Greetings, 3WD-verse! DM Chris here. In our most recent podcast, we discussed an interesting question that one of our favorite DMs, Matt Colville, posted in a video. Most of you know the 8 player types (if not, hold tight) that we can use to help identify a player’s style and tune the game accordingly, but Matt asked the flip-side question – Do we, as DMs, have a style? We’re so busy worrying about the player’s experience and the world that we rarely have time to get introspective about whether or not we have a particular style, but the question got us thinking.
For those who are unfamiliar with the 8 player types, and as a refresher for those who know, the player types were created as a way to tailor your sessions and keep players engaged. By identifying which “type” they are, it can help to provide a fun experience for any kind of player at your table. In the current 2024 DMG, the types are: Actor, Explorer, Instigator, Power Gamer, Slayer, Storyteller, Thinker, and Watcher. They work well as intended, but it doesn’t serve a purpose to classify yourself as a DM. We’re constantly working on our craft. There had to be a better way.
As we discussed it, DM Tony and I harkened back to management skill evaluations that we were forced into taking at points in our careers. After answering a bunch of questions, you are scored in skills like Emotional Intelligence, Communication, Organization, etc. The part about it that resonated with us was that it’s an instructive exercise. Rather than it being simply a classification, it’s designed to highlight areas for improvement. Suddenly, we had a more purposeful way to talk about DM styles.
We came up with a series of metrics designed to cover the DM skill spectrum. Because they are meant to be turned up or down depending on where you’re looking to improve, we called them the five dials. Rules, Story Focus, Session Style, Preparation Style, and Conversational Style. But the real magic is that neither side of the dial is right or wrong – it’s just a way to measure yourself and identify where you could try something different. Let’s dive into each and explain.
1. Rules: RAW vs House
The first dial covers the essence of the game – how do you handle the rules? Are you more rules as written, or do you prefer to create your own rules and mechanics?
For many DMs, this is the dial that changes the most over time. Earlier in our DMing careers, we often cling tightly to the rules because they provide structure and confidence. The book becomes a safety net. If something unexpected happens, the answer is probably somewhere in those pages. And honestly, there’s nothing wrong with that. Rules consistency builds player trust. As DM Thorin would often say, “You teach your players how your world works.”
But eventually, most DMs begin to experiment. Maybe you create a custom critical hit table. Maybe you abandon encumbrance because your players hate tracking inventory. Maybe you realize a certain mechanic doesn’t fit the tone of your campaign. That’s when the dial starts sliding toward house rules.
The important thing is intentionality. Are your changes improving the experience, or just changing things for the sake of changing them? A good house rule should reinforce the tone and pacing of your game.
2. Story Focus: Character vs World
The second dial is the amount of focus you give to the shared story. Do you like to drive the story, or do you like to let the player’s stories help shape your world?
A world-focused DM often begins with the setting itself. Kingdoms rise and fall, factions move in the background, ancient ruins wait to be explored. The players are adventuring within a living world that exists independently of them. The campaign feels large, grounded, and immersive.
A character-focused DM, meanwhile, builds around character arcs and personal stories. The rogue’s missing mentor becomes central to the plot. The cleric’s crisis of faith shapes the direction of the campaign. The world bends more intentionally around the characters and their decisions.
One of the most useful things you can do as a DM is recognize which side you naturally favor. If you lean heavily toward worldbuilding, challenge yourself to incorporate more personal stakes. If you focus primarily on character arcs, try spending more time developing factions, history, or consequences outside the party.
3. Session Style: Combat vs Roleplay
The third dial is where we dig into how you like to run your sessions. Some of us prefer a combat-laden adventure, while others prefer a lot of roleplay at the table.
This dial tends to create the strongest reactions because players often have strong preferences themselves. Some groups live for tactical combat. They want difficult encounters, clever monster abilities, and dramatic boss fights. Other groups are happiest spending two hours talking in-character at a tavern or shopping.
The trick is understanding your group’s expectations and making sure the dial isn’t stuck too far in one direction unintentionally. If your players love roleplay but every session becomes combat after combat, frustration can build. Likewise, a combat-focused group may become restless during long stretches of NPC interaction.
I often reflect on a session in the immediate aftermath, and then again as the week progresses. If both my initial evaluation and my later evaluation connect on something, good or bad, it is often driven by the balance between these two, as well as the rhythm.
4. Prep Style: Structured vs Improv
The fourth dial is used to evaluate your game prep. Do you like to have everything mapped and planned out, or is improvisation more your style at the table?
This is probably the dial that DMs stress over the most. We’ve all had those moments where we prepared twenty pages of notes only for the players to immediately head in the opposite direction.
Personally, I’ve shifted much more toward light preparation over the years. Rather than scripting scenes, I prepare situations. I want to know who the important NPCs are, what they want, and what happens if the players do nothing. From there, the session evolves naturally.
5. Conversational Style: Narrator vs Actor
The final dial is a reflection of how you interact with your players. Do you prefer using the boxed text and descriptions, or do you pull out the funny voices and/or costumes to truly inhabit your NPCs?
Some DMs are incredible narrators. Their descriptions paint vivid scenes, establish tone, and immerse players without ever changing their voice. Others become full performers at the table, shifting accents, posture, and mannerisms depending on the NPC.
This dial is also heavily connected to comfort level. New DMs often feel intimidated by highly performative games online. But your conversational style should feel authentic to you. If funny voices stress you out, lean into strong descriptions and emotional tone instead.
Final Thoughts
While the question of whether DMs have a style is still appropriately unanswered, evaluating your current “style” can be a rewarding experience. The dials don’t judge, they just offer possibilities and a break from your standard routine.
That’s really the point of the exercise. Not to label yourself, but to reflect. Maybe you realize you’ve become overly structured and want to improvise more. Maybe you notice your campaigns lean heavily into combat and you’d like to create more room for roleplay. Or maybe you discover that your players love your worldbuilding, but want more opportunities for their characters to shape it directly.
The dials remind us that DMing is fluid. We’re constantly evolving. Every campaign, every group, and every session teaches us something new about the way we run game.
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