I've finally bit the bullet and decided I'd like to start DMing, I'm lucky to have a supportive group of people I'm in other campaigns with who I think will take part.
Does anyone have a template/foundation from which they build sessions with? I'm mainly cautious of timing, pacing and players getting bored. I'm looking for a 3.5-4 hour long session and I'm unsure how long it will take for them to complete tasks. Atm the general layout is going to be:
Scene setting (forrest and cart) -> Char intros -> plot hook (nearby town on fire) -> puzzle/rp encounter (put it out, find out what happened) -> plothook B (arson, attempted murder or simmilar which would lead them to a suspect/building)-> Area B (False Villain 1) -> fast combat or good RP (find out it wasnt their fault) -> short rest/RP/Filler -> Climax combat (it was actually NPC X all along, PCs beat them up) -> The end
If/when it goes off track I'll do my best to improv a way back onto it.
On paper this seems short, but I know in lots of sessions this could end up taking a while, also I'd like to be a bit more creative but should probably be careful about trying to do too much. Any advice welcome, feel free to bombard me with info.
I really don't recommend completely homebrewing an adventure as a first-time DM. Instead, I'd recommend running a pre-written module and altering it to suit your needs and wants. For example, I'm running a LMoP + DoIP combined adventure, and am throwing in my own homebrew spins and twists into it. If my players enjoy it enough when they get to the end, I'll expand on it. For example, I changed the BBEG, Nezzar to be a half-drow instead of drow, and if my players want to continue the adventure after the end, I'll throw them into the underdark and force them to work with Nezzar, which should create some fun, Zemo-like roleplaying.
I like your story plan for the first session, but the problem I see with it is that it feels rather linear. If you only give players one option to choose from, then it's not really choosing is it? Again, I like the story. But you have to remember that a DM's job is to write a setting for a story, not the story itself. The story is the natural result of the choices of the players as they react to the situations the DM throws them in.
I would say write it and run it yourself. It's what I did when I was 15, and it was never a problem.
It's not possible to guess how long anything is going to take with great accuracy, but always assume that everything will take twice as long as it reasonably should.
What level are these characters? That will make a big difference. Level 1 combats are generally over in 2-3 turns of auto attack. Level 8 combats might last 9 or 10 turns, with actions, reactions, bonus actions, spell effects whizzing about, and so on.
Assuming your players are somewhere between level 1 and 7 I think you have the right amount of content for a one-shot. But I'd also do the following:
Plan two additional encounters (RP, exploration, or combat) that can be added in if they need to be.
Also note though that you have quite a linear plot there, and the players will not under any circumstances follow it. They may ignore the town being on fire. They may not get the clue. They may misread the clue. They may decide to join the villains. They may wait until the false villain is asleep and then set his house on fire. There's no way to know, so don't rely on that happening! Do not try to improv your way back to it when it goes off track. This game is for the players; don't force them down your railroad (it won't work anyway).
Instead of an event sequence, just plan a location and give the NPCs motivations and reasons for being there. Give your players some flex in what they spend their time doing. Create a village, put in your NPCs as detailed above but also throw in a few other things for the PCs to do if they feel like it. If this is not a one-shot but the start of a campaign, then just put a bunch of stuff in the area and let the players choose whether to follow that lead saying "kill the goblins" on the notice board, or to investigate the fire, or to take a payment to guard that caravan. If you do this in a smart way you can make it so all those leads ultimately lead back to your key NPCs, even though the players think they're making choices.
I'm going to run this as a one shot, its very loosely based off how my current DM started one of his campaign. Absolutely fantastic advice thanks very much for it. Especially about not improving my way back on track but actually just staying on the players path. I'm still mixing and matching ideas. I'll put everything you've said to use
Thanks very much for the advice! I think I may purchase some official modules if I find DMing is for me, and if I do I'll 100% exercise that creative freedom you said about.
For the story being linear I 100% see your point now. In my mind when making it I was just thinking about giving them goals,motivation and plot hooks so they dont get bored. But I having taken a step I see I was trying to rail road even though giving players freedom is a big reason I want to DM. Thanks very much.
If I run you through the first session of my current campaign it might give you an approach to consider.
I always try and set an aim for each session, by the end of that session is there something the party need to have accomplished or learnt. For session 1 the aim was simple, form the party and introduce 3 key NPCs
The party where all congregated in an inn, halfling and Minotaur the last 2 to enter, halfling was invited to join a card game which was a scam, some of the other characters picked up on the scam stepped in and took action to stop it.
3rd act the party where drinking together, head of the guard came in talked about the gang with the card scam and then that led to the party being hired to deal with the gang.
I usually prepare one more encounter than I think I'll need, so I can have it to throw in. Like a random monster combat you can throw in at any point. Though if it runs short, I wouldn't worry about that. You can just say good job, that was the end. If your players have any class, they'll thank you for the adventure and call it good.
I second the Matt Coleville series, "Running the Game." You don't have to watch them all but they are generally well-titled so you can tell what each one is about. Among good ones to watch starting out, after you see the short intro, are:
Your First Adventure
Your First Session
Running Your First Dungeon
Your First Town
Explaining vs. Engaging
Verbs!
Let's Start in a Tavern
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
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.
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Hi guys,
I've finally bit the bullet and decided I'd like to start DMing, I'm lucky to have a supportive group of people I'm in other campaigns with who I think will take part.
Does anyone have a template/foundation from which they build sessions with? I'm mainly cautious of timing, pacing and players getting bored. I'm looking for a 3.5-4 hour long session and I'm unsure how long it will take for them to complete tasks. Atm the general layout is going to be:
Scene setting (forrest and cart) -> Char intros -> plot hook (nearby town on fire) -> puzzle/rp encounter (put it out, find out what happened) -> plothook B (arson, attempted murder or simmilar which would lead them to a suspect/building)-> Area B (False Villain 1) -> fast combat or good RP (find out it wasnt their fault) -> short rest/RP/Filler -> Climax combat (it was actually NPC X all along, PCs beat them up) -> The end
If/when it goes off track I'll do my best to improv a way back onto it.
On paper this seems short, but I know in lots of sessions this could end up taking a while, also I'd like to be a bit more creative but should probably be careful about trying to do too much. Any advice welcome, feel free to bombard me with info.
Cheers,
- James
I really don't recommend completely homebrewing an adventure as a first-time DM. Instead, I'd recommend running a pre-written module and altering it to suit your needs and wants. For example, I'm running a LMoP + DoIP combined adventure, and am throwing in my own homebrew spins and twists into it. If my players enjoy it enough when they get to the end, I'll expand on it. For example, I changed the BBEG, Nezzar to be a half-drow instead of drow, and if my players want to continue the adventure after the end, I'll throw them into the underdark and force them to work with Nezzar, which should create some fun, Zemo-like roleplaying.
I like your story plan for the first session, but the problem I see with it is that it feels rather linear. If you only give players one option to choose from, then it's not really choosing is it? Again, I like the story. But you have to remember that a DM's job is to write a setting for a story, not the story itself. The story is the natural result of the choices of the players as they react to the situations the DM throws them in.
I would say write it and run it yourself. It's what I did when I was 15, and it was never a problem.
It's not possible to guess how long anything is going to take with great accuracy, but always assume that everything will take twice as long as it reasonably should.
What level are these characters? That will make a big difference. Level 1 combats are generally over in 2-3 turns of auto attack. Level 8 combats might last 9 or 10 turns, with actions, reactions, bonus actions, spell effects whizzing about, and so on.
Assuming your players are somewhere between level 1 and 7 I think you have the right amount of content for a one-shot. But I'd also do the following:
Plan two additional encounters (RP, exploration, or combat) that can be added in if they need to be.
Also note though that you have quite a linear plot there, and the players will not under any circumstances follow it. They may ignore the town being on fire. They may not get the clue. They may misread the clue. They may decide to join the villains. They may wait until the false villain is asleep and then set his house on fire. There's no way to know, so don't rely on that happening! Do not try to improv your way back to it when it goes off track. This game is for the players; don't force them down your railroad (it won't work anyway).
Instead of an event sequence, just plan a location and give the NPCs motivations and reasons for being there. Give your players some flex in what they spend their time doing. Create a village, put in your NPCs as detailed above but also throw in a few other things for the PCs to do if they feel like it. If this is not a one-shot but the start of a campaign, then just put a bunch of stuff in the area and let the players choose whether to follow that lead saying "kill the goblins" on the notice board, or to investigate the fire, or to take a payment to guard that caravan. If you do this in a smart way you can make it so all those leads ultimately lead back to your key NPCs, even though the players think they're making choices.
I'm going to run this as a one shot, its very loosely based off how my current DM started one of his campaign. Absolutely fantastic advice thanks very much for it. Especially about not improving my way back on track but actually just staying on the players path. I'm still mixing and matching ideas. I'll put everything you've said to use
Thanks very much for the advice! I think I may purchase some official modules if I find DMing is for me, and if I do I'll 100% exercise that creative freedom you said about.
For the story being linear I 100% see your point now. In my mind when making it I was just thinking about giving them goals,motivation and plot hooks so they dont get bored. But I having taken a step I see I was trying to rail road even though giving players freedom is a big reason I want to DM. Thanks very much.
If I run you through the first session of my current campaign it might give you an approach to consider.
I always try and set an aim for each session, by the end of that session is there something the party need to have accomplished or learnt. For session 1 the aim was simple, form the party and introduce 3 key NPCs
The party where all congregated in an inn, halfling and Minotaur the last 2 to enter, halfling was invited to join a card game which was a scam, some of the other characters picked up on the scam stepped in and took action to stop it.
3rd act the party where drinking together, head of the guard came in talked about the gang with the card scam and then that led to the party being hired to deal with the gang.
I usually prepare one more encounter than I think I'll need, so I can have it to throw in. Like a random monster combat you can throw in at any point. Though if it runs short, I wouldn't worry about that. You can just say good job, that was the end. If your players have any class, they'll thank you for the adventure and call it good.
"Sooner or later, your Players are going to smash your railroad into a sandbox."
-Vedexent
"real life is a super high CR."
-OboeLauren
"............anybody got any potatoes? We could drop a potato in each hole an' see which ones get viciously mauled by horrible monsters?"
-Ilyara Thundertale
I second the Matt Coleville series, "Running the Game." You don't have to watch them all but they are generally well-titled so you can tell what each one is about. Among good ones to watch starting out, after you see the short intro, are:
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.