A quick thought on RPG design before I dive into a project – I think the quality of a TRPG session is determined by this ratio: 50% players, 25% rules, 25% scenario design. Players does not include the DM. The DM's skill puts a cap on how much fun you can have.
— Mike Mearls (@mikemearls) August 7, 2018
Our three factors add up to 100. If you wanted to reduce a theoretical DM to a number (which is not cool, but they're theoretical so we can get away with it), we'd rate a DM from 1 to 100. That number is the max the other three factors can add up to.
— Mike Mearls (@mikemearls) August 7, 2018
In other words, incremental improvements in system and adventure are wasted if the players and DM don't have the skills needed to take advantage of them. TRPG dev has traditionally focused there, but I think much of the effort has gone to waste.
— Mike Mearls (@mikemearls) August 7, 2018
BUT! Before you despair, we can improve things by making players and DMs better. Thanks to streaming and easy access to video creation, we can finally have useful conversations and communication about player and DM technique.
— Mike Mearls (@mikemearls) August 7, 2018
Text is pretty bad at that stuff. Watching someone DM or play well (for your definition of well – techniques vary) is the best way to improve. I think that's another reason why streaming has helped TRPGs so much.
— Mike Mearls (@mikemearls) August 7, 2018
I get where MIke is coming from on the GM’s role, but I think framing it as a limiter is the wrong model. Were i to use a model like that, I would suggest that the GM is a force multiplier with a given value, which can be more or less than 1. That's more positive, which I like.
— Mike Mearls (@mikemearls) August 9, 2018
Over on @rdonoghueThe assertion that GMs can’t improve bad scenarios (as just one example of the value GMs can bring to a session) also feels wonky. 's feed he just pitched GM skill as force multiplier, which I think is a strictly better way to think about it. Addresses this exact issue.
— Mike Mearls (@mikemearls) August 9, 2018
