#dnd tip for DMs: some DMs roll in secret. Some roll in the open. Some would never think of changing the results of the roll, getting offended if it is even suggested. Others play fast and loose with results, managing the game based on feel. Neither extreme is right or wrong.
— Shawn Merwin, incorporating aquisitions (@shawnmerwin) May 16, 2019
The fact is, different groups want different things out of their games, and that's OK. I've played to both extremes, and it is always in service to the desires of the players at my table at the time, and the kind of game they're expecting.
— Shawn Merwin, incorporating aquisitions (@shawnmerwin) May 16, 2019
question tho, why bother rolling if you’re not going to pay attention to the result? So many reasons. Some people want dice to inform story without controlling it. Some DMs use dice to entertain and control tension and pacing. Again, #dnd is many things to different people. If I am running new 10-year-olds through an intro session, I don't want to slaughter them.
— Shawn Merwin, incorporating aquisitions (@shawnmerwin) May 16, 2019
People seem to have this idea that the way they play, or their experiences, are the only ones that matter or the only ones in the world. That’s why I encourage DMs to run one-shots for strangers in public, play short campaigns, play long campaigns, run with an audience. Each of those things has major differences. Doing what's best in one situation is totally wrong in another. Context and situation and goals and motivations are so important to keep in mind. If I want players to come back to the game, I am going to use the tools at my disposal.
— Shawn Merwin, incorporating aquisitions (@shawnmerwin) May 16, 2019
