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I don't have the time to read the thread at the moment so I don't know if this has been gone over beforehand.  But I wanted to post this before I forgot about it.

Root For Your Players
Not only should you not be adversarial in your DMing, it should be clear that you are rooting for your players.  My players enjoy the challenges because they know I built them and I am running them, but I still want them to win.  When your monster gets locked down and loses his most devastating move, don't lament and get angry.  Be happy for your players.  Reveal your hand a little bit to say how it was great that they immobilized that guy because he has a shift 5 that prones+dazes+ongoing damage everyone he shifts next to.

If your players completely neuter an encounter, don't default to being defensive and demanding for the character sheet (something near this, but not exactly like this came up with me as a player and I was shocked DMs would actually do this).  If a player is doing great, exalt the player don't whine that they would have lost if X ability wasn't broken.

Specific instances (if anyone was interested)
Mine: Ring of Personal Gravity + Mark + Certain Justice on a solo with no teleport.  The DM was upset

Controller:  Alternate win condition combat included needing to protect a portal square for 6 rounds.  Any enemy that started next to the square could "damage" it and the square could take 6 instances of "damage".  Controller used Visions of Avarice and constantly pulled the targets away so many of them couldn't start their turn adjacent.  Rather than congratulate the player on his good play and describe the scene around how well they were doing, the DM and other players started griping about how overpowered that spell was and how wizards were stupid.

Not sure if this has been said, mainly cause I don't want to slog through everything about Centauri.

Have a world that evolves and changes -
 Most DM I have encountered as a player don't do simple things like weather changes or even seasons for that matter. As a DM I find that doing stuff like this can help keep the PC in the mindset of this being a real place. It can also freak them out if they have never experianced this. In my last session a thunderstorm rolled across the area they were traveling ... they freaked out.

This also goes for campaign plot purposes as well. Make your BBEG have to change his plans. Have him get angry. Changing his plans could cause better plot devlopment overall. If he know it was the PC that thwarted a step in his plans he could go after their family, maybe hire some Rakshasa to ruin the PC reputation while they are away exploring.


As for Centauri, there are sometimes in the past where it seems like his views come off strong. As if "you should be doing it my way or it is wrong", by counter to this would be do what your PC want. As it is ultimatly about what they want that is important. Tailor what your campagin and it's style to them. When playing with first time players I find it is easier to railroad them for the first couple of sessions so they can get their feet wet. Then you can unleash them upon the world you have created.

But there are some people, like those that like the combat more than the role playing, who prefer to be railroaded to the next monster filled dungeon. Usually after 3 to 4 sessions you should be able to tell what they like without having to out right asking them. That is not to say that bouncing ideas off the PC is a bad thing to do.

Some of my PC play in other games and hearing about what they like and don't like about those games has made it easier to make my game more enjoyable to them. Example, in the other game they are running a variation of the old D&D cartoon. So I have placed around my world artifacts that are specific to each PC. I am not going to out and out hand them to them. Finding them will be more fun for them.

But like I said the playstyle you use should be come down to what it is best for the PC and nothing else.

By the way, if you see duplicate, badly worded, or contraditory stuff on the list don't be afraid to help me re-write it.