I will say, I do think that a very useful thing to do as a starting DM is being honest about being a starting DM. Be honest with your players about your level of comfort and ability with adapting on the fly, and be OK with saying that you would like them to try and stay at least parallel to the story path. DMs are also players and deserve to have their own sense of what's OK at the table and what's not heard and respected.
Another important thing I think new DMs should know is that: You will mess things up and that's okay. Nobody expects you to remember all the rules or get them right every time. Especially if you are just starting out. If you are unsure about a ruling or don't remember it just be open about it. Make up a ruling that you think fits the situation and after the session you can look it up and do it correctly from here on out. Same goes for any mistakes you might make with the story or world. Also for point 3 and 4 what helped me was changing from planning a story and what's going to happen to just planning a scenario or a problem. This way I didn't already have one solution in mind and didn't have to rethink or run the danger of railroading them because their solution it's not what I wanted to happen. For example if I planned a one-shot about the party saving a princess trapped by a evil wizard in a castle. Instead of coming up with the plan of them fighting the skeletons guarding the front entrance, overcoming the traps in the staircase and then having an epic battle with the wizard. I just put all these things in the world and give each some basic traits. Like that the skeletons are not intelligent and that the wizard overestimates his power and likes to boast about himself. Because now even if what I planned sounds similar. I don't have one solution in mind but instead just have the world react based on the traits I gave them. So now when the party decides to sneak past the skeltons and climb up the tower from the outside or if they are higher level just turning to flying creatures and fly directly into to the top of the tower. I won't be upset that they are not doing it the „right“ way and can just react to it. Like having the skeletons run up to help the wizard once the hear the fight but since they don't aren't smart enough to notice the traps most are destroyed or already damaged. Or if the party just leaves with the princess the wizard could also turn into a flying creature and chase them down sure they will destroy the party. You might need some practice getting a feel for doing this but it really helped me. Also don't feel bad about wasting time creating something that the party skipped because a lot of things can be reflavoured and reused. Although be a bit careful with that to not completely negate player agency if you do it for everything.
I think the best advice I got before my first session was: never have vital information depend on a roll. Always have a few sensible back ups, or ways the players could get the information. I used it in my first session. The players arrived in an abandoned village and started looking for the villagers. There were a couple of places for investigation rolls, but if those rolls had gone badly, they'd have been directed to the next town and found some clues by talking to the people there. Sometimes the back up isn't necessary, but it's usually better to have the option ready then make it up on the fly.
When I started DMing for my current group, I had them read a short document which has my house rules in it. The first five passages are: 1. We are here to have fun. If at any point you feel that either one of the rules stands in the way of that, speak up, we'll work something out. 2. Rule of Story: I retain the right to throw the rules out of the window if it makes for a better story. 3. Rule of Realism: I retain the right to throw the rules out of the window if an outcome would be absurd and it does not contradict the Rule of Story. 4. Rule of Cool: I retain the right to throw the rules out of the window if it makes for a cool moment and does not contradict either the Rule of Story or the Rule of Realism. 5. Rule of the DM’s Discretion: I retain the right to throw the rules out of the window if I feel they get in the way of us having fun.
I have been a writer since around 2000, and I resonate that "follow the players' lead" thing a whole lot. Luckily, I was able to catch on to the whole, "you aren't writing a book" thing pretty quickly. Not sure why, I think the DM that originally taught me to play did a good job of displaying the DM's job. Naturally, I have finished very few campaigns in my time, and certainly none of my own. And because I had the setting and the villains created, my mom- who has always been very encouraging in regards to my writing- suggested that I turn it into a book. But the thought of doing that always felt weird, and I think it should. Because... the main characters are not mine. I didn't create them, and I don't know them as well as the players did. Writing a campaign has some of the characteristics of writing a book, but ultimately, there is a massive hole right in the center of your creation, and that hole needs to be filled by other people. I don't know if this is good advice or not, but in the online campaign I am running, I genuinely don't know how to solve the problem with which I will potentially present the players. There are obviously a million reactions and ways that they could address it, including not addressing it at all. But I don't know how *I* would address the issue and it makes me excited to see how my players will do things. I think that's how it should be in one way or another.
My number one rule is 'Have fun'. I want people to be invested and having fun helps with that. I have also come across a lot of people who label themselves as 'writers' and roleplaying games that have any element of chance tends to stress them out because the dice 'ruin' their plans. Managing that expectation is definitely a first step in creating harmony. I try to explain to them that this is a collaborative game so they'll have to lean into the idea of collaborative writing. The other players will decide what their characters do and it might not be what you want them to do. I also let them know that unless the outcome can go either way, I won't ask for a roll. Combat will be the only 'roll heavy' part of my game. I try to let them scratch that itch by telling them that tasks can be made easier with a well explained plan or in depth description. Instead of saying "I pick the lock", if a player takes the time to described how they pick the lock, I might bring the DC down a little because I feel like it's more possible with the technique. Same goes with skill checks. If you describe punching through a wall to intimidate someone, then I'll base your roll on your strength instead. I try to give them that creative freedom beyond what the rules may 'allow' so when something like combat shows up, they hopefully see the dice as a tool instead of a hindrance. I try very hard to create a safe environment so people can explore and experiment as they please because I want to see where the story goes as much as the rest of the group. I find as a DM and as a player, becoming a fan of the other PCs and your DM can help with the collaboration part of the game. I want to be surprised. It's why I play a game of chance and not just write a book. I get that people can be nervous about what might happen with their character, but I think that's why communication is key. If you have to have several session zeros to iron things out, then I say do it. Of course, the conversation shouldn't end there. Keep talking because things do change over time. It's a group game that we play together and I think people tend to lose track of that idea at times. We are working together. I'm not trying to kill your character but the evil NPC might be. It's why I will also help look up spells and abilities to try to help players figure things out. Sometimes players get stressed and flustered because of a high stress situation. I lose nothing helping them find that spell that they feel their character would do in that situation while also speeding up their turn so that there isn't this spiral of anxiety about 'taking too long'. It also shows them that I am not there to watch them fail. I want them to succeed. I like their character too. I find it helps foster that group mentality and people tend to have more fun. I know not every DM is going to do that but I've met too many people with anxiety and who suffer from panic attacks to not try to help them through a difficult situation. They are trusting me and I lose nothing by helping them get through the situation so that they can feel more and more comfortable. That circles back to communication and knowing your players. It's easier to create fun when you know what's fun for them.
I've recently been running my first game in years, using Lost Mine for a group who are completely new to D&D. I felt it still needed that One-Shot set-up for our first session, so gave them a "trouble at the town festival" scenario to get them used to rolling dice, Skills, socialising and combat. I think it really helped to break the ice without any big stakes, before introducing the plot of the module. Thanks again Mike for your insights!
Play fair and... Have fun? Wait? I'm trying to have fun? Lol, that's something I think we need a video on. I ran D&D for a long time before I realized the point was fun.
You keep saying "they are your friends". But so far my players are a bunsh of randos that answered my posting about wanting to start a new group. I haven't even seen any of their faces yet. But I feel confident so far. I've been up front about being new to gming and have dazzeld them with my game world. We are currently planing our session zero. I fully intent on that being very extencive. I want to make sure that everyone feels like they can openly give feedback and that their opinions and wishes matter. In my old group I never felt like I could say anything when my opinions differed from the others and inparticular from one player who often gmed. I have already noticed that my players don't know how to deal with it when a problem comes up and I offer them a chance to make suggestions before I tell them my decision. I think this will actually be my first topic for session zero. Making it abandonedly clear that I want to hear their opinions so that we can make sure that everyone has fun. I have absolutly no desire to push my idea of fun on anybody. Even if they don't fight it.
Very happy about the once shot advice! This is the first time I hear it, but it sounds natural to me: I'm starting my first campaign after DMing some homebrew one shots for a few years. Actually, for everything in life, I don't feel comfortable committing to long-term stuff, at least without trying it beforehand. So I wrote one shots. They weren't perfect, especially the first two which had a lot of issues, but they were a good training! I'm really exctited about starting my long-awaited campaign (a year of worldbuilding and going back and forth), as it was actually the players who requested it. I'm having so much fun building lore and worlds that I could go on forever... but it finally started last week-end, and now I can't wait for the next session!
There are times watching Crit Role where Matt calls for a roll, and I wonder if he might just be giving himself a moment to decide an answer without any dead game time. It seems like a good way to cover that 'um......' moment.
There’s also been moments I feel like he calls for roles he shouldn’t. Like at times his players will make intimidation or persuasion attempts that include very well RP’d arguments that even he finds effective but he’ll still rely on the dice to decide the outcome. To each their own but to me if a player puts in the effort to make a persuasive argument or perform a creative action to influence or resolve a situation in a way that makes sense to the character and world; A DM should just say it works. No need to rely on rng. Relying on dice roles cod everything just feels like a sure fire way to condition youd players to think creative RP in important situations is pointless since its up to the dice to determine everything.
> Like at times his players will make intimidation or persuasion attempts that include very well RP’d arguments that even he finds effective but he’ll still rely on the dice to decide the outcome. @@troikas3353 you can roll for degree of success not only for checking if there was an success. If you roll well on persuasion skill and had good arguments - you get a bonus, if you failed but had good arguments - NPC will still help you, but they will demand something in exchange, etc. I even look at how much you succeeded sometimes (other systems have degrees of success and it's very useful in social situations). I have this problem when I'm DMing that I rely mostly on the arguments, and then my players complain that investing into CHA and related skills is pointless in my games so I'm actively working on fixing this. If something is a skill or an attribute - you shouldn't give it for free cause it makes the skill less valuable (and players won't feel as good about their character then).
Great advice. I can say from experience that most is spot on. After my first failed campaign I stopped writing stories and instead started writing settings where things were happening. Once I see what hooks my players are interested in I follow that lead and the story develops collaboratively. Much less prep time involved too haha
"stopped writing stories and instead started writing settings where things were happening" That's honestly the best concise summary of heard on how write a campaign.
I'm gonna be doing a DND campaign with my family (4 including me) and this is really helping. I'm a first-time DM and really want this to be something fun we can do together. I also want the experience with people I'm already comfortable with before trying to (possibly) do one with friends or other people. So I just wanted to say thank you for your videos and content :)
I'm not gonna lie, sometimes I get frustrated with stuff my players do. Not because I think they're playing wrong or because I'm playing against them, but because they found the crack that I didn't prepare for, the one time where I couldn't cover for my flaws as a DM and chose a path that will make the game much less enjoyable because not only I didn't expect that to happen, but I have no clue how to react and what to rule (when it happens, it's a magic shop. I suck at economy, and it's the most boring part to prep to me). However, they all know I'm not trying to railroad them, play against them or nerf them. They know it's just one of my limits, and once they realize they just bust that crack wide open, they do their best to help me out, and I trust them.
I never got why DMs would want to kill their players, especially if they're their "friends", and get upset when the players succeed. If a friend invited you to play a card game and obviously did everything in their power to cheat and win, would you have fun? No! So why do the same to them?
On the when in doubt, roll point: Before I started playing D&D and DMing I was watching Matt Mercer only and Brennan Lee Mulligan occasionally as my days have just 24 hours in them so obviously one adapts bits of their style but when I got more time I looked at how Aabria Iyengar DMs and although I liked how she always have the players roll even for critical information, my players however hated when I slowly integrated it. They liked finding out things on their own, using the environment and the NPCs to their benefit as in a living, breathing world, not having to rely on good rolls. Everyone has to find the style their table likes and make the necessary adjustments
The most stressful thing I had when I started DMing for the first time recently was having a player who sucked the fun out. Always shot for the loot first, lied to the other players and disengaged from the game when others roleplayed, and constantly questioned my rulings It came to a head when I asked him to make a deception check cause he was holding back critical information about a sword when selling it (it was cursed) because he said he didn't need to roll deception cause he was being truthful I stuck to my guns because I believe holding back critical info is inherently deceptive when it could have harmful implications, but he refused to roll it and completely disengaged and left early. I didn't know how to handle it so any info on how to manage a situation like this for the future would be amazingly helpful.
Absolutely loved this video! I was wondering if you would consider a video about choosing campaign settings. What's the difference between setting your campaign and a small village or the feywild
Hi, your Let's Talk About Tiberius was really great. Could you make a mini-series for every voice-actor/ character from Vox Machina and Mighty Nein? Perhaps with special consideration for the Keyleth/ Marisha matter?
I don’t currently have any plans to dig deep into those other characters in this same format, though I can’t rule it out. But those would obviously be formatted very differently, with less on controversy since it doesn’t apply in the same way. As for Keyleth, right now I feel the best video on the subject is William SRD’s video - he does an excellent job addressing that topic and where the animosity toward her came from. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-mxImqEnUvnY.html
im trying to start a campaign with some friends who live long distance and are all completely new to D&D. They have expressed some interest and since I'm doing a Fallout themed campaign setting they've become even more interested. I'm not sure how much lore and info is too much or overwhelming. I haven't written a novel i don't think but I've created a handful of custom factions and locations, I've also started writing up their first quest or mission. They're busy a lot but i'm not sure how to encourage them to make their characters, should I just be patient or should I actively encourage them to make their characters?
If they're new to DnD, I *highly* recommend sitting down with them sometime, on Discord for example, and helping them make their character sheets. DnD's mechanics can be really overwhelming and it helps to have a guiding hand. Idk if this will work in a Fallout themed world, but I always start with a simple question: "do you want to cast magic, or be a melee fighter?"
I've been a semi-long time player (played a bit in high school and then got away from it for a while, I only recently got back into the game when I found out that a bunch of my coworkers played together and ended up joining them!), but never a DM. Well, I recently found out that my bf's Aunt used to play in when she was in school and loved it and wanted to play again. So I will soon be DMing for a few family members and I was going to start with Lost Mines of Phandelver! :D I was originally going to start with Hoard of the Dragon Queen but after some research and advice from my DM, I decided that Lost Mines would be better. I even started creating my own homebrewed world that was based on one of the encounters in Lost Mines. D&D has given me a creative spark that I never knew I had and I love it.
See I know the feeling of a sudden campaign popping up.... except I was on an opposite side. I was a dm who wanted a month break (I had a s2 to the game I just finished S1 with and it was gonna be big) and let a new dm do a 4 week one shot, me making a simple character that wasn't made to be long.... and then the dm wanted to keep going, starting a new campaign we alternate every 4 weeks on and me having to improv a character arc..... which isn't bad just not what I expected.
I've definitely been in a group where it was the DM a single player and the rest of us... the supporting cast. Not fun. Keep in mind I said group not campaign unfortunately.
Me, my brothers and our friend played through Mines of Phandelver like 3 times before starting our own campaign. Mostly because we only played over the summers and we were mega noobs and young, so starting over was less complicated than to keep going with our mess xD It's a great starting point for people learning the game!
i'm a little insane and already had a world built for a book i'm writing when i decided to just do a smaller campaign in it for my first one and my friend did the same thing; i would say that if u decide to do that definitely take ur time with planning. as long as you communicate with your players, everything should be fine. also ask any experienced dms u know questions
I think the worst idea I ever had was to run a custom one-shot for my first ever session as DM. Even now, I find it so hard to keep one-shots, well, one-shot. Back then, geeze, I still have some of those people talk about the mysteries that were left on the table and the small taste of it all that they got. There were probably at least 5 sessions of material there, maybe more for a group as thorough and methodical as them. I think doing something like Lost Mines of Phandelver is great advice. It's fairly short, but long enough to help you understand the pace that players will move through content and get your bearings as a DM before you move on to longer, more complex modules that require more prep (or one-shots that you need to know how to wrap up in the allotted time haha).
I had the opposite experience. I’m good at keeping an eye on the clock and cutting things down/reworking to hit my marks for the one-shot. It took me a lot longer to learn how to manage a longer adventure 😅
i started running lmop for a new group of players (also my first time gm ing), expecting it to maybe take 4 - 5 sessions. We're now 11 sessions in, nowhere near the original module and with plans to keep it going for at least a couple more months
Same - just finished LMOP with my family group and it went in all sorts of directions - including an entire political arc where they decided the weak townmaster should be ousted, and a new election called, involving them going around trying to engineer the result they wanted, which they actually failed to do as the (spoilers coming)...............lady in the Miner's Exchange played a better political game - having installed the weak townmaster in the first place, she made him make his last act to give voting rights to important people to Phandalin. That meant the players, who by now had eradicated the Redbrands, got a vote, but crucially so did all the dwarves working for her. Expect the unexpected of your players!
@@SupergeekMike Can confirm... as long as everyone is clear that the goal is to have fun this can definitely work... you will make a lot of mistakes but some of those mistakes you are going to make anyway no matter how much you prepare yourself. Also video game trash talk is a non-sequitur in the realm of DnD, imo... >.>
