As the title says, I plan to be an aspiring DM. I've only ever played before, so I have no idea what I'm doing.
My friend recommended I check out the PHB, the DM guide, and Volo's guide, as well as the Monster Manual.
I have two campaign ideas, and don't know which one to use first: one with a city of humanoid monsters and a murder mystery, and a much longer one with a good amount of homebrew lore (there's dungeons AND a dragon!)
I don't know which one to start with first, and I'm overwhelmed with all the things I have to do in order to flesh out the worlds. Any tips?
Personally, I recommend running the murder mystery as your first adventure - perhaps as a 'one shot' to teach yourself and your friends how to play. My reasons are thus:
It is easiest to start small. Going too big too soon can overwhelm you. It's more important to get comfortable with the game and with your players than to try and create your own Middle-Earth.
A murder mystery will play more to roleplaying and creativity than many other adventurers. It will usually lean away from complicated combat and into critical thinking. You can also use it to explore all the different monstrous races - did something eat the fingers of the victim? Might be the lizardfolk. Were his kneecaps smashed? Might be a shorter suspect. Claw marks near his neck? The tabaxi did it!
After the two or three sessions it takes to resolve the mystery, you should have a decent feel for your table. Use that new information to form the skeleton of your new campaign.
I recommend two Session Zeros. One at the very beginning, to briefly touch on the mystery and everyone's expectations. One after the mystery to check in, address any speed bumps, and work on 'real characters'.
Make sure you've got a good dialogue with your players from the start. Speaking from experience, few things burn you out faster than building an interstellar magitek setting when everyone was expecting Westeros.
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Another medical problem. Indefinite hiatus. Sorry, all.
First of all, welcome to DMing! It is a fair amount of work, but it is absolutely rewarding.
The most important thing for new DM's is, start small. It's good to have a solid idea for what your world is going to be like, but when dealing with specifics it's best to work on what you know you'll concievably need for your next session; for things that you know you won't be getting to anytime soon, all you need is a few general facts you can summarize in a short descriptor.
Looking at your two ideas, I personally would be inclined to go with your second campaign and start your players in a small area that doesn't need as much development as a city, and get a feel for how things work from there.
If you do decide to go with your longer campaign idea, the other piece of advice I can give is to let each of your players create something in your world. For them, it gives a personal connection to your world, and in my case as a DM I've found that it's helped me come up with some really cool ideas I wouldn't have come up with on my own.
Heh, oddly enough, Ursus and I arrived at different conclusions for what ultimately looks like the same reason: start with something small to work with. They have good points as well, so start with whatever you think will be smallest: a quick campaign in a big city (presumably), or a long campaign staring in a small town (also presumably, but there's nothing preventing you form running a quick campaign in a small local either).
I would recommend https://www.thearcanelibrary.com/, if you sign up you get a free adventure, Temple of the Basilisk Cult which is a really nice little adventure...
+1 for watching Colville's Running the Game series. Search his name on YouTube and you'll find it. Very worth a watch. I go back to re-watch individual episodes every now and then. There are great nuggets in every single one.
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WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
The best advice I can give is also the Colville series. After that, this is the next best advice I have for you:
If everyone if having fun, you’re doing it right. Even if the rules disagree.
Run a Session 0. That will help you and your players agree on what style of game to play. (Combat light/heavy, RP light/heavy, high/low magic, etc.)
If you cannot find a rule in under a minute, make it up and let your players know that’s what you did and that you’re gonna look it up before next session.
I don't know which one to start with first, and I'm overwhelmed with all the things I have to do in order to flesh out the worlds. Any tips?
Don't worry about fleshing out the worlds.
Seriously, you do not need to start with a fully fleshed out world, full map, 7 unique languages each with 3 or 4 dialects, a whole world of customs, country rivalries, palace intrigues and everything else. You just don't.
You need a couple idea and stat blocks and such for the mission your players are about to do today. You need a couple strategies to get them back pointed to that mission if they start rambling off course. You maybe need one back up idea in case the insist on staying off that main mission... And then you just go with it!
The world will get fleshed out over time. You will think about the world between every day of actual play, you will take notes and strategize and scheme. You will make crap up during the games that will become part of the lore of your world. (Take notes!) Players will ask questions which will lead to even more ideas and such.
Nobody starts out with a fully fleshed out world. Just roll with it and see where things take ya...
I want to jump in and welcome you to the next level of the experience. I get alot of joy from working out the environment the players are adventuring within. There are so many ways to be a DM so everything we give you is a suggestion from our experience and view of the game.
Starting small-ish is probably the best thing to do. I don't know about your player background so most of my advice is just a guess. Getting a module and reading the whole thing is the next step, I think. You don't have to run the module, but read it to get a sense for how much detail is needed for a DM to prepare a campaign. If you like the module, then maybe you should try running the module. You may need to scale it up or down for the party you have; either because of the numbers of players or the level of your players. I would want to tailor some bits of the campaign to suit me. Once you have read and understood the campaign you should pitch the campaign to your group. Assuming they are on board then you will need to go to the next step.
You will want to ask your players what they want for their characters and discuss with them how this ties in with their character's back story. With the input from your players, you should develop a picture of how the party will look. You may need to go back and adjust the campaign again to put in nuggets for the players that tie-in with their characters. While your're working this out, start creating characters with the players. You're moving toward a session zero.
With all their characters created, back stories written, story adjusted, it is time to have a session zero where you share whatever lore they need to get the picture of the world in their head. Tell them anything you want in this world that doesn't match the bread-N-butter descriptions you have used in the group before. If there are gods or pantheons that are particular to this world then let them know. If magical weapons and items are common or scarce then let them know. If orcs are just as common in civilized areas as dwarves then let them know. Discuss a schedule for the group to meet, set a date for session 1 and let 'er rip.
At this point you will spend your D&D time on three activities. First you will have conversations with your players about what is going on in the campaign and with their characters. You may also have some players dynamics that need to be addressed to keep the group in harmony. Second, you will have session prep. You will want to refresh yourself about where the party is in the campaign and where they are going over the next two sessions; I would always be looking a session ahead. Third, you will start to construct the world beyond the campaign. World-building is not the same thing as session prep. So when you are world-building don't forget to do your session prep. There will also be alot of work for you to draw maps, collect monster stat blocks, roll for treasure and stuff like that.
Running the game is another bullet. Assuming you are familiar with the rules and most of the spells that come up during play, then you will need to brush up only on monsters special abilities. As they said above, try to make decisions about rules quickly and then fix it later if you're wrong. My current group has older players that played earlier editions and not 5e yet. We also have new players. There are plenty of rules we don't know because we're not 5e players, but we generally know how to play D&D. The DM has mis-ruled on a couple things and I gave the wrong interpretation on 2 rules related to 5e mechanics, but the mistakes were "fine points" and not gross errors. We fixed the ruling in chat later and we just move forward with the situation that we have. Everyone makes mistakes. But as long as you lean toward letting everyone have fun then it will be fun even if you get a rule wrong in the moment.
So in summary, I recommend you get a module and read it to get a sense for how much prep is needed to be ready to be a DM. Good luck and have fun.
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Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt
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As the title says, I plan to be an aspiring DM. I've only ever played before, so I have no idea what I'm doing.
My friend recommended I check out the PHB, the DM guide, and Volo's guide, as well as the Monster Manual.
I have two campaign ideas, and don't know which one to use first: one with a city of humanoid monsters and a murder mystery, and a much longer one with a good amount of homebrew lore (there's dungeons AND a dragon!)
I don't know which one to start with first, and I'm overwhelmed with all the things I have to do in order to flesh out the worlds. Any tips?
Have a nice day, and thank you for the help!
Welcome to the DM's club. You can never leave.
Personally, I recommend running the murder mystery as your first adventure - perhaps as a 'one shot' to teach yourself and your friends how to play. My reasons are thus:
It is easiest to start small. Going too big too soon can overwhelm you. It's more important to get comfortable with the game and with your players than to try and create your own Middle-Earth.
A murder mystery will play more to roleplaying and creativity than many other adventurers. It will usually lean away from complicated combat and into critical thinking. You can also use it to explore all the different monstrous races - did something eat the fingers of the victim? Might be the lizardfolk. Were his kneecaps smashed? Might be a shorter suspect. Claw marks near his neck? The tabaxi did it!
After the two or three sessions it takes to resolve the mystery, you should have a decent feel for your table. Use that new information to form the skeleton of your new campaign.
I recommend two Session Zeros. One at the very beginning, to briefly touch on the mystery and everyone's expectations. One after the mystery to check in, address any speed bumps, and work on 'real characters'.
Make sure you've got a good dialogue with your players from the start. Speaking from experience, few things burn you out faster than building an interstellar magitek setting when everyone was expecting Westeros.
Another medical problem. Indefinite hiatus. Sorry, all.
First of all, welcome to DMing! It is a fair amount of work, but it is absolutely rewarding.
The most important thing for new DM's is, start small. It's good to have a solid idea for what your world is going to be like, but when dealing with specifics it's best to work on what you know you'll concievably need for your next session; for things that you know you won't be getting to anytime soon, all you need is a few general facts you can summarize in a short descriptor.
Looking at your two ideas, I personally would be inclined to go with your second campaign and start your players in a small area that doesn't need as much development as a city, and get a feel for how things work from there.
If you do decide to go with your longer campaign idea, the other piece of advice I can give is to let each of your players create something in your world. For them, it gives a personal connection to your world, and in my case as a DM I've found that it's helped me come up with some really cool ideas I wouldn't have come up with on my own.
Hope that helps!
Heh, oddly enough, Ursus and I arrived at different conclusions for what ultimately looks like the same reason: start with something small to work with. They have good points as well, so start with whatever you think will be smallest: a quick campaign in a big city (presumably), or a long campaign staring in a small town (also presumably, but there's nothing preventing you form running a quick campaign in a small local either).
Agree with all of the above... But actually a murder mystery can be quite tricky to run, here are a couple of good links:
https://www.reddit.com/r/DnD/comments/6a0q6b/how_do_i_create_a_murder_mystery_quest_5e/
https://levelupcorner.com/running-a-murder-mystery-in-dd/
I would recommend https://www.thearcanelibrary.com/, if you sign up you get a free adventure, Temple of the Basilisk Cult which is a really nice little adventure...
Happy DM-ing!
Matt Colville has a great youtube series called Running The Game that is excellent for beginners (and long time DMs).
As others have said, starting small is what I did and it worked out pretty well. Session 0 is super important to get everyone on the same page.
Good luck! Remember, the most important thing is that everyone has fun!
+1 for watching Colville's Running the Game series. Search his name on YouTube and you'll find it. Very worth a watch. I go back to re-watch individual episodes every now and then. There are great nuggets in every single one.
WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
Welcome to the other side of the screen!
The best advice I can give is also the Colville series. After that, this is the next best advice I have for you:
Creating Epic Boons on DDB
DDB Buyers' Guide
Hardcovers, DDB & You
Content Troubleshooting
Don't worry about fleshing out the worlds.
Seriously, you do not need to start with a fully fleshed out world, full map, 7 unique languages each with 3 or 4 dialects, a whole world of customs, country rivalries, palace intrigues and everything else. You just don't.
You need a couple idea and stat blocks and such for the mission your players are about to do today. You need a couple strategies to get them back pointed to that mission if they start rambling off course. You maybe need one back up idea in case the insist on staying off that main mission... And then you just go with it!
The world will get fleshed out over time. You will think about the world between every day of actual play, you will take notes and strategize and scheme. You will make crap up during the games that will become part of the lore of your world. (Take notes!) Players will ask questions which will lead to even more ideas and such.
Nobody starts out with a fully fleshed out world. Just roll with it and see where things take ya...
I want to jump in and welcome you to the next level of the experience. I get alot of joy from working out the environment the players are adventuring within. There are so many ways to be a DM so everything we give you is a suggestion from our experience and view of the game.
Starting small-ish is probably the best thing to do. I don't know about your player background so most of my advice is just a guess. Getting a module and reading the whole thing is the next step, I think. You don't have to run the module, but read it to get a sense for how much detail is needed for a DM to prepare a campaign. If you like the module, then maybe you should try running the module. You may need to scale it up or down for the party you have; either because of the numbers of players or the level of your players. I would want to tailor some bits of the campaign to suit me. Once you have read and understood the campaign you should pitch the campaign to your group. Assuming they are on board then you will need to go to the next step.
You will want to ask your players what they want for their characters and discuss with them how this ties in with their character's back story. With the input from your players, you should develop a picture of how the party will look. You may need to go back and adjust the campaign again to put in nuggets for the players that tie-in with their characters. While your're working this out, start creating characters with the players. You're moving toward a session zero.
With all their characters created, back stories written, story adjusted, it is time to have a session zero where you share whatever lore they need to get the picture of the world in their head. Tell them anything you want in this world that doesn't match the bread-N-butter descriptions you have used in the group before. If there are gods or pantheons that are particular to this world then let them know. If magical weapons and items are common or scarce then let them know. If orcs are just as common in civilized areas as dwarves then let them know. Discuss a schedule for the group to meet, set a date for session 1 and let 'er rip.
At this point you will spend your D&D time on three activities. First you will have conversations with your players about what is going on in the campaign and with their characters. You may also have some players dynamics that need to be addressed to keep the group in harmony. Second, you will have session prep. You will want to refresh yourself about where the party is in the campaign and where they are going over the next two sessions; I would always be looking a session ahead. Third, you will start to construct the world beyond the campaign. World-building is not the same thing as session prep. So when you are world-building don't forget to do your session prep. There will also be alot of work for you to draw maps, collect monster stat blocks, roll for treasure and stuff like that.
Running the game is another bullet. Assuming you are familiar with the rules and most of the spells that come up during play, then you will need to brush up only on monsters special abilities. As they said above, try to make decisions about rules quickly and then fix it later if you're wrong. My current group has older players that played earlier editions and not 5e yet. We also have new players. There are plenty of rules we don't know because we're not 5e players, but we generally know how to play D&D. The DM has mis-ruled on a couple things and I gave the wrong interpretation on 2 rules related to 5e mechanics, but the mistakes were "fine points" and not gross errors. We fixed the ruling in chat later and we just move forward with the situation that we have. Everyone makes mistakes. But as long as you lean toward letting everyone have fun then it will be fun even if you get a rule wrong in the moment.
So in summary, I recommend you get a module and read it to get a sense for how much prep is needed to be ready to be a DM. Good luck and have fun.
Cum catapultae proscriptae erunt tum soli proscript catapultas habebunt