From Player to DM

[hobbitkniver]

So after a long time of waiting and searching after the collapse of my old group, I've found some friends interested in DnD. The problem is that none of them have ever played and so I guess that makes me DM. They all have basic knowledge of fantasy and a few of them have played DDO, but I've never had to be DM before. I know the rules pretty well and I've played quite a bit, but I'm not sure where to start as a new DM trying to write a story.

How can I easily make encounters that won't murder the party and won't be pushovers?

Should I just use standard WBL? It seems simple, but none of the DM's I played with ever have.

Should I start at level 1 for simplicity or a little higher or survivability?

Should I throw in an npc party member to point the group in the right direction when they get lost or should I let them discover everything for themselves?

Are there any other things I should know that might not be obvious from a player's standpoint?

I know that the people on here are generally more knowledgeable about DnD than I am, so I'd be glad to get some outside input on the subject.

[Twilightwyrm]

First, let me say that I wouldn't worry terribly about it. From what you say, your new group has less experience than you, so any "mistakes", rules speaking, will be less apparent to them. Now, as to your questions:

1. Using the CR is a good place to start, and a good way to eyeball the encounter's difficulty. This will depend in large part upon your group size however: a group of two should be judged to be at least effectively -1 the party level for CR purposes. Also, it will depend on party composition. A good encounter for a group of all warriors, all sneaky types, or all mages will be a bit different than for a mixed group, and a big factor will also be whether the group has healing. I would say at low levels, give them the generally appropriate challenges of kobolds, goblins, maybe a few orcs or dire rats, or other a couple skeletons/zombies. See how the group prefers t take out said foes, and you will get a better sense of how they will be fighting.

2. For now it is a good way to eyeball their amount of wealth, but I would say to err on the side of a little too much, rather than a little less than enough.

3. I would start at 1 for simplicity. The players are learning the system, and while in theory they are more survivable at higher level, monsters are also more dangerous, negating much of the benefit of the players haven't got a grasp on how to use the tools of higher level characters.

4. Unless the group is in significant need of support (either in terms of healing, or in terms of someone to be a shield), I would say hold off, especially at the beginning. If you do introduce someone, make their traveling with the party optional. For instance, perhaps they meet them in the forest, hell maybe the person travels with them until they are all out of danger. But whether they continue on together after that should be the party's choice. If the party enjoyed them being there, they will request they keep traveling together, in which case you can make it so. If, on the other hand, the party does not seem to want them there, have them set off on their own afterwards. Alternatively, if they are potentially in the "assigned protector" role, make it optional for the party based on whether they think they want/need them. And, whichever way things go, DO NOT have the NPC overshadow, or do much more than nudge the actions of the party, as said actions do not typically endear themselves to people.

5. There is one thing, one rather major thing actually: all but the broadest plans you make for where the party will go, or what the party will do, are going to be compromised or outright ruined. Unless you attempt to railroad the plot (which I would never suggest), your players will adopt tactics you don't expect, take actions you could never have predicted, and potentially even ignore the event that sets off the entire adventure you planned. With this in mind, be adaptable, be willing and as able as you can be to improvise based upon what the party wants to do. Especially since they are new players, they will be looking to test his very thing, and it is important you adapt to it, and make it fun for the party. Have at least one general backup plan for something they can do, and be ready to go along with and adjudicate whatever shenanigans they will invariably find themselves in.

[Morphie]

I would suggest you play a pre-made adventure. That way you'll gain DMing experience without having to build a history from scratch. The Encounters are usually designed to the party's level, so it should work out ok. My gaming group uses WBL so I think it is a good way to equip PCs that start above from 1st level.

Good luck :smallsmile:

[ArcturusV]

Remember that, as players who are new, they are likely to ask to do things that the rules don't strictly cover. Or describe things that are only "kinda" like what the rules cover. It's entirely up to you how you choose to interpret this, but my general feeling with new players is to go easy on them. Give them the best chance they have at the action in question as long as it can be even halfway plausible.

It's just how it tends to go for me. If there's a new player they fall into two categories. One is the meek, quiet type that basically just mimicks what everyone else does. But this is mostly the case with a new player joining an experienced group. The second will just try things they think are cool. And you'll have things like guys who want to do crazy stunts just because they sound cool. Expect to have players asking if they can wall jump off things, or pull some Hollywood Fencing stuff, or use spells in "Logical but not RAW" methods like using a Fireball to blast a wall down, etc.

[Rukia]

I was recently placed in the same position as you and have about 4 sessions under my belt. I can give you a few pointers as for what has been helping me out so far.

- Start at level 1 for sure. If you start higher it will be harder to balance and control until you get the hang of it. It keeps the game simple and fights are straight forward. If you're worried about survivability at level 1, then give them bonus hps. I used con score + HD for level 1, then just went with HD + con bonus as normal afterwards. That way a D4 class with 14 con can have 14 + d4 hps at level 1 for a cushion. It doesn't make them more powerful, but it helps to keep a random crit from instantly killing someone. I still had a cleric go unconscious on the first night even with the cushion. Throw in an extra mob or two each fight if you feel they're not challenged enough.

- You must learn to improvise on the spot. Players will often do things you don't expect, even in a pre-written adventure. Sometimes I have to make up NPC's and names on the fly or dink with the plot. Depending on how good you are at improv if might help if you kept a list of generic NPC names and such to call on at a moments notice.

- Spend more time than you think it required setting up the first few sessions. It's better to over-prepare than be under-prepared until you ease into the role. As you get better you can probably get away with minimal setup, but don't attempt it at first.

- Set up any ground rules before you even start. Character generation, off limits classes, etc.. For example I only allow shapeshift variant druids as animal companions, wildshape and SNA can really drag down the pace of a game, not to mention take the spotlight off the other players.

- Go with a module as others have said for your first adventure. From there you can branch off in any direction you like. It will save you setup time and give you a feel for how a session will be like with you running it.

- WBL is important, but don't knock yourself out trying to get it perfect. If they're playing strong enough classes they can survive if they are a bit behind WBL in the early levels. If you slip up and give them too much in the beginning it can be difficult to correct without making extra work on yourself. By the time my players were level 3 they had masterwork weapons at best, even though WBL says they could have had magic ones. I just ensured I didn't throw something with DR/magic at them. Once you notice them struggling a bit you can start to introduce items to them, but make them work for it and make identifying somewhat difficult. Experienced players probably don't enjoy the early levels and want to skip past these levels, but new players should be exposed to it.

- Balance in the group is more important than their overall combined power level. It's better to have an balanced strong group as you can simply up the CR of encounters to compensate. If however one player is exceptionally strong, or another is weak, then it is more difficult to balance encounters. Too much and the weak one either dies or can't contribute. Too little and the strong one walks all over it. This is why I would recommend limiting the upper tier classes in some way and steering others away from things like monk, samurai, etc.. Fighter's can be decent, but only if optimized and if they're new players that's probably not going to happen. Steer them towards Barbarian for melee, Sorcerer for arcane(you don't want a new player dealing with prepared casting yet), Favored Soul for cleric, etc.. If they want to be a gish, show them duskblade. If they want to be a caster rogue then show them Beguiler.

There is more, but the best thing I can say is come prepared, set your ground rules before you start and DM somewhat conservatively by running a low power game until players get the hang of it. If they're new then they won't be missing anything by not getting a +1 weapon at level 2.

[Grod_The_Giant]

How can I easily make encounters that won't murder the party and won't be pushovers?
The SRD's encounter calculator isn't bad (http://www.d20srd.org/extras/d20encountercalculator/), and I'm pretty sure the rules in the DMG work as well. There's a strong element of eyeballing as well-- good tactics or terrain can help a lot-- but it's a good starting point. Remember that single monsters will tend to get curbstomped when facing a large group alone.


Should I just use standard WBL? It seems simple, but none of the DM's I played with ever have.
Don't worry too much, but yeah, that's how the game is balanced.


Should I start at level 1 for simplicity or a little higher or survivability?
In contrast to everyone else, I'm going to suggest you start higher-- level 3 or 5, perhaps. It's marginally more complicated, but I think that the options are more than worth it. Characters are actually starting to fit into their niches-- casters have more than one spell per day, fighter can afford platemail, enough feats are available to have a useful fighting style...


Should I throw in an npc party member to point the group in the right direction when they get lost or should I let them discover everything for themselves?
Let them figure it out for themselves. By all means, have plenty of guidance-- it's can be really hard the first time a DM hands you a total mystery-- but don't hold them entirely by the hand. When all else fails, you can call for Int/Wis checks to give hints. ("I got a 16." "You remember that Malar mentioned that goblins were seen in the vicinity of the old fort...")


Are there any other things I should know that might not be obvious from a player's standpoint?
Run the game you always wanted to play in. Get feedback. Don't be afraid to make mistakes. Help the players with their characters. When in doubt, say yes. And above all else, have fun.

[Thomastwobit]

Id say start with a short quest. I have stood in as a dm and have made side quests. The shorter the quest the less issues you will run into. Also take into account the player type. Last year my friend started us on our first campaign and the majority of the group just wanted to kill stuff. This year our campaign is more story and roleplay related. Also since they are new let them try a class but don't lock them in. Let them decide if they like it. I started with a soul knife and decided I didn't care for it. I switched to a paladin and it fit me like a glove both combat and roleplay/storywise. Also help them with roughly the first 5 levels and then let them do it but check every so often. Above all had fun but don't feel bad if the group is bored, the players are just as responsible for their fun. I occasionally make my character a comic relief character if things get dull, we laugh and get back on track and usually things go well from there.