Social You know you're a DM when...

This thread can apply equally to both tabletop and board-based but my starting point is mostly a tabletop thing:

When you, as a tabletop DM, demand that your players master QFT at a certain level for their characters to learn Art of the Small from yours.

 

QFT?

 

Quantum field theory.

 

You demand your players master quantum field theory?

How's that going?

 

I know it's a lot to ask for, but Art of the Small can potentially be game-breaking. So many different uses for it, molecular manipulation and whatnot. I even offered to teach players who wanted their characters to have Art of the Small the requisite quantum field theory notions (along with the non-relativistic quantum mechanics that is a prerequisite) to meet my standard and hence, under my watch, AotS is the ultimate endgame goal for those playing Force-users. To me, as a DM, Art of the Small doesn't make any sense without a clear grasp of quantum field theory, and QFT requires, in turn, an equally clear grasp of quantum mechanics, but playing a character knowing QFT is very hard to portray right if the player using it doesn't know it themselves.

 

Okay-dokey.

The explanation suggests to me that your thread should be, You know you're a DM...

 

My head hurts even THINKING about it.....

 

Eh, my head just shrugs and looks for another cup of coffee.

 

I don't think putting up a gate on an ability based on physics knowledge is the best DM decision in that situation. If you're that concerned with the power ramifications you should invoke fiat to ban Art of the Small outright or curb its power - I'm of the opinion that under no circumstances should a player be made accountable for knowledge their character is entitled to. Furthermore at a deeper "why are you even playing Star Wars?" level: butting something as fantastical as the Force up against "realistic" subatomic physics is just begging the question. And... multitudinous other questions that should definitely be coming up before that.

Incidentally, since Art of the Small canonically deals with interactions at the molecular level, rather than at electron scale, a rudimentary chemistry background would be more than sufficient for most situations if you wanted to get all grognardy about it. Which, again, I don't think you should.

Anyway that all got weirdly serious, so, uh:
You know you're a DM when your post exhausts the forum's @ limits.

 

you know you're a DM when you keep having a silly amount of ideas for games and could never run all of them no matter how hard you try.

 

That makes two of us A Blind Prophet

Maybe you'd like to join me in my upcoming Fantasy one, uploading it soon

Cheers on the game-making

And well, you know you're a DM/GM when you oftentimes enjoy creating the games even more than playing them

 

Jedi Battlemaster Drallig i'll certainly give it a look. i do that with pretty much every game that comes around.

 

Great A Blind Prophet Really looking forward to it

See you around