How do one learn how to GM?

[BloodSnake'sCha]

Hello guys :)

I want to know where I can learn to GM because nobody in my group want to GM(one of us was a very bad one and made all of us leave his game at the same time and I don't want to make the same mistake).

I know what my group want and what they hate(some of the red flags in the red flags for DM thread aren't red for us).

I don't know a single thing about GMing.

I am playing d&d for 2 years and I am the new guy in my group (I know I don't have enough RL XP to GM but I am a fast learner and have very high INT and WIS that make me think I can do it).

[Segev]

Mainly...just do it. Do you know the setting you want to use? What kind of game are they looking for? What do you want to run? Preparation is important, so that you know WHAT is happening around the party and can describe the world to them. You need to know enough to have it react to their actions.

Improv is fine, too, if you're capable with it, but be ready with at least a general idea of the game world and what's going on. Have ways to get the PCs interested in the world and its events.

But yeah. Really, just doing it is the best way to learn. If you're really lost, picking an extant module to run might work.

[flappeercraft]

Basically know what you will need, learn the rules well enough to be able to handle them and know how to improvise.

[AOKost]

Mainly...just do it.

This is the essence of any job. You won't REALLY know the ins and outs of it until you've done it for a while. It's a pain in the ass to DM/GM because you're running the game, and giving all the plot cues, determining if something is allowable or not when a player comes up with an amazing (if off the wall) idea (I had one player that wanted to use a Wall of Force on an angle under the loose layer of rocks/boulders and other debris on top of a mountain to start an avalanche to destroy a goblinoid army. Another player (playing a dwarven character) wanted to make a synergenic Knowledge: Entineering/Craft: Stoneworking) to ind the "keystone" that they could move or destroy to start the avalanche)... Great ideas, but hard for GMs to rule on...

And then you've got to keep track of their resources to make sure they are keeping track of them, and you've got to keep track of every little detail of what's going on in the games 'verse'.... Did the characters just kill an evil arch-duke to the joy of the populace and the crown? What about his brother/sister/daughter/son/nephew/niece etc. that thought the world of him? Is she going to start plotting revenge?

My point is, try to keep it simple at first. Your group knows you're new, and will try to push their limits to find where you will let them go. At first, I'd suggest RAW and limited materials until you can get the hang of running games better. It's not as hard or scary as some might think it is, but it CAN be a serious pain in the ...

[Zancloufer]

You don't. Really you need to know the ins/outs of the system well, or well enough to make quick calls on it. A DM shield plastered with common info/tables helps to.

Also you need to be decent at writing or REALLY good at improv. Probably some of both. Some acting can't hurt either.

Really just be a solid writer that can do improv (acting) decently and know the system and it's probably enough to DM. Also a laptop with google. Really when in doubt google to pull up random facts that are some how relevant to the game now. Like the tonnage of a 5x15x100 ft wall of Iron.

[Geddy2112]

-Know the rules. You don't need to be an expert, but you have to know them enough to adjudicate common encounters and scenarios. Have common rules on a DM screen or cheat sheet.
-Use pregen material, if nothing else to have some random encounters laying around.
-Ask for feedback from your group, what they liked, what they disliked, what you could have done better, etc.
-Read in the rulebooks on how to GM, as well as the Internet forums and blogs dedicated to doing so.

At the end of the day, the only way to do it is to get better, so +1 for just doing it.

[Rerednaw]

Hello guys :)

I want to know where I can learn to GM because nobody in my group want to GM(one of us was a very bad one and made all of us leave his game at the same time and I don't want to make the same mistake).

I know what my group want and what they hate(some of the red flags in the red flags for DM thread aren't red for us).

I don't know a single thing about GMing.

I am playing d&d for 2 years and I am the new guy in my group (I know I don't have enough RL XP to GM but I am a fast learner and have very high INT and WIS that make me think I can do it).

Actually with that single statement, you already know far more than many GM's. You know what your group wants. Keep the lines of communication open. Don't assume what the group wanted before is what they want now. After a session I ask the players:

What they like to keep.
What they would like to start seeing.
What they want to stop.

And I keep doing that every few sessions. Along with "if there's something you want to change, speak up"

Other than that...well a great deal depends on the nature of how you run and what you are running. I would avoid world-creation. Start with some existing published adventures. Running those is very much just telling a story that's already written.

Give everyone a chance to speak and participate. I usually just go around the table.

Just keep in mind it's like herding cats...players may not want to go in the directions you want. You can improvise or be frank and say "well the next clue takes you to X...we can keep going that way or if you prefer we can off the beaten track, but I'll need time to prep so well stop for today." Unless you are really good at improv, I'd avoid making stuff of the cuff for a while.

Since you have experience as a player with the same group you most likely have more insight into what they want.

Good luck and happy GMing!

[Axemes]

Hello guys :)

Hello there.



I want to know where I can learn to GM because nobody in my group want to GM(one of us was a very bad one and made all of us leave his game at the same time and I don't want to make the same mistake).

It doesn't take a whole lot to DM. (GM* but for the sake of my sanity I'll keep using DM.) A terrific place to start is the Dungeon Mastery (Paizo) book or any like styled book for your appropriate edition. Another helpful step is being on a site like ours and asking opinions. So good job there.


I know what my group want and what they hate(some of the red flags in the red flags for DM thread aren't red for us).

This is important, crucial even. Know your audience. DMing is subjective but i always felt it's about telling a story and making sure your friends have a memorable and good time.


I don't know a single thing about GMing.

I am playing d&d for 2 years and I am the new guy in my group (I know I don't have enough RL XP to GM but I am a fast learner and have very high INT and WIS that make me think I can do it).

If I can do it, who irl is the physical personification of a "big dumb fighter / barbarian", you can do it too.

Tl;dr

The edition or like game usually has a book that will show you the basics. Play with a laptop and a DM screen for quick referencing and the ability to look things up on the fly.

Good luck and take care.

[Jay R]

Read lots of rules, and think about what effect they would have.
Have lots of characters, or every kind, including the kinds you wouldn't want to play.
Read lots of novels in the right genre.
Watch lots of movies in the right genre

These are two separate things, and neither one replaces the other.
Think about the stories you've read or watched. Why did you like one more than another?
Play lots of games. Try to see what the GM is doing. Re-think it after you see the conclusion.
Read lots of related non-fiction (books about medieval life or medieval battles for D&D, etc.).
Run games, see how they went, ask your players what they thought worked well and didn't work well. [Don't assume that they are right, but don't ignore them, either.]
Watch people wherever you can, and try to understand why they are doing what they're doing.



All of these will help, and none of them are sufficient.

[Matrota]

Just read up on the DMG and play the game, mostly. I jumped into DMing after maybe 6 months of playing, mostly because a bunch of our group wanted to give it a go and I wanted to try my hand as well. One thing that helped me was watching critical role, a weekly D&D stream. Even though it's 5e and I play 3.5e, just watching how Matt Mercer DM'ed and roleplayed helped me get a feel on how to craft a narrative. The biggest thing about DMing isn't knowing all the rules, but crafting an engaging story that all your players can enjoy. Whether that be a heavy roleplay game, a comedic series of one-shots, a dramatic saga that asks difficult moral questions, or something else.

[BloodSnake'sCha]

Thank you :) but I am not looking for theory, I was able to learn the theory on being a GM I this forum and in the games I was in(I did got a lot of information about GMing in this thread).

I read 30 books in 3.5e until now(I know I only read less than​ half of them) but I know a lot of rules and my group can help me with the ones I don't know.

My group will like a big world with a lot of freedom (I can't do something small).

I know my group will not abuse my and the rules (we are playing because we are friends and not jerks).

I don't want to build a world from zero for my first time and this is the reason I was asking for help in this thread, I was searching for information on the premade worlds people are talking about and more.

[Firest Kathon]

I would suggest to actually start small in your big world - have some local problems the players can solve (e.g. Goblin raiders, etc.). If you start directly with some really big story arc, you will be locked in and will have a hard time to change things. Start with some small adventures until you feel comfortable (same as with learning to drive a car - you don't start with a cross-country trip, you start by going own the road and back).

For established settings you can usually find a lot of information online. Some examples:

Golarion (http://pathfinder.wikia.com/wiki/Golariopedia) (default Pathfinder setting)
Forgotten Realms (http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page)
Aventuria (http://en.wiki-aventurica.de/wiki/Main_Page) (The Dark Eye setting, German version (http://de.wiki-aventurica.de/) is more expansive, if you can read it)

[Florian]

Hello guys :)

I want to know where I can learn to GM because nobody in my group want to GM

That´s something you need to learn by doing it.
Know RAW, know RAI and especially know why you use rules and what for.

You already know your players and what they love/hate, which gives you a head start, but it´s harder to learn when and why exactly to use something for effect, like bringing up something they hate to be the better challenge.

GMing is a lot about being prepared and having easy and organized access to material you want to use when your players leave the "tracks" and you´ve got to improvise. Get comfy with the MMs/Bestiaries, build up a collection of traps, NPC, environments or locations so you can always keep the action moving forward.

Start small.

A player only has to care about knowing his own character, as GM you must actually know and manage the whole world. That´s a pretty harsh workload in the beginning and the reason why the "Frontier Town"/"Far off Valley" is recommended for beginning gms. Stick to this until you feel saddled in your role and don´t shy away from "resetting" your game when you´ve got the feeling you can´t cope at the moment.

[Gelcur]

It sounds like you have done a lot of research already, that is great.

I would stress two things about DMing, first your "job" before anything else is that your players have fun. Second, is to be a good storyteller. If that means fake rolls behind the DM screen or liberal use of misc +2, +4, +10 mods do it, don't feel its wrong or cheating.

I love giant world DMing, my personal preference is Forgotten Realms. I'd suggest a prebuilt module to start with, I normally go to AD&D for inspiration but Cormyr: The Tearing of the Weave is a 3.5 module that should still be easy to find. I takes place in a good starting location has a lot of local info in it, so it is self contained.

It leads into two other modules or players can explore other regions after. Good luck, keep us updated on how it goes.

[Nightcanon]

Two major ways to become a DM:
1) be a player first, and step into the breach when the DM in your group wants a break/ leaves.
2) be the person who agrees to DM from a group in which no one has played before.

1) is easier because you start with an idea of how to play the game (you know the basic rules, and what has worked/ not worked for your group in the past).
2) isn't as hard as it seems, because even if you don't know how to run a game, nor do your players know how to play, so you are all muddling along together.

If you are thinking about campaigns, and worlds, probably the best advice I can give is use what you know and like, and, as others have said, start of with a small geographical area. If you have read some novels, watched movies, or played cRPGs, based in fantasy settings, you probably have a feel for somewhere like Neverwinter or Icewind Dale or Palanthas or the Shire/ Bree. Set your first few games there. The trope about games starting in taverns is a thing because taverns have a barkeep who can feed the players info, point them to interesting folks new to the area, give them the background on locals (including a steer on who can and can't be trusted), and tell tall tales of the wonders of the big cities that lie many days' journey away. Even if you do start in a city, you first few games should be based around a small geographical area so you can flesh out the limited number of recurrent characters who live and work there. I would say not to even try to plan out an overarching theme for a campaign just yet. When you think of a plot feature that you think will be fun (or even a setting for an adventure, particularly if you are building your own world) make a note, flesh it out over time, and think about how your campaign might take the PCs there. Again, a classic trope is that the adventurers get a name as fixers or troubleshooters in their local community, then start getting jobs that take them further afield, then they get caught up in something bigger. Eventually they stumble on the thing which isn't just a bit-part in someone else's story, but the main theme of their own. You don't need to know what that is at first, and can even retcon the importance of a person or item encountered in an early adventure as part of that plot when it come to you.

[Albertus Magus]

I'll leave some links here:

/r/DMAcademy/ (https://www.reddit.com/r/DMAcademy/)
/r/DnDBehindTheScreen/ (https://www.reddit.com/r/DnDBehindTheScreen/)

In particular:
The Complete Hippo (https://www.reddit.com/r/DnDBehindTheScreen/comments/4alsr0/the_complete_hippo/)

[Elkad]

Don't try to build a world at first.
Just run what are basically one-shots. Published stuff is just fine.
Once you get comfortable handling the controller side, then you start fiddling with the story side.

If you have a story you want to tell, I'd still use published stuff at first for the dungeons. Just cut the faces off the badguys and replace them with your own. Your players don't need to know the module says "orcs" but you have replaced them with identical "Tuskan Raiders" everywhere. Work on filling out their town, customizing treasure to fit your party, etc.

You'll need to fudge from time to time. Especially when you start designing your own encounters, but it happens with published stuff too. Personally, I don't ever do it with the dice. I fudge monster hitpoints up or down, make them "fail morale checks" and run away when their leader dies - even if there are enough mooks to win the fight still alive, add a reinforcing group a couple rounds in, etc.

Resist the urge to fiddle with lucky rolls, on either side. Especially leave critical hits alone. That time the party Sorcerer rolled double crits with his 2 scorching rays and headshotted the BBEG on the opening round may not fit your story, but it's exactly the stuff your players will remember. Same with the Dwarf Barbarian with +17 Fort turning up a Nat1 on some DC11 deadly poison.

[Jack_McSnatch]

Like the others said, best to just jump in and do it. Read my thread about breaking it to a bad DM and try to avoid the mistakes I mention in the first post. Try to have some fun, and if any of your players aren't enjoying themselves, ask them why, and be willing to accept and attempt to address their grievances. Don't get defensive or angry when they mention they aren't having fun, just tweak how you run the game. Also don't be a jerk. That helps

Not gonna lie, your first game ever is probably gonna fall flat, but don't be discouraged. Pretty sure every DM's first time is lackluster. Figure out the things you did right, figure out the things you did wrong, and the next time you run a game, keep all these things in mind. Think about how others in the group have run a game. Pay homage to (read; Steal) things that were fun in their games, and avoid the pitfalls. It's a pain, but running a game everyone is pumped about is a very rewarding experience.

[ksbsnowowl]

"Just doing it" really is a big part of it. But with it being your first time, don't overwhelm yourself.

I don't know your age, or if you relocate away from your players during the summer (college, etc), but it might not be a bad idea to start a low-level game for the summer. Make it clear that it is a "trial run" as your first time in the DM chair. Start at first level, keep things simple, and get the hang of running the game. A simple village with a few interesting adventure locations nearby would be more than enough. Something akin to The Sunless Citadel would be a decent way to start; it has the safety of town, a ruined temple adventuring location a half-day's travel away, and monsters that wander the areas outside of town, and those monsters are different than the ones the PC's fight in the adventure location.

When the summer ends, decide with your group if you want to maintain the same campaign, perhaps expanding it from your small starting village, or if you want to start a new campaign with a bit larger or grander scope from the start.

But again, don't overwhelm yourself.

One other small piece of advice (and a personal plug), some campaign journals will offer insight from the DM's perspective, which might be helpful to you. I tried to include some of that when I wrote the Sunless Citadel Adventure Path - Campaign Journal (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=14113.0). D&D gaming blogs will also often offer up advice and insights into running a game; those are another great thing to check out.

[Zombimode]

Read lots of rules, and think about what effect they would have.
Have lots of characters, or every kind, including the kinds you wouldn't want to play.
Read lots of novels in the right genre.
Watch lots of movies in the right genre

These are two separate things, and neither one replaces the other.
Think about the stories you've read or watched. Why did you like one more than another?
Play lots of games. Try to see what the GM is doing. Re-think it after you see the conclusion.
Read lots of related non-fiction (books about medieval life or medieval battles for D&D, etc.).
Run games, see how they went, ask your players what they thought worked well and didn't work well. [Don't assume that they are right, but don't ignore them, either.]
Watch people wherever you can, and try to understand why they are doing what they're doing.



This list is excellent as is the advice of "Just do it"

In addition, set your expectations: you will screw up. It is inevitable. But Screwing Up is ok.

DMing is easy enough to grasp that, when approached with care and dedication, can produce enjoyable gaming sessions from day 1.
It is also deep enough that even after decades you will still learn and improve after each and every session.

[exelsisxax]

Pretty much everything said so far is great advice, but surprisingly nobody has yet said a very important strategic decision in implementing those suggestions in an effective manner.

GM one-shot(s) before trying to come up with a long campaign idea.

You've never tried your hand before, you have no experienced GM in your group, and it seems like you haven't even played a good game before. You need to work out what works best on the intersection of you, your group, and the game you'll be playing. You will need hands-on experience before you can really distill a lot of other advice into great games.

[ComaVision]

GM one-shot(s) before trying to come up with a long campaign idea.


Am I the only one that thinks running one shots is more difficult than longer games? A one shot has to present a problem, deliver fun and challenges, then have a satisfactory conclusion within a small window of time. In a longer game, you can have one session that's all roleplay and it's fine because the combat guys will get their fix next game(s).

I didn't run a one-off until I was like six months into DMing my first campaign.

[ksbsnowowl]

GM one-shot(s) before trying to come up with a long campaign idea.

You've never tried your hand before, you have no experienced GM in your group, and it seems like you haven't even played a good game before. You need to work out what works best on the intersection of you, your group, and the game you'll be playing. You will need hands-on experience before you can really distill a lot of other advice into great games.


Am I the only one that thinks running one shots is more difficult than longer games? A one shot has to present a problem, deliver fun and challenges, then have a satisfactory conclusion within a small window of time. In a longer game, you can have one session that's all roleplay and it's fine because the combat guys will get their fix next game(s).

I didn't run a one-off until I was like six months into DMing my first campaign.

It depends what exelsisxax means by a one-shot. If he means "bring new characters for one epic, long Saturday adventure, then we'll never play these characters again," I agree with you, that's probably not the best idea.

If he instead meant "pick a low-level module and run it weekly until the PC's defeat the BBEG at the end, then we'll make characters for the real campaign I'll start after that," then I agree with him. That was basically my advice two posts above his. When I ran The Sunless Citadel, it took 11 sessions (3.5 hours each) for them to complete the module. I'll admit, I tend not to hurry my PC's along, and give them space to investigate and explore the world if they want, so I could easily see some other group finishing it in half the time if they hammered through the role play to get info, then head straight out to the adventuring location. Other groups might have much longer sessions, too, which would shorten the real-world timeframe for finishing the module.


This list is excellent as is the advice of "Just do it"

In addition, set your expectations: you will screw up. It is inevitable. But Screwing Up is ok.

DMing is easy enough to grasp that, when approached with care and dedication, can produce enjoyable gaming sessions from day 1.
It is also deep enough that even after decades you will still learn and improve after each and every session.

This is good advice. Know the rules as best you can, then just do it, knowing you won't be perfect.

I'm nearing the end of running that 3.0 adventure path, and I actually just asked my players to fill out a little survey about which adventures they liked the best/worst, as well as aspects of my DM'ing style they did or didn't like. I've been actively DM'ing for a decade, and I'm still improving as I go along.

[Florian]

Am I the only one that thinks running one shots is more difficult than longer games?

I´d say yes, when you´re into a combat as war game.

[Red Fel]

I'll get onboard with the "run a simple one-shot" idea. It doesn't have to be epic, either. Start the PCs in a small town or village, get some practice running social rolls. Give them a quest to clear out a nearby dungeon, cavern, or sewer. Put in some monsters, a few optional encounters or a friendly NPC, maybe a trap or locked door.

Basically, have a personal checklist of things you ought to know as a DM. Combat scenario? Check. Social scenario? Check. Grappling? Check. Enemy spellcaster? Check. Skill checks? Check.

At that point, you've covered the basics. You've gotten a feel for how to run each of the major things that happen in a game. You've also gotten a feel for your players from the other side of the screen - you can play with the same people for a long time as a player, and discover new things about them when you play with them as a DM. You'll notice things, if you're paying attention, and you'll be able to use them in future games. For example, did your players particularly enjoy one particular NPC? You might bring him back as a recurring character or reference. Did your players particularly loathe a segment of the game, like the locked door or traps? Maybe it's best to omit those in the future. Was there one point at which your players sat back and laughed, or applauded, or cheered? Moments like that are priceless, and if you can figure out what makes them happen, try to use them with some regularity.

And then maybe tell the rest of us how you did it.

Another piece of advice I'll offer is this: Be receptive, but be reasonable. Be the type of DM who is more likely to allow something than not, but always make sure you understand it before allowing it in the game.

Let me give you an example: Say a character wants to use a particular race or class in a game. Unless you have a specific reason to say no, be inclined to say yes. What's a good reason to say no? "I haven't read this book yet." (It's not the only reason, but it's a fair one.) For instance, if someone wants to use psionics, and you don't know psionics, it's alright to say no. But it's also alright to say, "Let me read up on it first, and then decide." Be receptive, but know your limits, and if something is beyond you, feel comfortable saying so.

I suggest this for one simple reason: You don't become a great GM by doing the same thing over and over again. You don't become a GM by doing what you've done before, because you've never GMed before, and you don't become a great one by running the same game time after time. You have to do something new just to become a GM, and you have to keep expanding to become great at it. So try, or at least try to try, before rejecting new ideas.

[Florian]

As a side note, did I mention routine and alcohol? You know you´re there if you can do it after a steady supply of "Victory at Sea" or some such.

"Small Scale" basically means you get the core routine right, up to the point you could do it drunk or stoned, dependent on your home country.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Thank you :) but I am not looking for theory, I was able to learn the theory on being a GM I this forum and in the games I was in(I did got a lot of information about GMing in this thread).

I read 30 books in 3.5e until now(I know I only read less than​ half of them) but I know a lot of rules and my group can help me with the ones I don't know.

My group will like a big world with a lot of freedom (I can't do something small).

I know my group will not abuse my and the rules (we are playing because we are friends and not jerks).

I don't want to build a world from zero for my first time and this is the reason I was asking for help in this thread, I was searching for information on the premade worlds people are talking about and more.
So, you know the rules, you know and trust your group, and you know DMing theory. I'd say you're about as "there" as you can get. Go ahead and jump right in!

By "premade worlds," are you thinking about a campaign setting like Forgotten Realms or Eberron, or a premade adventure path like Red Hand of Doom?

[BloodSnake'sCha]

So, you know the rules, you know and trust your group, and you know DMing theory. I'd say you're about as "there" as you can get. Go ahead and jump right in!

By "premade worlds," are you thinking about a campaign setting like Forgotten Realms or Eberron, or a premade adventure path like Red Hand of Doom?
I was thinking about campaign setting but I think that reading adventure paths will help me to.

From what I read the Forgotten Realms will be good for my group(it was in the name of our last two games, now I feel stupid).

Do you know some adventure paths that will fit into Forgotten Realms?
I want to read them, maybe they will help my to learn something about sending the PC to do stuff.



I'll get onboard with the "run a simple one-shot" idea. It doesn't have to be epic, either. Start the PCs in a small town or village, get some practice running social rolls. Give them a quest to clear out a nearby dungeon, cavern, or sewer. Put in some monsters, a few optional encounters or a friendly NPC, maybe a trap or locked door.

Basically, have a personal checklist of things you ought to know as a DM. Combat scenario? Check. Social scenario? Check. Grappling? Check. Enemy spellcaster? Check. Skill checks? Check.

At that point, you've covered the basics. You've gotten a feel for how to run each of the major things that happen in a game. You've also gotten a feel for your players from the other side of the screen - you can play with the same people for a long time as a player, and discover new things about them when you play with them as a DM. You'll notice things, if you're paying attention, and you'll be able to use them in future games. For example, did your players particularly enjoy one particular NPC? You might bring him back as a recurring character or reference. Did your players particularly loathe a segment of the game, like the locked door or traps? Maybe it's best to omit those in the future. Was there one point at which your players sat back and laughed, or applauded, or cheered? Moments like that are priceless, and if you can figure out what makes them happen, try to use them with some regularity.

And then maybe tell the rest of us how you did it.

Another piece of advice I'll offer is this: Be receptive, but be reasonable. Be the type of DM who is more likely to allow something than not, but always make sure you understand it before allowing it in the game.

Let me give you an example: Say a character wants to use a particular race or class in a game. Unless you have a specific reason to say no, be inclined to say yes. What's a good reason to say no? "I haven't read this book yet." (It's not the only reason, but it's a fair one.) For instance, if someone wants to use psionics, and you don't know psionics, it's alright to say no. But it's also alright to say, "Let me read up on it first, and then decide." Be receptive, but know your limits, and if something is beyond you, feel comfortable saying so.

I suggest this for one simple reason: You don't become a great GM by doing the same thing over and over again. You don't become a GM by doing what you've done before, because you've never GMed before, and you don't become a great one by running the same game time after time. You have to do something new just to become a GM, and you have to keep expanding to become great at it. So try, or at least try to try, before rejecting new ideas.

As always, you give my a lot of information :)

I don't think I will need to ban stuff, I will GM my friends, they are good guys and they already ban some stuff before I started playing with them(I joined a group that was playing together from the first edition).

I have a problem, I have to understand everything(I think this problem will help me).

[Barbarian Horde]

Memorize what you can, print the rest out. Keep everyone's character sheet nearby. Stick as close as you can to the rules. Home brew a short term solution if you can't find one during the session. Don't spend an hour debating with players. You have to remember rules are there as a guideline you as DM have final say.

Keep a weighted 1d20 for players that constantly get up to go smoke during the game and have them use it as a punishment. Make sure its shifted to nat 1s.

[BloodSnake'sCha]

Memorize what you can, print the rest out. Keep everyone's character sheet nearby. Stick as close as you can to the rules. Home brew a short term solution if you can't find one during the session. Don't spend an hour debating with players. You have to remember rules are there as a guideline you as DM have final say.

Keep a weighted 1d20 for players that constantly get up to go smoke during the game and have them use it as a punishment. Make sure its shifted to nat 1s.

It will be hard to do, we are playing in roll20(one of us is in a different time zone and the others can't meet).

It do help me with keeping information accessible.

[VisitingDaGulag]

Besides reading all the books you allow, be open with your players. Players will go easy on newer DMs and be surprisingly helpful if you ask.

Run some pre-written adventures. Read it cover to cover. Walk away and read it through like you were DMing it. You'd be surprised how "fast" a session feels when you have to remember what the name of that poison from those monsters was called when the player forgot to pay attention and expects you to know but you're thinking about the upcoming section.

After you can run a prewritten adventure successfully with only one reading, then you're ready to run some of your own. Whatever you chose, tell your players where you are coming from, what to expect, and what lines to not cross. Up front communication is key (as you've found out the hard way).

[atemu1234]

Am I the only one that thinks running one shots is more difficult than longer games? A one shot has to present a problem, deliver fun and challenges, then have a satisfactory conclusion within a small window of time. In a longer game, you can have one session that's all roleplay and it's fine because the combat guys will get their fix next game(s).

I didn't run a one-off until I was like six months into DMing my first campaign.

I feel like this is a common thing for starting DMs to not realize - that running a one-shot is actually a bit easier, especially if it's prepackaged. By all means, keep the players playing the same characters, but you don't need some kind of overarching plots - Elder Evils and the like can wait, and players tend to be kind of ADD about BBEGs.


As a side note, did I mention routine and alcohol? You know you´re there if you can do it after a steady supply of "Victory at Sea" or some such.

"Small Scale" basically means you get the core routine right, up to the point you could do it drunk or stoned, dependent on your home country.

I've been told I'm a better DM while slightly drunk - the stress really does get to one.

Either that or the NPCs get more... memorable. (it's not my fault I have a southern accent when I get tired, drunk or angry)

[Barbarian Horde]

It will be hard to do, we are playing in roll20(one of us is in a different time zone and the others can't meet).

It do help me with keeping information accessible.

I have 3,910 hours in roll20. I know, what you mean. So what your gonna do to help speed the process along is ether keep the PDFs, Hard Copies, or the tabs with the information open. You can simplify some of this by creating handouts in your roll20 game and make to where all players can view it. This can be seen as a quick reference. Although, I want to say you might have better luck on their forums for setting up a game using their materials. I think for your very first game you might be better off starting with just one or two books. Like allow players only to pick from Dungeon Master's Guide, Players hand book I, and Player's handbook II. I did that when I first started personally, just because of the sheer amount of information. I wasn't able to keep up with some of the build's people were throwing at me. Just keep things simple starting up, and gradually move into more complex builds and adding books as your progress and get familiar enough with the process.

If you have no experience as a DM and allow all books, your looking to get ran over by your players with them going full optimization on roll20. A lot of players on there will borderline munchkin their builds if your not familiar with their selections.