[Paksha]

I will GMing for the first time ever with my friends...I have been playing D&D for about 2 years now and I have never been permitted to be GM prob. becuz I didn't want to until I knew more about rules and whatnot and I also have Power-hungry friends..but anyrabbit... I am now being allowed to GM for various reasons but I have come into the problem that I am a real Prick...We actually haven't started the campaign...but my friends are those type that love power campaigns and love it to just go easy on them... you know magic weapons first lvl... Deities will intervene to help the players on a regular basis....but I got sick of it that is why I quit many of the campaigns that were started and decided that I wanted to do my own...but as we have been creating characters I have set specific rules that I think has made atleast one of my friends mad...(partially cuz he is the one that likes to pick up his dice before the DM can see the dice..=)...ya that kind of person) but he is the main reason I am being such a prick but I don't want to be too much of a Prick .. I was wondering if there were any advice from experienced DMs out there that could give me some nice bounderies about either being too much of a Prick or what atleast I should do....I am all ears..

And I just put a poll with this just becuz I like polls but it has no real relevance...=)

[Shadowborn]

The DM runs the game, and he makes the rules. As long as you're running a game that is both fun and fair, you'll have players. If you have players that want things to always go their way no matter what, and they don't like any sort of challenge, they can always go play computer games, where they can restart from a saved game if things don't go their way the first time.

[Overlord]

Ha, I know exactly what you mean, In actual fact that is why I quit my group which I DMd for two years. I just couldnt be bothered with them anymore because they would not pay attention unless i waved a magic item or an enemy in their faces. I quit because that was the exact opposite of fun for me. I decided that I would rather not play at all than play and wish I wasnt. It got to the point where I didnt bother thinking about what we were going to do until we did it, and I ended up unconciously doing it to formula. So, my advice is, if you want to DM, make sure it will be fun for you as well. Don't do it if you know they won't want to continue in two weeks because they dont have a staff of the magi or St Cuthbert on their side. If that happens it just isnt worth puting effort into it.


I'm not saying give up; I'm saying consider doing this carefully, as if they dont want it it is a waste of your time.

Good luck

[Madlizardman]

Listen Up

You are the DM! YOU ARE THE RULES! Follow the ones in the books for they were put there for a reason. When the book said you could bend or break some they ment it lightly. Rule over the players with an iron fist soon they will stop their whinning and actual start playing and forget the nonsense of having magic weapons at first level and thinking the gods actually care about them. If they only want a power campaign run an epic one but then be EXTREMELY HARSH on them. You dont make the rules; you are them. And if the players dont like they have a few options, they can

A) Be swept away in an orcish orde, offend some powerful thing that it destroys them in the worst and most ironic ay possible, get hit by lightning, etc.

Shut their traps and quit whinning

C) Leave and never play with you as DM again

And trust me if you are hard but not too hard they wont take option C and after a few hits of option A they will revert to option B

[ladyofdragons]

hmm. not sure I agree with you there, lizardman.

If you want to run your campaign a certain way, the way you feel most comfortable, then that's just fine. But your players are an important part of the game too. You can't DM a game with no players. If all your players end up leaving cause you're a prick, you'll have no game, not even one that's not entirely to your taste. RPGs are a cooperative, interactive experience.

My suggestion is to sit down before a game, you and your players. DISCUSS. Find out what it is that they think makes a great campaign. Let them know what it is that you think makes a great campaign. Tell them the guidelines that will be used during your game. You could very possibly come up with a balance that will make the game enjoyable for both you and them. And they will react better knowing what is expected and what to expect. When the campaign begins, very importantly, reward your players for reacting in a manner that fits your campaign style. If you want more roleplaying, then when a player says something in-character that fits, say "that was great! I'm gonna give you an X experience point bonus for that". Soon enough, even a power gamer realizes that good roleplaying is a great way to go up in levels in your campaign.

Think of it like training puppies. Good reinforcement will always win out over the iron fist.

[nimbralexpert]

LadyofDragons is right, find out what they want and then try to conform to their ideas. If they still want to be power hungry then put them up against a higher CR of monsters and eventually they will realize that their level will not allow them to play will giant egos.
I had that happen about two years ago and when 6 players of about 6th-9th level characters went up against more than I knew they could handle (but they thought they could), well, after that they cooled down a little. Of course all but one person had to make new characters, but it showed them that they were not as bad a$$ as they thought that they were.

Don't worry over time you will be able to sense what the players want and it will become easier.