u/JinAkamura

I'm just looking for some perspective here on this philosophical question: is it better to have a table you are not passionate about or better to not have a table at all--as a DM.

I'm a new DM, I run a relatively small table. I've gotten to a point where I do not want to run a campaign for my current table.

I have fun when I play, because I have a good attitude and I want to provide an amazing fun experience for my players. So they love me as a DM, they keep saying I'll be their DM forever. But I'm bored. If I float the idea of DMing for other people, or adding new people to the table; they argue against it.

So when I play, I have fun, make the best of a situation, but it's not fully joyful because my personal needs for the kind of table I want to run are not being met (I want RP but my player do not RP and just bully their way through with high persuasions). I don't really enjoy putting together sessions anymore, lost inspiration to write lore because people don't RP.

I keep thinking of ending this campaign or retiring this table.... I guess I'm just scared of not finding another D&D group. I have run this table for 2 years and when we first started it was a bigger table, and there was drama so people left. And yet... every week when we play, there is still no high quite like it. Even running D&D for a group that isn't fulfilling my needs is a level of comfort and joy unlike any other.

It was so hard putting this together, I dread how long of another D&D-less drought/life I'll have to go through.

So fellow DMs: is it better to have a table that is just "mid" than to not have one at all?

Hi! Newer DM here (about 2 years) and I’d love advice on creating NPCs both ally and enemy (but especially enemies).

So when homebrewing monsters it’s been usually taking something existing in the monster manual and either adding/removing or mixing things from different monsters.

But when it comes to humanoids, enemies and allies that are “certain classes” like a “sorcerer like enemy” etc. I’m a bit confused/struggling with how to create them.

I struggle with the NPCs wisdom saves or skills. Do I create the NPC following the guide and building out their saves and skills based on the appropriate class it is and following the leveling system? Or can I just roughly eyeball it and be like “they have WIS +10” and justify it based on their background, estimated CR level, and create any items that give them that boon?

I also vaguely recall that the class system is moreso for the players and NPC creation don’t have to adhere to the same mechanics. Like enemy NPCs should have Spells like 3/Day style rather than spell slots. If this is true, can I be a bit more liberal with multiclasses and not having to obey certain rules to give them flavorful enemies? (example: a former barbarian now wizard, so it’s a wizard but has a decent +8 to athletics)

For example, I want to create an NPC to infiltrate the party, but want to give him high DECEPTION+10/+11, but I wanted him to be a fighter/barbarian so traditional class wise his points shouldn’t be that high in deception. But my justification is just because he’s a bad guy and a spy but idk.