I'm relatively new to D&D and I've been playing since the new year, but I've decided to try DMing because I feel like it would be a fun use of my creative imagination I have been able to create a world and ideas for encounters already set up and ready for players to interact with, however, I am finding a hard time weaving the missions together to form a cohesive storyline for my players to enjoy and get behind. Do any other DM's find themselves coming across this problem? if so please add suggestions on what helps, Thank you.
It's easy to write a scene, a lot harder to pull them together into a cohesive storyline.
The trick is to let the characters do it for you. Unless you've got an overwhelmingly chaotic party, each character is going to have goals. If they don't, just have them run into a faction agent or other NPC that pushes them into the direction you want them to go.
Good DMing is
40% preparation
20% inspiration
& 40% improvisation.
You want to be thoroughly familiar with the material you're going to present, but you'll find it frustrating if you spend a day or more preparing a scene & the party breezes through it in a couple rounds or misses it entirely.
The party WILL do things you don't expect. Don't let that derail you too much, that's where the improvisation comes in.
Most players are pretty understanding (especially if they know you're new to DMing.) if you don't have an area mapped out, tell them that. All but the most difficult players will just say, "ok, we'll go the other way."
Be aware of the little signs that show a player is getting bored or feeling neglected. Don't give all your attention to the squeekiest wheel. Remember that as DM, you are moderating THEIR story, not yours. Your role is not to beat the players, but to challenge them to be the most they can be.
Don't let rules lawyers browbeat you. You are the DM, so if you say it's raining bunnies, even if the book says that can't happen, it happens.
Always give a roll. (Ok, 1 exception:magic missile.) A toss of the dice gives a player a sense of control over what's happening to them. Give them a roll, just set the DC ridiculously high if you don't want them to have a chance at doing something. But then, actually let them make things happen that go outside your plans. It keeps them engaged & helps make you a better DM as you try to figure how the new twist fits into your overall plan.
When setting up a dungeon, give some thought to ecology. Have you got a bunch of human guards in 1 room, goblins in the next, and then some skeletons? Um, why? There may be a reason, but the encounters should have a flow-a logical sequence players can follow. If you have a reason for an odd mix it should become evident in play. (Oh, the guards were keeping the undead IN the tomb and the goblins snuck by to loot it.)
Remember living beings need food & water. So what are everybody in that cave eating? Did the invading horde eat all the seedgrain the farmers were going to plant? Has the heavy rains burst the rivers from their banks?
Take a lesson from Shakespeare: comic relief is important. Old Bill used to put a couple buffoons in every play. Drag 'm out when the game's getting too serious or people are getting too high strung. I try to get a minimum of a chuckle at least once at every session. Overplayed comedy is just as bad. A few light sessions are all right, but then you have to get back to the trudge into Mordor.
Been in your shoes so to speak. Missions never weave together. As a DM there is a world we have the players in that keeps chugging along with them.
That's how the story is made. The players take the story along. Each session I listen to the players on what they want to do and then come up with content for it. They play in a sandbox. Tons of it is made up on the spot and when the session is over I flesh it out more for next time.
Don't need a single story line. Just have a place for them to play and have fun in.
- Get your players backstories BEFORE session 1. Find ways to weave in their backstories into some of the stuff you have prepared already, then begin your campaign. So even if you don't have a story in mind, at least the players will feel like their characters are progressing and developing even if it is small stuff that hints at the future.
- This method is working for me but is taking time: I thought of a villain, then I thought of a short term goal they have and what they are going to do to accomplish it. Then I just kept putting pieces together to make it all work out.
thanks for all your feedback I have been running a campaign for my younger sisters and they are really having a fun time and as you all said their actions are weaving the story I simply set the stage and provided an environment and they are falling in love it. Its been a fun way to pass the time and to share something I enjoy with them and now every day their coming up to me wide-eyed and asking me, are we playing D&D tonight? so again thank you for helping me to provide some fun and relief for my family.
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I'm relatively new to D&D and I've been playing since the new year, but I've decided to try DMing because I feel like it would be a fun use of my creative imagination I have been able to create a world and ideas for encounters already set up and ready for players to interact with, however, I am finding a hard time weaving the missions together to form a cohesive storyline for my players to enjoy and get behind. Do any other DM's find themselves coming across this problem? if so please add suggestions on what helps, Thank you.
TIPs To A New DM
It's easy to write a scene, a lot harder to pull them together into a cohesive storyline.
The trick is to let the characters do it for you. Unless you've got an overwhelmingly chaotic party, each character is going to have goals. If they don't, just have them run into a faction agent or other NPC that pushes them into the direction you want them to go.
Good DMing is
40% preparation
20% inspiration
& 40% improvisation.
You want to be thoroughly familiar with the material you're going to present, but you'll find it frustrating if you spend a day or more preparing a scene & the party breezes through it in a couple rounds or misses it entirely.
The party WILL do things you don't expect. Don't let that derail you too much, that's where the improvisation comes in.
Most players are pretty understanding (especially if they know you're new to DMing.) if you don't have an area mapped out, tell them that. All but the most difficult players will just say, "ok, we'll go the other way."
Be aware of the little signs that show a player is getting bored or feeling neglected. Don't give all your attention to the squeekiest wheel. Remember that as DM, you are moderating THEIR story, not yours. Your role is not to beat the players, but to challenge them to be the most they can be.
Don't let rules lawyers browbeat you. You are the DM, so if you say it's raining bunnies, even if the book says that can't happen, it happens.
Always give a roll. (Ok, 1 exception:magic missile.) A toss of the dice gives a player a sense of control over what's happening to them. Give them a roll, just set the DC ridiculously high if you don't want them to have a chance at doing something. But then, actually let them make things happen that go outside your plans. It keeps them engaged & helps make you a better DM as you try to figure how the new twist fits into your overall plan.
When setting up a dungeon, give some thought to ecology. Have you got a bunch of human guards in 1 room, goblins in the next, and then some skeletons? Um, why? There may be a reason, but the encounters should have a flow-a logical sequence players can follow. If you have a reason for an odd mix it should become evident in play. (Oh, the guards were keeping the undead IN the tomb and the goblins snuck by to loot it.)
Remember living beings need food & water. So what are everybody in that cave eating? Did the invading horde eat all the seedgrain the farmers were going to plant? Has the heavy rains burst the rivers from their banks?
Take a lesson from Shakespeare: comic relief is important. Old Bill used to put a couple buffoons in every play. Drag 'm out when the game's getting too serious or people are getting too high strung. I try to get a minimum of a chuckle at least once at every session. Overplayed comedy is just as bad. A few light sessions are all right, but then you have to get back to the trudge into Mordor.
But the most important rule of all: have fun.
Been in your shoes so to speak. Missions never weave together. As a DM there is a world we have the players in that keeps chugging along with them.
That's how the story is made. The players take the story along. Each session I listen to the players on what they want to do and then come up with content for it. They play in a sandbox. Tons of it is made up on the spot and when the session is over I flesh it out more for next time.
Don't need a single story line. Just have a place for them to play and have fun in.
I basically make it along the way, but mostly I make some outcomes for the character's situation and most of the time it all works out eventually.
"Life is not a problem to be solved but a reality to be experienced"- Soren Kierkgaard
- Get your players backstories BEFORE session 1. Find ways to weave in their backstories into some of the stuff you have prepared already, then begin your campaign. So even if you don't have a story in mind, at least the players will feel like their characters are progressing and developing even if it is small stuff that hints at the future.
- This method is working for me but is taking time: I thought of a villain, then I thought of a short term goal they have and what they are going to do to accomplish it. Then I just kept putting pieces together to make it all work out.
thanks for all your feedback I have been running a campaign for my younger sisters and they are really having a fun time and as you all said their actions are weaving the story I simply set the stage and provided an environment and they are falling in love it. Its been a fun way to pass the time and to share something I enjoy with them and now every day their coming up to me wide-eyed and asking me, are we playing D&D tonight? so again thank you for helping me to provide some fun and relief for my family.