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Author Topic: Any tips for a first-time DM?  (Read 32177 times)

Vorthon

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Any tips for a first-time DM?
« on: March 21, 2011, 07:21:04 am »

I might be running a D&D (Revised 3rd Edition, of course) campaign, soon, and I could use some tips.

I'm developing a homebrew campaign setting with a few new races, and, well, it's probably going to be primarily urban in nature. (Depends on what the players want, though.)
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freeformschooler

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Re: Any tips for a first-time DM?
« Reply #1 on: March 21, 2011, 07:32:05 am »

Yeah.

1) If you have to fudge it (make up a die roll, "cheat") don't let your players know you are.
2) Have a very good grasp of the rules and your own house rules at any given time.
3) Put fun above all else, even if it is a serious campaign. Your players not having fun, or you not having fun, will likely end in disaster.
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Sowelu

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Re: Any tips for a first-time DM?
« Reply #2 on: March 21, 2011, 08:12:35 am »

Helpful rules lawyers who say "Oh!  I know how grappling works, it's X and Y and Z" are your friends. 

Annoying rules lawyers who say "That's now how grappling works" should be shut down immediately and reminded that the GM is trying to keep the game running smoothly, that the current way you're handling things is now houseruled, and that any issues can come up after the session.

Stickynotes in your rulebook for places you might need to find in a hurry are useful.

When you write down stuff your players might encounter, make sure you copy all their stats down into your notes too so you don't have to cross-reference with the Monster Manual or whatever.

When you're introducing your new setting, players love props.  Don't just tell them about your setting, show them.  My group loved it when I gave them 'travel brochure' type stuff.  Let them have reference materials, and let them have a map of common-knowledge city/region stuff that can just sit on their side of the table that they can just pass around whenever they like.  Same with new races, make fact sheets and stuff that they can refer to.  Not just stats, but stuff like "this is what people think of this race, this is what they look like, this is where they're from".

In terms of maps for your urban area...Well, do you have a super detailed city map?  You might want some mid-level overviews, like "This is a map of the different town wards, here's some description of what they're like" so they can get a good feeling of it on a neighborhood level.

Have a page in your notes with a bunch of random names from different races, and a couple blank lines for each one.  Players WILL want to know the stableboy's name.  So, grab a name out of your notes (so you don't have to think it up on the fly), and scribble "stableboy" next to the name in your notes.  It'll help you worry less about them dragging new NPCs into the game.

On the other hand, if the players don't find one of your main NPCs interesting, just drop them.  I mean, everyone knows that players like to derail whole plots by stabbing the wrong people or just not going where you expected, but your players are also likely to find your innkeeper or town guard with the cool backstory and characterization annoying/boring.  If your players don't want to interact too deep with a certain NPC and it's not vital to the plot, seriously, don't make them.  It can be really frustrating and you might not even notice you're doing it, but try to pay extra attention to which NPCs the players 'like' because their favorites won't be your favorites.


And this differs from group to group, but it wound up being real important in mine.  Do not expect the players to always drive the plot.  Some groups are really good at investigating, but if they start to lose momentum, pick that pace back up.  If they missed some hints, a guy drops dead at their feet clutching a mysterious note.  If it's their fourth day at the inn and they don't seem to be going anywhere, someone kicks in the door.  Don't railroad them--but keep throwing them things that they need to react to, one way or another, preferably in ways that nudge them towards finding out What's Really Going On.

Doesn't matter if you didn't have anything planned, or even if you have to pull a new antagonist's lieutenant completely out of your ass...but sometimes if you don't move the plot forward yourself, your players will end up inventing the beach party, or spending a whole session investigating exactly what the properties of that strange pocket dimension are (and if they can sharpen a sword with the disintegrating field at the edge).
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Vorthon

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Re: Any tips for a first-time DM?
« Reply #3 on: March 21, 2011, 09:58:12 am »

Also: Said city is basically a megalopolis, turned up to eleven. 1.5 times the area of the province of New Brunswick, with a population of 468,491,341, making for an average population density of 4252.9999954609620037129330809628 people per square kilometer.

It's kept running via extensive Magitek and clockpunk tech.
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Pathos v2

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Re: Any tips for a first-time DM?
« Reply #4 on: March 21, 2011, 09:59:24 am »

My first D&D game resulted in us all playing strip D&D with me on the massively losing end. :(
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Vorthon

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Re: Any tips for a first-time DM?
« Reply #5 on: March 21, 2011, 09:59:51 am »

My first D&D game resulted in us all playing strip D&D with me on the massively losing end. :(

TMI, dude, TMI.
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Pathos v2

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Re: Any tips for a first-time DM?
« Reply #6 on: March 21, 2011, 10:02:13 am »

TMI, dude, TMI.

Roughly: Play with people interested in the game rather than people who are interested in getting their girlfriend naked in public. Don't force friends into it. :p
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Vorthon

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Re: Any tips for a first-time DM?
« Reply #7 on: March 21, 2011, 10:02:51 am »

TMI, dude, TMI.

Roughly: Play with people interested in the game rather than people who are interested in getting their girlfriend naked in public. Don't force friends into it. :p

T!M!I!

TOO! MUCH! INFORMATION!
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Captain Mayday

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Re: Any tips for a first-time DM?
« Reply #8 on: March 21, 2011, 10:04:50 am »

TMI, dude, TMI.

Roughly: Play with people interested in the game rather than people who are interested in getting their girlfriend naked in public. Don't force friends into it. :p

T!M!I!

TOO! MUCH! INFORMATION!

It's not even relevant. I mean, maybe one of your friends has a really hot girlfriend for all he knows.
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Retro

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Re: Any tips for a first-time DM?
« Reply #9 on: March 21, 2011, 10:11:18 am »

Never, ever, let them know if you've lost the reins. The illusion of control is just as important as actual control, and if you're quick you'll be able to introduce some element to regain the real thing pretty soon after.

Tellemurius

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Re: Any tips for a first-time DM?
« Reply #10 on: March 21, 2011, 10:14:23 am »

I keep a notebook with me in order to keep some stuff down to smooth down my thought process.

Pathos v2

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Re: Any tips for a first-time DM?
« Reply #11 on: March 21, 2011, 10:14:40 am »

It's perfectly relevant. It's about collecting a group of players who are focused on the D&D instead of what is going on around them or something completely tangential to the game itself.

I forced friends into it which resulted in a session which was, at best, embarrassing and, at worst, an utter failure of D&D and more just me sitting there in underwear.
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Captain Mayday

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Re: Any tips for a first-time DM?
« Reply #12 on: March 21, 2011, 10:17:38 am »

I think what we've learned here is that you'd better make sure everyone is interested in the game, otherwise Pathos will strip to his underwear.
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Vorthon

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Re: Any tips for a first-time DM?
« Reply #13 on: March 21, 2011, 10:18:28 am »

Public transit systems for said city...

And waste disposal...

I should probably work those out...

And, yeah I know that everyone who's gonna be playing is interested. So I don't have to worry about anyone stripping to their underwear...
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Pathos v2

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Re: Any tips for a first-time DM?
« Reply #14 on: March 21, 2011, 10:23:33 am »

More advice: Don't bother with delving too deeply into something. Players will inevitably do something else and ignore your wonderful city.

If you think you can invent an entire world with amazing attention to detail and nothing will ever go wrong...

They'll invent space travel or go to another dimension.
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