D&D General Advice for a new DM

[MichaelSomething]

By becoming a member of Enworld, you're already put yourself ahead of ninety percent of DMs out there! For Enworld is an endless fountain of D&D knowledge you can learn from.

 

[aco175]

A point on the number of players and scheduling. One idea is to make a set time that everyone knows about. Right now my group plays every Wednesday after the scout meeting. This means that my wife knows to not plan things on Wednesday nights. It has been the same for 20 years. All the players know and can/should plan the same. There are nights when things fall apart like vacations and such, but it works generally.

Another idea is that you plan your time on when you can play and let the others show up if they can. If you can play Sunday at 1-5 and you get 3-5 others to say they can make it, then you run what you have. Maybe next week you can play on Saturday night and 6 people can make it. You will get some players that can make it each week and some that are occasional players or filler players. It is ok and just keep the sometime players about the same level and let everyone have fun.

A different idea I like to use is card handouts. I make magic item cards with things like potions and more minor items that they will use and pass them out to have something to use as they pass it back in. I also make unique items like swords with cool powers to pass out instead of having to have them write it all down. It also lets new players see the description of how much this potion heals over a different potion, or reminds them that this pendant lets you heal twice the HP as a visual clue.

 

[TaranTheWanderer]

A different idea I like to use is card handouts. I make magic item cards with things like potions and more minor items that they will use and pass them out to have something to use as they pass it back in. I also make unique items like swords with cool powers to pass out instead of having to have them write it all down. It also lets new players see the description of how much this potion heals over a different potion, or reminds them that this pendant lets you heal twice the HP as a visual clue.

This is a cool idea. Potion cards that the dm hands out during the adventure when you find it in treasure and stuff. But the dm collects the cards at the end of the session and hands them back out to the players at the beginning of the next session to be redistributed to the players that show up to the game.

Ensures items get used and not forgotten and makes tracking easier and makes sure they are available for those who make it to the game. Great for one-shot items.

It’s extra work though, if you’re willing to do it

 

[cranberry]

First and foremost, be kind to yourself. D&D is a game, and should be fun for everyone including the GM.

Don't stress. Normal people will be understanding that you're new to GMing. And they will appreciate someone willing to take that roll.

On the practical side, I always read through the adventure before running a game casually. Then I go back and focus on the parts of the adventure the PC are likely to encounter during a given session. Nonetheless, it's not necessary to memorize everything.

For in person games, a DM screen is very useful. I suggest creating your own with rules you may feel weak on.

Short on time. I'll update if I think of more.

 

[AlViking]

This is something I wrote up a while back, it’s a bit long but I hope it’s helpful. This is what works for me and has for a long time.

Advice for New Dungeon Masters: A Practical Philosophy
Style and Flexibility

• Every DM has their own rhythm. What works for one may not work for another.
• The only constant: players will surprise you. Embrace it.
• If running a module, let players know upfront. Ask them to follow the plot beats, but give them freedom in how they engage.

Preparation Without Overload

• You don’t need to prep everything—just enough to set the stage.
• Focus on:
  • Who’s who (NPCs and factions)
  • Likely encounters
  • Setting and atmosphere

Session 0: Building the Social Contract

• Decide on alignment boundaries. If even one player isn’t comfortable with evil PCs, don’t allow them.
• Ban disruptive behavior like PvP theft or murder unless magically compelled.
• Encourage character connections—everyone should know at least one other PC.
• Ensure every character has a reason to adventure.
• Share a short campaign intro—just enough for players to understand the world from a commoner’s perspective.

Campaign Planning: Start Small

• Begin with a tight scope: a dozen important NPCs, with varying degrees of influence is all you really need.
• Use vague outlines for distant regions. You don’t need to know everything—just what the PCs might know.
• Consider environmental details: architecture, climate, cultural influences.
• Define the magic level—ubiquitous or mysterious?
• Identify 2–5 power players per region. Keep it digestible.

Conflict and Hooks

• Sketch out current tensions: orc raids, political pressure, rising dark powers.
• Drop hints, rumors, and NPC quirks as seeds for future development.
• Let factions evolve organically. You don’t need answers to every mystery—just compelling questions.

Geography and Perspective

• Map only what’s needed. Think in terms of what the PCs would realistically know.
• Use local knowledge to shape descriptions. Most villagers won’t know what’s beyond the next valley.

Events in Motion

• Keep motivations high-level. Let the players’ actions shape the unfolding drama.
• Rumors and ambiguity are your friends. They create tension without locking you into a fixed outcome.
• Listen between the lines. Players often drop gold nuggets of inspiration when they think you’re not paying attention.

Dangling Plot Threads

• End sessions with a recap and clear options.
• Let players choose their path, and be ready to follow their curiosity.
• NPCs like “Felicia the Mad” can become major arcs if players latch onto them.

Improvisation Tools

• Keep random lists handy: names, taverns, items, quirks.
• Use generators and cheat sheets to stay nimble.
• Track interactions so consequences can ripple through the world. You may not have expected Yasmine the bartender at the Fat Bulldog to be important but that changed during the session. Make a note of it.

After the Game

• Write a quick summary for yourself—ideally the same day.
• If inspired, post a recap from a character’s POV. It deepens immersion and builds continuity.

Conclusion
Congratulations, you finally made it to the end! My final thoughts on this are simple. Have fun and don’t sweat the small stuff. You’re going to make mistakes, we all do. I still do. Different groups game for different reasons. For some it's just an opportunity to roll some dice while eating junk food and talking about their daily lives. For others it's about building a deep fantasy world where when you are at the table you are Torg the Barbarian who has never heard of this "football game" of which you speak. Let the group guide you as much as you guide them and try to find a balance.

The most important thing of all is to remember that nobody is a perfect DM. If people are engaged and having fun you are doing it right. Good luck!

 

[billd91]

Yessir! Just trying to fake it till I make it out here, and they have noooo idea!

That's how we all started. Keep at it and you'll start to feel more comfortable at it.

 

[Gorck]

If you have the time to watch, the Running the Game series by MCDM (Matt Colville) is superb. You only need to watch the first 8-10 episodes to get your feet wet (personally, I watched the whole thing). The first ones are anywhere from a few minutes to half an hour each.

Here’s the link to the intro episode:

 

[HooliTheBird]

Welcome to the forums!

Sorry to dogpile, but as everyone has been saying eight is a lot of folks to start out with, and I would encourage splitting the group if you have the time to run two games. You can use plot to even encourage splitting up (half the group needs to go here, the other half here, due to time constraints). You don't even have to split for every game, but the more you do I think the less burnout you'll face.

Also, take some of the load off your shoulders and let the player's actions/reactions write the direction of some elements of the storyline, especially if they have written backgrounds for their characters (if they haven't, encourage them to drop something about their past occasionally, then see if you can riff off it). Having things open enough so the players can pursue what interests them helps both you (giving you fodder for prep) and them stay involved in the game. Just be careful not to run things in a direction where if a player drops out or their character dies the game comes to a screeching halt because the plot thread is now dead.

Finally, if you haven't already, check out places like DriveThruRPG/DM's Guild or other online shops. There's a lot of premade material out there that can help enhance your game and adventures and scenarios you can drop in to cut down on back-end prep. There's various free random generators all over the web that also help in those times when you get stuck or sideswiped by your players. If you don't use electronics at your game table, visit them ahead of your game and download/print them out for later use when you might need them.

Good luck!

Yeah, it is for sure a ridiculous amount of players to handle. I'm really liking the idea of splitting things into two groups, and I appreciate that so many of you are suggesting that I do so. It's something I had been going back and forth on, but with all the advice, I really do think it is a wise action to take.

Absolutely. A couple of my players had unknowingly woven into their backstories a lot of themes and ideas I had also been scheming up for the bigger storyline at hand. I think I'll back down on worrying about planning so much and writing ahead before they even get a chance to experience what's in front of them. I don't want them to feel like they're suffocating.

I have not checked those out, but I absolutely will now. Thank you for the suggestion! Anything to take a bit of the pressure off sounds wonderful, ha!

Thank you very much!

 

[HooliTheBird]

If you have the time to watch, the Running the Game series by MCDM (Matt Colville) is superb. You only need to watch the first 8-10 episodes to get your feet wet (personally, I watched the whole thing). The first ones are anywhere from a few minutes to half an hour each.

Here’s the link to the intro episode:

This is fantastic! Thank you so much!
I had run across these videos in passing before, but honestly kind of forgot they existed. I'll be sure to watch through them all.

 

[HooliTheBird]

By becoming a member of Enworld, you're already put yourself ahead of ninety percent of DMs out there! For Enworld is an endless fountain of D&D knowledge you can learn from.

Oh certainly! It's already been such an insightful experience on here, and everyone has been so very kind.
I greatly appreciate everyone here for all their help and well wishes.