(Hopefully a mod thinks this worthy of being pinned for others)
Updated 08/22/17 with a resource link (see below)
So you're going to be a DM.
Maybe you've been watching Critical Role (or some other live stream), and thought you'd like to give it a try; or maybe you've been a player for years and finally decided to see how the other half lives; or, maybe, the role of DM has been thrust upon you because no one else was willing. Whatever the reason, now you're wondering just how to go about the "Dungeon Master" thing, and maybe you're getting a bit worried. Well, here are some tips for beginners. I hope this helps you. If you are an experienced DM, or otherwise have some more tips to share, let's add them all in this thread, so new DMs can get everything they need in one place.
Here are my 9 tips for new DMs. Following this list are some recommended YouTube channels, D&D Blogs, and other resources.
1. Rule 0, aka "The DM is always right." - You might hear this "rule" in many places, and at first glance it might seem heavy handed and destructive. Let's be clear, your job as DM is not to be an opponent for your players. Your job is to be part of telling a cooperative story, and take care of all the NPCs, monsters, traps, and plot points the players will encounter. In this case, what Rule 0 (aka The DM is Always Right) means is that you don't need to worry about the rules, or the text of an adventure, verbatim. If, during a session, something comes up in game and you're not sure what rule applies, or how a rule might apply, you can either stop the game and look up the rule (and debate it with the players), or you can make a ruling on the spot for the sake of keeping the game flowing. I vote for the second option. Make it clear to the players that you are making a ruling now, and will check the rule later, just keep the game going! After the session you can look up the rule and parse it out. If you got it wrong, no big deal. Next session you can tell the players what you learned and let them know that going forward if the same situation comes up you will all follow the rule as you've learned it to be. The same can be said for adventures. If you're playing through a published adventure and make a mistake, no big deal! You can retcon it later, or just change the story to fit the mistake. The Adventure as written is not the law! You can make it your own. Rule 0.
2. You don't have to memorize all the rules! - This may seem like more of Rule 0, but it is important to understand going in that you DON'T have to memorize all the rules in the PHB, DMG, and MM before you start DMing. As long as you and your players are all familiar with the basic rules for playing the game, you'll do fine. As the game progresses you will pick up more and more and more. Each game session is a chance to practice and hone those skills. Before you know it you'll be correcting other people online like a pro! So remember, you don't have to read through the entirety of the Dungeon Master's Guide before you DM. In fact much of the 5e DMG is about world-building, which you won't need if you're starting with a published adventure (and you should). The most important things to skim over before you play are probably the parts about encounters and the environment, traps and treasure. Don't bother reading through the entire magic items section, just look through it for the things that look cool to you.
3. Table Rules - One of the most challenging parts of running a D&D game (or any RPG for that matter) is bringing together a group of people and keeping everyone happy. This can be especially difficult if you are running a game for strangers (online or at a store); with younger players new to the game; or even with your regular group of friends. Remember that Dungeons & Dragons is a game, and you are all there to have FUN. If you aren't having fun, then something is wrong. As a starting point for making sure everyone has fun, put together a list of your table rules and hand it out in advance of the first session so everyone knows what to expect. Let your players ask questions about the table rules and how you plan to run the game, and make sure you respect their questions - don't make them feel "dumb" for asking something you think should be obvious. Dungeons & Dragons is an inclusive game. Everyone at the table should feel welcome and safe. Some good table rules include: a. No racist, homophobic, trans-phobic, or otherwise prejudiced remarks, jokes or threats. Period. No one should be made to feel unwelcome or uncomfortable; b. No party in-fighting. Unless everyone is okay with PVP (player vs player) just rule it out from the start. No stealing from each other, and no fighting each other, unless it's agreed upon by all. Even if a couple of players agree to it, it can make other players feel uncomfortable; c. No bullying in-character or out-of-character. If any player has a problem with another player out-of-game, don't bring it to the table. If those players can't figure out their differences outside of the game, then they shouldn't be in the game together unless they are able to leave their baggage at the door; d. No rules-lawyers at the table. A rules-lawyer is someone who knows (or thinks they know) all the rules, and is constantly correcting the DM and everyone else. Don't be a rules lawyer. If the DM needs help with a rule, they can always ask the rules lawyer for help, but until then, keep your rules-lawyering to yourself. These are just a few examples of table rules, feel free to add more, but remember, the goal is for everyone to have fun.
4. Start with a published adventure - If you are brand new to DMing, I don't recommend starting out by trying to build your own epic world. Start with a published adventure where everything has been done for you. This will help you to see how an adventure is laid out, and will make it much easier for you to run when you get to the table. I strongly recommend reading through the entire adventure at least once before you start your game prep. After (or while) you are reading through the adventure, look online to see if anyone else has already run that adventure, and if they've got any advice on how to run it, what to change, etc. Check YouTube for videos of groups playing through the adventure. There are lots of great introductory adventures on DMs Guild, some of them for free. I really believe that the adventure that comes with the D&D Starter Set, "Lost Mine of Phandelver" is an awesome adventure for new and experienced DMs and players alike. You can buy it online for $14 to $20 and it comes with some great Basic Rules you can keep at hand for quick reference.
5. Keep Notes! Lots of notes!- Whether you are using a physical notebook at the table, a Word doc on your laptop, or an advanced organizational tool like Microsoft's awesome OneNote (free version here Microsoft OneNote ) take notes, and then take more. Make notes before the session starts in point-form for what you expect to happen in the session; make notes about the monsters coming up and any special abilities you might need to remember,; and during the game make notes about any NPCs you need to make up on the fly, or things the Characters do or say that you can mine for story ideas and encounters later. The more notes you take, the more you have to work with going forward.
6. NPCs - Make a list of NPC names common to the region the PCs are in, or to the races they might encounter. As the session progresses, if they meet an NPC you weren't expecting them to meet, if you make up an NPC on the fly, you can pick a name quickly from the list (make sure you make a note about it in your notes for later!). It is much more realistic for your players if the people they meet have names, rather than Bartender #4, or Generic Old Woman. You can also keep a list of NPC characteristics handy for the same situations (ie. Smokes a purple pipe; Has only one eye; likes to say "Wot!" at the end of every sentence; Fidgets with an a dead rat.).
7. Voices- Okay, don't worry about voices. I know, you've seen Matt Mercer on Critical Role, and he does lots of cool voices. Yes, voices can be fun, and they add a lot of flavour and colour to encounters with NPCs and villains, but not everyone is comfortable with doing voices, and that's okay. If you like doing it, go for it! If you are nervous about it, that's okay. There are other ways to get across the character of an NPC or villain without using an accent or a strange voice. You can use hand gestures, or change your face. If you are at the table in person, stand up from your chair and change your posture. You can also just change the speed at which you speak with your normal voice - slow it down, or speed it up. Maybe try talking in a bit deeper voice or a bit higher voice than usual, or try a gruff voice, a mean voice, or a happy voice. You can create character without doing an accent. If you want to be able to do accents, watch videos on YouTube in your spare time and practice along with them, but don't get hung up over it. If the story is a good one, the players won't notice the lack of special voices, and if the story isn't good, the voices likely aren't going to save it anyway. ;-)
8. Preparation - Whether you are playing a published adventure or making your own, there are lots of differing opinions on how much time to spend prepping. Some DMs like to have ever possible detail worked out in advance, and some just make everything up as they go. Find the method that works best for you, but in general you should consider making some point form notes before each session so you have at least a general idea of the encounters that could happen, the NPCs the PCs might meet,, and where you'd like the story to go. Just remember one thing... if your players can go outside the box, they will go outside the box. At least some times, anyway. There will always be times when the players do something you didn't expect. THAT'S OKAY! Roll with it! If you can, just make it up and make it seem like you were prepared for them to do that, even if you weren't. If you aren't comfortable with "winging it" when the players do something unexpected, calmly call for a brief pause for snacks, or a washroom break, and take a few minutes to figure out what you will do next. Don't panic, it's going to be okay.
9. Miniatures or "Theatre of the Mind"- Possibly you've heard a lot about this as being an all or nothing thing. Either you use minis on a grid/map, or you do everything in "Theatre of the Mind" (TotM from now on) where you describe the action and everyone imagines it. There are pros and cons to both, and personally I like to use the one that works best for any given encounter. Some encounters (imo) need a map and minis or tokens because it may be a complicated battle, and the players may want, or need, to see how everything relates to everything else. Other times, it might be a simple encounter, and rather than stop the action to set everything up, you can keep the flow going by explaining the action to your players. If you go with TotM for an encounter, don't sweat the little things. In TotM exact distances aren't that important. Give your players a sense of where they are in relation to each other and their opponents, and just "guesstimate" it as things change. Can the fighter run up to the bug bear and hit it this turn? Sure, go ahead!
This post, and these lists, are certainly not exhaustive, I've barely scratched the service. If you have a great tip or resource for new DMs, add it to the thread, and I'll try to update the main post when I can. I hope that at least some of you find this useful.
Don't forget, we NEED more DMs! Without DMs, there is no D&D.
"Orcs are savage raiders and pillagers with stooped postures, low foreheads, and piggish faces with prominent lower canines that resemble tusks." MM p245 (original printing) You don't OWN your books on DDB: WotC can change them any time. What do you think will happen when OneD&D comes out?
Never roll for the number of enemies. Ever. The most likely result of doing so is an accidental TPK (Total Party Kill); the second most likely is no damage to the PCs. (Okay, I exaggerated a little, but only a little.)
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"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
A great start of advice, and I second all of it. For a second, I thought I'd be arguing because I'm so used to "The DM is always right" being taken out of the context intended for it and treated as an excuse for a "my way or the highway" attitude in DMs - I am very glad to have found that not to be the case.
I also second the notion of having this advice pinned for maximum visibility.
And now, I'll add a caveat to Matthias's advice, and then a piece of my own advice:
Rolling the number of enemies can be fine - but only when you've determined the random range yourself and established that anything within said range is actually acceptable to your own encounter building standards. So while a book might say something like 11-20 orcs (with higher level leaders) show up, unless your party is high enough level to actually handle all that you should probably trim the range to something more manageable like 4-6 orcs before leaving it up to the dice.
Above all else, my advice to new/aspiring DMs, and even DMs that have been at it a long while and are looking for a way to get more from their game, is this: Fun above all else, but not just your fun. The whole point of playing a game is to kick back, relax, and unwind a bit with friends - even if you are playing with complete strangers, playing it right will make them friends by the end of the campaign (if not the end of the night). So don't take the game, or yourself, too seriously - especially when doing so results in squashing someone else's enjoyment. Let your players do things that you think are silly. Let their crazy plans manage to work often enough not to discourage them from making plans in the future. Let everything that you can stand to let slide, slide, because all that really matters is that everybody had a fun session and wants to com back for more.
These are great tips and honestly running a premade adventure is one of the most helpful things you can do. I did not do that. I made a campaign two days after getting the 5e books. I do not recommend what I did. Ever. Run something else first. I took a break from my own campaign to run CoS and you learn so much about building a campaign from running an existing one.
Since there are so many great tips here and the post had gotten a bit buried; I will add one of the few things I have learned so far.
When players roll very low whether for a skill check or an attack it is a great opportunity to input some humor.
Two incidents I can think of that were quite fun during game play
one of our PC's was currently stuck half in, half out of a natural chimney trying to pull off a sneak attack and rolled a 1 to climb through, hence why they were stuck. Another PC wanted to help out and give them a swift kick in the rear to help them through. They rolled a nat 20. So what happened? The kick was so successful that the stuck PC superman style flew through the chimney and knocked the Bugbear in the next cavern prone doing a fair amount of damage.
One PC rolled for a perception check to look out a window to check for goblin patrols in a manor house they were imprisoned in. She rolled a 1. Discourse went something along the lines of; when you approached the window to carefully peer out, your foot became entangled in the heavy velvet curtains completely entangling you in them as you struggled to get free and could not see if the patrol had passed.
I could have just said "your attempt failed, or you couldn't see anything, but adding these bits of humor helped a lot and gave some great pieces of information for the other PC's to role-play converse about later. (Actually, one of the PC ended up with a nickname now due to a low roll situation they were in.
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"The idea of me is intoxicating, the reality, sobering"
When players roll very low whether for a skill check or an attack it is a great opportunity to input some humor.
A little (or even a lot, preference depending) of humor is great for the game.
One just needs to be mindful that the humor added doesn't end up making the characters look incompetent. Things like master swordsmen losing their grip on their blade through no cause other than their own bad luck can get old very fast, but scenarios like failing a perception check because of issues with the curtains in front of a window stays in the realm of humorous without making it seem like the character actually sucks at perception - they failed because they can't see through curtains, not because of their own skill at the task being comically insufficient.
Aaron, of course you are correct. No need to make the PC feel incompetent or feel as if they are being bullied.
For us (and this may not work for every party) adding the bits of humor around poor luck of the dice seems to make the heroes a bit more life-like and that they too, even a master swordsman, as in your example, can fumble their weapon from time to time, or a master archer could miss the monster and snag the pouch you were after lodging the arrow and pouch 15 ft above your head.
We have some young players in our party, and low rolls happen, it also happens that they feel bad when their attempt doesn't work the way they want it to go, the little bit of silliness also helps takes the sting out a little and they soon forget that their attempt didn't work and focus on the humor of it.
Mix it up, try something funny. if it helps your PC's get into the story-line and none are feeling picked on win-win.
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"The idea of me is intoxicating, the reality, sobering"
When players roll very low whether for a skill check or an attack it is a great opportunity to input some humor.
I can't agree with this enough, for example, I am running my first game as DM, and one of the PCs is running a Bard and used Vicious Mockery, and the hobgoblin spellcaster he targeted rolled a Nat 1 on the save and would've died from the damage anyways, so for flavor I made him break down crying and kill himself with Magic Missile. It ended up being the highlight of the session and we were all crying of laughter for a few minutes. Doing stuff like this adds so much fun to the session!
Let their crazy plans manage to work often enough not to discourage them from making plans in the future. Let everything that you can stand to let slide, slide, because all that really matters is that everybody had a fun session and wants to com back for more.
I just finished a session, and one of the players is a total goofball. He casually slid down this giant rock (rolled a 20) While dabbing. He then tried to frontflip but fell on the ground. Throughout that entire scene, he was holding an awkward dab. We were all laughing.
Any tips for doing battles with several monsters faster? One of my players loves action and is often bored while I'm rolling for all the guys and calculating and noting things.
Any tips for doing battles with several monsters faster? One of my players loves action and is often bored while I'm rolling for all the guys and calculating and noting things.
Try some altered Mass Combat rules.
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"For every moment of truth, there's confusion in life."
If you have enough dice I've heard a tip for rolling attack and damage dice at the same time. I'm buying markers so i know who did what and what got hit. A creature gets hit for three take three markers away from that creature.
You can, if the players can act as the monster and not in the interest of the group, have the players run the monsters. Or if you still want to keep some information quiet have them move and make the rolls and you just do the math. It allows for the players to be engaged almost every turn.
When players roll very low whether for a skill check or an attack it is a great opportunity to input some humor.
I can't agree with this enough, for example, I am running my first game as DM, and one of the PCs is running a Bard and used Vicious Mockery, and the hobgoblin spellcaster he targeted rolled a Nat 1 on the save and would've died from the damage anyways, so for flavor I made him break down crying and kill himself with Magic Missile. It ended up being the highlight of the session and we were all crying of laughter for a few minutes. Doing stuff like this adds so much fun to the session!
On the other side, when players (or enemies) roll critically well, you can add some great dramatic flair, also.
Example, our rogue rolled a 20 on a backstab, and the crit table I use gave her an extra damage dice. the resulting damage was enough to completely kill the enemy, so I described the event with the Rogue's sword bursting through the front of the enemy, and then with a vicious slash, then enemy was sliced in half at the waist.
Also, this adds some great tension when the players are on the receiving end of a critical, as well, and can make the encounter much more memorable.
Another tip I would offer is, don't feel you have to run the perfect session every time. You're going to make mistakes, or mis-interpret a rule, or something else. Don't be too hard on yourself, especially if it's your first time as a DM. you'll be looking at your notes a lot to keep track of what's supposed to be happening in a scene, as well as trying to weave the player conversation and actions in. it's a lot, I know. give yourself some latitude, and just make sure your players understand that you're doing your best. :)
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ChaoticGoodPaladin2 (because 1 is never enough)
Famous Last words #27: "Of course I trust the thief, he's in our party" Famous Last Words #32: "The minotaur's got me in a bear hug? GREAT! I cast Flame Strike on it!"
Possible addition to the links: Adam Koebel's Office Hours series isn't specific to 5E (though he does end up talking about it a lot) but it is straight up some of the best GMing advice I've ever come across, on a very wide range of topics. Maybe less for the novice GM and more from the moderately experienced, but it's an invaluable resource, up there with Colville's videos.
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DM: The Cult of the Crystal Spider (Currently playing Storm King's Thunder) Player: The Knuckles of Arth - Lemire (Tiefling Rogue 5/Fighter 1)
Hi, I am a player and a D.M in training and I have a few tips from my experience as a player for fellow D.M’s in training or outdated D.M’s
1) Fun Before Rules: remember rules are more of a guideline and making sure you and the players are actually having fun.
2) Taking Advice: it is okay to take advice from your players and other (more up to date) dm’s but you have to listen.
3) Don't Let The Power Go To Your Head: (this is one my usual dm struggles with despite claiming he doesn't) this one can be a bit hard at times but yeah you should not let the power of being the dm go to your head, because all in all your player will notice and may not want you dm’ing if it keeps up. Especially dont be a jerk about it being “your world”.
4) Arguing With The DM: (another one my usual dm struggles with) obviously players are going to argue with the dm about anything from if they can seduce the final boss to wether or not tieflings are inherently jerks they will argue about it and heads up the statement “Don’t argue with the DM” tends to lead to #3
5) Up To Date: I recommend keeping your books and self up to date on at-least the three base books (DM’s guide, Players Handbook and Monster Manuel) or have the dnd beyond app that updates itself because like it or not D&D changes from edition to edition and having a dm and players that aren't even on the same book let alone on the same page is vaguely annoying at least and a highly irritating argument inducer at most.
I like to create a brief outline of how the adventure is going to go (No maps, no planned dungeons) And then make a little folder in my chrome bookmarks bar with all my monsters and items.
Then I just make everything up as I go, sprinkle in a little humor, and fail to make things dramatic.
(Hopefully a mod thinks this worthy of being pinned for others)
Updated 08/22/17 with a resource link (see below)
So you're going to be a DM.
Maybe you've been watching Critical Role (or some other live stream), and thought you'd like to give it a try; or maybe you've been a player for years and finally decided to see how the other half lives; or, maybe, the role of DM has been thrust upon you because no one else was willing. Whatever the reason, now you're wondering just how to go about the "Dungeon Master" thing, and maybe you're getting a bit worried. Well, here are some tips for beginners. I hope this helps you. If you are an experienced DM, or otherwise have some more tips to share, let's add them all in this thread, so new DMs can get everything they need in one place.
Here are my 9 tips for new DMs. Following this list are some recommended YouTube channels, D&D Blogs, and other resources.
1. Rule 0, aka "The DM is always right." - You might hear this "rule" in many places, and at first glance it might seem heavy handed and destructive. Let's be clear, your job as DM is not to be an opponent for your players. Your job is to be part of telling a cooperative story, and take care of all the NPCs, monsters, traps, and plot points the players will encounter. In this case, what Rule 0 (aka The DM is Always Right) means is that you don't need to worry about the rules, or the text of an adventure, verbatim. If, during a session, something comes up in game and you're not sure what rule applies, or how a rule might apply, you can either stop the game and look up the rule (and debate it with the players), or you can make a ruling on the spot for the sake of keeping the game flowing. I vote for the second option. Make it clear to the players that you are making a ruling now, and will check the rule later, just keep the game going! After the session you can look up the rule and parse it out. If you got it wrong, no big deal. Next session you can tell the players what you learned and let them know that going forward if the same situation comes up you will all follow the rule as you've learned it to be. The same can be said for adventures. If you're playing through a published adventure and make a mistake, no big deal! You can retcon it later, or just change the story to fit the mistake. The Adventure as written is not the law! You can make it your own. Rule 0.
2. You don't have to memorize all the rules! - This may seem like more of Rule 0, but it is important to understand going in that you DON'T have to memorize all the rules in the PHB, DMG, and MM before you start DMing. As long as you and your players are all familiar with the basic rules for playing the game, you'll do fine. As the game progresses you will pick up more and more and more. Each game session is a chance to practice and hone those skills. Before you know it you'll be correcting other people online like a pro! So remember, you don't have to read through the entirety of the Dungeon Master's Guide before you DM. In fact much of the 5e DMG is about world-building, which you won't need if you're starting with a published adventure (and you should). The most important things to skim over before you play are probably the parts about encounters and the environment, traps and treasure. Don't bother reading through the entire magic items section, just look through it for the things that look cool to you.
3. Table Rules - One of the most challenging parts of running a D&D game (or any RPG for that matter) is bringing together a group of people and keeping everyone happy. This can be especially difficult if you are running a game for strangers (online or at a store); with younger players new to the game; or even with your regular group of friends. Remember that Dungeons & Dragons is a game, and you are all there to have FUN. If you aren't having fun, then something is wrong. As a starting point for making sure everyone has fun, put together a list of your table rules and hand it out in advance of the first session so everyone knows what to expect. Let your players ask questions about the table rules and how you plan to run the game, and make sure you respect their questions - don't make them feel "dumb" for asking something you think should be obvious. Dungeons & Dragons is an inclusive game. Everyone at the table should feel welcome and safe. Some good table rules include: a. No racist, homophobic, trans-phobic, or otherwise prejudiced remarks, jokes or threats. Period. No one should be made to feel unwelcome or uncomfortable; b. No party in-fighting. Unless everyone is okay with PVP (player vs player) just rule it out from the start. No stealing from each other, and no fighting each other, unless it's agreed upon by all. Even if a couple of players agree to it, it can make other players feel uncomfortable; c. No bullying in-character or out-of-character. If any player has a problem with another player out-of-game, don't bring it to the table. If those players can't figure out their differences outside of the game, then they shouldn't be in the game together unless they are able to leave their baggage at the door; d. No rules-lawyers at the table. A rules-lawyer is someone who knows (or thinks they know) all the rules, and is constantly correcting the DM and everyone else. Don't be a rules lawyer. If the DM needs help with a rule, they can always ask the rules lawyer for help, but until then, keep your rules-lawyering to yourself. These are just a few examples of table rules, feel free to add more, but remember, the goal is for everyone to have fun.
4. Start with a published adventure - If you are brand new to DMing, I don't recommend starting out by trying to build your own epic world. Start with a published adventure where everything has been done for you. This will help you to see how an adventure is laid out, and will make it much easier for you to run when you get to the table. I strongly recommend reading through the entire adventure at least once before you start your game prep. After (or while) you are reading through the adventure, look online to see if anyone else has already run that adventure, and if they've got any advice on how to run it, what to change, etc. Check YouTube for videos of groups playing through the adventure. There are lots of great introductory adventures on DMs Guild, some of them for free. I really believe that the adventure that comes with the D&D Starter Set, "Lost Mine of Phandelver" is an awesome adventure for new and experienced DMs and players alike. You can buy it online for $14 to $20 and it comes with some great Basic Rules you can keep at hand for quick reference.
5. Keep Notes! Lots of notes! - Whether you are using a physical notebook at the table, a Word doc on your laptop, or an advanced organizational tool like Microsoft's awesome OneNote (free version here Microsoft OneNote ) take notes, and then take more. Make notes before the session starts in point-form for what you expect to happen in the session; make notes about the monsters coming up and any special abilities you might need to remember,; and during the game make notes about any NPCs you need to make up on the fly, or things the Characters do or say that you can mine for story ideas and encounters later. The more notes you take, the more you have to work with going forward.
6. NPCs - Make a list of NPC names common to the region the PCs are in, or to the races they might encounter. As the session progresses, if they meet an NPC you weren't expecting them to meet, if you make up an NPC on the fly, you can pick a name quickly from the list (make sure you make a note about it in your notes for later!). It is much more realistic for your players if the people they meet have names, rather than Bartender #4, or Generic Old Woman. You can also keep a list of NPC characteristics handy for the same situations (ie. Smokes a purple pipe; Has only one eye; likes to say "Wot!" at the end of every sentence; Fidgets with an a dead rat.).
7. Voices - Okay, don't worry about voices. I know, you've seen Matt Mercer on Critical Role, and he does lots of cool voices. Yes, voices can be fun, and they add a lot of flavour and colour to encounters with NPCs and villains, but not everyone is comfortable with doing voices, and that's okay. If you like doing it, go for it! If you are nervous about it, that's okay. There are other ways to get across the character of an NPC or villain without using an accent or a strange voice. You can use hand gestures, or change your face. If you are at the table in person, stand up from your chair and change your posture. You can also just change the speed at which you speak with your normal voice - slow it down, or speed it up. Maybe try talking in a bit deeper voice or a bit higher voice than usual, or try a gruff voice, a mean voice, or a happy voice. You can create character without doing an accent. If you want to be able to do accents, watch videos on YouTube in your spare time and practice along with them, but don't get hung up over it. If the story is a good one, the players won't notice the lack of special voices, and if the story isn't good, the voices likely aren't going to save it anyway. ;-)
8. Preparation - Whether you are playing a published adventure or making your own, there are lots of differing opinions on how much time to spend prepping. Some DMs like to have ever possible detail worked out in advance, and some just make everything up as they go. Find the method that works best for you, but in general you should consider making some point form notes before each session so you have at least a general idea of the encounters that could happen, the NPCs the PCs might meet,, and where you'd like the story to go. Just remember one thing... if your players can go outside the box, they will go outside the box. At least some times, anyway. There will always be times when the players do something you didn't expect. THAT'S OKAY! Roll with it! If you can, just make it up and make it seem like you were prepared for them to do that, even if you weren't. If you aren't comfortable with "winging it" when the players do something unexpected, calmly call for a brief pause for snacks, or a washroom break, and take a few minutes to figure out what you will do next. Don't panic, it's going to be okay.
9. Miniatures or "Theatre of the Mind" - Possibly you've heard a lot about this as being an all or nothing thing. Either you use minis on a grid/map, or you do everything in "Theatre of the Mind" (TotM from now on) where you describe the action and everyone imagines it. There are pros and cons to both, and personally I like to use the one that works best for any given encounter. Some encounters (imo) need a map and minis or tokens because it may be a complicated battle, and the players may want, or need, to see how everything relates to everything else. Other times, it might be a simple encounter, and rather than stop the action to set everything up, you can keep the flow going by explaining the action to your players. If you go with TotM for an encounter, don't sweat the little things. In TotM exact distances aren't that important. Give your players a sense of where they are in relation to each other and their opponents, and just "guesstimate" it as things change. Can the fighter run up to the bug bear and hit it this turn? Sure, go ahead!
WEB SITES & BLOGS
YOU TUBE
PODCASTS
RESOURCES
This post, and these lists, are certainly not exhaustive, I've barely scratched the service. If you have a great tip or resource for new DMs, add it to the thread, and I'll try to update the main post when I can. I hope that at least some of you find this useful.
Don't forget, we NEED more DMs! Without DMs, there is no D&D.
"Orcs are savage raiders and pillagers with stooped postures, low foreheads, and piggish faces with prominent lower canines that resemble tusks." MM p245 (original printing)
You don't OWN your books on DDB: WotC can change them any time. What do you think will happen when OneD&D comes out?
Never roll for the number of enemies. Ever. The most likely result of doing so is an accidental TPK (Total Party Kill); the second most likely is no damage to the PCs. (Okay, I exaggerated a little, but only a little.)
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both" -- allegedly Benjamin Franklin
Tooltips (Help/aid)
These are great tips and honestly running a premade adventure is one of the most helpful things you can do. I did not do that. I made a campaign two days after getting the 5e books. I do not recommend what I did. Ever. Run something else first. I took a break from my own campaign to run CoS and you learn so much about building a campaign from running an existing one.
Since there are so many great tips here and the post had gotten a bit buried; I will add one of the few things I have learned so far.
When players roll very low whether for a skill check or an attack it is a great opportunity to input some humor.
Two incidents I can think of that were quite fun during game play
I could have just said "your attempt failed, or you couldn't see anything, but adding these bits of humor helped a lot and gave some great pieces of information for the other PC's to role-play converse about later. (Actually, one of the PC ended up with a nickname now due to a low roll situation they were in.
"The idea of me is intoxicating, the reality, sobering"
A little (or even a lot, preference depending) of humor is great for the game.
One just needs to be mindful that the humor added doesn't end up making the characters look incompetent. Things like master swordsmen losing their grip on their blade through no cause other than their own bad luck can get old very fast, but scenarios like failing a perception check because of issues with the curtains in front of a window stays in the realm of humorous without making it seem like the character actually sucks at perception - they failed because they can't see through curtains, not because of their own skill at the task being comically insufficient.
Aaron, of course you are correct. No need to make the PC feel incompetent or feel as if they are being bullied.
For us (and this may not work for every party) adding the bits of humor around poor luck of the dice seems to make the heroes a bit more life-like and that they too, even a master swordsman, as in your example, can fumble their weapon from time to time, or a master archer could miss the monster and snag the pouch you were after lodging the arrow and pouch 15 ft above your head.
We have some young players in our party, and low rolls happen, it also happens that they feel bad when their attempt doesn't work the way they want it to go, the little bit of silliness also helps takes the sting out a little and they soon forget that their attempt didn't work and focus on the humor of it.
Mix it up, try something funny. if it helps your PC's get into the story-line and none are feeling picked on win-win.
"The idea of me is intoxicating, the reality, sobering"
With house rules, just remember to stay consistent.
I just finished a session, and one of the players is a total goofball. He casually slid down this giant rock (rolled a 20) While dabbing. He then tried to frontflip but fell on the ground. Throughout that entire scene, he was holding an awkward dab. We were all laughing.
Any tips for doing battles with several monsters faster? One of my players loves action and is often bored while I'm rolling for all the guys and calculating and noting things.
Try some altered Mass Combat rules.
If you have enough dice I've heard a tip for rolling attack and damage dice at the same time. I'm buying markers so i know who did what and what got hit. A creature gets hit for three take three markers away from that creature.
Number 8: "Some (DMs) make up everything as they go." That is me.
You can, if the players can act as the monster and not in the interest of the group, have the players run the monsters. Or if you still want to keep some information quiet have them move and make the rolls and you just do the math. It allows for the players to be engaged almost every turn.
On the other side, when players (or enemies) roll critically well, you can add some great dramatic flair, also.
Example, our rogue rolled a 20 on a backstab, and the crit table I use gave her an extra damage dice. the resulting damage was enough to completely kill the enemy, so I described the event with the Rogue's sword bursting through the front of the enemy, and then with a vicious slash, then enemy was sliced in half at the waist.
Also, this adds some great tension when the players are on the receiving end of a critical, as well, and can make the encounter much more memorable.
Another tip I would offer is, don't feel you have to run the perfect session every time. You're going to make mistakes, or mis-interpret a rule, or something else. Don't be too hard on yourself, especially if it's your first time as a DM. you'll be looking at your notes a lot to keep track of what's supposed to be happening in a scene, as well as trying to weave the player conversation and actions in. it's a lot, I know. give yourself some latitude, and just make sure your players understand that you're doing your best. :)
ChaoticGoodPaladin2 (because 1 is never enough)
Famous Last words #27: "Of course I trust the thief, he's in our party"
Famous Last Words #32: "The minotaur's got me in a bear hug? GREAT! I cast Flame Strike on it!"
Possible addition to the links: Adam Koebel's Office Hours series isn't specific to 5E (though he does end up talking about it a lot) but it is straight up some of the best GMing advice I've ever come across, on a very wide range of topics. Maybe less for the novice GM and more from the moderately experienced, but it's an invaluable resource, up there with Colville's videos.
DM: The Cult of the Crystal Spider (Currently playing Storm King's Thunder)
Player: The Knuckles of Arth - Lemire (Tiefling Rogue 5/Fighter 1)
Thank you all so much!! I've been playing about two years and getting ready to DM for the first time, and this is SO helpful!
Hi, I am a player and a D.M in training and I have a few tips from my experience as a player for fellow D.M’s in training or outdated D.M’s
1) Fun Before Rules: remember rules are more of a guideline and making sure you and the players are actually having fun.
2) Taking Advice: it is okay to take advice from your players and other (more up to date) dm’s but you have to listen.
3) Don't Let The Power Go To Your Head: (this is one my usual dm struggles with despite claiming he doesn't) this one can be a bit hard at times but yeah you should not let the power of being the dm go to your head, because all in all your player will notice and may not want you dm’ing if it keeps up. Especially dont be a jerk about it being “your world”.
4) Arguing With The DM: (another one my usual dm struggles with) obviously players are going to argue with the dm about anything from if they can seduce the final boss to wether or not tieflings are inherently jerks they will argue about it and heads up the statement “Don’t argue with the DM” tends to lead to #3
5) Up To Date: I recommend keeping your books and self up to date on at-least the three base books (DM’s guide, Players Handbook and Monster Manuel) or have the dnd beyond app that updates itself because like it or not D&D changes from edition to edition and having a dm and players that aren't even on the same book let alone on the same page is vaguely annoying at least and a highly irritating argument inducer at most.
The way I like to DM is really silly.
I like to create a brief outline of how the adventure is going to go (No maps, no planned dungeons) And then make a little folder in my chrome bookmarks bar with all my monsters and items.
Then I just make everything up as I go, sprinkle in a little humor, and fail to make things dramatic.
ii live in a constant state of disarray