Hi, for a few friends of mine I've taken up Dm-ing. I would appreciate it if other DMs out there could give me some tips and advice on how to form a homebrew campaign and how to be a good DM.
I decided to do this after I joined a group a little bit ago, but the group I was in just didn't fit for me. The DM there was— I should say is, quite controlling and isn't giving the players the space they need to form a good character and story. So I decided I'd try myself, for some of these players and a few other of my friends.
DnD has always been a passion of mine, but I've always seen myself more as a player than a DM. Though I'm willing to give it a go, as I know it can be just as thrilling to be a DM as it is to be a player in a campaign.
So if any of you Dms out there could give me some advice that could help, I'd really appreciate it!
Don't over plan. It burns you out and a lot is wasted or you end up rail roading the players.
Make sure your players know you want a character driven story. If the campaign is long enough each character might have an adventure or two devoted to resolving their personal goals or backstory. You don't need to plan them all out ahead of time, but work with players to create something in their background or personality you can work with down the road.
Have a session zero, get everyone on the same page for things like, how silly or serious is the story, is everyone going to be heroic? How should intra-party conflicts get resolved?
Ask players for feedback frequently. Like every session. Emphasize the parts of play everyone has the most fun with.
When rules questions come up you can't resolve quickly, make a fast ruling and after the session research it and update your ruling if needed. Don't let play get delayed due to rules arguments or searching through books and online resources.
Have fun and throw hard stuff at the party, it only makes them better. 😀
Consider running a published adventure first. Reading and studying a complete adventure will make it easier for you to prepare for your sessions as a DM, and will help you understand how to turn your ideas for campaigns into reality. Take notes. Break it down into a spreadsheet if you need to.
If you work with a published adventure, try to pick out things within it that you definitely want to happen in your game and things that your players will enjoy. Be willing to toss out anything you don't like or your players might not enjoy. Is there a location that you think your players will want to see? Is there a monster or NPC that you'd like in your game? Make note of them, and figure out how to integrate them when the time is right. Don't be afraid to tweak the details, or to add your own spin to anything you have a good idea for.
Prior to your sessions, get to know your monsters and NPCs. Learn their attacks, immunities, and vulnerabilities as best you can. Think about how you'd tell their story based on the stat blocks and details. Don't worry about your player's abilities and spells too much. Let your players know that you're going to rely on them understanding their characters and their abilities, and that you'll ask for spell descriptions, etc., when necessary.
You will make mistakes, and that is totally ok. Your players probably won't even realize you've made them. As long as you and your players are having fun, mistakes don't matter.
Think about other DMs you've played with or seen online. What did you like about their style that you'd like to emulate? What did they do that you'd never do in a million years? Remember that no one expects you to be Matt Colville or Matt Mercer right out of the gate. Give yourself the space and permission to find your own style and, until you do, fake it. Roleplay your ideal DM and make adjustments as you go.
You can do this. And you'll be hella glad you did.
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Hi, for a few friends of mine I've taken up Dm-ing. I would appreciate it if other DMs out there could give me some tips and advice on how to form a homebrew campaign and how to be a good DM.
I decided to do this after I joined a group a little bit ago, but the group I was in just didn't fit for me. The DM there was— I should say is, quite controlling and isn't giving the players the space they need to form a good character and story. So I decided I'd try myself, for some of these players and a few other of my friends.
DnD has always been a passion of mine, but I've always seen myself more as a player than a DM. Though I'm willing to give it a go, as I know it can be just as thrilling to be a DM as it is to be a player in a campaign.
So if any of you Dms out there could give me some advice that could help, I'd really appreciate it!
Awesome!
Don't over plan. It burns you out and a lot is wasted or you end up rail roading the players.
Make sure your players know you want a character driven story. If the campaign is long enough each character might have an adventure or two devoted to resolving their personal goals or backstory. You don't need to plan them all out ahead of time, but work with players to create something in their background or personality you can work with down the road.
Have a session zero, get everyone on the same page for things like, how silly or serious is the story, is everyone going to be heroic? How should intra-party conflicts get resolved?
Ask players for feedback frequently. Like every session. Emphasize the parts of play everyone has the most fun with.
When rules questions come up you can't resolve quickly, make a fast ruling and after the session research it and update your ruling if needed. Don't let play get delayed due to rules arguments or searching through books and online resources.
Have fun and throw hard stuff at the party, it only makes them better. 😀
Consider running a published adventure first. Reading and studying a complete adventure will make it easier for you to prepare for your sessions as a DM, and will help you understand how to turn your ideas for campaigns into reality. Take notes. Break it down into a spreadsheet if you need to.
If you work with a published adventure, try to pick out things within it that you definitely want to happen in your game and things that your players will enjoy. Be willing to toss out anything you don't like or your players might not enjoy. Is there a location that you think your players will want to see? Is there a monster or NPC that you'd like in your game? Make note of them, and figure out how to integrate them when the time is right. Don't be afraid to tweak the details, or to add your own spin to anything you have a good idea for.
Prior to your sessions, get to know your monsters and NPCs. Learn their attacks, immunities, and vulnerabilities as best you can. Think about how you'd tell their story based on the stat blocks and details. Don't worry about your player's abilities and spells too much. Let your players know that you're going to rely on them understanding their characters and their abilities, and that you'll ask for spell descriptions, etc., when necessary.
You will make mistakes, and that is totally ok. Your players probably won't even realize you've made them. As long as you and your players are having fun, mistakes don't matter.
Think about other DMs you've played with or seen online. What did you like about their style that you'd like to emulate? What did they do that you'd never do in a million years? Remember that no one expects you to be Matt Colville or Matt Mercer right out of the gate. Give yourself the space and permission to find your own style and, until you do, fake it. Roleplay your ideal DM and make adjustments as you go.
You can do this. And you'll be hella glad you did.