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Message: <blockquote data-quote="CydKnight" data-source="post: 7065147" data-attributes="member: 6873462">I am a fairly new DM myself having become one by default about 6 months ago.  Either no one else wanted to do it or the ones that did were probably not going to do so long term for one reason or another.   Some say the best man for the job is often the one that does not want it.  Why?  Because they know what the job entails to do it right and they either fear the potential failures or they simply do not want to do the work.  For me it was a bit of both.  Once I got into it, I embraced it and now love being a DM though I still also sometimes just want to be a player.  Here are a few things I have learned so far:1. Embrace the role.  If you do not fully embrace being a DM your game will have shortcomings and the players will notice.  If you are going to do it be all in.2. Preparation is key.  Right now I would say that I spend nearly twice as much time preparing for a game session than the time spent actually playing.  This may not be true for more experienced DMs but in the beginning you will find yourself having to familiarize yourself with pages of manuals you previously didn't have to know as a player.3. Be as organized as you can be.  This can help your game run smoother.  It's no fun for players to wait several minutes between actions while you are sorting through a jumble of paper, manuals, etc. searching for a single rule clarification.4. Cheat sheets can and will be your friend but only if it is useful information and you are familiar enough with them to access the information quickly.5. Let the players be the characters they want to play.  Set limitations for them if absolutely necessary but allow them to stretch the rules of character creation if they seem highly enthusiastic about their vision of that character.6. You absolutely must establish ground rules before the first game session begins.  This includes how dice rolls are to be made, metagaming, common courtesy, etc.  If you think it may be an issue, then address it with the group.  It's much easier to establish what's acceptable or not acceptable before an incident occurs.7. Be flexible.  I try to default any 50/50 interpretations to the players.  I will almost always give them the benefit of the doubt unless I can make a strong case against it in the rules as written or a pre-established house rule.  Some players will not respond well to a DM they feel is being a tyrant and I often see the players police themselves on some things.8. Know the campaign material.  If you don't know the material, then delay or skip the game session.  If you buy a campaign module, Do Not open it for the first time at the game table and expect to have a smooth running campaign.  You will not.  Players often will get very anxious and disengage from the game mentally if they are waiting even a few minutes for you to sort through a page or two of the story.  It is also more likely that you will make a mistake like revealing something vital that should be discovered through game play.  If you are running a Homebrew (custom created) campaign, don't try to create it as you go at the game table.  It's a recipe for uninspired players.9. Take notes.  If you are forgetful like me you will sometimes have a hard time remembering what happened in the last game session and how to proceed with the next one.10 Have fun.  If it's work for you then you shouldn't do it.  To many the preparation required to make a game run fun and smooth is tedious work that isn't very fun.  I have come to enjoy this aspect and no longer view it as work.  It is fun to run through potential scenarios and paths your characters might take and planning accordingly.  It is fun for me to plan more challenging encounters tailored to the player's strengths and weakness after becoming familiar with their play style.</blockquote>

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