Playing without a DM

**Zilfana** · 2009-11-22, 04:13 PM (ISO 8601)

I live about an hour away from my parents since i've moved off to go to college. Yaye fine arts degree!!! Anyway, my younger brother is still in highschool, therefore he lives with our parents. Now we both love D&D, and I don't know anyone locally to my parents home that we could play with and he can't really come up to my city to play with the group I play with. Is there anyway we can play small campaigns with just me and him, and possibly my even younger brother if we help him, without a DM when I come home to visit my family every now and then?

**Katana_Geldar** · 2009-11-22, 04:15 PM (ISO 8601)

Anything stopping you from being the DM?

Playing without one can be done, but you have no person who is impartial on the rules.

**Mongoose87** · 2009-11-22, 04:16 PM (ISO 8601)

One of you could always play and DM, or you could simply run a solo campaign for him.

**Katana_Geldar** · 2009-11-22, 04:20 PM (ISO 8601)

Give him a cohort so he's not so lonely though.

**Zilfana** · 2009-11-22, 04:20 PM (ISO 8601)

One of us, probably me, could be a DM, but how would I go about playing a game that I would know everything about, and I definitely don't want to do a solo run.

My the way, I have never DMed, so I don't know if I could really pull something like that off. I'm willing to try, but I think I would need some guidance.

**Gamerlord** · 2009-11-22, 04:22 PM (ISO 8601)

4e DMG has advice for playing without a DMG, it focuses on dungeon crawls though.

**Claudius Maximus** · 2009-11-22, 04:22 PM (ISO 8601)

Or one or both of you could be involved in a pbp game.

**Zilfana** · 2009-11-22, 04:23 PM (ISO 8601)

I am unlearned in the term of "pbp", and I will have to look through the DMG, i might play without a DM, but maybe fill in as one if need be.

**Gamerlord** · 2009-11-22, 04:24 PM (ISO 8601)

Play by post. This fourm is filled with them, check the very bottom list of sectors.

**Zilfana** · 2009-11-22, 04:25 PM (ISO 8601)

like online? digital play might be an option, but i would use a program for that, but sometimes i would like to play in person with him. i may start an online game, he would be able to play, but i would have to fine more people.

**DwarvenExodus** · 2009-11-22, 04:26 PM (ISO 8601)

Originally Posted by Zilfana

I am unlearned in the term of "pbp", and I will have to look through the DMG, i might play without a DM, but maybe fill in as one if need be.

Play By Post

Edit: Ninja'd!

Edit Edit: Double Ninja'd!

**Gamerlord** · 2009-11-22, 04:26 PM (ISO 8601)

Yeah, its online, this forum has a built in die roller, state of the art.

**infinitypanda** · 2009-11-22, 04:30 PM (ISO 8601)

You could play Shock. It's sci-fi, but it's actually designed to not have a DM.

**Katana_Geldar** · 2009-11-22, 04:35 PM (ISO 8601)

Playing by post does not compare to the dymanics of a real table game though.

You usually shouldn't play and DM, but as it's a first outing a cleric or bard DMPC would not be such a bad idea as long as he just heals and perhaps is some sort of exposition fairy. It would also give you another person in the party.

As for "playing knowing everything" you just decide pre-game what the guy knows.

**Zilfana** · 2009-11-22, 04:40 PM (ISO 8601)

It would never beat a real game where we are both players, with separate players and a DM, but it will probably do for the time being, I will probably be a cleric, just heal him, and maybe another NPC, my other brother if plays, I could also use it to kind of fairy them along the correct path if need be.

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