Hi I played several games as an palyer, but now I want to strat as an DM. So my question is, which source books should I buy to prepare for my first game as an DM?
monster manual is definitely important, dmg has optional rules and really useful information for keeping a game running smoothly so those are the 2 that are best to have (other than phb)
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NNCHRIS: SOUL THIEF, MASTER OF THE ARCANE, AND KING OF NEW YORKNN Gdl Creator of Ilheia and her Knights of the Fallen Stars ldG Lesser Student of Technomancy [undergrad student in computer science] Supporter of the 2014 rules, and a MASSIVE Homebrewer. Come to me all ye who seek salvation in wording thy brews! Open to homebrew trades at any time!! Or feel free to request HB, and Ill see if I can get it done for ya! Characters (Outdated)
If this is your first time starting as a DM, unless you have some grand idea for an intricate plot of your own, you may want to pick up a module to run. Even if you are going to write your own campaign, taking a look at a prewritten adventure can give you a sense of how to design NPCs, locations, maps, ect.
But yes, as TabaxiRogueFighterClericWarlock said, the Monster Manual and the Dungeon Master's Guide are essential to DMing.
Best advice anyone can give you is to watch the Running the Game series by Matt Colville, who is one of the most experienced DMs around, but also, very good at explaining things and very engaging to listen to. Here's the first video:
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WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
If you want to write your own adventures, google the "five room dungeon" format. There are simple, elegant design principles. You can also easily find free examples. I started by running a few of those, then wrote my own one shots based on the ideas there. Again, this is if adventure design appeals to your imagination.
Are you playing online or in person? If it's online, it's helpful to get the player's guide as a baseline as well, so you can share the content with your players (especially if they are also new). The only caution is that online source books can be platform specific. Of course, totally irrelevant if you're playing in person.
I'd also recommend using some map building software / websites - then you can create and print out both city maps as well as battle maps, which I find really efficient especially as I can't draw. I use Inkarnate (Inkarnate.com) as its really easy to use, although most of the stuff you'll probably want needs a subscription. I'm pretty sure there are free ones out there as well but I'm not familiar with them.
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Hi I played several games as an palyer, but now I want to strat as an DM. So my question is, which source books should I buy to prepare for my first game as an DM?
monster manual is definitely important, dmg has optional rules and really useful information for keeping a game running smoothly so those are the 2 that are best to have (other than phb)
NNCHRIS: SOUL THIEF, MASTER OF THE ARCANE, AND KING OF NEW YORKNN
Gdl Creator of Ilheia and her Knights of the Fallen Stars ldG
Lesser Student of Technomancy [undergrad student in computer science]
Supporter of the 2014 rules, and a MASSIVE Homebrewer. Come to me all ye who seek salvation in wording thy brews!
Open to homebrew trades at any time!! Or feel free to request HB, and Ill see if I can get it done for ya!
Characters (Outdated)
If this is your first time starting as a DM, unless you have some grand idea for an intricate plot of your own, you may want to pick up a module to run. Even if you are going to write your own campaign, taking a look at a prewritten adventure can give you a sense of how to design NPCs, locations, maps, ect.
But yes, as TabaxiRogueFighterClericWarlock said, the Monster Manual and the Dungeon Master's Guide are essential to DMing.
Thanks alot.
Best advice anyone can give you is to watch the Running the Game series by Matt Colville, who is one of the most experienced DMs around, but also, very good at explaining things and very engaging to listen to. Here's the first video:
WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
Also grab a free printable DM screen like this for quick rule access: https://www.reddit.com/r/DnD/comments/7rucyu/printable_dm_screen_5e/
If you want to write your own adventures, google the "five room dungeon" format. There are simple, elegant design principles. You can also easily find free examples. I started by running a few of those, then wrote my own one shots based on the ideas there. Again, this is if adventure design appeals to your imagination.
Are you playing online or in person? If it's online, it's helpful to get the player's guide as a baseline as well, so you can share the content with your players (especially if they are also new). The only caution is that online source books can be platform specific. Of course, totally irrelevant if you're playing in person.
I'd also recommend using some map building software / websites - then you can create and print out both city maps as well as battle maps, which I find really efficient especially as I can't draw. I use Inkarnate (Inkarnate.com) as its really easy to use, although most of the stuff you'll probably want needs a subscription. I'm pretty sure there are free ones out there as well but I'm not familiar with them.