Monstrous Compendium Vol. 1: Spelljammer Creatures
Frozen Sick
D&D Beyond Basic Rules
Basic Rules (2014)
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Monstrous Compendium Vol. 1: Spelljammer CreaturesFrozen SickD&D Beyond Basic RulesBasic Rules (2014)Sign in to view your library & saved favorites.
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So I have a big question for all you younger players. Im starting a 2nd campaign with some more new highschoolers but they ALLLLLL are the most stubborn people you have ever met and it is horrible. im dming again and idk how I am supposed to start it and get them to start. Im prob going to host it over zoom because they live pretty far from my house and cant meet every week. They all want to play but the idea sizzles out. I have another pro with me but we dont how to teach them. How would you recomend teaching them while keeping a flock of suger and pizza loaded freshmen from loosing interest. I really want to start this campaign because unlike the other campaign that I mentioned awhile ago, I actually care because these are my good friends (No offence to those in my other campaign) This is also my 2nd time dming so... Plz help thx
Oh man, I feel for you! Wrangling a bunch of sugar-loaded freshmen over Zoom sounds like absolute chaos, but since they’re your close friends, it’ll be so worth it once you get into a groove. Since you’re still pretty new to DMing too, don’t put too much pressure on yourself to be perfect. Here’s what I’d suggest for dealing with that specific group:
Skip the slow intro: Seriously, just drop them right into a fight or a high-stakes heist the second they log on. If you give them ten minutes to "explore the town," they’re going to get distracted and start talking over each other.
Keep it snappy on Zoom: It’s so easy to lose focus on a screen. Use some digital maps or even just some cool pictures of the monsters they’re fighting to keep their eyes on the game.
The Rule of Cool: Since they’re stubborn, don’t get stuck in the weeds with the rulebook. If they want to do something ridiculous, just have them roll for it. You can teach them the "proper" way to play as you go—keeping the momentum is way more important than getting every stat right at first.
Lean on your co-DM: Let the "pro" handle the technical stuff and the math so you can focus on the story and keeping the energy up.
Keep the sessions short: Maybe aim for two hours max? It’s better to end while they’re still hyped and wanting more than to let it drag on until everyone’s crashing from the pizza.
You’re going to be great! Just remember that it’s your game too, so don't be afraid to tell them to settle down if it gets too crazy. Good luck, you’ve got this!
You're not going to want to do a plot-heavy campaign. Younger players want to do whatever crazy thing pops into their heads and they'll have a ton of fun if you let them. You'll be surprised by the types of stories that might arise from the chaos!
In college, we had multiple sessions of rescuing a bear from a traveling circus so the monk could have an animal companion. We completely unnecessarily burned down the circus and had to skip town, which kicked off a whole other set of events.
In general, I think younger players really appreciate being put in a sandbox where they can play with all the toys and smash the castles and they'll have a great time.
To start champagne you purchase a bottle at the store then pop the cork of it. 🥸
“And the Lord spake, saying, 'First shalt thou take out the Holy Pin. Then, shalt thou count to three, no more, no less. Three shall be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be three. Four shalt thou not count, nor either count thou two, excepting that thou then proceed to three. Five is right out! Once the number three, being the third number, be reached, then lobbest thou thy Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch towards thou foe, who being naughty in my sight, shall snuff it.'"
(JK)
“And the Lord spake, saying, 'First shalt thou take out the Holy Pin. Then, shalt thou count to three, no more, no less. Three shall be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be three. Four shalt thou not count, nor either count thou two, excepting that thou then proceed to three. Five is right out! Once the number three, being the third number, be reached, then lobbest thou thy Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch towards thou foe, who being naughty in my sight, shall snuff it.'"
I am kind of in the same boat but it’s only one or two players who distract the other people.
“And the Lord spake, saying, 'First shalt thou take out the Holy Pin. Then, shalt thou count to three, no more, no less. Three shall be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be three. Four shalt thou not count, nor either count thou two, excepting that thou then proceed to three. Five is right out! Once the number three, being the third number, be reached, then lobbest thou thy Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch towards thou foe, who being naughty in my sight, shall snuff it.'"
This is AI, right? It reads like AI. I’m going to assume it is unless the poster says otherwise. And even then.
Honestly thx moon. also STFU YOU STINKY TWINKIE FURRYBEARDEDMUNK
Yeah, I don't know why you'd bold the entire thing.
Also, he said it was over zoom so I am wondering where the pizza is coming from.
Actually, it's also the same format as the google AI overview.
He doesn't have much besides the skin on his bones. Me: I'll take the skin on his bones, then.
"You see a gigantic, monstrous praying mantis burst from out of the ground. It sprays a stream of acid from it's mouth at one soldier, dissolving him instantly, then it turns and chomps another soldier in half with it's- "
"When are we gonna take a snack break?"
Honestly i dont care if its ai or not XD i just need help.
But "As soon as they log on" no way someone said that. Its dnd not Call of duty
Parts of it are not actually not bad advice.
I think though, what you’ll really need is a good session 0. I know they’ll want to goof around, (maybe you will, too) but how much goofing around is too much? Spend the first session not playing, but discussing the kind of game they want to play. Do they just want you to point them at the monsters and fight all day every day? Do they want much in the way of role play or exploration?
Make sure everyone agrees on the type of game they want so you can be more likely to design things they’ll find engaging.
Also discuss the social rules. What level of respect you expect them to have for each other (you included). And a big one playing on zoom, how much distraction is too much? If you’re all trying to play, while one guy has YouTube open in another tab and hasn’t even muted himself, that’s bad news for everyone.
Getting everyone on the same page on this sort of thing can really help smooth it over later. And it makes it easier to call people out later when you can say, you agreed to these rules. Though, also, those rules can change. After a few sessions, you may find you need to add new ones or let some of them fall away. But if that happens, again, make it a discussion with everyone.
Another bit of advice. A lot of new players, particularly those familiar with video games, get super excited by the idea that they can do anything they want with their characters. They go on theft and murder rampages, open every door and window just to go inside just because they can. Nip this in the bud. Explain doing things like this might be fun for them for a second, but it’s not fun for you who spent hours planning out today’s session. Yes, there can be in game consequences ranging from, the town doesn’t like them, to they get arrested, to the gods strike them dead in their tracks. But that won’t solve the problem, it will just make them feel like you’re picking on them. Get ahead of it and tell them this sort of thing isn’t cool and just ruins the game.