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ninja_penguin
2010-09-04, 08:16 PM
So, I'm semi-struck with being the guy who usually ends up running most D&D games, but the last few times we've been doing the tomb of horrors, and I've been playing a Dwarf Cleric. Today when playing, about anything bad that could happen to him did, and I couldn't help but think of various stories of Dwarf Fortress, and that this was happening to my Dwarf.

So, I was wondering if anybody had ever tried out the DM-less things mentioned in the original Dungeon Master's Guide? I was thinking about giving it a try, making up a bunch of totally random tables for digging into the place, getting a list of random things that should happen to Dwarves, and trying to create a collaborative wacky D&D version of Dwarf Fortress.

valadil
2010-09-04, 08:48 PM
I've never done a game without a GM, but we did do a game where everyone took turns GMing. It worked out pretty well. Each GM had 2-4 sessions to tell a story. Then everybody leveled and the next GM took over. I posted more details in a rotating GM thread here.

Fuzzie Fuzz
2010-09-04, 11:32 PM
The back of the DMG has rules for DM-less D&D, you might start there. The rules there seem a bit off to me, but they're probably a good starting point.

EDIT: Aaaand I completely missed the second half of your post. I'm tired. I agree that the tables would be better than the cards they suggest, but I'm just generally more fond of tables than cards.

ninja_penguin
2010-09-04, 11:35 PM
The back of the DMG has rules for DM-less D&D, you might start there. The rules there seem a bit off to me, but they're probably a good starting point.

Right, I'm well aware of those, as I mentioned in my first post. I was curious if anybody had ever tried them, to see if I could get a jump start on tweaking things, if there's pitfalls to avoid, or if they just plain suck, so I shouldn't bother.

Reluctance
2010-09-05, 12:45 AM
You still need someone to prepare the encounter area and someone to run the monsters, so you can't let the game autogenerate ad infinitum. The former can be handled by people trading off, but the latter will require extra work. You'll either need to do pregame prepwork, find some way to program a room generator, or have everything happen in empty open spaces.

I haven't tried it because it's basically rotating DM on steroids, and I've had bad experiences with rotating DM games. If you think it'll be good training wheels for your players, go right ahead and rotate each room. If you usually run because your players get firmly stuck in player mode, I don't see this magically helping anything.

Hzurr
2010-09-05, 12:46 AM
Another option would be to try the new d&d Ravenloft boardgame. It's basically a slimmed down version of d&d for 1-5 people without a DM. I haven't had a chance to pick it up yet, but everything I've read has been excellent.

Esser-Z
2010-09-06, 08:37 AM
Not done a DM-less proper campaign. Have played some without a DM, though. Mostly just testing out builds and getting familiar with the system. A friend and I played a series of Delves and encounters, each controlling two PCs, and together determining what the opponents would do. Worked pretty well.

The Big Dice
2010-09-06, 09:29 AM
If you're willing to try something that's pretty far removed from D&D, Ars Magica pretty much does away with a GM.

PallElendro
2010-09-06, 10:09 AM
Can anyone quote from the back of the Dungeon Master's Guide for those campaigns? My dad's the one who has the DMGs.

LibraryOgre
2010-09-07, 01:54 PM
Another option would be to try the new d&d Ravenloft boardgame. It's basically a slimmed down version of d&d for 1-5 people without a DM. I haven't had a chance to pick it up yet, but everything I've read has been excellent.

And, in fact, Hzurr, myself, and a couple friends played it over the weekend. It is a very slimmed down and simplified 4e, and I could easily see it being used as a basis for running 4e solo. It's general "lay down a tile, draw a monster, and have a separate encounter" system is rough, but it could also be used to randomly generate Diablo-esque dungeons.

dsmiles
2010-09-07, 02:39 PM
So, I'm semi-struck with being the guy who usually ends up running most D&D games, but the last few times we've been doing the tomb of horrors, and I've been playing a Dwarf Cleric. Today when playing, about anything bad that could happen to him did, and I couldn't help but think of various stories of Dwarf Fortress, and that this was happening to my Dwarf.

So, I was wondering if anybody had ever tried out the DM-less things mentioned in the original Dungeon Master's Guide? I was thinking about giving it a try, making up a bunch of totally random tables for digging into the place, getting a list of random things that should happen to Dwarves, and trying to create a collaborative wacky D&D version of Dwarf Fortress.

I do love the random wackiness. Too bad DnD did away with the best ones. (Wand of Wonder, Wild Magic, etc.)