How not to be murdered by me (i.e. my DMing)

[Ronan]

My style:
I'm almost completely a simulationist DM. Narrative DMing and fairness rarely go hand-in-hand, especially with lethal encounters.

I kill lots of PCs. You have been warned.

I scale encounters and danger for OOC reasons (e.g., I might make things easier if a player cannot log in for a session), but not IC ones. Bad decisions, alienating allies and bad dice rolls in the planning stages can make encounters much more difficult or impossible.

My rules:
DMG, PHB, FRCS and other Forgotten Realm's products. Don't count on content from any other book being allowed, but that doesn't mean it won't be.

Things to do when being DMed by me:
Treat time as ambiguous in ALFA, because it is.
Treat distance as ambiguous in ALFA, because it is.
Scale party chat down as party size increases. Whispering to cut down on spam is encouraged.
When it doubt, ask. If its important and I don't answer, ask again.
Assume I'm a horrible, evil person out to kill your PC and crush your dreams. Because I am.

What I like to DM:
Adventure! Often just for the hell of it. The more dangerous, the better. I tend towards magic and mystery more than intrigue, though I'll do both. I tend to do better with more chaotic and more good PCs than those tending towards lawful evil.

When I DM:
Randomly, and Sword's Edge on Wednesday USA evenings.

Ronan, why do you kill so many people?
Chiefly because I don't DM safe things if I can help it, but also because I try not to pull punches. Pulling punches is by definition not systemic and leads to favoritism.

How can I not be killed by you?
Well, you can not be DMed by me, for starters. Anyone can opt out of my DMing provided they do so before they're staring a dragon in the mouth.

The biggest thing is not to assume I'm on your side (I'm not). I'm trying to run the Realms, which might mean turning your PC into a crispy dragon snack. Don't assume that because I place an encounter, you can defeat it. Don't assume that because I toss out a hook, you should bite it (its probably a trap). Don't assume your PC will "be ok in the end" because you're following the DMs lead. I'll lead you to the abyss, steal your soul, then push you over.

In all my years in ALFA, the biggest factors which makes players do really stupid things (and thus get killed) are misunderstandings and miscommunications between player and DM. When the player does not understand the rules the DM is using to run the world, the player cannot make rational decisions within the world. As a result, they end up doing things which seem really, really stupid to the DM.

So when in doubt, ask. If a misunderstanding results in a PC doing something they should not have done with IC knowledge they should have possessed, I'll do my best to rectify and roll back, but that isn't always possible without harming continuity (e.g., Merrin turning in Bastian).

I don't drop lethal encounters in safe areas. I might ambush a PC on the road, but they'll always have the chance to run away, at the least. If I do kick your ass in a safe spot without any hope of escape, its probably because I've got some narrative DMing in mind. Don't worry, I don't kill your PC or anything without giving you a chance to flee.

You killed me unfairly! You asshole!
I do that sometimes. Sorry. PM me and we'll talk about it. If I screw up I'll try and make it better.

Help, I died to a technical bug / your mistake / something which shouldn't have happened or been possible!
Again, PM me and we'll talk about it. My rule on roll-backs and tech-rezes is: Would your good outcome have occurred, but not for some OOC problem? If so, we can work something out.

However it doesn't follow that any bug in a fight is grounds for a tech rez or re-do. The bug has to affect the outcome. I will also take bugs on the AI / hostile side of things into account - which are very common.

[ElCadaver]

So basically, the scariest environment known to man. Thats all you had to say. Scariest environment know to man... or elf

[Ronan]

So basically, the scariest environment known to man. Thats all you had to say. Scariest environment know to man... or elf

Nah, the environment depends on the players. All I'm trying to say is, don't be a dumbass. Don't assume that because I create a challenge, its something your party can or is expected to overcome.

[paazin]

All I'm trying to say is, don't be a dumbass.

Let's go for more realistic expectations, Ronan

[ElCadaver]

So long as the loot is proportional to the certainty of death... sounds good

[DMyles]

oh how I yearn to be killed by a dm

[Ronan]

Updated with more disclaimers to make my AR happy.

[t-ice]

Disclaimers. If personal computers taught me anything, it's that people always meticulously read those terms of use statements before clicking "continue".

[Ronan]

My last post may have been tongue in cheek