Dungeon masters Handbook

[Balor01]

So I am thinking, if there was a Dungeon masters Handbook - a core handbook, where core and prestige classes of Dungeon masters would be explained, what sort of Classes would this be, playground?
I know one class is The Killer. This DM is all about killing PCs and may have several prestige classes available:
- The Brute (just throws monsters of silly CR at the party)
- The Subtle strangler (Uses appropriate CR, but plays so cunningly that you know it is all about making a new charsheet)
- The Starver (Loot drop from last three levels was 102 gp, one broken wooden shield and a fork.)

So I am thinking - if you would be filling this DMG - what sort of Core and prestige classes would you fill it with?

This is just an idea, I hope nobody thinks we are actually building something here that may be used in game. Its about DM styles.

[W3bDragon]

* The Rules Chameleon: Changes the rules on the fly, or forgets precedents that were set. Usually in the middle of battle, usually when the rule change will get you killed.

[Templarkommando]

The Cartoony Trapper- any time the party rogue searches for a trap there is one of appropriate search DC. This can result in walking across the floor in one room only to have about twenty traps sprung on you during the process.

[vitkiraven]

How about the Grognard? Requires experience in at least one previous system, frequently berates about how easy this system is for the players, how Gygax would have done it differently, and makes encounters seem like the Temple of Horrendous Doom at first level?

[Yahzi]

The Sandman - creates a sand-box world, complete with names, levels, politics, and personality quirks for every NPC over 1st level. The good thing about the Sandman's world is that it is richly detailed. The bad thing is that the DM might not notice that you stopped playing 3 sessions ago.

[Diefje]

The Enabler - who gives the players everything they ask for, no matter how against everything else it goes.

The Best-in-Show - who plays all-powerful DMPCs who need a group of lackey PCs to follow him around for no apparant reason.

The Railroader - who just gives the PCs a sense of having actual choices

The Riddler - who comes up with ludicrous riddles, traps, and encounters that only have one successful answer.

[nedz]

The Fat Comptroller - Everything is a railroad

The Pensive - Nothing ever seems to happen, its all about the RP - however all the adventures take place in the same village - which you can never successfully leave. You have endless conversations with the same NPCs

The Unimaginator - all of the encounters are the same, or at least you get the same random encounter again, and again, and a...

The PowerNerf - Parts of the system are nerfed because they are "for powergamers only".

The SuperPowerNerf - As above, but combined with low system mastery so the nerfs are somewhat random.

[bloodtide]

Uber Nerf--This DM had a nightmare about some character taking over the world with a spell or ability combo. So in response they come up with a personal fix to the rules. But they go too far...way, way to far and make the spell, feat, ability or such useless.

Blind Spot NerfThis is the DM that has lost of nerf fixes for most things, yet there are one or two crazy broken things that they just ignore. They might not get why it's wrong, or maybe they just like it, but something is ignored.

The Low DMThis DM wants everything Low. Low magic, low fantasy, low adventure or such. They love to do a mud and dirt type game. They want the characters running around half naked with only one sharp stick and two copper coins.

The Rule SlaveThis DM is a slave to the rules. If page x of book x has something written down, then it's an almighty Rule that the DM must follow. And it does not matter if that rule is broken, incomplete or a typo. (My all time personal favorite is 3E Oriental Adventures with the 19-29 Ninja-To critical range).

[flabort]

Character Locker - This DM insists that your first game, you must start at first level. Whenever you want a new character, you must start at first. When a character dies, you must burn the sheet, and he must watch, and you must start at first level again. Doesn't matter that the rest of the party is 8th level.

Dungeon Locker - This DM doesn't understand anything but dungeons and taverns; you're always in one or the other. And should you get into the former, he's got an extensive collection of binders... For the one you entered. Trust me, you'll spend the entire campaign in there. If he can remember how many doors are in the first hallway.

Loot Locker - You will be allowed to buy quite a lot... So long as it's replacing the stuff that got sundered in the last encounter. Which you just replaced. Three or four times. You do get coins... he's quite generous with the coins and gems and other loots, but if you go over it, you'll find it only just makes up for what you lost.

[*.*.*.*]

Character Locker - This DM insists that your first game, you must start at first level. Whenever you want a new character, you must start at first. When a character dies, you must burn the sheet, and he must watch, and you must start at first level again. Doesn't matter that the rest of the party is 8th level.

People do this!? I'm at a loss for words:smallsigh:

[Morithias]

The Living Dungeon: The DM uses the random encounter, random treasure, random traps, random fixtures if you enter a dungeon.

Good if there's fluff behind it like the dungeon being a magical training ground.

Bad if it's just suppose to be a bad guy lair and you have to ask why the fire mage has a giant pool in the middle of his lair.

[Anthrowhale]

Unbender The world is what it is. All dice rolls are public. Minor world design flaws = TPK or cake walk. Decisions by PCs => TPK or cake walk.

[Rankar]

The First Timer: gets so flustered with what he's doing none of the players know what's actually going on.

The Flaunter: tells the PCs exactly how he could/should have killed them in the last encounter but didn't because he was being "nice." (I'm unfortunately guilty of this one...)

The pushover: Significant other is a player and gets special treatment. Expect a mutiny at some point from others.

[flabort]

People do this!? I'm at a loss for words:smallsigh:

Yup. Talked with a guy who plays 2e and feels about 3e/3.5 the same way we 3.5ers feel about 4e. Insisted that if you want a high level character (like, 4th level is high for him), you have to work for it.

The Ragequiter If you don't do what he expected, try to make a character he didn't plan for, well, try having a game WITHOUT a DM, jerks.

The Videogamer expects DnD to be just like a video game. Runs it like one, and whines when you want to actually role play.

[fryplink]

Santa Claus> This DM gives out whatever goody you asked for WAAAYYYY before it's level appropriate, yet continues to throw level appropriate encounters at you as if your power level had not increased. Roflstomp ensues. (+3 fiery long sword at level 3)


I find second or third time DM's are guilty of this.

[Yahzi]

Unbender The world is what it is. All dice rolls are public. Minor world design flaws = TPK or cake walk. Decisions by PCs => TPK or cake walk.
Add to that the Low DM and the Character Locker, and you have D&D the way it was meant to be played.

Which is not necessarily the best way to play it. That approach did work better back in 2E, when your entire character could be described on one line.

[Balor01]

Hmmm. Could you guys help me sum this up in a few classes + a few prestige classes based on what has been already written here? (some ideas here do repeat themselves) I'm thinking of making a quiz "what kind of a DM are you"?

[flabort]

I'll make a quick list. Give me a moment to edit this post with it.

Edit: here. Certain classes Being PrCs of others is mostly just my guesses/opinions...
Killer
-Brute
-Subtle Strangler
-Starver (Also in Low DM/Giver)
-Gronard (Also in Complainer)
-Cartoony Trapper

Railroader
-Fat Comptroller
-The Riddler
-Ragequiter (Also in Complainer)
-Dungeon Locker

Teh Newb
-Rules Chameleon
-Enabler (Also in Giver)
-Unimaginator
-SuperPowerNerf (Also in Complainer)
-Rules Slave
-Living dungeon
-First Timer
-Videogamer

Giver
-Enabler (Also in Teh Newb)
-Low DM (The Blackgaurd to the Giver's Paladin)
--Lewt Locker
--Starver (Also in Killer)
-Pushover
-Santa claus

Blind-Spotter
-The Pensive
-Sandman
-Unbender
-Flaunter
-Blind Spot Nerf (Also in Complainer)

Complainer
-Gronard (Also in Killer)
-Ragequiter (Also in Railroader)
-PowerNerf
-SuperPowerNerf (Also in Teh Newb)
-Uber Nerf
-Blind Spot Nerf (Also in Blindspotter)
-Character Locker

So that's the complete list of what's been written so far, with 6 base classes and 28 PrCs (34 minus ones that fit two base classes)

A much quicker summary is:
Killer
-Traps
-Lootless

Railroader

Novice
-Over Flexible
-Rules Zombie

Giver
-Low DM (Anti Giver)
-Santa Claus

Blind-spotter
-DMPCer
-Sandman
-Pensive

Complainer
-Gronard
-Nerfer

with 6 base classes and 11 PrCs.

[nedz]

People do this!? I'm at a loss for words:smallsigh:

I used to do this in 1E and 2E, unless the party was name level or above.
In those editions XP generally increased exponentially until a certain point, when it became linear.
So say you start at 1st, when everyone else is 5th; then roughly speaking you take 5th level when they make 6th. There is some variation between classes, Thief levels were very cheap (like +1 level cheap), but on the whole it took as many XP to reach level X and it did to get to level X+1.
After a certain point in the campaign, you gave them a few less XP than the lowest existing PC.
I don't do that in 3.5

[DiBastet]

I never looked really into the numbers, after all 2ed was when I was no more than a begginer whoe only wanted the best plusX sword... But I always wondered how that DID work, because it did.

[Legendairy]

Character Locker - This DM insists that your first game, you must start at first level. Whenever you want a new character, you must start at first. When a character dies, you must burn the sheet, and he must watch, and you must start at first level again. Doesn't matter that the rest of the party is 8th level.

Had this happen a few times, worst was it was the DM's second 3.5 game, and first time for a few of the players. They were roughly 10th level, I let him know that I had been playing for roughly 12 years and only DnD, he still made me start at 1st level and considered me a power gamer because I played a fighter/barbarian with a two hander and power attack. o.0