I wanted to put some of my current DMing goals on the wiki so you know what I'm trying to do at the table. These are things I'm actively working on, not things I've mastered. Sharing this might help explain some of my choices, and it also gives you a clearer way to give feedback if something is or isn't landing.
One of my deliberate goals is to be the silliest person at the table.
When I am willing to commit to ridiculous voices, awkward NPCs, or over-the-top character choices, it lowers the pressure for everyone else. If the person running the game is comfortable looking foolish, it creates a space where taking creative risks feels safer.
When I fully commit to something absurd, even if it is not "good," I am signaling that this is a table where trying things matters more than nailing them. Perfection is not the goal. Participation is.
My hope is that seeing me lean into that silliness makes it easier for you to lean into your own roleplay choices without worrying about being embarrassed. You do not need to be funny or theatrical. I have already absorbed most of that pressure.
This is especially important to me for players who are quieter or less comfortable performing. I want this table to feel low-risk and welcoming to experimentation.
At the same time, I am also working on being the straight man to your comedy.
These goals are not contradictory. They are about timing and contrast.
When you are being funny, my role often becomes grounding the scene. I play the NPC who reacts with genuine confusion. I play the world that takes your ridiculous ideas seriously. That contrast is what makes the humor land.
If everyone is silly all the time, it turns into noise. When you are absurd and the world responds with sincerity, the moment becomes sharper and more memorable.
I am learning to read the room and decide when to escalate the silliness and when to ground it. The best moments tend to come from that tension between your chaos and a world that treats it as real.
"How does that make you feel?"
This is one of the most useful questions I can ask, and I am trying to use it more intentionally.
It does not ask for tactics, plans, or clever ideas. It asks you to connect to your character's emotional experience in the moment.
For example:
"The child you just rescued looks up at you, terrified, then hugs your leg. How does that make you feel?"
This question is an easy entry point. You do not have to advance the plot or take charge of the scene. You just have to check in with your character.
I use this especially with quieter players, not because you are doing anything wrong, but because I want to make sure everyone has clear ways to engage. You already care about your characters. This is just an invitation to share that.
It also helps slow things down and create room for character moments, which is important for the kind of campaign we are running.
This is one of the hardest skills I am working on: being comfortable with silence.
Early on, my instinct was to fill every gap. If you paused, I talked. If you struggled with a puzzle, I jumped in with hints. If a dramatic moment went quiet, I broke the tension.
I am learning that silence does real work.
When something emotionally important happens and I stop talking, it gives the moment time to land. You need space to process before responding. If I rush past every beat, nothing has weight.
The same goes for puzzles and problems. My silence is a way of saying I trust you to figure this out. Take your time. The solution will feel better because you earned it.
The space between moments is where reactions happen, tension builds, and decisions settle. Silence is not disengagement. It is part of the pacing.
So if I deliver something significant and then stop talking, I am not stuck or waiting for a specific response. I am intentionally giving the moment room to breathe.
I am also trying to treat all table dialogue as in-character unless you clearly mark it otherwise.
Many tables drift in and out of character constantly. I am choosing a firmer boundary. If you speak, I will usually respond as though your character said it, unless you flag that you are talking above the table.
This deepens immersion. When you know that speaking means speaking as your character, it changes how you engage with the scene.
If you make a joke, NPCs may react to it. If you reference something your character should not know, someone in the world might question it. You can always step out of character, just say so.
This especially helps during emotional or high-tension scenes. When you cannot casually break character to strategize, those moments hold their weight.
I know this requires discipline from all of us. If I ask whether something was in-character or above the table, it is not criticism. It is just me maintaining that boundary.
I am actively working on making NPCs easier to distinguish.
I am not a voice actor, and that is fine. What matters more than quality is consistency.
I focus on a few basic tools that are easy to control:
Mixing these elements creates distinct impressions. A quiet, slow, gravelly voice feels very different from a loud, fast one. I do not need dozens of voices, just recognizable patterns.
I am also paying more attention to:
When I keep these traits consistent, NPCs become memorable even if the voice itself is simple.
All of this connects to one core philosophy: my job as your DM is to create space.
Space to take creative risks by modeling vulnerability.
Space for comedy to land through contrast.
Space for emotional engagement through feeling-based questions.
Space for moments to resonate by letting silence work.
Space for immersion by maintaining clear character boundaries.
Space for NPCs to feel distinct and real.
I am not trying to control every moment or be the star of the table. I am trying to create the conditions where you can be.
I am still learning. I appreciate your patience, and I genuinely welcome feedback when something works or when it does not. This is a collaborative effort, and I am figuring it out alongside you.