Hi like the title says I want to DM for the first time, but I am so nervous. How does one find players that are nice and a good fit, how do you prepare your game, should I do a one-shot or campaign? I have so many questions. I want to use D&D Beyond for everything except comms of course. and I am trying to run Humblewood games. Any advice is welcome.
That's great that you're trying it out, the hardest part about your situation I think is to find good players. Maybe see if any of your friends also want to give it a try. As for prep, it depends on what type of game you want to play(ie combat or roleplay focused). I would also start with an one shot to see how you and your players like it. But overall, just make sure that when running the game to make sure that everyone, the players and yourself are having fun.
Yes finding players even within my friends and family is difficult. I would like to have a pretty balanced adventure with both RP and combat. As for the one shot how to you make it not feel rushed or too simple? I feel like in games where I am a PC there is no way we would finish a quest in one session.
My absolute most important piece of advice is: do NOT be afraid to kill.
Trust in the encounters you set up, or those documented in the adventure you are running, and follow through with it even if it results in a brutal TPK. This is the sort of DM that is respected at the table- one where you need to be ready for anything, and are always on the edge of your seat.
I'm not sure what advice to give on finding a group, but as for an one shot, sometimes simple is good and rushed is better than it dragging on. It does depend on how long you play but a one-shot can take more than one session, it is just meant to be a stand alone adventure.
Also, for prepping for a session, I'm not endorsing railroading, but a truly free adventure is not very exciting for both the players and the DM. Think of it more as guidance in the right direction for the sake of the plot. This makes it easier to prep and allows for more the session to be more detailed and fun. How I run my own campaign is I have a general path I lead my players down but I plan each session by itself depending on what path the players go down.
For a first attempt, I'd suggest getting a premade adventure and running that. It reduces the amount you've got to worry about while you're still getting a grasp of how it's done. You've played, so you have some idea how it works; there's just going to be more to keep track of than you think.
Your first time is going to be not the best, but you'll be learning, and it's entirely possible for everyone to have fun even if the game ends up kind of a mess. The first time I played, many, many (many) years ago, it ended in a total party kill. Didn't stop me.
As for getting players, can you recruit from the people you've already played with?
Take your time recruiting members, and be honest about what you bring to the table. In your shoes it'd be something like "Hi, i'm X, and i'm a first time DM looking for people that are in a similar age group to myself, with a Y sense of humor, and a Z style of play that they would like to play. I'm fine with new and veteran players, but would like a group that is understanding with the rules and willing to allow for a few mistakes or misinterpretations here and there. I want to run my sessions at XX times (pick one and label it with the time zone you are referencing). I am planning on running A (Homebrew/One-Shot/Module).
As far as what you decide to start with, it's mostly to do with what your preference is. I never started on a module and went full homebrew and open campaign, so if you are worried that it can't be done, i can tell you my group started in November 2022 and it's now March 30th 2024 and it's still the same 5 players despite being pretty new to DM'ing. I did however take my time and turn down. I also did it without a true group session zero, instead preferring 1 on 1 quick conversations about what they wanted out of the campaign in some cases.
As far as nerves go, they will exist always to some degree. it's always a question of 'where will the part decide to go despite neon signs pointing them the intended direction'. So the only real tool you have to have in your toolbox, regardless of module or otherwise, is some level of improvisation. The ability to have side encounters ready and a few extra go to NPC types. that can be a case module or homebrew wise (one-shot wise usually I'd expect the story to lead me up to the dropoff in front of whatever the quest location is so theres less necessity there).
If you want direct homebrew advice without doing a ton of the world-building, my advice is this: don't worry about where something is located, build towns, forests, mountains, and then as the part explores a direction piece is together in front of them with whatever you've planned. If they ask a towns-person for advice about interesting spots around, you can place them then. It makes it a bit easier to have the party be on a track you have created on the railroad without the feeling that they are being railroaded. If they don't visit a place you design early, there are many ways to boast your encounters to match. Don't want to overload you on all the details if it's not your intended choice of direction though, but that makes life easier for me!
Other than that, the only real rule is to make sure that the game is fun for you and for the group. I'm very much a rule of cool > rules as written/intended, don't be afraid to have a discussion on offdays with the group as to what works and what doesnt.
Happy to answer any other questions more specifically tied to that, i'll defer to others on non-homebrew :D
My #1 piece of advice is to watch Matt Colville’s Running the Game series. It’s a treasure trove of great advice (so, more like 122 pieces of advice and counting all rolled into one here): (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=e-YZvLUXcR8&list=PLlUk42GiU2guNzWBzxn7hs8MaV7ELLCP_&index=1&t=22s). I’ve been playing D&D for 30 years, and started DMing within a couple years of getting into the game, and I still learn stuff from that series and even occasionally go back and rewatch episodes from time to time. Don’t feel like you have to watch all of itright away or anything just watch what you can when you can, take it in at your own pace. It’s not like it’s gonna go anywhere so you have all the time you need. You can also watch them In any order you wish, so either sequentially if you want, or pick and choose the episodes that you think will be most helpful and prioritize those first, whatever works best for you.
After that, here are my personal top tips for new players:
If everyone at the table is having fun, even if you’re not strictly following the rules, you’re doing it right. (That’s really the only thing that matters. If you ever find yourself wondering if you’re a “good DM,” this is how you’ll find your answer.)
It’s okay to make mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes. It turns out that’s the best way to learn how to avoid making those same mistake again in future. (Making mistakes is not a failing, not learning from them is.)
If something comes up at the table, and you cannot find the rule for it in about a minute, just make a decision, let everyone know that’s what you are doing, and that you will look up an official answer before the next session. (Then follow through and actually look it up before the next session so that people can count on your word.)
Reread chapters 7, 9, and 10 of the Basic Riles/PHB, because the vast majority of all the rules that get used just about every session are in those three chapters. (If you mostly remember the stuff in these three chapters then you’ll be fine most of the time, and for anything else, fall back on Tip #3.)
Run a Session 0. This is your chance to make sure everyone knows what is or isn’t okay by everyone playing together, and that everyone agrees to play with respect for each other’s boundaries. (Most of the times that people get upset it’s because things that should have been cleared up before the game started weren’t.)
Have fun! (If it’s not fun, it’s not worth doing.)
That is all very helpful advise, thank you! It looks like it would prob be best to stick to a module for my 1st one, so that's what I'll do! So with the modules should I already know the adventure and details by memory before even session 0? In regards to finding players I have found one of the other players from another session, and I'll have to just put myself out there and express exactly what I'm looking for in players like Savage was saying. Also, If I'm in a setting like Humblewood how can I incorporate other monsters and things for combat, or should I just use evil aligned humblefolk characters? Thanks again everyone!
Don’t stress it too much. If you decide to use a module, then you should read it through once, but only really worry about knowing the first part well. Just prepare small portions at a time. I can almost guarantee you that you will most likely prepare far more than you need to for your first session, and probably every other session after that too because players almost never proceed as quickly as we expect them to.
As a side note, while many people have, do, and will suggest using prewritten modules, particularly in the beginning, that is by no means always the best, simplest, or easiest way to go about things. Often times, something small you’ve written yourself can be far simpler and easier to run, especially for newer DMs. At least that’s my personal opinion. I would strongly recommend watch the first episode of that series I linked for you in my previous post as it is specifically for brand new DMs to write and run a small module for their very first session. And frankly, again in my opinion, it’s way easier than people might think and much simpler to run than any module I’ve ever seen anywhere except some of the small 1-page jobs they used to include in some boxed sets way back when I first started playing. Check it out at least. If you still decide to use a prewritten module then you’ll have lost nothing by watching it and likely have learned a lot.
Will do! I actually want to run 2, one with my fam if I can ever get them to try. Maybe I'll just try one module and one HB and see how it goes. Also if anyone is interested in playing and maybe giving some tips along the way that would be cool too. I will def start watching that series today, Thanks again!
Take a breath being a DM for the first time can be a terrifying thing even if you get your friends to play.
If you can find copies of the First and Second editions AD&D Dungeon Masters Guide, read the forwards in both books. Mike Carr and David Cook give what i deem is probably the best advice for new DM's.
As for what kind of campaign to run start with a one off. You do not need to even buy a module. A Pad of graph/hex paper, a notebook and D&D Beyond and the world can literally be your oyster. Look into Five Room Dungeons or even one page adventures Try here
How to get players... Go to your local game store find a group to join while you familiarize yourself with the game. Play with them for a while become friends with them they will lead you to other players, other DM's and other games. I can not speak for everyone on this forum but Dungeons and Dragons has given me many friends over the years so don't be afraid to take the chance. Check the forums here, and at other sites like ENworld , if you are looking at Virtual tabletops they have Looking for group forums on their sites as well
Hi like the title says I want to DM for the first time, but I am so nervous. How does one find players that are nice and a good fit, how do you prepare your game, should I do a one-shot or campaign? I have so many questions. I want to use D&D Beyond for everything except comms of course. and I am trying to run Humblewood games. Any advice is welcome.
That's great that you're trying it out, the hardest part about your situation I think is to find good players. Maybe see if any of your friends also want to give it a try. As for prep, it depends on what type of game you want to play(ie combat or roleplay focused). I would also start with an one shot to see how you and your players like it. But overall, just make sure that when running the game to make sure that everyone, the players and yourself are having fun.
Yes finding players even within my friends and family is difficult. I would like to have a pretty balanced adventure with both RP and combat. As for the one shot how to you make it not feel rushed or too simple? I feel like in games where I am a PC there is no way we would finish a quest in one session.
My absolute most important piece of advice is: do NOT be afraid to kill.
Trust in the encounters you set up, or those documented in the adventure you are running, and follow through with it even if it results in a brutal TPK. This is the sort of DM that is respected at the table- one where you need to be ready for anything, and are always on the edge of your seat.
I'm not sure what advice to give on finding a group, but as for an one shot, sometimes simple is good and rushed is better than it dragging on. It does depend on how long you play but a one-shot can take more than one session, it is just meant to be a stand alone adventure.
Also, for prepping for a session, I'm not endorsing railroading, but a truly free adventure is not very exciting for both the players and the DM. Think of it more as guidance in the right direction for the sake of the plot. This makes it easier to prep and allows for more the session to be more detailed and fun. How I run my own campaign is I have a general path I lead my players down but I plan each session by itself depending on what path the players go down.
For a first attempt, I'd suggest getting a premade adventure and running that. It reduces the amount you've got to worry about while you're still getting a grasp of how it's done. You've played, so you have some idea how it works; there's just going to be more to keep track of than you think.
Your first time is going to be not the best, but you'll be learning, and it's entirely possible for everyone to have fun even if the game ends up kind of a mess. The first time I played, many, many (many) years ago, it ended in a total party kill. Didn't stop me.
As for getting players, can you recruit from the people you've already played with?
My suggestions are as follows:
Take your time recruiting members, and be honest about what you bring to the table. In your shoes it'd be something like "Hi, i'm X, and i'm a first time DM looking for people that are in a similar age group to myself, with a Y sense of humor, and a Z style of play that they would like to play. I'm fine with new and veteran players, but would like a group that is understanding with the rules and willing to allow for a few mistakes or misinterpretations here and there. I want to run my sessions at XX times (pick one and label it with the time zone you are referencing). I am planning on running A (Homebrew/One-Shot/Module).
As far as what you decide to start with, it's mostly to do with what your preference is. I never started on a module and went full homebrew and open campaign, so if you are worried that it can't be done, i can tell you my group started in November 2022 and it's now March 30th 2024 and it's still the same 5 players despite being pretty new to DM'ing. I did however take my time and turn down. I also did it without a true group session zero, instead preferring 1 on 1 quick conversations about what they wanted out of the campaign in some cases.
As far as nerves go, they will exist always to some degree. it's always a question of 'where will the part decide to go despite neon signs pointing them the intended direction'. So the only real tool you have to have in your toolbox, regardless of module or otherwise, is some level of improvisation. The ability to have side encounters ready and a few extra go to NPC types. that can be a case module or homebrew wise (one-shot wise usually I'd expect the story to lead me up to the dropoff in front of whatever the quest location is so theres less necessity there).
If you want direct homebrew advice without doing a ton of the world-building, my advice is this: don't worry about where something is located, build towns, forests, mountains, and then as the part explores a direction piece is together in front of them with whatever you've planned. If they ask a towns-person for advice about interesting spots around, you can place them then. It makes it a bit easier to have the party be on a track you have created on the railroad without the feeling that they are being railroaded. If they don't visit a place you design early, there are many ways to boast your encounters to match. Don't want to overload you on all the details if it's not your intended choice of direction though, but that makes life easier for me!
Other than that, the only real rule is to make sure that the game is fun for you and for the group. I'm very much a rule of cool > rules as written/intended, don't be afraid to have a discussion on offdays with the group as to what works and what doesnt.
Happy to answer any other questions more specifically tied to that, i'll defer to others on non-homebrew :D
My #1 piece of advice is to watch Matt Colville’s Running the Game series. It’s a treasure trove of great advice (so, more like 122 pieces of advice and counting all rolled into one here): (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=e-YZvLUXcR8&list=PLlUk42GiU2guNzWBzxn7hs8MaV7ELLCP_&index=1&t=22s). I’ve been playing D&D for 30 years, and started DMing within a couple years of getting into the game, and I still learn stuff from that series and even occasionally go back and rewatch episodes from time to time. Don’t feel like you have to watch all of itright away or anything just watch what you can when you can, take it in at your own pace. It’s not like it’s gonna go anywhere so you have all the time you need. You can also watch them In any order you wish, so either sequentially if you want, or pick and choose the episodes that you think will be most helpful and prioritize those first, whatever works best for you.
After that, here are my personal top tips for new players:
Welcome to the other side of the DM’s screen!
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
That is all very helpful advise, thank you! It looks like it would prob be best to stick to a module for my 1st one, so that's what I'll do! So with the modules should I already know the adventure and details by memory before even session 0? In regards to finding players I have found one of the other players from another session, and I'll have to just put myself out there and express exactly what I'm looking for in players like Savage was saying. Also, If I'm in a setting like Humblewood how can I incorporate other monsters and things for combat, or should I just use evil aligned humblefolk characters? Thanks again everyone!
Don’t stress it too much. If you decide to use a module, then you should read it through once, but only really worry about knowing the first part well. Just prepare small portions at a time. I can almost guarantee you that you will most likely prepare far more than you need to for your first session, and probably every other session after that too because players almost never proceed as quickly as we expect them to.
As a side note, while many people have, do, and will suggest using prewritten modules, particularly in the beginning, that is by no means always the best, simplest, or easiest way to go about things. Often times, something small you’ve written yourself can be far simpler and easier to run, especially for newer DMs. At least that’s my personal opinion. I would strongly recommend watch the first episode of that series I linked for you in my previous post as it is specifically for brand new DMs to write and run a small module for their very first session. And frankly, again in my opinion, it’s way easier than people might think and much simpler to run than any module I’ve ever seen anywhere except some of the small 1-page jobs they used to include in some boxed sets way back when I first started playing. Check it out at least. If you still decide to use a prewritten module then you’ll have lost nothing by watching it and likely have learned a lot.
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
Will do! I actually want to run 2, one with my fam if I can ever get them to try. Maybe I'll just try one module and one HB and see how it goes. Also if anyone is interested in playing and maybe giving some tips along the way that would be cool too. I will def start watching that series today, Thanks again!
Take a breath being a DM for the first time can be a terrifying thing even if you get your friends to play.
If you can find copies of the First and Second editions AD&D Dungeon Masters Guide, read the forwards in both books. Mike Carr and David Cook give what i deem is probably the best advice for new DM's.
As for what kind of campaign to run start with a one off. You do not need to even buy a module. A Pad of graph/hex paper, a notebook and D&D Beyond and the world can literally be your oyster. Look into Five Room Dungeons or even one page adventures Try here
How to get players... Go to your local game store find a group to join while you familiarize yourself with the game. Play with them for a while become friends with them they will lead you to other players, other DM's and other games. I can not speak for everyone on this forum but Dungeons and Dragons has given me many friends over the years so don't be afraid to take the chance. Check the forums here, and at other sites like ENworld , if you are looking at Virtual tabletops they have Looking for group forums on their sites as well
Just published a map on DriveThruRPG The Forgotten Temple