Dm quit, should I take over?

[Kapalen]

I just found out today, that the DM of a long running campaign won't be playing anymore. He says it's because of work and things. I'm afraid it's because of the other people we play with, but I don't think it's any of my business. Point is, I was thinking of taking over the helm. There's a few problems. 1. I've never DMed before, it's an 18th lvl party. On top of that, one of the characters is mine. I hate DMPCs so I suppose it's logical to just retire the guy. I know the rules inside out and think I could do a good job. What do you guys think?

 

[LostSoul]

Is there a lot of opposition to starting over at 1st level? If not, that's what I would do. Since you've never DMed before, it would be a lot easier to start off at the beginning.

If you're in the middle of an adventure, you might want to finish that off before starting anew.

 

[Napftor]

18th level for a newbie DM? I'd ask the other players if they'd mind starting a new campaign with 1st-level PCs. Once that goes for awhile, you'll be more comfortable picking up the high level campaign for a module or two before jumping back to the low level.

 

[frankthedm]

Once a group starts up a new game it can be VERY hard to pick it up again doen the road.

I recommend

Do a crash course through the DMG, MM and as many DMing articles as you can. Run an adventure where within the first 3/4s of the session they find the world is at stake from a very major extra planar threat. The gods themselves are trying to "Break off" the demiplane the threat is coming from, but even their efforts man not be fast enough. The PCs realize the only real hope is to enter the demiplane and neutralize as much of the threat as they can. If they go in , they wind up in an alien world where CR has little meaning, some critters in the distance are so large and ugly they hurt to look at and there is likely no way back since the gods are blocking all things trying to get into the real world.

If you have seen the recent Justice Leauge episode: The Terror beyond, you'll have a good idea for the adventure.

Try and use this as a way to familiarize yourself with the rules and how things work. Let the players trounce a lot of the encounters so they can enjoy their abilities{and so they don't notice how much you are winging it. But in the end make sure it is the Games finale.

Then go to the 1st level game.

 

[MadMaxim]

By all means, start at 1st level! At 18th level you'll be swamped with high-level spell effects that you need to look up all the time and characters equipped for epic battles, so they'll have tons of different special abilities that you have to take into account to make encounters challenging. You probably have a good grasp of your own character's abilities but keeping track of a whole party's when you're just starting as a DM is bound to fail. So, start at 1st level. That's my advice and good luck with the DM'ing! It's great once you get going!

 

[Hodgie]

It'll be nigh impossible to DM your first adventure at 18th level and expect to be any where near as good as your old DM (assuming he didn't suck). I'd agree with the crowd and start over because the last thing you want to do is begin your DMing career on a bad note. DMing is a lot about trust and respect, and if they feel that you caused their 18th level campaign to tank because you aren't a good DM... that sentiment will stick around for a while.

 

[Imperialus]

Is this Senor quitting? Doesn't matter, just curious.

As this would be your first time behind the screen for the love of GOD don't try DMing an 18th level party, and not just because 18th level parties are a nightmare to DM. Since the group has been established for some time and are probably well involved in the metaplot you'd have a hell of a time maintaining any kind of consistancy. It's tough enough to keep track of your own NPC's plot events and the like without having to worry about going over someone elses notes.

What I would recommend is in addition starting at 1st level limit characters to being made from the 3 core books. Don't let splatbooks in unless you are already quite familiar with the class/race/feat/spell ect.

Don't try and create your own campaign world or adventures, at least not at first. Building a campaign setting takes a lot of time effort and experiance. Pick one that you are familiar with or at least intrests you. I mean if you've read a lot of Forgotten Realms then run a FR campaign. I'd actually suggest that you come up with a concept for what style of game you want to run and then post it here asking for suggestions as to what campaign setting or group of adventures would fit it.

The other thing I would do is try and find a decent one shot. They tend to be fairly simple to DM and will give you an oppertunity to test the water without jumping into a full fledged campaign right off the bat.

 

[BroccoliRage]

aw whats to know? dive right in....just kidding.

the best way to learn to play D&D is by playing it. that goes for DMing as well.

keep your books nearby, start at 1st level, and have a ball. if your current group doesnt want to do that then they are too attached to their characters. and you have to think, why is the cureent dming quitting because of these people. they might be rules lawyers.remind the players if this is the case, that the first rule of D&D is THERE ARE NO RULES SAVE THOSE YOU DEEM ACCEPTABLE. if you want to do away with a class, you have that right.
and if they are still assinine, start a new group. introduce some folks to the game. Some folks take the game to seriously and have to be reminded its just a game. tell them that.

 

[Kapalen]

Is this Senor quitting? Doesn't matter, just curious.

Yes, it is Senor. I'd much rather start a 1st level campaign, but I know atleast one guy (You may know him as Dim) is gonna hate scratching his character. I can safely say the others will be glad to change. If anybody in the group was a rules lawyer, it's me. That's why I figure DMing is the best place to show my affinity for D&D. I'd really like to run a fairly low-magic possibly evil campaign. Well, I know they want to run that kind of campaign. I don't plan on having non-core classes(we'll see though), PrCs on the other hand are just to cool to limit to the 10 from DMG. Thanks a lot guys, I'm sure it'll all work out.

 

[BSF]

Yes, it is Senor. I'd much rather start a 1st level campaign, but I know atleast one guy (You may know him as Dim) is gonna hate scratching his character. I can safely say the others will be glad to change. If anybody in the group was a rules lawyer, it's me. That's why I figure DMing is the best place to show my affinity for D&D. I'd really like to run a fairly low-magic possibly evil campaign. Well, I know they want to run that kind of campaign. I don't plan on having non-core classes(we'll see though), PrCs on the other hand are just to cool to limit to the 10 from DMG. Thanks a lot guys, I'm sure it'll all work out.

As I have said before, knowing the rules is only one piece of the art of DMing. CR at 18th level is quite often meaningless. At that level, monsters significantly higher than the normal CR might go down like wheat. Of course, lower CR opponents might also be much more challenging than you would have thought. Running a game well at that level is much easier when you have had the experience of bringing the party up from low levels.

This is really one of the best opportunities to completely scratch the campaign. You are a new DM taking over for a departing DM. It just makes sense to start fresh. When you have brought a campaign to that sort of level yourself, the players might be more resistant to setting aside cherished characters. Milk this opportunity for what it is worth right now. Establish your own campaign style, retire the existing characters to the realm of 'Remember when'. It is a great place that many, many wonderful campaigns have been sent to. Your group has plenty to contribute and starting fresh is one way to examine new ideas, plots, adventures and fun.