My First Experience As A (Full-Time) DM

[Defiant]

I present to you my first ongoing experience as a full-time DM. I would appreciate any advice you could give me in regards to how I've performed and whatnot. Primarily, I'd like to vent!

We have this group organized at the university where I volunteered to be the primary DM. By the second session, we had so many people that we had to split it into two groups. Much to my dismay, just about everyone flocked to the other DM's group, such that I actually had to strike a deal with him that I'm keeping the original players I started out with (with some modifications). Those modifications specifically were one extra person that couldn't make it to the first session that was one of my close friends, and one less person whose attitude and lack of focus really annoyed me (of course, I never told him that). Both were fine with it.

It was very disheartening to see everyone who was talking about joining the D&D group want to go to the other DM's game. Some contributing factors might have been that I was new as a (full-time) DM, and his campaign was very off-the-wall, while I preferred a regular campaign limited in extra rules and wacky made-up things. But that was alright, I had my group, and I didn't want a large group anyways.

Of course, at first I did not forbid any stuff that was from books outside of my knowledge, as long as I could skim it and see that it would be OK in terms of balance. But once everyone left leaving me with 4 players, the majority of which were my friends, I could persuade everyone to keep it mostly to the core books.

Another contributing factor might have been the fact that my campaign trudged along so slowly because there were so many people. I had two intro missions that were primarily railroaded hack-and-slash while everyone settled in, before the party started to get more freedom. There a few reasons for this. First, I wanted it to start like this, especially given the background of the campaign (they were conscripted into the Special Forces). Second, since it would take a while for everyone to get settled in, especially as they'd come late or whatever, they wouldn't miss too much from the intro. The only problem is that these railroaded hack-and-slash intro missions took much longer than originally planned because the group was so large. I had planned them out to be worth 1, maybe 1.5 sessions, and it took 3 sessions while I even cut out a few encounters. Only after that were we able to get rid of the separate group.

When we finally managed to break off and get rid of everyone else, I was happy that I could get my actual campaign going. However, one of my players started considering going to the other group, wanting more roleplaying. I tried to explain to her why my campaign started off to such a slow start, and that there would plenty of roleplaying, myself being an avid fan of it. She agreed that she'd at least see how next session would be.

The next session (by now fourth overall) went by excellently. There was good roleplaying, adequate amounts of combat, and excellent story interweaving. Everyone was pleased, including her, telling me that my campaign was good, and it was indeed a wrong impression: she'd stay with my group.

The most recent session that was a week ago also went fairly decently. It turned out being a sort of sabotage mystery that the players failed to solve (mostly because of ridiculously unlucky rolls). That girl I was talking to you about left early to attend some kind of show (I was irked by it, but I did my best to hide the fact that I was upset, because logically it was understandable). The session trudged on a bit too much in the going-nowhere roleplaying part, so next session I'll put an early end to that train of play.

We usually (used to) meet at around 6PM to go until 11PM, with a usual break in between. Now this is where I became very upset. That girl has now dropped out of my campaign and joined the other one (the method with which she did so was questionable, one day before our session and ending with a "lol sorry", but whatever). I have now scrambled to find another player that would fit in well with our group, and have managed to get a player's friend whose classes end at 8:30PM.

My plans for the campaign include more interweaving plots that I'm sure will be very exciting for all involved.

But my confidence as a DM is still very shaken.
I had even prepared nice little sheets outlining their mission objectives as given by their commanding officer.

Have I done anything especially wrong? So far, I've tried my best as a DM, I'm just wondering if there's anything that I've missed. Feel free to give any other comments as well, I'd appreciate it.

Oh, and by the way, thanks for letting me vent

[arguskos]

Defiant, do you live in Dallas, Texas, and do you need another player? Cause, if you need a player...

On a far more serious note, I'd like to mention that it sounds like you did fine for a new DM who's getting the hang of things. You had good story weaving? In session #4? That's... pretty impressive, actually. Better than I did in my 4th session, for damn sure.

On your group moving slowly, I can let you know, it's not a big deal. My current group, thanks to my DM style and their playstyle, managed to clear four rooms in a dungeon last session. That session was 11 hours long. Four rooms, with fairly simple encounters (two were charge in, kill everything; one had a new PC and a pit trap in it; and the fourth had a couple hiding monsters and some treasure chests), in ELEVEN HOURS. I went home and actually came to the verge of tears over that, since I felt like I failed my players for not moving the game along a little more.

Really, it sounds like you're doing just fine man.

-argus

[Lappy9000]

Doesn't sound like you did anything wrong. Personally, my group's policy is that if it's not core, it has to be confirmed by the DM first.

You should start a PbP game here on the forums. People literally flock to those, and the folks around here are mighty polite.

[Defiant]

Defiant, do you live in Dallas, Texas, and do you need another player? Cause, if you need a player...

On a far more serious note, I'd like to mention that it sounds like you did fine for a new DM who's getting the hang of things. You had good story weaving? In session #4? That's... pretty impressive, actually. Better than I did in my 4th session, for damn sure.

On your group moving slowly, I can let you know, it's not a big deal. My current group, thanks to my DM style and their playstyle, managed to clear four rooms in a dungeon last session. That session was 11 hours long. Four rooms, with fairly simple encounters (two were charge in, kill everything; one had a new PC and a pit trap in it; and the fourth had a couple hiding monsters and some treasure chests), in ELEVEN HOURS. I went home and actually came to the verge of tears over that, since I felt like I failed my players for not moving the game along a little more.

Really, it sounds like you're doing just fine man.

-argus

Wow, that is something! 4 rooms in 11 hours!

Thanks, although you might have gotten the wrong idea about the story-weaving part. It's turning out that my campaign will actually end up being episodic rather than continuous (although effects from previous missions will affect things to come), so by story-weaving I mean that particular episode-weaving. Though it did open up an opportunity for a more long-term situation.

Doesn't sound like you did anything wrong. Personally, my group's policy is that if it's not core, it has to be confirmed by the DM first.

You should start a PbP game here on the forums. People literally flock to those, and the folks around here are mighty polite.

Well, I've actually missed playing so much, I've tried joining PbP games instead. I've even dreamed that I was a player in a campaign.

[arguskos]

Wow, that is something! 4 rooms in 11 hours!

Yeah... my players like to bicker. Well, they LOVE to bicker. Actually, their like Bickering Elementals, beings composed of pure argumentation and debate over useless crap. Yes, I am bitter.

Also, too bad you live in Canada.

Hey, let us know how the episodic thing works out! I've thought about it, but never worked it out.

-argus

[Dizlag]

I'll reiterated what's be said already ... sounds like you did just great. As DMs our job is to make everyone's experience an enjoyable one. Let me say that again ... it's our job to make EVERYONE's experience an enjoyable one. It truly is a tall order sometimes, but if you do your best then you're doing right by your players.

If a player wants to drop out because its not their thing and move on to another group, try not to take it personally. Maybe this girl didn't know how to leave the group. It's a hard thing to do something like that ... heck, I quit a gaming group my best-man at my wedding was running because our gaming styles went two different directions. Mine went in your direction (a little more old school / less complex), his went into the direction of this other DM you were talking about (anything goes / weird is good).

I'd like to play in a campaign you've described. The idea of sheets outlining their missions is a great one ... handouts and game aids like that go a long ways. So again, don't sweat it. You're doing great and keep up the good work!

Btw, I'm heading to my local gaming store to play Warhammer Fantasy miniatures with my best-man. Roleplaying wasn't our cup of tea, wargaming via miniatures is.

Dizlag

p.s. I'm in Elk River Minnesota ... my buddies say it's halfway to Canada when they come from across the Twin Cities. Hehehehe

[Prometheus]

Some people just like to use more books and to them D&D isn't D&D without those extra books. You didn't say specifically what books you were limited to, but it doesn't matter, because everyone has different preferences. I occasionally get flak because I don't know anything about Tomb of Battle, for example and don't know much about the Complete Whatever series. However, I have many a successful run without them.

Was the other DM considered more experienced by even a small degree? If so, I hate to say it but they were probably biased against you. They don't know either of you, and they can't know what both of you are like at the same time, so they pick the option that they consider to have the better odds.

Some people jump in and jump out. It happens all the time, it doesn't mean anything bad. Who knows, maybe she had the hots for one of the players in the other group or was annoyed by one of your players.

It sounds like you are doing a great job, especially for your first DMing experiences. Some part of you will probably be saying to yourself "What if I'm the only one who thinks that?" I still do. Let your players know that if they have any general complaints or compliments that you are all ears. If they are silent that is a compliment. If you really are terrible, you will get better, but I don't think anything you've said would give that indication.

[Lappy9000]

By the way, how many people were in your group before it got split, Defiant? I once ran a battle with 8 active players against hobgoblins and bugbears, part of which was outside, the other half of which was inside a now-flaming cottage (thanks to the pyromaniac druid). Only one player died (crit for +30 damage when he had 12hp left), but my head was ready to explode afterwards.

I like how half of that group mysteriously vanished from the plot (except for the dead one, whose rotting corpse was stuffed into a bag of holding for over 6 sessions until someone rembered it was in there)

[KillianHawkeye]

I can't imagine trying your first time DMing with a group who gets a bunch of random people coming and going like that. I myself am DMing for the first time (campaign's getting close to a year now), and I am very thankful that I'm part of a steady group of gamers who I was able to get to know quite well when I was still just a player, so I was able to structure my game based on our mutual playstyle that we've developed as a group.

Anyway, things get easier the more you do it, and the more you get into it as well. Good luck!

[Nohwl]

on my 4th session, the party still wasnt working together.

put a time limit on how long everyone has for their turn in combat, and skip anyone who isnt at the table/not paying attention. i like rolling initiative once and having whoever wins start every time and alternate between clockwise and counter-clockwise from him every time. everyone knows when they are going, and it speeds things up a little.

if you have players with a short attention span, have them go first for actions outside of combat.

[Calinero]

It sounds to me like you're doing pretty well for a first time DM. I've only run one campaign before, and it was scripted, so I'm going to use my perspective as a player. I like it when a campaign isn't too crazy, and keeps its focus on roleplaying and plot. Everyone has pacing problems occasionally, it's nothing to worry about. Keep up the good work!

[Defiant]

News update!

First of all, thanks for you your kind words

It turns out, after conversations I've had and overheard with my friends, that she's started going out with a guy in the other group. In fact, they'd been hanging out since before we started D&D (and I think he might have been the one to bring her into the group).

Well, I guess it wasn't my DMing after all, and Prometheus had it bang on

[kjones]

Ah, freshman romances. (assuming that all of you are freshmen, that is, but it kind of sounds like it.) Don't worry, she'll come crawling back.