EDIT: Just so those of you that happen upon this aren't completely confused, I've recently started running Dungeons & Dragons campaigns for some friends of mine and have decided it might interest some of you to see the things I have observed from our sessions. This then is the first of many such entries to come.
I have realized through my own early failings as a dungeon master and information hence gathered that a great weakness of mine (and assuredly other dungeon masters) is not keeping on top of each aspect of my campaign. Judging myself from the most objective viewpoint possible, I have determined that this is not due to a lack of enthusiasm, but rather to over enthusiasm. The frequency of our sessions and my limited knowledge of this admittedly daunting game coupled with my misguided enthusiasm to put my players in fresh, engaging environments each session lead to a disjointed, unsatisfactory experience for the player side of the equation. Not only this, but due to the frequency and length of our sessions I am later too burned out and exhausted to “do my homework” (with regards to player development) before the next session. Judging from the reactions of my players and further based on my own knowledge of human beings, the best route is to have an adventure fully prepared before a play session and time said session appropriately so that all rewards may be adequately dealt with before its close.
Thus I have determined that it is best to play only at regularly scheduled times, and that pick-up games often end poorly. It is within my own capabilities as a dungeon master to play perhaps twice a week and still deliver what I hope to be considered a riveting experience. The amount of behind-the-scenes work and preparation required make asking more of a still inexperienced DM unreasonable.
Another thing that I have noticed in the short time I have spent dungeon running is that players are often ignorant of various rules (including those pertaining to their own character, ie, abilities, feats, etc.) and lack sufficient knowledge of the game to realize when it might be appropriate to ask for a Spot check or similar action. Instead the weaker players rely on the few stronger, more imaginative ones for queues, rolling Spot checks when they do, checking for Traps when prompted, etc. I recognize that it may in part be some of my own shortcomings that have led to this, particularly in the descriptive department. Nonetheless, I cannot help but think that the mediocrity of some sessions is entirely as much a fault of the players than it is the dungeon master’s.
Although what I have said so far has been largely negative, that is not the way I wish to construe the majority of our sessions. Though each are peppered with their own dull moments and periods of exasperation, for the most part myself and (I believe) those who I play with have enjoyed exploring this game together. I look forward to the day when we all find ourselves in full understanding of the rules and can play the game entirely as intended. For now, we will have to continue playing only to the best of our abilities, and that goes for me, too.
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