I need help...

[Mitchbones]

I am too, new to D&D and DMing. A group of friends have had an interest in playing for a while, so i took the inititive to take the role of DM. Bad news is none of us have played before. I figured since its better to post in an existing similar topic than start a new one.

Basicly, the main problem is roleplaying. None of us have done it before, my only XP with it is on some message boards. I dont really know how to go about explaining it to em besides "Pretend your <insert PC's name>" 2. One of my players is obsessed with guns, in WoW he refused to use any weapon besides a gun...how would i add guns to the game without messing any thing up?

 

[Clueless]

Depends on the game you're playing. Some of them come with guns built in (Shadowrun, d20 modern etc). What sort of world are you looking to play in and what sort of rules are you planning to use? (Yes, rule sets and worlds *are* mix and match and can be altered as you see fit, being as how you're the DM.)

For the people that don't 'get' it, I usually describe it as a combination of ad-lib storytelling and ad-lib acting. That usually gets the point of 'pretend you're X' across smoother.

 

[Mitchbones]

Acutually i would love to run a d20 Modern or Shadowrun game, I really enjoy futuristic stuff. My players will most likely enjoy it more....but the main fact that I dont have a job, and already have the D&D Basic game, phb, and just lost my DMG.

I know google is my friend, but is there any links to Shadowrun or md20 you guys suggest?

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

First, welcome Mitchbones & Cherio!

I'm another old time gamer. There's lots of us here...including many professional game designers and even Mr. Gygax (though I'm not one of them). As has been suggested before- use this place like an online think-tank.

Games with guns are everywhere. If you want to mix fantasy roleplay with guns, may I suggest AEG's Swashbuckling Adventures, Privateer's Iron Kingdoms, or Atlas Games' Northern Crown/Nyambe settings. Strictly speaking, they're not D&D, but they are based on the D20 system.

For a modern take on gaming in the D20 system, D20 Modern/Future are good, as are products like Spycraft 2Ed and Mutants & Masterminds 2Ed (a superhero game). One of the greatest sci-fi games of all time, Traveller, exists in several different systems, including a D20 version.

Shadowrun is also a classic for fusing magic and cyberpunk genres.

If you're new to DMing, remember the old acronym KISS: Keep It Simple, Stupid! You don't want to bog yourself down in obscure parts of the rules. Thus, I'd advise to trying out a few store-bought adventures for whatever game you try before designing your own.

Accept that you're going to make mistakes. In fact, I have yet to encounter a GM who doesn't make at least 1 mistake per session. The trick is to not let them ruin the fun. If you find that your mistake is more fun than the actual rule- use the mistake as a house rule!

 

[cheerio730]

Basicly, the main problem is roleplaying. None of us have done it before, my only XP with it is on some message boards. I dont really know how to go about explaining it to em besides "Pretend your <insert PC's name>" 2. One of my players is obsessed with guns, in WoW he refused to use any weapon besides a gun...how would i add guns to the game without messing any thing up?

When I explain how we play DnD to my friends and coworkers I say say "What you have to do is pretend you are reading a book or watching a movie, but you are that character. So you wouldn't say "My character is going to climb those rocks." You'd say "I kick my right front toe into a crack in the rocks and start to climb." or more simply "Hey! I'm gonna climb those rocks." The hardest thing for my to adjust to, and I'm still working on it, if that my old DM (our friend who was playing) would ake anything I'd say and say "Is that what your character says?" Like sometimes if I don't have a clue what to do, and I'm asking him and my hubby, he'll start pestering me to be my character, which I understand but... Anyway I'm getting of target here. To sum it up I say roleplaying is to say your actions instead of acting them, and say your thoughts instead of thinking them.

As for the guns I don't really know. If it was me personally, and we wanted like a medievil fantasy setting, I would probably make up some really gun and say "ok you want a gun here." Then since it sucks maybe he would learn to use it secondly and start using something else. Just a thought I dunno if it would actually work or not.

 

[Piratecat]

Like sometimes if I don't have a clue what to do, and I'm asking him and my hubby, he'll start pestering me to be my character, which I understand but... Anyway I'm getting of target here. To sum it up I say roleplaying is to say your actions instead of acting them, and say your thoughts instead of thinking them.

Sure, there are different styles -- and this is something that changes over time. Lots of groups say their actions in the third person. Lots of other groups talk in the first person. I suspect that the longer people have been roleplaying, the more in the first person they talk ("Okay, I climb the hill and look around.") One way isn't necessarilyy better than the other, though.

When I started my own game, the best thing I did was start small. I made a single town that was kind of isolated. That way the heroes could explore the woods and the mountains, and I could slowly add other towns and define the country without having to rush at it.

I think something that would be really useful to you is to pick up some issues of Dungeon Magazine that have low level adventures in them. These will do a great job at starting you off on a good foot.

 

[Henry]

Cheerio, (and hi!)

Welcome to ENWorld, and welcome to DM'ing. It's a lot of fun for many people, and whether you learn to like it or not, it's a very good experience for helping you become a better player, too.

With regards to the core books, a lot of money can be saved by searching out the Rulebook collection that Wizards of the Coast (WotC) put out a while back, ISBN #0786934107. I've seen some places on the internet where it can be had for as little as $55.00 or so, and it contains the PHB, DMG, and the MM, all for the latest edition (3.5).

It you're into using a computer to prepare for gaming, the System Reference Document is a legal online way to get access to 99% of the game rules in those books, plus a few others. WotC has an SRD on their site, but my favorite online version is at www.srd.org .

As for tips and tricks, I'll post more if I have time later - there are scads and scads of threads on the subject of being a good DM, good non-gaming resources to use, etc. -- Basically, there's as much material as you want to absorb. That's the other good thing - like any hobby, you grow into it and get better at it at your own pace. If it ain't fun, then you're trying too hard.

Good fortunes!

 

[catsclaw227]

It you're into using a computer to prepare for gaming, the System Reference Document is a legal online way to get access to 99% of the game rules in those books, plus a few others. WotC has an SRD on their site, but my favorite online version is at www.srd.org

I've never knew the Scottish Rite Dormitory carried the d20 SRD!

I think he meant www.d20srd.org.

 

[ColonelHardisson]

When I explain how we play DnD to my friends and coworkers I say say "What you have to do is pretend you are reading a book or watching a movie, but you are that character. So you wouldn't say "My character is going to climb those rocks." You'd say "I kick my right front toe into a crack in the rocks and start to climb." or more simply "Hey! I'm gonna climb those rocks."

As Piratecat said above, it's OK to say "my character does such-and-such..." As a player, I do that a lot. It's just a matter of varying playing styles.

The hardest thing for my to adjust to, and I'm still working on it, if that my old DM (our friend who was playing) would ake anything I'd say and say "Is that what your character says?" Like sometimes if I don't have a clue what to do, and I'm asking him and my hubby, he'll start pestering me to be my character, which I understand but...

That's actually a pretty common - and old - thing to have happen in a game. I remember as far back as my earliest days of playing, the DM (which was me at times) saying "is that what your character says?" Some DMs aren't as hard-nosed about it, and are able to distinguish between in-character and out-of-character chatter. But he may have a point in asking - just do what you think your character would do. It's OK to ask for advice at times, but ultimately you'll get to the point you won't need to.

Anyway I'm getting of target here. To sum it up I say roleplaying is to say your actions instead of acting them, and say your thoughts instead of thinking them.

That's a decent way to explain it, in my opinion.

As for the guns I don't really know. If it was me personally, and we wanted like a medievil fantasy setting, I would probably make up some really gun and say "ok you want a gun here." Then since it sucks maybe he would learn to use it secondly and start using something else. Just a thought I dunno if it would actually work or not.

Well, with d20 (which is the basic game system for the latest edition of D&D) you actually have access to game stats for guns. The only question is whether the DM allows them in his campaign. The point is moot, though, if they play a more modern or futuristic game - Star Wars, Star Trek, Rifts, d20 Modern, Call of Cthulhu, and a multitude of others - because guns and other such weaponry are readily available in such settings. There are stats in the Dungeon Master's Guide for guns of the medieval and Renaissance eras, but, again, it's up to the DM if they work in his campaign world.


Oh, and as for the difference between DM and GM...as someone said, DM and GM are pretty interchangeable. The main difference is that DM (Dungeon Master) is a term used almost exclusively in D&D; matter of fact, they copyrighted the term. GM (Game Master) is a more generic term for the same person. Many RPGs (roleplaying games) use their own term - Keeper in Call of Cthulhu, Narrator in Lord of the Rings, plus any number of terms in other games, like Storyguide, Storyteller, Moderator, etc.

 

[kenobi65]

Games with guns are everywhere. If you want to mix fantasy roleplay with guns, may I suggest AEG's Swashbuckling Adventures, Privateer's Iron Kingdoms, or Atlas Games' Northern Crown/Nyambe settings. Strictly speaking, they're not D&D, but they are based on the D20 system.

Arcanis is a D&D setting, put out by Paradigm Concepts, that includes fairly extensive rules on firearms ("blastpowder" is a gift from one of the gods). The rules on firearms can be found in the Player's Guide to Arcanis, the "core rulebook", as it were, for the setting. (Oh, and it's a pretty cool setting anyway. )