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Thread: Hi, I am a new DM
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2010-04-15, 08:13 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Apr 2010
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- I live by a Mountain
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Hi, I am a new DM
Hello,
I've never done this before. But I am looking foward to the new ideas and rules that I may (Most likely) have missed and get the information I need to be one of the many best DM that this old game could be. As the old saying goes, "One can't be better then his master, but be equal to him." So, how does this group work?Last edited by Emerald; 2010-04-16 at 07:19 PM.
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2010-04-15, 08:18 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Mar 2009
Re: Hi, I am a new DM
Hello. First off, I would like to direct you to the Role playing games thread instead of friendly banter. This way it's easier for other DMs/GMs/Players to find your thread.
Now as for your request, We need more information on the group. Not everything works the same for everybody. Details are necessary. I'm not sure about your question of "How does this group work"? because I'm not entirely sure what you're asking there.
welcome to the forums and have fun while you're here.Last edited by Mystic Muse; 2010-04-15 at 08:19 PM.
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2010-04-15, 08:25 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- May 2007
Re: Hi, I am a new DM
General DM tips will be useful regardless of game. But if you ask specifics about rules, you'll want to specify the edition.
If you're asking how the forums work, like most forums, it's best to spend some time 'lurking' to get a feel for discussions. That is, read through posts and once you feel comfortable enough that you know what's going on, jump into some conversations (but don't post in threads that are more than a month old or so, start a new thread if you want to continue that conversation).
obnoxious
sigOn DMPCs: "Remember, nothing will spice up your campaign quicker than long descriptions of NPC’s doing spectacular stuff while the players sit around and watch." -Shamus Young, DM of the Rings
Divide By Zero: Irreverent Fool, you are my hero.
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2010-04-15, 08:28 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Mar 2009
Re: Hi, I am a new DM
okay then. Remember, if your players optimize you're allowed to Optimize too. If the players are allowed to use it so are you.
Learn to improvise if you haven't already. This is an invaluable skill as a DM. I improvised an entire session once and my players thought it was better than my prepared sessions.
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2010-04-15, 08:30 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Mar 2010
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Re: Hi, I am a new DM
First thing's first: You need a plot. Be careful, though, because if you try to force the PCs along a predetermined route, it will be less fun for everyone. Come up with certain "landmark points." Think along the lines of "I want X to happen at early levels, Y to happen around mid levels, and bring the campaign to a close with Z." A very general idea lets you give the players some freedom while also making sure your story stays on track.
Second, make sure your party is balanced. This is the tier list, and is the usual benchmark for power level. If you have 2 people who want to play a Druid and a Paladin, see if you can nudge them towards Spirit Shaman and Crusader. However, individual character optimization > tiers, so make sure you know who your powergamers are.
Lastly, have fun. I know it seems like an obvious suggestion, but keeping the air light is every bit as important to a D&D game as killing the BBEG or saving the princess. If the players aren't joking and having fun, then there's something wrong.
Good luck with your campaign!
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2010-04-15, 08:32 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Oct 2009
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- Central California, USA
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Re: Hi, I am a new DM
I reread your post a couple times, so I think I'm taking your meaning correctly (if not just let me know). You may be under the incorrect assumption that this is one cohesive group. While that would be really cool, and I've seen board sites set up that way, where all users are players and/or GMs in an interconnected world, that is not the case here.
There are dozens if not hundreds of separate games going on in the PBP board most of which are not connected in any way. As the poster above me, if you'd like to 'throw your hat into the ring' as it were and run a game, that is the place to start. People will look for "The Big 16" which is a list of 16 questions that give people the information needed to build a character for your game. You should be able to find these there as well without trouble.
This particular section of the message board is mostly dedicated to informal discussion about rules and mechanics and interpretations there of: Conceptual optimization, viability of certain builds, looking for help progressing/saving a campaign, etc.
So, if you have any questions, right here is the best place to put them, but I'm affraid I don't think I can answer "How does this group work" without some more clarification.My games:
Have you ever wondered How to Succeed in Evil?
Thanks licoot for the awesome Pip avatar!
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2010-04-15, 08:45 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Mar 2010
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Re: Hi, I am a new DM
And here they (probably) are, for added convenience.
SpoilerThe Big 16
1. What game system are you running (D&D, Call of Cthulu, Palladium, GURPS, etc.), and if applicable what edition (Original, Classic, Revised, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 10th, etc.)?
2. What 'type' or variant of game will it be (i.e. "Shadow Chasers" or "Agents of Psi" for d20 Modern)? What is the setting for the game (eg. historic period, published or homebrewed campaign setting, alternate reality, modern world, etc.)?
3. How many Players are you looking for? Will you be taking alternates, and if so, how many?
4. What's the gaming medium (OOTS, chat, e-mail etc.)?
5. What is the characters' starting status (i.e. experience level)?
6. How much gold or other starting funds will the characters begin with?
7. Are there any particular character classes, professions, orders, etc. that you want... or do not want? What are your rules on 'prestige' and/or homebrewed classes?
8. What races, subraces, species, etc. are allowed for your game? Will you allow homebrewed races or species? 'Prestige' races or species?
9. By what method should Players generate their attributes/ability scores and Hit Points?
10. Does your game use alignment? What are your restrictions, if so?
11. Do you allow multi-classing, or have any particular rules in regards to it?
12. Will you be doing all of the die rolling during the course of the game? Will die rolls be altered, or left to the honor system? If players can make die rolls, which ones do they make, how should they make the rolls, and how should they report them?
13. Are there any homebrewed or optional/variant rules that your Players should know about? If so, list and explain them, or provide relevant links to learn about these new rules.
14. Is a character background required? If so, how big? Are you looking for anything in particular (i.e. the backgrounds all ending up with the characters in the same city)?
15. Does your game involve a lot of hack & slash, puzzle solving, roleplaying, or a combination of the above?
16. Are your Players restricted to particular rulebooks and supplements, or will you be allowing access to non-standard material? What sources can Players use for their characters?
These are the only "Big 16" that I can find with Google-fu.
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2010-04-15, 08:45 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Apr 2010
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- I live by a Mountain
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Re: Hi, I am a new DM
Okay, here is the game.
It's D&D 3.0/3.5 Ed
The plot is going to have to wait, I've discovered that many of my players are on this site a lot.
The problem:
I like to go by the rules, not because I want to. Because the players are rules lawers (You herd me!) So I try very hard to read the books and go by the rules.
However, say I come across an issuse that can't go by RAW terms. I would then go on the fly and see what happens. But thats when the other problem comes along. The players brake out their books and spend the next half hour arguing about why my ruleing can't work.
Like one time I let the durid talk to ants, they were going into an ant hill, with larg ants.
Because of this, I'm going into 4ED and trying that out and seeing if that would be a better fit, because I would be the only one with the books and I would be the only one knowing full well how to play.
Comments, Concerns, Complaints?
P.S. I mean this wedsite and post's? But I got that one taken care of, thx you.Last edited by Emerald; 2010-04-15 at 08:49 PM.
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2010-04-15, 08:48 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Mar 2010
- Gender
Re: Hi, I am a new DM
Whenever there are no rules for a certain situation, it's complete DM fiat. You call the shots, not the players. If you want to change existing rules, tell them up front, but if you have to make one up, no one else at the table has anything to stand on arguing the ruling.
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2010-04-15, 08:50 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Mar 2009
Re: Hi, I am a new DM
the players not knowing how the rules work unless you tell them is not going to be a good thing.
in 3.5, next time they start bringing out the rule books simply say "guys, this is the way I've decided to rule it. If you don't like it, then you can follow the rule when you DM but this is how it's going to work in this game." or something like that. Try to avoid being confrontational, but simply saying "this is how it works this time around." should solve most of your problems.
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2010-04-15, 08:56 PM (ISO 8601)
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- Oct 2009
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- Central California, USA
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Re: Hi, I am a new DM
As Kayuubi, but if they're GitP users, "Rule zero", and "I don't care about RAW(Rules as written), this is what we're doing." make perfect argument enders.
My games:
Have you ever wondered How to Succeed in Evil?
Thanks licoot for the awesome Pip avatar!
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2010-04-15, 09:56 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Mar 2004
- Location
- In eternity.
- Gender
Re: Hi, I am a new DM
If you ask about party makeup, the best group is what your players want to play. Going for a traditional tank/sneaker/healer/special effects party can work.
I DMed a group that started as Wizard/Barbarian/Rogue. The Barbarian went Necromancer and I allowed him to learn cure spells. The Rogue went for Arcane Trickster and that went poorly because of the massive setup cost.
As for RAW, declare all your house rules up front. This may mean sifting through a hundred emails or a pre-game session over what's allowed and how things are interpreted. I advise reading Min/Max and 339 as they educated me greatly on the rules.Last edited by Endarire; 2010-04-15 at 09:58 PM.
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2010-04-15, 10:55 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- May 2007
Re: Hi, I am a new DM
Tell them that if they have to bust out a book to verify a rule or spend any more than five seconds arguing that they can make a note of it after the game, but in the interest of keeping the game going, you're going to make a call now. If it turns out you were wrong, you will fix it in the future, but for now the focus should be on the game.
Another suggest I submit is one that worked well for my girlfriend when she began to DM (though it was her intent at the time, not my suggestion). Play core only. If they want outside material, review it on a case-by-case basis and be willing to say, "I'm sorry, but I'm not comfortable with that in the game yet." While we lost one player over it, everyone else in the group agrees that her campaign was one of the best as we were focused on the game and not the mechanics.
As for declaring houserules up-front, that's a good idea. In a living game, you may come up with others on the fly and that's okay too as long as it's generally agreed that it's fair. If you put in a houserule that nerfs someone who was relying on something specific for their character (which you should avoid if possible), allow them to retrain the feat/class level/etc. Then, write the new rule down so you can remain consistent.
Or you could grab an old Basic set and have at it. Or Mazes & Minotaurs. Or some other simpler system. 3.5 is needlessly convoluted. You may have trouble switching hardcore 3.x players to 4e, but in general, I've seen a lot of players more willing to go 'back to the basics'.
obnoxious
sigOn DMPCs: "Remember, nothing will spice up your campaign quicker than long descriptions of NPC’s doing spectacular stuff while the players sit around and watch." -Shamus Young, DM of the Rings
Divide By Zero: Irreverent Fool, you are my hero.
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2010-04-15, 11:01 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Mar 2004
- Location
- In eternity.
- Gender
Re: Hi, I am a new DM
Careful with core-only. The less material that's allowed, the more I want to be a Wizard or Druid. Fewer sources generally mean less lookup, but many game-breakers exist in core.
The main thing about including non-core material: It's another place to look. The player and you need reliable access to the source material. However, more sources mean non-casters feel less cramped and perhaps more interested. A Warblade is far more interesting for me to play than a Fighter because of maneuvers and stances.
Again, studying the Min/Max board helps lots.
As for rules lookup, having a laptop is quite handy. www.d20srd.org has LOTS of material online for free, not all of it 'core.'
4E
It's a radically different system. It's a game that admits it's a game, instead of trying to be a simulation.
Everyone needs reliable access to the rules; else, the most ambitious will get their questions answered by bugging people on the boards, downloading the PDFs, buying the books, or browsing the rules at their local hobby/bookstore.Last edited by Endarire; 2010-04-15 at 11:04 PM.
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2010-04-15, 11:12 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Aug 2008
Re: Hi, I am a new DM
I would really like to see a game made by Obryn, Kurald Galain, and Knaight from these forums.
I'm not joking one bit. I would buy the hell out of that. -- ChubbyRain
Current Design Project: Legacy, a game of masters and apprentices for two players and a GM.
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2010-04-15, 11:13 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Mar 2009
Re: Hi, I am a new DM
So, making things up as you go is better then?
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2010-04-15, 11:26 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Oct 2008
Re: Hi, I am a new DM
Here's some guidelines you can put up to help with that:
1.Rulings may be discussed for a maximum of X minutes. After which, the game will progress under the DM's current ruling. At the beginning of the next session, an appeal may be made based on new evidence for future gameplay.
2.Rulings that are overturned do not change events that have already taken place, except what's currently happening(For example: The current player's turn only)
3.There's RAW, RAI, and Rule 0. Each has their place at the gaming table, and typically, you'll go by either RAW or RAI. However, Rule 0 will be invoked as necessary to maintain an enjoyable gaming experience for the entire group.
That's generally a bad idea. 4e may be a decent system in its own right, but moving out of 3.5 because of problems with your players isn't going to help in the long run. They'll just buy the new books, and you'll be back to square one. Better to treat the problem than to change patients.Avatar by Assassin89
I started my first campaign around a campfire, having pancakes. They were blueberry.
My homebrew(updated 6/17):
SpoilerIn progress:
Prolonged Spell(Fix for Persistent spell)
Weapon Training(replaces Weapon Focus chain)
Shelved:
Ascendant Feats.[New content!]
Finished:
Belts of potionade
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2010-04-16, 06:50 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Apr 2010
- Location
- I live by a Mountain
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Re: Hi, I am a new DM
Hello,
These are very good suggestions. I like the idea of not going into 4ED just yet. And the idea of having a brief talk for x minutes and moving on. That way no one is hurt. Plus giving me movement in my own story, like the Ant thing.
What about players that have a tendency to cause plaryers to argue just to hear an argument? What is a good way for dealing with this problem w/out kicking the 'argue maker', out?
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2010-04-16, 07:04 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Oct 2009
- Location
- Central California, USA
- Gender
Re: Hi, I am a new DM
If it's a serious issue, Rule 0. The fact of the matter is you're the DM, you're the one in charge. Don't go overboard with it, but when problems crop up you can stop them dead if you have to.
If the real issue is with only one or two players, try talking to them? Make them aware of the problem and that you feel they are becoming a disruption to the game. If they want to argue, they can come here or some other site and not waste anyone's time but their own (and those that decide to join in).
After that, get firefox. Unlike IE, it has a built in spellchecker. Without it my posts would be illegible.My games:
Have you ever wondered How to Succeed in Evil?
Thanks licoot for the awesome Pip avatar!