First Time DM

[EsstotheTee]

Hi everyone.

After one gaming group fell through, a couple people from that group wanted to get together with some other people we know and start up a campaign. Problem is, I'm the most experienced player out of everyone, so I got voluntold to DM. I've only DM'd a one shot once before, and now I'm tasked with designing a full campaign.

I'd like to keep things very simple. Core only (meaning PHB, MM and DMG for everyone that says SRD is core, which I know it is) with a campaign setting, most likely Eberron. Because everyone is so new and inexperienced, I just want the options to be limited for ease of gaming. I'm only using the Eberron setting because I'm not creative enough to design my own world.

I'm looking for hints and tips to get this off the ground so the entire group can have fun. I don't really like the idea of railroading the players, because that becomes them just living a pre-written book. Sandboxes also don't excite me, because like I said, I'm not that creative to come up with ideas on the fly. I'd like to have a general outline with plot points the players can follow, but where they don't feel like I'm telling them what to do and how to get there.

Thank you in advance.

[tstewt1921]

With my players I like to give them the aspect of a sandbox with a slight railroad.

Let me explain;

The party will enter a town and be confronted with an initial quest option, but upon embarking on the quest (getting items and such) they are confronted with another quest option or work option, which may be easier or more dangerous. My players have joked that they are going to start saying their quest long is full because each player has an idea and runs with it interacting with someone separate from the party and creates either a new quest or a new event basically for the party to all go and attend because the original player running into the event had so much fun and everyone wants to go do it. So I railroad them by them making the choices of how they pursue each day while there is an overarching story they have to keep in mind.

[Goaty14]

Let me explain;

The party will enter a town and be confronted with an initial quest option, but upon embarking on the quest (getting items and such) they are confronted with another quest option or work option, which may be easier or more dangerous. My players have joked that they are going to start saying their quest long is full because each player has an idea and runs with it interacting with someone separate from the party and creates either a new quest or a new event basically for the party to all go and attend because the original player running into the event had so much fun and everyone wants to go do it. So I railroad them by them making the choices of how they pursue each day while there is an overarching story they have to keep in mind.

TL;DR Railroad them, but give them varied options along the way, kind of like taking a train from Moscow to Paris: there are many options, but you can't go off the tracks.

[GrayDeath]

Hi everyone.

After one gaming group fell through, a couple people from that group wanted to get together with some other people we know and start up a campaign. Problem is, I'm the most experienced player out of everyone, so I got voluntold to DM. I've only DM'd a one shot once before, and now I'm tasked with designing a full campaign.

I'd like to keep things very simple. Core only (meaning PHB, MM and DMG for everyone that says SRD is core, which I know it is) with a campaign setting, most likely Eberron. Because everyone is so new and inexperienced, I just want the options to be limited for ease of gaming. I'm only using the Eberron setting because I'm not creative enough to design my own world.

I'm looking for hints and tips to get this off the ground so the entire group can have fun. I don't really like the idea of railroading the players, because that becomes them just living a pre-written book. Sandboxes also don't excite me, because like I said, I'm not that creative to come up with ideas on the fly. I'd like to have a general outline with plot points the players can follow, but where they don't feel like I'm telling them what to do and how to get there.

Thank you in advance.


For your first time, Eberron with its generally lower Power Level is a good start. It is also a more varied setting than most D&D Worlds, so everyone should be able to find something that excites them. Good Choice.

As for planning a whole campaign: Dont. YOu are doing it for the first time, and that means the biggest problem you will face is Information and Option OVerload.

Reduce that by designing a single, interesting Adventure (say somewhere between 3 and 5 evenings of play). THat will allow both you and your players to familiarize yourselves with the setting and the game.

Once that is done, you should have a better idea of what the players would like to play and where you wouldlike the game to go, and can design from there on.


A Suggestion I always make for "New to D&D Groups" is to limit the available classes to those you think both fitting to the adventure and, even more important, not needing more skill than the players have.

That means the Wizard and the Artificer are out, probably also some other options, depending.

Also, build the characters with the players as group, to allow both for a functional group and help them find out what it actually is they want to play. aking a set of say 10-12 pregens for them to choose and slightly customize works well with some groups too and allows excellent adaption to setting and adventure.

In my Experience a good Beginners Group contains a Barbarian, a Rogua, a Cleric and a Bard or Sorcerer.

I hope this helps. :)

[Geddy2112]

I second not overplanning-if you plan too much, not only is it logistically a nightmare, but it makes you less flexible and able to respond. If your players want to abandon the main quest/plot, you can create every side arc in advance, or just pull one out of the hat.

I am not saying to only plan the main and wing it, but paint in broad strokes-here is Ebberon, the basics of the world, key places names etc. etc. But don't detail every dungeon, stat every NPC, and set encounters in every place in the world. Normally you can plan ahead of the party, 1-2 sessions ahead, and in case they make a hard deviation from their current path, you can be ready.

[Jiece18]

I have found that a good way to start a new campaign is to have a one shot character workshop before you start. Have the group come together and spend a session creating their characters and take them through a short encounter. Its a good way to help the less experienced players complete their characters and it will let you know what everyone is playing before you start planning out the main campaign. The short encounter will give them a chance to try their characters out and if any changes need to be made.

As for being railroaded or sandbox, I would recommend asking the group. Some people like a more straight forward adventure where they simply go from encounter to encounter. This can be good depending on how new your players are to the game. A good idea is to make a bunch of random encounters that can be pulled out if the party marches off the beaten path. For one game, my group decided to go through a swamp that I had intended to be just window dressing on their way into a town. I had a bandit encounter in my folder, so I just threw them into a makeshift camp with so alligators from the monster handbook. It worked alright.

[EsstotheTee]

Excellent. Thank you all for your input. We are planning to get together this Friday to build characters and I might design a quick dungeon crawl just so everyone can familiarize themselves with their characters before starting on the campaign.

[BloodSnake'sCha]

I am in the middle of my first campaign so I have a fresh advice(we are only in the first half year of the game, we play long and slow).

I learned that I always need to plan an alternative story/line of event for the day after my party didn't go the way I planned(that was a fun night with 0 combat when I planned for them to fight a lot).

Also, I learned that it is easier to build a personality to NPCs instead of writing a story(for me it is also more fun fore and make the game flow).

[The Insaniac]

For a new DM in Eberron, I'd recommend the module series that starts with the adventure at the end of the core book. Yes, using modules means a little bit of railroading, but it'll get you comfortable with running the game and with what the characters can do. Don't try to do too much by yourself, get a little experience first. The modules are Shadows of the Last War, Whispers of the Vampire's Blade, and Grasp of the Emerald Claw. After Grasp, you'll have several plot hooks to follow up on with your own adventures.

[EsstotheTee]

For a new DM in Eberron, I'd recommend the module series that starts with the adventure at the end of the core book. Yes, using modules means a little bit of railroading, but it'll get you comfortable with running the game and with what the characters can do. Don't try to do too much by yourself, get a little experience first. The modules are Shadows of the Last War, Whispers of the Vampire's Blade, and Grasp of the Emerald Claw. After Grasp, you'll have several plot hooks to follow up on with your own adventures.

Speaking of modules. I don't mind running them, and actually quite like the story of the Eberron premade modules, but are there any maps or diagrams without the good ol' "X marks the spot" type deals?

I'd like to be able to display them for the players so they can visualise a bit better but everything in the modules shows the marks and I'm awful at drawing.

[DrMotives]

Speaking of modules. I don't mind running them, and actually quite like the story of the Eberron premade modules, but are there any maps or diagrams without the good ol' "X marks the spot" type deals?

I'd like to be able to display them for the players so they can visualise a bit better but everything in the modules shows the marks and I'm awful at drawing.

Tracing paper? Just copy the module maps, with less details.

[EsstotheTee]

Tracing paper? Just copy the module maps, with less details.

There's my lack of creativity biting me in the butt. Thank you for the idea. :)