DM Workspace 2

Well, here it is, my workspace.  It's not fancy, and it works great!

See you next week!

The DM's Workspace

Well, last time I talked about how I've set up my gaming room, and this time I'd like to talk about the next most important piece, how I set up my personal workspace when I run a game of Dungeons and Dragons.  First off, I run my games using a laptop, I find that it means that I am taking up far less space than when I ran games on paper.  All of my ntoes are easy to get to and never get disorganized.  I also have a DND Insider subscription which means that I have access to their Adventure Builder.  That means that I always have access to every monster written, and that I can edit them easily.  I still track HP and efects on paper though, I find that it helps me to stay quick if I'm not switching between applications all the time.  I like to keep my books close, but not at the table, so I have a bookshelf nearby to house my books.

I do use a screen, and I keep my binder of info and my netbook behind it, as well as my dice.  I keep my minis in a three drawer unit organized by size next to my chair.

I use crayola markers on a laminated sheet of graph chart paper as my grid.  It works well as a wet-erase board and the markers come in a wide variety of colours.  I keep the markers out near the grid because sometime I draw the maps, and sometimes my players do.  I keep pencils, erasers, and a sharpener nearby for those forgetful folks, and I have a cupboard to store props and other goodies in.  I'll post a picture of it all set up later in the day.

Setting the Stage

Well, I've just moved into the new house, and that means that I'm going to be hosting my party's Dungeons and Dragons games from now on. I have a room just for gaming, both board and role-playing, in the basement, and I was excited to get it ready. There's a lot to consider when building the space for Dungeons and Dragons. Some things are necessities, while others are just nice. I knew that I needed a big table, and at least six chairs. I also knew that I didn't want to spend a lot of money, and that I wanted to make the room feel "right" for D&D.

For furniture I hit a couple of the local thrift stores. I found what I needed. A table about three and a half feet wide and about two feet long that took leaves to make it up to eight feet long. That meant that I could adjust the length of the table to just about any working number of people for any game that I might want to play. It wasn't pretty, but it was cheap and solid. It also set the aesthetic for the room. Rather than build a fancy room, I was going to focus on comfort, and build a tacky "bachelor suite" gaming room. I picked up a collection of old, moderately ugly chairs and put them around the table. It was enough for our group of six, all I needed for a start. The room was already finished in terrible seventies decor, so I was ready to go!

Now I need to set the mood. I have a few traditional role-playing game accoutrements: oil lamp, candles, incense, and easy access to a computer with tons of music on it (some bought just for D&D, like the Survivor soundtrack). But I wanted things to feel a little magical as well. MY in-laws gave me a plastic Buddha with a blue plasma ball on top, and I placed it in a corner. I plan to light it up in the dark with a few candles and an oil lamp burning when they come in, the smell of incense still heavy in the air. We might not play our whole session with the lights off and the blue light flickering, but it should be enough to elicit the right mood and a few laughs. I'm always trying to navigate a mood that falls somewhere in between Middle-earth and Discworld.

Now that the stage is set, we'll see how it plays out.

Thursday I'll talk about setting up the table and surrounding area for DMing, at least, how it works for me.

So Low Solos

I was talking with a friend that came into town recently, and we rolled around to Dungeons and Dragons and DMing like we always do. This time we started talking about solos and specifically dragons. We both love the idea of fighting big terrible creatures and the pride that a party feels when they best them, but we agreed that often these fights turn into overly long slogs.

The problem is that solos seem to have too many hit points. They run out of powers and so do the players, especially at low levels, long before the fight is over. I heard someone on the Dungeons and Dragons official podcast talking about this once and they seemed to agree. They suggested lowering the hit points but increasing the damage to compensate. I tried that but then the solos seemed over-powered. I did land on a solution though. I lower the hit points but raised the attack bonus. If I want it to be a quicker fight I will sometimes lower the defences as well. This way they're not invincible, but they stay devastating. Now they never miss, but they're more killable. The party has fun while the monster is doling out devastating powers and the fight is over before it gets tedious.

One quick side-note: if you want solo fights to move quickly, avoid the berbalang. The only powers the creature has feel boring and lengthen the fight. I ran him once and vowed never to use him again.

Know Your Players, Part 2

In my last post I listed off Wizards' take on player types, and told you who I thought I was.  As a DM though, we have to be aware of what kind of players are sitting at the table, and make sure that they are getting the kind of game that they need.  After all, the point is too have fun, right?  I thought that I should tell you about the players in my game of Dungeons and Dragons and talk about how I try to make sure that they are getting what they want out of it.

 

• Urak - Half-Orc Fighter - This player is definitely a Power Gamer/Rules Lawyer, with a bit of Instigator thrown in.  All I have to do to keep him happy is create combat encounters, preferably difficult ones that the party can overcome, and try to not fiddle too much with the rules.

• Elder Breeze - Genasi Sorceror/Wizard - This guy actually created a character that represented the wind incarnate, and used the Genasi race as a template.  we spent time at the ver beginning of the campaign teaching him how to eat and sleep.  This player is definitely and Actor/Instigator with touches of Power Gamer.  He really like combat, but also enjoys skill challenges and chances to roleplay.  For him I need a bit of everything, and I have to be flexible enough to go with whatever idea comes flying firmly out of left field.

• Questar Thews - Human Wizard - This is my Actor/Watcher (you might have read his post yesterday).  He enjoys hanging with the group, and wants to do interesting and funny things with his slightly addled wizard.  He enjoys interactions with NPCs, and feels that often combat mechanics get in the way of his character.  He needs the chance to float in and out of the game.  we've been running the games at his house for awhile now, and that lets him take breaks to cook.  This is great for everyone!

• String - Changeling Bard - This guy is tougher to pinpoint, but I would call him a Slayer/Instigator.  He likes to get in, kill things, and get out.  He likes to succeed, and if things overpower him or he feels useless, he gets a bit sullen.  Nobody want s that, so I have to balance the guys who want tough encounters, and the people who want to feel like tough heroes mowing through the field of battle.

 

All in all, it's a fun group, but they know the game really well, and I am always trying to think of new ways to keep them interested and on their toes.

 

What's your party like?

Know Your Players, Know Yourself

Wizards listed what they felt were the categories of player in the original Dungeon Master's Guide (DMG). I think that the categories are good, although everyone I know falls into at least two major categories.

Wizard's list:
- Actor: the big role-player. Character comes first, before abilities, combat, or story
- Explorer: finding new people and places is first for them
- Instigator: they like to make things happen, and dislike long planning sessions, sometimes choosing a path more dangerous because it will be more interesting
- Power Gamer: they tweak every detail of their characterto maximize their combat abilities and skills
- Storyteller: the narrative comes first, before character or combat
- Slayer: they want to kill monsters, hard and fast. Like the Power Gamer but with less planning
- Thinker: they like to plan and solve puzzles. Brain power comes first.
- Watcher: most interested in the social element. They are happy to take a back seat. Not very concerned about rules or story.

I would add one more category: the rules lawyer. This person puts the rules first. Ahead of strategy, story, character, or success, the rules as written are paramount.

Knowing your players is important so you can tailor a game for them, but perhaps it's even more important to know yourself. If you know who you are as a DM, then you can look for great moments for yourself, and ensure that you're not focussing too heavily on your own desires.

When I play I'm an Actor/Instigator, I put character first but I like to keep it moving.

When I DM, I switch to a Storyteller/Watcher, always thinking about the overall story, but very happy to let my players control the details. I'm happy to watch and see where they take it.

What about you?

Into the breach

I've been playing and DMing now for awhile, and I like to think that my party has a good time.  I'm learning new things all the time about how to keep them interested, and how to keep the game balanced so that everyone gets to do the things that they like.  This blog will be a place to talk about those things, and I hope that readers will comment and dialogue with me and each other.

I'm not going to give a complete play-by-play from my campaign (if you'd like to read up on what we're doing, please check out the site with a permanent home on the left sidebar), but I will talk about planning, thinking, and in-session moments of great success or great failure.

Really this is a place to collect my thoughts, share some ideas and stories, and talk about what makes a great game of Dungeons and Dragons.