I'm a little worried because 3 of them are into it, 1 is especially into it but the other 3 worry me a lil bit each for their own reasons. I've dmed a bit before but I'm a player main. Any tips on how to keep everybody invested/at least a little serious and to get them hooked? And how to introduce my campaign? I've got the world and main villain and some important NPCs sorted out but I don't know how to flesh it all out.
Watch any of the many GM tips series on video sites. For fleshing out the story you're just going to have to realize you're not going to be that great at it at first. Like anything else it takes practice. But remember that you are the only one that, at the end of the session, knows "what I should have done was...".
Different groups have different interests. Some prefer mostly roleplay. Some prefer mostly combat. Some prefer a balance. The only way to find out is to ask your players what they want most. And if they're totally new they probably won't know so you have to throw stuff at them and see what sticks.
I'd also ask if they have any experience with D&D at all. Have they only watched Critical Role? Well have them watch some other D&D shows, such as Viva La Dirt League D&D, so they can see that not everybody is a professional player playing professionally. And that a DM's job a lot of times is just herding the nerds to pay attention to what's going on in the game.
Don't be afraid to say 'No!' if it's the appropriate response. This is improve but as the DM it's your job to be fair and balanced between player characters and the NPCs. There is no "Yes, and...." unless the NPCs get to do the exact same thing.
It's not all on you. The players need to bring their own buy-in. If the first quest is to go save the Blacksmith's Daughter from Kobolds, and there's Jane Edgey Rogue's player is saying "You haven't given my character a reason to care about saving her" then Jane Edgey Rogue can stay in the tavern while the rest of the characters go on the adventure.
And at the end of the sessions ask for feedback from the players.
Demand their backstories and weave them into the muscles of your skeleton of a campaign. Start at the foot, work your way to the head. I have the exact same scenario, and the ones who've given me their characters backstories are more invested than the ones who haven't. They know that I have something to dangle over their heads until further notice, and they are just waiting for the bomb to drop. They also are much more experienced as players than I am at being a dm, so they known they can mess with things a little and they know I have something totally outside-the-box planned. Or nothing at all planned. Is an adventure for all of us.
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"Speaking of setting this forest on fire, it's your turn" - My favorite DM
Thank you for the advice! Do have any specific videos you would suggest that would be most helpful? If not not worries. I hadn't even thought about roleplay/combat preference for them. My guess is once they get combat down probably like a 60/40 or so combat focused split, but that's just a complete guess. I asked the gc and only the 1 guy has seen any dnd content outside of help videos I sent them for character creation. Thankfully I don't think there's gonna be a Jane edgy rogue but there might be a Jane murderhobo barbarian lol. Im always a little scared to say no in dnd because I really try to avoid railroading but I know I have to do it. Thanks again for the advice! I got session 0 2 weeks hoping it goes well lol
Ooh good point I haven't really pushed backstories much because I've been thinking about the basics but that's a really good point, imma go push for backstrories rn lol. Thanks for the advice!
Yay I'm glad I could help! It also depends on the relationships that your players as people have with you. My players and I met by being players with eachother in our previous campaign. We are good friends but they know that I'm a little scatterbrained, know? It'll work differently for you, I'm sure
Thank you for the advice! Do have any specific videos you would suggest that would be most helpful? If not not worries. I hadn't even thought about roleplay/combat preference for them. My guess is once they get combat down probably like a 60/40 or so combat focused split, but that's just a complete guess. I asked the gc and only the 1 guy has seen any dnd content outside of help videos I sent them for character creation. Thankfully I don't think there's gonna be a Jane edgy rogue but there might be a Jane murderhobo barbarian lol. Im always a little scared to say no in dnd because I really try to avoid railroading but I know I have to do it. Thanks again for the advice! I got session 0 2 weeks hoping it goes well lol
Session zero is very important. Be sure to schedule the first hour or so to sit down and go over preferences with everybody.
What do they like more between roleplay, combat, exploration? What vibe do they want: silly, serious, high magic, low magic, swashbuckling, horror, etc? Do they like to optimize characters in level up or do they like to choose their path based on the story? What are hard limits that they don't want in the game?
You should start by figuring out the game they want, and then play from there.
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I know what you're thinking: "In that flurry of blows, did he use all his ki points, or save one?" Well, are ya feeling lucky, punk?
Thanks for the advice! I'll definitely keep those questions in mind to ask them all. I am really curious to hear what they'll say because they're a totally new group and I think it'll be fun to see what parts of dnd they're the most interested in doing.
Definitely start at level 1. I always think of levels 1 and 2 as kind of the tutorial to all your character stuff-- if you're playing with experienced players you can easily start at level 3 or 5 to get right to the meat of gameplay, but for an all new-player table you definitely want to start with the basics so they can learn about how stats and skills and things like initiative work before tacking class abilities on top.
That said, you do not need to *keep* them at level 1 (or 2) as long as you might for other levels. Once you feel your players are understanding the basics of their character, then you can level them up as you see fit and allow them to develope their characters further.
Player Handbook only for the first six months. admit your mistakes. Make a ruling and move on. If the ruling is in error after the fact, fix it before the next session. No recons.
1 of them is extremely into combat and talks about wanting to fight everything (big video game guy).
Another 1 made a character that's like 95% a joke and isn't taking it like at all serious which is fine ig because I'm not planning on making it the most serious campaign of all time but I' hoping he'll get into when we actually start.
Last guy has just like barely said anything and given me nothing to work off of besides saying he's interested and is probably my biggest worry tbh.
This makes a lot of sense, do you think it would be more intuitive to use the xp system for them or should I go with the, level them up when it seems right approach?
Thank you this is a good point, I've mainly played with memory and don't need the phb as a player but it would be a great help for them I think and it could help me as a dm a bit.
This makes a lot of sense, do you think it would be more intuitive to use the xp system for them or should I go with the, level them up when it seems right approach?
I'd stick to milestone leveling. Honestly I don't even use experience points with seasoned players either. They're fiddly and hard to figure out and it's just easier to let the DM declare when you've leveled as a party.
1 of them is extremely into combat and talks about wanting to fight everything (big video game guy).
Another 1 made a character that's like 95% a joke and isn't taking it like at all serious which is fine ig because I'm not planning on making it the most serious campaign of all time but I' hoping he'll get into when we actually start.
Last guy has just like barely said anything and given me nothing to work off of besides saying he's interested and is probably my biggest worry tbh.
Glad to hear the first guy's eager; just make sure he's not working at cross-purposes with the rest of the group.
Honestly the second guy might get better or they might not; a lot of people have a certain squirrelliness they need to work out when they first start playing TTRPGs before they can allow themselves to relax and engage sincerely with the hobby. Others are just Chaotic Neutral (TM) disruption fairies and cannot help but wreck games. Basically, it's only a problem if it becomes a problem. You'll just have to wait and see how it shakes out.
The third guy could be interested and just not comfortable putting themselves out there; my first character ever was a mute so that I wouldn't have to speak in character, because I was embarrassed to. This is that squirrelliness I mentioned. I got over it. Some people also just aren't going to be backstory writers (also me) and that's also fine. If a player doesn't give you any backstory you can work with, you have to assume they're okay taking the game as it comes. Alternatively they might not be that interested, but they're just dipping their toes in to see what it's like. That's fine too. Meet them where they're at and don't feel like you're a failure if they don't dive in fully right away.
Check the vibes after each session to try and make sure everyone's having fun. The best DM I ever had ended every session by asking: "Did anyone have a good time?" (He was good at making that question seem jokingly humble rather than depressingly self-effacing.) Good follow-up questions are: "Did anyone have a favorite part?" And "Did anyone notice anything that didn't work for you?" Try to build off the feedback you get and you'll do great. We might even make a forever DM out of you yet.
Good news, you're definitely right about guy number 3, he just sent me a really interesting character he's been working on so I'm super happy with that. 2nd guy I have hope for plus he's a good friend of mine so I don't mind having a talk with him if he gets out if hand, I think he'll improve though. With the 1st guy I'm planning on trying to balance it out best I can so everybody's got something they want, definitely gonna bring some scary level 1 fights for him lol. To be honest it's been a lot of fun planning all this out and writing up the story for the world and all of that, this DM stuff is tough but it's fun lol. Thanks for the advice!
1 of them is extremely into combat and talks about wanting to fight everything (big video game guy).
Another 1 made a character that's like 95% a joke and isn't taking it like at all serious which is fine ig because I'm not planning on making it the most serious campaign of all time but I' hoping he'll get into when we actually start.
Last guy has just like barely said anything and given me nothing to work off of besides saying he's interested and is probably my biggest worry tbh.
The person who wants to fight everything will eventually calm down. The second person may not take the game seriously and that's okay as long as he is not taking it too far and completely derailing the game. They last guy sounds like maybe he is an introvert it may take him a while to find his feet. and it may require a little extra work on your part to reach that player in terms of character creation and maybe even background
I'm hoping you're right about first guy. I agree about 3rd guy he recently gave me a bunch of really cool info about his character so I'm happy about him. Guy 2 I don't mind messing around I just gotta make sure he doesn't like derail anything yeah.
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I'm a little worried because 3 of them are into it, 1 is especially into it but the other 3 worry me a lil bit each for their own reasons. I've dmed a bit before but I'm a player main. Any tips on how to keep everybody invested/at least a little serious and to get them hooked? And how to introduce my campaign? I've got the world and main villain and some important NPCs sorted out but I don't know how to flesh it all out.
Watch any of the many GM tips series on video sites. For fleshing out the story you're just going to have to realize you're not going to be that great at it at first. Like anything else it takes practice. But remember that you are the only one that, at the end of the session, knows "what I should have done was...".
Different groups have different interests. Some prefer mostly roleplay. Some prefer mostly combat. Some prefer a balance. The only way to find out is to ask your players what they want most. And if they're totally new they probably won't know so you have to throw stuff at them and see what sticks.
I'd also ask if they have any experience with D&D at all. Have they only watched Critical Role? Well have them watch some other D&D shows, such as Viva La Dirt League D&D, so they can see that not everybody is a professional player playing professionally. And that a DM's job a lot of times is just herding the nerds to pay attention to what's going on in the game.
Don't be afraid to say 'No!' if it's the appropriate response. This is improve but as the DM it's your job to be fair and balanced between player characters and the NPCs. There is no "Yes, and...." unless the NPCs get to do the exact same thing.
It's not all on you. The players need to bring their own buy-in. If the first quest is to go save the Blacksmith's Daughter from Kobolds, and there's Jane Edgey Rogue's player is saying "You haven't given my character a reason to care about saving her" then Jane Edgey Rogue can stay in the tavern while the rest of the characters go on the adventure.
And at the end of the sessions ask for feedback from the players.
Demand their backstories and weave them into the muscles of your skeleton of a campaign. Start at the foot, work your way to the head. I have the exact same scenario, and the ones who've given me their characters backstories are more invested than the ones who haven't. They know that I have something to dangle over their heads until further notice, and they are just waiting for the bomb to drop. They also are much more experienced as players than I am at being a dm, so they known they can mess with things a little and they know I have something totally outside-the-box planned. Or nothing at all planned. Is an adventure for all of us.
"Speaking of setting this forest on fire, it's your turn" - My favorite DM
Thank you for the advice! Do have any specific videos you would suggest that would be most helpful? If not not worries. I hadn't even thought about roleplay/combat preference for them. My guess is once they get combat down probably like a 60/40 or so combat focused split, but that's just a complete guess. I asked the gc and only the 1 guy has seen any dnd content outside of help videos I sent them for character creation. Thankfully I don't think there's gonna be a Jane edgy rogue but there might be a Jane murderhobo barbarian lol. Im always a little scared to say no in dnd because I really try to avoid railroading but I know I have to do it. Thanks again for the advice! I got session 0 2 weeks hoping it goes well lol
Ooh good point I haven't really pushed backstories much because I've been thinking about the basics but that's a really good point, imma go push for backstrories rn lol. Thanks for the advice!
Yay I'm glad I could help! It also depends on the relationships that your players as people have with you. My players and I met by being players with eachother in our previous campaign. We are good friends but they know that I'm a little scatterbrained, know? It'll work differently for you, I'm sure
"Speaking of setting this forest on fire, it's your turn" - My favorite DM
Session zero is very important. Be sure to schedule the first hour or so to sit down and go over preferences with everybody.
What do they like more between roleplay, combat, exploration? What vibe do they want: silly, serious, high magic, low magic, swashbuckling, horror, etc? Do they like to optimize characters in level up or do they like to choose their path based on the story? What are hard limits that they don't want in the game?
You should start by figuring out the game they want, and then play from there.
I know what you're thinking: "In that flurry of blows, did he use all his ki points, or save one?" Well, are ya feeling lucky, punk?
Thanks for the advice! I'll definitely keep those questions in mind to ask them all. I am really curious to hear what they'll say because they're a totally new group and I think it'll be fun to see what parts of dnd they're the most interested in doing.
You say that one of the players is really into it but the other three worry you for different reasons. what are your concerns?
Definitely start at level 1. I always think of levels 1 and 2 as kind of the tutorial to all your character stuff-- if you're playing with experienced players you can easily start at level 3 or 5 to get right to the meat of gameplay, but for an all new-player table you definitely want to start with the basics so they can learn about how stats and skills and things like initiative work before tacking class abilities on top.
That said, you do not need to *keep* them at level 1 (or 2) as long as you might for other levels. Once you feel your players are understanding the basics of their character, then you can level them up as you see fit and allow them to develope their characters further.
Player Handbook only for the first six months. admit your mistakes. Make a ruling and move on. If the ruling is in error after the fact, fix it before the next session. No recons.
No Gaming is Better than Bad Gaming.
1 of them is extremely into combat and talks about wanting to fight everything (big video game guy).
Another 1 made a character that's like 95% a joke and isn't taking it like at all serious which is fine ig because I'm not planning on making it the most serious campaign of all time but I' hoping he'll get into when we actually start.
Last guy has just like barely said anything and given me nothing to work off of besides saying he's interested and is probably my biggest worry tbh.
This makes a lot of sense, do you think it would be more intuitive to use the xp system for them or should I go with the, level them up when it seems right approach?
Thank you this is a good point, I've mainly played with memory and don't need the phb as a player but it would be a great help for them I think and it could help me as a dm a bit.
I'd stick to milestone leveling. Honestly I don't even use experience points with seasoned players either. They're fiddly and hard to figure out and it's just easier to let the DM declare when you've leveled as a party.
Gotcha, thanks for the help!
Glad to hear the first guy's eager; just make sure he's not working at cross-purposes with the rest of the group.
Honestly the second guy might get better or they might not; a lot of people have a certain squirrelliness they need to work out when they first start playing TTRPGs before they can allow themselves to relax and engage sincerely with the hobby. Others are just Chaotic Neutral (TM) disruption fairies and cannot help but wreck games. Basically, it's only a problem if it becomes a problem. You'll just have to wait and see how it shakes out.
The third guy could be interested and just not comfortable putting themselves out there; my first character ever was a mute so that I wouldn't have to speak in character, because I was embarrassed to. This is that squirrelliness I mentioned. I got over it. Some people also just aren't going to be backstory writers (also me) and that's also fine. If a player doesn't give you any backstory you can work with, you have to assume they're okay taking the game as it comes. Alternatively they might not be that interested, but they're just dipping their toes in to see what it's like. That's fine too. Meet them where they're at and don't feel like you're a failure if they don't dive in fully right away.
Check the vibes after each session to try and make sure everyone's having fun. The best DM I ever had ended every session by asking: "Did anyone have a good time?" (He was good at making that question seem jokingly humble rather than depressingly self-effacing.) Good follow-up questions are: "Did anyone have a favorite part?" And "Did anyone notice anything that didn't work for you?" Try to build off the feedback you get and you'll do great. We might even make a forever DM out of you yet.
Good news, you're definitely right about guy number 3, he just sent me a really interesting character he's been working on so I'm super happy with that. 2nd guy I have hope for plus he's a good friend of mine so I don't mind having a talk with him if he gets out if hand, I think he'll improve though. With the 1st guy I'm planning on trying to balance it out best I can so everybody's got something they want, definitely gonna bring some scary level 1 fights for him lol. To be honest it's been a lot of fun planning all this out and writing up the story for the world and all of that, this DM stuff is tough but it's fun lol. Thanks for the advice!
The person who wants to fight everything will eventually calm down. The second person may not take the game seriously and that's okay as long as he is not taking it too far and completely derailing the game. They last guy sounds like maybe he is an introvert it may take him a while to find his feet. and it may require a little extra work on your part to reach that player in terms of character creation and maybe even background
I'm hoping you're right about first guy. I agree about 3rd guy he recently gave me a bunch of really cool info about his character so I'm happy about him. Guy 2 I don't mind messing around I just gotta make sure he doesn't like derail anything yeah.