Sometimes life throws us a curveball. One of our players/DMs had to back out of our games to focus on some real-world issues, so we had to make some adjustments to our schedule.
You’ll see Mielka’s big boy Drash going off on some other business. We have another friend who will be stepping in soon to be our new defender.
Anubis will be taking the helm of the Wednesday game.
Most importantly, I’ve decided to take a big step and try out life behind the screen. On weeks when Anubis runs the Wednesday game, I’ll run the Saturday game.
I’m excited and terrified and will be chronicling this journey in a new series called The Virgin DM Monologues.
Anybody have any advice for a newbie DM?
About e
I’ve learned in the past few weeks that player’s enjoy when you take the time to make the game more visually interesting… maps, tokens, handouts, that sort of thing…
Not just a dry erase on a vinyl mat…
Have fun with it, I’m having a blast…
ebertran´s last blog post..Sunday morning playin’…
High energy and the ability to keep the game moving when things get bogged down are essential…though sometimes it’s fun to watch the players sit and bang their heads against paper walls…
Reverend Mike´s last blog post..Superheroes? BAH! The Villains Are Where It’s At!
Make sure you write all your ideas down and do your prep – lots of prep. Keep everything well organised as well. Nothing breaks the flow like having the DM start flicking though their assorted papers looking for a misplaced dungeon map.
And remember, it’s always your call.
Hammer´s last blog post..The Hand of Kelemvor: Session 1 – The Anti-Session
Hells teeth man where do we start!
Know your game. I guess you’ve been playing so you know the rules pretty well but that isn’t necessarily what I mean. By knowing your game you need to know what you like in a game and what crap you’d simply like to tear out of the rule book and toss into the camp fire. The game is yours and so are the rules. Hammer any smart arse who wants to quote the game at you as these guys are more grief than they’re worth. Having said that. Watch the players. Learn what pulls their chain and give em plenty of it. It’s a feel thing and the only way your gonna learn it is by running the game your way and watching the looks on the players faces.
Know your story. Let’s face it. As Dm your just a glorified story teller and if the plot don’t hang then the whole things lost. Your lucky in the sense in that the players provide damn near everything else for you ie narrative drive,colourful characters, plot twists, drama. All you gotta do is stay out of it.
You don’t exist. Don’t give the players the direct line to god that they seem to think you are. My favourite line when the pc’s are hitting me up for out of character info is “It’s interesting that you think that, but of course I can’t possibly comment.” You could always try “That’s nice but why don’t you ask the N.p.c and not me”
I could go on but I’m sure I’ve given you enough to chew on for now. I can be contacted via nzrpgamers.blogspot.com if your hungry for more info.
Good luck.
I’d say start with a one-shot
If not (and it sounds like you’ve got a campaign there) it depends on how comfortable you are with on-the-fly stuff – I found I was most comfortable having lots of stuff planned out (even if it didn’t all get used) rather than trying to improv when I got stressed. If you’re feeling stressed don’t be afraid to call a break – even a kitchen run or bathroom break can sometimes be enough time to collect your thoughts.
And hey, everyone knows you’re a newbie so they tend to cut you extra slack and help out a bit.
good luck! have fun!! (that’s an important one
)
It’s not so much an issue with 4e right now, but it will be at some point. Don’t be afraid to say “no” when a player wants to play something you don’t feel comfortable running and don’t tell them “anything’s OK” unless it really, truly is. I actually broke a DM once because he said anything was OK and it turned out it really wasn’t.
Trying something new is a good thing, and you have to accept that it may not be good for the first try, or that you may even mot like it in the end. You and your players must make a deal. This experience will be satisfactory for everybody if all accept that there will be some hicups, some mistakes, some pauses.
The most important is to find your style, with your friends and that everybody enjoy the moment spent together.
And as one of the friends that will have your DM virginity, I’ll be here to help make things as smooth and nice as possible.
Hyb’
The number one rule in DMing is KISS: Keep it simple, stupid! Don’t do any more work than you feel comfortable. If you need to throw out a few more obscure rules to keep the game going smoothly without slowing down.
Don’t let the players bully you into giving them more than they should be getting. I had this problem when I first started 7 years ago. I ended up with some Star Wars PCs who had their own miniature fleet at only 4th level.
Good luck!
Dice Monkey´s last blog post..A Trebuchet?! (Not Gaming Related)
I found that it helps knowing your players and what they each enjoy – you’ve probably noticed this already having played with each other for a while. Also allowing everyone some DM time, a big must and something that worked for me was throwing them a curve ball…..just something unexpected like an island full of dryads
peasantbutcher´s last blog post..Case of the Bitch: Part III
My suggestion(s) would when I first started out as a player finally was to get a DnD for Dummies (v3.5). Great book for new and old players. Very great resource. It helped me a lot and then move on to DMing for Dummies (v3.5). Also a great book for new and old dungeon masters. Also a very great resource as well. I highly recommend these books for your reading for the both sides of the DM screen. Then, use http://www.roleplayingtips.com and http://www.dungeonmastering.com for more insight into DMing especially roleplaying tips. Good luck and hope you will enjoy. Just relax and go with it and all that stuff.
Also, be prepared to wing it if necessary.
Hey e,
)
enjoy dungeon mastering. It’s a pleasure once you’ve found out how to do it, just be aware that too much planning usually does no good. I think the first time is the hardest when you have a lot of expectations and try to meet the expectations of your players. I will keep my fingers crossed that you’ll get a good start into it. I guess you’ve got enough Dungeon Masters offering advice when you need it, so I’ll make sure to mention – if you need some help in preparing for a session and you’re running out of ideas… there’s always help around the corner.
So good luck and have fun! (all of you!
TheLemming´s last blog post..Sacred 2 released
Thanks for all the tips, everybody! Keep ‘em coming!
@ Lemming – LONG TIME NO SEE!
Good to see you back.
Go with the 4e theme of “your own monsters”. A little descriptive flare and/or a change of element and you end up with something new and interesting without changing even one number. Especially good for low level games since otherwise you’re stuck with Goblins or Kobolds.
Interesting battles are also more fun (also much easier with 4e than 3.5). Add a hazard that works with the creatures, whether of your own or a core one. For example, in the H1 adventure, there’s a room with an iron maiden and the Hobgoblin’s tactics are to bull rush the PCs in.
The biggest advice is: do not fear improvisation.
If the players do something unexpected, roll with it and fix problems between sessions.
Sometimes is more fun to follow players than to drag them around.
Gomez´s last blog post..[D&D 4E] [Design] Dungeon design pt.2
Don’t hide too much in the stuff on the table (minis, maps, etc). Remember this job is about leading the fun, not managing minis.
Read a couple of GM centered books like “Robin’s Laws of game mastering” and “Play Dirty.” These will give you information about the job of Game Mastering.
Make sure you have a distinctive “voice” and mannerisms for your NPC’s as much as you can. My players generally know who they are talking to by the way I speak.
Robin’s laws spends time on learning what player types you have and how to make use of that. It helps you to define the kind of game the players want and how to give it to them.
Play Dirty will spend time on how to make the players wish they were dead without ever killing them. Make them squirm sometimes, to make it fun for them.
Remember, your job is not about Monsters or Statistics. It is about fun. If you get caught up in all the details, it can bog things down. If you are not having fun, do something else!
Remember the rules:
1) There are no rules
2) Cheat anyway.
Good Luck! I know you will do well. And write about it so we know what happens!
Preperation is good but always remember…is the player’s job to F#%* UP the GM’s plan, so be ready for the unexpected.
Like Sandrinnad said…HAVE FUN!!!
Your players only have as mush fun are you. If you don’t have fun running the game I guarantee you, your players are also not having fun, If you are having a blast, your players are having the time of there life.
I’m getting ready! Thanks for all the advice – and keep it coming! I can reference the advice when I’m trying to convince myself I’m not crazy for trying DMing.
I have been reading my module and working out ideas about how far we’ll get into it. Got my ideas, got my NPCs, got my minis… eek!
More posts to come…
There is lots of good advice out there. Some will apply to you, and some won’t. The basics for me boil down to two sometimes contradictory things.
1) Learn your strengths and play to them. i.e. If you’re good at plot, but not characters, focus more on plot.
2) Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Going out on a limb is the only way to improve, and fear of mistakes will paralyze you.
@ Khorboth – I’m pretty good at improv since that’s what I do most of the day as a music teacher. Screw lesson plans, I hear things and then I fix them. That’s my lesson plan! (Administrators hate that, so I have a fake lesson plan that looks fancy and uses edumacational buzzwords so they get off my back and think I’m awesome. Which I am, but that’s besides the point…)
Either way, I usually think fairly well on my feet if I’ve had enough sleep. Which reminds me, I should get some now…
* player smarts should be more important than character skill
* GM rulings should be more important than system rules
* I master the game, the game does not master me.
* Step on up or step on out.
* Momentum over perfection.
* Complications more’n obstacles
* The game must go on!
To all of her fans, I must admit that e did a great job for her first mastering, and she had a very difficult group to deal with. She’s the best
@ Hybban – You are too gracious.
The posts about Saturday’s game (pre and post) will be going up later in the week for all the curious readers. 
keep the game moving dont dwell on the boaring bits e.g shopping, traveling, long goodbyes.. sat in the taven telling stuiped jokes..
think of it like a tv episode, speed up long dull combats, brute in new 4th seem dull to me after the pc are no longer in danger and theres no movement going on
minionize or drop the ac reflex etc..,
e.g you land a crushing blow and his damaged armour fails he rips i off in a rage..
or the rain of blow youve landed makes the quickjump thing look slowed and groggy now..
and i love funny voices for NPCs every pc is allways
and im also loveing the short 3-4 hour games the RPGA produce but be sure to read them before had as soe of them lack fluff and there maps are dull..
I DM all the time and have done so for a long time. I prefer to wing it. i have a very general concept of and adventure and i let the charactors do what ever they feel they want to do. most stay towards the path of adventure. a few weeks ago i had a rogue that wanted to talk his way into a Zhenterium outpost and well he did a good job until he made it to the main Zhent that called his bluff and the rogue got roughed up thrown outside the rest of us milling about were surrounded and his unconcious butt and us recieved a trip to the dungeon. without our weapons and other trinkets.
I like freedom, sure you have to think on the fly, but when i write stuff down it feels like im giving them a script to an already decided movie. i like improv on everyones part.getting them all imprisoned wasnt even in any small incklings of my mind. we escape death and disebowlment so what the heck.
when explaining something use the senses. smell, sight, sound, and feel. added mental senses, like paranoia and figments of their imagination.
I had one adventure when they went into a old home for shelter from a storm and to the adventurers it looked like time was paused and a family was sitting still from a dinner. on closer inspection their was only skeletal remains at the table and the food that looked hot and just cooked was actually rotted from months of vacancy. unexplained illusions. could be for many reasons, but puts to question everything they see. paranoid. its fun.
DM runs the show. take them on a trip. just make it interesting.