[PF] Helping a budding DM

[alchemyprime]

So my girlfriend and I came to a conclusion. Part of our first date was actually me explaining the Eberron setting to her. Our third date was a D&D session I DMed.

Well now the DM's Girlfriend wants to DM, turning me into the DM's Boyfriend. So what should this Dungeon Master do to help his kitten become a Dungeon Mistress herself?

[kestrel404]

1. Be supportive but not controlling. Offer to give her ideas, point her at useful TVTropes pages, show her how you go about preparing for games (noting that not everyone does so the same way). If she's creative and comes up with interesting ideas spontaneously (you should be able to tell this from her playstyle) then she'll need less preparation time, she'll probably do well in running a freestyle/sandbox game where the players drive the action. If she's methodical and tactically minded, then she'll want more preparation time, or perhaps she'd prefer to run a module. In fact, starting out by running a module is never a bad idea.

2. Be a good player. Watch for her plot hooks and go along with them. If she's floundering, come up with something spontaneous and fun to do in character (find a beggar and take them out to lunch, or start trolling bars for mysterious old men giving out quests, or declare that you're going to topple the local corrupt regime while standing in a crowded market square, then deny everything). Don't be too silly and don't be counterproductive, but help to keep things moving if it looks like she's getting stuck.

3. Offer creative criticism. Praise the bits that were really fun. Give advice on the parts that were lacking. Let her know that what she's doing is the hardest part of the game and that a lot of people don't even have the nerve to try.