New DM

[Xx8_bit_ninjaxX]

I agree in uncovering these powers they are essentially building the heroes themselves. I am not making them take any specific feats or anything it is just that when they do take one it is going to be considered uncovering it from their past lives

 

[Dannager]

1. The DM is always right, even when he is wrong
2. The DM is always right, especially when he is wrong
3. Win if you can, lose if you must, but always cheat
4. Use Rules #1 through #3 to make sure everyone is having fun.

That last bit cannot be overstated. These rules only hold up as long as your players are willing to suffer through you constantly claiming to be right. Tick your players off with one too many power trips, and you could suddenly find yourself without a group to play with.

If I could only give you a single piece of advice, it would be: Learn how to enjoy the fact that your players are having fun. If your enjoyment of the game depends on you beating your players or making their character miserable, you will have a poor time of things. If your enjoyment of the game depends on your players having fun, both you and your players get to work towards that common goal.

Regarding your campaign, I'm concerned that you're making a pretty classic first-time-DM mistake: running an overly-ambitious campaign. There are a lot of non-traditional aspects to your campaign (starting out "mundane", gaining power from legendary heroes rather than levels, portals to other worlds, etc.), and you're already going to have a lot on your hands as a brand new DM. I know the temptation to run your own handmade setting is strong, but in this case I suggest resisting that temptation. Run a published adventure (Paizo has a lot of premade Pathfinder adventures) and you'll be a lot less stressed. You can focus on your group and you can focus on learning the system and how to DM without worrying about continually developing your own setting and making it believable. Once you've got more experience under your belt and you feel like you really have the hang of being a DM, then you can give some thought to creating your own world/plot/campaign.

 

[Nareau]

Learn how to say "yes" to your players. If a player wants to swing across the room from the chandelier, and it's remotely plausible the room they're in has one, then let them give it a try. It's easy to fall into the habit of treating your players as opponents rather than friends, and that's not fun for anybody.

Talk to your players outside of the game about what they expect to get out of it, and how you plan to run things.

Don't look up rules in the middle of combat. Make something up that sounds plausible, and look up the real rule afterwards. If the players want to look something up when it's not their turn, that's fine.

Don't worry about rolling off to break ties. Ties always go to the good guys.

 

[Glade Riven]

Make something up that sounds plausible, and look up the real rule afterwards.

AKA cheat

 

[Dingo333]

Actually, I am gonna suggest something some people will say I am wrong for, but I have a good reason

It sounds like you and your group is new to PF, so it may not be a bad idea for you to pause gameplay for 5-10 minutes as you and others look up the rules in question

For example, one of the people is a fighter, sword and board style, and wants to do a shield bash (or set up his character to do this often). So he goes to make his attack, sword slices, then shield bash time, he grabbed the shield slam feat so he also gets a free bull rush. You, as you are new to PF may not have seen that (I didn't until a friend and our DM had the same conversation) so it is appropriate for you to take a minute to look up a bull rush.

You are all learning the game, so it shouldn't be expected that you are all masters of the rules. And, going over the rules for bull rush as a group will help not only you and the fighter, but others who may be watching the fighter do this, say that looks cool, wonder if I can do the same thing?

Another way to do this would be to set up encounters where the group of bad guys has a focus, pack of wolves with tripping, a group of archers, tentacle monster B for grappling. And taking a moment after the main focus is displayed to explain the rules on that topic, then see the rules in action

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

It sounds like you and your group is new to PF, so it may not be a bad idea for you to pause gameplay for 5-10 minutes as you and others look up the rules in question

I think this is actually a good idea, especially for a group of new people.

 

[Jhaelen]

Learn how to say "yes" to your players. If a player wants to swing across the room from the chandelier, and it's remotely plausible the room they're in has one, then let them give it a try.

Oh, I'll let them give it a try for sure.

Of course chances are, they'll realize that swinging from a chandelier only works in Hollywood movies as they come crashing down in an explosion of crystal shards

My suggestion would be: Learn how to say "yes, but..." to your players:

Encourage your players to try crazy stuff, but use a good mix of things that work to their advantage and things that will get them into trouble!

 

[Nareau]

Of course chances are, they'll realize that swinging from a chandelier only works in Hollywood movies as they come crashing down in an explosion of crystal shards

Actually, it works both in Hollywood movies and in my games. See, doing things like that is awesome. Having them fall to the floor isn't (except in the rare instances when it is). My #2 priority in games is that they be awesome.

 

[Jhaelen]

See, doing things like that is awesome. Having them fall to the floor isn't (except in the rare instances when it is). My #2 priority in games is that they be awesome.

What? You don't think an explosion of crystal shards is awesome? I think it is

 

[IronWolf]

Oh, I'll let them give it a try for sure.

Of course chances are, they'll realize that swinging from a chandelier only works in Hollywood movies as they come crashing down in an explosion of crystal shards

My suggestion would be: Learn how to say "yes, but..." to your players:

Encourage your players to try crazy stuff, but use a good mix of things that work to their advantage and things that will get them into trouble!

Yeah, swinging chandelier is likely going to be a yes, they can attempt that in my game. Though I admit, the chandelier crashing to the floor as they swing on it, say on a skill check missed by more than 5 could certainly be fair game....