Guides for a New Young DM?

[Charlaquin]

I’ll also disagree with this description, but I do think the guide is quite user hostile. It front loads a bunch of heavy stuff and puts the immediately useful stuff at the back. The sections need to be completely reversed. But it does include a lot of useful stuff for adventure building (when you find it).

I think a book that is very helpful to new DMs is Xanathars, its encounter tables are very quick and easy, and its monster + environment tables are also super useful.

This is a much more accurate description, I agree.

 

[el_stiko]

Just dropped in to say
Hidden Halls of Hazakor

 

[LordEntrails]

Specifically for young players and DM's; https://geekmom.com/2015/12/dnd-ypndm-1/

How to DM for young players, but should be valuable for a young DM too: https://gorebad.wordpress.com/2016/02/12/how-to-dm-for-young-players/

Lots of generic GM advice/links here; https://www.fantasygrounds.com/forums/showthread.php?36014-GM-Advice

 

[S'mon]

So my son is just starting to DM for boys his own age (11 or so). He has a PHB & MM. Today I made him up a DM's pack folder of handy resources, such as:

1. The DMG magic items & the individual loot tables - the higher tier tables can be used as low-tier hoards I noticed, sans magic this being a Primeval Thule game.
2. Enough info on the city of Quodeth to run games there, such as city map/key and info on the Seven Knives thieves' guild, also local regional map & info.
3. Encounter tables - the low-Tier Urban ones from Xanathar's, plus some others I had handy.
4. PC sheets.

I'm of the view that assets like these, especially the map and tables, are the things most useful to a starting GM.

 

[AriochQ]

https://www.dmsguild.com/product/212836/Dungeon-Master--Tips-and-Advice-for-New-DMs

 

[jayoungr]

https://www.dmsguild.com/product/212836/Dungeon-Master--Tips-and-Advice-for-New-DMs

Thanks, I didn't know about that one!

I also considered giving her this resource, but I decided to hold it back until a little later: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/133114/Be-Awesome-At-Dungeon-Design
It has lots of great advice for realistic dungeons--you know, "think about how your monsters get food" and that sort of thing. But I feel like age 12 is when she should just be letting her imagination run rampant without worrying too much about that stuff. Her players are unlikely to find that it ruins their suspension of disbelief.