Adventure League DM tips

[Provo]

Hi playgrounders. I know it is sometime away still, but I will be a DM for Adventurer's League next season. I am looking for tips on what tools I should be using.

What tools do you DMs use frequently?

Is a DM screen important to you? What tables or rules do you like to have on quick reference? How do you keep track of monsters/health/story elements/etc.?

[stoutstien]

I feel AL suffers from the problem 5e seeked to avoid, RAW/RAI issues. I live in a very sparsely populated area so with only five AL players I can trust them to do most of the nonvital book keeping. Adjudicate is my magic word. I've find most players would rather have a smooth session than feeling stressed about rules.

[The Shadowdove]

We have a very active AL community here. Three comic stores with 2+ tables three times a week and epics nearby every few weeks.

Have a copy of the:
AL factions printout.
AL Players Guide
AL player conduct

Explain these character basics:
NE & CE are not allowed.
Phb+1
Pointbuy
Background not limited by phb+1

Detail that the use of accurate adventure logs makes it so that they can use these characters at any AL legal table, like loading a character into a video game.

For players new to AL this should be enough.

Use them to explain the rules that may change from their normal home games. Which is just basically the addition of the phb+1 rule and potentially pointbuy, and that their only start equipment will be from their class/background as opposed to rolling gold based upon class as well.

Explain that the rules and player conduct are there to prevent unnecessary undermining of each other efforts and provide a mature and balanced format.

In short, AL and it's standards exist to bring people together in an environment that discourages distasteful behavior and is welcome to all.

Have fun! Plan your adventures in advance and everything will go smoothly. Reading reviews and discussions about the dmsguild AL modules sometimes gives you a warning of any continuity issues or typos before you delve in.

[Chugger]

Hi playgrounders. I know it is sometime away still, but I will be a DM for Adventurer's League next season. I am looking for tips on what tools I should be using.

What tools do you DMs use frequently?

Is a DM screen important to you? What tables or rules do you like to have on quick reference? How do you keep track of monsters/health/story elements/etc.?

A screen is helpful in most cases. If a certain monster appears and you describe it, but you want them players to be not-quite-sure what it is (to help them not meta-game, because their characters don't know what it is) - if they see the picture on the material you have, they'll know. And so on.

You can improvise a screen out of cardboard or stiff paper and tape, if you're on a budget.

I recommend using minis and a grid. If you don't have minis then go to a craft store and buy discs or flattened glass beads - mark them with a wipe-off pen - have different colors. Can't afford to buy a grid? You can buy grid paper - I think you can print it out (and tape several together) - or just use a ruler. Use a string or straws or popsicle sticks to mark the walls on the table and just measure in inches, holding the ruler over the things that rep the monsters and players. If you must go theater of the mind, then be very very clear what they see, and if a player does something silly don't pounce on them - be big-minded and ask what they think they see. If it makes no sense, that's your fault - be merciful and explain what they really see and give them a chance to make a good choice. Nothing creates more bad blood than inept theatre of the mind DM'ing! Use minis - really. That solves almost all of this issue.

Use different color hi-lighter pens. One to box what you read - another to mark answers to player questions - another to denote monster tactics.

Don't rush into it when you start - get the players' levels and ascertain if this is a weak, very weak or w/e party. If these are all first time players, that makes them weaker, too. If no one is optimized and they don't really get tactics, they're weaker.

Okay, what if you start a fight and realize part-way in the party is way too weak for what you put out to fight them? Maybe the module is optimized for 5 lvl 2 chars - and that's what you have, five lvl 2 chars - but it's a bad combo of classes and no one is optimized and they're wasting spell slots - maybe the wiz and sorc are not getting off the front line - and you don't want to tpk them. What can you do? I think it's okay to ask a player to roll an Int check and then say "your character would know that this won't work" if you really feel like the character would know that. Let's say a char uses poison spray on an undead that resists it and then forgets or doesn't understand what happened - and they tell you on the next round they're casting it again - it's okay to remind them or further explain that the target is resistant to poison and there is no point and do they have firebolt? It is perfectly okay to "teach" players how to do this - arguably it is absolutely necessary - especially at AL - though you have to be very diplomatic about it. Try to make them feel good if you advise them and they get flustered - remind them that 5e, though very much worth learning, is a very complex game and taht they shouldn't feel bad - that you had a steep learning curve your first few times, too.

If you roll to hit and saves in front of them, don't roll damage there - roll that behind your screen. Get player hit points and track it as you track your monsters' health (just doing it on scratch paper is fine, with a pen or pencil). If you roll a crit and fear that means a total party wipe or kill, pretend you've rolled poorly on the damage dice - a one and a two - which some DMs scream at and howl no no no kill them all - but that is often the wrong choice. Don't make this a miserable experience for players who are learning. Your job's not to kill them off - your job is to be the conduit of a great experience - and the possibility of death should not be removed - it must be there for there to be a challenge - but healable zero-health instances > actual real death (that needs a rez). I suggest balance - if you're too easy it's awful - that's not fun - but when a DM is too harsh and has aggressive, bad habits, that's awful too.

Watch for aggressive players and remind them it is your table. Never use the game to punish a player with bad habits - talking to them about them afterwards is much better. If you find yourself saying "stop that right now or you're making your next ten rolls at disadvantage" ... that's not good. That almost never works. Way way way too complex to get into here, but in general try to gently stop bad player behavior in a diplomatic way that defuses ego-defense - if you say to the player "hey, I get that you want every advantage you can, but you're way dominating things and taking too much time here - and hurting the other players because we're not going to finish this in time - so when I say "no" I need you to please accept it and remember later on that I've already ruled - and if I'm wrong we can discuss it later, after we get done." You can also say, "hey, I get that you're fighting for all the oomph you can get out of this character, but you really don't need to do that to win this module. It's not that hard, and it's taking a lot of time to discuss rule nuances every round of combat" - something like that - and see if they get it and conform. And you're really blaming the clock - you're not calling them an a-hole - you understand why they're doing what they're doing - but it's the clock - it just takes too long - and this is AL, you don't need to be that powerful to win. A lot of players respond well to this basic sort of approach and start self-correcting at that point, because you were firm but blamed something else and didn't insult them or ego-confront them. If they don't get it and don't self-correct.... you're in trouble. Such players are hard to deal with, and at that point you may have to try heavy-handed solutions - which I normally do not recommend.

The system is flexible. You _will_ make a mistake - and it won't matter - and heck if it does, you can always say "oh crud, my bad - you actually hit - and that 8 points of damage actually killed it - so it did not cast that spell and it did not kill you." You can (and should) do this if it hits you that you actually did make a mistake. But in general - look, there will be a rogue adding dex bonus damage to hit off-hand attack against the rules (he probably is doing so innocently) - and if you don't catch this until 2 hours in - so what. Don't get mad. Maybe you had the low level undead resisting the party's necrotic damage and then realize that these low lvl undead actually take necrotic damage (some do!). Maybe that led to the party wiz going to zero - but they took a short rest and he's back - so don't sweat it. If it led to a true death ... then consider a time warp and fixing it. You have to judge mistakes on a case by case basic - most don't really matter much - fix them when you realize a mistake has been made - but mostly move on.

Be a good and friendly traffic cop - keep things moving. Don't let them role play too much - but encourage them to do so if they're not doing it at all. Have the NPCs engage them if they're weak at role playing - encourage them to act their characters. Do voices if you can. Have fun but keep an eye on the clock and know what needs to have happened by one hour in, by two hours in - and so on. Try to reach the end of the module. Skip fluff if you have to. Good luck!

[Chugger]

I almost forgot.

You can also tally up their levels and conclude you have an "average" or even a "weak" party for the module, but in truth it is a "very strong" party.

Why? Let's say there is a moon druid lvl 2, a rogue lvl 2, and a barb lvl 3 (wolf totem) in the party - making up the front line. And a lvl one cleric and a lvl one wiz who stay back.

That party is way way more powerful than it first looks, because if the barb is raging, that moon druid is landing a bite and a claw attack every round (almost) - and that rogue is landing sneak attack every round. And on top of that the back row is doing cantrip damage and healing as needed. And if you break off that front line to try to get around at the back row, their AoO will hit you and hurt you.

So, let's say you run into this situation and realize the fight is stupid-easy for them. What can you do? Not much, except there are a couple of tricks. The main one I'd use is look at the advice in the module for what if it's a strong party - and it says add two zombies - okay, so I tell them all to roll perception rolls - and surely one of them makes it (make it an easy dc, like 10) - and tell them that two zombies have been creeping up from the side - or from behind - and they only now notice them. And if they need that level of challenge, it should work out. They'll still kill the zombies, but at least it took some effort - it will feel more challenging. If you need to explain it tell them they think maybe the zombies had been over here guarding this treasure chest or door, and it just took them 2 rounds to come over - something like that.

And then take a moment - look at the future fights - and see if you need to adjust them up. Remember their mega power is reduced if the barb runs out of rages or if the druid can no longer shift. Anyway, you need to have a basically good sense of judging party strength and what to throw at them - and be flexible and use tricks if you've made a mistake one way or the other.

[Waterdeep Merch]

Work on your showmanship. Practice voices and deliveries. Get some real chutzpah.

Think of your 'job' as the same as a host at a party. You're the master of ceremonies, the one that introduces all the important people, the person that brings in all the entertainment for the evening. So long as you charm their butts off, your players are guaranteed to have a good time!

Don't be nervous. They want you to show them a good time. They'll appreciate your hackneyed faux-olde English. Just keep things moving, and don't be boring.

If looking up a rule would take more than a quick second and failure's unlikely to seriously harm a player, make something up (erring on the side of caution, call for a roll and simply say they succeed unless it's implausibly low). Your job is not simply to be a referee. A DM is so much more than that.

Read, re-read, and re-re-read the adventure before you run it. Know the plot twists, remember all the important NPC's and why they're there. Pick a few favorites, including the bad guys, and match them to a favorite celebrity or character you think you can mimic well enough. Don't hog the spotlight, that's what the players are there for, but when the situation calls for it? Don't simply chew on the scenery. Devour it.

[Chugger]

Work on your showmanship. Practice voices and deliveries. Get some real chutzpah.

Think of your 'job' as the same as a host at a party. You're the master of ceremonies, the one that introduces all the important people, the person that brings in all the entertainment for the evening. So long as you charm their butts off, your players are guaranteed to have a good time!

Don't be nervous. They want you to show them a good time. They'll appreciate your hackneyed faux-olde English. Just keep things moving, and don't be boring.

If looking up a rule would take more than a quick second and failure's unlikely to seriously harm a player, make something up (erring on the side of caution, call for a roll and simply say they succeed unless it's implausibly low). Your job is not simply to be a referee. A DM is so much more than that.

Read, re-read, and re-re-read the adventure before you run it. Know the plot twists, remember all the important NPC's and why they're there. Pick a few favorites, including the bad guys, and match them to a favorite celebrity or character you think you can mimic well enough. Don't hog the spotlight, that's what the players are there for, but when the situation calls for it? Don't simply chew on the scenery. Devour it.

Waterdeep is dead-on right here. Nice post! Don't read it in your head. Go somewhere private and actually say the parts you need to read out loud. Trust me, it makes a huge difference.

By keeping an eye on time, by the way, have a clock with you. If you start at 6, glance at the clock, and if you were planning to have the fluff/set-up part done in 30 minutes and you see it is 6:40 and they're still engaged in fluff - time to be the traffic cop. Blame the clock and gently (but firmly) move it along - or have the NPC they're now wasting time with say "Oh, I have to go now. Good luck!"

And yes - as Waterdeep said you are there to facilitate a great time - you are the director of fun - and part of that is building suspense and providing the challenge - and like WD said also do not hog the show - if you have players who seem shy or reserved, engage them - have the NPCs ask them directly what they think or want to know. It's a lot to take in but practice, guided by a desire to put on a good show - experience - should ultimately take you to a place where you feel strong about your DM abilities. Again, good luck!

(edit - some NPCs might be arrogant and talk down to the party, but all of them should not do this - it's such a different experience if the NPC who initiates the adventure treats the party like they're colleagues - professional adventurers - instead of insulting them - there is a time and place for an insulting NPC, yes - but not all the time - the insulting the party thing can get old fast)

[The Shadowdove]

I second showmanship. It makes it more fun for everyone. I like doing minor voices, but just emphasis during the text boxes while narrating helps. Make NPCs have distinctive speech patterns and mannerisms, they're usually given small description for the DM to use.

Sounds tracks and such can seem excessive for some tables while others eat it up. People I play with prefer not to have background music, they find it distracting.

Also, figure out a way of keeping track of character names/initiative that works for you. There are a lot of methods.

I hand out a foldable standup card with name, ac, initiative, and passive perception on it. Knowing AC, character Name, and PP is very helpful when the modules ask for much things or you have seven players with different names.

[sithlordnergal]

Hi playgrounders. I know it is sometime away still, but I will be a DM for Adventurer's League next season. I am looking for tips on what tools I should be using.

What tools do you DMs use frequently?

Is a DM screen important to you? What tables or rules do you like to have on quick reference? How do you keep track of monsters/health/story elements/etc.?

So, I've never really had a need for DM screens. I let my players see my rolls at all times, that way they know I don't BS them when stuff happens.

As for monsters and health, I tend to use a piece of paper to track those. Story Elements are pretty easy, I'm decent at glancing at what's going on and knowing how to set the scene. The only times I have to really pull stuff out is if something really weird or really complicated is going on. Usually its weird stuff...like when modules accidentally forget to change the name of characters, so you have the same guy driving the carriage, opening the door of a manor from the inside, and coming downstairs with the Lady of the House. At which point I have to pause to reread the entire scene to make sure I didn't miss anything because HOW IS HE IN THREE PLACES AT ONCE!?!

Outside of that, my biggest tip is change up caster spells. My god, change every wizard spell list you can find! They're usually terrible, not thought out, or they're based off of old modules that no longer work.

[Cheesegear]

What tools do you DMs use frequently?

Laminated rectangles of paper, for Initiative tracking and HP.
Dry-erase cardboard for the combat grid.
****-loads of tokens and miniatures.


Is a DM screen important to you?

Yes. But not to hide dice rolls. I always roll my dice where my players can see them.

The DM screen - at least the 'official' one - has lots of useful rules on the back that are really good to have around.


What tables or rules do you like to have on quick reference?

Mainly, Conditions (Poisoned, Grappled, Retrained, etc.).
My players are also frequently breaking stuff, so having the AC and HP of objects is also nice.


How do you keep track of monsters/health/story elements/etc.?

As above, laminated cards.
I - the DM - don't keep track of story elements. I tell the players what I tell them. It's not my job to remember important information, it's theirs.

[Tanarii]

The most important thing for AL as a DM is: don't cheat.

No fudging dice. Definitely don't roll behind a DM screen. Don't change stiff about the enemy mid battle. Don't use illusionism or quantum ogres unless the module specifically tells you to.

At a normal table this will just lose you players. In AL it will get you reported.

[da newt]

1)
Go into it with the understanding that MANY AL players are new, and a big part of your job is to introduce them to D&D and teach them what they need to know.

2)
Patience.

[NaughtyTiger]

Several things make AL at your gaming store different from a home game:

random players - you don't know their playstyle
random characters - you don't know the power until they show up
FIXED TIME- you have 2 or 4 hours. you can't run over on time cuz the next module will start. some folks travel 30-60 minutes for this 1/week game, ending an hour early screws em.

I disagree with Tanarii in principal on this.

In my experience, AL has 6-7 players. Combats take 30 minutes.
If combat ends before the last player gets to roll a die, then that player waited for 30 minutes only to be cheated out of play.
You have to balance player's actions counting with players getting an action.
I usually add monsters and max HP to start, then Reduce HP or tactics to make it easier for players.
Don't let combat drag on if it is clear that the PCs will win... Ask each to describe a kill, and end combat (ie zombies can be hard to perma kill but don't change the outcome of the combat)
This isn't cheating, it's managing a game.
I encourage you to be open about it before the start of the game, explain that you will do what you can to make sure players get to participate.
DMs are in short supply, so your FLGS won't punish you for making sure everyone gets a turn.


I disagree about showmanship.

If you aren't a natural performer, you don't become one sitting behind the screen.
It can feel awkward and forced.


I don't use a GM screen, rolls in the open.
I print out the monster stats, and group them by section.
It is a pain to track HP (83-7-11-8 (no wait, i forgot a bonus)-11) you can round silently, if the math starts bogging down combat.

[Eriol]

Here's something I haven't seen in this thread yet but I consider essential to being an AL DM (that's most of my DMing experience) - In Tier 1 or 2, Don't Kill The Party.

Really, that's it. Whatever you throw at them, whatever the module says to throw at them, don't kill them. Give a way out, even it means going against the module. People have spent however long following STRICT rules getting their characters up, and they don't want to lose them to what feels really random. Give them a way to survive. Everybody will have more fun.


Secondly (much less important), screw the AL rules when necessary. I mean this one. You're going to have some strict rules lawyers that you will have to say to "Ultimately, it's DM's call, if you want to record something different in your log, then do that, but this is what's happening." That's in the AL rules. DMs still have wide latitude, they're often just afraid to use it. A DM can always say "The monsters decide not to kill you, and tie you up..." etc. Then you have to improvise to get them back onto the "rails" of a module, but you can do that. You'd be amazed at what you can do as long as it doesn't have consequences beyond the session. AL is strict about what players can be left with between sessions, but much less strict on what can happen during a session. Exploit that to let your players have fun. They'll be glad they had fun in the meantime, and know you're constrained by not the DM for what happens after.