Do DMs make bad players?
4 November 2009 in Articles by Iain M NormanMaking the Switch
I’ve recently switched from being DM to running a PC. After many years of DMing this is the first time I’ve had a chance to really spend a couple of weeks playing, attempting to get into character, and drawing character portraits.
Apart from a couple of sessions here and there I’ve not played a PC for any length of time since 1992, that was at university where I also DMed more than I played. It could be said that I’m not a very experienced player of RPGs, particularly in this latest case where it’s the first time playing D&D 4e for me.
Learning the ways of a PC
I’m struggling to be a good PC, and I’m convinced being a DM makes me a bad player. I’m constantly second guessing our DM, questioning the need for dice rolls, adding up encounter budgets, and other annoying habits. I hasten to add I’m not doing this out loud at the table.
It’s detracting from me concentrating on my character somewhat.
And then there’s the points where my inner rules lawyer raises his hackles…
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Useful List of Street Scenes
3 November 2009 in Resources by Iain M NormanToday I found a great post by Alric of The RPG Athenaeum, a list of one hundred street scenes that are the perfect thing for a fantasy DM to keep tucked away in the ideas file.
http://rpgathenaeum.wordpress.com
Not only are they great ways to add flavour to your towns and cities when players ask what they can see, but also if your players bite they can also serve as plot hooks.
One of my favourites:
A cart selling “roasted rat on a stick” is on the corner. The proprietor looks surprised as someone dressed in noble attire strolls up and orders one with honey sauce.
Thank you Mr.Dibbler.
The list is available as a nicely formatted PDF in the downloads section, where you’ll also find one hundred topics for tavern chatter!
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The Problem with Sunrods?
2 November 2009 in Articles by Iain M NormanHow the problem arose
In a game of 4e D&D recently, the topic of sunrods brightly burned in our groups close scrutiny for a short while.
We’ve just started a new campaign with a new DM. The first time someone used a sunrod the DM seemed suddenly taken aback by it, we guessed he was a little bit worried that it was ruining whatever he had prepared to surprise us with.
In 4e sunrods burn for 4 hours and shine out with a bright light to a radius of 20 squares. Potentially that’s lighting up 1,681 squares!
“How many squares!”, he did quoth.
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