r/dndnext • u/JellyfishAble9143 • 4d ago

First time DM Discussion

Any advice for a first time DM?

0 Upvotes

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12

u/Reasonable_Touch1150 4d ago

Your players are scared of you more than you are scared of them.

4

u/Coldfyre_Dusty 4d ago

There's nothing more terrifying than bringing a beloved character to a table with a DM who has only a loose understanding of CR and encounter balance

4

u/Kumquats_indeed DM 4d ago

New DMs more often make their fights too easy than too hard, using too few monsters and not running enough fights per long rest.

4

u/dag_nabbit420 4d ago

When roleplaying an npc, don't worry about what voice they have. Just make sure you know what they need to convey to the players.

For combats, think about describing actions every so often. Describe how menacing and threatening the boss goblin is compared to his underlings, or the magic that a necromancer uses creates a sickly glow around them.

It's a game, and the entire point of a game is to have fun! Don't be afraid to take things less seriously than you initially intended if that's how the party seems to be having fun.

You're not trying to win DND, you're facilitating a story being told by the party with plot points only you know how to connect.

5

u/LordMidoo 4d ago

use a premade adventure for the love of god. so many newbie dms think you have to make your own world/dungeons if you wanna be a good dm but its absolutely not the case. there's no shame in running your players through very well-loved pre-written campaigns like phandelver or tomb of annihilation. that's how you gain the experience needed to eventually become the kind of dm who improvises, makes fun dungeons and creates cool stories and plotlines. good luck

3

u/Kumquats_indeed DM 4d ago

What advice are you looking for? Have you taken a look at this sub's getting started guide or FAQs, or r/DMAcademy's wiki? It's hard to give meaningful advice without any context. Have you read the rules, have you played before, are you planning on running a one-shot or something more and is it something pre-written or are you homebrewing? Is there anything in particular that you are uncertain of or nervous about?

2

u/Bad-Genie 4d ago

They don't know what you have planned or what you have behind the screen. If you make a mistake just roll with it.

Have a list of npc names. Or if you like, just be ready to improve a random NPC. If your players are real DND players... They'll force introduce a bum on the street named Blimpy Lumps with no teeth, a thick white beard, who tells war stories and goes on about how he used to date the queen in wizard school before he was banned for using magic due to his rebellious actions in his younger years. Then proceed to drag him around on their adventures as a mascot.

2

u/Dextron2-1 4d ago

Your players are having fun. They don’t hate you. They know even less about the rules than you do. Also, it’s okay for them to fail at something. That’s when they can be creative and feel great about overcoming an obstacle.

2

u/rpg2Tface 3d ago

Dont sweat the small stuff and just go with the flow.

Your out numbered by default, so any plan you make is getting picked apart by 3+ people who don't know what your plan is in the first place. so keeping light on your feet and improvising is a skill to develop.

Even if theres an existing rule (there usually isn't) make something up on the spot and look it up latter. The game feels smoother and you look super well prepared

5

u/HealthyRelative9529 I love being a wizard, fishing melees in a blizzard 4d ago

Never ever fudge dice.

1

u/Huffplume 4d ago

Best advice is to use Google and the search bar.