Overview of Sero’s DMing Style

As a DM, I strive to run my games as closely to rules-as-written as possible. My thinking here is that when everyone has equal access to the rules, then it is easier for everyone to calibrate their expectations and to plan accordingly. I also know my limits: I’m primarily a dungeon master and not a game designer!

I do use some optional rules (such as flanking and cover) and homebrew a little bit here and there, but mostly only because the rules-as-written are either objectively under-developed in certain areas (such as with overland travel, downtime, and renown) or merely relatively underdeveloped compared to other game systems (such as the skill system). Whenever I do use optional or homebrew rules, I introduce them to everyone first and post them in an easily-accessible place so that everyone knows what they are.

I also strive to adhere as closely as possible to published settings and adventure arcs.

For example, in this current campaign, we will be playing mostly in the Sword Coast region of Faerûn in the Forgotten Realms, but I have also run games in other regions of Faerûn (such as Cormanthor, Chult, and Calmishan), in Eberron, and in Norrøngard (from Thrones & Bones). I am currently prepping other games in Drakkenheim and Thylea. I enjoy learning the history and lore of these settings, and I am committed to running games that tell compelling stories within those settings.

Regarding adventures arcs, I once again prefer to rely as much as possible on published materials. I prefer this approach because when I choose my sources carefully, then they give me an opportunity to learn from some of the best game designers in the industry.

Even so, just as with my focus on rules-as-written, even published settings and adventure arcs have under-developed areas and gaps in their coverage, which is where I focus my own world-building and encounter-design efforts. For example, in this current campaign, Lost Mine of Phandelver and Dragon of Icespire Peak were both written for the Forgotten Realms, but Red Hand of Doom was likely originally written for the Midgard setting and then ported over to Greyhawk for publication. Either way, I’ve adjusted the adapated the adventure to fit within Faerûn, but some adjustments were needed on both sides of that equation.

In sum, I base my prep work on pre-published rules, settings, and adventure arcs, and I offer games only after I have studied those materials closely.

Even so, the game really only begins when the players start romping around in the world and pursuing quests in their own ways. As a famous general (Eisenhower) once said, “planning is everything,” but “plans are worthless.” Once the game starts and characters begin making the world their own, I enjoy stretching, adapting, and modifying the world in their image. Ultimately, I want characters to engage with the game world as if it belongs to them, but not because they invented it; rather, I want players to feel like their characters have made the game world their own because they are changing it for the better.