More Generic Adventure Design Advice for DnD

Don't be afraid to DM
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[@Dyrnwyn]

I love the practise of letting characters just do things automatically because of their class or some other aspect of who they are. Like thieves have the ability Climb Sheer Surfaces, which they have to roll for, but they can climb regular walls with no problem.

[@BanditsKeep]

For sure

[@williamobraidislee3433]

I also love being a Dungeon Master. I love every step of it, from sharpening my pencils, to making fastidiously organized plans and outlines, to having those fastidiously organized plans and outlines blown apart during the game so that what were perfectly stacked materials when we started look like a small hurricane hit them when we finish. I love the law and the chaos of it. What a blast!

[@BanditsKeep]

Yes!

[@oKingLexx]

I love being DM!! Why be somebody when I can be EVERYBODY.

[@krispalermo8133]

Problem is people think Too big, due to all of those setting novels, cartoons, and other video games that came out the past 15years which we didn't have growing up back in the 1980's & 90's. You don't need no continent or area the size of USA Texas. I seen people complain about a map's size which I had to point out was as big as England/Scotland which can fit within the USA state of Alabama. Point being just begin with a mini setting with a dozen local dungeons. In the 4e DMG the starting campaign setting map of the Baron dealing with the Goblins was said to be Too small, I angerly pointed out to my game shop that the map was 4x the size of Great Britian. And the plot in the DMG was taking up too much area for what was needed. On good roads a wagon could travel 15miles per day, on the Texas prairie cattle grazing grasslands you could be lucky to travel 3miles in a given day if you are not traveling behind a cattle herd that has stomp down the earth after years of seasonal migrations. Also of note, the Wild West stagecoach, came after the USA Civil War and those stagecoaches were built with Steel leaf spring as shock absorbers to deal with higher speed travel along with per scouted roads for smooth faster travel. England and France had some fast stagecoaches at a given time but those were during the late renaissance and those were in the 1700's when the roads were well maintained along with those dam English hills slowing traveling times where a fast horse was a better option for over land travel. Another interesting note regarding history, up till after the first WW. Close to a 1/3rd of France had no road travel or major settlements cause the land was too hilly & forested for farming. After the Tank was invented, the bulldozer and chainsaw was a major land clearer. Funny enough up till WW II close to a 1/4th of France never paid Tax to the government cause the authorities could not send a military battalion into the forest locations without getting ambush by the locals after centuries of fortifying the hills/forest from invasion of waring French barons & invading Germans. If you go off the goat trails the landscape had many dead falls, trenches grown over acting as leg breakers for both men & horses a like. Along with hunting camping cabins functioning as pill boxes to defend from invading military units. In the USA the War of 1812 was a big thing, to the British it was just a side foot note cause the British was fighting Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon rises to power is interesting, and if he just Staid in France and not go after the Russians then European history could have turn out very differently.

[@BanditsKeep]

Indeed

[@michaelwest4325]

Many good points. I feel part of the problem may be fear of not having mastery of the rules to be a "good" DM. The mechanics exist to resolve things, especially when the players want something more than logical narrative. You are spot on in saying a roll needs to resolve things that have gravity, snd really shine when it is in the nature of the impossible or fantasy. Being the DM is about managing the conflict, its arrival and resolution.

[@BanditsKeep]

Indeed

[@existinginaspace8347]

I had one of my last 3 players get snippy 4-5 times a game whenever something wassnt dead ass exactly the same as the book. They were also a gm in other games.

[@BanditsKeep]

@@existinginaspace8347 that player would not be invited back to my table

[@michaelwest4325]

@@existinginaspace8347 and that is part of the game too, the commonality and knowability of a game played to the same rules. But I hope they see that in actual play the resolution is an approximation, rules are guides, and if they want a precise simulation then another table might benefit their style.

[@davidmorgan6896]

I prefer to think of them as tools not 'rules'. As such, they help me run a session and do not restrict me. We are playing not competing.

[@chrisg8989]

Couldn't agree more with that last bit. I never understand DMs that complain about how much work being a DM is or the ones that feel like they are deserving of special treatment cuz they are the DM. It's a pleasure and a privilege to be the DM. At my table we are all chomping at the bit to run a session. It's great fun. If you think it's work then maybe stick to being a player.

[@BanditsKeep]

For sure

[@yanaleigh]

I love when my players manage to "thwart" me. It gets them excited and engaged. I often pretend to be annoyed but they can see right through me. Recently I had a major creature with legendary actions that they managed to stun and keep stunned until it was dead. It took one action the entire fight. They were crowing. Why would i want to prevent them from being able to do that? And then last night they snuck up on a military party and it was open land, lots of room to run, so I was like, this is a large group. I estimated, but later checked and it was SO FAR above lethal. They killed them all. They used some great tactics and powerful spells. Again, I love that for them. If a DM doesn't secretly want to lose then what's the point?

[@BanditsKeep]

Awesome!

[@BlackJar72]

Good advice for going around player to player; I have a bad habit of addressing them as a group, only to have the one experienced player do all the talking. I should try to make myself remember to do this. For encounter balancing I tend to use the Frank Mentzer's system (I think from the Master Set) that amounts to comparing total party levels to total monster levels as a rule of thumb to start from. I have learn, though that its good to consider the number of attacks as well as the implications of special abilities (since not all such abilities are equal).

[@BanditsKeep]

For sure

[@crowgoblin]

I do something similar and compare total party HD to monster HD, though I don’t believe in balanced encounters, but I use it more as a rule of thumb.

[@alberthennen7370]

As usual Daniel a really good reflection of how I feel an effective DM operates. I think this contains a lot of excellent advice for young DMs , and a lot of good reminders that are still pertinent for dusty old sorts like myself. I also want to point out that your enthusiasm shines through your content , and is ( for me at least ) infectious. Keep up the good work.

[@Astartes36]

Totally agree with your statement!

[@BanditsKeep]

I appreciate that 😊

[@jamesbreeden9016]

DMan, I think your doing a great job. Really enjoy your dungeon/adventure making videos. I appreciate your keen and clever mind. Blessings to you

[@BanditsKeep]

Thank You!

[@age-of-adventure]

I think making sure you give every player an equal opportunity to contribute is a critical aspect of being a GM. I like your idea of going around the table one by one. We even go to the extent of using a Turn Order mechanic (even outside of combat) to ensure this occurs every scene.

[@BanditsKeep]

Nice

[@davidmorgan6896]

My approach to this is to have small groups, three max, of people who aren't wallflowers and let them get on with it.

[@Marcus-ki1en]

Great advise. An occasional dummy roll "behind the screen" can work wonders to keep every one focused. Roll more often if the players discuss or plan too long. Helps to keep things moving along.

[@BanditsKeep]

Note a fan of fake rolls, but I do roll future encounters etc while the players make plans

[@johnathanrhoades7751]

Better yet, don’t make it a dummy roll. Make it a roll that, on a 1 or something, an appropriate complication is introduced. For example, my players were on a heist and were taking a lot of time discussing, so I rolled, hit an encounter, and then had a d4 timer going on the table until the patrol came by.

[@johnathanrhoades7751]

I love the way the Alexandrian talks about scenes (it sounds like your saying very similar things there) Highly recommend his blog. Some great advice! With fudging dice, so true! I have players who love rolling dice more than I do, so I will sometimes say “sure, give me a roll to see how long it takes” or “you find these things, give me a roll to see if you notice something else”. So they know they succeeded, but they can still clack their math rocks together for a degree of success.

[@BanditsKeep]

Cool, I like that

[@Astartes36]

At the risk of this sounding like a put down and a compliment, let me start off by saying that I really enjoy all of your videos. Some are better for me, hit me just right, and are really awesome! This video got me just at the right time. I am a very experienced dm, but I still can get a lot out of these videos and the tips that you give new dms can really help remind me of things and reinforce lessons I have learned in the past. Even better, you start me questioning myself on game mechanic and narrative styles I use and I think find better options. Case in point, you brought up that we should refrain from having players roll dice for something that we want to happen. I still do that at times which, as you point out, is ridiculous because then I either have to fudge something or figure out some other way to give the players something they should have gotten in the first place. I was thinking though that even in those situations, instead of having the roll be fail vs success, the roll could be the degree of success. So they are already going to do it, but a good roll might give them an advantage above and beyond. Now I’m very excited to try this out! Thanks Dan!

[@BanditsKeep]

For sure, degrees of success is a good approach

[@williebarkley7046]

First, thank you for doing these vids and I really enjoy your content. I’m 54 yes of age and yet to run or play a trpg. My grandsons want me to DM for them so I’ve been absorbing all I can and feel that we are close to starting a dnd session 0. I watch a great deal of KZbin content and truly understand your advice and info very easy. So thank you again.

[@BanditsKeep]

Excellent! I’m sure you will have an amazing time telling stories with your grandchildren

[@johnathanrhoades7751]

I hope you started it up and are enjoying it! It can be such a blast.

[@iainmcdonald9764]

Great advice Daniel. Totally agree with your views. DMing should be fun and if you keep it simple and effective the way that Moldvay showed us back in the 1980s you can't go too far wrong. 5e players and DMs overthink things and it doesn't need to be that way.

[@BanditsKeep]

Not all of them 😊

[@GameMastersWorkshop]

Structured scenes are always a terrible way to go. As DM's we can get hung up on the idea that the scene has to be solved a certain way, and end up ignoring good ideas that the players come up with. The best solution for me has always been just to create a problem, and wait to see what solution the players come up with. Nine times out of ten its a great idea, and one I didn't think of. The tenth time, they usually have to find another route, but I never rescue them or plan how they are going to get from A to B. That's their job.

[@BanditsKeep]

Yup

[@johnathanrhoades7751]

Check out the Alexandrian blog on “scenes”. It’s somewhat confusing terminology, but it’s really just about setting the scene (introducing the problem or situation) and then seeing what the players do, and then making sure that once everything is resolved, you move on to the next “scene” (situation or problem) without too much dawdling.

[@krispalermo8133]

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year !

[@BanditsKeep]

🎁🎄🎉

[@Wordviews]

I strongly agree about the tendency of players and DMs to forget about the option of leaving an area and coming back with more information or resources. I understand the inclination to keep things moving for play situations like convention games and the like, but I think the need to go out and research an ancient language or hire an expert in a particular field provides an invaluable opportunity to engage with the wider world. In regards to "just let them do it", I think the other thing to keep in mind is the fail forward concept. If the party absolutely needs to read the inscription on the pillars, but fail the check, the DM can make them take longer to drain resources, apply conditions, or have some sort of dramatic event happen as a result of the failed roll while still allowing the characters to progress.

[@BanditsKeep]

For sure

[@johnhansen4794]

"It should be fun." Indeed.

[@BanditsKeep]

Yup 😊

[@mackdmara]

When a player wants to do something that will kill their character, I kindly say, "(Character's name) knows he isn't able to do that. Do you still want to?". It gives the player the knowledge of the limits, but doesn't force their hand. If they want to do it anyway, they can, I just won't bend the world around crazy decisions. It ruins emmersion for other players I think and ends up with escalating crazy decisions from that player often. There are hard lessons as a DM sometimes.

[@BanditsKeep]

Indeed

[@opaqued2039]

Solid video. I liked the situation vs. encounter philosophy, specifically the player choice as the means to deal with the situation (determining whether it's combat, social, exploration, etc.). I follow the same philosophy you outlined. As a DM, watching how the players interact with those situations makes the session fun for me.

[@BanditsKeep]

For sure

[@zipper4146]

I absolutely agree! I was just talking to a guy on reddit to avoid the 5-room dungeon, because it is set-up to have the GM dictate how the encounter should be resolved.

[@BanditsKeep]

Yup!

[@Toddalotapodamus]

I'm glad you touched on mechanics not being necessary if there isn't anything interesting at stake. I've even had veteran DMs have me roll perception rather than allowing me to narrate where I'm looking. I think it's just a symptom of the current state of gaming.

[@BanditsKeep]

Indeed

[@lancearmada]

Been reading icewind dale and while reading modules is kind of the antithesis of fun, its interesting to see ten different towns and like twelve different quests (two that span the towns and one local problem for each town). Most of the quests are closed in that they provide maybe a little worldbuilding but otherwise they are usually just a monster or an interesting little cave or location or a little castle for them to explore etc.. They are very contained.

[@BanditsKeep]

Cool! I haven’t looked at that book, but seems intriguing

[@Fuzzyplatypus]

i've been DMing for like 12 years, and yet that part where you say to do things in a turn based way outside of combat just flicked the biggest switch in my head. I've definitely done that kind of thing before, but I don't know why that isn't just my default way of running the game.. complete game changer

[@roguishowl3915]

Ty this was a great and helpful video for me as a dm. I was scared when I first started as a dm. And seven years later I love it. The only downside to DMing is I don’t have enough time to be a player again. 😅

[@BanditsKeep]

Same here!

[@EteraRPG]

the tip of "letting the players come up with the solutions" was the best advice I've ever heard, you just focus on the aspect of the challenge itself and then decide if their plan would be possible or not. I had this one moment where I set up a piranha infested swamp and did not come up with a solution, the wizard used a frotbeam to make a walkeable path, it was pretty neat.

[@BanditsKeep]

Awesome

[@bartlankheet9026]

As a DM who started as a 16 year old in 2017 with a not very well thought-through homebrew campaign which used all the ideas of Dont Stop Thinking and Matt Colville's early DMming videos, who then started using modules until a month ago, I must say I feel like I've lost my creativity and confidence as a DM. I'm now gonna take over one of my ongoing module based 5e campaigns and homebrew the rest of it, and im starting a DCC game soon and for both I feel like I get stuck trying to come up with interesting dungeon ideas. Maybe that is because what you talked about in the previous video: all those options make you less creative. I feel like I need to conform to something now, even though I've elected to not use premade stuff (and for DCC you just 100% get thrown into the deep end! haha). ]I think your channel has given me something great to rip off (or be inspired by) again, just like matt colvilles early videos haha! So thanks for that Daniel! I love the super casual conversational style of your videos and I really appreciate you standing up for the profession of Gamemastering! Cheers

[@BanditsKeep]

Thanks! I find home brew (once you get flowing) to be incredibly fun and it keeps me on my toes

[@PhilC_PhD]

This is a great video I wish I had seen it a year ago. I agree 100% with what you are saying and trying to incorporate this mentality for running and building the muscle memory so to speak as I continue to run more games. I feel I learned some bad habits when I was running a lot of 5e based off live plays I saw. I run exclusively OSR and building these old school running muscles for much better games and I am having more fun than ever running. I am so inspired to run and world build on my downtime since switching to OSR. Great video!

[@BanditsKeep]

Awesome

[@MarkMcMillen2112]

Regarding your comment about players pulling out XYZ and solving whatever conflict unexpectedly, I find this to be loads of fun. I don't see it as breaking the game at all, but rather opening entirely new possibilities. Surprisingly, the party escaped a dangerous trap and defeated an evil bad guy and took his treasure, all without a scratch. So what happens next? Maybe someone else finds out about their score and decides they want to take it from them. There's just no downside to the party being successful because there's always another obstacle to overcome.

[@BanditsKeep]

Indeed

[@jasondalberti4635]

Great video with helpful advice and practical examples. It really opened my eyes with the player turns cause I have a tendencty to follow one characters action before asking other what they are doing. Something I'm working on and will include this in my prep and at the table.

[@BanditsKeep]

Thanks!

[@tripleagaming8655]

Dude, I love your voice and you look like a cool guy, but I think having some graphics or context images from books and things would make your videos much more interesting and easier to focus on (that might only be for me, I just have issues with focusing on one thing for a long time). I love your videos though, they're all amazing and really useful. Keep it up!

[@BanditsKeep]

Thanks. I try not to clutter the screen with graphics, but I certainly will consider adding something. I appreciate your feedback

[@grumpyoldslan]

"It should be fun" -- best advice ever Merry Christmas!

[@BanditsKeep]

❤️ Merry Christmas

[@strawpiglet]

Good stuff. You could almost just run an entire game without rules just based on what you said.

[@BanditsKeep]

Yes! Thank you

[@MrRourk]

That is what the 1 page Game Crowd does

[@CaseyWilkesmusic]

Your last comment about “if you enjoy being a dm, this won’t be work to you” is 100% true. The problem with not having enough dms is really the same as the lurker:creater issue in many platforms. Dms are thé content and players are essentially lurkers (for the sake of the analogy. I love players!!)

[@BanditsKeep]

That’s a good analogy I’d say. Players keep us creating

[@christophseel8757]

DM stress and Anxiety level just dropped a 100% 😂good job Daniel I love your voice and the content is pure wisdom 👌🏻

[@BanditsKeep]

Thank You!

[@VMSelvaggio]

I often look at being the DM or GM as being a playwright. You are creating an observable "situation," but the PCs are the ones who will give you their interaction with the "backdrop" that you've proposed.

[@BanditsKeep]

Interesting take.

[@CONTINGENCY_sys]

Tools vary in the space. Dice are tools, character sheets are tools, maps are tools, mechanics are tools. They should all support whatever your creative space is and whatever inspires your creative processes. There are many ways to do the same thing. Many paths to many destinations. Everything is paced how you measure your space, and that will be measured often times differently in others spaces. Interactions differ, inhabitants vary, use of this vs use of that changes table to table. Opportunities for adventure and heroics is how the varied spaces unify. We play for enjoyment. If you are enjoying what you are doing then you are doing it right. If not, explore other ways to bring or build those spaces differently to share in more enjoyment. The most important rule, Whatever works for you. Know that every space has their own measure there of. That is the range of the space. TTRPG isn't 1 table but many, and they are not all playing the same thing, nor using the same mechanics. But, in the end we are all building a space to enjoy.

[@CONTINGENCY_sys]

I often say there are 20 sides to every story. Some tables use xp, some do not. Some use dice, others do not. Measures of success/fail may not be mechanical. Memorable moments may be all you require. There is not one space, nor world, nor brand. Widest selection is available to all.

[@CONTINGENCY_sys]

I use dice only when there is a question of the measure of Success/Fail. Some tables use them more often, but that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Some ask for dice rolls to get a consistency of known. A rule to fall to in that instance: 3 successes before 3 failures should set a level of consistency in those instances you are measuring by asking for a dice roll outside of situational combat or unknown measures of success/fail.

[@PrehistoricLizard]

The great advise about when to roll. Shares the same philosophy as Kelsey Dionne in Shadowdark RPG. 👍

[@BanditsKeep]

Cool

[@ameliaward7429]

I only ever needed to be a couple steps ahead of the players and let them drive the campaign. That's the story. A well concieved and thoroughly thought out Random Encounter Table can write it's own story.

[@BanditsKeep]

For sure!

[@helixxharpell]

Whatever system the GM is running is just a tool for storytelling. The system just brings in the possibilities of chance. For me, I weave/offer several plotlines for the PCs to run thru. The NPCS are there (for my game) to present either assistance or challenges. Sometimes players in my game feel herded thru the plotlines. Actually I want them to feel herded in a way. This forces them to make decisions for or against on their feeling of being herded. But.. my campaign directly INVOLVE the characters. I'm hoping they can thwart my machinations because as a GM I'm playing literally 100s of NPCs. Imo the game has evolved into so much complexity that gamers/DMs are becoming discouraged from being creative. With the advent of video games and their complexity gamers are getting what I call "inundation syndrome". GMs these days feel a subconscious challenge to make their game challenging because the video game world have taken all these ideas & encounters and NOTHING SEEMS NEW ANYMORE. So the GMs out there get frustrated to introduce ideas & challenges that the players haven't seen yet. That's why IMO the games do not get into higher levels. Lastly, in my game the players (like jn your thinking Daniel) are special people. Players are more likely to be more engaged when their characters have continuing purpose. Yet, another great video Daniel! Keep doing what you're doing sir!

[@Robert-bm2jr]

I really hope more people subscribe. I love this channel. Keep it up.

[@BanditsKeep]

Thank You!

[@sleepinggiant4062]

I like the video, lots of good things here. You can have one solution to an problem, just don't do it often, and always be open to reasonable solutions that your players suggest (and once in a while the crazy ones too). I find that knowing the character's abilities (their character sheet) is vital to designing challenging combats. Using passive checks is a huge time saver (Taking 10) and I highly recommend it even when the player asks to roll, especially when the roll would give away information. You can also roll for them. DMs like to call for Perception checks every five minutes (please avoid this).

[@BanditsKeep]

Indeed

[@garrettwhite3922]

I will say, I agree on most parts. But on the fudging the dice matter, I do sometimes do this when the players begin to lose focus due to lack of recent rolls to increase tension.

[@BanditsKeep]

How does that help them gain focus?

[@jounipurhonen4676]

Very nice! Thank you for this. Greetings from Finland.

[@BanditsKeep]

Thank You!

[@dantherpghero2885]

Too often players look to their character sheet for the solution to their problems. And if they don't have this skill or this ability or this feat they think their character just can't do a thing. To paraphrase Prof. Dungeon Master: The GM/system/rules should make it possible for any character to swing from a chandelier, smite an enemy, or turn a leg of mutton into an improvised weapon -because every character has a right to kill someone with a leg of mutton.

[@BanditsKeep]

That sounds like an inexperienced player issue, not a system one.

[@KayttakaaHumehia]

Great thing about your content, ideas and advice is the way you avoid jumping into foxholes and being absolute. Thats what makes it always joy to listen.

[@BanditsKeep]

Thank You! I enjoy all types of gaming.

[@johntheherbalistg8756]

I try to minimize rolling in favor of narrative solutions, as well, though I'm not nearly as experienced a DM as you are. My thing is, if they're proficient in a skill, or would have reason to know how to do this particular action, and there is no pressure, they don't need to roll. You're a ranger with proficiency in nature and survival? You want to pick berries and mushrooms around your camp? Yea, sure, you can tell what kinds are good without a roll

[@BanditsKeep]

For sure

[@thomaspetrucka9173]

The CR system in 5e DOES NOT work this way. My cousin used that system to plan combat encounters, and could not get a fight to last longer than a round and a half. None of us ever dropped below half hp. You HAVE to factor in action economy. If you want your combat encounter to be 50/50, you ALSO want the monsters to have the same amount of actions/round as the players. You can easily shore this up with a few minions that scatter when the big bad is dead.

[@BanditsKeep]

I ran 5e for 3 years from level 1-14 … it worked for me 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@Jonas0Wahl]

Wow great insight, some stuff I realised I started doing unconsciously and organically, but a lot of great new points like the player adressing! Thank you

[@BanditsKeep]

Thanks 😊

[@MiguelAngelSanchezCogolludo]

I think the word "scene" is borrowed from linear narrative media, such as film or theater... I'd prefer the word "encounter" as a genuine rpg terminlogy (perhaps expanding a little bit the semantics). In fact, Ben Riggs made a "Encounter Theory" essay all about this concept.

[@BanditsKeep]

Say encounter to someone outside RPGs they may not understand, scene they will

[@wingwalker007]

Only just found your channel and I’m happy I have. I played dnd back in the 80s when I was a kid and I am trying to DM for a small group of friends who haven’t played before. I was trying to run LMoP and it all fell over when an npc cast a spell at the PCs and we didn’t know how to work out if it hit, we ended up spending half an hour looking through the books to find the solution and couldn’t and I’ve never found the answer and we haven’t played since. If anyone has some advice I’d really appreciate it.

[@BanditsKeep]

Sorry what is LMoP? Usually spells require a saving throw if they do now call for an attack throw if the game is based on D&D

[@Jonas0Wahl]

@@BanditsKeep Lost Mines of Phandelver, starting module. Don't remember any starting enemies with spells tho

[@wingwalker007]

@@BanditsKeep LMoP is Lost Mines of Phandelver, it’s the module that comes with one of the starter sets. I might just run it as ADnD I know what I’m doing with that :)

[@mikecurley3849]

Hey bandit, ( sounds like I'm on the CB radio to Burt Reynolds 😄) . Love the channel. I'm about to run a large sandbox campaign down under here in OZ , and was wondering what you think of skill checks as a percentile roll. I first encountered this in Basic Roleplaying ( Chaosium games) and it seemed very intuitive to me for the simple fact that most people get it when say " you've got an %80 chance of making that climb" etc. I'll be running OSE but thought this would be a good rule to include. Any thoughts?...

[@BanditsKeep]

Percentage works well. But I personally do not like a fixed mechanic. So I like mixing the dice and using bell curves etc. If I had to chose one, I’d likely use percentage though. That’s awesome you are starting a sandbox! Let me know how it goes!

[@KILOBify]

Fabulous video filled to the brim with good advice.

[@BanditsKeep]

Thank You!

[@roberticvs]

"Problems with predetermined solutions" is a dangerous trap for DMs. Players will frustrate you when they don't click on your predetermined solution. Let them solve problems.

[@BanditsKeep]

Yup!

[@krispalermo8133]

Generic design, many many years ago, around 25+ years ago .. I draw a few basic 5 to dozen room dungeons, along with some basic artwork which photo copy as base coloring book artwork. Show some players the artwork, .. a.) Too kid friendly and have no interest in playing an adventure that looks like that. b.) Same picture with different shading style which was much better, judge a book by its cover, this is a game you want to play. But it is the same cartoon PC and dungeon as the first. c.) Tomb of Vile Horror, no way in hell I will step foot into that dungeon, so how many PC can I play at the start to feed into this meat grinder ? 2.) Same dungeon, more or less same theme as a training test ground of cave system tunnels leading into an ancient temple. a.) Good guys, all encounters are controlled by an illusionist wizard or golems, later with 3.5e update the temple holds Warforge guardians to test newcomers. Run Xp award as DM wants from combat since it is non lethal, yet grant full Xp on puzzles. b.) Necromancers and fight multiple types of undead to reach the temple site energy/manna loci granting negative energy manna potions or to recharge magic items. c.) Star Wars ancient Jedi or Sith temple, replace all illusions guardians and undead with combat war droids and run the adventure as written. 3.) Last of the AD&D campaign setting source books, " Skull Port," Forgotten Realms Water Deep under mountain adventure pirate smuggler seaport. Keep all PCs factions more or less the same, and just up scale the map area square measurements of the port to dock spaceships. Ran many Star Wars and Star Trek games using Skull Port book. a.) Dragon Lance 25th Silver Anniversary, campaign setting which covers the exploits of the original adventure modules which was the base of the novel series. We just treated the Krynn setting with all adventure locations and politics as a Star Wars space star sectors. Replace the dragons with Hutts and warlords without spellcaster abilities as imperial warlords or crime lords. Spellcasting clerics or wizards as Sith. Facing off against dragons and dealing with dragon fire breath weapons as battle droids or taking out a spaceship.

[@BanditsKeep]

Cool

[@TKFKU]

I am gathering one of the big issue is that people today overplan too much. As dm, you build up the basic outline of a world. Not too much, not too little, enough to handle the first few levels to get things going. Then just let the chips fall where they will. Maybe put a page in the next edition's dmg or phb stating clearly "whatever you do, no matter how much you plan. you have to let the pcs, pc." If that means they have a moment or "highlight", ok. But if that means they die a horrible death, that's fine too.

[@BanditsKeep]

For sure

[@MWodenberg]

..."yes a 5 HD dragon can wipeout a party in one breath; but that is how you learn he he..." LOL yep that is how we learn the world is a dangerous place. When to fight and when to run.

[@BanditsKeep]

Indeed

[@UncleKalle]

Quick question on balancing combats: OSR type game here. I like your idea of comparing hit dice. Does that count for random encounters as well? And do you only count PCs or retainers as well? Thanks in asvance, I appreciate your work :)

[@BanditsKeep]

I would use that for all encounters and include any retainers that are combatants.

[@kevinvanderlinden7103]

Daniel, would you be able to do a video on different ways to run a maze? It's something I've tried a couple of times but with mix success.

[@BanditsKeep]

Look up something called “hexflower” by Goblin’s Henchman. I’ve found this works really well. I could do a video - but this is something you can try right away.

[@anathema1828]

Nice work on the video!

[@BanditsKeep]

Thank You!

[@bradbernstein73]

You are awesome man, truly 😊

[@BanditsKeep]

Why Thank You! 😊

[@jayteepodcast]

You are wise sage...

[@BanditsKeep]

Thank You!

[@declankonesky38]

The main thing I want to know is about the shirt! Where can I find it?

[@declankonesky38]

Also the bit about asking for too many rolls is my biggest pet peeve. Probably one of the few Critters here but it's like nails on a chalkboard when I hear a BS perception check being asked for.

[@BanditsKeep]

Its from a Kickstarter. D66 was the company.

[@matt9591]

This was a great video!

[@BanditsKeep]

Thank You!

[@edwardromero3580]

Right on. Some solid advice here.

[@BanditsKeep]

Thank You!

[@TheArcturusProject]

DnD baby!

[@BanditsKeep]

😊

[@geoffdewitt6845]

"Um, actually, in 5E CR is ..." Sorry, I had to.

[@BanditsKeep]

🤷🏻‍♂️ 😂

[@TheAftaaa]

How to allow freedom from players even for puzzles to solve: give them 4 ways to solve it, and extra reward any answer that sounds legit and yet haven't been found by you

[@BanditsKeep]

Indeed

[@ajaxplunkett5115]

Look man... this was a great video. Very good points / advice . But for some reason, I'm not exactly sure why... the good flow of play seems cleaner and this advice comes off better when I DM my b/x games or my OSR games. When i DM my volunteer library D&D club for teens ( who are imaginative and know the rules well ) with 5E it has moments of " slog " during combat and non-combat encounters more often. ... ??? just plain slog. Even when i played 1st ed and 2nd ed D&D back in the day it still was'n't as slow paced as 3e 4e and 5e . granted 5e does run smoother at early levels then 3e or 4e though.

[@BanditsKeep]

Awesome that you run for the library/teens! Sure 5e can be slower. But the process of the game is the same IMO.

[@johnathanrhoades7751]

Try the optional side based initiative rules in the DMG if your table is up for it. It can be faster, but depends if players want to try that.

[@ajaxplunkett5115]

@@johnathanrhoades7751 that was the first thing I changed. Hit point bloat, Actions, Bonus actions, Reactions , free actions , Action Jackson( thats a movie ) and over use of - Lots of spells dont make the game quicker. But I hear you though

[@johnathanrhoades7751]

@@ajaxplunkett5115 oh for sure. Having now played OSE, CoC, and Pathfinder 2, I would be very happy to never run 5e again and the campaign I’m running soon is OSE based.

[@Khaldryn]

This video highlights many elements that are the fundament foundation upon which Dungeons & Dragons was founded. The problem being, 5e does a poor job of explaining this. Popular youtube live play campaigns are great, but have also influenced the direction that D&D has gone by new people coming into the genre. These people most likely don't know how the game WAS played, just how they think the game is meant to be played. And while it can, problems arise because of this lack of knowledge.

[@BanditsKeep]

Weird, I came back through 5e and it worked for me, not sure there is really any difference

[@davidmorgan6896]

Addressing the 'highlight your players' point, which you dismissed. Isn't it the players' job to gain the spotlight for their characters? I create the world long before they create their characters.

[@BanditsKeep]

The game itself highlights the characters. They are then heroes

[@Ifrit8054]

The biggest reason they have a problem with gms in 5e is because they have catered to the laziest, most self centered portion of gamers since the very beginning. There is not working towards greatness in game. You start as nearly a god compared to normal people. The official books have taken out any actual choices by flooding the game with “just do whatever it doesn’t matter” options. They have attracted selfish children to the game that can’t handle having a - stat let alone a - modifier. How would they ever handle the work of organizing and running anything.

[@BanditsKeep]

Umm ok. 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@Ifrit8054]

@@BanditsKeep you can’t argue with the timeline of events. 3.5 was the last edition to have negative attribute bonuses for races. And it wasn’t because wotc decided it was silly or just didn’t belong in 4e. They did it after play testers claimed it was unfair and quite literally complained away negative bonuses. They had to spend time rebalancing the entire system for that. They kept this in 5e. Cool no big deal really. 5e wasn’t bad at the start. But every supplement that came out had concession after concession for people who complained that something was bad and shouldn’t exist because they personally couldn’t handle a negative outcome from making a choice. They complained so hard that wotc put Tasha’s out that entirely did away with racial stat bonuses because it is somehow racist to assume a 7 foot tall monster is stronger naturally than a 3 foot halfing. So now they retconned the entire 5e because people were too lazy to just rule that themselves at home. So instead of taking ten seconds to gm their own game they got a billion dollar company to change it for them. Lazy. Self centered. Gimme gimme people. As a result none of your character choices matter anymore for 5e. Every character is basically the same as every other one. Every time wotc has given in and “fixed” something that wasn’t actually a problem they have just advertised to that exact person that this is the game for them. The game for people that can’t be bothered to control their own table. If they can’t be bothered to change a single rule on their own why would they use the effort it takes to run a game. They don’t. They just want to show up and play. And then demand that the person that did decide to run something now to their whims and let them do whatever they want. People aren’t running because they are the lazy problem players. Or because they are tired of those people trying to tell them how they are allowed to run their own game. 5e has no dms because wotc has advertised to people who refuse to do it.

[@pacoes1974]

It sounds like you are inflating your love of being a DM and the assumption that others will love it as well. I have had players sit at my table to complain about the amount of work it takes to run a character let alone a game session. I have players with all the skills to be a DM and they still don't have any desire to do so. For them, it is just not what they enjoy. I personally love world building and sharing my creation with my players. Without that passion to share my creation you could not pay me to be a DM. I absolutely hate pre made adventures. It is just so boring running someone else's creation. I don't think the issues is it is hard to be a DM, The issue is it takes effort and most players don't want to put that much work into a game they are happy just being a player in.

[@BanditsKeep]

Indeed

[@sgtbigballs666]

Don't believe in Santa? If they believe they can jump a hundred feet they have a chance to make it 🤔 its supposed to be fantastical, I didnt say it was a good chance haha Great tips as always Daniel

[@BanditsKeep]

😊😊