D&D General How Do I Help Mentor a GM Making Rookie Mistakes?

[Micah Sweet]

This is not advice for a typical DM though. If she’s a teenager (or as close to it as possible) trying to run a game for the first time then I don’t think he does need to know the rules in advance, or to have his expectations managed. That isn’t something you say to a young adult doing something high pressured for the first time.

Don’t go in with any expectations, just provide 200% encouragement. If you miss every attack, so be it. If you can’t heal, do something else. If your character dies… keep smiling and roll another one. Teaching someone else is not about them entertaining you… though you might well be entertained along the way.

Was the OP's goal in playing that game under that GM education?

 

[MichaelSomething]

Was the OP's goal in playing that game under that GM education?

Would you rather she attend a DMing University??

 

[Mort]

This is not advice for a typical DM though. If she’s a teenager (or as close to it as possible) trying to run a game for the first time then I don’t think he does need to know the rules in advance, or to have his expectations managed. That isn’t something you say to a young adult doing something high pressured for the first time.

Don’t go in with any expectations, just provide 200% encouragement. If you miss every attack, so be it. If you can’t heal, do something else. If your character dies… keep smiling and roll another one. Teaching someone else is not about them entertaining you… though you might well be entertained along the way.

I absolutely agree about providing encouragement!

But that doesn't mean letting clearly bad habits solidify. Rules whiplash is something that can be addressed without being at all harsh - and it seems it would solve most of the OPs issues.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Would you rather she attend a DMing University??

Maybe, if she's got loads and loads of money to waste.

 

[TheSword]

I absolutely agree about providing encouragement!

But that doesn't mean letting clearly bad habits solidify. Rules whiplash is something that can be addressed without being at all harsh - and it seems it would solve most of the OPs issues.

Yeah, it’s the first campaign, there’s time. Flexing the rules is a natural part of young people learning a system. My god, I think back to my teenage DMing days. I was constantly trying new things.

 

[Clint_L]

I absolutely agree about providing encouragement!

But that doesn't mean letting clearly bad habits solidify. Rules whiplash is something that can be addressed without being at all harsh - and it seems it would solve most of the OPs issues.

Caution: things that would be bad habits for me are sometimes strengths for others. I'm going to be blunt: I think most of the OP's issues are stemming from the OP, not from the rookie DM. If they screw up (from his perspective)...so what? It's a game! Let it go! We need to destygmatize mistakes for people to learn. It ain't about you, it's about them!

This DM is doing what we in the business would call formative learning, meaning that this is the time to experiment and play and try things out. They aren't doing an exam, and the OP isn't their examiner. If they ask for feedback, give it in plain language, being encouraging about what is awesome, and clear about what didn't work, emphasizing that this is only your perspective. If they don't ask for feedback, then STFU and have good time, or politely decline the next invitation. Above all, don't judge!

A lot of education sucks because we make people feel like making a mistake is terrible and means there is something wrong with them. This leads to timid little grade monkeys. The whole point of education should be to let people make their mistakes and learn - that's how they come up with creative, brilliant answers that are all their own.