alt.universes

Dungeons and Dragons has survived for as long as it has because of one simple rule: DM’s prerogative. What this means is no matter what action a player decides he or she would like to take, the DM has the final say on all rules. The DM can make judgments on what is and is not allowed, but, most importantly, translates the nigh-unlimited number of options a player can take into the game mechanic. Having a human in charge of the rules at any given moment, along with the rules stating that the human is in charge and can override any rule, makes the game infinitely and immediately adaptable to practically any and every situation.

The open-endedness of it can be quite daunting. While it is possible to relate most actions under the human domain to one of the six core D&D attributes, it is not always as simple as a skill check. The very nature of the game allows for the players to roleplay as they see fit. But nothing irks beginning DMs more than a story not going according to plan.

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A while ago there was an episode of the DnD podcast from Wizards of the Coast that had a tip for DMs to start every session with the players rolling initiative. This usually indicates that combat, or at least some action sequence, is about to play out and initiative determines the order that the characters act in. The idea is that by having your players start the session in medias res, literally “into the midst of affairs”, they will be more engaged in the session as a whole.

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Another form of encounter that plays out well is the Puzzle Encounter.  The encounter challenges the players directly, and relies little on either skills or combat.  The ever popular "what do we need to do to move on?" gag is pretty standard fare, as is the "gotta figure it out before we die" method, but more basic encounters can include figuring out a map, piecing together clues, or actually solving a simple physical puzzle in a dungeon.

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Wizards of the Coast recently announced the release of a starter kit that gives a player everything they need to get started with 4th Edition D&D. The kit includes a basic ruleset, the first published adventure (Keep on the Shadowfell) and the free version of Character Builder, the last of which has been available for a while.

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To keep things interesting, to give variation to play, and to keep characters from getting too awful strong in any one category (imbalance), DMs want to make sure that different types of encounters are placed into their campaigns.  The primary encounters are categorized into three broad spectrums: Skill Challenges, Puzzles, and Combat.  It is important that all of them are included in your campaign.  Doing so, and rewarding appropriately, will ensure that the characters use the widest range of skills available to them.

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