I've been playing D&D for a few years now, but haven't actually DMed yet. Does anyone have tips on DMing for a first timer, specifically on planning and execution? I've already developed the plot for much of the campaign, and have the outline for the first part of the campaign. However, I'm a bit concerned about the execution of it and if more planning may be required. How much planning do you normally do? So far, I have an outline and a lot of mental knowledge, but not much else
An outline and a load of mental lore is what I've done for most of my campaigns, and it's worked great. Don't try to prepare and map out every part of your campaign, your players will just do something weird and you'll have to throw it all out. Write/type/plan it out on a part by part basis.
Well do your due diligence with a session zero Then give yourself some room to reflect by not doing to much in your first sessions ie just have maybe 2-4 scenes that your going to tackle, try and have an eye on the clock so that things don't get to dragged out with just a few players in the limelight you want the party to shine
“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
Well do your due diligence with a session zero Then give yourself some room to reflect by not doing to much in your first sessions ie just have maybe 2-4 scenes that your going to tackle, try and have an eye on the clock so that things don't get to dragged out with just a few players in the limelight you want the party to shine
Oh yeah have fun!
Obviously, I'll have a session zero to make the characters and stuff, and from there the first session will be all roleplay, most likely no combat.
An outline and a load of mental lore is what I've done for most of my campaigns, and it's worked great. Don't try to prepare and map out every part of your campaign, your players will just do something weird and you'll have to throw it all out. Write/type/plan it out on a part by part basis.
Appreciate this, and definitely will have to learn this as I go. My question was more about planning the roleplaying of characters and what they say. At the moment Im kind of outlining their personalities and appearances to get to "know them" better, so to speak.
My question was more about planning the roleplaying of characters and what they say.
Don't even worry about scripting the conversations. For the NPCs you control as the DM know their goals, what motivates them, what offends them, and the limits of what they know about any particular topic. Then ad-lib. Improv the entire conversation. My NPCs are a list of motivations and simple notes on how I guide the personalities. Nothing more. I don't have scripts, I have talking points.
An outline and a load of mental lore is what I've done for most of my campaigns, and it's worked great. Don't try to prepare and map out every part of your campaign, your players will just do something weird and you'll have to throw it all out. Write/type/plan it out on a part by part basis.
Appreciate this, and definitely will have to learn this as I go. My question was more about planning the roleplaying of characters and what they say. At the moment Im kind of outlining their personalities and appearances to get to "know them" better, so to speak.
Oh. Well, in that case, I have never scripted a NPC in my life. Knowing their personalities is very good, but I make a vague outline of what they’ll say at most, and then I make it up. Conversations are next to impossible to prepare for, so I never even bother. The guy above this said it pretty much perfectly.
An outline and a load of mental lore is what I've done for most of my campaigns, and it's worked great. Don't try to prepare and map out every part of your campaign, your players will just do something weird and you'll have to throw it all out. Write/type/plan it out on a part by part basis.
Appreciate this, and definitely will have to learn this as I go. My question was more about planning the roleplaying of characters and what they say. At the moment Im kind of outlining their personalities and appearances to get to "know them" better, so to speak.
Oh. Well, in that case, I have never scripted a NPC in my life. Knowing their personalities is very good, but I make a vague outline of what they’ll say at most, and then I make it up. Conversations are next to impossible to prepare for, so I never even bother. The guy above this said it pretty much perfectly.
Will second this, writing scripts for NPCs generally just turns into exposition. List the information each NPC knows, and then how likely they are to reveal it. Then rough DCs for things like intimidation, persuasion. Give them an insight value for if the players make a check and then just roleplay the interaction on the day.
But must of my prep is mental, I commit very little to paper generally just session by session because players will cud get plans.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
I've been playing D&D for a few years now, but haven't actually DMed yet. Does anyone have tips on DMing for a first timer, specifically on planning and execution? I've already developed the plot for much of the campaign, and have the outline for the first part of the campaign. However, I'm a bit concerned about the execution of it and if more planning may be required. How much planning do you normally do? So far, I have an outline and a lot of mental knowledge, but not much else
Updog
An outline and a load of mental lore is what I've done for most of my campaigns, and it's worked great. Don't try to prepare and map out every part of your campaign, your players will just do something weird and you'll have to throw it all out. Write/type/plan it out on a part by part basis.
I'm the Valar (leader and creator) of The Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit/Anything Tolkien Cult!
Member of the Cult of Cats, High Elf of the Elven Guild, and Sauce Priest & Sauce Smith of the Supreme Court of Sauce.
If you want some casual roleplay/adventures in Middle Earth, check out The Wild's Edge Tavern, a LotR/Middle Earth tavern!
JOIN TIAMAT'S CONGA LINE!
Extended Sig
Well do your due diligence with a session zero
Then give yourself some room to reflect by not doing to much in your first sessions ie just have maybe 2-4 scenes that your going to tackle,
try and have an eye on the clock so that things don't get to dragged out with just a few players in the limelight you want the party to shine
Oh yeah have fun!
“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
Obviously, I'll have a session zero to make the characters and stuff, and from there the first session will be all roleplay, most likely no combat.
Updog
Appreciate this, and definitely will have to learn this as I go. My question was more about planning the roleplaying of characters and what they say. At the moment Im kind of outlining their personalities and appearances to get to "know them" better, so to speak.
Updog
Don't even worry about scripting the conversations. For the NPCs you control as the DM know their goals, what motivates them, what offends them, and the limits of what they know about any particular topic. Then ad-lib. Improv the entire conversation. My NPCs are a list of motivations and simple notes on how I guide the personalities. Nothing more. I don't have scripts, I have talking points.
You can do this. Easy!
Oh. Well, in that case, I have never scripted a NPC in my life. Knowing their personalities is very good, but I make a vague outline of what they’ll say at most, and then I make it up. Conversations are next to impossible to prepare for, so I never even bother. The guy above this said it pretty much perfectly.
I'm the Valar (leader and creator) of The Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit/Anything Tolkien Cult!
Member of the Cult of Cats, High Elf of the Elven Guild, and Sauce Priest & Sauce Smith of the Supreme Court of Sauce.
If you want some casual roleplay/adventures in Middle Earth, check out The Wild's Edge Tavern, a LotR/Middle Earth tavern!
JOIN TIAMAT'S CONGA LINE!
Extended Sig
Make sure one of your players takes really good notes.
Thanks guys. really appreciate all the feedback
Updog
Will second this, writing scripts for NPCs generally just turns into exposition. List the information each NPC knows, and then how likely they are to reveal it. Then rough DCs for things like intimidation, persuasion. Give them an insight value for if the players make a check and then just roleplay the interaction on the day.
But must of my prep is mental, I commit very little to paper generally just session by session because players will cud get plans.