DM Tips Twitter Archive: April 2012

by Mike Shea on 04 May 2012

Below is an archive of all of the Sly Flourish DM Tip Twitter posts for April 2012. Get daily DM tips at http://twitter.com/slyflourish!

#dnd tip: A good piece of 250 to 500 word flash fiction in an email can keep your game tied together between games.

When people ask me how to get published, I tend to ask why they haven't bothered publishing themselves. Why ask permission?

Need proof? Talk to @newbiedm and @DreadGazeebo. They didn't ask permission, they went out there and did it themselves.

@milambus @DaveTheGame me too. No more skill challenges for me. Just scenes involving skill use, puzzles, roleplaying, and encounters.

#dnd Troll and Toad Tuesday mini, the Elf Wizard! Great for PCs and NPCs alike and only two bucks: http://t.co/Dm3t8bIj

#dnd tip: Be wary of complicated dungeon crawls. Stacked on long combats, they can be a big slog.

Had the Shattered Keeps Map Pack been previously announced? https://t.co/WLQM58j5 I absolutely love these map packs. #dnd

I also don't recall seeing this Urban Underdark dungeon tile set: http://t.co/H6i44M5Y I think I'm done with dungeon tiles though. #dnd

July looks like a big month for #dnd products: Dungeon Command miniatures, Underdark maps, and 1e reprints: http://t.co/QVEwwHnK

.@TheAngryDM BTW, I'm not a fan of the vinyl mat. I dig the laminated Paizo ones: https://t.co/UnkWGvlM #dnd

If the Random Dungeon Generator Kickstarter receives $20k, $17 pledges get my epic adv, Valley of the Crypt Things #dnd http://t.co/afaqB8wR

#dnd tip: Keep a white-board on your wall to write up important all-visible notes like monster defenses.

Ran our second session of Gardmore Abbey. Had fun but blew a chance for good harpy roleplaying.
http://t.co/i0Oir9oS

This might be totally egotistical but I love listening to "Behind the DM Screen" with @squach, @deadorcs, and I: http://t.co/M3A0nH1a #dnd

#dnd tip: Write large 5x8 cards with monster defenses on them to post on your game-room white board when the time comes.

Gamemastery Flip Mats like this Forest map seem like a much better purchase than dungeon tiles forest set: https://t.co/cLNupOoL #dnd

@cliffymatic There are a lot of ways to change up a single map. Maybe that's a future article I should write.

.@brunoscheele I think; through variety, flavor, environmental effects, and orientation; you can get a lot of re-use out of poster maps.

RT @asmodeuslore: #dnd first view inside the box of dungeon command from #pax http://t.co/ocTvkROw

Looks like some good PC minis in this Dungeon Command box. Minis are back in force! Thanks @asmodeuslore! http://t.co/sjQCNNP5 #dnd

RT @wizards_dnd: (Jon) epic Lolth statue at #PAXEast. Come get your photo taken with her! #dndpax http://t.co/ZI8CV8nz

RT @combatadvantage: #dnd #dungeoncommand at #PAXEast! Great new sculpts and awesome repaints! http://t.co/Rh2SJbI7

The tile map thing in Dungeon Command also looks good for smaller encounters. Is it two-sided? #dnd http://t.co/Ja1P5NGK

#dnd tip: Remember to be patient and build a game session that won't make you or your players feel rushed.

Here's @rjschwalb on Themes and Backgrounds on #dndnext: http://t.co/s7pQgjpA

Apparently a freelancer's best investment is in marrying a great editor =) /hug @RosaMoonshadow

Hey DMs, what do you guys see as the major compinents of #dnd game preparation? Things like encounter design, NPC des., story & worldbldg.

#dnd tip: Be like Perkins (and Stephen King) and use "What If" as your motivator for adventures instead of long plots: http://t.co/RbJO7emr

Question of the day: Why is your villain doing what he or she is doing? What is his or her motivation and actions? #dnd

For those that ran White Plume Mountain, what is the evil wizards's motivation? #dnd

#dnd Troll and Toad Tuesday miniature, the Zombie Brute. A great universal undead beast or golem at all tiers: http://t.co/dIRCw1a8

"Screw epic characters. You can quote me." - @ChrisSSims, best developer ever... #dnd

You'll all have to wait until you see just HOW we plan to screw epic characters. It should be fun for the whole family.

#dnd tip: Use the Gloom deck from the Shadowfell boxed set as failure conditions to skill challenges or traps: http://t.co/1idlCFWq

This is the sort of stuff @ChrisSSims has to deal with. They don't pay him enough
http://t.co/gD7KdY7H

Came up with 20 Fiasco-style PC interconnections for my upcoming White Plume Mountain game: http://t.co/9rH9NT8A #dnd

Great discussion of traps in this #dnd #ddi article by @sernett: http://t.co/UcRXxAcq

#dnd tip: Think about where you spend your time prepping your game. Is that where you SHOULD be?

#dnd tip: writing good flavor text helps you stick to just the descriptions crucial to trigger the inner eyes of your players.

Bunch of free dungeon inspiration in this #dnd dungeon contest: http://t.co/quhHwSSo

Now this is one sweet page full of Dwarven Forge awesome: http://t.co/nPzUDLgz #dnd

#dnd tip: Use a small notebook to capture unexpected changes in the story during your game. http://t.co/2qYrs5Kd

Excellent look at building a Poster Map Portfolio by @theshedm: http://t.co/3y6ar5bf #dnd

.@theshedm The #dnd Map Packs come in a nice protective folio. http://t.co/JoEvKqNl

Check out @bensrpgpile flyover of his Shrine of Vecna encounter setup. http://t.co/ghKKl2po #dnd

Steve Townshend on Adventure Design http://t.co/rvacYe06 #dnd

#dnd tip: Build adventures around the personal quests of the PCs.

#dnd @trollandtoad Tuesday miniature: the Ogre from Pathfinder minis. A great boss for your orcish hordes: http://t.co/ezUeEwY3

#dnd tip: Reward meaningful personal quests with wish-list items.

Some great sandbox tips from @hellcowkeith: http://t.co/147u7s86 #dnd

The Complexity of Creating Compelling Campaign Conclusions | @TheIdDM
http://t.co/h7Qb4gw5

@IanPlakias Great tip! I'll queue that up for a DM tip in a month. https://t.co/mxzXAO1e

@newbiedm I really think most of the complaints about 4e come down to the length of time of combat encounters.

It's rare and refreshing to hear the inside gory details of the #dnd product production process: http://t.co/TAhFZKJh Thanks @Sernett!

I disagree on his assessment of good and bad endings, but @TheTownshend's article on endings is excellent: http://t.co/S1o5WB1n #dnd

@newbiedm I've also never found a good fix. Combat Outs help; mods to monsters can help; but nothing worked real well.

@newbiedm It's also interesting that I noted the problem after playing my very first 4e game four years ago: http://t.co/hqENLvPv

@profounddark @newbiedm I want the option to decide how long a battle should take. Big climactic battles can take time, sure.

#dnd tip: Don't over think a short rest. Sometimes it is just a reinvigoration between the parts of a two-part battle.

Ran my last epic tier game for a while. I'm ready to spend a lot more time at the low heroic tier. #dnd

#dnd tip: your players will always assume traveling NPCs will betray them. Surprise them.

I might be flogged for this but I wish the Undermountain book had a full battle map instead of the dungeon floor map.

I can't show it to players and it isn't playable. It could simply be reprinted in the book. How exactly am I supposed to use it?

Check out the Undermountain maps on my Map Index: https://t.co/6Jmuge4s #dnd

@newbiedm Running White Plume Mountain, I used a Gamemastery blank flip mat and an acrylic sheet for the whole thing. Worked great.

@newbiedm Yep. I'm getting lazier and lazier. My Dwarven Forge gathers dust while I use dry-erase on Paizo maps.

@newbiedm The acrylic sheet is worth it, though. It makes those maps so much nicer to use: https://t.co/1svOzMhw

@newbiedm Acrylic sheet over a poster map with wet-erase markers: https://t.co/jsokTEpQ

@newbiedm I tried using dungeon tiles for Gardmore Abbey and I've given up. I'll just draw the stupid dungeon rooms.

@ArcaneSpringbrd @newbiedm I gave most of my tiles to a DM friend of mine. He likes them much more than I do.

#dnd tip: add seasons and holidays in your game world.

@PennyArcadeFeed: News Post: A Matter Of Scale http://t.co/qjmjRPKb

It's too bad Undermountain doesn't exist underneath Neverwinter. The two books would have gone great together. #dnd

I may run a Neverwinter / Undermountain mashup after I finish Gardmore. #dnd

#dnd tip: Mark the wise words of Steve Townshend. What are your "three things" for your next game? http://t.co/Gr3oz5o0

#dnd Troll and Toad mini: The Pathfinder Gargoyle. An excellent dungeon dressing or multi-tier monster: http://t.co/QBzXYQRz

#dnd tip: Spend your valuable time considering the personalities and motivations of your NPCs instead of building monster stat blocks.

The great thing about that picture of me is that I'm wearing my wife's sweatshirt.
http://t.co/9eDLzRrT

#dnd tip: Use the acrylic sheet over your hand-drawn poster maps so your ink doesn't smear.

Sad to hear about @MonteJCook leaving the #dndnext team. He ran a great game for me at DDXP. Glad the playtest comes out soon.

Excellent article by @theiddm on the Theory and Practice of Dungeon Mastering: http://t.co/TUEoNfKN #dnd

#dnd tip: Think about what each of your players hopes for when they come to your game. How will you give it to them?

Of 172 4e #dnd DMs who run games weekly or more, 65.7% of them spend 1 to 3 hours on game prep. http://t.co/hKHsZ4wW

Here's some more detail into 4e #dnd weekly DM activities from 172 DMs:
http://t.co/FdJtqDxu

By the way, bar-charts are for sissies, and don't even get me started on pie-charts.

Clearer chart; The prep times of 172 4e #dnd weekly DMs: http://t.co/WtxlUpuv

#dnd tip: What big decisions will your players have to choose in your next adventure? Don't fall in love with any choice - they can tell.

A good DM probably negotiates a set of races and classes that make sense for the world the whole group wants to play in. #dnd

.@FaustoReluctant @sarahdarkmagic Sir Nerfington's Tiny Tome of Adequateness is my favorite sourcebook! Gain +1 to your fourth death save.

#dnd tip: "removed from play until beginning of next turn" is a great nasty epic status effect that doesn't screw PCs too badly.

For the afternoon crowd: My epic-tier #dnd article, Far Realm Fiends, over on D&D Insider (subscription required): http://t.co/6Baf97Rv

If you enjoyed these tips, take a look at Sly Flourish’s Dungeon Master Tips book or Sly Flourish’s Running Epic Tier D&D Games. You can also use these links to purchase the Heroes of the Fallen Lands, the Dungeon Master’s Kit, or the Monster Vault or bookmark this link to buy anything from Amazon.

Need some battle maps? Pick up some Gamemastery Flip-Maps from Troll and Toad, an official Sly Flourish sponsor.

Send feedback to mike@mikeshea.net.