Any advice for a first time Dm. [Archive] - Wizards Community

Any advice for a first time Dm. [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
lohki.the.lich
10-10-05, 07:47 PM My first game i'm running is going to be 1st level but someone told me that first time dm's shouldnt run first level games is this true. Also since the players are players that have only played in 2 games should i npc the wizard or should i let the player who wants to be one be one? thanks for advice in advance.
Cyra
10-10-05, 08:00 PM Welcome to the wonderful world of DnD
Feel free to come by these boards and ask questions, as you will have them.

As for starting at lvl 1-
Whoever told you not too is a lying bastard. lvl 1 is the easiest to start at. The only problem is PCs are kind of fragile at this lvl. Just make sure the PCs are careful and you'll be fine.

As for NPCing the party's wizard- Don't NPC a class a character wants to take. You are right to be cautious, however, as the wizard is a difficult class to play for new players. Instead, you might suggest the sorcerer. Keeping up with a spellbook and choosing spells can be a hassle. If he wants to play wizard, let him.
Deluxe 247 G
10-10-05, 08:02 PM Well... we kinda need more info. What the players want to be, what environment you'll set them in, the general story etc. Personally, I think that 1st time DMs should start DMing from 1st level just so that you get experience from the beginning, and it sounds like your players will be doing the same things. Learn the ropes together. As for DMPCs, I don't like those, especially for intelligent characters, aka WIZARDS. I'd let the player do that, avoiding DMPCs is a good choice because the DMPC wouldn't be able to really voice an opinion without it being biased by the DM, so not speaking is usually better, and a character who doesn't speak isn't worth the party's time besides their Base Attack Bonus and Spells per Day.

I could help you plan adventures if I knew more though..
lohki.the.lich
10-10-05, 08:17 PM Well so far ive got the base down for the adventure people in the town have been seeing strange thing in the sewer'smissing and their hired to check the sewers to see what the problem is . ive got the the beginning layed out on graph paper just need to decide what kind of enemies to use. so far i want them to be about level four before they finish this little adventure threw the sewers. Then they find a team of evil cleric , wizards and mercanaries trying yto find an ancent temple of their evil deity to find an acient relic to bring the apostle of allevil to the material plane (name of the baguy). So once they catch them at the temple they'll have to go threw the temple to find the evil clerics and wizards. By this time i'm hoping they'll be about 6 then . But they wont be able to defeat the clerics and wizards i want to have the party think their dead but be rescued by the harpers and then the harper's will take them out of the temple then they'll have to track down evil cleric's and wizards. Thats all i got so far.
VirgilCaine
10-10-05, 09:47 PM First of all, you need to write in paragraphs. Don't lump your text in one big blob.

Second, if you have them doing the same dungeon for several levels they will get bored.

Third, don't do the thing with the Harpers saving them. They'll think that is a regular thing and it SHOULD NOT BE A REGULAR THING.
lohki.the.lich
10-10-05, 10:12 PM Gotcha .
Dragonsblood
10-10-05, 10:41 PM Start at level 1. Have the PCs face monsters that don't hit very hard, such as kobalds or goblins with inferior equipment. You do NOT want the PCs dying in one hit because they make newbie mistakes, even if they die to stuff of the appropriate CR.

Starting at level 2 is OK too, but any higher than that and the game becomes much more complicated.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
lohki.the.lich 10-10-05, 07:47 PM	My first game i'm running is going to be 1st level but someone told me that first time dm's shouldnt run first level games is this true. Also since the players are players that have only played in 2 games should i npc the wizard or should i let the player who wants to be one be one? thanks for advice in advance.
Cyra 10-10-05, 08:00 PM	Welcome to the wonderful world of DnD Feel free to come by these boards and ask questions, as you will have them. As for starting at lvl 1- Whoever told you not too is a lying bastard. lvl 1 is the easiest to start at. The only problem is PCs are kind of fragile at this lvl. Just make sure the PCs are careful and you'll be fine. As for NPCing the party's wizard- Don't NPC a class a character wants to take. You are right to be cautious, however, as the wizard is a difficult class to play for new players. Instead, you might suggest the sorcerer. Keeping up with a spellbook and choosing spells can be a hassle. If he wants to play wizard, let him.
Deluxe 247 G 10-10-05, 08:02 PM	Well... we kinda need more info. What the players want to be, what environment you'll set them in, the general story etc. Personally, I think that 1st time DMs should start DMing from 1st level just so that you get experience from the beginning, and it sounds like your players will be doing the same things. Learn the ropes together. As for DMPCs, I don't like those, especially for intelligent characters, aka WIZARDS. I'd let the player do that, avoiding DMPCs is a good choice because the DMPC wouldn't be able to really voice an opinion without it being biased by the DM, so not speaking is usually better, and a character who doesn't speak isn't worth the party's time besides their Base Attack Bonus and Spells per Day. I could help you plan adventures if I knew more though..
lohki.the.lich 10-10-05, 08:17 PM	Well so far ive got the base down for the adventure people in the town have been seeing strange thing in the sewer'smissing and their hired to check the sewers to see what the problem is . ive got the the beginning layed out on graph paper just need to decide what kind of enemies to use. so far i want them to be about level four before they finish this little adventure threw the sewers. Then they find a team of evil cleric , wizards and mercanaries trying yto find an ancent temple of their evil deity to find an acient relic to bring the apostle of allevil to the material plane (name of the baguy). So once they catch them at the temple they'll have to go threw the temple to find the evil clerics and wizards. By this time i'm hoping they'll be about 6 then . But they wont be able to defeat the clerics and wizards i want to have the party think their dead but be rescued by the harpers and then the harper's will take them out of the temple then they'll have to track down evil cleric's and wizards. Thats all i got so far.
VirgilCaine 10-10-05, 09:47 PM	First of all, you need to write in paragraphs. Don't lump your text in one big blob. Second, if you have them doing the same dungeon for several levels they will get bored. Third, don't do the thing with the Harpers saving them. They'll think that is a regular thing and it SHOULD NOT BE A REGULAR THING.
lohki.the.lich 10-10-05, 10:12 PM	Gotcha .
Dragonsblood 10-10-05, 10:41 PM	Start at level 1. Have the PCs face monsters that don't hit very hard, such as kobalds or goblins with inferior equipment. You do NOT want the PCs dying in one hit because they make newbie mistakes, even if they die to stuff of the appropriate CR. Starting at level 2 is OK too, but any higher than that and the game becomes much more complicated.