New DM here. Looking to homebrew a campaign. Anyone have any tips or tricks about what I should do as a DM to make things fun and engaging for the players?
Be like water. You can never predict all outcomes, don't try to. If something unexpected happens, don't just decide the players can't do that, keep moving the story.
Don't let the players roll unless they can succeed. This may seem counterintuitive to these previous, but if the players have no chance of succeeding, don't let them try. It will just frustrate them.
Don't Check the Rules too often. Checking the rules too often leads to the game slowing down to a halt, if you really don't know how a mechanic works, choose whatever result you believe will be funniest for the players.
Play Music. Playing music helps set a tone, think of what you want a scene to evoke, and play a song accordingly.
Try not to remove player agency. Unless you need an event to set up the rest of the campaign, try to let the players attempt almost any action.
Peer Review. Check-in with more experienced Dungeon Masters for feedback on what you write.
This is not a Dungeon Master vs. Player game. The end goal is to have fun, not to defeat the other players and vice versa.
Communicate with your Players. If one of the players is making you uncomfortable, bring it up and discuss it with them.
Have Fun. The most important advice that can be given is to just have fun yourself. Your players will most likely follow suit.
I would strongly recommend getting a copy of Return of the Lazy DM to assist with the campaign creation, but I can highlight some of the important things I pulled from it for now.
Don't Prep Too Much
Go with the flow on a lot of the character choices and don't try to over plan for what they'll do this often ends forcing railroads and feels like the player's agency is being stripped from them. Have some brief events and then some loose guides on how to get them there, otherwise let them steer with the information that was provided.
Another part of this point is having your characters write backstories and you weaving those into the campaign. Nothing spurs interest like feeling a moment is about yourself as a player (ex. If a character's parents were killed, who killed them, do they want to get revenge on them or do they first need to figure out who killed in order to decide that). I also find this is a great way to take some of the pressure off you as the one assembling the campaign considering they'll have practically written a whole plot point for you!
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New DM here. Looking to homebrew a campaign. Anyone have any tips or tricks about what I should do as a DM to make things fun and engaging for the players?
Be like water. You can never predict all outcomes, don't try to. If something unexpected happens, don't just decide the players can't do that, keep moving the story.
Don't let the players roll unless they can succeed. This may seem counterintuitive to these previous, but if the players have no chance of succeeding, don't let them try. It will just frustrate them.
Don't Check the Rules too often. Checking the rules too often leads to the game slowing down to a halt, if you really don't know how a mechanic works, choose whatever result you believe will be funniest for the players.
Play Music. Playing music helps set a tone, think of what you want a scene to evoke, and play a song accordingly.
Try not to remove player agency. Unless you need an event to set up the rest of the campaign, try to let the players attempt almost any action.
Peer Review. Check-in with more experienced Dungeon Masters for feedback on what you write.
This is not a Dungeon Master vs. Player game. The end goal is to have fun, not to defeat the other players and vice versa.
Communicate with your Players. If one of the players is making you uncomfortable, bring it up and discuss it with them.
Have Fun. The most important advice that can be given is to just have fun yourself. Your players will most likely follow suit.
Supreme Cat-lover Of The First Grade
I AM A CAT PERSON. /\_____/\
She/her pronouns please. (=^.^=)
Thank you! I'll be sure to keep all of that in mind!
Get the players to describe their actions, instead of just rolling the dice. That way, you have a bit more thinking time too :-)
I would strongly recommend getting a copy of Return of the Lazy DM to assist with the campaign creation, but I can highlight some of the important things I pulled from it for now.
Don't Prep Too Much
Go with the flow on a lot of the character choices and don't try to over plan for what they'll do this often ends forcing railroads and feels like the player's agency is being stripped from them. Have some brief events and then some loose guides on how to get them there, otherwise let them steer with the information that was provided.
Another part of this point is having your characters write backstories and you weaving those into the campaign. Nothing spurs interest like feeling a moment is about yourself as a player (ex. If a character's parents were killed, who killed them, do they want to get revenge on them or do they first need to figure out who killed in order to decide that). I also find this is a great way to take some of the pressure off you as the one assembling the campaign considering they'll have practically written a whole plot point for you!