I'm a new DM!

[Emperor Valerian]

Well, so here I am.

I played D&D some in high school, and only recently started playing again this fall. Well, a friend of mine who first started playing in the same game I was in, asked me to DM some games for her later on... and I agreed (foolish mortal that I am )

So right now I created a world for her and the DM of my other game (who joined as the other player in my game) and came up with a nice story line. I'm running a campaign based on 3.0, as I had NO books and a friend was selling his 3.0 books for cheap as he already had 3.5.

I ran the first adventure last night. It was a bash 'em up match with some questions left at the end of party members to discover in a few later adventures (it included some interesting NPCs, one a mysterious rogue, the other an elderly, senile partially deaf cleric ), and we al had a good time.

Well, anyways, to the point of this. The DM in the campaign where I am a player pointed me here as a place to find out neat things about D&D, and get advice on everything from modifying characters to DM tricks of the trade. I've been lurking around for the past three months or so... this is only my second post.

I guess I'd like to know: are there any basic pieces of advice a beginning DM should know? For example, how do I properly balance classed enemies in regards to CR? It hardly seems equal that a 4th level average enemy (say, fighter) is the equal of four 4th level PCs (which DMG leads me to believe). Any other pieces of wisdom any of the more experienced folks would like to give a young gun that’s jumped into the fire?

 

[Morpheus]

Welcome! We'll teach you the secret handshake after you have your first TPK... j/k Look here:
http://www.enworld.org/forums/showthread.php?t=47525

 

[barsoomcore]

Seconded. Read it all. Everything there is to say about DMing is in those threads.

Oh and read Story Hours. Hours of Inspiration, more like.

 

[BSF]

Welcome!

OK, first off, a 4th level NPC is not equal to a party of 4 - 4th level PC's. The CR system is designed with the idea of a CR encounter requiring 25% of the party resources. Enough to be a challenge without being a serious TPK risk. Just remember that 25% of the party resources might include 25% of the party HP. So, you can risk one character dying in that case.

As you have questions, post them up. You will often find answers.

 

[Mortanis]

Shameless self-plug time:

I've recently started up (again) my site with free locations, DM advice, etc.

DigitalCaelum.com

Specifically in the articles I've got a few pointers for things.

These boards have more than enough experienced, imaginitive people to help you on the right track, give you inspiration, and help you refine your DMing into something that everyone can enjoy. I've found everything I've needed information for, here.

Welcome, and good luck!

 

[barsoomcore]

As you have questions, post them up. You will often find answers.

Well. You'll SOMETIMES find answer. But you'll ALWAYS find amusing quips, non-sequitors, useless trivia and pointless repetition of off-topic comments.

Which is what Internet discussion boards are ALL about!

 

[BigFreekinGoblinoid]

A newbie DM, and you are already an "Emperor"?

Welcome to the job and the boards!

- private BFG the peasant

 

[Emperor Valerian]

I'm an Emperor because I'm a Byzantine Empire history buff.

Wow.. so many pages to look through!

*grins eagerly*

Thanks everyone for the links... and hopefully by tommorrow night I'll be posting up in the Storytime forums the history of the first group adventure: "Goblins Amok: Or How We Saved a Son of the Local Countess."

 

[SylverFlame]

Valerian, welcome welcome welcome. It's always nice to have one more person to talk to about dodging the projectile dice.

The only thing I can really say about being a DM is this: NEVER make up the whole of an adventure as it comes along. Have a few notes handy just in case. I tried to do the whole on a fly. Two or three sessions and you'll either snap (which oddly, PC's really like watching) or you'll just run out of ideas and start a bar brawl as a distraction (again, PC's oddly seem to like this...).

Good luck and many a good Rule Zero to ya.

PS: Rule Zero is an unofficial GOD

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

I'm one of Emperor Valarian's players, and he's one of mine in my Saturday game (pimping my Story Hour, the Furious Fated, he plays Alarian).

He did a smashing job his first time as a DM. His NPCs were interesting, his plot was engaging, his running of combat was smooth, and he wasn't afraid to use off-the-cuff innovations during combat, random encounters, or NPC interactions.

He bent over backward to allow us the character we wanted, even going so far as to essentially create a new race for one player. And he let me play a Monte Cook variant bard (which rock, just as an aside), something I've wanted to do for ages.

The only thing I have to complain about is the fact that the session ran a little long... but I can hardly fault him for it. I was having a blast! And I'm not terribly great at timing my own sessions, so I should just keep my mouth shut.