So I have a pretty unique group trying to play dnd. We’re a group of five 13/14 year old girls and we’re only able to play for 45 minutes twice a week during our lunch period. One of the girls and I have always been interested in playing DnD, but the rest have never heard of it until now. I’ve been elected DM for having the most background knowledge, but it’s still very, very minimal. We’ve started creating characters already, character sheets are almost filled out but with such https://9apps.ooo/ limited time to play each week we’re progressing super slowly.
So how do I deal with this? I want to keep them from getting bored and quitting since we’re already moving so slowly, and haven’t even started playing yet. I’ve been trying to find resources and learn the game but it seems the moment we get into the session I’m utterly lost and no one reads any of the links I sent them beforehand. I end up just having to google literally everything as I go and show it to whatever player is confused. Is there a super short and concise link I can send all of them that just explains the very basics of dungeons and dragons? Just the bare minimal things, like races, classes, turn taking, combat, ect.. Also, I have some 40+ year old adventures that my dad gave me to use, would those adventures still work with 5th edition, or do I need to find some 5e adventures online?
Another point is when we do start playing, I’m worried about keeping my players interested with such a small time period. I’m worried about them not getting very immersed in the game before we have to clean up and go. Is it possible to have such short sessions, since I see most people have multiple hour long sessions. I’m also not quite sure how to prepare for the first session of actually playing, and it’s fast approaching. I don’t want have my nose in the player manual the entire time first time playing and not getting anything accomplished. What are the things I should really have memorized and ready at hand to reference if needed?
I know I’ve got a pretty weird situation, but I’m pretty lost right now trying to gather as much information as I can in a very short amount of time. I really want this all to work out, but I might be a bit in over my head. We’ve been having fun so far, but I’m worried they’ll get bored and quit. Any responses to this post are so very much appreciated!
I started playing D&D before Critical Role made it something familiar to a lot of people. I did a lot of learning by trial and error--and I do mean error. I've had campaigns collapse because I wasn't telling a good story. I've had campaigns collapse because I wasn't telling a story, period. I've had sessions go south because of something I did and because of something I didn't do. Sometimes it was my fault, and other times, I didn't even know what had gone wrong until later. Recently, I had two sessions to tell a story (in the Changeling: The Lost 2e ruleset, but that's beside the point), and I tried to do a non-ending ending and I made everyone at the table super upset. Being a DM is an art, much like being a writer or a painter; but that's all the more reason to try your hand at it. Art improves by practice.
Critical Role (or any of the similar youtube series it has spawned) is a great way to quickly get the feel for what a session might look like. You can totally play on a 45 minute time scale. You're right to consider that as one of the things you need to keep track of as a DM. It will limit the number of encounters you'll be able to play through in a session, and DMing is partly about organizing encounters per time available. I suggest having one set piece per session and whatever faffing about it takes to get there can fill the rest of the time. As far as the 40 year old adventures go... it will be a lot easier if you can find current 5e options. Transposing from 2e to 5e isn't very difficult if you're familiar with both systems, but it will be awkward if you haven't played either. That's not to say the resource is rubbish; again, you're better off trying and learning than not trying.
DMing is a relationship. You are right to consider how your storytelling will help your players keep interest in the game; however, players are also responsible for creating interest in the game. That's actually one of the things that published guides do a poor job of explaining. You'll learn most by trying both sides of the player/DM interplay, but as best as I can explain it, a good player does a bit of DMing by way of adding story elements that touch on their character, and a good DM plays NPCs as if they were characters.
As far as the rules go... there are multiple schools of thought. I've always ascribed to the school which says, "you should memorize the system as if it were a chess game so that you don't have to interrupt play to refer to rulebooks." Other schools of thought include, "You should make up any rules you like because it's better to do something fun than to have to check a rulebook;" "checking a rulebook is never wrong since we all want to play fairly, because better fair play than someone leaves the table upset;" and, "if it's not in the rules it can't happen." I would discourage the latter. A good rule of thumb is to learn to say, "yeah, it's going to work this time, but I'm not guaranteeing, it'll be the same next time..."
I hope you will forgive me for quoting Star Trek, but I envy you the chance to start discovering. I would do so many things differently with what I know now, yet I would not now know what I know if I hadn't made all the mistakes it took to learn. May you make an easier road of it than I did.
P.S. if you're into PC gaming, Baldur's Gate can give you familiarity with 2e, 2.5e and 5e, while Icewind Dale II can introduce you to 3e/3.5e. You're on your own as far as 4e goes. Also, Planescape: Torment is as close to literature as any PC game has yet reached.
1.) I know it can be hard but try stop worrying so much beforehand ;-) If you get the feeling that the players are getting bored it is time to adjust but that does not seem to be the case so far.
2.) 45min is not much time. The positive: You can prepare well because you don't need to prepare much content. The negative: There is not a lot of time to recap/look up rules, etc. So I would suggest to keep it simple and if you don't know a specific rule say: Ok for now, we will play it like this [insert what you or the group think feels right] and I will look it up for the next session.
3.) For rules and other player's preparations be ready that noone/few will read something beforehand (as you have already experienced). It can be annoying but my experience tells me that that will almost always be the case (not just with new players...).
4.) As for your own preparations: If your group like the roleplaying/interaction aspect, prepare your npc (how would they react/what do they want/how do they speak). If your group likes dungeon crawl get right to it with a prepared battle map and a few monster (stats at the ready). If you like both switch between sessions ;-)
5.) Have fun! Learning by doing is the way. Asked your group after the session what they liked, didn't like, etc. That way you get a sense in which direction you want to go.
For a rule guide, check out the new player guide on this website, between the Forums and subscribe tabs at the top of the screen. The basic rules, available free on this site, are also very helpful.
For adventures I would definitely recommend buying new ones, as the rules are very different from what they were 40 years ago. Check out Lost Mine of Phandelver. It’s a great introductory adventure that teaches you how to dm. Or you can try Dragon of Icespire Peak.
Warning, it’s a lot. As the DM, you should really read them all. The players can get away with really understanding chapters 7,8 and 9. And if any are spellcasters, they should read the magic chapter.
The 40-year old modules will not work at all with this edition, the game has changed too much. For beginners, I’d recommend Lost Mines if Phandelver. It’s designed for new players and new DMs.
As you are finding out, being DM means a lot more work. Really, you need to prepare between sessions (read ahead in the adventure) to keep things moving smoothly, it is basically going to be more homework for you, sorry to say. Though it will be fun than most of your other homework, so there’s that.
With so little time, don’t worry too much about the rules. Use them as best you can, but if you’re not sure of something, just make up a ruling and go with it. Explain to the others you’ll look it up between sessions to clarify, so it may change.
Not to be too discouraging, but 45 minutes is not a lot of time. You may find yourself having to end a session in the middle of a combat or a conversation, so make sure you keep good notes about where things end. Good luck, and welcome to the game.
I think you have started on the right path and your post was well written for your age.
Some help might be:
1) Have your players watch a game online to see how it is played.
2) Try and get together with your players one on one and create their PC's or create the PC's for them and let them pick one of them... then play the game. IMHO, short game sessions become easier after you have some experience.
3) The 40 year old modules will/may help you but not right now as it takes more experience to convert them to D&D 5th. But even then seeing how something was done way back when might help you today even if the game has changed. Also how you game now is probably going to be different then how the modules are presented, that is fine as it can still give you some ideas also note that old stuff from 40 years ago will probably be mostly combat if not all combat, that is vastly different from 5e with skills, social interactions in addition to combat.
4) If you can try and get a 4 hour game to get started then 45 min segments are easy to do after the group has some back ground together.
5) It also may be the case that your players are just not into the game like you are. That is fine too and I think as you have found out the GM tends to be the most involved in the game and has to know their roles as well as know what each player/PC can nor cannot do.
This message has brought back beautiful memories. I also started playing when I was 13, at school, at lunchtime. And we had a great time. That was more than 20 years ago.
My advice is: 1. Don't worry too much about the rules. You have little time, and it is better that you focus on the narrative. If you don't remember very well how something worked, don't stop to look for it. Improvise. You can review that rule after the game. But it is important not to interrupt the rhythm of the game.
2. Do not plan very long fights. Simple things of a few rounds. Again, the important thing is that you focus on the narrative. At that age where you are, without the barriers of adulthood, you can let yourself be carried away by your imagination to create memorable stories. Although these will no longer make sense to you in 20 years, they will be unforgettable memories.
3. Use the theater of the mind. The miniatures and maps are fine, and they're a lot of fun. But they consume a lot of game time.
4. And above all, have fun. Talk to your players to find out what they want to play, and give it to them. But also put your own things in the game. Things that are not expected. Make them suffer a bit, but don't forget that they are the protagonists of the story and they have to achieve what they set out to do. Make it hard for them, but let them get it. And always ends the games with a cliffhanger. For example, an important character who is about to say something key. A door that opens, but they don't see what's inside (until the next game, of course). I don't know, interesting things that will have to wait until the next game to be resolved. That will keep them interested, and wanting to play the next game to find out what happens.
with such a short amount of time to play, I would suggest preparing absolutely everything you can before the players even show up, have the character sheets ready and keep a list of basic rules at the table so you don't need to look up as much during gameplay.
Also, experiment with a one shot adventure using pre-made/computer generated characters (ask them the basic class and race they would want to play as) and make sure everyone is having fun.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Hollow unbreakable arrows are the most OP common magic item, and my current method of coming up with insane combat shenanigans.
if you make a steel pipe with one end closed and a nozzle on the other, you can enlarge it, fill with any liquid, and then drop concentration, creating a high pressure squirt gun. (or a pipe bomb, depending if it holds)
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So I have a pretty unique group trying to play dnd. We’re a group of five 13/14 year old girls and we’re only able to play for 45 minutes twice a week during our lunch period. One of the girls and I have always been interested in playing DnD, but the rest have never heard of it until now. I’ve been elected DM for having the most background knowledge, but it’s still very, very minimal. We’ve started creating characters already, character sheets are almost filled out but with such https://9apps.ooo/ limited time to play each week we’re progressing super slowly.
So how do I deal with this? I want to keep them from getting bored and quitting since we’re already moving so slowly, and haven’t even started playing yet. I’ve been trying to find resources and learn the game but it seems the moment we get into the session I’m utterly lost and no one reads any of the links I sent them beforehand. I end up just having to google literally everything as I go and show it to whatever player is confused. Is there a super short and concise link I can send all of them that just explains the very basics of dungeons and dragons? Just the bare minimal things, like races, classes, turn taking, combat, ect.. Also, I have some 40+ year old adventures that my dad gave me to use, would those adventures still work with 5th edition, or do I need to find some 5e adventures online?
Another point is when we do start playing, I’m worried about keeping my players interested with such a small time period. I’m worried about them not getting very immersed in the game before we have to clean up and go. Is it possible to have such short sessions, since I see most people have multiple hour long sessions. I’m also not quite sure how to prepare for the first session of actually playing, and it’s fast approaching. I don’t want have my nose in the player manual the entire time first time playing and not getting anything accomplished. What are the things I should really have memorized and ready at hand to reference if needed?
I know I’ve got a pretty weird situation, but I’m pretty lost right now trying to gather as much information as I can in a very short amount of time. I really want this all to work out, but I might be a bit in over my head. We’ve been having fun so far, but I’m worried they’ll get bored and quit. Any responses to this post are so very much appreciated!
I started playing D&D before Critical Role made it something familiar to a lot of people. I did a lot of learning by trial and error--and I do mean error. I've had campaigns collapse because I wasn't telling a good story. I've had campaigns collapse because I wasn't telling a story, period. I've had sessions go south because of something I did and because of something I didn't do. Sometimes it was my fault, and other times, I didn't even know what had gone wrong until later. Recently, I had two sessions to tell a story (in the Changeling: The Lost 2e ruleset, but that's beside the point), and I tried to do a non-ending ending and I made everyone at the table super upset. Being a DM is an art, much like being a writer or a painter; but that's all the more reason to try your hand at it. Art improves by practice.
Critical Role (or any of the similar youtube series it has spawned) is a great way to quickly get the feel for what a session might look like. You can totally play on a 45 minute time scale. You're right to consider that as one of the things you need to keep track of as a DM. It will limit the number of encounters you'll be able to play through in a session, and DMing is partly about organizing encounters per time available. I suggest having one set piece per session and whatever faffing about it takes to get there can fill the rest of the time. As far as the 40 year old adventures go... it will be a lot easier if you can find current 5e options. Transposing from 2e to 5e isn't very difficult if you're familiar with both systems, but it will be awkward if you haven't played either. That's not to say the resource is rubbish; again, you're better off trying and learning than not trying.
DMing is a relationship. You are right to consider how your storytelling will help your players keep interest in the game; however, players are also responsible for creating interest in the game. That's actually one of the things that published guides do a poor job of explaining. You'll learn most by trying both sides of the player/DM interplay, but as best as I can explain it, a good player does a bit of DMing by way of adding story elements that touch on their character, and a good DM plays NPCs as if they were characters.
As far as the rules go... there are multiple schools of thought. I've always ascribed to the school which says, "you should memorize the system as if it were a chess game so that you don't have to interrupt play to refer to rulebooks." Other schools of thought include, "You should make up any rules you like because it's better to do something fun than to have to check a rulebook;" "checking a rulebook is never wrong since we all want to play fairly, because better fair play than someone leaves the table upset;" and, "if it's not in the rules it can't happen." I would discourage the latter. A good rule of thumb is to learn to say, "yeah, it's going to work this time, but I'm not guaranteeing, it'll be the same next time..."
I hope you will forgive me for quoting Star Trek, but I envy you the chance to start discovering. I would do so many things differently with what I know now, yet I would not now know what I know if I hadn't made all the mistakes it took to learn. May you make an easier road of it than I did.
P.S. if you're into PC gaming, Baldur's Gate can give you familiarity with 2e, 2.5e and 5e, while Icewind Dale II can introduce you to 3e/3.5e. You're on your own as far as 4e goes. Also, Planescape: Torment is as close to literature as any PC game has yet reached.
Here are my tips:
1.) I know it can be hard but try stop worrying so much beforehand ;-) If you get the feeling that the players are getting bored it is time to adjust but that does not seem to be the case so far.
2.) 45min is not much time. The positive: You can prepare well because you don't need to prepare much content. The negative: There is not a lot of time to recap/look up rules, etc. So I would suggest to keep it simple and if you don't know a specific rule say: Ok for now, we will play it like this [insert what you or the group think feels right] and I will look it up for the next session.
3.) For rules and other player's preparations be ready that noone/few will read something beforehand (as you have already experienced). It can be annoying but my experience tells me that that will almost always be the case (not just with new players...).
4.) As for your own preparations: If your group like the roleplaying/interaction aspect, prepare your npc (how would they react/what do they want/how do they speak). If your group likes dungeon crawl get right to it with a prepared battle map and a few monster (stats at the ready). If you like both switch between sessions ;-)
5.) Have fun! Learning by doing is the way. Asked your group after the session what they liked, didn't like, etc. That way you get a sense in which direction you want to go.
For a rule guide, check out the new player guide on this website, between the Forums and subscribe tabs at the top of the screen. The basic rules, available free on this site, are also very helpful.
For adventures I would definitely recommend buying new ones, as the rules are very different from what they were 40 years ago. Check out Lost Mine of Phandelver. It’s a great introductory adventure that teaches you how to dm. Or you can try Dragon of Icespire Peak.
Only spilt the party if you see something shiny.
Ariendela Sneakerson, Half-elf Rogue (8); Harmony Wolfsbane, Tiefling Bard (10); Agnomally, Gnomish Sorcerer (3); Breeze, Tabaxi Monk (8); Grace, Dragonborn Barbarian (7); DM, Homebrew- The Sequestered Lands/Underwater Explorers; Candlekeep
It’s really not all that weird of a situation, so don’t worry about that.
The basic rules are here:
https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/basic-rules
Warning, it’s a lot. As the DM, you should really read them all. The players can get away with really understanding chapters 7,8 and 9. And if any are spellcasters, they should read the magic chapter.
The 40-year old modules will not work at all with this edition, the game has changed too much. For beginners, I’d recommend Lost Mines if Phandelver. It’s designed for new players and new DMs.
As you are finding out, being DM means a lot more work. Really, you need to prepare between sessions (read ahead in the adventure) to keep things moving smoothly, it is basically going to be more homework for you, sorry to say. Though it will be fun than most of your other homework, so there’s that.
With so little time, don’t worry too much about the rules. Use them as best you can, but if you’re not sure of something, just make up a ruling and go with it. Explain to the others you’ll look it up between sessions to clarify, so it may change.
Not to be too discouraging, but 45 minutes is not a lot of time. You may find yourself having to end a session in the middle of a combat or a conversation, so make sure you keep good notes about where things end.
Good luck, and welcome to the game.
I think you have started on the right path and your post was well written for your age.
Some help might be:
1) Have your players watch a game online to see how it is played.
2) Try and get together with your players one on one and create their PC's or create the PC's for them and let them pick one of them... then play the game. IMHO, short game sessions become easier after you have some experience.
3) The 40 year old modules will/may help you but not right now as it takes more experience to convert them to D&D 5th. But even then seeing how something was done way back when might help you today even if the game has changed. Also how you game now is probably going to be different then how the modules are presented, that is fine as it can still give you some ideas also note that old stuff from 40 years ago will probably be mostly combat if not all combat, that is vastly different from 5e with skills, social interactions in addition to combat.
4) If you can try and get a 4 hour game to get started then 45 min segments are easy to do after the group has some back ground together.
5) It also may be the case that your players are just not into the game like you are. That is fine too and I think as you have found out the GM tends to be the most involved in the game and has to know their roles as well as know what each player/PC can nor cannot do.
This message has brought back beautiful memories. I also started playing when I was 13, at school, at lunchtime. And we had a great time. That was more than 20 years ago.
My advice is:
1. Don't worry too much about the rules. You have little time, and it is better that you focus on the narrative. If you don't remember very well how something worked, don't stop to look for it. Improvise. You can review that rule after the game. But it is important not to interrupt the rhythm of the game.
2. Do not plan very long fights. Simple things of a few rounds. Again, the important thing is that you focus on the narrative. At that age where you are, without the barriers of adulthood, you can let yourself be carried away by your imagination to create memorable stories. Although these will no longer make sense to you in 20 years, they will be unforgettable memories.
3. Use the theater of the mind. The miniatures and maps are fine, and they're a lot of fun. But they consume a lot of game time.
4. And above all, have fun. Talk to your players to find out what they want to play, and give it to them. But also put your own things in the game. Things that are not expected. Make them suffer a bit, but don't forget that they are the protagonists of the story and they have to achieve what they set out to do. Make it hard for them, but let them get it. And always ends the games with a cliffhanger. For example, an important character who is about to say something key. A door that opens, but they don't see what's inside (until the next game, of course). I don't know, interesting things that will have to wait until the next game to be resolved. That will keep them interested, and wanting to play the next game to find out what happens.
with such a short amount of time to play, I would suggest preparing absolutely everything you can before the players even show up, have the character sheets ready and keep a list of basic rules at the table so you don't need to look up as much during gameplay.
Also, experiment with a one shot adventure using pre-made/computer generated characters (ask them the basic class and race they would want to play as) and make sure everyone is having fun.
Hollow unbreakable arrows are the most OP common magic item, and my current method of coming up with insane combat shenanigans.
if you make a steel pipe with one end closed and a nozzle on the other, you can enlarge it, fill with any liquid, and then drop concentration, creating a high pressure squirt gun. (or a pipe bomb, depending if it holds)