A quick round robin for those in the peanut gallery: When did DMs become such major jerks? I stopped in to watch a game recently and found the DM running things a bit… questionable. At best! He seemed as if he was so busy trying to kill everyone as fast as he could that the story was being cast aside in favor of challenges that were clearly over-leveled or unfair to the players, some of whom were new and may never play again. Later, when the game had broken up and almost all the players were dead, I heard the DM bragging about how hard his dungeons were and how he was probably one of the greatest DMs ever. I managed to snag one of the players and asked them why they played with this “world’s greatest” DM. They said they couldn’t get anyone one else to DM. I gave him one of my cards and told him to email me. We’d work out some kind of schedule where I could DM them once or twice a month without the wanton slaughter.
I want to thank Ramona @Alderdoodle for her comments on this X post. This helped me think a lot about the content of this article. It’s important, as DMs, that we not discourage other players by brow beating them about how they play. As long as they follow the rules, I say we’re good to go.
I get that one of the DM’s jobs is to challenge you. Hell, sometimes we relish the challenge to come gunning for you when it’s level appropriate. But some DMs think you can take a first level fighter and pit him against a black dragon right out of the gate! There’s not even a scratch on the armor yet. Come on, people! What’s the plan. Wipe out all of the characters so you can brag to anyone who will listen about what a great DM you are and how NO ONE gets through your dungeons. Guess what? Know one is going to want to. Or maybe someday you’ll run into someone like me who’s been doing this long enough and knows the rules just a little bit better than you do. Someone who might call together a bunch of her (or his) friends and play dumb. Then watch you squirm as we slowly dismantle your little dungeon.
I would never do that. Or so I say. I would hope that someone would never be that kind of a DM, but they’re out there. And that’s not what D&D is about.
D&D is about having fun, about helping each other, about adventuring in your imagination, about forgetting whatever shitty thing is going on outside for a little while. We don’t need some puke-stain DM ruining the game to make themselves feel better or to pressure you because they want to get home and watch Ancient Aliens. It’s only fun when we’re all having fun! Bring on the big monsters! But make sure we at least have a chance. Trap all the rooms! But make sure we have a chance to get out. Make the adventure long or short, it doesn’t matter. Just make sure we have fun.
Lauren Bills is a seasoned Dungeons and Dragons player who has been tinkering with the game since the early 2000s. Over the years, she has developed an enormous love for the art of story creation and has become an expert in the game's mechanics, particularly the infamous THAC0 rule.
Whether she's battling dragons and rescuing princesses, or putting pen to paper and sharing her thoughts with the world, Lauren Bills consistently delivers excellence in all that she does. It is clear that her passion for writing and her love of Dungeons and Dragons shines through in every aspect of her life.
