[net.games.frp] A Defeated DM.

wsc@rabbit.UUCP (02/02/84)

I have been DMing of and on for quite some time now, and every time I
get a party together, one thing or another puts the game to a halt.
Some of the times it's because the party members can't get together often 
enough to play, but mostly I find that everyone becomes a bit bored by
the technicalities of play.I have spent hours trying to find the 
fastest way to add and subract hit modifiers, count melees, and at the
same time look up things I'm not sure about and keep an eye on my
friends(which is becoming a loose term in and of itself).I have not yet
been able to keep a 1st level mu with the party, no matter how many
other characters I put in.I also noticed that when I started out,Dm'ing
I used almost every rule I could think of from the books(i.e. time vs. food
 healing rates, movement and encumbrance etc.) but now I'm lucky if I keep
track of their hp.I would really appreciate some help as I do like playing,
but all of the technicalities seem to get in the way.

                   Thanks from the bottom of my dungeon
                             
                           The Disraught D.M.

                        

twiss@stolaf.UUCP (Thomas S. Twiss) (02/02/84)

Dear Defeated,
	It all depends on what you want out of the game.  If you and your
group really like playing by the rules and doing everything as realistically
as possible, then great, do so.  Or, if all the intricacies get you
down, then play a more relaxed game.  This is one of the (probably unintended)
beauties of D&D, you can arrange the game to suit your style.  I and my
group are not serious players, but we do enjoy playing with a DM who plays
by the rules, we're just to lazy to do it ourselves.  The only way (I think)
to really play "accurately" and not get bored is to have a DM that plays
all the time and can remember EVERY major rule.  Needless to say, this kind
is rare.
	So anyway, play the game the way you want.  If your group really
likes the realistic approach, then boredom shouldn't be a factor.  If
you would rather play more quickly and sacrifice some of the finer points
of the game, that's fine, too (provided the whole group wants to play
that way).

					Salenth will still kill them all,
						Tom Twiss
					   ...!ihnp4!stolaf!twiss