Problematic Players (Pt. 2)
We’ve looked at the players, now it’s time to turn the accusatory finger around and point at the other side of the screen. Dungeon Masters are far from infallible, and here are some of the worst ways that they can fail.
THE “STORYTELLER”
This DM has a story they want to tell, with or without the players’ input. They’ll do whatever it takes to force the players down a specific route. Also known as railroading, this method of DMing is widely regarded as a sign of a bad DM. This DM will often punish those who try to stray from the path with character injury or even death. There can be no choices in this DM’s game aside from the ones they want you to make.
THE NAYSAYER
Somewhat similar to the Storyteller, this DM has a very strict definition of what is and isn’t allowed in their game. Did you want to keep a bandit alive to interrogate him, only to find out that someone else is trying to silence him? With the Naysayer as your DM, there’s no chance that bandit is living long enough to tell you anything. What the DM says, goes, and there’s nothing that you can do to change that, logic be damned.
THE ANTAGONIST
This DM is out to get the players, actively trying to kill their characters and generally make life hard for them. The group is no longer playing a game together, the players are fighting the DM for their characters’ very survival. In the right group or the right game, this can work. For example, the pre-generated dungeon The Tomb of Horrors is designed to kill as many players as possible. Unfortunately, the Antagonist shows up in regular games all too often, making playing the game an ordeal for those players, rather than a good time.