Mistakes timestamps: 1. impossible tasks 0:41 2. not taking a moment 2:22 3. talking too much 3:13 4. not making character creation a conversation 4:54 5. prebuilding too much 5:55 6. not cutting content 6:58 7. spending too much money 8:49 8. not checking if players have fun 9:58
I think there are definitely some DM's that could use this advice. I definitely love world building, and I have learned to not get overly attached to any plotline or intrigue I prepare, and allow flexibility for my players to have the character they really want fit in somewhere. I recently had a group of new players tell me it was more fun than they expected after the first session, and as a DM that's great to hear. Be prepared, but be dynamic and everyone will have a great time. I personally think taking notes in a few books dedicated to different purposes is a good way to keep organized and shorten the downtime while you look up stats for that one NPC the party met on their second session 4 months ago.
Thanks for the response! I'm glad you were able to find some of the information valuable. I agree staying dynamic and fluid is a great format for success. Good tip on the notes too, I'll be the first to admit that taking in session notes is definitely a weak point for me that I could improve on.
You're talking but it almost sounds like you're singing. You have a very lyrical way of speaking. Nice video! Thanks for sharing. Number 2 is defo relevant to me.
I hate when I prepare something in my players do the complete opposite. Like just last week, I had an entire encounter with Quantum Ogres planned. But the party went in the complete opposite direction. Now I'll have to scrap the entire encounter.
I mean, if it’s something you truly care about introducing, you can always move it to a different location potentially save it for later or even give them reason to be somewhere else. I’m definitely a supporter of adjusting to the players not meaning we have to scrap things everytime, maybe there’s more than one group and they’ve only heard about one so far if it’s important to you, I would definitely see where it might fit in later
Of course,no problem! Glad you were able to find some insight. Good luck on your first game, and don’t be afraid to report back In to let us know how it goes!
I'd like to add to "Talking too Much" with an issue I definitely did in my first campaign and have specifically designed my new campaigns encounters to avoid... NPCs should NOT have full blown conversations that don't/barely involve the players. If you have said three back and forth lines all on your own, you just look like a lunatic talking to yourself in different voices, and your players wont feel important. I used to have big important characters yapping regularly to each other about important stuff, now I try to only deliver exposition with conversations (or ideally, engaged encounters) directly involving the players, with at most two NPCs active in the discussion. Seems obvious, but it's a very easy trap to fall into if you have a big ensemble of important characters that work in groups or clans.
I agree 100% plus I struggle myself to have any kind of multi NPC conversation with myself. I can’t stand doing that lol playing back-and-forth in conversation with the party is enough as it is. No one wants to watch me argue with myself lol
I have created my first DM campaign that starts with the group meeting together at the crossroads. They have received letters from an anonymous source, in which is said that there is a gold buried that is estimated around 50.000 gold coins, allegedly. Let's just say they have to find it with some info in the middle of the upcoming war between two fractions.
