>last night sit down with friends online to start new D&D campaign
>starting late cuz one person was an hour late
>this other guy (differently than late guy, lets call him jeff) is playing with us for first time
>jeff really love his box wine
>jeff is half drunk
>DM finally starts game
>DM: "Jeff do a spot check"
>jeff: "uhh spot check . . . . i forgot to make my character"
How does someone sit down to play D&D and forget to make their character before starting isn't that like number one on the checklist?
>>44198016
The bigger question is how you have a friend who likes box wine and isn't a 40 year old cheap Italian man or a white woman.
>>44198793
he's not my friend the DM found him
>>44198820
Where? On the street?
>>44198820
Definitely found him in a dive bar, reluctantly agreeing to play after hearing the words "dragons and shit" while blasted drunk.
>Looking for a new group of Players for D&D
>only people I find in my town are some "Geek-chic" big bang theory faggots
>The desire to play eats inside of me until one day I give in and decide to invite them over to play
>They have never played before.
>I start old school with Keep on the Borderlands
>We continue for several sessions, but everyone's schedules are hard to work with
>Everyone gets a firm understanding of the rules, yet they try to bend rulings in their favor and I have to cite rule 0 constantly
>One player says, "You suck as the DM because you won't let us do whatever we want. This should be freeform. We should be powerful, like Skyrim."
>Next session he snickers and says that he's going to start his own campaign, so he'll be too busy to continue. Everyone else joins in for his first campaign and ditches me.
>From what I've heard, his first session went like this, "Uhm... Uh. You're in a tavern. What do you do?"
>Players all come back asking if I'd run something.
>I tell them they would probably be more interested in playing WoW together.
>>44198016
>At D&D session of a campaign that has been going for the better part of 7 months.
>Our last campaign wrapped up, now we are starting OOTA in 5e.
>Ok cool, I like the underdark
>We've been playing for a few weeks now.
>DM is nearly illiterate, can't read from the campaign booklet to give us a good ambiance, and/or doesn't bother studying the campaign ahead of time to know what his session should have in it for that meeting.
Lazy DMs are so frustrating. I'm glad the players for my campaign don't have to deal with this shit.
>>44199585
God, that sounds awful... The underdark is like, the easiest setting to make feel alien, strange and different, and it sounds like he's somehow fucking that up...
>>44199653
He's definitely doing something with it.
It's painfully boring, and rarely ever interesting when he's doing it. I mostly stay with the group because they have became good friends, and we get good laughs out of people doing stupid crap in it. It's not an RP-heavy campaign, so there's a lot of wiggle room for goofing around sometimes.
Also thankfully, our special designated mary sue snowflake player hasn't been showing up as much recently. So that's been good for business.
>Go to some shop downtown for D&D adventurer's league
>For some reason I expect very few people to be cringemasters
>Once I get inside, everyone is wearing fedoras or is incredibly fat
>People are nice, but when they greet women saying "m'lass" you can get the picture
>Get to my table
>Me, my friend, guy with aspergers, his gf (who also has some sort of disability), and some other guy that seems cool
>DM has this character he injects into the campaign and plays himself
>Incredibly frustrating when his NPC rolls exclusively 20s (behind screen) and steals our xp
>One time the guy with aspergers literally starts yelling "cuckolded!" as loud as he can, in response to something in game
>He tries to explain to us what cuckolding is
>Won't stop when we tell him to be quiet and that we know what "cucks" are
>DMs favourite thing in the world (other than his OP NPC) is to talk down to players and talk about random factoids that have nothing to do with play
>"Well, actually, Mr. PC, you can't actually 'sheath' a longsword, it's much too long
>"Well, actually, a fall from that height into water would likely kill any person"
>Literally kills off my PC because of a rules misinterpretation
The DM is actually a good DM, though when he's actually DMing so I guess I shouldn't complain. My friend says the other PCs aren't that bad, but there's only so much I can take from this idiot
>>44200632
None of that sounds indicative of a good DM...
>>44201561
Meh. He's good at explaining situations and prepares thoroughly for the games. That's better than a good majority of DM's out there
>>44201621
Fair enough. But one bad apple spoils the bunch when it comes to engaging players and ensuring everyone has fun. That DMPC shit sounds like the rotten one in that situation, would-drive-me-up-the-wall / 10.
>>44201657
I agree. I would likely have to kill Anon's DM.
>>44198793
fuck you motherfucker I love box wine. its cheap effective and tastes just as good as the expensive shit...... but honestly I have gotten too drunk to game off of it before....
>>44203099
but even drunk Ive been told my dming is acceptable, im actually better at describing situations while inebriated apparently
>>44203099
Tastes just as good? No. Just... no.
Also, way worse hangovers.
Anon, there is a reason the saying "life's too short to drink cheap wine" is a thing.
>>44199484
You did well.
>>44199585
I am about to run this for a fresh new group of new players. They are all really into D&D and so am I, but I never really runned something complicated.
Some tips ?
>>44200632
First time I ever played D&D was at my local game store. DM are great, and I loved it, but god damnit, the fucking autists that are going there.
I love to go into the store with my gf, see the fear and lust in their eyes...
I got one for ya OP
Last night sit down with some people that I had been running a campaign as DM for about 6 months but had to bow out for reasons.
Got to finally rejoin them and one of them had taken up DMing so fuck it made a character I had always wanted to run. Started playing OoTa joined 2nd session and was thrown into the jail cell. Sure I had run the first part of this adventure before so I knew what was going to happen for the most part.
Spent 3.5 hours in the cell doing literally nothing or shoveling shit and no opportunity's to pick pocket the keys from the guards or even to steal a stone to try bash a skull with.
Even try to goad the guards by throwing food in their faces and insulting the mistress that runs the slave camp trying to anger them to unlock them but no they bring said mistress and dont react.
Cont.
>>44203511
What ed. are you playing?
>>44203099
>and tastes just as good as the expensive shit
I'm sorry to hear your tastebuds don't work properly. That must be a frustrating thin to live with.
>>44198016
Not a frustration story, but the only DnD one coming to mind. 2 parter.
>Be a long time ago
>Don't exactly remember when, but it was 3.0, before 3.5 came out for a general timeframe.
>Usual DM floated the idea of doing a one or two off module because his son, aged 10 at the time, wanted to try playing.
>uh-oh.
>Somehow we agreed to give it a shake though.
>Kid shows up, with a half-elf ranger character, decently optimized.
>I think we started off at level one due to a dearth of healing items, but I can't remember exactly.
>Anyway, the kid promptly declares himself the party leader.
>Not that he's a face, but he wanted to give it a go.
>And he's kind of cute, barking orders in a pre-pubescant voice, that the rest of us decide to let him run things
>He's actually not bad at it. I didn't agree with all of his decisions when it came to exploration angling or general tactics, but he wasn't bad by a long shot, better than a lot of the people I've played with since.
>Fighting, exploring, putting clues together, standard DnD stuff
>Getting pretty low on spells and HP, nearing time to rest.
>But we found a key to a locked sarcophogus, and our glorious leader wanted to grab that stash before turning in.
>>44198016
>>44203813
>Oh, turns out there was an undead beastie hiding in it, who attacked us tomb-robbers.
>We manage to win (barely), but of the 5 of us, we had 1 dead and 3 alive but in negative hp.
>Kid's got the only character still standing, and his heal skill kept us from dying, but we were out of potions, had no wands, and nobody who could cast heal spells, and short of trying to get back to town alone and hoping nothing finished off us unconscious guys, we were toast.
>A brief huddle, and we decide to table the session, making it an honorary TPK.
>And then kid bursts out into tears, cries for at least ten minutes.
>Heads off into his room, sheepish glances all around, but then make some plans for our main campaign.
>Comes back some time later, around when we're getting ready to leave, gives this long apology about how sorry he was for his reckless leadership and getting the rest of our characters killed, and if there is a next time, he'd think it was better if someone else led.
Not so much one bad game, but a pretty shit campaign.
>told to make something with 10 levels of fighter
>no feats for weapon not the quarterstaff or great bow
>show up and character is described to us, no changing how we look
>human males, in our late teens, 6'5+ with blonde hair and blue eyes
>start in not!scottland
>given +4 weapons almost immediately and +3 armor
>forced onto boat, dropped off in the water and have to make swim checks at -10 to not drown with the gear we are not wearing
I was pretty heated after the session but another player didnt want me to bitch because he was afraid the gm would stop running games, even when another player and I run games regularly and we were waiting for turns to run.
Some shit tht happened over the campaign
>get to main land, magically 4 dmpcs from our homeland show up
>one is killed out right by demon, 30 minutes of exposition on these demons and world state
>fight a level 40 necromancer in abandoned city
>populated cities put people over 6' to death
>failed capturing of party that derailed the game 3 sessions
>lvl 40 commoners harass us everywhere
>refuse to go to fucked up religious temple for "cleansing"
>2 game derail as we can not advance any way but the temple
>head to temple by boat, we are gated off boat and to another realm
>female player joins session and gm ignores us for tits for 2 games
>she leaves and mcguffin we had her hold because of bullshit antimagic field is given to people we as a whole refused to give it to them
>gms old friend joins campaign
>gm pretty much sucks his dick for several session till he bored
I had finally had enough at this point and refused to play in his game but ran my second half of the session. Told him how others had begged me at that point to not tell him the game was shit and I wouldnt be playing in another of his. He and another player think I overreacted but fuck 'em. Scott,your game was shit and you can stick your book of campaign ideas up your ass.
>>44203832
Not gonna lie, that's pretty cute.
>>44203654
Get dragged outside by guards and about to be thrown off the ledge into spider feeding area (Fair enough) notice im outside the rooms wards and I am an Eladrin warlock awesome.
Pulled 3 drow guards off the edge with me and use my use of Misty step racial to teleport back onto the ledge now the gate is open at this point and its 13 people 10 NPC's who want to escape and 3 PC's who are trying to escape too VS 2 guards and one caster who are literally 15ft or less away
No one does anything as I teleport behind a guard and distract them and scream NOW IS THE TIME BE FREE. They literally stand there staring at me as I get shoved back by a guard and they get insta killed by a 5th level spell against a lvl one char.
So now I am dead and they have the golden ticket to push them off the cliff and escape with most of the guards dead already or distracted and they dont do a god damn thing.
When I asked OoC Wtf guys why arnt you doing anything they respond "This was an escape attempt?"
Are you fucking kidding me?
Anyway get rezzed by said caster and told everything we have is taken away and we can't escape then a guard just so happens to unlock the door and we make it out withone ANYONE seeing dispite me setting the Giant spider webs that run although the base on fire.
Should I ditch the game I want to play OoTa but I want a non retarded GM and players
>Mfw
>>44203832
Kid is fucking based.
> Session going on
> The players are relative newcomers, they heard a lot about the DnD, stories, Spoony videos, but never really played for themselves
> I am a DM
> Want to do something more special. Dont focus on the main story, and instead've created a lot of side characters and quests to improvise in wild directions at any point of the game
> The players literally create rails for themselves, they obediently follow whatever they think they are supposed by me to do.
> Trying to gently hint them, that there's a beautiful world outside of the main quest
> Players dont seem to get it, and i dont want to push them in any direction
> They finish the main quest in one session, and then think the game is over.
> Dont want to stay and explore the rest
> Dont want to continue
> "Anon, your campaign was really shitty. There's literally nothing interesting happened!"
I guess there's a lot of fault on me here. I suppose, i should've forced them to stop for a little and look for some other interesting things to do. But. honestly, pretty much every single player i had before were rails haters, that tried to break them every time they thought they had a chance.
>>44204128
You should have "forced" them into this. Like, make it so they have to do something (find an object, find information etc...) and there is plenty of ways to do so.
The blacksmith knows where is "x", but you need to complete his quest for him to speak.
Or beside you could try to ask at the tavern, see if anyone as any information...
People are also saying that "y" in town "Whatever" could help you on your quest.
>>44204128
>Spoony videos
>>44198793
Spacebag, my nigga. Doubles as a pillow when you pass out.
>>44203394
>>44203795
Yeah, sure, Franzia is headache inducing sugary shit, but there are actually good wines sold in boxes now.
I mean, obviously not like $40+ wines, but plenty that outshine $20 bottles.
>>44198793
Italians are quite unlikely to appreciate box wine, in my experience.
>>44203099
>Tastes just as good as the expensive shit
Hahahahahahathe fuck do you have for tastebuds
>>44203394
>No. Just... no.
Is there some other phrase that can so irrefutably present yourself as such a pretentious douchbag in front of others?
Hard to say.
Maybe "shake my head".
>>44204223
That's what i tried to do, yes. I already told, that they instantly obeyed any "plothooks" they thought i give them. So if i said "Maybe there are someone at the tavern, who might help" all they did were just immediately going to the tavern and loudly asking everyone about the problem. You might say, i could've enforce some negative consequences for that kind of behavior, but that seemed awful like hitting a child. "They are not bad, they just dont know other ways, why would you punish someone for that?"
>>44204677
No, I mean, you could have said : You could ask HERE or do THAT, or go THERE. All those solutions will make you kove forward but induce different ways to move forward.
When players are new, don't mind directly telling them the choicea they have, SHOW them your hard work my friend.
>>44204502
>getting this flustered in defense of cheap wine
He's right. I work for a lot of rich people and receive really nice wines on the regular. It's a whole other world if you actually have a taste for wine.
Its like reading Nishi Uko, after reading nothing but Asagi Ryuu before. They're both good, but you realize it doesn't have to taste of piss.
>>44204788
Maybe, just for the training. But that kind of gameplay really doesnt sound interesting.
>Want to play D&D
>Local shop has no games
>Fuck it, I'll run my own.
>Start running game
>Shop wants a DM for their adventure league games, and I was a good fit
>Since I was DMing two games, decide to join a game as a player at a different store
>Have a great DM
>But there are now too many people next week
>Someone else DMs
>They're utter garbage
>Nobody else can even attempt to DM
>Don't wanna let the others down, don't want bad DM to DM again
>Reluctantly stand up
>Now am DMing 3 different games
>Players from all 3 games follow me around to different other games
>Now have a huge following of people who like my DMing
Man, I just wanna sit around, play some Dragon Quest, and maybe once a week swing a sword at a dragon, but noooooo, I have to be popular with nerds.
>>44199484
They might've been interested to play for real this time.
Did you play with them again?
>>44203880
Did you have fun? No? Leave the game. Yes? Stay.
>>44206351
No, but I might consider playing with a couple of them again. A lot of group hunting is about finding the one or two decent people from each attempt.
I didn't mention that they ate all of my food, left my house a mess, never offered to host a game at any of their places, and they accidentally broke a piece of furniture while they were here.
>>44206417
Yes, definitely take only the people that you care about, that is my modus operandi aswell.
>>44198793
You ever been to Aussie mate?
>>44203127
Same thing here anon. A bottle of cheap vodka and some blackcurrant and apple juice to mix and everything runs smoothly.
>be DM
>never plan anything, always cone up with shit on the spot
>laughs are had, serious moments are had
>ask feedback after every session
>everyone is having a great time
It"s good to be the best
>>44206464
Fucking struth! Goon (or box wine for you yobs) is the best! Smash that shit for a good drunkard time, then blow up the bag and you've got yourself a portal pillow for when you pass out!
>>44203880
>>44203832
The kid learned a good lesson though. If he does grow up to game then sure as shit he won't be reckless as he was his first time around.
It could be a good life lesson for him as well that could very well go over into irl decision making.
So hopefully your characters that dies weren't pre established ones. And your DM retconned the whole thing?
On a side note back when my friends and I were in the 16-18 age range. One of the players (who could always host at his place due to his mom staying zonked on pills) had a younger brother. Kid was 6-7.
He decided he wanted to play because we played there once or twice a week.
He understood the concept due to screwing around in various console games. This was circa 1998.
We were playing just homebrew 2ed bullshit games and kid up and decides to roll an Elven thief. CG alignment. Kid played well. He got to level 6 from 1 and was the most anti murder hobo on the planet.
He watched the movie Gladiator and ended up rolling a Gladiator at one point. That was a few weeks in and he probably got into character better than my older players.
Had one game when he had a pool/bday party going on. I dropped in and gave him some cash for bday.
He ended up talking me into DMing a game for him and 4 of his kid friends who were staying the night.
It turned into murder hobo rampage in the kingdom. I pretty much just let them have a good time.
It was soon followed a few days later by 2 of the kids parents banning them from going to kids house cause they were being groomed for satanism.
The funny thing is that kid's dad was a Baptist pastor. And tried to logically explain the game and it had nothing to do with satanism to the butthurt parents.
>>44203795
Not him. But I'm a whiskey guy, and I really don't see the appeal of wine. I honestly don't think I could tell box wine from expensive wine. It just tastes so boring.
>>44203511
Know what you are planning on doing this session and next, read the manual, know the basics thoroughly, and this is the big one DON'T BE AFFRAID TO ADMIT IGNORANCE.
If there is a problem then ask if anyone else knows the rule in question, if so run it that way to keep the game flowing. Check the rule up afterwards, and if they got something wrong then let them know, you have both learnt something, if they appear to have deliberately mislead you then don't go overboard or ret-con, explain the correct rule at the start of the next session and remember that they deliberatly mislead you. There are very few rules mistakes that are important enough to derail a game over. If a character died because of it then give them a lucky escape, they have been captured or they were left for dead and fell down a crevice, however you do it they meet up with the group towards the start of the next session.
Your players are taking part in a game, you are all there to enjoy yourselves, not compeeting with you/each other.
