I'm a brand new DM and I haven't actually played much D&D but me and my group of friends have been wanting to play more together and they asked if I could be the groups DM are there any tips you could give me? I'm currently attempting to come up with a campaign but I was wondering if I should just use a premade module for the first few campaigns until the group gets more into the swing of things or not. I am having fun writing it but I just don't know if what i'm doing is right or not.
I'm a brand new DM and I haven't actually played much D&D but me and my group of friends have been wanting to play more together and they asked if I could be the groups DM are there any tips you could give me? I'm currently attempting to come up with a campaign but I was wondering if I should just use a premade module for the first few campaigns until the group gets more into the swing of things or not. I am having fun writing it but I just don't know if what i'm doing is right or not.
The best advice I can give you is to just do it. "HESITATION IS DEFEAT" the best way to learn and accumulate experience is to actually practice DMing.
As a brand new DM, I recommend running a pre-built adventure or campaign. But don't forget that you are not beholden to It and you can make as many changes and alterations as you want.
Preferably run an adventure that you can then transition into your own story once you have gained more experience.
Alternatively, you can run a number of one-shots to get the hang of things before starting something more long-term.
Definitely read, read, and read some more. At least the Players Handbook, the Dungeon Masters Guide, and Xanathar's Guide.
Talk to your players after a session and ask how they felt or if they have some feedback for you.
Learn to think on your feet and don't get stuck too long on a particular idea. Improvisation will get you a long way.
Prepare for a session but don't prepare too far ahead, as your players might decide to go in a completely random direction that you weren't expecting. Planning two sessions ahead seems to work for me.
Learn to plant your feet firmly and say NO to certain things that your players might want to do if it will completely derail the story or be adversarial to other players.
Learn to relax and just say YES to some things that your players might want to do which you feel could be interesting or just plain funny.
I got more advice somewhere in my head, but this is all I could think of for now. Feel free to ask me if you want more advice.
I would recommend the official Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set, the Dungeons & Dragons Essentials Kit or both.
These are specifically designed for new players and new DMs and have everything you will need to get you started and help you become familiar with the game. If you combine the two, you will easily have enough adventures and encounters to take your party from level 1 to level 12 or 13.
Matt Colville has a Youtube series called Running the Game which is full of really good advice. And I say that as a grumpy old guy who would 99% of the time rather read about something than watch a video.
As a new DM my first game was Lost Mines of Phandelver. Running a pre-built helps you as a DM learn how to set up a campaign. I would also recommend checking out some DnD shows or podcasts. Critical Role is a decent one or Dimension 20. Those can show you the ropes about how to play a game and actually run a session. The most important thing to remember is that your imagination is the limit when it comes to DnD so you can do pretty much anything you'd like as long as you and the players are having fun.
I honestly would not write anything man, just focus on the basics. Try making a town, a few NPCs, and a small dungeon nearby. Writing stuff like this is some kind of novel is a huge trap. Focus instead on creating the world in the immediate vicinity of your players and have the spotlight follow them around. Prepare more material around your players as they roam about.
Let the players write the story, all you need to do is set the stage.
Also, your primary concern is getting a handle on what it feels like to be a DM. Try to be confident, players notice that. Speak clearly and enunciate, don't fumble your words or um um and mumble. Being a good public speaker type is important as a DM. Assert yourself, make it clear you are the boss.
Also, pay attention to how the game is progressing. Think pacing, you can control it as the DM. Pay attention to your players, who is getting too much spotlight and who isn't getting enough. Move that spotlight around. Game management type stuff. That's your focus to learn as a new DM, until it is second nature.
It is instinctive for me having done this for quite awhile, but you don't need to be able to do all the voices and accents for npcs if you don't have a knack for it, however every DM should at least have a narrator voice. The voice you use when describing scenes to suck in your players' attention. Lower your voice and speak slowly and dramatically.
My best tip, which I still follow as an experienced DM, is don’t plan too far ahead. Don’t plan a Game of Thrones size plot or build a Tolkien-depth world. Just focus on the adventure, town, and monsters at hand: the stuff the players will have the most fun with! That way, you’re not overwhelming them or taking their spotlight away, and you’re not too worried about them going off track because the track doesn’t go that far anyway.
Also, I’d avoid comparing yourself to a show like Critical Role should you come across that. The people on those shows are actors, and what you’re seeing, while fun to watch, is more akin to an improv show than the sort of game we play with friends. Trying to copy them hurts much more than it helps.
think you got excellent advice above already only thing I could add is...
A good pre-built starter adventure like LMoP (Lost Mine of Phandelver), Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set, the Dungeons & Dragons Essentials Kit gives you a skeleton to cling to when your starting out, to which you can start adding little scenes of your own once you feel confident with the basic rules and keeping an enjoyable flow and pace to the game.
“It cannot be seen, cannot be felt, Cannot be heard, cannot be smelt, It lies behind stars and under hills, And empty holes it fills, It comes first and follows after, Ends life, kills laughter.” J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, or There and Back Again
You all gave me some really good advice and I've put together some of the LMoP campaign on roll20 as that's what my friends feel comfortable with, It's going along pretty well just working out schedules now then we'll be able to play our first real campaign as a group thanks a lot to everyone that gave advice!
Feel free to embrace cliché, as many clichés are clichés for a reason; they're useful storytelling shorthand that you can use as an easy springboard for something bigger.
Also, if you feel like running your own homebrew adventure, don't feel like everything needs to be 100% original. Feel free to blatantly steal from what inspires you; movies, games, books, etc. The funny thing about stealing ideas for your dnd game is that if you steal enough things from enough sources and recombine them in your own way, it'll usually come across fairly original in its own right. Just remember to file off those serial numbers.
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I'm a brand new DM and I haven't actually played much D&D but me and my group of friends have been wanting to play more together and they asked if I could be the groups DM are there any tips you could give me? I'm currently attempting to come up with a campaign but I was wondering if I should just use a premade module for the first few campaigns until the group gets more into the swing of things or not. I am having fun writing it but I just don't know if what i'm doing is right or not.
The best advice I can give you is to just do it. "HESITATION IS DEFEAT" the best way to learn and accumulate experience is to actually practice DMing.
I got more advice somewhere in my head, but this is all I could think of for now. Feel free to ask me if you want more advice.
Get to know your players and their characters- figure out what motivates the party so you can play off their strengths and weaknesses.
Have a session zero- talk about what topics to avoid and what the players feel makes a good game.
Have the first part of the adventure involve the PCs introducing themselves in character.
I completely agree with Stusano- play a published module, short for a good intro.
The most important part of dnd is fun. Try not to get too stressed about the rules, and keep the focus on having a good time.
Good luck!
Only spilt the party if you see something shiny.
Ariendela Sneakerson, Half-elf Rogue (8); Harmony Wolfsbane, Tiefling Bard (10); Agnomally, Gnomish Sorcerer (3); Breeze, Tabaxi Monk (8); Grace, Dragonborn Barbarian (7); DM, Homebrew- The Sequestered Lands/Underwater Explorers; Candlekeep
I would recommend the official Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set, the Dungeons & Dragons Essentials Kit or both.
These are specifically designed for new players and new DMs and have everything you will need to get you started and help you become familiar with the game. If you combine the two, you will easily have enough adventures and encounters to take your party from level 1 to level 12 or 13.
Matt Colville has a Youtube series called Running the Game which is full of really good advice. And I say that as a grumpy old guy who would 99% of the time rather read about something than watch a video.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
As a new DM my first game was Lost Mines of Phandelver. Running a pre-built helps you as a DM learn how to set up a campaign. I would also recommend checking out some DnD shows or podcasts. Critical Role is a decent one or Dimension 20. Those can show you the ropes about how to play a game and actually run a session. The most important thing to remember is that your imagination is the limit when it comes to DnD so you can do pretty much anything you'd like as long as you and the players are having fun.
The dice giveth and the dice taketh away.
I honestly would not write anything man, just focus on the basics. Try making a town, a few NPCs, and a small dungeon nearby. Writing stuff like this is some kind of novel is a huge trap. Focus instead on creating the world in the immediate vicinity of your players and have the spotlight follow them around. Prepare more material around your players as they roam about.
Let the players write the story, all you need to do is set the stage.
Also, your primary concern is getting a handle on what it feels like to be a DM. Try to be confident, players notice that. Speak clearly and enunciate, don't fumble your words or um um and mumble. Being a good public speaker type is important as a DM. Assert yourself, make it clear you are the boss.
Also, pay attention to how the game is progressing. Think pacing, you can control it as the DM. Pay attention to your players, who is getting too much spotlight and who isn't getting enough. Move that spotlight around. Game management type stuff. That's your focus to learn as a new DM, until it is second nature.
It is instinctive for me having done this for quite awhile, but you don't need to be able to do all the voices and accents for npcs if you don't have a knack for it, however every DM should at least have a narrator voice. The voice you use when describing scenes to suck in your players' attention. Lower your voice and speak slowly and dramatically.
And have fun for crying out loud!
My best tip, which I still follow as an experienced DM, is don’t plan too far ahead. Don’t plan a Game of Thrones size plot or build a Tolkien-depth world. Just focus on the adventure, town, and monsters at hand: the stuff the players will have the most fun with! That way, you’re not overwhelming them or taking their spotlight away, and you’re not too worried about them going off track because the track doesn’t go that far anyway.
Also, I’d avoid comparing yourself to a show like Critical Role should you come across that. The people on those shows are actors, and what you’re seeing, while fun to watch, is more akin to an improv show than the sort of game we play with friends. Trying to copy them hurts much more than it helps.
Wizard (Gandalf) of the Tolkien Club
another tip is to find an experienced DM and play along side your friends to learn the game. Learning to DM cold is really tough.
think you got excellent advice above already only thing I could add is...
A good pre-built starter adventure like LMoP (Lost Mine of Phandelver), Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set, the Dungeons & Dragons Essentials Kit gives you a skeleton to cling to when your starting out, to which you can start adding little scenes of your own once you feel confident with the basic rules and keeping an enjoyable flow and pace to the game.
As for further advice/reading I can highly recommend Sly Flourish Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master
“It cannot be seen, cannot be felt, Cannot be heard, cannot be smelt, It lies behind stars and under hills, And empty holes it fills, It comes first and follows after, Ends life, kills laughter.” J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, or There and Back Again
You all gave me some really good advice and I've put together some of the LMoP campaign on roll20 as that's what my friends feel comfortable with, It's going along pretty well just working out schedules now then we'll be able to play our first real campaign as a group thanks a lot to everyone that gave advice!
Good luck!
The YouTube channel XP to Level 3 has a of of good advice and some funny videos too.
Feel free to embrace cliché, as many clichés are clichés for a reason; they're useful storytelling shorthand that you can use as an easy springboard for something bigger.
Also, if you feel like running your own homebrew adventure, don't feel like everything needs to be 100% original. Feel free to blatantly steal from what inspires you; movies, games, books, etc. The funny thing about stealing ideas for your dnd game is that if you steal enough things from enough sources and recombine them in your own way, it'll usually come across fairly original in its own right. Just remember to file off those serial numbers.