Advice for a new DM [Archive] - Wizards Community

Advice for a new DM [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
sleeplessghost
11-18-07, 12:44 AM Hello, I have been DMing for a few weeks now and was wondering if there was any advice that other DM's could give me. I was particularly looking for advice for building storylines, campaigns, NPC's, Arch-Villians, Recurring vilians(After all, how many times has Venom fought Spiderman?), and worlds.

Also I was wondering if playing in an official campaign setting such as Forgotten Realms is worth the investment. My old DM told me to make a new world so that the player's would stay on their toes and so that I could freely make a few new rules and make rule calls claiming that this is how my world works.

Anyways, Just wanting some help!

Peace love and purple chickens
Etarnon
11-18-07, 01:05 AM Start small.

Get some of the old 2nd ed books (because they are dirt cheap on ebay) out there that tell you how to do this:

Villain's handbook

Campaign guide

Some others. I'll look in my library for a list.

The tips and hints you really need have been printed up, what might be offerred here will likely mirror most of that, since i guess that's how most of us learned.

Biggest tip, start small.
Rogue Elendae
11-19-07, 02:46 AM Your old DM's tips have some merit; playing in an established setting like FR (especially one that has a lot of novels and extra story outside of the CS established) can often lead to problems of players insisting that the way you're running it or any small deviation are "not how that goes," etc. Mind you, this is what I've heard from other people. I use a homebrew campaign setting, largely because I like world-making. However, it can be easier to work with an already created world, regardless of potential debates with players. So, if you don't mind having a possibility (and only a possibility; it's far from a certain thing) of naysayers and complaints regarding how you employ the world, go right ahead and use it if you want to.

As for what you're asking on tips for, I can best help with only a few. World-building is typically best done small (often called inside-out), going from a single village where things take place, for example, and building the country out from there, to a continent, and if you're planning on having the PCs go so far, the rest of the world. However far you go, most people recommend only building (and taking notes on) what you need for the session.

However, if you've got the time and feel like doing so, you can just throw together entire maps and history of the world for your own personal use...when I created my setting, I pretty much wrote down anything that crossed my mind, and built things out of it...my homebrew is something like 50+ pages of notes, most of which are for my own benefit, as I've only used a tiny section of the western continent in actual play. Anyway, if you want to start big and build "outside-in," I'd first recommend drawing some sort of general map of a continent (just doodle a shape that appeals), then start filling in waterways, mountains, castles, villages, whatever pleases you.

As for NPCs, I'll tell you right now, that unless you expect your players to fight them, don't stat them. Just have a list of names that sound appropriate (as in, some that're Dwarvish, some Elven, some Orcish, etc. in addition to human), and maybe a few personality quirks to give them (like, is that Gnome shopkeep fussy and chatty, or is the Elf running the inn a bit stuffy, etc.) so that they're not all the same (or all just kind of "you"--just the DM saying this NPC's talking, without anything distinguishing it from the DM), and maybe a few random descriptions and more info if they're a recurring NPC.

In other words, if the PCs are going to always end up in X town at Y tavern, I'd make sure I've got a bit of backstory and notes on that tavern keeper, so he can chat at them and maybe ramble about his days as an adventurer in whatever far-off kingdom, y'know? Whereas Joe Blow NPC who directs them to the weapon shop he says his brother runs, and says "Tell him I sent you, and maybe he won't scam you," might only have a name off a general list, and a fairly generic appearance.

Don't really know what to say on some of the other questions, and I'd really need time to think on them, anyway. Still, hope some of this is useful.
Ariakus
11-19-07, 08:57 AM I personally would go with an established campaign, one with rules, classes, races, cities, etc...already made up. Starting in a homebrew world is more of an advanced style, as you had better know how to DM. Not to mention how time consuming it is away from the game. You will be the one solely in charge of creating all said rules,classes, etc. Making a new world with new religions, sects for the religion, rules for the sects, and locations for the sects is hard. And this is just the religious aspect, you now have to have rules about the social classes of each region, city population, leaders of the cities, laws in these cities, prestige classes offered at higher levels when the PC's gain the attention of the leaders of said Prestige Classes...it really is tough to make a homebrew world correctly and entirely. Of course it could be argued that you could start in a locale and build from there, but you wouldn't have the set rules yet as far as mentioned above that would govern a lot of the PC's world.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
sleeplessghost 11-18-07, 12:44 AM	Hello, I have been DMing for a few weeks now and was wondering if there was any advice that other DM's could give me. I was particularly looking for advice for building storylines, campaigns, NPC's, Arch-Villians, Recurring vilians(After all, how many times has Venom fought Spiderman?), and worlds. Also I was wondering if playing in an official campaign setting such as Forgotten Realms is worth the investment. My old DM told me to make a new world so that the player's would stay on their toes and so that I could freely make a few new rules and make rule calls claiming that this is how my world works. Anyways, Just wanting some help! Peace love and purple chickens
Etarnon 11-18-07, 01:05 AM	Start small. Get some of the old 2nd ed books (because they are dirt cheap on ebay) out there that tell you how to do this: Villain's handbook Campaign guide Some others. I'll look in my library for a list. The tips and hints you really need have been printed up, what might be offerred here will likely mirror most of that, since i guess that's how most of us learned. Biggest tip, start small.
Rogue Elendae 11-19-07, 02:46 AM	Your old DM's tips have some merit; playing in an established setting like FR (especially one that has a lot of novels and extra story outside of the CS established) can often lead to problems of players insisting that the way you're running it or any small deviation are "not how that goes," etc. Mind you, this is what I've heard from other people. I use a homebrew campaign setting, largely because I like world-making. However, it can be easier to work with an already created world, regardless of potential debates with players. So, if you don't mind having a possibility (and only a possibility; it's far from a certain thing) of naysayers and complaints regarding how you employ the world, go right ahead and use it if you want to. As for what you're asking on tips for, I can best help with only a few. World-building is typically best done small (often called inside-out), going from a single village where things take place, for example, and building the country out from there, to a continent, and if you're planning on having the PCs go so far, the rest of the world. However far you go, most people recommend only building (and taking notes on) what you need for the session. However, if you've got the time and feel like doing so, you can just throw together entire maps and history of the world for your own personal use...when I created my setting, I pretty much wrote down anything that crossed my mind, and built things out of it...my homebrew is something like 50+ pages of notes, most of which are for my own benefit, as I've only used a tiny section of the western continent in actual play. Anyway, if you want to start big and build "outside-in," I'd first recommend drawing some sort of general map of a continent (just doodle a shape that appeals), then start filling in waterways, mountains, castles, villages, whatever pleases you. As for NPCs, I'll tell you right now, that unless you expect your players to fight them, don't stat them. Just have a list of names that sound appropriate (as in, some that're Dwarvish, some Elven, some Orcish, etc. in addition to human), and maybe a few personality quirks to give them (like, is that Gnome shopkeep fussy and chatty, or is the Elf running the inn a bit stuffy, etc.) so that they're not all the same (or all just kind of "you"--just the DM saying this NPC's talking, without anything distinguishing it from the DM), and maybe a few random descriptions and more info if they're a recurring NPC. In other words, if the PCs are going to always end up in X town at Y tavern, I'd make sure I've got a bit of backstory and notes on that tavern keeper, so he can chat at them and maybe ramble about his days as an adventurer in whatever far-off kingdom, y'know? Whereas Joe Blow NPC who directs them to the weapon shop he says his brother runs, and says "Tell him I sent you, and maybe he won't scam you," might only have a name off a general list, and a fairly generic appearance. Don't really know what to say on some of the other questions, and I'd really need time to think on them, anyway. Still, hope some of this is useful.
Ariakus 11-19-07, 08:57 AM	I personally would go with an established campaign, one with rules, classes, races, cities, etc...already made up. Starting in a homebrew world is more of an advanced style, as you had better know how to DM. Not to mention how time consuming it is away from the game. You will be the one solely in charge of creating all said rules,classes, etc. Making a new world with new religions, sects for the religion, rules for the sects, and locations for the sects is hard. And this is just the religious aspect, you now have to have rules about the social classes of each region, city population, leaders of the cities, laws in these cities, prestige classes offered at higher levels when the PC's gain the attention of the leaders of said Prestige Classes...it really is tough to make a homebrew world correctly and entirely. Of course it could be argued that you could start in a locale and build from there, but you wouldn't have the set rules yet as far as mentioned above that would govern a lot of the PC's world.