Have a session 0. It doesn't have to be elaborate, or even a proper session, just sit down with each player, ask them what they want from this adventure, and get their characters' backstory. Offer suggestions on how the backstory can fit better with the story you have in mind, and weave it into the campaign you have planned. Everyone, including you, will have a lot more fun then.
1. Don't panic - it will work out, and it's OK to do mistakes.
2. Don't care too much about the rules. If you're in doubt, make a decision and live with it. Check out the rules after the session, and inform the players the next time (go for flow in the game and not getting every thing right the first time).
3. Be a fan of the players! Present them with a problem, but don't expect them to follow a route you have planned (especially not if they've played a lot before). Be a fan of the "new" solutions your players have.
4. If a player ask if he can do/try something, your initial answer should be "YES" (but often followed by a "BUT"). This is a personal rule I have, and that's helped me to improve as a DM. It doesn't say ALWAYS say yes, but try to see it from the PC's perspective. If it's fun and doesn't ruin balance or anything, why not let him/her have a try?
5. Take a break if you need it! Seriously, I've been GM'ing for 25 years and I do it more and more. When your players destroyed your boss in half a round because someone had a power you had forgotten, or they just came up with a brilliant idea that turns everything upside down - just say you'll need 5 minutes to rethink before you continue. And of course - give your players credit for their smartness!
6. Don't EVER let a player roll for something if it would ruin the game if he succeed! A player with high persuasion might ask to "persuade" the smith to just give him that very nice sword - Don't let the player roll unless you think it's OK if he succeeds. This is a mistake it's very easy to do. Try to remember: Am I ready for the PC actually succeeding? If no, don't allow the roll.
7. A session 0 is a good idea. I would also recommend to have the players already be a party. Forming a party ingame is a risky business.
8. Make the first session quite straight forward: Someone asks the players to do something for a reward. Players go into the wilderness. A couple of encounters and a (short) dungeon at the end. This allows you to get to know the players, and gives you more control. Starting in a city with a more "sandbox" style, is much more risky, and requires a lot more improvisation - and improvisation is more difficult when you are also learning the rules and getting comfortable with DM'ing.
And, best of luck! DM'ing is really fun when it's fun, but we have all been very frustrated from time to time, so don't let that take away your spirit!
6. Don't EVER let a player roll for something if it would ruin the game if he succeed! A player with high persuasion might ask to "persuade" the smith to just give him that very nice sword - Don't let the player roll unless you think it's OK if he succeeds. This is a mistake it's very easy to do. Try to remember: Am I ready for the PC actually succeeding? If no, don't allow the roll.
This goes both ways! You should have the player roll only when success and failure are both possible.
If the thing the player is trying to do is impossible, there's no need to roll. If the thing the player is trying to do is so easy they can't possibly fail, also no need to roll. It's only in that intermediate range - where failure and success are both possible - that you need to tell the player to roll.
6. Don't EVER let a player roll for something if it would ruin the game if he succeed! A player with high persuasion might ask to "persuade" the smith to just give him that very nice sword - Don't let the player roll unless you think it's OK if he succeeds. This is a mistake it's very easy to do. Try to remember: Am I ready for the PC actually succeeding? If no, don't allow the roll.
This goes both ways! You should have the player roll only when success and failure are both possible.
If the thing the player is trying to do is impossible, there's no need to roll. If the thing the player is trying to do is so easy they can't possibly fail, also no need to roll. It's only in that intermediate range - where failure and success are both possible - that you need to tell the player to roll.
Don't make them roll for picking up a rock. And don't make them roll for hitting an enemy 2 miles away.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
All stars fade. Some stars forever fall. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Homebrew (Mostly Outdated):Magic Items,Monsters,Spells,Subclasses ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If there was no light, people wouldn't fear the dark.
There are quite a few threads with a load of useful advice for beginner DM's here, One with useful links that stood out for me - so-youre-going-to-dm-tips-for-beginners
My advice that I haven't seen mentioned is don't play to long on your first few sessions, give your self a time limit or just up to a certain point in the adventure say 2-4 hours, your all learning a lot about the game about each other, So that way you have time to take things in get feed back (hopefully encouragement from the players) between sessions and make little improvements each time.
edit- Oh what adventure are you intending to play?
“It cannot be seen, cannot be felt, Cannot be heard, cannot be smelt, It lies behind stars and under hills, And empty holes it fills, It comes first and follows after, Ends life, kills laughter.” J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, or There and Back Again
6. Don't EVER let a player roll for something if it would ruin the game if he succeed! A player with high persuasion might ask to "persuade" the smith to just give him that very nice sword - Don't let the player roll unless you think it's OK if he succeeds. This is a mistake it's very easy to do. Try to remember: Am I ready for the PC actually succeeding? If no, don't allow the roll.
This goes both ways! You should have the player roll only when success and failure are both possible.
If the thing the player is trying to do is impossible, there's no need to roll. If the thing the player is trying to do is so easy they can't possibly fail, also no need to roll. It's only in that intermediate range - where failure and success are both possible - that you need to tell the player to roll.
If the success is inevitable but it may not accomplished quickly, you could have them roll to decide how quickly/efficiently they accomplish the task. A roll and bonus of 20 succeeds immediately, 15-19 takes 5 minutes, 10-14 takes 10 minutes, etc. Of course, this is only helpful if there is a narrative reason why the extra time matters, such as a guard patrolling the area and catching the group trying to break in or something along those lines. If the time difference doesn't matter, then don't force the roll.
As I often do, I will recommend Matt Colville's YouTube series called "Running the Game." You can find the first episode here. He has tons of great advice for DMs. It's a lot to watch, and you don't have to watch it all at once, but his advice is excellent and he's been DMing a long time.
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.
I was thinking something small. Like, they have to start a small business to earn money for adventuring, but the townspeople hate them.
thx for replying that certainly sounds like a fun idea, though if your all new to D&D particularly as a new DM there is alot to be said for a premade adventure... DDB has a load of small encounter style adventures worth looking at encounter-of-the-week I'm particularly thinking halloween-encounters-the-haunted-cornfield
wishing you all the best with finals week
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
“It cannot be seen, cannot be felt, Cannot be heard, cannot be smelt, It lies behind stars and under hills, And empty holes it fills, It comes first and follows after, Ends life, kills laughter.” J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, or There and Back Again
I was thinking something small. Like, they have to start a small business to earn money for adventuring, but the townspeople hate them.
thx for replying that certainly sounds like a fun idea, though if your all new to D&D particularly as a new DM there is alot to be said for a premade adventure... DDB has a load of small encounter style adventures worth looking at encounter-of-the-week I'm particularly thinking halloween-encounters-the-haunted-cornfield
wishing you all the best with finals week
You can tag on the business aspect to any adventure. It simply becomes the reason the party is together and gives them more reason to cooperate.
Nice idea. Having a business together can work really well! Here's some thoughts from the top of my mind:
Having the townspeople "hate" them could be the base for lots of cool roleplaying, but it could turn bloody. (I don't know how new you and your players are to DnD/roleplaying). DnD is kind of rigged to violent solutions. A lot of the "cool" things you can do as a player is combat related, and I'm quite sure any player who has just made his first wizard (for instance) really wants to try that Magic Missile on someone/something. If the townspeople are the main adversary, that could turn bloody. Just a warning :-)
You can have the players learn of an inn (or other business) just outside the town, that have been overrun by "something". Perhaps the players even is "given" the ownership, they just have to sort out the "infection" themselves. It might even be a "plot" by the townspeople to get the players out of town?
My advice is play a few games as a player first. Don't just read a module or play one game and think this sounds pretty easy, I'll give 'er a go.
Second, read lots of fantasy stuff. I've read many ideas that are better than mine. My best ideas probably only amount to taking something someone else did and twisting it a little to fit my environment.
Third, start a notebook. In this notebook make every interesting character you ever thought of. Make every interesting place you ever thought of. Collect world maps. Collect artwork. Make notes of monsters, their lairs, their motivations, everything.
Fourth, draw or select a world map. Make this the map for your setting. Decide what political entities hold regions on the map. Place cities, towns, special resources and places of interest. Now imagine in reverse, how did the political landscape come to look like this? Was there a big war? Was there a plague? Write an outline for the history of the area so it doesn't just drop out of nothing with populations and cities all running like a well made watch. Remember, at this level, societies were agrarian.
Fifth, decide where your conflict will be on the map. Is there and evil wizard, a cleric searching for the holy relic, a wizard attempting to open a portal to the plane of fire? Create an area where that influence is felt. Describe how that influence is touching the people in those settlements.
Now draw upon your notes and flesh out details.
The tricky part is you don't have to have every person and every shop picked out before session 0. You just need enough of a framework so that when the players say, "We go into the temple." You have a temple idea in your notes, hopefully five or more to choose from. When the players say, "We go up to the merchant selling garden vegetables." Hopefully you have a handful of merchants to select from. As the players talk to him, he may need a wife, children, a home. Hopefully you have a handful of those in your notes as well.
Now many of your NPCs will need specific items, names, stuff, memories, … and those you have to prepare in the specific campaign notes. But you can go to your general notes to pick out all kinds of things to fill in the details.
And keep playing as a PC in other games. You'll get a lot of good ideas, and you'll see thing you want to avoid in your own campaign.
As I often do, I will recommend Matt Colville's YouTube series called "Running the Game." You can find the first episode here. He has tons of great advice for DMs. It's a lot to watch, and you don't have to watch it all at once, but his advice is excellent and he's been DMing a long time.
This. I also find his Campaign Diaries series helpful.
Have a session 0. It doesn't have to be elaborate, or even a proper session, just sit down with each player, ask them what they want from this adventure, and get their characters' backstory. Offer suggestions on how the backstory can fit better with the story you have in mind, and weave it into the campaign you have planned. Everyone, including you, will have a lot more fun then.
This is probably the best advice in this thread. Session 0 is the most important one.
Does anyone have any good advice for DMs just starting out? Any advice is appreciated.
Have a session 0. It doesn't have to be elaborate, or even a proper session, just sit down with each player, ask them what they want from this adventure, and get their characters' backstory. Offer suggestions on how the backstory can fit better with the story you have in mind, and weave it into the campaign you have planned. Everyone, including you, will have a lot more fun then.
Welcome!
1. Don't panic - it will work out, and it's OK to do mistakes.
2. Don't care too much about the rules. If you're in doubt, make a decision and live with it. Check out the rules after the session, and inform the players the next time (go for flow in the game and not getting every thing right the first time).
3. Be a fan of the players! Present them with a problem, but don't expect them to follow a route you have planned (especially not if they've played a lot before). Be a fan of the "new" solutions your players have.
4. If a player ask if he can do/try something, your initial answer should be "YES" (but often followed by a "BUT"). This is a personal rule I have, and that's helped me to improve as a DM. It doesn't say ALWAYS say yes, but try to see it from the PC's perspective. If it's fun and doesn't ruin balance or anything, why not let him/her have a try?
5. Take a break if you need it! Seriously, I've been GM'ing for 25 years and I do it more and more. When your players destroyed your boss in half a round because someone had a power you had forgotten, or they just came up with a brilliant idea that turns everything upside down - just say you'll need 5 minutes to rethink before you continue. And of course - give your players credit for their smartness!
6. Don't EVER let a player roll for something if it would ruin the game if he succeed! A player with high persuasion might ask to "persuade" the smith to just give him that very nice sword - Don't let the player roll unless you think it's OK if he succeeds. This is a mistake it's very easy to do. Try to remember: Am I ready for the PC actually succeeding? If no, don't allow the roll.
7. A session 0 is a good idea. I would also recommend to have the players already be a party. Forming a party ingame is a risky business.
8. Make the first session quite straight forward: Someone asks the players to do something for a reward. Players go into the wilderness. A couple of encounters and a (short) dungeon at the end. This allows you to get to know the players, and gives you more control. Starting in a city with a more "sandbox" style, is much more risky, and requires a lot more improvisation - and improvisation is more difficult when you are also learning the rules and getting comfortable with DM'ing.
And, best of luck! DM'ing is really fun when it's fun, but we have all been very frustrated from time to time, so don't let that take away your spirit!
Ludo ergo sum!
This goes both ways! You should have the player roll only when success and failure are both possible.
If the thing the player is trying to do is impossible, there's no need to roll. If the thing the player is trying to do is so easy they can't possibly fail, also no need to roll. It's only in that intermediate range - where failure and success are both possible - that you need to tell the player to roll.
Don't make them roll for picking up a rock. And don't make them roll for hitting an enemy 2 miles away.
All stars fade. Some stars forever fall.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Homebrew (Mostly Outdated): Magic Items, Monsters, Spells, Subclasses
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If there was no light, people wouldn't fear the dark.
There are quite a few threads with a load of useful advice for beginner DM's here,
One with useful links that stood out for me - so-youre-going-to-dm-tips-for-beginners
My advice that I haven't seen mentioned is don't play to long on your first few sessions,
give your self a time limit or just up to a certain point in the adventure say 2-4 hours, your all learning a lot about the game about each other, So that way you have time to take things in get feed back (hopefully encouragement from the players) between sessions and make little improvements each time.
edit- Oh what adventure are you intending to play?
“It cannot be seen, cannot be felt, Cannot be heard, cannot be smelt, It lies behind stars and under hills, And empty holes it fills, It comes first and follows after, Ends life, kills laughter.” J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, or There and Back Again
If the success is inevitable but it may not accomplished quickly, you could have them roll to decide how quickly/efficiently they accomplish the task. A roll and bonus of 20 succeeds immediately, 15-19 takes 5 minutes, 10-14 takes 10 minutes, etc. Of course, this is only helpful if there is a narrative reason why the extra time matters, such as a guard patrolling the area and catching the group trying to break in or something along those lines. If the time difference doesn't matter, then don't force the roll.
As I often do, I will recommend Matt Colville's YouTube series called "Running the Game." You can find the first episode here. He has tons of great advice for DMs. It's a lot to watch, and you don't have to watch it all at once, but his advice is excellent and he's been DMing a long time.
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.
Find 2-3 friends who are likeminded to you or at least interested to start D&D and have a similar experience level as you have with DM'ing
Get an easy to play (short) adventure or one-shot from the store starterset or online downloads
Download a couple of pre-made characters (google)
Start playing and learn the rules as you go together
Have fun learning and come back here with more specific questions, this is kinda wide open :-)
I was thinking something small. Like, they have to start a small business to earn money for adventuring, but the townspeople hate them.
Is that too complicated? Or, you know, not specific enough?
Sorry, it’s finals week, and I am dead tired.
Look into Acquisitions Incorporated for some ideas on that.
thx for replying that certainly sounds like a fun idea, though if your all new to D&D particularly as a new DM there is alot to be said for a premade adventure... DDB has a load of small encounter style adventures worth looking at encounter-of-the-week
I'm particularly thinking halloween-encounters-the-haunted-cornfield
wishing you all the best with finals week
“It cannot be seen, cannot be felt, Cannot be heard, cannot be smelt, It lies behind stars and under hills, And empty holes it fills, It comes first and follows after, Ends life, kills laughter.” J.R.R. Tolkien, The Hobbit, or There and Back Again
You can tag on the business aspect to any adventure. It simply becomes the reason the party is together and gives them more reason to cooperate.
Nice idea. Having a business together can work really well! Here's some thoughts from the top of my mind:
Having the townspeople "hate" them could be the base for lots of cool roleplaying, but it could turn bloody. (I don't know how new you and your players are to DnD/roleplaying). DnD is kind of rigged to violent solutions. A lot of the "cool" things you can do as a player is combat related, and I'm quite sure any player who has just made his first wizard (for instance) really wants to try that Magic Missile on someone/something. If the townspeople are the main adversary, that could turn bloody. Just a warning :-)
You can have the players learn of an inn (or other business) just outside the town, that have been overrun by "something". Perhaps the players even is "given" the ownership, they just have to sort out the "infection" themselves. It might even be a "plot" by the townspeople to get the players out of town?
Best of luck both with your finals and DM'ing :-)
Ludo ergo sum!
My advice is play a few games as a player first. Don't just read a module or play one game and think this sounds pretty easy, I'll give 'er a go.
Second, read lots of fantasy stuff. I've read many ideas that are better than mine. My best ideas probably only amount to taking something someone else did and twisting it a little to fit my environment.
Third, start a notebook. In this notebook make every interesting character you ever thought of. Make every interesting place you ever thought of. Collect world maps. Collect artwork. Make notes of monsters, their lairs, their motivations, everything.
Fourth, draw or select a world map. Make this the map for your setting. Decide what political entities hold regions on the map. Place cities, towns, special resources and places of interest. Now imagine in reverse, how did the political landscape come to look like this? Was there a big war? Was there a plague? Write an outline for the history of the area so it doesn't just drop out of nothing with populations and cities all running like a well made watch. Remember, at this level, societies were agrarian.
Fifth, decide where your conflict will be on the map. Is there and evil wizard, a cleric searching for the holy relic, a wizard attempting to open a portal to the plane of fire? Create an area where that influence is felt. Describe how that influence is touching the people in those settlements.
Now draw upon your notes and flesh out details.
The tricky part is you don't have to have every person and every shop picked out before session 0. You just need enough of a framework so that when the players say, "We go into the temple." You have a temple idea in your notes, hopefully five or more to choose from. When the players say, "We go up to the merchant selling garden vegetables." Hopefully you have a handful of merchants to select from. As the players talk to him, he may need a wife, children, a home. Hopefully you have a handful of those in your notes as well.
Now many of your NPCs will need specific items, names, stuff, memories, … and those you have to prepare in the specific campaign notes. But you can go to your general notes to pick out all kinds of things to fill in the details.
And keep playing as a PC in other games. You'll get a lot of good ideas, and you'll see thing you want to avoid in your own campaign.
Good luck. Have fun.
You all are insanely helpful, you have no idea!
This. I also find his Campaign Diaries series helpful.
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
This is probably the best advice in this thread. Session 0 is the most important one.
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting