A lot depends on what you want to run. Have you chosen a starting level or setting? What type of adventure interests you? Urban? Wilderness? Mystery? Exploration? There really are a lot of possibilities.
The problem with freely available adventures, is that they are usually amateur authored, without the usual editorial oversight, so quality is pretty uneven.
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Often, the local library system will have books (you may have to reserve it online from another library in the system). Ours had "Tales from the Yawning Portal" (several dungeon delves) and a bunch of other ones. For tales of the Yawning portal, you can do the entire ginormous dungeons as shown, or just steal some of the room ideas and make your own dungeon. (These dungeons take a long time to get through as written. Like, many sessions.)
I also love the 5 room dungeon format.There's an explanation and a bunch you can download for free and use/adapt at the link. I like just browsing them. After a while, I just started designing my own, since the format was so simple and I like doing that.: https://www.roleplayingtips.com/5-room-dungeons/
Three of the published works that I would recommend for a first time DM.
LOST MINE OF PHANDELVER or DRAGON OF ICESPIRE PEAK both are tailored to new DM's and will help you along to develop skills to succeed.
TALES FROM THE YAWNING PORTAL -- The Sunless Citadel - a very simple dungeon crawl for first level characters that does not have anything over complex for first time DMs.
Things I learned from my players and I found useful:
1 Be ready to change the pace - You might have planned the rythm of your adventure but your player might want to take things very differently. So be ready if they charge instead of talking they way through, or be ready if they want to be diplomats when you planned an encounter.
2. Don't underestimate their creativity, I'd say you should embrace it. Very Often your players might fixate on an aspect of the description you gave them about a place, a dungeon. Take that fixation and work on it, if they fixate on dropping a boulder on some guards, give then the chance to try it, if they think someone is important to the quest, give them the time to follow him. which takes me to the next point
3 Be ready for detours, lots of them!! Another DM once told me that there's nothing more frustrating than being told you can't do something just because it's not on the rules, it is a detour or something like that. Go with the flow, if you think they need guidance don't tell them yourself, put there an npc to give clues
4- You ARE THE DM: You are more powerful than the gods, you can turn the tides, tweak the rules, ignore them or anything if you think it will make the session entertaining.
5- Combat: Want your player to feel powerful, put something big in front of them. Want to trouble them, swarm them with small enemies they can kill in one hit but yet recieve damage.
6- MAKE SURE EVERYONE IS HAVING FUN. Golden rule and unavoidable.
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hi im a new dm and need some suggestions on adventures THAT DON'T REQUIRE BUYING ANYTHING, so please give some suggestions
There's two right here:
https://www.dndbeyond.com/quarantine
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
You may also want to check the Dungeon Masters Guild. It has a number of free encounters and adventurers.
https://www.dmsguild.com
A lot depends on what you want to run. Have you chosen a starting level or setting? What type of adventure interests you? Urban? Wilderness? Mystery? Exploration? There really are a lot of possibilities.
thanks :)
The problem with freely available adventures, is that they are usually amateur authored, without the usual editorial oversight, so quality is pretty uneven.
However, here's a collection of 5E adventures free to download: https://www.dndtomb.com/resources/free-dnd-campaigns/
My DM Philosophy, as summed up by other people: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1rN5w4-azTq3Kbn0Yvk9nfqQhwQ1R5by1/view
Disclaimer: This signature is a badge of membership in the Forum Loudmouth Club. We are all friends. We are not attacking each other. We are engaging in spirited, friendly debate with one another. We may get snarky, but these are not attacks. Thank you for not reporting us.
Often, the local library system will have books (you may have to reserve it online from another library in the system). Ours had "Tales from the Yawning Portal" (several dungeon delves) and a bunch of other ones. For tales of the Yawning portal, you can do the entire ginormous dungeons as shown, or just steal some of the room ideas and make your own dungeon. (These dungeons take a long time to get through as written. Like, many sessions.)
I also love the 5 room dungeon format.There's an explanation and a bunch you can download for free and use/adapt at the link. I like just browsing them. After a while, I just started designing my own, since the format was so simple and I like doing that.: https://www.roleplayingtips.com/5-room-dungeons/
Three of the published works that I would recommend for a first time DM.
LOST MINE OF PHANDELVER or DRAGON OF ICESPIRE PEAK both are tailored to new DM's and will help you along to develop skills to succeed.
TALES FROM THE YAWNING PORTAL -- The Sunless Citadel - a very simple dungeon crawl for first level characters that does not have anything over complex for first time DMs.
Things I learned from my players and I found useful:
1 Be ready to change the pace - You might have planned the rythm of your adventure but your player might want to take things very differently. So be ready if they charge instead of talking they way through, or be ready if they want to be diplomats when you planned an encounter.
2. Don't underestimate their creativity, I'd say you should embrace it. Very Often your players might fixate on an aspect of the description you gave them about a place, a dungeon. Take that fixation and work on it, if they fixate on dropping a boulder on some guards, give then the chance to try it, if they think someone is important to the quest, give them the time to follow him. which takes me to the next point
3 Be ready for detours, lots of them!! Another DM once told me that there's nothing more frustrating than being told you can't do something just because it's not on the rules, it is a detour or something like that. Go with the flow, if you think they need guidance don't tell them yourself, put there an npc to give clues
4- You ARE THE DM: You are more powerful than the gods, you can turn the tides, tweak the rules, ignore them or anything if you think it will make the session entertaining.
5- Combat: Want your player to feel powerful, put something big in front of them. Want to trouble them, swarm them with small enemies they can kill in one hit but yet recieve damage.
6- MAKE SURE EVERYONE IS HAVING FUN. Golden rule and unavoidable.