• canthidium@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    6
    ·
    1 year ago

    The thing that’s always kept me from trying it is thinking on the spot. I have really bad social anxiety and I have bad validation issues and I always need to impress, so I get freaked out about having to improv. Collaboration is hard for me too. I’m much better when I have all the control and can make all the decisions myself and not have to worry about screwing up or disappointing. I loved BG3 though and it’s piqued my interest in DnD again.

    • The Snark Urge@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      5
      ·
      1 year ago

      That’s very understandable. I’m so bad at improvising (or used to be?) that the only way I can stand to run a game is by writing huge reams of prepared content. So, not railroady, but narratively I’d create a room full of tripwire events and canned monologues so that no matter where they go or what they do, there are plot hooks and repercussions taking place.

      I got quite obsessive about it for a while. Sometimes I think I’d be better off writing a book, but it’s too much fun to see people getting into it.

      • Rhynoplaz@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        4
        ·
        1 year ago

        I have two methods of DMing. Either I do like you and prepare a mountain of content and the players see about 10% of it, or I completely forgot and just make it up as I go.

        Funny thing is, the players can rarely tell. 😂

        • The Snark Urge@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          1 year ago

          True. I’m sure there’s a life lesson in there somewhere, but I can’t be learning everything life tries to teach me. I’d never get any writing done.

      • caseyweederman@lemmy.ca
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        3
        ·
        edit-2
        1 year ago

        I feel the same way, but I’m also bad at planning, so things fall apart really quickly.
        I get lots of big ideas but then the players go right instead of left and I’m like ??? how could you do this to me

        • canthidium@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          2
          ·
          1 year ago

          See this is what worries me. I feel like I would get frustrated a lot. I know I have control issues and I already don’t like people that much and I worry I would just be irritated with everyone, lol.

          • caseyweederman@lemmy.ca
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            3
            ·
            1 year ago

            The real trick, I’ve heard, is to give the illusion of choice but have every path where you wanted to go anyway.

      • canthidium@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        1 year ago

        I think I would appreciate that a lot from a DM. At least the first few times. I think I would do better to be guided quite a bit until I get comfortable.

        • The Snark Urge@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          3
          ·
          1 year ago

          As a writer I believe that good storytelling is character driven. A strong story is about how your characters deal with a situation and their internal motivations driving their choices. The subtleties of how the situation interacts with their internal motivations can lead to satisfying thematic underpinnings, giving the story a sense of meaning.

          But when you have no control over the main characters at all, and your fun little pack of Cheeto gobbling weirdos aren’t going to give you a Daniel Day Lewis performance anytime soon, you don’t just get to sit back and watch the fur fly. Almost all players need a very compelling sense of situation in order to put themselves into their characters and start getting dramatic.

          In tabletop RPGs, plot has to do the work of character until the story gets rolling. The best you can do is know when to let off the gas and coast.

          In case it’s not obvious I’ve been obnoxiously thinking aloud and refining as I go. Thanks for letting me selfishly use your comment as a chance to think about this stuff.