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Never played D&D and taking role as DM
- Thread starter Mitchbones
- Start date
Captain Howdy
Explorer
Get the three core books (Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master Guide, and Monster Manual) and a set of dice. Also, try to get some of those little sticky bookmark tabs, I use those all the time with my MM to mark pages of monsters I will be using that session.
Run a few games. If you bought The Sunless Citidel, run that. Try making some adventures youself, they don't have to be anywhere near as detailed as a published adventure. Some notes and maybe some maps will be all you need. Get feedback from you players on what they liked and disliked.
After you have been running games for a few months, if you like DMing and want to keep going with it, I think you should buy a copy of Robin's Laws of Good Gamemastering. I didn't read the whole thread, so I don't know if anyone else has suggested it yet, but this is one of the best books you will ever read as far as running games. Be advised that the book was intended for people who have been DMing for a little while, and want to improve. It's really not for brand new DMs. Just keep the title in mind for later.
BTW, if money is short, check your library for copies of the core books. It's kind of a long shot, but one of the two libraries in my town has all three books. It's worth a look, you can't say no to free D&D books!
Short Version:
1. Buy core books
2. Run games
3. Buy this book!
The most important thing to remember out of all this: HAVE FUN!!!
Run a few games. If you bought The Sunless Citidel, run that. Try making some adventures youself, they don't have to be anywhere near as detailed as a published adventure. Some notes and maybe some maps will be all you need. Get feedback from you players on what they liked and disliked.
After you have been running games for a few months, if you like DMing and want to keep going with it, I think you should buy a copy of Robin's Laws of Good Gamemastering. I didn't read the whole thread, so I don't know if anyone else has suggested it yet, but this is one of the best books you will ever read as far as running games. Be advised that the book was intended for people who have been DMing for a little while, and want to improve. It's really not for brand new DMs. Just keep the title in mind for later.
BTW, if money is short, check your library for copies of the core books. It's kind of a long shot, but one of the two libraries in my town has all three books. It's worth a look, you can't say no to free D&D books!
Short Version:
1. Buy core books
2. Run games
3. Buy this book!
The most important thing to remember out of all this: HAVE FUN!!!
DM-Rocco
Explorer
Okay, some more advice.
1) The ENWorld threads offer you a great resource to get question answered from experienced, and some times not so experienced, players and DMs. There are no stupid questions. Post anything you have a question on.
2) Pick up a copy of the Temple of Elemental Evil PC game. It uses 3.5 rules and that one video game has taught me more about how the rules work than any threads or book. Get that video game and play it for a while. Make a whole bunch of different types of characters with different types of feats and such. Then play the game and get to know the rules. Trust me, it will help you more than anything we can tell you or you can read.
3) Get feed back from the players. Ask them to e-mail you after every session and tell them what they liked and disliked. You don't have to take all of their advice, but get to know how each responds to what you do. The DMG II talks about this in the beginning of the book.
4) In addition to getting the three main books, make sure you read the FAQ and the errata from the WOTC website. The FAQ answers common questions that will come up and are not covered in the books and the errata is there to fix rules and mistakes in the books. Someone also mentioned the SRD. That alone is enough to run the game and also a valuable resource.
Hell, there is too much to cover for a new DM. Just play and learn and have fun. If you get stuck, feel free to ask us.
1) The ENWorld threads offer you a great resource to get question answered from experienced, and some times not so experienced, players and DMs. There are no stupid questions. Post anything you have a question on.
2) Pick up a copy of the Temple of Elemental Evil PC game. It uses 3.5 rules and that one video game has taught me more about how the rules work than any threads or book. Get that video game and play it for a while. Make a whole bunch of different types of characters with different types of feats and such. Then play the game and get to know the rules. Trust me, it will help you more than anything we can tell you or you can read.
3) Get feed back from the players. Ask them to e-mail you after every session and tell them what they liked and disliked. You don't have to take all of their advice, but get to know how each responds to what you do. The DMG II talks about this in the beginning of the book.
4) In addition to getting the three main books, make sure you read the FAQ and the errata from the WOTC website. The FAQ answers common questions that will come up and are not covered in the books and the errata is there to fix rules and mistakes in the books. Someone also mentioned the SRD. That alone is enough to run the game and also a valuable resource.
Hell, there is too much to cover for a new DM. Just play and learn and have fun. If you get stuck, feel free to ask us.
Mishihari Lord
First Post
I think the most important thing is to keep it really, really simple. Stick with the three core books and an introductory module like The Sunless Citadel. Explain to the players that while in D&D you can do anything, like leave the area, as a courtesy to a DM who's still learning you would like them to focus on getting through the adventure.
The second most important thing is to do your homework. Know the rules. You won't know all of them, but make sure you've read everything and have a basic understanding of how things work. You mainly need to know combat, skill checks, and casting spells. Read the module and think about how things will play out in each room.
Third, learn on-the-job. An experienced DM should just wing it if he doesn't know how to resolve something and figure it our later. This keeps play moving. A beginner DM should take the time to look it up. Do this for a few sesssions and you will know most of the game.
Good luck
The second most important thing is to do your homework. Know the rules. You won't know all of them, but make sure you've read everything and have a basic understanding of how things work. You mainly need to know combat, skill checks, and casting spells. Read the module and think about how things will play out in each room.
Third, learn on-the-job. An experienced DM should just wing it if he doesn't know how to resolve something and figure it our later. This keeps play moving. A beginner DM should take the time to look it up. Do this for a few sesssions and you will know most of the game.
Good luck
Mitchbones
First Post
I think I love you guys 
Im kind of confused on the battlemap thing, do i only use it for battles only, or exploring/battles/etc. I love the jellybean idea.
I haven't decided whether to use the Necormancer Game's Wizard Amulet, or Sunless Citadel...I think i might go with the latter, since I'd have to have one of my players print out WA.
We are finally doing it this weekend! I'll let you guys know how well it went.
Im kind of confused on the battlemap thing, do i only use it for battles only, or exploring/battles/etc. I love the jellybean idea.
I haven't decided whether to use the Necormancer Game's Wizard Amulet, or Sunless Citadel...I think i might go with the latter, since I'd have to have one of my players print out WA.
We are finally doing it this weekend! I'll let you guys know how well it went.
That's a personal choice.
Our current group tends to use the battlemap all the time. OTOH, the game can be played entirely within the confines of your group's brains, and my first group only used maps for battles.
Personally, I like using battlemaps because it tends to eliminate confusion as to where exactly everyone and everything is. It helps players plan their actions, and prevents people from cheating, or to be charitable, forgetting where they said they were just a second ago...
AH! Just remembered something else cool about battlemaps- they help you remember exactly everyone and everything was from your previous session! Even if you can't leave the map set up between game sessions, you can at least mark the positions of the various PCs and NPCs.
Mitchbones
First Post
Worst session ever.
One person had to go to the city so couldnt make it. Another one didn't wake up till 1hour past when he was supposed to be at my house. We ended up just whatching Grandma's boy. Hopefully monday will be more fruitful
One person had to go to the city so couldnt make it. Another one didn't wake up till 1hour past when he was supposed to be at my house. We ended up just whatching Grandma's boy. Hopefully monday will be more fruitful
Bah!
We had one player who couldn't get to sessions on time to save his life.
The closest he came was he was coming down the street, apparently about a minute behind me, when there was a major accident in the intersection right in front of him. He couldn't go anywhere for an hour.
His worst- he got the day wrong and showed up exactly 24 hours late!
We had one player who couldn't get to sessions on time to save his life.
The closest he came was he was coming down the street, apparently about a minute behind me, when there was a major accident in the intersection right in front of him. He couldn't go anywhere for an hour.
His worst- he got the day wrong and showed up exactly 24 hours late!
Mitchbones
First Post
I only have 3 players, I is near impossible to schedule around their work schedules....when I do someone had plans with his girlfriend. Should I start without him?
That's a tougher question.
The people I play with schedule time to play. We'll give up a Friday night or Saturday/Sunday afternoon to game if we have to, even if we can only do so once every other week.
One of my current groups played 2 weeks in a row in August because we wouldn't be able to game again until mid/late September.
My other group plays every other week on Tuesdays. This means instead of the marathon sessions we remember playing as kids, we can only game from 7 or 8 until 11:30 or so. It also means that significant others get consessions on those other Tuesdays, like babysitting so THEY can have fun, or turning off the phones for alone time.
But if you absolutely can't get a game scheduled, you don't really have a group, and need new blood.
The people I play with schedule time to play. We'll give up a Friday night or Saturday/Sunday afternoon to game if we have to, even if we can only do so once every other week.
One of my current groups played 2 weeks in a row in August because we wouldn't be able to game again until mid/late September.
My other group plays every other week on Tuesdays. This means instead of the marathon sessions we remember playing as kids, we can only game from 7 or 8 until 11:30 or so. It also means that significant others get consessions on those other Tuesdays, like babysitting so THEY can have fun, or turning off the phones for alone time.
But if you absolutely can't get a game scheduled, you don't really have a group, and need new blood.
