Dungeon Master Advice?

Post Reply New Topic

I am planning to run a DnD campaign for the first time and I’m really nervous about it. The guys I will be doing it with are expierences players, and my biggest fear is that I’ll be too nervous to speak to them. They’re friends, but still, I am anxious I am going to mess up so badly that they don’t want to play.

First, read the material.  A good DM must know more about what is going on than the players.

Second, be prepared.  Have your dice, books, screens, props, minis, and mats ready.  A calculator, pencils, and paper are also useful -- small Post-It notepads are essential for passing 'secret' messages back and forth.

Third, don't panic.  Whatever happens, don't act surprised; but if you are genuinely caught by surprise, feel free to call a time-out to come up with a response.  Anything more than a few minutes, however, might disrupt the flow of the game.  I always imposed a "Three-Minute Rule" giving only 180 seconds to find the relevant rule that would solve the problem immediately.

Finally, don't be afraid to put your foot down.  While "Because I'm the DM, that's why!" is to be used sparingly (no more than once per game session), it's use can solve a lot of problems right away.

Search youtube for "DM horror Stories" and take solace in that, whatever else might happen, you'll likely never be as bad as some of those.

Avoid favoritism and self glorification. Be fair to all your players. You probably wont have this issue as you're a new DM.

I had a DM for a Star Wars Saga edition campaign that decided they would have a character (yes he was a force sensitive Mandalorian , what crap). Over time, the DM seemed more interested in their own characters development arc than any of ours. At the very end we all died (except one) very unceremoniously doing what was basically a side mission and his character went on to bigger and better things after completing the main mission with the only other person to survive (our nerfed jedi). It was the most annoying thing ever.

The following is an excerpt from "How to Be a Dungeon Master" by Chrisgocountyjr, Vivek Rohra, Rob S, Sondra C

(Link unknown)

TIPS

• For first time DMs, it is actually recommended that you limit yourself and players to the options/rules ONLY from the Core Books.  Not all additional books are well balanced in relation, and you will quickly find one player very overpowered compared to others.  This generally is not a good thing. 

• When you're just starting out, play with friends; a relaxed and familiar group of people will help everyone learn the game much more, especially when you can joke around. 

• Books aren't completely necessary for all players; you can play just fine without them, but at minimum the DM should have one copy of each which can be shared around the table. 

• Instead of fighting a horde of weaker monsters, fighting a few tougher monsters is sometimes more enjoyable.  Fighting a horde of weaklings means you have to roll a lot of dice.  Running tougher monsters means you can focus on individual strategy more. 

• Don't "not allow" someone to do something.  If you're trying to get your players to go to a certain place, don't just say "you can't go there;" instead, say something like "a lady over there says <something interesting> just happened at <the place you're trying to get them to go>.  Would you like to check it out?  You can also have them roll a passive insight to see how likely their character would want to go in the direction... in this case, set the DC (Difficulty Check) low."

• One of the most important things for a DM is the ability to think on your feet.  Things will happen that you'd never expect.  The players may kill the person they were supposed to get the vital information from, or they may end up going to the only section of town that you haven't detailed yet.  Make it up as you go along, just be sure to jot down notes so you can incorporate them into the story later. 

WARNINGS

• While you may want to make your dungeon challenging, don't make it impossible.  What's the point of doing it if it's going to be too difficult for the PC (Player's Character)?

• Don't let yourself get bullied by other players.  What you say is as good as divine law in your dungeon. 

• Beware of rulers, lawyers and metagamers, and don't play their game just to punish them.  Come up with interesting in-game ways to deal with their characters instead. 

• Don't let your players dictate how things "should" be from novels or published stories.  Otherwise, the one person who has read the thirty novels based in that world can try to manipulate you with knowledge only he has.  In the end, the DM is the final word on what does and does not exist.  However, a balance is best -- work with them to incorporate some of those details so long as it does not give anyone an unreasonable advantage. 

• D&D can be addicting, it is a game after all.  Allow yourself to rest mentally and physically from the game; maybe even a fifteen minute minute break every three hours of game play would be sufficient for most DM's.  Don't over-exhaust yourself or your players (this just makes everyone in bad moods, and the game becomes less enjoyable.)

Playing with friends is a good start- make sure both you and they know what is expected. If they want a hack-and-slash dungeon crawl and you try to deliver gothic horror, there's going to be considerable frustration all around (Bram Stoker's Dracula would have read rather differently if Jonathan Harker had tried to take a broadsword to the Count the second he laid eyes on him...).

Also, while my experience on the DM side of the screen is limited (just a few sessions), one thing I found was that a well-set atmosphere can overcome a lot of shortcomings. My second session, the sum total of the players' actions involved setting up camp, a very, very brief monster encounter, and then walking down a (long) hallway. But because the atmosphere had been solidly established, it apparently stuck out in their memories as a high-tension, memorable session.

I just wanted to give an update to say that my first session went well. We didn’t do much but I was able to test the water and plan well for the next session.

Congratulations on your DM-debute. May your future ventures be many and fraught with shenanigans.