A new DM needs help. [Archive] - Wizards Community

A new DM needs help. [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Nakorvis
04-02-07, 01:40 AM Hello, I am about to step into the wonderful world of DMing. A group of my friends have recently gotten into D&D. We each got a PHB and we all pitched in money to get a DMG. I was elected to be the DM since I am one of hte more creative in our group. I have read over some of the pre-made adventures on this site and ran a few of them with myself but I dont really like how any of them flow. I am one to make my own adventure...mainly because Im a perfectionist. I would like to make one of my own for our debute gaming session. I realize it will be hard for a beginner to make an adventure their very first session but I wouldl ike to give it a shot.
So I was wondering how do more experience and seasoned DMs make adventures/organize notes/what do they add to their notes/what key bit of detail do they have in their notes? I have started to make an adventures but I find myself basically typeing out every possible way the PCs will act and every possible reaction the NPCs might have in extreme detail and its making for slow work. I am not that good at making stuff up on the fly but I dont want a novel of notes to go through when I run the adventure. So do any experienced DMs have any tips on how to organize notes and make notes easier to read and quicker to write? Thank you for your help in advanced.
Ace_of_time
04-02-07, 02:21 AM Are you using D&D Minis?
Nakorvis
04-02-07, 02:31 AM Yea, I have a dry erase battle mat and some miniatures and other items like chess and checker pieces to mark players and NPCs.
Ace_of_time
04-02-07, 02:53 AM If you have D&D minis then all your notes really need to say is what in the room and maybe what the room looks like. If not then when you write in the monsters just put the page number they can be found in MM. Beside that maybe a list of names just for help. If you use traps just write out that info in your notes for easy refer. And the most important thing is to keep it simple. They don't always have to do what you think they will. Most of the time they won't. Just worry about the stuff you can control and let the players worry about what they will do when they find them.
Kouk
04-02-07, 03:37 AM If you are making a dungeon or NPC, instead of thinking through every possible thing the players MIGHT do, just think about the way the dungeon works and how the NPCs think.

If you get in the mind of an NPC (you might write a little motivation or tactics block for important ones) you can have him react the way he normally would given whatever bizarro things the players do.

You might consider planning in a more general way such as "What happens when the party gets past this obstacle?" rather than "What happens if they try climbing the wall, or jumping?" It is probably guaranteed they will get past the obstacles no matter how they do it.

I would suggest running some pre-written modules for a little bit so you can see the flow of an adventure even if they don't strike you as great. Odds are, you won't run them great, and the players won't play great, because you are all new. It will be a learning experience in the beginning anyway, so maybe take your ideas and write them down but don't go the extra mile and create whole dungeons just yet.

Everyone else probably knows (or should know) that it might start a bit dull but the gaming can only get better over time.

You might also look at the DMGII, it is basically a how-to for beginning DMs.
Sterling
04-02-07, 09:26 AM I would advice having a chat with your players before you start and find out what sorts of things they are interested in. Do they really like combat and dungeon crawling? Do they want to try out all the neat skills and feats? Do they prefer to roleplay their characters and delve into their personalities? This can be very helpful in tailoring your adventure into something they (and you) will really enjoy.

I've found with NPCs its easier just to make a few quick notes on their personality rather than note how they will react to everything. If you have a basic idea about the type of person they are, it tends to be easier to judge what they will do. If Sven the town guard is really laid back, he probably will take most of what the PCs do in stride. If, however, he has a particular hatred for Orcs, finding out the PCs helped an Orc tribe out might make him react a lot less favorably towards them.

You'll probably find, as I did, that you will take a lot of notes in the beginning and figure out what you really need as you run a few adventures. Not every DM is going to want the same information. Don't get too attached to your story, either, since PCs are well known for running off after some "clue" they think they've spotted. Improvisation gets easier with time, too, after you get forced to practice at it. ;)

Lastly, don't sweat it. If you've got a good group of players, they'll be willing to give you some slack. Don't be afraid to screw up. If you do, just let everyone know you made a mistake and move on. It's just a game and if you're not having fun, why play?
Cyruscore
04-02-07, 01:04 PM Wow, wish I had signed up for the forums before I started building my first campaign. I am going through the same problems that you are only I find myself having problems with filler and down-time. I know that the players frequently, as in always, deviate from your planned course of action but in most cases, it shouldn't affect the game seriously. In the event that it does affect your campaign and you aren't prepared, then an hour break is your best friend (Thats what I plan to do! ).

Now one thing that I am having difficulty with is the fact that I want recurring villains. I want the players to fight a strong enemy who they can stand up to but can't defeat because of his or her preparation and experience. Normally, I would just place the villain at a challenge rating for a very difficult battle. However, the characters that they are playing are very strong( excellent rolls, strong races, which I encouraged ). Because of this, they can do things that normal characters can't do( Two words: Dragon Shaman ). My question is, how powerful is too powerful for super characters?
danielinthewolvesden
04-02-07, 01:16 PM Get one of the players to run Init for you and the party. It saves a lot of work for the DM.
Ace_of_time
04-02-07, 01:20 PM You can just up the cr's and give the players LAs to keep them from leveling to quick. If they are 4 level and you always have to put them up against CR9 monsters then it ok to count them as 9 level when giving xp's. Sometimes TPK's can be a good thing. If you think they are to powerful and they won't listen or it is just easier to start a new than to make them less powerful, then just start over. Don't be afraid to play low powered PC.( you supposed to be having fun and meeting new people not trying to beat a dragon wyrm at 4th level.) Don't be afraid to talk to your players. (good player want your input)
Ace_of_time
04-02-07, 01:26 PM Init problems are easy. If your just starting out then make everyone take a 10 on them, then when you get used to DMing and under stand the rules better start letting them roll init.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Nakorvis 04-02-07, 01:40 AM	Hello, I am about to step into the wonderful world of DMing. A group of my friends have recently gotten into D&D. We each got a PHB and we all pitched in money to get a DMG. I was elected to be the DM since I am one of hte more creative in our group. I have read over some of the pre-made adventures on this site and ran a few of them with myself but I dont really like how any of them flow. I am one to make my own adventure...mainly because Im a perfectionist. I would like to make one of my own for our debute gaming session. I realize it will be hard for a beginner to make an adventure their very first session but I wouldl ike to give it a shot. So I was wondering how do more experience and seasoned DMs make adventures/organize notes/what do they add to their notes/what key bit of detail do they have in their notes? I have started to make an adventures but I find myself basically typeing out every possible way the PCs will act and every possible reaction the NPCs might have in extreme detail and its making for slow work. I am not that good at making stuff up on the fly but I dont want a novel of notes to go through when I run the adventure. So do any experienced DMs have any tips on how to organize notes and make notes easier to read and quicker to write? Thank you for your help in advanced.
Ace_of_time 04-02-07, 02:21 AM	Are you using D&D Minis?
Nakorvis 04-02-07, 02:31 AM	Yea, I have a dry erase battle mat and some miniatures and other items like chess and checker pieces to mark players and NPCs.
Ace_of_time 04-02-07, 02:53 AM	If you have D&D minis then all your notes really need to say is what in the room and maybe what the room looks like. If not then when you write in the monsters just put the page number they can be found in MM. Beside that maybe a list of names just for help. If you use traps just write out that info in your notes for easy refer. And the most important thing is to keep it simple. They don't always have to do what you think they will. Most of the time they won't. Just worry about the stuff you can control and let the players worry about what they will do when they find them.
Kouk 04-02-07, 03:37 AM	If you are making a dungeon or NPC, instead of thinking through every possible thing the players MIGHT do, just think about the way the dungeon works and how the NPCs think. If you get in the mind of an NPC (you might write a little motivation or tactics block for important ones) you can have him react the way he normally would given whatever bizarro things the players do. You might consider planning in a more general way such as "What happens when the party gets past this obstacle?" rather than "What happens if they try climbing the wall, or jumping?" It is probably guaranteed they will get past the obstacles no matter how they do it. I would suggest running some pre-written modules for a little bit so you can see the flow of an adventure even if they don't strike you as great. Odds are, you won't run them great, and the players won't play great, because you are all new. It will be a learning experience in the beginning anyway, so maybe take your ideas and write them down but don't go the extra mile and create whole dungeons just yet. Everyone else probably knows (or should know) that it might start a bit dull but the gaming can only get better over time. You might also look at the DMGII, it is basically a how-to for beginning DMs.
Sterling 04-02-07, 09:26 AM	I would advice having a chat with your players before you start and find out what sorts of things they are interested in. Do they really like combat and dungeon crawling? Do they want to try out all the neat skills and feats? Do they prefer to roleplay their characters and delve into their personalities? This can be very helpful in tailoring your adventure into something they (and you) will really enjoy. I've found with NPCs its easier just to make a few quick notes on their personality rather than note how they will react to everything. If you have a basic idea about the type of person they are, it tends to be easier to judge what they will do. If Sven the town guard is really laid back, he probably will take most of what the PCs do in stride. If, however, he has a particular hatred for Orcs, finding out the PCs helped an Orc tribe out might make him react a lot less favorably towards them. You'll probably find, as I did, that you will take a lot of notes in the beginning and figure out what you really need as you run a few adventures. Not every DM is going to want the same information. Don't get too attached to your story, either, since PCs are well known for running off after some "clue" they think they've spotted. Improvisation gets easier with time, too, after you get forced to practice at it. ;) Lastly, don't sweat it. If you've got a good group of players, they'll be willing to give you some slack. Don't be afraid to screw up. If you do, just let everyone know you made a mistake and move on. It's just a game and if you're not having fun, why play?
Cyruscore 04-02-07, 01:04 PM	Wow, wish I had signed up for the forums before I started building my first campaign. I am going through the same problems that you are only I find myself having problems with filler and down-time. I know that the players frequently, as in always, deviate from your planned course of action but in most cases, it shouldn't affect the game seriously. In the event that it does affect your campaign and you aren't prepared, then an hour break is your best friend (Thats what I plan to do! ). Now one thing that I am having difficulty with is the fact that I want recurring villains. I want the players to fight a strong enemy who they can stand up to but can't defeat because of his or her preparation and experience. Normally, I would just place the villain at a challenge rating for a very difficult battle. However, the characters that they are playing are very strong( excellent rolls, strong races, which I encouraged ). Because of this, they can do things that normal characters can't do( Two words: Dragon Shaman ). My question is, how powerful is too powerful for super characters?
danielinthewolvesden 04-02-07, 01:16 PM	Get one of the players to run Init for you and the party. It saves a lot of work for the DM.
Ace_of_time 04-02-07, 01:20 PM	You can just up the cr's and give the players LAs to keep them from leveling to quick. If they are 4 level and you always have to put them up against CR9 monsters then it ok to count them as 9 level when giving xp's. Sometimes TPK's can be a good thing. If you think they are to powerful and they won't listen or it is just easier to start a new than to make them less powerful, then just start over. Don't be afraid to play low powered PC.( you supposed to be having fun and meeting new people not trying to beat a dragon wyrm at 4th level.) Don't be afraid to talk to your players. (good player want your input)
Ace_of_time 04-02-07, 01:26 PM	Init problems are easy. If your just starting out then make everyone take a 10 on them, then when you get used to DMing and under stand the rules better start letting them roll init.