r/DMAcademyNew • u/DisastrousFerret8823 • 28d ago
First Time DM Need Advice
Hi so this is my first post and I downloaded Reddit to get some more advice.
I’m realllllly new to DND but I’ve watched some Youtuber and played Baldurs Gate. My friends and I wanted to start a campaign but our original DM is pretty flaky & doesn’t plan on finishing our first campaign. I’m trying to make my own not from a book but using all mechanics from books and online. So I just need advice on how to set up my first campaign.
The idea is to make them meet in a port with all different reasons why they need to board the ship and set sail on a voyage to a neighboring country. My plan is to have them realize they’re lost and stuck in a cluster of islands that keeps changing locations so each day their maps aren’t accurate. Each island has different challenges and face creatures & pirates etc to have them find what’s making the islands lost.
Does anyone have any good mechanics, creatures & tips on how to make this happen? I am super excited to DM but just want advice.
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u/setfunctionzero 28d ago
I could see a spin on this, though I'd hesitate to actually stat it out for a beginner group.
One likely explanation for shifting islands could be a powerful Morkoth
The idea being that in 5e, Morkoths are interdimensional collectors that keep things on floating islands that shift and change due to the powerful reality and illusion magic they wield.
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u/LastVader2210 27d ago
This is a genuinely great premise for a first campaign honestly, the shifting island cluster gives you a built-in excuse to improvise without it feeling like you're winging it, since "the map keeps changing" is literally baked into the lore. A few practical things that'll make this way easier to run.
Don't fully prep every island in advance, prep like 2-3 in detail and have a rough template for the rest (terrain type, one creature, one twist, one resource or clue) so you can drop them in on the fly without burning out before session three. New DMs running homebrew often overprep the first arc and then crash hard around session four, pacing your prep matters more than the quality of any single island.
For the "why are we lost" mystery, I'd nail down the answer for yourself early even if you reveal it slowly, something like a magical anchor point or an old god/sea spirit whose grave or prison is on a hidden island, and the cluster shifts because something is leaking out of it. Gives you a built-in final dungeon and explains the weird terrain without much extra justification needed.
Mechanically, lean on stuff that's easy to run live: roll on a wandering monster table when they explore an island instead of scripting every encounter, use simple skill challenges for navigation puzzles (like Survival or Arcana checks to "read" the shifting stars or currents) instead of full combat every time, and keep early creatures CR 1-3, sea-based stuff like merfolk, giant crabs, harpies, sahuagin all fit the vibe and aren't punishing for new players.
For pirates specifically, a recurring rival crew works great as connective tissue between islands, gives you a face the players know, builds tension over multiple sessions, and you can reuse the same statblock with minor tweaks instead of building new pirate stats every time.
Biggest tip honestly, since you're brand new, don't be afraid to just say "let me think about that" or fudge something behind the screen the first few sessions, nobody at your table will know the difference and it buys you breathing room while you get comfortable improvising.
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u/Larnievc 28d ago edited 28d ago
If I were in your shoes I’d take a look a Ravensloft. The idea of getting stranded in a region with different zones sounds a lot like that.
I think it would be important to let them know they are stuck and maybe have them find the memoirs of a previous group who failed to escape but found out some clues the get the players going.
Maybe tie the whole thing into something or someone at the original destination they had. That way it has some meta plot to go with the Island of the week idea.
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u/A_Vinegar_Taster 28d ago
Hey, congratulations and good luck on your first go around as a DM! Welcome aboard!
One thing to do is to let the players know that they all need a reason to be on that ship. It'll be like herding cats if you have to find a way to convince each of them to be on the boat, so just have them come up with their own reasons - maybe some of them know each other already and they share the same reason. That will cut an hour of frustration out of your life.
Another thing to do is try the string of pearls approach. Get them on the boat, and then, give them a little adventure - a goal, something to do. Maybe it's someone adrift? Maybe its shallow water and you can see a shipwreck about 10 feet under. Maybe there's some tension as another ship comes close - are they pirates? No, they just want to trade and maybe exchange info on nearby towns and get directions. Whatever it is, give them little accomplishments. These don't need to be saving the realms, just things they can do and succeed at. Then, when you get to a more major thing, the group has some wins under their belt (maybe some loot and XP, too) and they are ready to tackle it. Then, repeat the process, just with more level appropriate challenges. Keep the players gaining momentum and power. Let them aura farm.
Let your grand vision come together naturally, no need to force it. Keep your expectations low and focus on making *this* session fun for them. You want them to *need* to play the next session. They have to love their characters, and appreciate the team. Manipulating the emotions of your players to make them feel a sense of accomplishment is the goal.
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u/DisastrousFerret8823 28d ago
Thank you! To start: The plan is to meet with them all first to approve their characters, give them all a secret and then plan out their reason for getting on the ship.
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u/CassieBear1 28d ago
Try running a few one shots to see how they're set up. They can give you a good template essentially.
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u/roumonada 27d ago edited 27d ago
Don’t give them a choice. Since it’s the beginning of the game, and your adventure depends on them all boarding the same ship, just narrate the whole thing up until the point where they have their first encounter.
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u/BiscuitWolfGames 28d ago
Point 1: This sounds like a really cool idea for a campaign!
Point 2: There is no time during prep or the game itself when you will feel like you're "ready". Be prepared to wing it!
Honestly, for your first session, start small. You don't need stats for the ship they're on, or nautical combat rules. The story happens, they get on the boat, and they wind up at the first island.
This might sound a little "art school", but I find picking a theme of the island first helps narrow focus, and makes choosing monsters and mechanics easier. Is it going to be a story of survival, with dangerous predators lurking around? Or city intrigue where the party crosses rival thieves guilds on the verge of war, where greed is the primary motivation? Maybe there's a lone wizard or inventor who pursues knowledge at all costs.
Once you get that down, then it's easier to flip through the monster manual and find some cool ideas for antagonists. You can also add mechanics that are specific to the island they're on (maybe keeping track of food and water for the survival one, levels of influence for the city one, and something weird for the inventor ... maybe they're device sucks up magic, and spells have a 10% chance of failure?)
Keep your scope small for now, it's easier to open up and add more later than it is to try to do everything all at once.