Page 1290 — The Fourth Screen

This was a tough page to write, for obvious reasons. It touches on an incredibly nuanced subject of group management and directly confronts one of the core pillars of the D&D-campaign-webcomic genre ("The DM and the players humorously and disastrously clash rather than work together"). And there's only so much space on the page. But there comes a point when if your story is going to continue and still be a story with characters — rather than cardboard cutouts doomed to a neutral status quo — then some things need to be addressed.

This is one time where I explicitly don't want to jump on a soapbox and preach that I've got the one and only right answer on this. This is an example of how to explore and set boundaries after the fact, but it's a very flawed example. Not every group needs it, and not every group needs it done this way. But especially as the TTRPG hobby continues to expand to include more people of all sorts, and as more and more examples of spectacular roleplaying become common, I think this is a timely issue to discuss.

Note: Now accepting guest comics! Details and rules here. Deadline: November 6th.

Rarity: Well, that neatly takes care of the adventuring problem. But that does leave us with the other remaining issue…
DM: What would that be? My co-DM?
Rarity: Well… It's really more of a root structural problem…
Applejack: Ah think she's talkin' about the fact that you keep springin' surprises on us.
Rarity: …Something like that.
DM: …Oh.
Applejack: Now, Ah ain't talkin' about random encounters and rollin' Initiative. It's more the plot twists. "Whoops, yer blacklisted." "Surprise, there's a second DM and he's yer all-powerful enemy." Let's face it, y'ain't been battin' 1000 on 'em.
DM: You dont' need to tell me twice. Or fiftieth.
Rarity: You've always had a penchant for spectacle. Even when it was just the four of us. And after meeting your "mentor," I see where you got it from.
Rainbow Dash: Hey, our campaigns were still pretty awesome back then!
Applejack: But now it's the seven of us. And we ain't in high school just learnin' the game anymore.
Rainbow Dash: Oh yeah, totally. I'm just sayin'. We still want our campaigns to be epic and all that. There just… might be a better way to do it, that's all!
Pinkie Pie: I couldn't help but notice after that flash-forward session… You're a teeensy bit fixated on striking fear in the hearts of your players, aren't you? All the way back since Nightmare Moon, even!
DM: …Wow. I never thought about it like that. I think you're all right. But what do you suggest I do to change it.
Rarity: Work with us, darling! Don't hold your cards so close to the chest.
Applejack: Yeah. Run things by us individually at the very least. Imagine if y'all'd been like "Hey, Ah'm thinkin' of doin' a plot where Rarity gets kicked out of the Guild and has to figure out where she stands."
Rarity: Oh goodness yes! That would have been MUCH less stressful.
Fluttershy: Communication, in general, ,maybe, is something we could all improve on, just a little bit… But I'm probably not one to talk about that…
DM: You've been rather quiet too. What do you think?
Twilight Sparkle: Well, I think there's more we could be doing on our side of the table too. But, I mean, if you let us in on your plans more, we'd probably derail them less.
DM: <grumble…>