So I've recently been asked by some friends to be a dm for their D&D game, while Ive known about D&D for years and even played BG3, i have no idea how to Dm to 5 new players who have barely heard of the game. I'm just looking for some tips on how to prepare and start
So I've recently been asked by some friends to be a dm for their D&D game, while Ive known about D&D for years and even played BG3, i have no idea how to Dm to 5 new players who have barely heard of the game. I'm just looking for some tips on how to prepare and start
First piece of advice is DON'T PANIC! We've all been there and you'll get through this.
Second piece of advice is yopu don't need to read through the entire Dungeon Master's Guide. I'd be surprised if even half of DMs have read itb cover to cover and the fact no one reads it is a meme in itself at this point. You don't even need to read the full Player's Handbook, just download the free rules from this site and read the 30-40 pages of that and you'll know enough to run a basic game.
Now for the real advice; choose something that's easy to run. A lot of new DMs jump straight in the deep end and try writing some elaborate story they've had for years if this is your first time keep it simple and spare yourself the cognitive load. Your best bet (in my opinion) would be something like Dragon of Icespire Peak, you can buy it on D&D Beyond for $15 or grab a copy from Amazon or eBay where you'll find it called the Essentials Kit, a box that contains the adventure and a lot of other helpful DM stuff like a screen and a set of dice. It's designed for first time players and first time DMs and contains lots of helpful advice and tips on what you need to do.
And lastly don't be embaressed to admit to players if you get stuck. It's their first time too so they should understand and if something comes up you don't have an answer for just say and take a couple of minutes to look up a rule or think of an answer. We all do it from time to time and even if you're wrong it's ok to say "I was wrong, we'll play it like that this time but next time the rule is..."
So I've recently been asked by some friends to be a dm for their D&D game, while Ive known about D&D for years and even played BG3, i have no idea how to Dm to 5 new players who have barely heard of the game. I'm just looking for some tips on how to prepare and start
First piece of advice is DON'T PANIC! We've all been there and you'll get through this.
Second piece of advice is yopu don't need to read through the entire Dungeon Master's Guide. I'd be surprised if even half of DMs have read itb cover to cover and the fact no one reads it is a meme in itself at this point. You don't even need to read the full Player's Handbook, just download the free rules from this site and read the 30-40 pages of that and you'll know enough to run a basic game.
Now for the real advice; choose something that's easy to run. A lot of new DMs jump straight in the deep end and try writing some elaborate story they've had for years if this is your first time keep it simple and spare yourself the cognitive load. Your best bet (in my opinion) would be something like Dragon of Icespire Peak, you can buy it on D&D Beyond for $15 or grab a copy from Amazon or eBay where you'll find it called the Essentials Kit, a box that contains the adventure and a lot of other helpful DM stuff like a screen and a set of dice. It's designed for first time players and first time DMs and contains lots of helpful advice and tips on what you need to do.
And lastly don't be embaressed to admit to players if you get stuck. It's their first time too so they should understand and if something comes up you don't have an answer for just say and take a couple of minutes to look up a rule or think of an answer. We all do it from time to time and even if you're wrong it's ok to say "I was wrong, we'll play it like that this time but next time the rule is..."
Good luck
If you run Lost Mines of Phandelver and your players want to continue and you’re hitting the end, buy Phandelver and Below. It’s worth it.
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Hello! You can call me Link. Here’s a bitabout me:
Roomba Knight, Architect of the Cataclysm, Foxy Lunar Archpriest. Dubbed The Fluffy Bowman by Golden. He/Him
Theatre Kid, Ravenclaw, bookworm, DM, Lego fanatic, mythology nerd, pedantic about spelling. I also love foxes, cats, otters, and red pandas!
I love K-pop Demon Hunters and Korean Mythology. If you want to ask me about something, send me a PM!
I try to keep the peace and be neutral most of the time…
Some great advice has been given already, but I want to add the why to that advice.
Lost Mine of Phandelver in particular is great to run for both DMs and Players because it serves as a model for how to build and run your own adventures. Many of the questions that newer DMs ask on these forums could be avoided if they had only just run this adventure. As you run the adventure it introduces you to:
What a main adventure quest looks like
What a typical 'random encounter' looks like - the initial ambush
How a random encounter can lead to further investigation of an area - Cragmaw Cave
What a typical settlement looks like - Phandalin
How few NPCs and what kind of backstories and quests these NPCs need -
How social encounters can progress the adventure and lead to new quests - Phandalin NPC quests
How small dungeons work - 'Redbrand Hideout'
What a minor 'boss' looks like - Glasstaff
That not all encounters with monsters require combat - Banshee at Agatha's Lair
How a ruined settlement looks - Thundertree
The dangers of creatures who have a fortified position and ranged attacks - Goblins and arrowslits of Cragmaw Castle
How and why Stealth and sneaking can be an important skill - Cragmaw Castle
What a 'proper' or full dungeon looks like (i.e. one that needs more than one in game day to complete) - Wave Echo Cave
If you're looking out for these things, Lost Mine of Phandelver really does make for the perfect D&D Starter Adventure. The newer starter sets, Dragons of Stormwreck Isle and Heroes of the Borderlands do not even come close to the amount that you as a DM can learn from running Lost Mine.
If you then want to further your knowledge base as a DM there are two further adventures I would suggest running: Dragon of Icespire Peak, and Curse of Strahd
Dragon of Icespire Peak is a great model (in my opinion) for how to run one-shots or shorter adventures. Set in Phandalin still, DoIP has a quest board from which players can choose their adventure. These smaller quests function a lot more as one-shots or short run adventures. They can be completed quickly and don't really connect beyond the loose theme that 'danger, there's a dragon about'. Still, seeing how this adventure was designed and how it runs is a great way to expand your DM knowledge base. DoIP does a great job in particular of describing the locations. It really does model for a DM how you can relay the atmosphere of a location with a short sentence or two. It is in my opinion the adventure from which DMs can learn the most beyond the basics.
Curse of Strahd really is an advanced player and DM adventure. This is largely because it takes the rules of the game and messes with them. It shows you as a DM how some rules can be bent or broken to create an atmosphere that works really well. Spells, and game mechanics are either non-functional or function differently in this adventure. The goal is to make the player characters feel trapped, claustrophobic, uncomfortable. As a DM running this adventure you get to learn how the original designers of 5e foresaw DMs breaking rules in order to make the game more fun for the table.
While others can pointed toward the DMG, I would largely agree that it's the wrong place to start. What I would suggest though is once you've gotten some DMing of 'proper' adventures under your belt that's when you really do need to read the DMG. Though the 5.5e (new) DMG really is trash compared to the depth and range of the old one. Better organised it may be, but it's less good than the old DMG for those looking to build their own worlds or customise the game to their table's liking.
A note about 5e vs 5.5e You're coming to DMing at a rather odd time. There are some tables running an older version of the game (5e) and some tables running the newer version of the game (5.5e). Yet more are running a mix of both. In short, try not to worry about it too much. If you can only get your hands on the newer Player Handbook then run the above adventures using those rules. Don't worry about altering the monsters or anything else. It's not going to change much beyond encounters being easier. You'll still be able to learn all the rules well enough. Mostly the 5e adventure books all work for 5.5e and you really do not need to stress about switching up any monsters or anything.
The important advice I have for you is this: do not try to mix and match player options. So, don't let players choose subclasses or feats from the older books if you run 5.5e (the newer books). While it is possible, you all need to learn the basics first. There's still some of us who don't believe that the two versions of the game mix and match, but what I think most people agree is that it adds complexity that a new DM does not need.
A recommended purchase list in order:
2024 Player's Handbook
2014 Starter Set (containing Lost Mine of Phandelver) - If you can get it
Phandalin and Below (Adventure)
2014 Essentials Kit (containing Dragon of Icespire Peak) - If you can get it
So I've recently been asked by some friends to be a dm for their D&D game, while Ive known about D&D for years and even played BG3, i have no idea how to Dm to 5 new players who have barely heard of the game. I'm just looking for some tips on how to prepare and start
Read the DM’s guide cover to cover.
Hello! You can call me Link. Here’s a bit about me:
Roomba Knight, Architect of the Cataclysm, Foxy Lunar Archpriest. Dubbed The Fluffy Bowman by Golden. He/Him
Theatre Kid, Ravenclaw, bookworm, DM, Lego fanatic, mythology nerd, pedantic about spelling. I also love foxes, cats, otters, and red pandas!
I love K-pop Demon Hunters and Korean Mythology. If you want to ask me about something, send me a PM!
I try to keep the peace and be neutral most of the time…
Stormreck island with martials/half caster
First piece of advice is DON'T PANIC! We've all been there and you'll get through this.
Second piece of advice is yopu don't need to read through the entire Dungeon Master's Guide. I'd be surprised if even half of DMs have read itb cover to cover and the fact no one reads it is a meme in itself at this point. You don't even need to read the full Player's Handbook, just download the free rules from this site and read the 30-40 pages of that and you'll know enough to run a basic game.
Now for the real advice; choose something that's easy to run. A lot of new DMs jump straight in the deep end and try writing some elaborate story they've had for years if this is your first time keep it simple and spare yourself the cognitive load. Your best bet (in my opinion) would be something like Dragon of Icespire Peak, you can buy it on D&D Beyond for $15 or grab a copy from Amazon or eBay where you'll find it called the Essentials Kit, a box that contains the adventure and a lot of other helpful DM stuff like a screen and a set of dice. It's designed for first time players and first time DMs and contains lots of helpful advice and tips on what you need to do.
And lastly don't be embaressed to admit to players if you get stuck. It's their first time too so they should understand and if something comes up you don't have an answer for just say and take a couple of minutes to look up a rule or think of an answer. We all do it from time to time and even if you're wrong it's ok to say "I was wrong, we'll play it like that this time but next time the rule is..."
Good luck
If you run Lost Mines of Phandelver and your players want to continue and you’re hitting the end, buy Phandelver and Below. It’s worth it.
Hello! You can call me Link. Here’s a bit about me:
Roomba Knight, Architect of the Cataclysm, Foxy Lunar Archpriest. Dubbed The Fluffy Bowman by Golden. He/Him
Theatre Kid, Ravenclaw, bookworm, DM, Lego fanatic, mythology nerd, pedantic about spelling. I also love foxes, cats, otters, and red pandas!
I love K-pop Demon Hunters and Korean Mythology. If you want to ask me about something, send me a PM!
I try to keep the peace and be neutral most of the time…
Do a tutorial pre made: lost mines, dragons of ice spire, stormreck isle
Some great advice has been given already, but I want to add the why to that advice.
Lost Mine of Phandelver in particular is great to run for both DMs and Players because it serves as a model for how to build and run your own adventures. Many of the questions that newer DMs ask on these forums could be avoided if they had only just run this adventure. As you run the adventure it introduces you to:
If you're looking out for these things, Lost Mine of Phandelver really does make for the perfect D&D Starter Adventure. The newer starter sets, Dragons of Stormwreck Isle and Heroes of the Borderlands do not even come close to the amount that you as a DM can learn from running Lost Mine.
If you then want to further your knowledge base as a DM there are two further adventures I would suggest running: Dragon of Icespire Peak, and Curse of Strahd
Dragon of Icespire Peak is a great model (in my opinion) for how to run one-shots or shorter adventures. Set in Phandalin still, DoIP has a quest board from which players can choose their adventure. These smaller quests function a lot more as one-shots or short run adventures. They can be completed quickly and don't really connect beyond the loose theme that 'danger, there's a dragon about'. Still, seeing how this adventure was designed and how it runs is a great way to expand your DM knowledge base. DoIP does a great job in particular of describing the locations. It really does model for a DM how you can relay the atmosphere of a location with a short sentence or two. It is in my opinion the adventure from which DMs can learn the most beyond the basics.
Curse of Strahd really is an advanced player and DM adventure. This is largely because it takes the rules of the game and messes with them. It shows you as a DM how some rules can be bent or broken to create an atmosphere that works really well. Spells, and game mechanics are either non-functional or function differently in this adventure. The goal is to make the player characters feel trapped, claustrophobic, uncomfortable. As a DM running this adventure you get to learn how the original designers of 5e foresaw DMs breaking rules in order to make the game more fun for the table.
While others can pointed toward the DMG, I would largely agree that it's the wrong place to start. What I would suggest though is once you've gotten some DMing of 'proper' adventures under your belt that's when you really do need to read the DMG. Though the 5.5e (new) DMG really is trash compared to the depth and range of the old one. Better organised it may be, but it's less good than the old DMG for those looking to build their own worlds or customise the game to their table's liking.
A note about 5e vs 5.5e
You're coming to DMing at a rather odd time. There are some tables running an older version of the game (5e) and some tables running the newer version of the game (5.5e). Yet more are running a mix of both. In short, try not to worry about it too much. If you can only get your hands on the newer Player Handbook then run the above adventures using those rules. Don't worry about altering the monsters or anything else. It's not going to change much beyond encounters being easier. You'll still be able to learn all the rules well enough. Mostly the 5e adventure books all work for 5.5e and you really do not need to stress about switching up any monsters or anything.
The important advice I have for you is this: do not try to mix and match player options. So, don't let players choose subclasses or feats from the older books if you run 5.5e (the newer books). While it is possible, you all need to learn the basics first. There's still some of us who don't believe that the two versions of the game mix and match, but what I think most people agree is that it adds complexity that a new DM does not need.
A recommended purchase list in order:
DM session planning template - My version of maps for 'Lost Mine of Phandelver' - Send your party to The Circus - Other DM Resources - Maps, Tokens, Quests - 'Better' Player Character Injury Tables?
Actor, Writer, Director & Teacher by day - GM/DM in my off hours.