1st time being a DM!!!! [Archive] - Wizards Community

1st time being a DM!!!! [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Scarblade
04-13-08, 11:27 AM Me and my friends have been playing dn'd for awhile now, but we decided to give the other people in our party a chance to DM because we've always had one DM. It's my turn in a couple weeks and we all have to set up a dungeon and mine's 5th level. So basically have to come up with a 5th lvl. dungeon with all of the basic books and i have a base idea, but i still need some help. Can you guys just feed me some ideas, important facts i need to know, or anything that might be useful in my first DM campagin? Please reply soon!;)
Alyss
04-13-08, 11:55 AM The most important fact is that what you say goes, and that the fun of everyone around the table (yourself included) is the most important thing.

As for ideas...try something small, as it's your first game. Have about ten rooms, and buld them around a central concept. Like..water, for example. Always good for challenging the PCs as well, water. Play on the theme of water in each room, whether it be literal (a room filled with water), metaphorical (a room full of fluid, flexible monsters/objects), or even the opposite (a room that's so dry it exhausts the PCs).

Big monsters are not neccesary, but usually a satisfying end. Treasure is neccessary because of the way the rules rely on the Cs having magic items at later levels.
touchdown
04-13-08, 12:09 PM Me and my friends have been playing dn'd for awhile now, but we decided to give the other people in our party a chance to DM because we've always had one DM. It's my turn in a couple weeks and we all have to set up a dungeon and mine's 5th level. So basically have to come up with a 5th lvl. dungeon with all of the basic books and i have a base idea, but i still need some help. Can you guys just feed me some ideas, important facts i need to know, or anything that might be useful in my first DM campagin? Please reply soon!;)

As a player and a DM, I can tell you that the most important thing to any player is that they feel involved with the game. If they aren't involved, they aren't having fun. Try to create situations where their character's abilities come into play. For example, if one of your players has a dwarf that specializes in traps and magical glyphs, make sure to fit one or more of those into a module so that he can show off his stuff!

Try to steer away from the "open door, kill monster, loot room" approach. It can be fun every once in awhile (after all, the players DO want xp), but if you can create unique encounters and NPCs that are memorable, your players will love you for it. Aim for a good balance between monster battles and story.

Being a good DM is a lot of work, but there are two rewards for those that put in that work: the reactions of your players and the satisfaction for you from creating something special.

Good luck!
iserith
04-13-08, 01:18 PM Tell us about your basic idea and we can help you elaborate on it.
Scarblade
04-13-08, 01:56 PM I'm going to do a dungeon, maybe big or medium, and i know that there's gonna be a palaldin, ranger/fighter, and something else.
P.S. thanks for thebasic rules!
Gentlemanic
04-13-08, 02:06 PM Since there are only three characters, with only a paladin as a secondary healer, you should watch out with how much you toss at them. Make sure that they have time to escape/rest or have other healing options. But don't make it too easy either.

Why not put the dungeon under a part of the city? A child got lost in the sewers perhaps, and they have to fetch it. When going down there, they get cut off, their rope gets destroyed, tunnels floots/collapses. They have to move on to get to safety.

To keep the water theme going, have them swim around a bit. Have an ooze/water combat. Then they get up to a ladder, from there they can get back up to the street in case of emergency. But they still haven't found the lost child..

Ah, you should think of things yourself, this was just a suggestion! :P
wraithstrike
04-13-08, 02:08 PM Every adventure needs a goal, which is normally stopping some BBEG. You can use an intelligent BBEG that is planning to or is already doing bad things to the world/nation/city/etc or you could use some monster that ravages the country side, but is known to live in the cave/dungeon/abandoned fortress/castle. If you have time make the "dungeon" a special place with a background story and let the PC's know the story. This will also help you to select what other monsters will be there. If the other players are big on tactics you might want to preplan what you want to do when they get to certain combats, and do not get upset if you plan a battle that is supposed to be difficult, and they find a way to make it easy. Many DM's get upset about this. Take it as a learning opportunity so it wont happen the next time.
iserith
04-13-08, 02:25 PM Come up with a viable reason for them to be in the dungeon. Going after loot is all well and good, but more concrete and believable reasons are more satisfying. If it can tie into a character's background, so much the better - maybe the ranger's ancestors built the place or the paladin has been commanded by his deity to come here seeking a lost shrine. (To be even more interesting, reveal through clues that the ranger's ancestors were demon worshippers. Or have the "deity" that quested the paladin actually be a rakshasa in disguise.)

First, I would find out what the favored enemy of the ranger is. Make sure to include some of those creatures in the dungeon, if it is feasible.

Second, I would include skills challenges appropriate to each of your player characters. For example, in order to get a crucial piece of loot, the ranger will need to Swim across an underground stream, Climb up a big rock, grab the item, then Jump down. Challenge the paladin by getting him to use Diplomacy on a wandering monster that will be more helpful as an ally than an enemy. Or perhaps Knowledge (nobility and royalty) can offer valuable clues about a faded fresco that will help them later on in the dungeon. Skills challenges beyond Listen, Spot, and Search are often forgotten in dungeons in favor of combat and that's a shame.

Next, if you are lacking core classes such as a cleric, rogue, or wizard, then you need to make sure the various encounters in the dungeon do not totally rely on having a cleric, rogue, or wizard. You might include one encounter where having a cleric, rogue, or wizard would make it exceedingly easy (such as a door that opens only to the channeling of positive energy of a 5th-level cleric or a nasty trap that a rogue could have disabled, but now they have to avoid or go through it).

Finally, follow good dungeon design elements. Make it a habitat that makes sense. Give it a history. Keep things consistent. Use both static AND wandering monsters. If the monsters are smart and work together, give them a contingency plan for defending their dungeon against the PCs rather than just standing around waiting for death.

Good luck and have fun.
CastTiltowait
04-13-08, 02:26 PM One place to look for inspiration would be the duninni map forums.
http://dundjinni.com/forums/forum_topics.asp?FID=6
A number of the outstanding ones from there can also be found at
http://www.danielrivera.org/gallery/index.php?cat=5

There's a bunch of truly talented artists over there who put together really awesome maps. You don't necessarily need to use them as battle mats, but just looking at one can inspire all sorts of interesting dungeon ideas, like
http://www.danielrivera.org/gallery/albums/userpics/normal_Dungeon_of_the_Medusa_Lev_1_cis.j pg
Click on this to look at it MUCH larger unless you have a dial up modem
http://www.danielrivera.org/gallery/displayimage.php?album=9&pos=1

I look at the lower right hand room with blood channels leading from the boxes into the next couple of rooms and start wondering whose blood is it, and what's the purpose? Who/what killed the demon, and why was it there? Are the spiders who made all the webs still around? Answering those questions can make for a fun adventure.

Also, just as a general note on DM'ing. Rules questions are VERY likely to come up. If you can find the answer in 1-2 minutes, then go ahead, look it up. If not, make a temporary ruling and move on, telling the players you'll re-visit it later. With these temp rules, however, if it's in combat, err on the side of not killing the players. No one likes the "oops, yeah I guess I shouldn't have had you make a Reflex save to make you survive a 10' fall" mistakes, but if you find out later that a PC should have been hurt by something, you let them know they got lucky once (the gods favored them) but not to expect it again.
Alyss
04-14-08, 01:26 AM Giant fish. Try to work them in somewhere, it'd be worth it...
iserith
04-14-08, 01:52 AM Giant fish. Try to work them in somewhere, it'd be worth it...

*queue theme song from Jaws* (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=1016079)
WilliamTanner
04-14-08, 04:52 PM Can't go wrong with combat. Create 3 potential combats at the location of interest. Let the players explore, being careful or not. Don't hold back when the blood starts to flow. Don't fudge any die rolls. If the PCs start dropping like flies, let them drop. If the party lives, it will be memorable. If they die, it will be memorable.

Just start the day over if the party wipes. Then they can attack with new strategies. You can't really break continuity when the characters started their existence a couple hours ago.

Come session 2, you will have a better feel for what the players and their characters are capable of.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Scarblade 04-13-08, 11:27 AM	Me and my friends have been playing dn'd for awhile now, but we decided to give the other people in our party a chance to DM because we've always had one DM. It's my turn in a couple weeks and we all have to set up a dungeon and mine's 5th level. So basically have to come up with a 5th lvl. dungeon with all of the basic books and i have a base idea, but i still need some help. Can you guys just feed me some ideas, important facts i need to know, or anything that might be useful in my first DM campagin? Please reply soon!;)
Alyss 04-13-08, 11:55 AM	The most important fact is that what you say goes, and that the fun of everyone around the table (yourself included) is the most important thing. As for ideas...try something small, as it's your first game. Have about ten rooms, and buld them around a central concept. Like..water, for example. Always good for challenging the PCs as well, water. Play on the theme of water in each room, whether it be literal (a room filled with water), metaphorical (a room full of fluid, flexible monsters/objects), or even the opposite (a room that's so dry it exhausts the PCs). Big monsters are not neccesary, but usually a satisfying end. Treasure is neccessary because of the way the rules rely on the Cs having magic items at later levels.
touchdown 04-13-08, 12:09 PM	Me and my friends have been playing dn'd for awhile now, but we decided to give the other people in our party a chance to DM because we've always had one DM. It's my turn in a couple weeks and we all have to set up a dungeon and mine's 5th level. So basically have to come up with a 5th lvl. dungeon with all of the basic books and i have a base idea, but i still need some help. Can you guys just feed me some ideas, important facts i need to know, or anything that might be useful in my first DM campagin? Please reply soon!;) As a player and a DM, I can tell you that the most important thing to any player is that they feel involved with the game. If they aren't involved, they aren't having fun. Try to create situations where their character's abilities come into play. For example, if one of your players has a dwarf that specializes in traps and magical glyphs, make sure to fit one or more of those into a module so that he can show off his stuff! Try to steer away from the "open door, kill monster, loot room" approach. It can be fun every once in awhile (after all, the players DO want xp), but if you can create unique encounters and NPCs that are memorable, your players will love you for it. Aim for a good balance between monster battles and story. Being a good DM is a lot of work, but there are two rewards for those that put in that work: the reactions of your players and the satisfaction for you from creating something special. Good luck!
iserith 04-13-08, 01:18 PM	Tell us about your basic idea and we can help you elaborate on it.
Scarblade 04-13-08, 01:56 PM	I'm going to do a dungeon, maybe big or medium, and i know that there's gonna be a palaldin, ranger/fighter, and something else. P.S. thanks for thebasic rules!
Gentlemanic 04-13-08, 02:06 PM	Since there are only three characters, with only a paladin as a secondary healer, you should watch out with how much you toss at them. Make sure that they have time to escape/rest or have other healing options. But don't make it too easy either. Why not put the dungeon under a part of the city? A child got lost in the sewers perhaps, and they have to fetch it. When going down there, they get cut off, their rope gets destroyed, tunnels floots/collapses. They have to move on to get to safety. To keep the water theme going, have them swim around a bit. Have an ooze/water combat. Then they get up to a ladder, from there they can get back up to the street in case of emergency. But they still haven't found the lost child.. Ah, you should think of things yourself, this was just a suggestion! :P
wraithstrike 04-13-08, 02:08 PM	Every adventure needs a goal, which is normally stopping some BBEG. You can use an intelligent BBEG that is planning to or is already doing bad things to the world/nation/city/etc or you could use some monster that ravages the country side, but is known to live in the cave/dungeon/abandoned fortress/castle. If you have time make the "dungeon" a special place with a background story and let the PC's know the story. This will also help you to select what other monsters will be there. If the other players are big on tactics you might want to preplan what you want to do when they get to certain combats, and do not get upset if you plan a battle that is supposed to be difficult, and they find a way to make it easy. Many DM's get upset about this. Take it as a learning opportunity so it wont happen the next time.
iserith 04-13-08, 02:25 PM	Come up with a viable reason for them to be in the dungeon. Going after loot is all well and good, but more concrete and believable reasons are more satisfying. If it can tie into a character's background, so much the better - maybe the ranger's ancestors built the place or the paladin has been commanded by his deity to come here seeking a lost shrine. (To be even more interesting, reveal through clues that the ranger's ancestors were demon worshippers. Or have the "deity" that quested the paladin actually be a rakshasa in disguise.) First, I would find out what the favored enemy of the ranger is. Make sure to include some of those creatures in the dungeon, if it is feasible. Second, I would include skills challenges appropriate to each of your player characters. For example, in order to get a crucial piece of loot, the ranger will need to Swim across an underground stream, Climb up a big rock, grab the item, then Jump down. Challenge the paladin by getting him to use Diplomacy on a wandering monster that will be more helpful as an ally than an enemy. Or perhaps Knowledge (nobility and royalty) can offer valuable clues about a faded fresco that will help them later on in the dungeon. Skills challenges beyond Listen, Spot, and Search are often forgotten in dungeons in favor of combat and that's a shame. Next, if you are lacking core classes such as a cleric, rogue, or wizard, then you need to make sure the various encounters in the dungeon do not totally rely on having a cleric, rogue, or wizard. You might include one encounter where having a cleric, rogue, or wizard would make it exceedingly easy (such as a door that opens only to the channeling of positive energy of a 5th-level cleric or a nasty trap that a rogue could have disabled, but now they have to avoid or go through it). Finally, follow good dungeon design elements. Make it a habitat that makes sense. Give it a history. Keep things consistent. Use both static AND wandering monsters. If the monsters are smart and work together, give them a contingency plan for defending their dungeon against the PCs rather than just standing around waiting for death. Good luck and have fun.
CastTiltowait 04-13-08, 02:26 PM	One place to look for inspiration would be the duninni map forums. http://dundjinni.com/forums/forum_topics.asp?FID=6 A number of the outstanding ones from there can also be found at http://www.danielrivera.org/gallery/index.php?cat=5 There's a bunch of truly talented artists over there who put together really awesome maps. You don't necessarily need to use them as battle mats, but just looking at one can inspire all sorts of interesting dungeon ideas, like http://www.danielrivera.org/gallery/albums/userpics/normal_Dungeon_of_the_Medusa_Lev_1_cis.j pg Click on this to look at it MUCH larger unless you have a dial up modem http://www.danielrivera.org/gallery/displayimage.php?album=9&pos=1 I look at the lower right hand room with blood channels leading from the boxes into the next couple of rooms and start wondering whose blood is it, and what's the purpose? Who/what killed the demon, and why was it there? Are the spiders who made all the webs still around? Answering those questions can make for a fun adventure. Also, just as a general note on DM'ing. Rules questions are VERY likely to come up. If you can find the answer in 1-2 minutes, then go ahead, look it up. If not, make a temporary ruling and move on, telling the players you'll re-visit it later. With these temp rules, however, if it's in combat, err on the side of not killing the players. No one likes the "oops, yeah I guess I shouldn't have had you make a Reflex save to make you survive a 10' fall" mistakes, but if you find out later that a PC should have been hurt by something, you let them know they got lucky once (the gods favored them) but not to expect it again.
Alyss 04-14-08, 01:26 AM	Giant fish. Try to work them in somewhere, it'd be worth it...
iserith 04-14-08, 01:52 AM	Giant fish. Try to work them in somewhere, it'd be worth it... queue theme song from Jaws (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=1016079)
WilliamTanner 04-14-08, 04:52 PM	Can't go wrong with combat. Create 3 potential combats at the location of interest. Let the players explore, being careful or not. Don't hold back when the blood starts to flow. Don't fudge any die rolls. If the PCs start dropping like flies, let them drop. If the party lives, it will be memorable. If they die, it will be memorable. Just start the day over if the party wipes. Then they can attack with new strategies. You can't really break continuity when the characters started their existence a couple hours ago. Come session 2, you will have a better feel for what the players and their characters are capable of.