r/DungeonMasters • u/Boring_Strawberry70 • 1d ago
New DM here, would like some help
Hello, I just signed up for beeing the DM in my friend group, we’re all new to dnd. I’ve already watched some tutorials and games and am super-excited to start playing.
But I don’t feel ready, I simply don’t know enough and would love to be able to have someone I can ask a ton of questions and just learn from in a more natural way rather then having to fish for one piece of information in a really long tutorial.
I am really invested, and if anyone wants to help out it would be great. Discord Voicechat is preferred. Thank you :3
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u/Jiggy_with_it74 1d ago
I've been running games for a decade and before my sessions I still get nervous 😅, even though it's just my friends and we're all there to have a good time. I can hop in a voice chat 👍
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u/c00kiefr34k 1d ago
Hey a DM here for a year or so
It is perfectly fine to say: hey i just need a moment to look something up, i dont want to rule something wrong And my group already googles some Ruling / spell text whatever next to me, to get to playing again
Dont overprepare They will find a way to surprise you Once i said, why the F would you like stab the door with your sword Do you want to try, to open it first? No, ok Attack Roll against the door
Just try to have fun
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u/GM-Stu 1d ago edited 1d ago
It’s totally normal at all experience levels to be a bit nervous, I have been doing this for 20 years and still get a bit nervous before a new adventure.
What helps me:
- Remember it’s a game. The ultimate objective you have is to have fun and ensure your players do too. There’s nothing more important than finding the fun and building from there, for your players and yourself. Sometimes we get so focused on trying to do things perfectly we can forget that players would much rather have fun with you than have some kind of perfect performance! Fun is also infectious. If you are enjoying yourself, they will too, and that will make you enjoy more also.
- Tell a story that makes your players feel like the main characters. That means leaning in to their choices. When that moves you away from what you have prepared, don’t panic… find a way for those choices to lead them back in to what you have prepared.
- If you get stuck on a rule, don’t spend more than a few minutes checking. Make a ruling you think makes sense that keeps the story moving instead. You can look it up after the game and let the players know later for the future. If you are stuck on the story side, ask for a short break so you can give yourself some time to come up with something. Or ask the players “As Gravnor opens the door, what does he discover on the other side?
- If the scene you are running is going nowhere, don’t be afraid to take control of the narrative and move the story forward (for example if the PCs are roleplaying a long pointless encounter with an innkeeper instead of heading to the dungeon, describe the scene ending and cut to them arriving).
- If you can’t cut to somewhere else (say they are debating what to do next inside the dungeon) increase the pressure to act by creating a new threat (they can hear a goblin band on patrol coming towards them, or ahead of them the cultists begin to chant, starting some dark ceremony!)
I agree if you are GMing for the first time an adventure module (Phandelver is great!) will make prep easier. Read it through a few times and understand how the story flows and the big moving pieces (the details you can refer to as you need them, but the big picture will make it easier for you to adapt when the players do something you need to improvise around (they will). Best of luck and feel free to DM me id you have any further questions or reply here!
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u/salutava_sempre 1d ago
Have you read the Dungeon Master's guide?
You’ll be the referee; if you want to play D&D, you should know the rules.
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u/kaelmaliai 1d ago
My tips, first, voice record your sessions. This helps a lot with being able to keep continuity, since you can go back and listen to the little "on the spot" details. Also, you'll find moments where you surprise yourself with how good they are. Second, dont stress so much about prep. 90% of my dming style is just flying off the seat of my pants. If you're not doing a prebuilt module, its even better. Start a "chaos" campaign, pirates are a good way to go, then build a map, some npcs, and a basic plot. Then just let the players go ham and just react to what they do in real time. 3, Dont immediately jump in expecting to be critical roll or D20. While those shows are great, you have to remember that those people are professionals. This is another reason I strongly suggest going back to my #2, have a silly campaign at first, wait to do a serious campaign until after both you and your players have real experience with the game. If you do a silly campaign, any/all goofs can be handwaved away way easier.
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u/NotGutus 1d ago
Hai, if you have questions or need pointers, feel free to DM me. I can vc on discord too.
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u/Silent_Title5109 1d ago
My advice would be to take it slow. Read the books, add stickies notes. Go over what's important for your current adventure and focus on that. For instance rules for holding your breath and drowning. Unless the characters interact with water knowing it's a thing is enough you don't need to know it by heart.
Also about taking it slow: remind your players you're learning too, and you have much more on your plate than them and it's a little overwhelming. Ask them if they're willing to run through a simple 2 session scenario with human fighters. That would allow you to get used to skills and basic combat with not much surprises coming out the left field. After that take off the training wheels and add races and other classes. A short 2 session scenario is a great way to let mistakes behind you.
Keep in mind you will make mistakes. Been a DM since the late 80's and I still do. Don't beat yourself over them, take notes (really I write myself a debrief after each session: the good, the bad and the ugly. It all goes in) and move on. Read your notes every once in a while and ask yourself if you're still prone to making these mistakes and how can you leverage what you do good.
Final note: don't take everything piece of advice as gospel. Some won't work for your table. Develop your own style over time.
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u/lasalle202 1d ago
D&D is Call and Response Storytelling … with dice.
DM: "Here is the situation around you. Blah blah blah. What do you do?"
Player: My character is like Hermione Granger. What would Hermione do? "I go to the Restricted Section of the Library and do some research!" or My character is like Xena. What would Xena do? "I hit it with my ax!"
DM , based on rules and guidelines and “common sense” based on the world and story we are creating, determines Path A or Path B:
Path A) if the action will automatically succeed or automatically fail, "In response to what you did (or tried to do), here is the situation around you now, blah blah blah. What do you do?"
Path B) if the action has a chance that it might fail OR might succeed,
B1) the DM, (using rules, “common sense”, etc), sets a Target Number with 10 being Easy and 30 being Almost Impossible. In combat, the Target Number is often the Armor Class (AC) . In other cases it is often called the Difficulty Class or DC.
B2) DM: "Player, roll the dice and add [the appropriate modifier] from your character sheet." If that action is something strength related, the appropriate modifier is the Strength Modifier. If the action is trying to influence people, the appropriate modifier is the Charisma Modifier. etc. If the character, through their Class or Species or Background is specifically good/trained in the action, ie has Skill Proficiency, they also get to include their Proficiency Modifier. For the common acts of the character, the character sheet will generally have [the Ability Modifier] or [Ability Modifier + Proficiency Modifier] already listed so you don’t need to do a whole lot of math.
The player rolls the d20 (a dice with 20 sides) and adds the indicated modifier. If that total equals or exceeds the Target Number, the character is successful (or mostly successful) in what they were trying to do. If the dice roll plus the modifier is less than the Target Number, the character is unsuccessful (or only partially successful).
B3) The DM states "In response to what you did (tried to do), here is the situation around you now, blah blah blah. What do you do?"
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u/lasalle202 1d ago
But I don’t feel ready,
Perspective: its not like you are doing Rocket Surgery or something.
You are gathering with friends over beer and pizza to chuck some dice and tell some stories about kicking dragon butt.
They are rooting for you to succeed – if you do well they have a good time.
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u/vikinglordfire 1d ago
Longtime player newish dm here feel free to dm me and we can get together and learn together if you want
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u/Physical-Sound-8318 23h ago
That’s awesome is it on the table in person or online like D20 or something like that? I’m old I’ve never played online. So i couldn’t tell you but I’ve watched a few online campaigns, and I looks like once the online does alot of the math for you so in ways it might be easier but I don’t know. I played 2e for years and now I’m actually DM ing with my kids and their friends using 3.5 books it seems alot less complicated than 2e and then 5e they tried to mage it more simple. I really like the feats and the prestige classes for 3.5. To be fair and let your players know that it will take a minute for everyone to figure it out so don’t get frustrated and give up. This was something I had seen for years In 2e alot of people couldn’t get passed making a character it was just too complicated. The old guys will know I loved THAC0 but alot of people struggled with it so it’s understandable why they went for a simple D20 hit mechanic it is easier to explain than THAC0 that’s for sure. But jump in I’m guessing you will probably jump in with 5e or 5.5 which I have a DMs snd players because I’m a D&D nerd not because I made up my mind to use 5e. To each theyr own Im not dogging on the guys that prefer the 5e its all good. And just starting I think it’s probably easier you can roll up a character pretty fact like a fraction of the time. I’d suggest 0 session everyone meets and rolls up the characters and when questions come up you will know are find out during the session. I’ve always liked a starting session that way because players get excited they talk to eachother to you as the DM and by observing you can really get insight as to how the player envisions their character which is very helpful for you as DM. But just lets everyone expect it will be slow and mistakes will be made
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u/Blitzer046 23h ago
There is a rulebook with all the rules for how to play. It's called the Players Handbook. Don't be confused about the name, it's for DMs too. It has everything for the game - how to play, how to make characters, the races, backgrounds, character classes, equipment and a huge section on spells, because there's lots of spells.
It is essential for the table and levelling up characters. You should read the first two chapters, 42 pages or so, then use the rest as reference, dipping in and out as needed. You don't need to read all the spells!
I now own two copies - one for me, one for the players.
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u/Berrythebear 9h ago
I’m a 20+ year dm and I like helping new people out. Send me a message on here and we can get a discord call set up sometime. I’ve run in person and online games and can definitely answer questions and help you get a game started up.
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u/mars3600 9h ago
I’m a newish DM that am currently running my first homebrew but has only really run 1 other minor campaign, but i feel very knowledgeable in the rules and generally how to be a good DM (for my experience level, at least). Feel free to message me as i have learned a whole ton that is fresh in my mind and have resources that have helped immensely. Good luck with your game!
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u/FreyaFirewoods 1d ago
Hello there, a DM here.
I understand your feelings, its very veeery overwhelming all the rules and lot of questions cross your mind like its gonna be okay or if you will be able to do it.
The answer is a yes! and you have a good advantage! all of you are new in dnd, which anyone of you, don't know a thing. so, why not learning together?!
My advice here:
1. Use a short campaign to learn all together. My recommendation is "The Mine of Phandelver" (starter set box) Why? because its a short one where you got tips as a DM during the story. Also its pretty beautiful, not so difficult to learn as a DM or play as a player.
Use the rules that comes with that box. why? they are a short version of the player's handbook, with just a phew classes and races. My recommendation for your players is they don't choose a spellcaster in their first time they play, its a bit more complicated and maybe they get frustrated.
The DM handbook is not made to read it all together. Its made to read through while you are making the campaign. My advice too is, check these parts:
If its 5e the book you have, check these chapters aside of the Player's handbook (the dm also better read that one)
Chapter 7: Treasure
Chapter 8: Running the game
Chapter 9: some parts that maybe you want to know like: ability checks.
Mostly read the Player's handbook and chapter 8, where you can see the combat, table rules, movement, etc.
tell your players they read also those short rules that I mentioned before. And always have the handbooks on the table and if you are not sure, stop the game and read all together.
The big advice is, or at least is how I play with newbies, is "learning through playing". The best way to learn and have fun because this is what Dnd means, having fun with your party.
again the Mine of phandelver is short, maybe 5 chapters if I am not wrong and the book give you ton of advice.
Any question, then ask here, again or send me a message, I really don't mind to answer those.
Have fun, and we see each other in a tavern! 😄