Hello! I've been a fan of dungeons and dragons for something of a little under half a year. I've played, overall... two sessions, starting as a complete novice during the first session. So needless to say, I know barely anything. But regardless, I've always been attracted to the idea of becoming a dungeon master! I've always been good at improv, making up stories, and capturing people's attention with said stories. So at the thought that I could basically create my own roleplay adventure except with fighting monsters and seducing trees, I naturally jumped right on board. The thing is, I need help knowing where to begin.
I don't want to get too technical, because the party that I have set up for myself is full of people who know just as little about playing as I do, so it's not like I have anyone to impress. Overall I just want to have fun rather than get into it, at least not yet. But even still, there's just so many different resources and rules for me to follow, I have no idea where to start. I've watched videos on it, most of which I already knew from my previous two sessions, and I'm currently trying to read through the dnd basics handbook but that's several hundred pages (don't worry, I'm still gonna read it hah). I just would like to hear from other dungeon master's what their experience is with the games and how they started off with it :)
So in many years of DMing, the #1 thing I've learned (and it's twice as important for your first time) is to keep it simple. Give your players an obvious goal that they can accomplish within one game, like saving the princess, stealing the crown, or slaying the dragon. Throw three or four groups of cool-looking monsters in their way, give them a chest of gold at the end, and you've got yourself an adventure! (Throwing a memorable NPC in there somewhere never hurts either.) That's D&D, and that's all players expect, or need to have fun!
Of course as you gain real-life XP you can make your adventures a little more complicated, but remember to start small! And here's a couple last random tips:
-D&D is cooperative. Everyone, not just you, works to tell a story of heroes slaying monsters. So feel free to ask that one guy messing around in town to work with the group and seek adventure...that's what D&D is!
-The heroes are the stars. Make them feel like it. Don't burden them with tons of background, powerful NPCs, or anything that takes the focus away from them...it's an easy trap to fall into!
-Don't forget to have fun! I absolutely stunk my first time DMing. In fact, my games were rocky for years. It's easy to criticize yourself, but if everyone, including you, is having fun, you are a good DM!
Oh, and P.S....don't let people "roll for seduction." Please. :-)
Welcome to the other side of the DM’s screen! Here are my top tips:
If everyone is having fun, even if you are not strictly following the rules, you’re doing it right.
If a question comes up and you cannot find the answer in about a minute, make a decision, let them know that’s what you’re doing, and tell them you’ll look it up before next session.
Have a Session 0. That’s when. The DM and players can all agree on what kind of game you are running: serious/silly, combat/mystery/social/puzzle focused, is PC death a potential reality, etc.
Definitely agree with both Naivara and Sposta. For your first time it may be help to use a free one shot rather than doing something completely custom, since it’s less things you need to prep.
I ran A Wild Sheep Chase by Winghorn Press, which is levels 4-5 but they have lower level ones if that’s a little too much for the group. https://winghornpress.com/adventures/
Yeah DMing has pro's and cons. Here are some of my tips. NaivaraArnuanna is right that it is very easy to find flaws in your adventures, but usually your players are enjoying more than you think they are. I'd get the players handbook first, because it's essential and you can't run a non homebrew 5e campaign without it. Next i'd get the monster manual. Dm's guide would follow. Those are all that you'll need to get a nice adventure. Later you can expand your collection to modules and add ons if you think it's a good investment. You can usually buy secondhand dnd books for 5-10 dollars (instead of around 50), but make sure they don't have any pages missing, scratches on the covers are ok.
Here are some tips I have.
-Don't give your players crazy stuff for free, it takes down the value of the game. Make sure everyone earns their equipment and pets.
-Since your players aren't experienced, they probably won't metagame, but just in case, you can modify stat blocks or modules to your liking.
-Have Fun! You don't need to play with the books, or by the rules. Your the DM! You make the rules!
I hope I was helpful.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Give a man a fish, and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he will eat for a lifetime. Oh, and it would be nice if you gave him a fishing rod.
I just started too! I found the Lost Mind of Phandelver book from the starter set to be very helpful. It's set up as much to teach you how to play the DM as it is to teach you how to play characters. It really walks you through everything really nicely and clearly.
A few things I learned that might help:
- You need to know the rules. Not by heart but well enough that you know where to look them up quickly. A big part of your job is to keep the game moving so if you get stuck trying to figure out which rule applies to a situation, just make something up, look it up later, and then tell everyone later what you found. Then you just decide how you'll handle that sort of thing going forward.
- Be consistent and fair. One of the things I struggled with in combat is how to decide which players get attacked by which monsters. Sometimes this can be figured out through role playing, like a monster might be likely to attack a character who just hurt it. But when a monster could conceivably attack anyone, I just roll for it. There are five players in my group so I roll a d6. If I roll a 6 the monster decides to do something crazy that doesn't involve attacking someone, otherwise, it attacks the character that goes with the number. I make sure the players know this is what I'm doing so they don't think I'm picking on them or playing favorites. Same thing with magic items and treasure. Some players will run their character in such a way that they're more likely to find stuff. So I've had to figure out creative ways to reward the less-inquisitive players so there doesn't become an imbalance in the group.
- You need to keep an eye on the character sheets for the players. The digital sheets on D&D Beyond are awesome but I've had players that think because something shows up on a menu in their character sheet, that it is something they're allowed to add. So suddenly I had a cleric with three attuned rare magic rings, a spell list that didn't make any sense, and six extra feats that I'd never heard of before! Easy enough to correct if you spot it outside of the game but when they suddenly whip something out like that and you check their sheet and see that it's there, it's hard in-game to figure out what's going on. I also learned to be involved when the characters level up. Some levels grant major changes to the characters that the players have to choose from. It's their character so they can choose what they want, but you need to know what they chose. I had a fighter who had done nothing for weeks but slash and grab and then suddenly the week after he leveled up to 3, he started casting spells that I wasn't ready for.
I'm no expert, but have run the Lost Mine adventure with my group, and am a couple months into a weekly game of my first homebrew campaign. My best advice is to simply start playing, and let your group know you're new and still figuring a lot of it out. Ask your players to put in a little time to understand how their class and abilities work so that you don't have to. You DON'T need to know all those rules, so let them do some of the heavy lifting for you - it's a collaborative storytelling effort between you and your players, so you should feel like you can trust them with that stuff.
Overall though, I'm going to echo what IamSposta said with that youtube link.. Matt Colville has made the best 'how to DM' series I've seen, and I really enjoyed watching them all. He is a very likable presenter, and I think he has a lot of wisdom and insight to how to run an exciting game. Lots of good advice to avoid common problems before they happen. I don't even mind how he tends to ramble a lot, and thats saying something. :)
I feel you! I started DMing without having played a single game of 5e and felt so overwhelmed. What worked best for me was watching and listening to a lot of actual play streams, because it felt like I almost was playing along with them. They also gave me a better grasp of the game itself and all of the rules.
Once you start, my biggest advice to you would be to keep in mind that your first session won't be perfect. The more you DM, the better you'll get at it, so just give yourself room to make mistakes.
PS- It's okay to make mistakes. Everybody makes mistakes. The best way to learn how not to make a mistake is to pay attention when you do make one so you don't do it again.
One of the most exhausting things about being a DM in D&D is running combat. (That and dealing with problem players.) Create some shortcuts for yourself as the DM. Some tools that I have used and seen used to good effect include:
* Write down each PC's name, initiative, and armor class on separate index cards at the beginning of combat. Update the initiative with each new combat. Just switch around positions so you're not spending as much time writing stuff down.
* Keep the initiative of the PC's opponents simple. Have them all act on the same initiative. Once you are used to that, then maybe consider having two different initiative rolls to distinguish melee from ranged opponents or minions from bosses. Maybe.
* Bookmark very useful information in the Player's Handbook. Character creation. Purchase-able Items. Actions possible in combat. Spells.
* Put monsters you know you will be using on Index cards or something similar. It's less stressful and time-consuming than flipping through the Monster Manual in the middle of combat to check a number or to reference a skill check.
* Make sure you have plenty of snacks and stay hydrated. Being a DM burns a lot of calories.
Last, but not least, check in with yourself after a game session. Talk to your players as well, if possible. This isn't just to get their impression of the game session. This is also for you to express how you felt the session went. There are a lot of little points of tension that can build up when you have as much responsibility as a DM. Talking it out or writing in out on a piece of paper will help you process that more successfully.
I jumped in to being a DM as my first game of DnD, and while I am sure I was objectively terrible ( you meet in an inn tropes and all), the rest of the players and I were all learning at the same time so it wasn’t like I was being harassed by veteran players correcting me while I found my footing.
One thing I definitely took for granted was that the players would want to play a sort of Lord of The Rings like adventure of stoic heroes and a clear sense of good and evil, and my players definitely enjoy a little more humor and freedom as well as some ambiguity in the motives and factions in the world. So I had to adjust some things, but it fell into a more natural rhythm that I think they enjoy more than if I had kept going with my originally intended version of the story. So, in addition to a session zero to set expectations ahead of time, take notes of what is or isn’t working in those first few sessions and adjust accordingly. You still get to tell your story, but the players will be more invested in driving the action if it includes more of what they like.
I started playing dnd there years ago at a school club. The DM was great, she was an experienced player but first time dming, and was an English teacher. She sparked my love for DND. Last summer, I DMed my first campaign with some of my friends, who were almost all new players. I DM a group for my family, and I recently started DMing a group of my brothers 10 year old friends online.
I definitely made a lot of mistakes, but that is ok. Your first campaign won’t be perfect. Your players are beginners, and they will probably mostly care about having fun. As others have said, watch them to see what they like, and adjust to include more of that in the game. For example, my family enjoys a rich storyline, whereas the 10 year olds enjoy many quick encounters with lots of humor.
It might take you a while to find your “DMing style” and that’s ok. I really like to plan my storylines a lot, but I know some people who just have a general idea of what they’re doing and improv the whole time.
It seems like you are doing all the right things to prepare yourself! Good luck, I hope you have a great time!
Along the same lines, I am starting a new group. A few are experienced but most are brand new. I need a level 1 starter adventure just to introduce them to the basics. Suggestions?
Along the same lines, I am starting a new group. A few are experienced but most are brand new. I need a level 1 starter adventure just to introduce them to the basics. Suggestions?
If I was running a new pre-written adventure from scratch (and I had very little time to prepare) I'd probably give the free one from signing up to the mailing list at https://www.thearcanelibrary.com a go. I downloaded it after seeing it advertised on instagram for a while, and thought it was well worth a look. It's set out very clearly, and it's easy to follow for a new DM, which is why I'd recommend at least looking at it. It comes with printable spell and monster cards too, which is a really nice touch for a new player.
I haven't actually run it myself, but it gave me insight on how to better organise my own homebrew I was working on (it looked like a really fun one-shot though).
1: let the game flow. Don't get bogged down in the rules. Make a call based on logic, and move on. Make a note and check the rule later. If you got it wrong, thats ok, get it right next time. But keeping the game moving is more important than stopping for 15mins while you go through a book. 2: Session 0. This should have been #1, but like most groups, its an after thought. Have a session 0. It gives everyone a chance to talk about boundaries, what they expect from the game, behaviour expectations, party makeup. Whatever you want. 3: Feedback. Ask for it regularly, and don't be offended when you receive it. 4: Planning: lots for the session, and little for the future. The game will almost never go where you want it to, so keep a very light hold on the reigns. 5: End a session a little after where you think you should. For example. The party gets to the lair and kills the dragon. Huzzah!!! Everyone's pretty stoked, and it feels like a good time to stop, right? WRONG! Going for another 5 mins will give you an inkling of what the players are planning to do next, which will make your planning for the next session so much easier. Finish a session with the players pointed in a direction. 6: And you may not like this, but use something premade for your first adventure. A one shot, or something from Tales from the Yawning Portal, or Lost Mines of Phandelver (excellent) depending on the length you're after. It will make things easier for you as a first time DM.
1: let the game flow. Don't get bogged down in the rules. Make a call based on logic, and move on. Make a note and check the rule later. If you got it wrong, thats ok, get it right next time. But keeping the game moving is more important than stopping for 15mins while you go through a book. 2: Session 0. This should have been #1, but like most groups, its an after thought. Have a session 0. It gives everyone a chance to talk about boundaries, what they expect from the game, behaviour expectations, party makeup. Whatever you want. 3: Feedback. Ask for it regularly, and don't be offended when you receive it. 4: Planning: lots for the session, and little for the future. The game will almost never go where you want it to, so keep a very light hold on the reigns. 5: End a session a little after where you think you should. For example. The party gets to the lair and kills the dragon. Huzzah!!! Everyone's pretty stoked, and it feels like a good time to stop, right? WRONG! Going for another 5 mins will give you an inkling of what the players are planning to do next, which will make your planning for the next session so much easier. Finish a session with the players pointed in a direction. 6: And you may not like this, but use something premade for your first adventure. A one shot, or something from Tales from the Yawning Portal, or Lost Mines of Phandelver (excellent) depending on the length you're after. It will make things easier for you as a first time DM.
Best of luck, it's a wild time, but so rewarding.
I agree with this 100% Have fun. that's what it's all about!
Perfect. We are doing a session 0 and just trying to get a starter adventure/encounter to introduce them to the game. Going to check out the link syz gave earlier or maybe one from this site. Had already planned on starting the campaign with Lost Mines. Glad you recommend it.
I've been DMing for a year running adventures from Yawning Portal. I've started doing some improv stuff with my players, fleshing out random encounter tables or downloading free collections of one-shots. I pretty quickly learned that I needed to streamline my workload because hauling out 3-5 books and binders and folios per game and then trying to reference them was a nightmare.
I started uploading stat blocks of monsters to Google Sheets, organizing them by encounter so I could click between them depending on circumstances. "Oh, you two are fighting the basilisk while you three are facing a shambling mound? Ok." Click-roll dice-click-roll dice. I still have my books, but I don't need to reference them so much.
Early on I would also go to OfficeDepot and make copies of all the monsters in a given chapter and put them in a presentation folio in the order the players were going to run into them in the adventure. A sort of "Monster Manual for Sunless Citadel Specifically." That's also a handy method, and it's reusable if you DM for a new group.
DM Carrion
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
Hello! I've been a fan of dungeons and dragons for something of a little under half a year. I've played, overall... two sessions, starting as a complete novice during the first session. So needless to say, I know barely anything. But regardless, I've always been attracted to the idea of becoming a dungeon master! I've always been good at improv, making up stories, and capturing people's attention with said stories. So at the thought that I could basically create my own roleplay adventure except with fighting monsters and seducing trees, I naturally jumped right on board. The thing is, I need help knowing where to begin.
I don't want to get too technical, because the party that I have set up for myself is full of people who know just as little about playing as I do, so it's not like I have anyone to impress. Overall I just want to have fun rather than get into it, at least not yet. But even still, there's just so many different resources and rules for me to follow, I have no idea where to start. I've watched videos on it, most of which I already knew from my previous two sessions, and I'm currently trying to read through the dnd basics handbook but that's several hundred pages (don't worry, I'm still gonna read it hah). I just would like to hear from other dungeon master's what their experience is with the games and how they started off with it :)
So in many years of DMing, the #1 thing I've learned (and it's twice as important for your first time) is to keep it simple. Give your players an obvious goal that they can accomplish within one game, like saving the princess, stealing the crown, or slaying the dragon. Throw three or four groups of cool-looking monsters in their way, give them a chest of gold at the end, and you've got yourself an adventure! (Throwing a memorable NPC in there somewhere never hurts either.) That's D&D, and that's all players expect, or need to have fun!
Of course as you gain real-life XP you can make your adventures a little more complicated, but remember to start small! And here's a couple last random tips:
-D&D is cooperative. Everyone, not just you, works to tell a story of heroes slaying monsters. So feel free to ask that one guy messing around in town to work with the group and seek adventure...that's what D&D is!
-The heroes are the stars. Make them feel like it. Don't burden them with tons of background, powerful NPCs, or anything that takes the focus away from them...it's an easy trap to fall into!
-Don't forget to have fun! I absolutely stunk my first time DMing. In fact, my games were rocky for years. It's easy to criticize yourself, but if everyone, including you, is having fun, you are a good DM!
Oh, and P.S....don't let people "roll for seduction." Please. :-)
Wizard (Gandalf) of the Tolkien Club
Welcome to the other side of the DM’s screen! Here are my top tips:
If everyone is having fun, even if you are not strictly following the rules, you’re doing it right.
If a question comes up and you cannot find the answer in about a minute, make a decision, let them know that’s what you’re doing, and tell them you’ll look it up before next session.
Have a Session 0. That’s when. The DM and players can all agree on what kind of game you are running: serious/silly, combat/mystery/social/puzzle focused, is PC death a potential reality, etc.
And the best advice I can give any new DM:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=e-YZvLUXcR8&list=PLlUk42GiU2guNzWBzxn7hs8MaV7ELLCP_
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
Definitely agree with both Naivara and Sposta. For your first time it may be help to use a free one shot rather than doing something completely custom, since it’s less things you need to prep.
I ran A Wild Sheep Chase by Winghorn Press, which is levels 4-5 but they have lower level ones if that’s a little too much for the group.
https://winghornpress.com/adventures/
Yeah DMing has pro's and cons. Here are some of my tips. NaivaraArnuanna is right that it is very easy to find flaws in your adventures, but usually your players are enjoying more than you think they are. I'd get the players handbook first, because it's essential and you can't run a non homebrew 5e campaign without it. Next i'd get the monster manual. Dm's guide would follow. Those are all that you'll need to get a nice adventure. Later you can expand your collection to modules and add ons if you think it's a good investment. You can usually buy secondhand dnd books for 5-10 dollars (instead of around 50), but make sure they don't have any pages missing, scratches on the covers are ok.
Here are some tips I have.
-Don't give your players crazy stuff for free, it takes down the value of the game. Make sure everyone earns their equipment and pets.
-Since your players aren't experienced, they probably won't metagame, but just in case, you can modify stat blocks or modules to your liking.
-Have Fun! You don't need to play with the books, or by the rules. Your the DM! You make the rules!
I hope I was helpful.
Give a man a fish, and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he will eat for a lifetime. Oh, and it would be nice if you gave him a fishing rod.
-Trevor Noah
Current character: Daceth dococeth, moon blessed.
I just started too! I found the Lost Mind of Phandelver book from the starter set to be very helpful. It's set up as much to teach you how to play the DM as it is to teach you how to play characters. It really walks you through everything really nicely and clearly.
A few things I learned that might help:
- You need to know the rules. Not by heart but well enough that you know where to look them up quickly. A big part of your job is to keep the game moving so if you get stuck trying to figure out which rule applies to a situation, just make something up, look it up later, and then tell everyone later what you found. Then you just decide how you'll handle that sort of thing going forward.
- Be consistent and fair. One of the things I struggled with in combat is how to decide which players get attacked by which monsters. Sometimes this can be figured out through role playing, like a monster might be likely to attack a character who just hurt it. But when a monster could conceivably attack anyone, I just roll for it. There are five players in my group so I roll a d6. If I roll a 6 the monster decides to do something crazy that doesn't involve attacking someone, otherwise, it attacks the character that goes with the number. I make sure the players know this is what I'm doing so they don't think I'm picking on them or playing favorites. Same thing with magic items and treasure. Some players will run their character in such a way that they're more likely to find stuff. So I've had to figure out creative ways to reward the less-inquisitive players so there doesn't become an imbalance in the group.
- You need to keep an eye on the character sheets for the players. The digital sheets on D&D Beyond are awesome but I've had players that think because something shows up on a menu in their character sheet, that it is something they're allowed to add. So suddenly I had a cleric with three attuned rare magic rings, a spell list that didn't make any sense, and six extra feats that I'd never heard of before! Easy enough to correct if you spot it outside of the game but when they suddenly whip something out like that and you check their sheet and see that it's there, it's hard in-game to figure out what's going on. I also learned to be involved when the characters level up. Some levels grant major changes to the characters that the players have to choose from. It's their character so they can choose what they want, but you need to know what they chose. I had a fighter who had done nothing for weeks but slash and grab and then suddenly the week after he leveled up to 3, he started casting spells that I wasn't ready for.
I'm no expert, but have run the Lost Mine adventure with my group, and am a couple months into a weekly game of my first homebrew campaign. My best advice is to simply start playing, and let your group know you're new and still figuring a lot of it out. Ask your players to put in a little time to understand how their class and abilities work so that you don't have to. You DON'T need to know all those rules, so let them do some of the heavy lifting for you - it's a collaborative storytelling effort between you and your players, so you should feel like you can trust them with that stuff.
Overall though, I'm going to echo what IamSposta said with that youtube link.. Matt Colville has made the best 'how to DM' series I've seen, and I really enjoyed watching them all. He is a very likable presenter, and I think he has a lot of wisdom and insight to how to run an exciting game. Lots of good advice to avoid common problems before they happen. I don't even mind how he tends to ramble a lot, and thats saying something. :)
I feel you! I started DMing without having played a single game of 5e and felt so overwhelmed. What worked best for me was watching and listening to a lot of actual play streams, because it felt like I almost was playing along with them. They also gave me a better grasp of the game itself and all of the rules.
Once you start, my biggest advice to you would be to keep in mind that your first session won't be perfect. The more you DM, the better you'll get at it, so just give yourself room to make mistakes.
Good luck! I hope you have so much fun!
PS- It's okay to make mistakes. Everybody makes mistakes. The best way to learn how not to make a mistake is to pay attention when you do make one so you don't do it again.
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
One of the most exhausting things about being a DM in D&D is running combat. (That and dealing with problem players.) Create some shortcuts for yourself as the DM. Some tools that I have used and seen used to good effect include:
* Write down each PC's name, initiative, and armor class on separate index cards at the beginning of combat. Update the initiative with each new combat. Just switch around positions so you're not spending as much time writing stuff down.
* Keep the initiative of the PC's opponents simple. Have them all act on the same initiative. Once you are used to that, then maybe consider having two different initiative rolls to distinguish melee from ranged opponents or minions from bosses. Maybe.
* Bookmark very useful information in the Player's Handbook. Character creation. Purchase-able Items. Actions possible in combat. Spells.
* Put monsters you know you will be using on Index cards or something similar. It's less stressful and time-consuming than flipping through the Monster Manual in the middle of combat to check a number or to reference a skill check.
* Make sure you have plenty of snacks and stay hydrated. Being a DM burns a lot of calories.
Last, but not least, check in with yourself after a game session. Talk to your players as well, if possible. This isn't just to get their impression of the game session. This is also for you to express how you felt the session went. There are a lot of little points of tension that can build up when you have as much responsibility as a DM. Talking it out or writing in out on a piece of paper will help you process that more successfully.
I jumped in to being a DM as my first game of DnD, and while I am sure I was objectively terrible ( you meet in an inn tropes and all), the rest of the players and I were all learning at the same time so it wasn’t like I was being harassed by veteran players correcting me while I found my footing.
One thing I definitely took for granted was that the players would want to play a sort of Lord of The Rings like adventure of stoic heroes and a clear sense of good and evil, and my players definitely enjoy a little more humor and freedom as well as some ambiguity in the motives and factions in the world. So I had to adjust some things, but it fell into a more natural rhythm that I think they enjoy more than if I had kept going with my originally intended version of the story. So, in addition to a session zero to set expectations ahead of time, take notes of what is or isn’t working in those first few sessions and adjust accordingly. You still get to tell your story, but the players will be more invested in driving the action if it includes more of what they like.
Hi there!
I started playing dnd there years ago at a school club. The DM was great, she was an experienced player but first time dming, and was an English teacher. She sparked my love for DND. Last summer, I DMed my first campaign with some of my friends, who were almost all new players. I DM a group for my family, and I recently started DMing a group of my brothers 10 year old friends online.
I definitely made a lot of mistakes, but that is ok. Your first campaign won’t be perfect. Your players are beginners, and they will probably mostly care about having fun. As others have said, watch them to see what they like, and adjust to include more of that in the game. For example, my family enjoys a rich storyline, whereas the 10 year olds enjoy many quick encounters with lots of humor.
It might take you a while to find your “DMing style” and that’s ok. I really like to plan my storylines a lot, but I know some people who just have a general idea of what they’re doing and improv the whole time.
It seems like you are doing all the right things to prepare yourself! Good luck, I hope you have a great time!
Along the same lines, I am starting a new group. A few are experienced but most are brand new. I need a level 1 starter adventure just to introduce them to the basics. Suggestions?
Two right here:
https://www.dndbeyond.com/quarantine
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
If I was running a new pre-written adventure from scratch (and I had very little time to prepare) I'd probably give the free one from signing up to the mailing list at https://www.thearcanelibrary.com a go. I downloaded it after seeing it advertised on instagram for a while, and thought it was well worth a look. It's set out very clearly, and it's easy to follow for a new DM, which is why I'd recommend at least looking at it. It comes with printable spell and monster cards too, which is a really nice touch for a new player.
I haven't actually run it myself, but it gave me insight on how to better organise my own homebrew I was working on (it looked like a really fun one-shot though).
1: let the game flow. Don't get bogged down in the rules. Make a call based on logic, and move on. Make a note and check the rule later. If you got it wrong, thats ok, get it right next time. But keeping the game moving is more important than stopping for 15mins while you go through a book.
2: Session 0. This should have been #1, but like most groups, its an after thought. Have a session 0. It gives everyone a chance to talk about boundaries, what they expect from the game, behaviour expectations, party makeup. Whatever you want.
3: Feedback. Ask for it regularly, and don't be offended when you receive it.
4: Planning: lots for the session, and little for the future. The game will almost never go where you want it to, so keep a very light hold on the reigns.
5: End a session a little after where you think you should. For example. The party gets to the lair and kills the dragon. Huzzah!!! Everyone's pretty stoked, and it feels like a good time to stop, right? WRONG! Going for another 5 mins will give you an inkling of what the players are planning to do next, which will make your planning for the next session so much easier. Finish a session with the players pointed in a direction.
6: And you may not like this, but use something premade for your first adventure. A one shot, or something from Tales from the Yawning Portal, or Lost Mines of Phandelver (excellent) depending on the length you're after. It will make things easier for you as a first time DM.
Best of luck, it's a wild time, but so rewarding.
I agree with this 100% Have fun. that's what it's all about!
I will check that out Thank you. I was also looking at one of the Tactical adventures from this site.
Perfect. We are doing a session 0 and just trying to get a starter adventure/encounter to introduce them to the game. Going to check out the link syz gave earlier or maybe one from this site. Had already planned on starting the campaign with Lost Mines. Glad you recommend it.
I've been DMing for a year running adventures from Yawning Portal. I've started doing some improv stuff with my players, fleshing out random encounter tables or downloading free collections of one-shots. I pretty quickly learned that I needed to streamline my workload because hauling out 3-5 books and binders and folios per game and then trying to reference them was a nightmare.
I started uploading stat blocks of monsters to Google Sheets, organizing them by encounter so I could click between them depending on circumstances. "Oh, you two are fighting the basilisk while you three are facing a shambling mound? Ok." Click-roll dice-click-roll dice. I still have my books, but I don't need to reference them so much.
Early on I would also go to OfficeDepot and make copies of all the monsters in a given chapter and put them in a presentation folio in the order the players were going to run into them in the adventure. A sort of "Monster Manual for Sunless Citadel Specifically." That's also a handy method, and it's reusable if you DM for a new group.
DM Carrion