The Gamemaster Is Satan
- Thread starter Archon
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Hey Macris,
I enjoy your little articles, they give me pause to think as a DM, even though I have been one for many years. I pass them around, and they certainly cause discussion at the gaming tables I sit at.
I enjoy your little articles, they give me pause to think as a DM, even though I have been one for many years. I pass them around, and they certainly cause discussion at the gaming tables I sit at.
Don't. A friend of mine used the following to explain why.Archon said:
http://j.imagehost.org/0135/Vecna.jpg the complete stats for the dnd god of necromancy and secrets
http://j.imagehost.org/0969/Chejopcharm.jpg the exalted equivalent... that's just an alphabetical list of powers he has... Not limited to one book ...
This is a great series of articles so far. It's interesting to see everything we know about story telling and entertainment turned on its head. Hollywood is a terrible example of how to tell a story. If it fits in TVTropes, it probably shouldn't be in your campaign.
I think the important thing to remember is that the players are trying to play a game. You don't want to take the fun away from them so you can tell a story. You also don't want to make them or the arch villain too powerful, because they'll either have no challenge or no chance to win. And most of all, you don't want to do anything that breaks the sense that they are in control: no divine intervention, no inexplicable plot twists, and no predictably stupid antagonists.
I would love to play a game of D&D with you. Perhaps you could consider joining Gabe and Tycho from Penny Arcade for one of their D&D podcasts.
I think the important thing to remember is that the players are trying to play a game. You don't want to take the fun away from them so you can tell a story. You also don't want to make them or the arch villain too powerful, because they'll either have no challenge or no chance to win. And most of all, you don't want to do anything that breaks the sense that they are in control: no divine intervention, no inexplicable plot twists, and no predictably stupid antagonists.
I would love to play a game of D&D with you. Perhaps you could consider joining Gabe and Tycho from Penny Arcade for one of their D&D podcasts.
GM is Satan? I lately read neither god nor stan exist, as science moans.
I am outdated, yet the rules for villain design in D&D 3.5 "Heroes of Horror" and "Book of Vile Darkness" were actually quite good.
The last decade it was just "common" that incapable GMs blamed all but their incompetence for crushing defeats at teh game table...
Go check "Egoboo"? After one gets used to the "bouncy" aspect (and IF one is smart enough to write healing by time from 0 up to 255) it includes some classic scenarios and besides BUGS, it is of a pure RPG spirit few expected on 1st look upon it! ;-)
Otherwise I think your article becomes even better, after you read the song lyrics of Dark Avenger performed by Manowar.
I am outdated, yet the rules for villain design in D&D 3.5 "Heroes of Horror" and "Book of Vile Darkness" were actually quite good.
The last decade it was just "common" that incapable GMs blamed all but their incompetence for crushing defeats at teh game table...
Go check "Egoboo"? After one gets used to the "bouncy" aspect (and IF one is smart enough to write healing by time from 0 up to 255) it includes some classic scenarios and besides BUGS, it is of a pure RPG spirit few expected on 1st look upon it! ;-)
Otherwise I think your article becomes even better, after you read the song lyrics of Dark Avenger performed by Manowar.
One strategy that's worked for me is to introduce primary villains that are often weaker than the party but cannot be directly defeated. For instance, in a previous campaign the arch-villain was a wealthy and influential merchant who was well-loved by the populace for his leniency, generous loans to the impoverished, and support of the monarchy and goodly-aligned church. He did, however, come to hate the PCs because of their capacity for collateral-damage and frequent disregard for what I call the misdemeanor laws of the community (when heroes believe their should be special rules for special people), and he worked tirelessly to have their adventuring discredited as borderline grave-robbing and highway robbery. When the PC's tired of this harassment (after their loot was being severely taxed since they'd taken it from some noble family's crypt) the PCs outright killed the merchant which lead to the citizens and eventually the whole apparatus of the state attempting to hunt them down.