D&D 5E Regarding DMG, Starter Set and Essentials kit: Are they good for the starting DMs?

[Xamnam]

To me that quote tells me the guide is primarily about weaving/creating legendary stories instead of a manual on 'how to run the game'. I really don't understand how you take that line to indicate instruction over content creation.

To me, that's a flowery description of the DM's whole job, so yes, I would read that as offering support for all the various needs of the DM, including base understanding of the role. Especially, again, if viewed from the perspective of a tyro. Nothing about it, to me, indicates experience required.

 

[pointofyou]

You mean like the text you cited?


To me that quote tells me the guide is primarily about weaving/creating legendary stories instead of a manual on 'how to run the game'. I really don't understand how you take that line to indicate instruction over content creation.

So leaving aside the overly-flowery descriptive prose you don't think instruction is part of "everything a DM needs" especially if the DM is new?

 

[FrogReaver]

So leaving aside the overly-flowery descriptive prose you don't think instruction is part of "everything a DM needs" especially if the DM is new?

"Everything a Dungeon Master needs to weave legendary stories..."

I don't think instructing the DM on how to play the game is part of weaving legendary stories.

 

[Xamnam]

"Everything a Dungeon Master needs to weave legendary stories..."

I don't think instructing the DM on how to play the game is part of weaving legendary stories.

Page 5 of the PHB says, "One player, however, takes on the role of the Dungeon Master (DM). the game's lead storyteller and referee." DM as storyteller is a very common understanding of the role. So, how to weave stories seems like something that benefits a beginner.

 

[Swarmkeeper]

The PHB literally starts off with "How to Play" and then walks a new 5e player through step-by-step character creation.

Why is it such a stretch to expect the DMG, for someone new to the game and never having picked it up, to start off by walking that new 5e DM through their basic duties?

It's a mystery, and that's why so is mankind.

 

[FrogReaver]

Page 5 of the PHB says, "One player, however, takes on the role of the Dungeon Master (DM). the game's lead storyteller and referee." DM as storyteller is a very common understanding of the role. So, how to weave stories seems like something that benefits a beginner.

IMO. There's a rather gaping hole in the logic here.

Intermediary and advanced material still can benefit a beginner, it just won't benefit the beginner as much as material specifically for beginners. So yes, there will be some benefits for beginners. But that doesn't mean the DMG is made primarily for beginners.

 

[pointofyou]

The PHB literally starts off with "How to Play" and then walks a new 5e player through step-by-step character creation.

Why is it such a stretch to expect the DMG, for someone new to the game and never having picked it up, to start off by walking that new 5e DM through their basic duties?

It's a mystery, and that's why so is mankind.

Because they must figure it out for themselves the way we did.

 

[Xamnam]

But that doesn't mean the DMG is made primarily for beginners.

To be clear, I'm not saying it is primarily for beginners. All I'm saying is I understand why people think it is/should be. And if that's a common misconception, it's probably worth addressing.

 

[pointofyou]

"Everything a Dungeon Master needs to weave legendary stories..."

I don't think instructing the DM on how to play the game is part of weaving legendary stories.

Can the DM weave legendary stories without knowing how to play the game?

 

[FrogReaver]

The PHB literally starts off with "How to Play" and then walks a new 5e player through step-by-step character creation.

The first thing in the How to Play section in the PHB details the DM's responsibilities in the play loop.

1. The DM describes the environemnt
3. The DM narrates the results of the adventurers' actions.

Why is it such a stretch to expect the DMG, for someone new to the game and never having picked it up, to start off by walking that new 5e DM through their basic duties?

If the question is, should there be new DM material there certainly should. Starter Sets and Essentials, online tutorials, online streams of real games, the intro in the PHB, etc. Then yes, that material should exist and it already does.

But you are asking whether that material should also be present in the DMG. That's a much different question.