NOW LIVE! Today's the day you meet your new best friend. You don’t have to leave Wolfy behind... In 'Pets & Sidekicks' your companions level up with you!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="SilverfireSage" data-source="post: 6452140" data-attributes="member: 6778313">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!</blockquote>

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