Any advice for a brand-new DM with a group of brand-new players? This is literally all of our 1st or 2nd times playing except maybe one or two of us, and I found a really cool campaign that I think I can handle, but I was just wondering if there’s anything that you wouldn’t normally think of when you think of DMing that I should watch for. Thanks!
hmmmmm! that’s a good question. if i were you, i’d watch out for…
- PCs working against each other instead of with each other. d&d isn’t a video game or a competitive tabletop RPG, it’s a collaborative storytelling game.
- players being inattentive/not taking notes when things are important. reminding your players when might be a good time to jot some things down can never hurt
- learning how to read the room – noticing when players look confused, look like they want to interject your description with an action, when players are the most engaged
- give a chance for each player to shine during each session. d&d is a group game, so i try to divide the action accordingly, and not have one player hog the spotlight while the rest are relegated to getting their words in edgewise
- players saying “i do this and this and this!” without waiting for you to call for rolls. this will probably happen a decent amount of times. it takes some practice getting into the rhythm of DM describing, players reacting, DM describing, players reacting, etc.
- encouraging your players to take charge of their own character sheets. if it’s everyone’s first time playing, it’s totally fine and normal to have to pause and read over the rules, or look up a spell effect, etc. but after session 3-5 your players should really be getting a handle on how to play their character and shouldn’t be asking you what THEY can do on their turn and subsequently slowing down the game.
- using strong and diverse verbs (keeping a verb sheet next to you if necessary). i think my strongest trait as a DM is how descriptive i am; i try to engage all 5 senses when i describe an encounter, and i always ask my players how they attack a creature, and what their spell effects look like. my players have learned not to say, “uuh, i don’t care how my attack hits; you decide” because i’ll go, “okay! orwan, the orb of pulsating shadow explodes from your palm, cracking against the side of the guard’s jaw — and breaking it, sending teeth scattering. he screams in pain.” i’ve found that being as specific and visual as possible really engages the players lol, and makes them sit up straighter in their seats
what do other folks think?
andulkaphoto
theartofmadeline
titsay
jbbartram-illu
