Becoming a Dm

[Generalhggy]

Hey there everyone!

Ever since I heard of DnD, my mind was captivated by the idea of becoming a Dm. However I don’t have much experince in being a player or creating games. Whilst I have ideas, I am a bit lost when it comes to taking those ideas and crafting them into a proper DnD experince.

Simply playing and reading the Dm and Players handbook are the obvious choice when it comes to learning about, rules, the process of creating and structuring worlds. However if anyone knows about any other books, videos or other forms of information about this topic that could help me, I would really apriciate their help!

Thanks in advance!

[katnyx]

I actually took an online class (I believe it was udemy? one of those video based things) but honestly, it didn’t help much. (I think this was it, but I remember it being cheaper)

What did help was diving into DMing, writing down what went well and what didn’t, and just kind of rethinking the decisions I made on the spot and making mental notes of “broader situations” those little epiphanies applied to.

Also, reading the Monsters Know What they’re doing (at least before running an adventure, not the whole thing) and the proactive roleplaying book - the latter was more helpful in my homebrew campaign, because I’m not good enough at improvising to make most the concepts work in modules, but thinking about what they’re saying is still very helpful.

There are always going to be people who have an easier time because they know the rules better, think fast enough to keep track of everything, are just great at improv or have the time (or set priorities to take the time) to prepare in a really helpful way.

In my opinion, the big thing is: D&D should be about having fun. Everything else is just noise. So find that group of people you can have fun with, play with them, and practice the rest as you go.

That being said: I believe @cat4laugh recently posted about a DM “workshop”, and @Rayce_Kaiser has done similar things too, as has @xaosseed

[blueblaze]

i learned through doing and listening to what others did. I feel like a lot of the videos on dming tips are often more helpful after some personal experience. plus if you play and note what dms do that you like and dont its also good.

[cat4laugh]

If you have read the Dungeon Masters Guide and optionally the players handbook you have already done more than needed. Everything else you will learn while running 10x faster and easier than you would anywhere else.

Be wary of falling into an over prepping trap. “Don’t become addicted to advice” just because you don’t feel like your story is good enough. This is a good watch

And We Can't Do It For You.

A story can simply be about killing a goblin camp to save some villagers, or capturing two wolves. No need to overthink it your game won’t be perfect but don’t let that be the enemy of good.

And yes I will run a dm workshop soon stay tuned for the announcement

[Rayce_Kaiser]

Mortal, you have summoned the great Under God, Kaiser!! Be prepared to face the consequences!! You will recieve honest feedback and constructive critiscism!! Ooo~oooo More ghost noises.

[H]

@cat4laugh

Everything else you will learn while running 10x faster and easier than you would anywhere else.

Precisely.

‘DM advice’ has become something of a cottage industry these days, to the point where it all sounds complicated and mystical and daunting.

It isn’t. Twelve-year-olds do this successfully. You’ll be fine.

[Generalhggy]

Thanks for the replies everyone! I’ll check out the books and video. I can already feel that my overthinking is gonna be a problem down the line . Anyway thanks again for the advice, and I’ll look forward to the Dm workshop.

[xaosseed]

@Generalhggy

rules, the process of creating and structuring worlds

There is a whole big hobby that is “world-building” that DMs, computer game designers and writers share. It can seem like you need to build this whole world with huge backstories before you ever throw dice but this is not true.

To echo others above, it can seem like you need to do lots of complex backstory and world prep first but actually it is better to just run a game or two that are one-shots, simple and straight-forward (rescue the villagers, investigate the mine, etc).

As soon as you start - and even tell people it is your first time, folk are very understanding of that - you will see most of ‘how to DM’ snap into focus as you play. Then, as mentioned above, lots of the other advice will make more sense and you will be able to judge whether it is useful for you and your style…

[Matan]

It is inevitable to do a lot of mistakes when beginning a new craft and being a DM is no different. Having that said, what made the most impact on my short journey so far is to start small, instead of building a complicated world and imagine a fully layered campaign, start with a simple one-shot that contains something like a village and a forest (or any other geography you want), 1 NPC and that’s it. Good luck!

[Clove]

Awesome that you’re taking on the great honor of sitting in the DM’s chair hahah xD. I’m still a baby DM myself, running a campaign since April. So while I don’t have the wisdom of a veteran DM like some folks here, I can offer my two cents as a fellow newbie (who has a PhD in watching DnD YouTube videos, if that counts for something).

Okay, so: It absolutely helps to play a few sessions at VALUE. We have so many great DMs here <3 Through VALUE, I got to experience different DMing styles from different people, which helped me figure out what I like, what works really well, and what I want to adapt for my own games. It also gives you a sense of how pacing works and what to do when things slow down, or how/when to nudge your players along so the game doesn’t bog down.

Pacing (!!) is sooo important, and honestly, books or YouTube videos don’t really teach you that?? I think??? You need to experience it

When it comes to storytelling, there are a million great YouTube videos, but one I found particularly helpful is the 3-act method:

How to Plot THE FIRST ACT of a D&D Campaign

What also helped me is taking inspiration from popular media tropes and arcs. Think Lord of the Rings, Marvel’s Infinity Stones storyline, etc. Some might say that’s “”“UnOrIginaL”“”" but clichés are clichés for a reason. Especially as a beginner, sticking to the basics is a good thing! You can always add layers to the story as you go. That’s how I do it at least, espcially by bouncing off my players’ ideas.

Yes. Bounce off your players’ ideas! Listen to what they’re saying. You can usually tell where they want to go next or what they’re interested in. Aaaand bonus point, build the story with their backstories in mind! No matter how epic your story is, what they’ll actually remember are their special moments. <3 Give them their special moments.

A formular that I’ve found also works very well: Motivation + time-crunch. Having goal, even if it’s vague, mysterious, or just a short-term objective PLUS a time limit of some sorts is usually a great way to keep players moving and prevents them from wandering aimlessly.

Lastly, world-building. I don’t really do it, so I can’t say much there ^^’ I use Faerûn as a baseline, but I’ve told my players this is my version of Faerûn, so some things may be different. Maybe that’s something you could try? Or only focus on certain areas first. A friend of mine hosted a one-shot and only had one area built and planned on fleshing the rest out as the story went on.

As the others already said, having a perfectly fleshed out world isn’t necessary to start playing. In my opinion, having a fleshed out world & GoT-level plot isn’t important at all (hot-take). More important is that it feels ALIVE and you give your players stuff to do and find.

On that note, having various encounters and activities ready to pop in as “modules” is super handy! For example, I might have one or two soft-built locations I can throw their way if they need somewhere to go. Or I’ll prep stat blocks for bandits or monsters I think they might run into. Just in case. This comes in especially handy when I’m underpepped xD

Sorry for that rambly wall of text, I hope it helped haha xD

[H]

@xaosseed

There is a whole big hobby that is “world-building” that DMs, computer game designers and writers share. It can seem like you need to build this whole world with huge backstories before you ever throw dice but this is not true.

xaosseed speaks truth.

The emphasis here is on: you don’t need to build an entire planet from scratch. But if you enjoy that kind of thing, then go for it. The DM is there to have fun just like everybody else, and if researching backgrounds or designing worlds sounds fun, then by all means do so!

The trap here isn’t creating an elaborate setting, it’s expecting the setting to carry the game. It wont. (Speaking from embarrassing experience here. Once again, apologies to everyone who was bored stiff during the infamous Wisconsin game.)

The setting is just the bowl in which you serve your soup. It’s great if you have a nice bowl, but nobody’s going to care about the bowl if the soup is thin. As Clove said:

@Clove

… give your players stuff to do and find.

That’s the soup.

[H]

Anyway, yeah. Great insight here. (Especially that bit Clove wrote about pacing. It’s true. Nobody has any clue or useful advice to impart. We all just wing it and hope for the best. Don’t tell anyone.)

As for that video …

How to Plot THE FIRST ACT of a D&D Campaign

This is terrible advice.

“You’re probably thinking this isn’t a movie, or a book, and I’m here to tell you: you’re wrong.”

OK, stop right here. This isn’t a movie. This isn’t a book. This is a game. Obviously. Says so right in the title. The players are not a captive audience for your precious story. They are players. Players of a game.

And if you “start to think of your campaign less like a game, and more like a novel or a movie,” well, you’re not going to design a very good game, are you?

Your players are expecting a game. It’s your obligation to give them one. And there are a lot of different ways to make something a game - D&D itself has been several completely different genres of game over its history, and it’s worth exploring those different games - but there has to be an actual game in there somewhere. This is the heart of what we’re doing here.

Want to create a movie? Go write a screenplay.

You’d darn well better start thinking of your campaign as a game.

---

---

But let’s go on to the part about “trying to tell a specific story”…

In a nutshell: Don’t do that. Design situations, not plots.

What happens if your story is “dictated by you” (quite the revealing choice of words)? Well, like the man says, you get players “being broody and not taking the bait.” Why do they do that? Nine times out of ten, it’s because they resent the story being dictated by the DM. And then you’re stuck having to have somebody’s brother appear in a dream and beg them to go somewhere, which is about the most desperate form of story-telling imaginable.

And all to get your story back “on track” when it shouldn’t be on a track in the first place. There’s a reason that ‘railroad’ is a pejorative when it comes to RPGs. Don’t make your players feel like they’re stuck in Dürrenmatt’s Tunnel with no way to escape the predetermined plot.

Be wary of random videos!

[H]

By the way, none of this means that you shouldn’t draw inspiration from books or movies. D&D is rooted in fantasy lit anyway. Borrow liberally from whatever you’re reading; just keep in mind that it all has to be framed as a game.

Likewise, it can be helpful to think in terms of potential acts and denouements and that sort of thing. Just be prepared to discard it all if the game moves in a different direction.

[Generalhggy]

Regarding railroading during a campaign, when it comes to oneshots like the VALUE, is there more room for railroading since we only have 6-5 hours to wrap up the adventure or should I avoid it completly even there?

I’m asking since my idea for moving forward with Dming, is that I’m gonna try to do a few oneshots to test the waters (one that is a bit more combat focused, one that is more Rp oriented and a few mixed ones) and any ideas that I have for a longer campaings I’ll just put on the backburner till then and see how things turn out.

[Clove]

It definitely helped me with how to even pace a campaign. But I totally agree with this (which is what I took away as a learning from this video):

It can be helpful to think in terms of potential acts and denouements and that sort of thing. Just be prepared to discard it all if the game moves in a different direction.

You shouldn’t rigidly adhere to the 3-act method, hero’s journey, or whatever plot points you plan. If the players will ever reach plot-point X & how they get there IF they even get there… that should be up to them and the dice gods

@Generalhggy My two cents as a player when it comes to one-shots; I’ve found myself enjoying adventures the most that had an ending. Which means that there was sometimes a bit of nudging (nudging, not hardcore railroading!!) involved, otherwise it’s difficult to reach an ending in said time-frame. But that’s just my preference :)) Others may prefer more sandboxy one-shots that may not come to a conclusion in one session.

[cat4laugh]

Just leaving this here: Cat’s DM Workshop - Effective Session Prep - Arrange a Game - RPG Vienna

[Darthbinks]

@Generalhggy & @clove

Darthbinks DM Advice

just focus on everyone having fun, and you should be fine
if you want more details … see below

Advice for running a game

Give the players Information

if a player character should know something, because of their background … just give them the information
only let them make a Check if it would be interesting if they would fail
if you want/need the players have certain information to understand a situation / plot … just give it to them

• since you have the History skill, you know …
• as a fellow Soldier, you recognise …
• as a Cleric, you feel …

Failing Forward

if a player fails a roll, you can also make them succeed at cost … or offer them to succeed at cost if you are feeling nice^^

• you managed to translate it, but the text brings dire news
• your attack is a Critical Hit, but your weapon breaks
• you succeed but suffer a complication (e.g. a wound, go slightly insane, …)

Prepare Situations not a Railroad

Think about a situation and let the players come up with something how to solve it
and when they had an idea that could work, just let them go with it … it really helps if you think about 3 things they might do what would work … but don’t restrict your players plan to the 3 things you came up with before \ (that is just a thought-excercise that can help you from prevent creating an unsolvable situation)

• infiltrate a noble ball (disguise as performers, forge invitations, convince a invited noble who seeks revenge)
• get an ancient pass-phrase (ask a sphinx, make a deal with a devil, find a secret side tunnel that bypasses the magic wards)
• convince the Prince (convince his secret lover, bribe his treasurer, extort the Prince with his hidden past)

Prepare Scenes as if they would be Playing Cards

think about what scenes would be cinematic/cool and prepare (~8-10) them
… then think about these scenes like playing cards … and when a situation would come up, when one of them would fit, “play” one of these scenes

• the npc reveals herself to be a ancient dragon
• ninjas crashing through the windows
• hordes of ghouls burrow through the earth, attacking everything from below

Clocks / Trackers

give a certain task, that would take a bit of time a “Health Bar”
and every time the players or a npcs work towards that goal fill it up
(or add to the “Health Bar” if someone/-thing makes it harder)

• repair a village
• research a cure
• mediate peace negotiations

NPC Pictures

almost no one who joins a game after a workday can remember tons of npcs
just show the players nice pictures from your phone, tablet, or a book
… if they are really a lot, you can also print them out with name tags

this is esp. useful if your game involves lots of npcs (e.g. in an intrigue scenario, or a crime investigation)

Combat Riddle Encounters

design a boss fight like a riddle the players have to overcome … just don’t overuse this … use it for meaningful boss fights … also keep in mind that the players should get the information what might/-not work

• press switching consoles to make the boss vulnerable for a turn
• they know that there are 2 things in the dungeon that would help against the boss
• a boss with limitless Hit Points, but one that is clumsy and can be easily tricked

Pacing

look at the time and 1h before the end steer it to a finale
this is esp. useful in oneshots or sandbox adventures … or games that rely more on freeform and improvisation

Should you ever have too much plot for a oneshot … always cut things from the middle not the end

e.g. skip a level in the dungeon, and don’t rush the fight with the endboss

Focus on having Fun

when everyone has fun, everyone wins
you as a DM are also allowed to have fun
… if you don’t, then talk with your group about it and change something rpgs are a communication game

this does not mean that you can’t games about ‘heavy topics’ (e.g. an Anti-War Drama), but everyone (incl. you) should enjoy exploring those

Advice for planning a campaign / setting

Pick a Theme and stick with it

choose a theme for your game … you also can choose sub-themes for chapters of your campaign

• breaking the cycle of violence
• blood is a drug
• ancient forbidden knowledge

World-Building: Start Small then Expand

you do not have to plan every continent and your whole mythology from the start
just start small and when needed expand … and add things when needed

• start with a city block
• start with a village
• start with a small island

NPC Trove

if your campaign has a lot of (recurring) NPCs, set up a trove (e.g. at your groups Discord channel) and post them there … ideally with some pictures

Meaningful Choices

force your players to make hard, meaningful choices

• what do they do when they encounter knowledge that could challenge the believe system of the entire region?
• do they rescue the trapped princess, even if this could start a war?
• do they make a pact with the Archdevil, if the reward could make a lasting peace possible?

Decisions with Consequences

let the decisions of the player characters matter
when they did something what could have an impact … make a note and let it come up again and again and again …

• did they let the princess escape, who wanted to start a new life?
• did they read the forbidden tome of knowledge?
• did they inform the Sheriff about the Anarch-hideout?

Bottled Settings

give the player characters the information that leaving the area is super deadly
this helps that they have to deal with the consequences of their actions in that setting
e.g. if they piss someone off, they just can’t wander o a different place
… you can introduce means to cross these barriers later in the campaign, if you want

• everyone who goes to the swamps vanishes
• with these treacherous currents there is no way to leave the island
• the landscape outside the city walls is overrun by zombies

Create a Faction Triangle

this works best for sandbox campaigns:
create 3+ bigger neutral factions and make them
a) philosophical opposed to each other, and
b) make those 3 chase them same thing for different reasons
do that in a way that it is … almost … impossible to find a common ground
… still … if they players find a way … just go with it then add at least one enemy faction, throw your player in there and let them go wild^^

• religious-cult, crime guild, foreign diplomats (“a mysterious substance”)
• foreign pirates, undead conquistadores, native dinosaur riders (“a hidden city”)
• anarchist hackers, reborn ancestors, Cthulhu cultists (“the divine code”)

Weaving published adventures together

this works best for episodic campaigns:
just pic several adventures (e.g. from anthologies etc.) and modify them in a way that they work together
you can do this by make a npc of 2+ different adventures the same person etc.
this works like a charm and saves a lot of time^^

• episodes of the Star Ship U.S.S. Vienna
• misadventures of the students of Strixhaven
• missions of the frontier guards of the northern stronghold of the kingdom

Make your Setting Dynamic

between the game sessions let something happen in the background
this is also a good way to thing about how the various npcs react to the developments kicked of by the players or even other npcs

• the military starting to draft more and more soldiers
• the revolutionaries are preparing for their big strike
• the agents of Cthulhu continue to create sleeper agents

Advice for setting up a campaign

The players should be comfortable

make sure all players feel comfortable enough to be able to notice the group, when something makes them uncomfortable

this is not something bad
we are all here to have a good time

some tables use an Xcard
this is especially useful in freeform/improv games

On the same Page

clear up with everyone, that they and you are on the same page

• … could be also as simple stuff as some folks not enjoying episodic campaigns
• … could also be that someone suffers from sever arachnophia and you planned that spiders would play an important in your campaign
• … could be that if you let the player characters rule a city, to make sure that everyone has kinda the same ideas … or how make those ideas work together

so check that first

Lines & Veils

before the game or at session 0, the players could talk about about their Lines & Veils:

A Line is something which will should never come up as part of a campaign or session, while a Veil ensures that whilst an action or event might take place, this will happen ‘off-screen

these Lines & Veils are not set in stone
if something would makes someone uncomfortable, I strongly encourage to stop the game (Xcard etc.) and talk about it … before resuming to game

Campaign Pitch: Expectations

when telling your (potential) players about your campaign idea about the tone & feel the campaign should have
again pictures really help, because they can set the mood

subverting expectations can be nice (if not overused), but then you should make sure that your players would also be fine with the surprise’s themes … and that you do not cross any Lines your players might have

some examples from the RPGVienna forum you can find
here, here, or here, or an older one here

this is just some stuff I use from time to time … you don’t have to use everything
just use what works for you, your ideas, and your group

[H]

@Generalhggy

Regarding railroading during a campaign, when it comes to oneshots like the VALUE, is there more room for railroading since we only have 6-5 hours to wrap up the adventure or should I avoid it completly even there?

I’m asking since my idea for moving forward with Dming, is that I’m gonna try to do a few oneshots to test the waters (one that is a bit more combat focused, one that is more Rp oriented and a few mixed ones) and any ideas that I have for a longer campaings I’ll just put on the backburner till then and see how things turn out.

Probably best to ask the value folks.

But generally speaking, one-shots can be a lot more forgiving than extended campaigns. It’s just one evening; it’s not a big deal. One-shots are great for experimenting with the format and trying different things.

Additionally, published 5th edition material includes a lot of railroading, so there’s already some built-in room for that sort of thing. (In traditional games, just saying that a scenario is combat-focused might be considered railroading.)

in any case, once again: you’ll be just fine.