Any advice for a DM new to 5e?

[Buufreak]

I've ran 3 and 4 for years, but to satisfy needs I'm giving 5 a shot. I've limited sources a bit, just to lessen the burden of reading on my stanky olde wizard eyes. Any other big advice you can offer? Or and specific things I should probably brush up on, mechanically?

[Willowhelm]

I’m pretty much a 5e only player/DM so I don’t have any useful direct advice for the question.

It has been asked a lot before though so there are numerous threads here on giantitp you could search for with plenty of advice, as well as across the internet.

One thing worth noting is that the revised 5e stuff is coming next year though, so it’s a volatile time to be trying to jump in fresh! Anything you find talking about “one dnd” is about the various playtest materials that are not yet official.

Good luck!

[stoutstien]

Honestly the only advice I could give you is make sure you actually read the rules and guidelines and don't assume.

There's a lot of things that look similar on the surface level but when you actually dig into them are radically different.

For example I'm working on a system now and honestly 5e DMG guidelines of handling social interaction is really good if you actually read them.

The layout in general indexing of finding the information is frustrating as all get out but there's some good stuff. All the homebrewing stuff's crap but the system itself is lenient.

[5eNeedsDarksun]

I went from 2e to 5e, so can't really help with specific rule changes you might run across that would be weird.

One thing I would say is: Don't houserule anything before you get at least 1 campaign under your belt. 5e is very balanced up to at least early tier3 (especially if you avoid a couple of busted subclasses in newer material), so there's really no need unless you're going high level right away.

The second thing is that there are some very good printed adventures. Rather than trying to dream up everything from scratch, do a little research and pick one that is rated highly that you think both you and your players will like. The best mods are well worth the investment.

5e is meant to be a lower magic setting, so maybe share that with players so they're aware. The only exceptions I'd say are that martials will need a magic sharp stick at some point, particularly if the campaign is focused on creature types that have B/P/S resistance... and once you're in about tier 3 those same martials do tend to fall of a bit and benefit from a little magical help from the DM.

[Buufreak]

To clarify a bit: this isn't my regular group, so I suspect players will be capable of helping fill in rules gaps here and there. I have no intention of any homebrew, so much so the overall precedence set by Tasha has been blanket banned. Mostly I guess I don't know how to resolve things, be they combat maneuvers or social interactions. Would these sorts of things be available on an srd or am I about to go book shopping?

[stoutstien]

To clarify a bit: this isn't my regular group, so I suspect players will be capable of helping fill in rules gaps here and there. I have no intention of any homebrew, so much so the overall precedence set by Tasha has been blanket banned. Mostly I guess I don't know how to resolve things, be they combat maneuvers or social interactions. Would these sorts of things be available on an srd or am I about to go book shopping?

The SRD will service just fine but be prepared to make rulings it's more OSR adjective than 3.x or 4e in that it expects a heavy GM hand in figuring out how to resolve things.

[clash]

Biggest changes for me is how movement works, how skills work and opportunity attacks. Basically the only thing that provokes opportunity attacks in 5e is moving out of a creatures threat range.

[LudicSavant]

Honestly the only advice I could give you is make sure you actually read the rules and guidelines and don't assume.

There's a lot of things that look similar on the surface level but when you actually dig into them are radically different.

This is a big one.

Also, read the DMG; older edition players often assume that it's "just for magic items and setting stuff and DM advice." But in 5e an awful lot of rules that PCs should know are in there.

[J-H]

5e works without magic items for about 4 levels.

A 15th level wizard with no magic items plays quite differently from a 3rd level wizard. Same for clerics and druids.

A 15th level fighter with no magic items plays basically the same as a 3rd level fighter, unless it's one of the pseudo-casting types. Same for rogues and barbarians.

A game with few magic items disproportionately hurts martials. The exact point at which this happens is under debate. I run high-magic games (most recently finished campaign had everyone with 5-6 attunement slots full) and have no problem with the balance. The players enjoyed having the ability to use non-maximally optimal items, like the Samurai wearing the Helm of Teleportation (literally prevented a TPK) or the Warlock being able to carry around an attuned book for Wish once a week.

Don't be afraid to homebrew your magic items. There's clear design intent for it in the DMG, as well as for homebrew subclasses and races.

Do keep anything you create simple. My players have a hard time remembering to use bonus actions, spell scrolls, consumable wands, and similar items some of the time. A magic item with 5 different active features and 3 passives is probably way too complex.

Making your own monsters/enemies is very easy. This link (https://www.blogofholding.com/?p=7338) contains a one-page reference chart. Save it and refer to it to figure out what characteristics you probably want to be at for a given CR. Do also be sure to learn about Proficiency Bonus so you can make internally coherent monsters.

That said - in 3.5, I could easily spend half an hour making a monster and giving it feats, calculating BAB/Saves/etc. In 5e I can do it in 3 minutes, or I can go:

"Mid-level fighter type, so around 60hp. splint mail and shield for AC 19. Good stats/saves are Str+6, Con+5, +1 on everything else. Attacks 2x/rd at +6 for 1d8+4 and has a 1/rd reaction to block 1d10+3 damage to an ally." There's a 5th level fighter NPC statblock that will hold up for the entire combat. He's probably about CR 2-3. CR is not level.

Similarly, a wizard statblock might be: Blur before combat, Fireball one time, then either Magic Missile or Scorching Ray, plus he has Shield. AC 15, add saves and figure out your HP and slap a +6 and 14 on his spellcasting attack roll and DC and you're done.
If you're off by 10% your players will never know and never care.

[rel]

Assume PC competence, don't call for dice rolls if you don't absolutely have to.
Make rulings when things aren't clear cut or working how you want.
Ignore the optional and variant rules along with the new content.
Don't hand out magic items that increase numbers, instead favour cool utility items that the spellcasters can't use.

[Derges]

PCs are very squishy compared to 4e.
Advantage and disadvantage replace +/- 2's.
Free actions are gone replaced with "no cost actions that may be taken once along with other actions on your turn", so snappy right?
Flanking is an optional rule (which is very strong)
The game is assumed to have 0 magic items, every one you add takes it further from the encounter guidance in the DMG.
Encounter builders are helpful to spend an encounter's exp budget.
Short rests take an hour!

Beyond that read the rules, read the classes your players pick.

[Unoriginal]

If you find an ability, feature or rule having a name you're familiar with from a previous edition, don't let the name trick you, because it's going to be very different. Read the whole text of said rule.

As noted above, doing something that has no consequence for failure doesn't require an ability check. Trying to do something that is impossible doesn't require one either. Ability checks are for things that have meaningful/interesting/cinematic consequences and that range from the very easy to the near impossible.

Also, DCs shouldn't be augmented to keep the PCs at equal chance of success/failure for their whole career. If something is easy at lvl 1 it's likely at least one of the PCs can beat that DC without rolling at lvl 10.

[stoutstien]

On ability checks the two things that I see get confused a lot is the difference between what was known as the take 10 or take 20 approach and passive checks. Since they kind of rolled it into the same feature even though it's two different things it reads funny unless you dissect it.

A passive check is where you are determining something for the character without the player declaring that action.

The take 10 or take 20 approach is them actually just doing the task enough time to achieve the out that is equivalent to getting 10 or 20 on the die.

A player cannot actively use their passive modifier but they could, given the right circumstances, take 10 or 20.

The second is thinking in terms of skill checks when proficiency is not calculated into the base formula. It's considered an extra so you don't make a Stealth check. You make a dexterity check that you can add your proficiency because you're trying to be stealthy. Just helps keep the game framed in the "how do you do it" vs "what do you do"

[JonBeowulf]

A player cannot actively use their passive modifier but they could, given the right circumstances, take 10 or 20.


I've been doing this all along without knowing I was doing it. I'm not sure if I feel dumb for not realizing it or pleased for allowing it as a natural way to run the game.

[Unoriginal]

On ability checks the two things that I see get confused a lot is the difference between what was known as the take 10 or take 20 approach and passive checks. Since they kind of rolled it into the same feature even though it's two different things it reads funny unless you dissect it.

A passive check is where you are determining something for the character without the player declaring that action.

The take 10 or take 20 approach is them actually just doing the task enough time to achieve the out that is equivalent to getting 10 or 20 on the die.

A player cannot actively use their passive modifier but they could, given the right circumstances, take 10 or 20.

The second is thinking in terms of skill checks when proficiency is not calculated into the base formula. It's considered an extra so you don't make a Stealth check. You make a dexterity check that you can add your proficiency because you're trying to be stealthy. Just helps keep the game framed in the "how do you do it" vs "what do you do"

Worth noting that 5e treats instances where you could use take 10/take 20 as just "there are no consequences for failure, you just succeed after a while". Or sometime you get an ability check to do it quickly and failure means you succeed but the consequence is you lost time when time mattered becsuse of X.

Also worth noting that proficiencies can apply to a variety of ability checks, as long as they're relevant.

Like, you want to make someone believe your unconscious teammate is ill and very contagious, so they stay away from them? That's a CHA check, and the obvious proficiency to deem relevant is Deception. But if you have Medicine, it could be deemed relevant too, because you know enough about diseases to make a fake one up on the spot or even speak of a real one with fitting symptoms.

[KorvinStarmast]

For the OP:


Honestly the only advice I could give you is make sure you actually read the rules and guidelines and don't assume. In particular:
a. Read Chapter 1 ( the three steps on how to play) and the discussion on advantage/disadvantate.
b. Read Chapter 7
c. Read Chapter 9. Know this about the Action Economy. Each round a player can do one of five things:

(1) Move
(2) Take an Action (read up on all of the actions)
(3) Interact with an object (this is a kind of 'free action" that may or may not apply to a situation, like opening or closing a door).
(4) Take a bonus action (Contingent upon a game / class feature, feat, or spell having "bonus action" as a characteristic)
(5) Take a reaction (Contingent upon a feature, feat, or spell having a reaction); opportunity attacks are a very common reaciton, for example.

Read up on the surprise rules. They are a bit different than previous editions. Technically, there is no surprise round.


There's a lot of things that look similar on the surface level but when you actually dig into them are radically different. Treat this game as a new game. So many game terms are "similar but different" from other editions that it is easy to confuse the two. Happened to me.


5e DMG guidelines of handling social interaction is really good if you actually read them. Absolutely.

The layout in general indexing of finding the information is frustrating as all get out but there's some good stuff. True.

If you find an ability, feature or rule having a name you're familiar with from a previous edition, don't let the name trick you, because it's going to be very different. Read the whole text of said rule. Can't emphasize this enough.

As noted above, doing something that has no consequence for failure doesn't require an ability check. Trying to do something that is impossible doesn't require one either. Ability checks are for things that have meaningful/interesting/cinematic consequences and that range from the very easy to the near impossible.

Also, DCs shouldn't be augmented to keep the PCs at equal chance of success/failure for their whole career. If something is easy at lvl 1 it's likely at least one of the PCs can beat that DC without rolling at lvl 10. True again.

Also: the PC does not need proficiency in a skill to attempt something with that skill.
Example: INT(History) check. If you call for a History check, any character can be asked to do that. All proficiency in that skill does is add a bonus to the roll.
Do not Gate ability checks behind proficiency. That is one of the never ending frustrating 3.5isms I see imported into 5e. :smallfurious: It's anti player to do that. (Sorry, it's a personal frustration, I'll calm down now).

Suggested first adventures, published:

The Sunless Citadel (in tales of the Yawning Portal) - It's a good one.
Lost Mines of Phandelver - it's a good adventure.
The Master's Vault (Free from Roll20, you can get a pdf of it).

About PC fragility:
a. Learn about death saves
b. At level 1, a critical hit can 'kill by massive damage" but it's rare.

About Nat 1 and Nat 20:
There is no critical save and no critical failed save.
There is no crit on an ability check on 1 or 20.

The only "crit" pe se is for attack rolls: auto hit on a 20, auto miss is on a 1, and a 20 is a critical hit only.

[J-H]

PCs are very squishy compared to 4e.

I don't know about 4e, but PCs are ridiculously hard to kill unless you specifically target them. Plenty of potential HP bloat (for monsters as well), and it takes 3 failed death saves to die, plus bonus action healing spells to pop someone back up. They have a lot more leeway than "dead at 0" or "dead at -10."

I houseruled 1 level of exhaustion each time someone goes to 0.

Over the last two sessions I believe we had 3 Nat20s on death saves. PCs gonna PC...

[stoutstien]

I don't know about 4e, but PCs are ridiculously hard to kill unless you specifically target them. Plenty of potential HP bloat (for monsters as well), and it takes 3 failed death saves to die, plus bonus action healing spells to pop someone back up. They have a lot more leeway than "dead at 0" or "dead at -10."

I houseruled 1 level of exhaustion each time someone goes to 0.

Over the last two sessions I believe we had 3 Nat20s on death saves. PCs gonna PC...

I had a player describe them as Rocky Balboa tough.

Another player described them as glass jawed Klingons.

They're extremely Hearty but they're also pretty easy to knock down. They just won't necessarily stay down.

[Nagog]

I only have experience with Pathfinder outside of 5e, but I would say the most important thing to familiarize yourself with is Bounded Accuracy (for setting DCs) and the Skill List. Knowing what kind of skill checks to ask for and what is a good roll vs. a poor one will help immensely with being able to improvise for anything that doesn't have strict mechanical support already.

Beyond that, all the advice I would offer is for DMing in general, so you'd be familiar with much of it already having DMed for other systems.

[Sigreid]

The biggest is same as always was, be ready to run with stuff pulled entirely out of your hindquarters when the party doesn't follow the script.

[Derges]

I don't know about 4e, but PCs are ridiculously hard to kill unless you specifically target them. Plenty of potential HP bloat (for monsters as well), and it takes 3 failed death saves to die, plus bonus action healing spells to pop someone back up. They have a lot more leeway than "dead at 0" or "dead at -10."

I houseruled 1 level of exhaustion each time someone goes to 0.

Over the last two sessions I believe we had 3 Nat20s on death saves. PCs gonna PC...

Level 1 4e characters commonly had HP in the 30s. A crit from a kobold didn't drop a first-level wizard but in most other editions it will. You are right that there are other saving mechanics in 5th.

[MoiMagnus]

I've ran 3 and 4 for years, but to satisfy needs I'm giving 5 a shot. I've limited sources a bit, just to lessen the burden of reading on my stanky olde wizard eyes. Any other big advice you can offer? Or and specific things I should probably brush up on, mechanically?

Double check your maths, because 5e's bounded accuracy will throw off all your intuition.

For example, when selecting a DC, think about "I want a character with 16 Strength (so +3) and proficiency in Athletics (so +2) to succeed at this check at least 80% of the time" and check that it actually works. In that example, you need a DC of at most 10.

And yes, the consequence of bounded accuracy means that in that same situation, someone with 8 Strength (so -1) and no proficiency still has a 50/50 chance of succeeding on that test. But that's kind of the point. With 5e's skill checks, you don't need to be skilled if you're lucky enough.

And in situations where it wouldn't make sense for an unskilled person to succeed by pure luck, then that probably mean this shouldn't be a skill check, but an automatic success/failure.

[Unoriginal]

Double check your maths, because 5e's bounded accuracy will throw off all your intuition.

For example, when selecting a DC, think about "I want a character with 16 Strength (so +3) and proficiency in Athletics (so +2) to succeed at this check at least 80% of the time" and check that it actually works. In that example, you need a DC of at most 10.

EDIT: edited because I made a mistake, thank again to Fredaintdead for correcting me.

Have to say I don't see how that throw off intuition



And yes, the consequence of bounded accuracy means that in that same situation, someone with 8 Strength (so -1) and no proficiency still has a 50/50 chance of succeeding on that test. But that's kind of the point. With 5e's skill checks, you don't need to be skilled if you're lucky enough.

And in situations where it wouldn't make sense for an unskilled person to succeed by pure luck, then that probably mean this shouldn't be a skill check, but an automatic success/failure.

Worth noting there is no such thing as a skill check in 5e.

[Fredaintdead]

DC 10 with a +5 means 75% chances of success.

80%. Failure states are 1, 2, 3 and 4 (5 would be a success). At 5% per result that's 20% chance to fail, so 80% chance to succeed.

[Unoriginal]

80%. Failure states are 1, 2, 3 and 4 (5 would be a success). At 5% per result that's 20% chance to fail, so 80% chance to succeed.

Thank you for correcting me.

[stoutstien]

There is a little bit of a disconnect where per the rules you're not supposed to assume proficiency bonuses when it comes to ability checks but the DCs descriptions don't actually reflect that.

[Dice Goblin]

Assume PC competence, don't call for dice rolls if you don't absolutely have to.
Make rulings when things aren't clear cut or working how you want.
Ignore the optional and variant rules along with the new content.
Don't hand out magic items that increase numbers, instead favour cool utility items that the spellcasters can't use.

This for me is a big one - Assume PC competence, don't call for dice rolls if you don't absolutely have to.

Even now I leave it to the PC.

[KorvinStarmast]

The biggest is same as always was, be ready to run with stuff pulled entirely out of your hindquarters when the party doesn't follow the script. What script? :mitd:

[Toofey]

My biggest advice to a DM moving to a new Ed, especially a mature edition like 5e, is that used books cost less than new books. You can find them online or at used book stores (if there are any left where you are) and you will save enough to get more of them.

[QuickLyRaiNbow]

Keep your 3E books (and AD&D books, if you have them) close to hand. 5E is very light on lore, and you may want to have those resources available during prep.

[KorvinStarmast]

My biggest advice to a DM moving to a new Ed, especially a mature edition like 5e, is that used books cost less than new books. You can find them online or at used book stores (if there are any left where you are) and you will save enough to get more of them.


Keep your 3E books (and AD&D books, if you have them) close to hand. 5E is very light on lore, and you may want to have those resources available during prep.

Both are decent advice. +1 each. :smallsmile: