D&D 5E New to D&D and want to DM a game

[mean_bean]

Hello,
I have been interested in trying D&D for a while and have been working on getting a group of friends together to play. I haven't played D&D but will probably end up being the DM. Is this a bad idea?

I decided to start with 5e and have purchased the players handbook and the hoard of the dragon queen.

Has anyone run the hoard of the dragon queen? I was surprised by the lack of detail in the book and I am wondering if this might not be a good place to start as a new DM. Is this typical for these book? It looks like it is a basic framework but much of the detail needs filling in. The maps appear to be incomplete also. Does anyone have any tips on how to start with this? As an example the town map is just a bunch of buildings. Prior to running a game would I need to detail the layout of the town so that I don't have to make it up as I go? Would I provide the maps to the players prior to playing?

Would there be a better module to start with?

Thanks for any insight you might provide.

 

[SilverfireSage]

If you're brand spanking new to D&D, I would recommend actually getting the Starter Set. It's pretty cheap, comes with a bunch of premade characters, and the adventure inside will last quite a few sessions and I thought was better written and easier to run than the hoard of the dragon queen. Try that first, and running Hoard should be a lot easier. I would also recommend looking at different boards and finding old premade adventure classics like Castle Ravenloft that are still really good, but may take a bit of conversion. But most of all, don't stress about it, and just try to have fun. A few first time DM tips:

Decide straight up whether to show your dice or leave them hidden. If using a premade or you've DM'd for a while, I'd leave them out in the open. Lets the players get comfortable with the fact that things might not swing their way, and lets them see they've been treated fairly. If you're trying an adventure you've made up for the first time or using a converted one, it might be prudent to keep them hidden. Sometimes, you'll throw them against something you'd thought they would defeat easily, and they end up almost TPKing. No harm in simply fudging a die or two to let them survive by the skin of their teeth.

Even if you're running a premade, don't be afraid to let the characters go off the rails if they want to. Letting them dictate some of the story can be part of the fun, and the last thing you want is for them to feel like they have no control over anything. If they're stuck, sure, give them a hint, but don't railroad them completely.

Don't stress about getting rules wrong the first time. I've been DMing for quite a while and through many different editions, and there's always some learning curve the first time you play a game. If you get a rule wrong, clarify it, let the game go on, and let the players know it'll be different in that regard from then on out. They'll make mistakes too, and sometimes it's part of the fun accidentally doing something crazy you weren't supposed to.

If you're feeling really lost and confused and nobody on these boards can help you (and there's a lot of smart DMs on here, so that shouldn't be a problem) buy a Dungeon Master's Guide. The 5th edition one comes out in a week (or tomorrow if you're near a Wizards Play Store) and they are chock full of good tips for running games and dealing with potential pitfalls. That said, any edition's Guide will help you figure out how to run games, so finding a PDF online of an older one wouldn't be such a bad idea.

So don't sweat it, if you have any questions don't be afraid to come to us, and most importantly, have a ton of fun!

 

[guachi]

I'd recommend picking up the Starter Set for the module, Lost Mines of Phandelver. It's very good and starts off slow. It comes with prerolled characters so you can start playing. Play the first part and then you and your players can reassess things.

For example, allow your players to look through the PHB and select a different class or race once they've seen some of the abilities. I'd let them keep the XP from the first part of the module and transfer it to their new character.

If you check out the reviews of Hoard of the Dragon Queen on enworld, they aren't that great - http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?358743-Hoard-of-the-Dragon-Queen It's a bit odd considering I rate the authors of the module very highly.

Alternatively, you can purchase either of the two modules from Goodman Games. They aren't licensed, but they do work with 5e and the reviews i've seen are positive. One is especially for level 1 characters, The Fey Sisters Fate http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/132658/Fifth-Edition-Fantasy-2-The-Fey-Sisters-Fate and the other is a level 3 adventure Glitterdoom http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/132657/Fifth-Edition-Fantasy-1-Glitterdoom

 

[LabyrinthLord718]

If you all are BRAND NEW to table top rpg's ... first, welcome! And second, definitely get the Starter set and run the adventure included (after having read it) using either the pre generated characters, or using the free basic rules PDF on WotC's site ... even though 5e is more streamlined, there are still a lot of fiddly bits for someone that's never done it before and it could take ages for them to route through the Players Handbook.

Don't get too hung up on the rules at first and just have fun settling into how your group ends up playing.

Perhaps 3 most important things you can do as a DM (in my opinion) are:

1. DON'T RAILROAD THE PLAYERS. They will find the adventure soon enough, but don't stifle them if they want to go off the rails a bit.

2. KEEP EVERYONE AT THE TABLE OCCUPIED. If you see a player stacking dice, they are probably day dreaming -- get them involved, cut between players often and let everyone have their moment in the spotlight.

3. BE CONSISTENT. If you make a ruling one session, don't change it later unless you have a discussion with your players; otherwise you will seem inconstant and arbitrary and will definitely alienate your players.

 

[painted_klown]

I am in the same position as the OP. New player, and picked to be the DM. I think it will be a lot of fun and plan to run the starter set to begin with.

OP, from what I have read, the starter set is really good, and the adventure really walks the DM through it with good detail on what to do. The adventure is also reportedly pretty fun, so that is another bonus reason to start there IMO. I think (hope) that once my players and I have ran through the starter box, then we should be ready to "graduate" and continue on with our playing.

My thought is that the starter box should give us all a good idea of how a session goes, and the experience we all gain can be applied to our next adventure.

Good luck and have fun with it!

 

[Evenglare]

Starter set is one way to go. Otherwise you could be like me back in 2000 and just jump right in. My friends and I had no clue what we were doing, and it was one of the most fun nights I had ever had gaming. 5e is much more friendly so I say if you just really want to go for it, do it man.

 

[Xenu]

I highly recommend picking up the Starter Set. It gives you everything you need and helps prevent players from feeling overwhelmed with information overload. Since a lot of choices are made for them out of the gate in the form of pre-generated characters, it's fairly easy to get going in a short amount of time.

After they've played for a bit and learn the ins and outs, then it would be time to look at the basic rules posted on the WotC site or pick up the Player's Handbook (PHB) and let them expand things. By then, they should have a bit of context on what they like or don't like and have gathered some enthusiasm for creating something from scratch.

 

[S_Dalsgaard]

I agree with the previous posters on the Starter Set being a good.. start. I suggest you check out YouTube for examples of actual play, which might give you some insight on how to be a DM. There are a couple of videos available of actual play of the Lost Mines of Phandelver adventure from the Starter Set (including this one - http://youtu.be/hgNRe76o4_8).

 

[mean_bean]

Thanks for all of the great suggestions. I have also been looking at the free enworld adventures. These look fun also.

 

[Blackwarder]

Welcome to the world of D&D!

As others said before, the starter set is your way forward, Hoard of the Dragin Queen is aimed for experienced DMs, it's a very good adventure IMO but it leave a lot up for DM decisions and creativity.

I haven't seen the DMGS yet but as a brand new DM you might want to pick it up, back when I started playing the 2e DMG was a big boon for me.

Good luck!

Warder