New DM

[ThatKreacher]

Hi all! A friend of mine is interested in becoming a DM, yet they have absolutely no idea how mechanics work. They are excellent at all kind of roleplaying and story telling so that probably wont be as much of an issue as introducing the 3.5 system will be. Do you guys know of any guides for new DMs in general, especially for those new to D&D. I do own the DMG but it's a lot to read and they also dont live near anywhere near me. Any help would be greatly appreciated ^^~

[KillianHawkeye]

My advice, although not always practical, is for people to learn how to play before they try to DM.

[atemu1234]

My advice, although not always practical, is for people to learn how to play before they try to DM.

I actually learned to DM without ever having been a player before, but it was a huge pain. I recommend you have him at least sit in on a few games, co-DM for a bit, then see if he's learning the rules.

[KillianHawkeye]

I actually learned to DM without ever having been a player before, but it was a huge pain. I recommend you have him at least sit in on a few games, co-DM for a bit, then see if he's learning the rules.

Well yes, it is possible to do. But as I said, I don't recommend it.

[hakarb]

Hi all! A friend of mine is interested in becoming a DM, yet they have absolutely no idea how mechanics work. They are excellent at all kind of roleplaying and story telling so that probably wont be as much of an issue as introducing the 3.5 system will be. Do you guys know of any guides for new DMs in general, especially for those new to D&D. I do own the DMG but it's a lot to read and they also dont live near anywhere near me. Any help would be greatly appreciated ^^~

Your friend needs to learn the rules of DMing.

Rule 0: the DM is correct, even when he isn't. This means he needs to know the rules because his word is the rules.
Rule 1: The rule of fun. If a rule/monster/whatever makes the game less fun for the players, then change it. Observe the next rules carefully.
Rule 2: It's not a race, it's an adventure. Don't give away all the treasure, make the players work for it, they will appreciate you for it.
Rule 3: You are the referee. You aren't competing against the players, make sure they get along and make sure they follow the rules.
Rule 4: Ham it up a little. It's a story, have fun with it, strange voices/maps/drawings/whatever else you can think will enrich the story and make it fun for all parties involved, see rule 1.

I've been DMing this game for over 15 years, and I've always used these rules and never had complaints.

[draken50]

Communication is key, as long as the players know he may play fast and loose with the rules, and he's up-front about experience he can go to town.

A DM screen can provide at a glance rule info for a lot of things and save time and trouble as well.

It would definitely be worthwhile to read some of the "How to be a better DM" guides.

He should own at least the core books, and I personally found the DMG 2 to be pretty darn useful.

[Windstorm]

one of the better ways to learn rules mechanics is to do what my friends and I call "arena fights" where you set up encounters between different groups or monsters with specific mechanics or rules in mind. It helps when its done with two people, because unlike a theoretical encounter fought against yourself, it gives a good feeling of the "fog of war" of not knowing what decisions players will make. a large majority of the difficult mechanics are combat oriented, so this goes a long way to helping solve mechanical mastery.

the rest of the mechanics will come from play, though no matter which way you slice it being a good DM invloves a LARGE amount of reading. recommended reading list is all the sourcebooks you plan to use (cover to cover so you don't miss things, keep some note flags handy), and the JaronK optimization 'tiers' as they are somewhat helpful in designing encounters to suit a party's power level.

handbooks can be useful for understanding the capabilities of your players, and can also be used as idea fuel for more challenging encounters.

most of all remember: the DM's job is not to be a player adversary, he is supposed to be the guiding hand that smooths out rules wrinkles and provides description and depth to the world around the players. ultimately D&D is about everyone having fun to tell a mutual story, and the DM is no exception in that. (He's the narrator!)

[Vhaidara]

It's a self plug on my part, but I would recommend showing him this post (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=17801976&postcount=3) I made about what is good in a monster. Otherwise he might actually try and make you guys fight level 1 orc warriors who do 6-12 damage per hit with a 15% chance to crit.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Is your friend just new to 3.5, or is he new to RPGs in general?

[sideswipe]

It's a self plug on my part, but I would recommend showing him this post (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=17801976&postcount=3) I made about what is good in a monster. Otherwise he might actually try and make you guys fight level 1 orc warriors who do 6-12 damage per hit with a 15% chance to crit.

hey its the party's own fault for coming along and not paying the toll in the L/E kingdom they are in.

[ThatKreacher]

Thanks for all the advice guys, I'm sure she will appreciate it :)


Is your friend just new to 3.5, or is he new to RPGs in general?

She's had no experience with tabletop rpgs. However she is familiar with creating stories, roleplaying, and she's an actress too.

[Vhaidara]

The concern then, is that you may find yourself in a story. As in, one that has already been written. Does she have experience with improv? If so, make sure she is aware that DnD is 10% planning, 50% improv, and 40% stat blocks.