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shadow_archmagi
2010-10-22, 11:47 AM
After the success of the polite player's handbook, I figured a counterthread was necessary.

1. Be polite
2. Be efficient
3. Have a plan to kill everyone you meet

Sipex
2010-10-22, 11:53 AM
4. Don't make the Paladin fall just because you can.

5. Try to tailor your game to your players.

6. If you and your players want different game types maybe consider doing smoething else instead.

7. Take charge of managing when the next session will occur. You're the DM so you naturally have authority anyways. Plus you're the only person the game can't happen without.

8. Try to spread the spotlight around.

...

It's really hard to come up with polite dming which doesn't fall under 'general DM tips'

PopcornMage
2010-10-22, 11:55 AM
9. Don't make uncomfortable situations for your players. If a player seems uncomfortable, respect that and leave off.

Tvtyrant
2010-10-22, 12:02 PM
10. Do not bring up players character flaws in front of the group. If someone annoys you bring it up either in the intermission or privately at a separate time.

DrWeird
2010-10-22, 12:07 PM
11: Don't scream at your players for any reason; they scare like chipmunks.

Ruinix
2010-10-22, 12:13 PM
12. don't TPK just because u can.

13. try to respond with good manners at each query of the players.

13a. specially when they arging some homebrew of u or banned powers.

valadil
2010-10-22, 12:15 PM
14. Be upfront about the type of game you won't to run. Most game related problems come from a disparity between the game offered and the game expected.

15. You can run a game that focuses on combat, intrigue, roleplaying, comedy, storytelling, or any number of other things. But however you prioritize these things, the players always come first.

16a. Only request as much background as you plan to incorporate into the game.

16b. Incorporating background into the game means more than sacrificing a PC's family to the BBEG.

Amphetryon
2010-10-22, 12:23 PM
16c. Character backgrounds should provide story and roleplay rewards as well as story and roleplay hindrances.

PopcornMage
2010-10-22, 12:25 PM
16b. Incorporating background into the game means more than sacrificing a PC's family to the BBEG.

Their friends, schoolmates, and coworkers?

shadow_archmagi
2010-10-22, 12:30 PM
Their friends, schoolmates, and coworkers?

Choose one of the above; declare it the BBEG. Problem solved.

PopcornMage
2010-10-22, 12:32 PM
But we get to sacrifice the rest, right???

subject42
2010-10-22, 12:48 PM
As a corollary to rule 14, don't take a party consisting of a Rogue, Beguiler, Paladin, and Debuffing Sorcerer and make them fight constructs in 11 of their first 14 encounters unless you warn them first.

Duke of URL
2010-10-22, 12:51 PM
17. Rather than "rocks fall, everybody dies", at least make it "rocks fall, everybody make a Reflex save".

(Or, more seriously, don't create a "no win, no escape" situation for the players -- it's an entirely different matter if the players put themselves in a "no win, no escape" situation, however, but even then, try to find some way that luck, cleverness, or great sacrifice will get them out of it.)

kyoryu
2010-10-22, 01:07 PM
18. Give the players what they want. If they make it clear that they think their ally NPC is in fact double-crossing them, then they're telling you that's the kind of game that they want. Even if the ally was pure and honorable, make him double-cross them.

19. Give the players what they want. If a character is geared to fight undead, make sure that undead show up regularly. If a player builds a character that's a social monster, make sure that there are plenty of RP opportunities to use those skills. (You don't have to do these at the same time, though - most undead aren't very susceptible to social abilities). If you've got ranged fighters, make sure some fights happen in nice open areas to let them shine - and if you've got a bunch of melee fighters, make sure that some fights happen in close quarters where they won't get picked apart from 100 yards.

20. Give the players what they want. If they want a particular item, or a particular prestige class, make sure that they get it (unless it's just broken, of course).

21. Don't ever give the players what they want. Satisfaction does not come from just being given everything on a silver platter - it comes from struggle and overcoming adversity. The paladin may want a Holy Avenger - but they don't grow on trees. Make a side quest - or even a main quest - to get his super cool sword. Wizard wants a custom spell? Make the research involve dusty libraries and rare components that require dangerous journeys to acquire. Someone wants a prestige class? Make him go through the initiations with the group that the class represents, or have to seek out and find the legendary person that has the ability to train them. If a player is good at fighting undead, great! But make sure that non-undead enemies show up so that you don't just walk enemies into the meat grinder of the party's specific optimization tricks. If you've got lots of ranged fighters, make sure some fights happen in close enough quarters that they have to struggle a little. If you've got nothing but melee fighters, put them in a position where they have to cross a large, wide-open area to get to where they need to go.

valadil
2010-10-22, 01:31 PM
Choose one of the above; declare it the BBEG. Problem solved.

TBH I still see that as a sacrifice. The player loses an ally and you gain a BBEG. I'm not saying that I'm above this kind of plot twist, just that it shouldn't be overused.

Zaq
2010-10-22, 02:43 PM
For the love of all that is holy, mention houserules before they come up. If you forget, or a houserule otherwise has an unfortunate and unexpected effect on a player's abilities and fun, let the player retrain if they choose.

Merk
2010-10-22, 02:47 PM
22. Be willing to make your setting or game adaptable to the wants of your players.

23. Be willing to learn new subsystems or mechanics, to add variety to your game.

24. Be willing to work with players if they want to play something that deviates from the rulebooks.

DrWeird
2010-10-22, 02:48 PM
22:

Don't heckle the 'new guy' playing a Monk, and don't let the other players, either. They need to learn for themselves.

After all, sometimes you have to crash before you can fly.

stabbitty death
2010-10-24, 12:13 PM
long time lurker first time poster
23. bringing snacks makes everyone happy

Fiery Diamond
2010-10-24, 01:04 PM
long time lurker first time poster
23. bringing snacks makes everyone happy

But that's what the players do for the DM, not the other way around!:smallbiggrin:

Hyudra
2010-10-24, 03:13 PM
24. Don't abuse the characters in a player's background for story material. Killing the player's wife might offer an intense story arc, but said arc is liable to be short lived, and you (as well as any DMs who have the players in the future) will have to deal with players who are detached from their background's characters (if such characters are present at all - note preponderance of amnesiacs, or 'my hometown was slaughtered' heroes).