We currently have three tables (virtual right now of course), all sharing the same campaign world. We are looking to expand, and all I have to do is spread the word in our community, and we'll have more players than you can shake a sword at. So I have a question especially for anyone who runs a club or, even better, a hobby store: how do you screen DM’s?
Our tables run high school through retirees at the same table, deliberately making them multi-generational, because we are working on building cross-generational relationships to help younger people to have mentors in their lives. I want the group to grow so that everyone can benefit, but I also want to be careful to make sure that the overall influence of the group is positive. We have a lot of teens who could really benefit from that kind of presence in their lives.
So if anyone has suggestions how to make sure we at least have the DMs that will move things the right direction, I’m interested in your thoughts or experiences. So far, I’ve known them all personally, but I already have someone else who’s interested who was referred to me by a friend but I don’t know personally. In this case, I can trust my friend, but I’m trying to come up with a system beyond going with my gut.
You could use one-shot adventures such as the Adventurer's League ones that DM's Guild is making available for free right now. These provide a low stakes and low investment test bed to try new DM's out. If it looks like they aren't what you're looking for, your players only lose the time they put into a session. If the prospective DM looks like the kind of DM you want in your group, you can then add them to your roster and get them involved in running some adventures or a campaign.
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We currently have three tables (virtual right now of course), all sharing the same campaign world. We are looking to expand, and all I have to do is spread the word in our community, and we'll have more players than you can shake a sword at. So I have a question especially for anyone who runs a club or, even better, a hobby store: how do you screen DM’s?
Our tables run high school through retirees at the same table, deliberately making them multi-generational, because we are working on building cross-generational relationships to help younger people to have mentors in their lives. I want the group to grow so that everyone can benefit, but I also want to be careful to make sure that the overall influence of the group is positive. We have a lot of teens who could really benefit from that kind of presence in their lives.
So if anyone has suggestions how to make sure we at least have the DMs that will move things the right direction, I’m interested in your thoughts or experiences. So far, I’ve known them all personally, but I already have someone else who’s interested who was referred to me by a friend but I don’t know personally. In this case, I can trust my friend, but I’m trying to come up with a system beyond going with my gut.
Dale
Helping you make lives better through TTRPGs
I recommend using the same method that you use to screen your players.
Better yet, have one of them DM.
She/Her Player and Dungeon Master
You could use one-shot adventures such as the Adventurer's League ones that DM's Guild is making available for free right now. These provide a low stakes and low investment test bed to try new DM's out. If it looks like they aren't what you're looking for, your players only lose the time they put into a session. If the prospective DM looks like the kind of DM you want in your group, you can then add them to your roster and get them involved in running some adventures or a campaign.