The Only DM Advice in Brechewold, I Swear

A subject fraught with peril, to be sure, but I gotta admit I'm feeling good about this lil nug I wrote as part of the Brechewold intro:

This book does not present a plot. There is neither a predetermined conclusion nor a set path to follow. When DMing, I resist the temptation to think of myself as a storyteller. I am not telling a story. I am creating the conditions for and participating in a game of imagination structured by weighted chance. “Story” is what the players will tell when the game is over. I haven’t discovered a truly useful analogue to the role of a DM. Though it shares skills with storytellers, traditional game designers, teachers, theatrical directors, psychologists, and architects, it is a unique thing.

So, do not prepare a plot. Set the scenario. Provide enough information for players to make informed choices for their characters. Become familiar with the goals and personalities of the book’s NPCs, and then pay attention. Pay attention to possible conflict or convergence between players’ choices and NPCs’ goals. Pay attention when the players ignore certain undercurrents and allow NPCs to pursue their goals unhindered. Advance the scenario, updating the players with new information as their characters would learn it.

Above all, respect the players’ agency. They must be free to make any choice allowed within the confines of the setting and the comfort and fun at the table. Do not move things around in the imagined world to render their choices meaningless. The NPCs are allowed to be deceptive, but the DM is not. Err on the side of providing too much information if players are unsure what to do, but let them make the choice. Let them surprise you. Let them create chaos. Shed your preconceived notions and allow the imagined world to react naturally to players’ choices.

They Gotta Want It

After reading Maze of the Blue Medusa, I got too excited and roped my girlfriend Jess into a one-on-one trial session. It was a good way to re-learn a lesson I thought I'd already absorbed: "I've got this sick new book that I want to force on you" rarely works, unless maybe everyone at the table is equally excited about said sick book. It takes away player agency right from the start, which is a recipe for frustration. See this review of Death Frost Doom for proof.

Jess had fun, but I could tell that she regarded most of the stuff she found with growing annoyance and impatience. I gave her very little information upfront because I love the sense of meta-plot discovery this dungeon provides, and I didn't want to ruin anything for her. But instead of fostering curiosity, I think I just made her feel like she had no objective and no reason to put her character through all the opaque strangeness and danger.

So lesson learned. Even if I think the book is the best thing I've read this year (and I do), I should always give the players a choice and some kind of hook to draw them in. These are all the reasons I can think of off the top of my head players might want to enter the maze (SPOILERS, DUH):

• Discover the truth behind the Nyctocaust.
• Discover the fate of the Triarchy.
• Get the Gulper, Norah Twain, to inhale something.
• Get some Tears of Time.
• Use the Heart's Orrery.
• Use the Grimspindle.
• Awaken Tiktaalik.
• Complete the dead wedding.
• Use, recover, or destroy the Golden Engine.
• Use the Orrery of Spells.
• Use the Mappa Mundi.
• Find, free, or kill any of the prisoners.
• Kill or negotiate with the medusa.
• Aid or prevent the growth of the Neonate Empire.
• Prepare the way for the coming of the goat messiah.
• Stop Ashen Chanterelle, Cadamosto, and Dogon.
• Steal any of the works in the Gallery.
• Something with Torcul Wort. He's gotta be useful or dangerous to somebody.

In the future I would just seed the campaign world with these hooks, connect them somehow to the painting, and give the players some idea of what they're getting themselves into. Besides, there's plenty in the maze that only really works with a sizable party with some history.

Oh and here, have a spreadsheet of all the NPCs in the maze listed by faction and color-coded by where you can find them.

The Ideal

For mine own clarity of purpose:

1. There is something interesting to do in every direction. The players know that, have some idea of the options, and can discover the rest of the options through play.  They have enough information for each option to make an informed decision on what to do.

2. All of my creative energy goes into making these interesting things to do. There is enough variety that the game doesn't feel repetitive. History, character motivations, relationships, etc are very important, but only if they can inform player decisions.

3. Prep feels like a game rather than a chore. I have a baseline of resources that can be repurposed when working on something new and prevent me from feeling overwhelmed. My methods are fun and efficient, consistently produce interesting material for the players, and don't burn me out.

4. Prep is useful no matter what the players choose to do and supports player agency rather than the illusion of choice. Prepared resources inspire me at the table. They don't allow me to go on autopilot, but they provide enough of a safety net that even when I have an off night the game is still fun.

5. Players don't feel like I am the boss who tells them what to do. They are in charge of themselves and don't feel artificially constrained.

6. Decisions have consequences. There are good decisions with good consequences and bad decisions with bad consequences, and these feel consistent and comprehensible. The rules enforce these consequences and are simple enough that players have an idea of likely outcomes.

7. The rules generate fun and interesting outcomes, whether good or bad. They support rather than resist creative problem solving. They don't get in my way but prevent me from screwing things up too badly.

8. I leave each session feeling energized and with clear goals of what to prep for next time, guided by the notes I take during and immediately after the session. I make sure that, no matter where the players go next, there is something interesting to do.

Scrapbook DMG

You could probably put together the best DMG ever using only blog posts and other free internet things. Here's an index of freely available DM advice and resources that have been invaluable to me as I wade back into the game after years away. It's by no means exhaustive, and I'll keep it updated as I find more stuff.

Introduction

Advice for the Newly Afflicted - Renfield's Cat
On a Guide for New Dungeon Masters - Hack & Slash

Prep Advice

Don't Prep Plots - The Alexandrian
LotFP Referee Book - James Raggi
RPG ABCs - Basic Red
What Is Tested? - Goblin Punch
World Building and Old School Games - Mazirian's Garden

Running Advice

5 Tips for Horror in D&D - Strange Magic
Gaming Advice #1 - Don't Be A Dick Head - Monsters and Manuals
On DMing - Monsters and Manuals
Quantum Ogre series - Hack & Slash
Quick Primer for Old School Gaming - Matthew Finch
Why I Love Simple Initiative - Playing D&D With Porn Stars

Prep Resources

100 Problem & Puzzle Set-ups - Playing D&D With Porn Stars
1d122 OSR-Style Challenges - Goblin Punch
Choose Your Own Generator - Last Gasp
Die-Drop Instadungeon - Playing D&D With Porn Stars (online version here by Jensan)
Ecosystem Generator - I Don't Remember That Move
Forty Fallen Empire Magic Items - Dungeon of Signs
Instaregion - Playing D&D With Porn Stars
Some Rival Adventuring Parties - Dandy in the Underworld
Stock The Dungeon With Rooms That Don't Suck, Fast - Playing D&D With Porn Stars
Treasure - Courtney Campbell (Hack & Slash)
Tricks, Empty Rooms, & Basic Trap Design - Courtney Campbell (Hack & Slash)

In-Game Resources

Cowardice, Treachery, Ineptitude, Insanity (hireling freakouts) - Rotten Pulp
D100 Nested Treasure Table - Playing D&D With Porn Stars (Abulafia here)
Hidden Traits Of NPC You Didn't Realize Was Going To Be Important Until You Actually Started Playing - Playing D&D With Porn Stars
How Do I Break This Curse? - Playing D&D With Porn Stars
Party like it's 999 - Jeff's Gameblog
So You've Decided To Rest In Town Before Going Back Into The Dungeon! - Playing D&D With Porn Stars
Urbancrawl Rules for Slacker DMs - Playing D&D With Porn Stars
What's a Dazzling Urbanite Like You Doing in a Rustic Setting Like This? - Dandy in the Underworld
Where The Hell Have You Been, Flake? - Playing D&D With Porn Stars

Hexcrawls

Hexenbracken

The Kraal

Colossal Wastes of Zhaar

(All hosted on Save vs. Total Party Kill)

Adventures and Dungeons

Better Than Any Man - James Raggi
Five Churches of Tiamat - Playing D&D With Porn Stars
Palace of the Silver Princess - lots of people
Sky-Stone-River-Place - False Machine
Sleeping Place of the Feathered Swine - Logan Knight
The Submerged Spire of Sarpedon the Shaper - Mazirian's Garden
ThroneCrypt of the Afflicted Lord - Playing D&D With Porn Stars (partially keyed)
Unfinished Location File - Playing D&D With Porn Stars (unkeyed)

Monsters

Faerie Knights - Monsters and Manuals
Random Mythical Wizards in 7th Century Northern Japan - Monsters and Manuals

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