but I never expected to ever see it happen during play. After all, you work so hard and so long to earn XP and build up your character that I just couldn’t see anyone willing letting that character die. And then I actually saw it happen. Twice.

The first time I saw this kind of self-sacrifice was as the DM. Our campaign was about to reach its final climax. The PCs were about to complete a quest that spanned 20 levels. However, in order to accomplish their task someone had to sacrifice them self in order to stop a powerful evil from escaping an arcane prison. As the DM I had three important NPCs ready to step in since I knew none of the PCs would willingly make this sacrifice. I was stunned when everyone in the party agreed to do it. I only needed one volunteer, but all the players were willing to give up their PC to accomplish this goal. In the end the Wizard, the PC who had been with the campaign the longest, made the ultimate sacrifice. I never expected any of the players to feel so strongly about the story that they’d be willing to do this, yet they all stepped up. I finally understood what Wimwick was talking about in this article and it was awesome.

The second time I experienced this was as a player in a one-off game. Although we just met these characters and liked them a great deal, it became evident that our mission was too important to fail. We didn’t set out on a suicide mission, but when certain events transpired and we realized that our own mistakes were going to spell failure for the mission we decided to do whatever was necessary to get the job done. In the end that meant a total party kill as we took on a task that we knew we’d never return from. It was one of the most exciting adventures I’d ever played in and even though I’d only played that character once, I’ll always remember him.

If you’re the DM and you make the players care enough about the story then there is always the chance that they’ll make the ultimate sacrifice and embrace the TPK. It’s one thing for a party to face overwhelming odds and get wiped out, it’s an entirely diffident circumstance when the players realize that they’re facing death and do so honourably in order for good to prevail.

Tags 4e, D&D, DM Resources, DM tools, Dungeon's Master, Dungeons and Dragons, total party kill, tpk

DM Resources

Greatest Hits 2010: Adding Favours to Treasure Bundles

Post author By Ameron (Derek Myers)
Post date December 27, 2010
1 Comment on Greatest Hits 2010: Adding Favours to Treasure Bundles

When I wrote this article my games were in the early paragon tier (around level 11-12). Now that I have a few different characters nearing epic levels I’ve realized, as both a player and a DM, that favours are usually considered more valuable than monetary treasure.

As I noted in the original article, the characters reach a point when they don’t really need any more equipment and money just starts to pile up. The only thing that tougher PCs want is to upgrade from a +3 weapon to a +4 weapon. In the grand scheme of things the difference of +1 isn’t nearly as exciting or interesting as a favour.

I’ve found that the aspect of D&D that really appeals to me as my characters become more powerful is the role-playing. Sure combat is fun, but by the time I’ve reach level 20 combat often gets stale. However, role-playing a level 20 character and all the perks and privileges that come along with that kind of power, is where things get really interesting.

Part of what makes characters this powerful so interesting is knowing what they’ve accomplished and who they’ve met along the way. By accumulating favours over multiple levels you give yourself a good reason to keep in touch with NPCs from your character’s past, especially if you ever plan to collect that favour.

As a DM who often awards favours, I’ve found that the players keep better track of their previous deeds and the names of important NPCs so that they can collect the favour when needed. Players with a pocket full of favours will come up with the most creative and unexpected ways to call in those favours in order to accomplish their latest challenge.

If you’re not already awarding favours in your game, be it in place of treasure bundles or as an additional perk, I strongly encourage you do begin doing so. It will enrich your game more than you might expect. At least it has for me and my gaming group.

Tags 4e, Adding Favors to Treasure Bundles, Adding Favours to Treasure Bundles, D&D, Dungeon's Master, Dungeons and Dragons, Favor, Favour, Treasure Bundle

DM Resources Player Resources Top 10

Greatest Hits 2010: Convention Tips 6 for Players, 6 for DMs

Post author By Ameron (Derek Myers)
Post date December 26, 2010

When we were deciding which articles would make the cut and be included as our Greatest Hits of 2010 I kept coming back to the 6 Convention Tips for Players and DMs. After rereading them and I realized two important things.

1) Although the lists were inspired by things I witnessed (or regrettably didn’t witness) at a convention last year, most of these tips are applicable at any D&D game.

2) These tips are just as relevant today as they were when we first published them 10 months ago.

Upon making these realizations I knew that I had to include them in our Greatest Hits. But rather than run them as two separate articles I felt they’d pack more of a punch if they were combined into a single Greatest Hits article.

No matter how long you’ve played D&D or how many times you’ve been the DM there’s always room for improvement. Whether you’re playing a public game at your FLGS like LFR or D&D Encounters, or you’re playing a private game at your dining room table, be mindful of the things I’ve mentioned in the article below. If we all follow these simple rules games will run smoother and things will be better all around.

Playing with a tight-knit and experienced group in my regular weekly home game, we adhere to most of these points. However, I have noticed a couple of these things as big issues when I’ve played D&D Encounters on Wednesdays. Specifically #2) know your PC, and #5) plan ahead.

I realize that most of us are still getting used to D&D Essentials so there is going to be a learning curve on how the powers work. But if you’ve created your own character before the game started then it’s your responsibility to learn what all of the powers do and how to use them. Come on people, the PCs are only level 2 you don’t even have that many powers.

After playing a marathon session just this past Wednesday at D&D Encounters I’m also getting really frustrated by players that just don’t pay attention. First they have no idea when they’re going to act in the initiative (even though they always go after the same person). When their turn comes up they haven’t given any thought to which power they’re going to use. When it’s your turn, if you can’t decide what to do in 5-10 seconds then your default action should be basic attack or double move.

Take a look at our 6 tips for players and 6 tips for DMs and let us know of any other tips that you’ve found helpful at your table in the comment below. By sharing these pointers we all work together to make the D&D experiences a better one.

Tags 4e, Convention Tips, D&D, Dungeon Master Resource, Dungeon's Master, Dungeons and Dragons, GenCon, LFR, Player Resources, resource, Spellstorm 2010, tpk, Wizards of the Coast

DM Resources

Greatest Hits 2010: Eight Rules To Make You A Better DM

Post author By Wimwick (Neil Ellis)
Post date December 22, 2010
1 Comment on Greatest Hits 2010: Eight Rules To Make You A Better DM

Sometimes an article is just fun to write and Eight Rules To Make You A Better DM fits snugly into that description. This article was a blast to write and revisiting it now for our greatest hits of 2010 puts me back in that moment. Written with tongue firmly in cheek and inspired by the Eight Rules of Fight Club I wanted to provide simple and concise advice for DMs.

I believe at the heart of the article is the message to have fun. As DMs we shouldn’t take ourselves too seriously and we should be encouraging creative behaviour at the gaming table. Rules 1, 2 and 6 fall squarely into this category.

I hope you enjoy the article the second time through as much as I did. Until next time, just say yes.

Tags 4e, D&D, DM Resources, DM tools, Dungeons and Dragons, I need DM advice

DM Resources Editorial

Greatest Hits 2010: 5 Errors I’ve Made as DM

Post author By Ameron (Derek Myers)
Post date December 19, 2010
6 Comments on Greatest Hits 2010: 5 Errors I’ve Made as DM

Nothing helps you overcome a problem like talking about it. After I wrote this article I made a point of referring back to it a lot the next time I took over the DM’s chair. I found that seeing these errors in print served as a good reminder not to repeat any of them. In some cases the learning I’d taken away from analyzing these errors actually let me make the right call the next time thereby making the whole experience better for everyone.

As a bonus, I’ve add a 6th Error I’ve Made as DM to the list below. I hope you continue finding these errors educational and that everyone can learn from my mistakes.

Tags 4e, D&D, DM, DM Resources, dungeon master, Dungeon Master Resource, Dungeon's Master, Dungeon's Master Resources, Dungeons and Dragons, Greatest Hits, Wizards of the Coast

DM Resources

Greatest Hits 2010: My Campaign Should Be On TV

Post author By skallawag
Post date December 18, 2010

I’ve always enjoyed Skallawag’s style as a DM. His sessions are highly enjoyable, fast paced and fulfilling. In his article My Campaign Should Be On TV Skallawag reveals some of the strategies that he employee’s when designing adventures. There are no magic secrets, just solid advice to keep your players hooked and begging for more. The method employed, borrow from Hollywood. Take the best strategies for keeping audiences hooked to both the large and small screen and translate those methods onto the gaming table.

I hope you enjoy this revisit to a great piece here on Dungeon’s Master. – Wimwick

Tags 4e, D&D, dungeon master, Dungeon Master Resource, Dungeon's Master, Dungeons and Dragons, Greatest Hits