The New Players Guide to DM Events

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silverdragonams
Head DM
Posts: 3891
Joined: Wed Jul 07, 2004 1:33 pm

The New Players Guide to DM Events

Post by silverdragonams »

And a resource for the rest of us!

Here you will find a list of things that you can do for us, the DM's, that will make our events run smoother, and hopefully, more fun. If you are a DM, please feel free to add onto this list.

1. Stop and ask for directions!!!!!
We don't expect you to just guess where you are supposed to go or what should be done in an event. We DO expect you to stop and look for clues. One little emote and die roll can make a huge difference in the progress of a plot. You think the monsters might be coming from the cave? Don't guess!! Stop and *search for footprints*. Or maybe the glowing light is a portal? A good spellcraft check will tell you!

2. Use the buddy system.
It's simple. There may be one or two of us, and there's a whole bunch of you. So...stick together when you are in an event. Or, if you really need to break away from the party, use the party channel or the DM channel for your emotes. That way we won't miss them.

3. The library is your friend.
Sometimes we want to pass along more information than is really convenient IG. That's when we ask that you do research and post it on the boards so we can send you a nifty little PM full of clues! Make sure your questions are specific though. And...if you are researching something that doesn't pertain to a DM plot, send an explanation of what and why you are researching to Hala Team if you want an answer. We're not psychics.....well...13th Hour is.

4. Don't be rude to your tour guide!
A Dm's job is to give you a problem, then slowly help you solve it. Sooo...
When a DM possess a creature, DON"T ATTACK IT RIGHT AWAY! When we possess something we usually want to talk first. If we wanted it to pwn you, it wouldn't be possessed. In the same light, if a DM spawned creature just kicked your butt, don't come back and attack it again, and don't mouth off. It's frustrating on our end dealing with that, when we are trying to pass information along to you.

5. Don't feed the hostile animals
When we possess a hostile creature, we have to specifically force it to attack you, unless you provoke an attack of opportunity or an auto attack.
So, stand back and give the creature room. I wont speak for the other DMs, but if your party provokes an auto attack from a creature I'm possessing, then you made the first hostile move, and that's how it will be RP'd.

6. Use your inside voices.
If a DM is trying to do something (like passing out rewards) don't spam the talk channel. Its always a good idea to use whisper mode in a big crowd if you are talking to your friends and don't really want the DM's attention. If whisper mode wont work for some reason, then move away.

7.Pick up a souvenir.
Handing out rewards is often the most stressful part of an event for a DM. Not only do we have to deal with the spammed chat window mentioned above, we have to find and choose appropriate items for each person from a HUUUUUGE list. So, out of respect for the DMs as well as your fellow players, be polite and be patient. Also, +2 items are standard DM rewards. Unless the DM tells you otherwise, don't ask for more.

8. Don't forget to tip your cabby.
Raves are great! We love raves. It's nice to know that you are having fun. ALSO, if you think there are things that could be done better send a PM. Just make sure its constructive criticism....which brings me to...

9.Know your Fine whines
Alright this is my biggest pet peeve. I have two small kids, and if I wanted to be whined at, I'd do mean things to them instead of trying to make the game fun for you. Nothing gets me off the DM client faster than a whiny tell. So...before you send a complaint, stop and think. Is this something that affects just you or a lot of players? Is this something that REALLY hurts your game play, or are you just mad because you didn't get your way?

10. Enjoy your stay
We WANT you to have fun! There's no other reason for you to really be here. So if you find the game is stressing you out take a break, or play an alt. Come talk to one of us if you have a problem. Personally I'd rather see players do any of those things rather than get fed up, burnt out and quit for good.

Thank you for reading another one of my long winded posts. Game on :)
Characters:
[url=http://wiki.ysgard.org/index.php?title=Sarakin_Fyne]Sarakin Fyne[/url]

www.anotherworlddesign.etsy.com
DM D'Artagnan
Knight of the Holy Church of Annoyance
Posts: 107
Joined: Thu May 11, 2006 5:34 pm

Post by DM D'Artagnan »

I'd like to add something to this:

11. Don't be afraid to RUN!
You're not meant to win ~every~ battle, so if you get the feeling that the odds are insurmountable it's ok to retreat! Even the lowest wisdom and intelligence pc's can see when death is certain.
LadyPhoenix77
Knight: Church of Pants
Posts: 973
Joined: Mon Dec 27, 2004 5:11 am
Location: Whats the use of have names if you lose all your friends. That's where I'm from.

Post by LadyPhoenix77 »

LP77's Custom guide.

To go along with everything added above. I will add a few of my own. These are my own, for when I run events and not necessarily all DM's will follow this. Each have their own style and reasoning.

1. Timestop
Sure it is nice to be able to stop time, move around and do whatever. My rule on timestop follows with PnP rules for how the spell is to be used.

Timestop is not your free oppertunity to attack anything. It's only purpose is to heal, use potions, or cast defensive or other "Buff" type spells, or to run away. This is a bug of the bioware engine that we can't do anything about.

Using timestop as an offensive act is a good way to find out how fast I can spawn some really tough creatures.

2. Devestating Critical
I honestly don't have a problem with this feat, and there are only a few who have this, most of them being known at least by myself and other DM's. If for some reason I don't want it used by one who has this feat I will let you know beforehand, which I don't see any reason for myself for that to happen, but other DM's may have a different view.

3. Research
This goes along with #3 on the main list. If you happen to be looking for information on something, and you post it on the taverns, and you don't get any results back within a day or so, send a PM to the DM running the plot. Occassionally we might miss something in the taverns. Also don't be afraid to just PM the DM anyhow, sometimes it can yield quicker results. It's generally known who runs what plot, or what DM generally has say for certain areas or groups, or which DM speaks for what NPC.

4. More later when I think about it
This space is reserved for more that I might remember when I'm not half asleep trying to write this.
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