Help! Player struggling to learn to DM...

[Fimmtiu]

So I have a bit of a problem. I'd like to DM for our small group once in a while, to give the usual DM an occasional break. I'm a reasonably creative individual, I love world-building, I like telling stories. But I ran a quick one-on-one session with the usual DM as the player, to test the waters, and it was a crushing disaster.

Why? Well, I'm really shy -- always have been. Makes me worry about trying to play NPCs in front of an audience. It's different somehow when I'm playing a PC in a group... the responsibility for keeping things moving isn't always on me, I guess. And I'm a very thoughtful and analytical sort of person, but the downside of that is that I can't ad-lib worth a damn. Practically every time someone does something I don't expect, which is often, I have to call a break to figure out what to do about it. I don't want to resort to only using highly-scripted site-based adventures or anything cheesy like that, but I just can't think on my feet enough to stay one step ahead of the players.

Basically, what it comes down to is that I'd probably be great at running a PBEM campaign or something, but when I get in front of people in real-time, everything bogs down in a morass of stuttering and awkward pauses. So... how do I learn to A) cut loose, and B) ad-lib? How can I get through this difficult learning phase without embarrasing myself by completely boring and annoying the players? Or are some people just born to be DMs and others aren't?

Advice welcome. Thanks!

 

[Mark]

Read a lot about what other people do. Once you realize what your strengths are, your weaknesses don't seem so insurmountable-

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Good luck!

 

[Kilmore]

Buy a mirror and DM to it. DM to the cat if necessary. Ham it up. Try to act like you're really DMing, in the regular tone of voice and everything. Keep it up for a while, and you just might be in practice for dealing with real players.

 

[Ruavel]

In my experience, you're either someone who can ad-lib instinctively or you learn through being put on the spot regularly... learning may take a little time, but anyone can do it... and confidence is a big factor whether your used to ad-lib'ing or not...

some important things for you to bear in mind (IMHO) are:

- if the players are prepared to play a game you run, knowing you're inexperienced as a DM, they obviously have faith in you... so if they say yes, recognise their trust and use that it boost your own confidence...

- when you write or read an abventure, spent a little time thinking about each encounter and the possible ways in which the players could react... as the DM, metagaming (in the form of reading the players) is a part of preparation process... with a little thought, dealing with the encounters will be more relaxed and feel more natural...

- make the story something special and your players will sing your praises for entertaining them so well for years... the minor detail of your early DMing mistakes will rapidly fade into the realm of 'obscure memories'...

- relax and enjoy your time on centre stage... the more relaxed you are, the more relaxed your players are (except during battle where the opposite occurs) and the more everyone enjoys, and becomes part of, the experience...

- if all else fails, have a beer before you start (assuming you're of legal age)... that'll loosen you up a little...

remember even as the DM, the game is for your enjoyment as well... so figure out how yuo can enjoy being there...

 

[Fenes 2]

I prepare all my adventures the same way: I write a short "Background" section, detailing what happens in the adventure - or what the bad guys want, do and plan to do. Then follows the "Hook", namely detailing how the party enters the picture, with possible alternatives. Then follows "Problems" and "Possibilities", detailing the problems the PCs face, and the possible solutions they have, and the consequences those actions will have.

For me it gives the right amount of prepared information to react to the PCs without scripting too much. If I am pretty sure a scene will happen, I may write more detailed notes, dialogue etc., but that happens very seldom - last time, and the only time I wrote more than one page about a single scene, was when the party encountered an avatar of a goddess, and I wanted to ensure the impact of the scene and not forgetting details (like how she walked, how NCPs reacted, how the ground itself reacted, what feelings ran through the PCs etc.) I would not have done that if I had not been sure that the avatar would be encountered (she came to the PCs at the start of the adventure).

 

[jemkym]

1. Drink a lot of alcohol beforehand

2. Think "These are the players, and I finally have an opportunity to torture them! Muhahaha!!!!"

* Suggestion No 1 is not recommended.

 

[snak]

Ad libbing is about giving up a certain amount of control over the situation. For games to be fun for the players must feel they can interact with the world and effect it. Sensual details regarding sights, sounds, smells, textures all provide a background as to how a pc might react. "Might" is the operative word. Just like IRL you can't tell another person how to feel about something, you will drive players crazy trying to roleplay their characters.

Seem like you are very thoughtful in the construction of your scenarios. Focus more on what the physical nature of a scene is and what your NPC's want. For puzzles/obstacles/encounters figure out a few ways you might handle the situation, but then let it rest. The players will often do something totally different. Enjoy their creativity and let go of what you had planned, and of course drop the hammer later if they fail to save the world. If a characters come to a door, they might open is, phase though it, or bust it down. Several of those possibilities might thwart the really cool trap the evil guys set. So be it. To force an outcome make you a rail road conductor and players quickly begin to resent that.

Besides detailing NPC motivations, which can range from "I want a ham sandwhich" to "I want to rule the world" try coming up with a quote that best expresses that characters nature. Keep that with a note book next to you when you game for inspiration, prepared speeches usually don't go over well.

Finally use the note book so that when you do off the cuff stuff you can record pertinent information for later.

Hope this helps

 

[Fimmtiu]

- if all else fails, have a beer before you start (assuming you're of legal age)... that'll loosen you up a little...

Hah! I don't drink, but maybe a half an Ativan would help counteract my usual caffeine mania. Never could get the hang of enjoying the taste of alcohol.

Gosh... all these tips are great, but there's so much to remember! I feel like I should be taking notes to refer to during sessions or something. Hmm. Actually, I guess that's not a bad idea...

Need to spend a lot more time in preparation, too. Oh, well. Time to invest in more notebooks, which is always a good thing! Now I just have to work up the nerve to suggest trying a second one-on-one session with my exceedingly tolerant player...

 

[KnowTheToe]

I look to Danny Bonaduce from the Partridge Family for my advice on this. You may ask why? Does he game? well, no but....

Danny had a radio show here in Chicago several years ago and sucked. He show was aweful because he was nervous and was not sure how well he could direct and pace things. What did he do? He made sure he had a plethor of guests to fill the show time. Slowly in time as he grew more confident and more experience, he had fewer guests and his show slowly improved.

How does this translate to you and D&D, well let me tell you. Lots of small combat situations and lesser amounts of RPing and NPC time. Your players will know you are new and be open to a some combat heavy games. I would also suggest using a module to start out.

 

[Stone Angel]

I agree to go with a module. Read it thoroughly and make sure you are very familiar with monsters and tactics there in.

Don't be afraid to make mistakes, to this day I get teased about something I did six years ago in high school. These cultists had taken over an outpost and when they confronted the leader he spoke in a "loud whisper". I actually meant harsh, or raspy voice. Any time I start to do a pc's voice they say "in a loud whisper".

Other advice keep it simple, and always have a plan A and just a in case a plan C too.

Good luck and welcom to the hell, that is a DM's life.