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<blockquote data-quote="edhel" data-source="post: 6547247" data-attributes="member: 20296">I see DMing as a two-part problem. Firstly you have to come up with a premise for a story/adventure, and secondly you have to be an improvisational storyteller and be able to describe things to your players in a compelling manner and react to what they are doing.This is my old advice for another person <a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?357978-DMing-Sandboxes-and-Boring-Dungeons-HELP/page2&amp;p=6356202#post6356202" target="_blank">http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?357978-DMing-Sandboxes-and-Boring-Dungeons-HELP/page2&amp;p=6356202#post6356202</a>but let me rephrase it here:1) Don't make assumptions about player actions. Only create an understandable premise (possibly with a couple of twists) and let action happen. Let actions have consequences. It will sort itself out.2) Let your antagonists be human in motivation and ability. They don't know everything even though they might be smart and prepared. They will react to your players' interference but they have limited resources and have to rely on other people.3) If you have difficulty in the storytelling part, read authors you like and analyze how they do what they do. I personally like a terse style. I found Chris Perkins' articles about Stephen King useful: <a href="http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/storytelling-king" target="_blank">The Storytelling King</a> &amp; <a href="http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/stephen-kings-third-eye" target="_blank">Stephen King's Third Eye</a>4) Involve your players in the creation process. You don't have to do it all alone. Let them create their characters' religions, their families etc.5) Don't get too attached to your ideas, and prepare to improvise. Collect helpful tables. I have DMing &quot;scrapbook&quot; filled with stuff I've found interesting and helpful.6) If you still feel intimidated, limit your first adventures physically to a village or a dungeon, or some other manageable chuck.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="edhel, post: 6547247, member: 20296"] I see DMing as a two-part problem. Firstly you have to come up with a premise for a story/adventure, and secondly you have to be an improvisational storyteller and be able to describe things to your players in a compelling manner and react to what they are doing. This is my old advice for another person [url]http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?357978-DMing-Sandboxes-and-Boring-Dungeons-HELP/page2&p=6356202#post6356202[/url] but let me rephrase it here: 1) Don't make assumptions about player actions. Only create an understandable premise (possibly with a couple of twists) and let action happen. Let actions have consequences. It will sort itself out. 2) Let your antagonists be human in motivation and ability. They don't know everything even though they might be smart and prepared. They will react to your players' interference but they have limited resources and have to rely on other people. 3) If you have difficulty in the storytelling part, read authors you like and analyze how they do what they do. I personally like a terse style. I found Chris Perkins' articles about Stephen King useful: [URL="http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/storytelling-king"]The Storytelling King[/URL] & [URL="http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/stephen-kings-third-eye"]Stephen King's Third Eye[/URL] 4) Involve your players in the creation process. You don't have to do it all alone. Let them create their characters' religions, their families etc. 5) Don't get too attached to your ideas, and prepare to improvise. Collect helpful tables. I have DMing "scrapbook" filled with stuff I've found interesting and helpful. 6) If you still feel intimidated, limit your first adventures physically to a village or a dungeon, or some other manageable chuck. [/QUOTE]

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