Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 ZSpark85 Apr 26, 2015 6:33:21	Hi, I will be running my first (serious) D&D session next weekend.  We will be going through the Tyranny of Dragons Campaign to get used to the new system before I begin my own campaign.    I realize I could probobly find many articles on this, but I'm just curious what all the other DMs out there do and what you would advise for a first time DM.  I want to know what I should have on the table in front of me when running D&D.  There are so many things I would like to have, but I hate clutter and I don't like taking up half the table with all this stuff haha.  So any tips, or what do you do?   Any tips to keeping things organized would much be appreciated. haha.
#2 AaronOfBarbaria Apr 26, 2015 6:45:21	My advice is this: figure out your style as soon as possible.   By that, I mean some DMs aren't comfortable without a full array of materials on hand and fully prepared, but other DMs (like myself) can handle having nothing more than a set of dice and a few monsters to reference.   When it comes down to it, you shouldn't have anything in front of you at the table that you don't find absolutely necessary for your style - anything beyond what you find necessary is just a distraction or sitting in your way.   My advice for figuring out whether something is worth table realestate is simple: if you are absolutely certain you or a player will need to reference it during this session, make sure it is at the table. If there is roughly a 50/50 chance that you are a player will need to reference it during this session, make sure it is nearby but not wasting space on the table (on a shelf, in a bag, etc.). If the chance of someone needing it is less than that, skip it - and if it turns out that someone did need it, well, that's why the DM exists: make a ruling that works for now and move on with the game (but remember this for next session when you are evaluating what to bring along).
#3 Krusk Apr 26, 2015 8:13:54	Bring the adventure, a DMG, and a monster manual. Before the session, put a sticky note on every monster your PCs could convievable fight.    If you find yourself missing something this game bring it to the next. If you don't use it in this game, don't bring it to the next.    I personally tend to type out the encounters in word, so i can get them on one page w/monster stats and all my notes. You may or may not find that helpful. It is a lot of effort.
#4 RasmusNord Apr 26, 2015 8:29:51	If you have many named NPCs, I would tape a list, or even a 'stakeholder map' to the screen for easy reference. It can really help the flow.
#5 CCS Apr 26, 2015 13:41:33	The adventure. Any maps/handouts you'll need. Pencil, paper, eraser. Your dice. The PHB, MM, DMG. Minis? Battlemat? Wet erasemarkers? A working knowledge of the adventure (I have a friend who insists upon trying to run stuff without READING it 1st. Rarely works smoothly....) and it's NPCs. About 15 random names - because its inevitable that youll need to run NPCs youd never considered. Your imagination & a willingness to deviate from whatever you've planned/read in response to the Pcs actions. Power cords for phone/laptop/etc as needed. Food & drink.
#6 Greenstone.Walker Apr 27, 2015 21:55:47	I have taken advice from the web* to put a lot of my notes on 3×5 index cards, clipped to the DM screen with small fold-back binder clips. I use different colour cards (yellow for monsters, blue for NPCs, white for plot points). I keep the stack of cards held together with a big fold-back binder clip, so they don't make a mess all over the table. Index cards are a good size that I can pick it up and read it without having to grab an entire piece of paper (which is useful when I am standing).   Links: Mike Shea's Tools of a Lazy DM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-leTrRFqiw *(this video was my motivation for changing the way I write down information) A Fist Full Of Dice's Youtube videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fnCEKvCny0I
#7 Rya.Reisender Apr 28, 2015 1:51:17	ZSpark85 wrote:
#8 Imaculata Apr 28, 2015 4:10:27	What I have at the ready for each session:   A DM Screen A Dungeon Master Guide A Players Handbook A Monster Manual with stickies for monsters I want to use Or alternatively, simply print out the monsters you might be using. A map of the country or region that the players are playing in. (You can easily make your own) A short version of the basic plot, along with names of places and npc's, printed out on a couple of pages. Your set of dice, d4/d6/d8/d10/d12/d100. Pencil and blank paper, to keep track of hitpoints during fights, and keep track of initiative. Also useful if you want to quickly draw a room or location. Maybe some pawns that you can use to illustrate the positions of players during combat.
#9 alienux Apr 28, 2015 6:53:14	Imaculata wrote:
#10 akr71 Apr 28, 2015 7:39:42	The essentials have already been listed above.  I've switched to using a dry erase board instead of paper & pencil for sketching out the room/location.  Not only do I waste less paper, I can update character & monster positions easily.
#11 bawylie Apr 28, 2015 9:52:35	Start with nothing. Add only those things essential to the experience. (The adventure, blank paper, pencils, dice).     First and foremost, the DM's greatest tool is their imagination. Develop, as stated above, your style. Evoke emotions in your players, paint a vivid picture with pithy descriptions. Read the boxed text to yourself and then give your version of it.    Develop a voice.    Once you become a DM, and you can DM without props, crutches, toys, bits, and whatever, then you may introduce such things as enhance your table's experience.    If you don't get the imagination part right, no amount of bits and toys will ever help. Therefore do not use them until you are certain you do not need them. Then, when you understand that they are merely accessories, they're fine. But they will only ever be window dressing - the big show is the imagination.    Good luck.
(Reply to #11) HermanTheWize	bawylie wrote:
#13 Wuzzard Apr 28, 2015 15:48:31	If you bring the DMG, make sure it is front and center on the table, but don't let any players touch it. They know it has the magic items and desperately want to peruse it. Reference it occaisionally with a knowning smile, and then snap it shut and set it aside.  That works with the MM too, but only after you've said, "You want to go where?".