This is not what I should be doing.
I am sitting at the car dealership, getting a 75K service and oil change (as one does). I am eating a fresh baked cookie some lady just brought around (chocolate chip), and I am putting off the adventure writing that I've been doing the last two days, in order to write this post. Because I feel bad I haven't posted anything in a couple days.
What I should be is writing that darn adventure...and I will be getting back to it today (maybe after a second cookie). But I fell down the rabbit-hole of checking Ye Old Reddit feed and Oh. My. F'ing. God.
It makes me want to cry. Just sob.
The title of this post is "Poison." Because I was just listening to the band (Poison) in the car on the way up here. I was not a fan of Poison back in the day...they were all that was wrong with the crass commercialization of rock music, they were all about the "big hair," they were a "chick band," whatever. Reasons, all right? But they have exactly TWO great songs: Talk Dirty To Me and Nothing But A Good Time. Both of which, at first pass, feel like throwaway pop metal with a catchy guitar riff (which they are) but which have the ability to evoke far deeper emotion...a nostalgia that conjures memories of early sexual encounters as a hormonal teenager and the alternating hopelessness and hedonism of a young person in their twenties with a few bucks to spend but nowhere near enough to 'make a life.' I don't know about kids these days who just live at home till there 30 and crush out on video games and internet porn, but back when I was growing up (the 80s and 90s) these were fairly universal experiences for "us kids" to go through.
Point is: I appreciate them now. I wonder if they'll ever speak to my own kids some day.
This Reddit roll, man...just look at these titles from the DnD channel with the topic heading of "DMing:"
Any Tips For A New DM?
Where Can I Find The Text In Each Book Describing How The DM Can Change Or Ignore The Rules?
Awkward Silences With The DM
How Do You Create A Campaign?
Any And All Tips For A Brand New DM?
How To Make Low-Level Encounters Fun And Challenging?
Story Telling Struggles
How To Make Players Engaged In RP?
I'm Very Confused On New DND Content??
Trying DMing For The First Time
How Do You Kick Off And End A Session?
DMing My First Table
Guys, It's My First Time DMing. I Am Starting A PbP Campaign. Am I Being A Bad DM?
Potential Ideas For My Campaign?
What's The Best Starting Campaign For A 1st Time DM?
DMs, What Are Some Skills/Things You Had To Learn Before A Session?
About To Be A New DM, Any Advice You Wish You Got?
Need A Campaign Idea
Need Some Advice On My Story
Need Help Looking For Boss Music [sigh]
All of these have been posted in the last 48 hours. Almost all of them start with some sentence or two describing how they are new to DMing or first time DMing or have no experience DMing or...whatever. The point is: most of them are newbies. AND THEY ARE COMING TO REDDIT TO FIND OUT HOW TO RUN A DUNGEONS & DRAGONS GAME.
Do people not see how RIDICULOUS that is? Is this not the kind of information one might assume would be in the INSTRUCTIONS MANUAL of the game they are playing? And be fairly clearly laid out? Like, maybe on PAGE ONE? Or (if not on page one), wouldn't you think that Page One would say "Hey, in Chapter 5 we describe how to run the game as a DM." You'd think this, right? I mean, I would think this.
But I am old. See my reference to "Poison" above.
On the first page of the Introduction to Moldvay's Basic set (in the first column) I find this:
"Part eight, DUNGEON MASTER INFORMATION, gives a step-by-step design of a sample dungeon level plus tips to help the referee."
I mean, it's D&D right? Not rocket science (which I presume is difficult). All these questions, all these subjects should be addressed right out of the box. Why are people going to the internet for answers to basic questions about DMing? WHY?
And, just by the way, not ALL of the questions are from "newbs." Here's a gem:
So im running a new game for some friends who are brand new to dnd. Ive been dming for 12 years now so i tend to run my own adventures instead of the books. However this is my first time running more than one campaign at a time and ive put so much time and effort into my main group that ive drawn a complete blank on what I should do with my new group. If you guys have any ideas for cool stories I could run them through that would really jump start my creativity and then I can take it from there. I just need something to get me going. So any suggestions?
Yeah, I've got a suggestion: run your new group in the same campaign world as your current, on-going group. Why are you trying to make more work for yourself (when you're already making more work by running multiple groups)? Again: not rocket science. You have 12 years of experience. You are adept at making and running your own adventures. Surely you have already created/run material that could be recycled for the new folks...why are you trying to reinvent the wheel from scratch?
Also: learn punctuation. It's a life skill.
I really, really, really want to take a break from the internet...at least, from all the "interactions." The blogs, the discords, the reddits, the forums, etc. It is all so non-helpful, so non-constructive. And it makes me sad. It saps my energy. I, again, (briefly) considered actually creating a profile on the reddit to address these querying questioners, to get involved in the verbal sparring and disinformation and misinformation that is being promulgated by "D&D experts." I considered it...as if this would be a good use of my time. As if trying to put out each small fire on an individual level would somehow keep the forest from burning down around my ears.
No. Poison. This shit is poison.
SO, I'm going to step away. Going to take a deep breath. Brew a pot of coffee, throw on a little Sade Love Deluxe (I thought about the Eagles, but that way leads to day drinking). Going to buckle down and see how much of this adventure I can knock out today. I'm hoping to, at least, finish the crypt portion...that part's easy.
Let Rome burn, while I fiddle away. Ain't looking for nothing but a good time right now.
You are old if your using Poison as your analogy. There are an unlimited places to find information these days, most are absolute trash, that what good information is out there is drowned in a sea of shit. Those who had confidence now question the things they do. All the so called experts on 'you have to play this way' speak the loudest. While their poison is not a save vs. death it is a save vs. stupid. I think that's worse.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy the coffee. Enjoy Sade (one of my favorites). And rock out that adventure.
The adventure is humming along. Only pausing to snarf down a sloppy Joe lunch (made from leftover pot roast...de-lish!).
DeleteI have the REEL BIG FISH covers of both of those Poison songs on my ska/ska-punk heavy commute playlist. Bangers.
ReplyDeleteAbout the newbies on the internet, I agree. Not worth it to put out every little fire. But do what you can, when you can, for as long as you can.
I'm trying, man.
DeleteWizards of the Coast has completely dropped the ball. There are 0 instructions on how to play in the 5e DMG. Even the new starter set falls on it's face. But the IP steward has apparently lost all institutional knowledge on how to play and how to teach people how to play, or write adventures. And so people try to learn from live play internet shows, but these only offer a simulacrum of the experience and don't really deliver a usable model.
DeleteThe reason all those little fires are there is because WotC is walking around with a flamethrower creating them all by publishing a game without instructions. And the thing is: ALMOST EVERYBODY wants to play this game. Or at least it feels that way. This is the reason there are at least 3 copies of Justin Alexander's book at the Northgate Barnes and Noble and two weeks ago there were 5. It is not the greatest advice but at least he is an ally like you willing to take action to do something, anything to get some level of understanding of how to play RPGs to the newbies getting drawn in from live play shows and Stranger Things.
Oh and to that last bit - this is for you, G. Hawkinson, Alexis and Prince when you try to sell 1e. Use Stranger Things. When people ask you which verson you play, you don't say 1e. You say "I play the version they are playing on Stranger Things. Which is first edition AD&D." I garuntee you people will want to know more so they can roll like Eddie Munson. Because in my opinion the greatest masterclass on how to play D&D, and how to DM is the 1e DMG. Full Stop. BECMI does an ok job, but not the RC. Holmes is really good. But if you actually read it, no one has penned anything better.
I think you move the needle more than you think you do. I agree with Dennis - Do what you can, when you can, for as long as you can. But for sure, take a break, recharge, comeback, repeat.
You could just post, "Lost? Have you tried Hare Krishna?"
ReplyDeleteI was going to say that "Unskinny Bop" wasn't THAT bad, but then I went and listened to it. Though I will say the lyrics to "Every Rose Has Its Thorn" did get quoted as the meaning of life in the second Bill and Ted movie, and is considered one of the top power ballads. I guess that is great if you are into power ballads...
ReplyDeleteI am definitely NOT into power ballads...although Sebastian Bach's pipes on "I Remember You" is just some glorious, paint-peeling vocal chops. Guy had some serious talent.
DeleteBret Michaels? Not so much.
You're missing their actual intention in posting these questions. They're looking for a sense of community support and advice. Reddit is not an absurd place to do this--it's one of the last well-populated locations of static posting, in the old forum tradition.
ReplyDeleteAh, okay. I suppose that makes sense.
DeleteBUT there are plenty of "community-building" type Reddit posts, sharing ideas or creations and just trying to build a sense of "Look! Here I am! I'm one of the group!" These are the posts I generally ignore completely, because I'm not interested in being part of the Reddit "community;" I've got plenty of community already.
THESE posts that I reference (and that I occasionally answer) seem to be actual cries for help. They appear to be actual seekers of advice looking for a community of ANSWER GIVERS not just comrades with whom to kabitz.
But it's quite possible you're right. I'm not quite as hip to the social networking thing as other folks.