What was your first year of DMing like? Mistakes new DM's can avoid..

[Ferrix]

I guess that I did an okay job after a while, I ran into one of my old players a few years back, and he had a better memory of the campaign than I did. Father John Semineau (I always spell his name differently every time I attempt it - I am not sure that I ever learned how to spell it properly...) remembered it fondly, though he no longer games, I was surprised at how long I have been using some of those themes in my games (back in 176-'77 if I recall properly.)

The Auld Grump

Man you auld!

Okay, that was mean. I admit, I'm a callous and mean person, oh but it's funny

 

[wmasters]

You know, I've been DMing for over 10 years, and while the things here are things that I like to think I know, there's stuff that's well worth reminding myself here!

The other thing I'd do is take time to think 'what would happen in the real world'. I don't mean what would happen if the Terrasque emerged out hiding of Mexico to terror the Texans, I mean as far as PC repurcussions. One of the things I struggled with as a new DM was we had a thief, and he'd rob everywhere. Jewellery stores, Blacksmiths, everything. For some reason, I couldn't fathom what to do about it, and ended up making him a very rich PC. Of course, in the real world you rise up the Police's Most Wanted list, being hunted down by the town guard, and if you evade them, by the more senior watchmen (FBI etc) or mercenaries hired by the watch etc.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

Man you auld!

Okay, that was mean. I admit, I'm a callous and mean person, oh but it's funny

Eh, what can I say - Commodus was a lousy DM, and somebody had to take over. I never expected him to become emperor afterward though...

The Auld Grump

 

[Templetroll]

Don't put a lich on the second level of a dungeon.

Any campaign in which no one dies, soon does.

A lich is okay on the second level if you have a really good reason for it, just understand what you are doing by putting it there. This is what I used:

Spoiler

A lich can be a lower level caster with items to make them seem more powerful than they are. This is especially effective with an illisionist. In my campaign the guy had scrolls and a wand to be able to fake the power. The party was frightened by a maxed Explosive Runes. Go figure. They went and fought kobolds.

 

[Heathen72]

Read through this thread, have a bit of a think about each of the posters positions, and then ignore most of them. With just about any rule you can come up with for good gaming, the opposite is often just as true...

 

[Asmor]

Read through this thread, hae a bit of a think about each of the posters positions, and then ignore most of them. With just about any rule you can come up with for good gaming, the opposite is often just as true...

Rules are made to be broken, but it's a better idea to have some experience under your belt and understand why the rule is there before you break it. YMMV.

 

[Mr. Draco]

Find a game system you really enjoy.

I started out DMing a few one shots for DnD, but never really quite got the hang of it. There was always something to fantasy worlds that left me with disbelief. Then d20 Modern was released. I convinced my group to give it a try, and it turned into the most successful campaign I've ever run, with the most memorable sessions and settings.

Unfortunately, over time the campaign fizzled out, mostly because all of us split up and headed to college, and now I'm trying DMing DnD again with a new group.

 

[Heathen72]

Rules are made to be broken, but it's a better idea to have some experience under your belt and understand why the rule is there before you break it. YMMV.

YMMV - that's kind of what I was trying to say, funnily enough, and yes, it's true - there is no better substitute for experience.

As I know I said rules, but really I was referring to the advice in the thread. Some of it is good advice, some of it not so good, and some of it (IMHO) is just plain bad, hence my advice: bear in mind the advice here, but remember that it's just a bunch of opinions. The statement for instance, that "any campaign in which no one dies soon does" has been disproved in several campaigns which I have observed or in which I have taken a part, and I don't agree with it all. However, it's well worth considering why people might feel that way, or just thinking about how important mortality is in one's own game.