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Good advice for DMs old and new alike (files.catbox.moe)
submitted 2 years ago* by to c/rpgmemes@ttrpg.network
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[–] 95 points 2 years ago (2 children)

If you think they'll be too simple then it should only take your players about 20-30 minutes to solve.

Wow. If those PCs could read, they'd be very upset.

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  • [–] 26 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    If you think they’ll be too simple then it should only take your players about 20-30 minutes to solve.

    That being 15 minutes to tell stupid jokes, and 15 more to burn down the building and leave.

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  • [–] 5 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Almost happened in the last Warhammer session I was in. DM made a door that had three locks depending on knowing alchemical symbols, formulae, and the geocentric model. Because the GM forgot that Warhammer doesn't have a flat "magic knowledge" roll like Arcana in D&D 5e, the party mage doesn't know anything, the rest of the party was illiterate, and everyone got so frustrated that everyone except my character tried either breaking the door or entering through the window while the wizard was still home and foiling their attempts. To our credit, we were able to figure out the first two locks with trial and error, with the first being a very simple balancing of the four elemental triangles around a plus sign in a plus shape, and the other being three symbols in a vertical line, the problem was seven symbols to be arranged in a circle. After my party face character shook herself from her puzzle frustration and realized that the wizard is actually home, she just asked him for what we came here for, he was cordial about it, and we left when we got it. During that time, the GM gave the solution (because Wizards are assholes that love to brag about their genius to the stupids) which taught us that in geocentricity, neither Venus nor Mars are closer to Earth than Mercury is, and the sun is between Venus and Mars because of course it is.

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  • [–] 3 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    In geocentricity, neither Venus nor Mars are closer to Earth than Mercury is

    This is actually (kind of) true, mercury is the closest planet to every planet on average

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  • [–] 3 points 2 years ago

    I more meant the layers of their concentric orbits as distanced from their center (the Sun or the Earth). Considering how quickly Mercury orbits the Sun while being the closest planet to it, it makes sense it'd be at perigee more frequently and with less variable distance than other planets that have a wider orbit.

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    • [–] 43 points 2 years ago* (6 children)

    I don't understand how cereal box puzzles would translate over to DnD.

    I also don't know about ripping off movie and TV characters and just swapping out the names. I suppose it depends on the character, but I feel like this is the easiest one to tell that it was "stolen".

    Using Pokémon descriptions for monsters is aces though, even if you use the older mons. I think Monster Hunter monsters would also translate over pretty well.

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  • [–] 45 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 child)

    During a game of Star Wars d6 rpg i ran a group through basically the train job episode of firefly (that was in solo 12 years later) and they did not realize it until we were watching firefly together. I also ran them through the cloud city plot from ESB while they were on cloud city.

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  • [–] 3 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    That's what I mean though. If they are even somewhat aware of the characters you are borrowing from, they'll know the NPCs are rip-offs, regardless of a name swap. I feel like you would have to do more than just change their name. Perhaps combining characters to make 1, or modifying character traits so they're not 1:1.

    I suppose it also depends on whether or not your players care about that sort of thing though, and if you as the DM don't come clean about your shenanigans when caught.

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  • [–] 4 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    I think the prior reply explained it best though. You're not literally copying and pasting a fictional character into your world and just changing their name. You're using good characters from fiction and copying their tropes into your world. Because those tropes work and they exist for a reason.

    In any work of fiction, including building a TTRPG world, it is assumed you will be borrowing inspiration from other sources. I can't imagine having to try to come up with 100% unique characters and ideas to run for my players. I've had lots of instances too where I come up with something I think is original and a player asks "oh wait, is this inspired by X?"

    Point of the ramble being: everything has been thought of to some degree—it's how the applications are used in your world that make them unique. Plus when we encounter a character that reminds us of an existing really good one, I think it makes it easier/more comfortable to get into a good RP mood with them. And even more fun when you do subversions of their existing character.

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  • [–] 32 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 child)

    Mazes, riddles, color coordinated pictures, I think the cereal boxes point is actually a good idea for a kernel of a puzzle.

    This post just made it very real to me how I could DM a game.

    Cool cool cool

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  • [–] [S] 15 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    As a forever DM, it's pretty fun to DM and I think everyone should give it a shot

    Especially if you enjoy the roleplay aspect, you get to roleplay so much

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  • [–] 8 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    I do like roleplay, I write stories for fun already.

    How did you get started?

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  • [–] [S] 10 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Basically I just figured out what I needed to know for the bare minimum to run a game

    Then my friends and I discussed it and that I was really new at it so things might be rough, and the DM screen is basically a quick reference guide for things you'll need to know

    That was back in the days of DnD 3.5

    With the new group I've got we decided to do 5e (which I had never ran before) so I picked up a starter set and ran it from there, which was really easy to do

    A few quick tips for you: don't be afraid to improvise, don't be afraid to ask for a moment to look something up, don't worry about doing different voices for everyone you roleplay as it ain't necessary, and most of all have fun

    Basically the biggest hurdle for DMing was getting past my nerves to actually commit to a date

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  • [–] 4 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Not the person you asked, but another forever dm who likes it.

    I fell into it because I wanted to play and the best way to control scheduling was to run the game.

    If you like to write stories that's wonderful - take a look at some of the pre generated adventures in any system to understand how the different components work in pen and paper games. Just remember that no plot can survive contact with the players unscathed (after all it's group story telling)- and some level of improve skill will help the overall experience. After that just have fun.

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  • [–] 2 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Makes sense, I think I can roll with the punches.

    That's also really good point about being able to keep a consistent schedule. I think I'd prefer to be able to have the adventure on time.

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  • [–] 2 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    You can't. You can do better sometimes but there will still be hiccups. As far as I'm aware the groups most likely to be actually consistent have been playing together since they were in school.

    This isn't meant to be discouraging at all! The opposite in fact. Don't let those hiccups, common or rare, stop you. Just be aware of their possibility and ready to adapt. Ability to adapt is the most useful tool in the GM toolbox at the table and approaching it.

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  • [–] 19 points 2 years ago* (3 children)

    I also don’t know about ripping off movie and TV characters and just swapping out the names. I suppose it depends on the character, but I feel like this is the easiest one to tell that it was “stolen”.

    You wouldn't put them wholesale into a game. For example, you'd mentally label an NPC as a 'Spock' and play him as intellectual and logical. Another as a 'McCoy' and play him as compassionate, emotional, and a bit of a catastrophiser. Obviously, you wouldn't use them together as the crew of a ship (along with a 'Kirk' and a 'Scotty'), that would be a bit on the nose. And you wouldn't steal characters' history or catch-phrases, you would just use the core of the character as a shorthand for personality, as a guide for how they might present themselves, think, and interact with others.

    There's no reason, say, a fantasy city council couldn't be run by:

    • a 'Hannibal Lecter' (brilliant, urbane, lover of the finer things)
    • a 'Lesley Knope' (energetic, rules follower)
    • a 'Sarah Connor' (determined, uncompromising)
    • a 'Stringer Bell' (confident ambitious, maybe with a secret past)
    • a 'Dr. Gregory House' (cantankerous, confrontational, cynical)
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  • [–] [S] 7 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Yeah the puzzle one might be tough but the rest are pretty good

    The TV characters thing is also one that's kinda meh

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    • [–] 33 points 2 years ago (5 children)

    This is good advice except for the bit about Dora the Explorer. That would require watching Dora the Explorer.

    Sub in any genre movie or TV show you know well. If you players catch on and recognize it, that's even better, because then they think they know what to expect, and that's when you zag on 'em.

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  • [–] [S] 22 points 2 years ago

    There's plenty of episode synapses available everywhere for every show. You don't have to watch them, just have to read them

    I've stolen places from different shows and plot beats from other shows quite a bit since I started DMing about a decade ago

    Only recently did someone catch on that the location (the dungeon they delved into) was stolen from a show (well, more "heavily influenced" by a show (think someone gave a elevator pitch for a location and I built from that)) though no one has caught on yet that they've been exploring Idaho now for 2 years. I've even laid maps down on the table for people to look over and no one's caught on yet.

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  • [–] 11 points 2 years ago (3 children)

    Farscape is my go-to. It's niche sci fi that I've watched, but none of my players has...

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    [–] 17 points 2 years ago (3 children)

    And this is why as a paladin artificer, my character Ambrose Dayne is explicitly Batman.

    Nobody has figured it out yet. 🤣

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  • [–] 8 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Brilliant character concept. I can only assume you have gadget belt, and every device is branded with the holy symbol of your oath.

    Bonus points if your oath is based around overcoming fear by adopting the aspects of the most feared one, who takes the form of a great bat.

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  • [–] 10 points 2 years ago

    My spell focus is a gem which I embedded in my belt along with batteries for electrical supply to augment my attacks! I have a grappling gun attached to my arm Monster Hunter World style! I wear all black and have arachnophobia! My alias is 'webs'!

    Those bonus I'll be claiming soon. I'm gonna be doing it spider themed though.

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    • [–] 16 points 2 years ago*

    be me

    enter dungeon

    consult magic talking map

    run strait to hot lava pit

    band tee shirts and leather with studs everywhere

    electric rabbits appear

    yell Trix are for kids

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    [–] 11 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    Need names? Whip out a map and start using placenames.

    Example; I zoomed in on a random spot in London

    Allen
Brown
Bury
Leanenhall
Billter
Fenchurch
Creechurch
Mitre
Asperior
Sino
Kentro
Aioi
Ardent
Weightman
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    • [–] 10 points 2 years ago

    Dang thinking back, Dora quest would be so dope. I want to save the Ice princess!!

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    [–] 9 points 2 years ago

    If you don't identify at least 10 pop culture references every session in my games, you're either not paying attention to the game or have no culture.

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    [–] 7 points 2 years ago

    I had a pair of DMPCs for the party to fight in a tournament arc: Saul Carolina Jack and Sir David Pent. The first is a Barbarogue build, the other a ranged Monk that is also speced towards close-combat grappling.

    spoilerThey're Snake and Raiden from MGS. Their names are wordplay on David + Serpent/Snake and Saul C. "Saucy" Jack.

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    [–] 6 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    The dungeon layouts from malls and subways is just stupid. Just placing rooms is not a meaningful portion of the work in designing a dungeon. If you want to steal one, there are so, so many already designed for TTRPGs already and available freely.

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  • [–] [S] 9 points 2 years ago

    Personally I find the room layout the hardest part so stealing a layout helps me jump off

    Laying out traps, secrets, monsters, etc is the easy part

    Now area maps are a whole other ball game though, my players have been exploring Idaho now for 2 years and no one has caught on yet.

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