Tips for New DMs

[blackjack50]

I would love for this to become a sticky for this thread. Does anyone have any advice for New DMs? Anything from generating NPCs quickly, to maps, to where to look for rules? I will start with some:

BEST TIP - Play a few games first if you can, and let an experienced DM help you with your first game.

Other tips
1) Buy the DMs Guide. This has a host of help in it.
2) Lost Mines of Phandelver is a great starting campaign if you have new players, but get the DMG too.
3) Using Index-cards is a great idea. Stat Blocks on an NPC, a location, and so on. Use a highlighter or color code them on a corner to indicate if they are NPC or Location or even NPC faction/alignment.
4) Consistency!!!! Once you make a ruling for a situation...stick to that from then on. It helps players.
5) Visuals for combat/maps...many people have a hard time being only auditory. I used a dry erase board to great effect in one game. Back side of wrapping paper is another great and cheap method. Buttons and other things can represent players in the absence of minis.
6) Computer users: excel or Microsoft notebook are great for notes. But you need to have a very specific and easily referenced option so you can read up on Gartholomew Brookingstone’s stays when your players decide to break into his room and kidnap him. Is he a fighter? A bard? A coward? Brave? Evil? Good? Etc. I prefer notebook for those kinds of notes, but that is just me.



This is not an exhaustive list. Please add more. If you think I’m wrong on something, please elaborate why and be specific. :)

[BloodSnake'sCha]

Be ready to divert from your plans.
Players are weird things that never act as you think they will.

Personality for an NPCs is way more important than stats.

Have a few maps ready for stuff like:forest, rode, city, camp and reuse them.

[MrStabby]

I would love for this to become a sticky for this thread. Does anyone have any advice for New DMs? Anything from generating NPCs quickly, to maps, to where to look for rules? I will start with some:

BEST TIP - Play a few games first if you can, and let an experienced DM help you with your first game.

Other tips
1) Buy the DMs Guide. This has a host of help in it.
2) Lost Mines of Phandelver is a great starting campaign if you have new players, but get the DMG too.
3) Using Index-cards is a great idea. Stat Blocks on an NPC, a location, and so on. Use a highlighter or color code them on a corner to indicate if they are NPC or Location or even NPC faction/alignment.
4) Consistency!!!! Once you make a ruling for a situation...stick to that from then on. It helps players.
5) Visuals for combat/maps...many people have a hard time being only auditory. I used a dry erase board to great effect in one game. Back side of wrapping paper is another great and cheap method. Buttons and other things can represent players in the absence of minis.
6) Computer users: excel or Microsoft notebook are great for notes. But you need to have a very specific and easily referenced option so you can read up on Gartholomew Brookingstone’s stays when your players decide to break into his room and kidnap him. Is he a fighter? A bard? A coward? Brave? Evil? Good? Etc. I prefer notebook for those kinds of notes, but that is just me.



This is not an exhaustive list. Please add more. If you think I’m wrong on something, please elaborate why and be specific. :)


I would disagree with 4.

Consistency is not a virtue if you made the wrong call. This is for new DMs. New DMs are pretty likely to quickly make a wrong call. Learn from it an fix it. Don't embed a single mistake for an entire campaign in the name of "consistency".

In the same vein, be humble. Know you will make mistakes. Get feedback from the players. Fix your mistakes. Dont be precious about your rulings or anything that isn't fun.




For me, what I think is the most important tip:

Have fun. If you need to make a decision, think about what will add the most fun for everyone at the table. It is the single most important criterion. What makes sense by rules, by realism or by what one single vocal player wants are fine, but should be subordinate to what makes the most fun for everyone at the table.

[SirGraystone]

For each thing you create NPC, location, item, try to write something special for it. The local priest may have a drinking problem, the innkeeper spent time as a pirate, the baron's castle is haunted by his great aunt. All small thing that can be use as hook or plot device later, even if you never use them they are there.

Don't panic! Thing will go off the rails, let them go off road, if you don't know what to do next throw a random encounter at them to have time to plan what's next.

And remember to have fun.

[Darkstar952]

I would disagree with 4.

Consistency is not a virtue if you made the wrong call. This is for new DMs. New DMs are pretty likely to quickly make a wrong call. Learn from it an fix it. Don't embed a single mistake for an entire campaign in the name of "consistency".

In the same vein, be humble. Know you will make mistakes. Get feedback from the players. Fix your mistakes. Dont be precious about your rulings or anything that isn't fun.




For me, what I think is the most important tip:

Have fun. If you need to make a decision, think about what will add the most fun for everyone at the table. It is the single most important criterion. What makes sense by rules, by realism or by what one single vocal player wants are fine, but should be subordinate to what makes the most fun for everyone at the table.

I kind of agree with this especially the last part, but would say the Consistency point is valid for within that single session, so even if you made the wrong call on a rule, it is looked up between sessions. Any correction for future games is communicated to the players without derailing or needlessly slowing down the game itself.

[Catullus64]

Some things I haven't seen mentioned directly yet, which I find don't occur to most new DMs:

Set the mood. As DM, atmosphere is one of the things over which you have the most direct control. Develop a stable of evocative phrases and descriptors which can be used to set a tone for any given scene. If you have a good set of players, they'll respond in kind.

Reward creativity. How exactly you do this is up to you, but if your players want to try something unorthodox, perhaps a little zany, or not expressly covered by the rules, err on the side of liberality. For example, if a player attempts some task with particular flair and clever description, I typically lower the DC for them by a point or two; if they convincingly incorporate their character's background or beliefs into a task, I tend to grant advantage. Don't break common sense, but always be willing to bend it a little.

Use combat deliberately. If you design fights out of some sense of obligation that there have to be a few encounters every session, they're unlikely to be interesting. For every encounter, you should have answers to the following questions: what problem is being addressed by the drawing of swords? Does this encounter's placement in the current story and environment add or detract tension?

[blackjack50]

I would disagree with 4.

Consistency is not a virtue if you made the wrong call. This is for new DMs. New DMs are pretty likely to quickly make a wrong call. Learn from it an fix it. Don't embed a single mistake for an entire campaign in the name of "consistency".

In the same vein, be humble. Know you will make mistakes. Get feedback from the players. Fix your mistakes. Dont be precious about your rulings or anything that isn't fun.




For me, what I think is the most important tip:

Have fun. If you need to make a decision, think about what will add the most fun for everyone at the table. It is the single most important criterion. What makes sense by rules, by realism or by what one single vocal player wants are fine, but should be subordinate to what makes the most fun for everyone at the table.

Yes. I see your point. The amendment to 4 would be...be consistent...unless you were wrong. :)

[da newt]

I've seen some folks forget or minimize the why are we fighting part of the narrative and concentrate solely on the encounter (these monsters and a map, OK go!), in my opinion this really takes away from the RPG experience. The WHY is important.

[blackjack50]

Know your players stats and abilities!!!!

Put these on an index card if need be. Stats, abilities, immunities and so on. Include plot points for characters and alignment.



This is a big one that I failed on my first DM. I was constantly having to adjust DCs because my players were nuking characters well above their pay grade. So when I set DCs and traps and so on? They were poorly designed.

[blackjack50]

I've seen some folks forget or minimize the why are we fighting part of the narrative and concentrate solely on the encounter (these monsters and a map, OK go!).

Never a good idea unless your group just wants to dungeon crawl. My group has done that in the past for one shots. I’ve only campaigned with them.

[Jophiel]

If using a published module or adventure, read it. Read it again. Read it a third time. There's a good chance you might find some inconsistencies or weirdness or just plain errors and you'll feel better if you're ready for them rather than caught flat-footed at the table. If nothing else, knowing where the adventure is supposed to be headed can help you make allowances for things that pop up.

Going along with wrapping paper battle mats, a cheap alternative to minis (besides dice, buttons, etc) are paper pawns. You can get a lot of free options online (https://printableheroes.com/minis). Print, cut out, fold in half and use binder clips (https://cerkit.com/content/images/2018/06/BinderClipMiniatureStand2.jpg) for your bases. It's a low cost entry into the maps 'n minis side of the game.

[blackjack50]

If using a published module or adventure, read it. Read it again. Read it a third time. There's a good chance you might find some inconsistencies or weirdness or just plain errors and you'll feel better if you're ready for them rather than caught flat-footed at the table. If nothing else, knowing where the adventure is supposed to be headed can help you make allowances for things that pop up.

Going along with wrapping paper battle mats, a cheap alternative to minis (besides dice, buttons, etc) are paper pawns. You can get a lot of free options online (https://printableheroes.com/minis). Print, cut out, fold in half and use binder clips (https://cerkit.com/content/images/2018/06/BinderClipMiniatureStand2.jpg) for your bases. It's a low cost entry into the maps 'n minis side of the game.

Nice. And very true about reading the encounters.

[Kurt Kurageous]

Tools I can't live without:

I have a single sheet that tracks every character's critical numbers, from AC, HP, attack/cast bonus, DC, their saves and their skills.

I have an excel sheet that has 300 prerolled d20's. Saves a TON of time during initiative and the "waiting around to die" (monster's turn) part of the game no player likes.

Iheartprintandplay, colored pencils, tacky glue, and a penny make durable hero miniatures. A plastic fishing tackle tray is a great storage tool.

Things I swear by:
theangrydm.com
Session Zero.
No PvP.
Murky Mirror.
Build a compendium usng PDF snips. Or message me with your email for my retyped MM, NPCs, Appendix.
The products from WotC are getting harder to run. Writing your own is hard but rewarding.
Writing scenes, not encounters, and awarding XP per player per scene. Having to kill your way for XP means all you will do is kill.

[opaopajr]

Be a fan of the players' characters (the PCs' actions get your GM attention), but be a neutral arbiter for all (the setting's world matters, is not a tissue tiger). :smallcool:

All your preparation is like for a party: the decorations, buffet, the music, the drinks... it's all going to be enjoyed, meaning it will not end as pristine as it began. :smallcool: Be OK with the fictional world changing. Let go of "your story," it's a party not a theatrical play. :smallcool:

As GM you are all senses to the players. Give as much description as asked... and possibly even more. They can't read your mind's eye. Show & Tell, get that context out there ASAP.

Preparation for GMs is like a Safety Net for Acrobats. Improvisation is hard, give yourself a failsafe.

Take notes during play. This is for both GMs and Players. Consistency + Rationale builds Coherency. Besides, learning how to take notes will serve you well throughout life.

You are a GM, like a Master of Ceremonies (MC), you are responsible for ordering the chaos of your party. Your directions are necessary, your tact as a host welcome. Your judgment sets the tone of mutual respect. You have the right AND duty to call rudeness out, diffuse tension if possible, and eject repeat offenders as necessary. No, this is not a democracy. The disruptor's final appeal is to vote with their feet, away from the party. :smallmad:

This is a game with humans, expect socialization. In fact, "let's pretend!" is a great place to practice it. Yes, that means confusion, conflict, emotions, and their resolutions. Learning to Cope builds Resilience. Go get 'exposed, hurt, and recover'... these are the lowest stakes in life. :smallsmile:

[EggKookoo]

Don't fret over unused prep/content. Let the players steer the action, and if it takes the game away from something you lovingly crafted, so be it. Save it and use it for a future game.

Provide context for motivation. This is something often overlooked. Games so often hinge on the assumption that the PCs are motivated to risk their lives adventuring because, well, they're adventurers! That's what they do! But if you can come up with some problem that all players can get behind that gets them moving, it'll be a lot easier to keep momentum (the players themselves will often do that work). Frodo wasn't just bored and felt like running off one day with some kooky wizard.

Make your players/PCs feel special. While your world may in fact be populated with adventurers, it pretty much literally only has 4-6 player characters. While the denizens of your game world may be indifferent to this special status, at least at first, the players are definitely not. They are special, even if that quality is buried under layers of inexperience and grunge. Make them feel like the heroes-in-making they are.

Make random notes. I mean, have a list of potential NPC names, quick backgrounds, common monster/NPC stats. Having stuff like this that you can grab as needed will make the game run more smoothly and reduce some anxiety you might have over your players going off the rails. On a related note...

Use actors for NPC inspiration. I can't tell you how often my nobles look like Sean Connery, or that snarky, charming guard is really Cheech Marin under the helmet. My impersonation skills aren't anything to write home about, but that's actually a good thing as it keeps my inspirational sources better hidden. I use these personalities to not necessarily put a specific celebrity or individual into the heads of my players, but to keep myself consistent and to provide a solid reference point for how I portray them. And this leads me to...

Make your NPCs individuals. That band of goblins the PCs run into may be identical in terms of stats, but make them behave like distinct individuals. You don't have to go too detailed here, but make one brave, one cowardly, one cautious, and one inept. What if one goblin is the older sibling of another, and is especially protective of it? Giving your otherwise-faceless NPCs basic identifying traits like this can make combat feel lifelike and less like a cold exercise in mechanics.

Use prepared material. Don't be afraid to grab and reskin free content off of the Dungeon Master's Guild. The framework of most adventures are very similar. What makes them memorable is the playing. I could run the same store-bought module three times in succession and have a completely different experience each time. Just make sure the game is moving forward based mostly on player decisions, not any plot points you've set up. Which brings me to...

You're not a writer. D&D isn't about the DM telling a story. It's about the DM and the players discovering a story through gameplay. Your job is to set up scenarios, create and run NPCs, and of course handle the rules. The players are more authoritative than you are when it comes to what happens next. This is a tough thing for many DMs (new and old) to accept. A lot of folks become DMs because they see the role as a way to be the creative lead in a collaborative storytelling experience. But they're actually subservient to the players, at least in the here-and-now part of it. The DM sets the stage and can decide the overall worldbuilding setup. But in the end, the players mostly decide which parts are the "story."

[Lupine]

The biggest advice I can give has to do with planning (world, adventure, etc)

Yes, planning is crucial, but you don't need to plan everything down to the smallest detail. It is generally better to plan things from an big picture, and let things unfold.

In addition, always ALWAYS remember that NPCs are the most important part of the game. You can have an epic fight with the BBEG on top of a dragon, or in the underdark, but that final fight will feel lacking of the BBEG doesn't have the character to support the fight. Generally, plan the NPC, and let the NPC build the adventure .

For example, I recently started laying the hooks for a mystery-crime adventure with my players. Now, I know my players, so I know what will draw them in. But thats besides the point. When it comes to planning, I planned the NPC first, and then from her personality, I wrote out the story of the crime. After that I now will just lay a few initial clues for the PCs, after which everything they find will be things they asked about. Knowing how the NPC did the crime, I can say how the NPC did the crime, and how. That is much more valuable than a long, meaningless dungeon crawl.

[No brains]

The most dire piece of advice for a DM is No D&D is better than bad D&D. You have the most sway in determining when your group is too toxic and you need to pull the plug.