D&D 5E please post advice for novice DM like myself

[bigdilf]

I just ran my first dnd one shot campaign last night and caught myself being overwhelmed by the unpredictability of some of my fellow PC’s actions. Is there any advice that can be shared for moments that you didn’t quite prepare for? Advice on other DM topics is much appreciated as well.

 

[Lanefan]

A few points, that might run a bit counter to some posts upthread:

1. Don't get wound up overthinking this stuff. There's some good advice upthread that took far more thought than you probably need to be giving this just one or two sessions in. The whole session-0 idea in particular is IMO overrated unless you're DMing for complete strangers.

2. You don't mention whether you're DMing for new players, experienced players, or a mix. If any of your players are experienced, lean on them to keep things at least somewhat on the rails; and ideally they should be cutting you a lot of slack while you learn the ropes. However, if all your players are new you've got an open field; they're not likely to notice any mistakes you make as being mistakes, so just go with it and have fun!

The one caveat here is that consistency is paramount. If there's mountains to the south today then - absent one helluva good reason - they should still be there tomorrow. If Bill the Barkeep is described today as being 6'2" 240 lbs and with a scar above his left eye then all those things should still be true when he is met again tomorrow or next week. If you rule in tonight's session that (for example) darkvision works by use of ultraviolet light then the same should be true next session and for all subsequent sessions. And so forth.

3. As you're already finding out, one of the key skills of a DM is to be able to wing it when (not if!) the players take their PCs off the pre-planned path. Unfortunately, this skill can take time to learn, so in the beginning there's really nothing wrong with having a gigantic hand descend in front of the PCs to block their way, and explain it by simply saying "I haven't designed that area yet." The players will - or bloody well should - understand; and with any luck it'll all be good for a laugh.

Note however you can probably only get away with this trick once.

 

[Sulicius]

Focus on your next session
Be a fan of the player characters
End your session by asking what your players want to have their characters do next session, so you can prepare better

 

[R_J_K75]

The whole session-0 idea in particular is IMO overrated

This has been my experience too, both as a player and DM. Its good for figuring out the theme and tone of the campaign and a possible plot but not much else. Players tend to not care all the much aside from expressing their opinion on the type of campaign they want to play in, and the character they want to play. We rarely use house rules and generally don't use home brew settings so that eliminates the need to clarify any of those subjects. As a player if I'm at a session zero and the DM starts going on about their 2000+ page homebrew campaign that they've been running since the dawn of time and it trumps 90% of the PHB, I'll see myself out. I'm a pretty firm believer in that if we are agreeing to play a certain game and a specific setting as a player and DM I think those should remain intact as much as possible so everyone is on the same page. Theres groups that have been playing together for years and decades and this is fine for some, its just not for me. There has always been alot of turnover in the groups I played in so never saw the need for too much if any rules mods. The few times Ive played in home brewed settings I didn't really enjoy them.

 

[Charlaquin]

As a player if I'm at a session zero and the DM starts going on about their 2000+ page homebrew campaign that they've been running since the dawn of time and it trumps 90% of the PHB, I'll see myself out.

Then the session zero did its job. It let you know what to expect from the game, so you could make the decision to leave then instead of later, when it would have been less convenient for everyone involved.

 

[R_J_K75]

Then the session zero did its job. It let you know what to expect from the game, so you could make the decision to leave then instead of later, when it would have been less convenient for everyone involved.

You are correct, in that instance.

 

[Longspeak]

I've got one of my own, but first...

Don't bury the lead, do not give options if there are none and do not spend too much time describing the furniture if the furniture is not important but the painting over the fireplace is.

This. You can get yourself lost so easily by describing the wrong thing in too much detail, or the right thing in not enough. I consider myself a very experienced DM, and this is probably the mistake I make the most. When you (me!) get wrapped up too much in your own (my own!) beautiful, stylish prose, the players will seize on the thing you weren't expecting every time.

When the PCs zig instead of zag, and I've got nothing in the tank, I throw it back on them.

This. Player input can elevate a session, and buy you time to think. In a recent session, PCs were hired to steal a thing back from the guy who stole it. They decided to investigate the thief to find out why he stole it. "Who are you approaching to find your answers? What do you hope the answers will tell you?" I got then to tell me where they were going and what their hope was, then built it into the scenario.

TAKE NOTES! I cannot stress this enough! TAKE. NOTES. Several times I've had to just admit, "I no longer remember what happened. We'll figure it out."

This. I know I said 'this' before, but... really. This. Make notes of your ideas, player ideas, your actions, their actions. You can draw on those later, but even if you don't, you won't be surprised when it comes up. The players will always remember that one thing you let yourself forget.

Don't get wound up overthinking this stuff.

This. Go with your gut. Don't be afraid to take a minute, but don't make it ten minutes while they always wait.



Depending on the group dynamic, don't be afraid to remind players if they aren't taking something into account. But just once.

"Are you Sure?" - Use this sparingly. But when something is really out there, and you haven't a clue, scratch your head and go "Are you sure you want to do that?" Give them a chance to reconsider. Again... sparingly. If you do it all the time it can lose power, or begin to seem a little railroady.

Okay, this is the one that is hardest for me. All caps for emphasis....


RELAX.


It's a game. Enjoy it. That doesn't mean we don't take it seriously, or that we don't try our best. But this hobby of ours is a game, and YOU are also a player. Let them make their mistakes, don't be afraid to make yours.


Of all this, I think my favorite thing to do is get the players to tell me what to do. Redhammer's Advice above is great, and some of my best sessions have come when I had the players guide a session like this.

 

[Dausuul]

Others have already offered most of the advice I was going to give on how to handle the unpredictable; so here are some thoughts on making players a little bit more predictable.

1. When you present them with the goal for the adventure, be clear about it. And I mean spell out every goddamn detail of what you want them to do. We DMs tend to think we're being crystal clear, when in fact we are leaving out crucial information that seems obvious to us because we came up with it. Then we wonder why the hell the players are doing... whatever they're doing.

Most players are reasonably cooperative -- if they understand the goal, they'll go after it. Maybe not down the path you expected, but at least they'll be headed for the right destination.

2. Whenever the players seem lost (debating plans endlessly or buttonholing random NPCs), this is a golden opportunity to lead them in the direction you want them to go. All you have to do is show them something that looks important and relevant, and watch them latch onto it with T-rex bite force.

3. Players hate anything that limits their characters' freedom. This is an intense visceral reaction I've seen many many times in many groups. Do not count on the PCs surrendering, no matter how bad the odds. If the law comes after them, expect them to turn outlaw, alignment be damned. If they are captured (and it wasn't part of their plans), expect escape attempts at every turn.

That doesn't mean you shouldn't put them in these scenarios! Just be ready for the response you're likely to get. And be very, very careful to resolve that response in a calm and evenhanded way. Think about the PCs' plans and give them a fair chance to work.

4. Sometimes you find yourself with the "chaotic wacky" PC who does things that just make no friggin' sense for no apparent reason, diverting the entire adventure into dealing with their shenanigans. Often -- not always, but often -- this is a response to boredom, and you can solve it by cranking up the adrenaline level. Keep things moving, throw in plenty of fights and chases and tense escapes, and remember the Raymond Chandler quote*: "When in doubt, have a man come through a door with a gun in his hand."

5. There are two more difficult types of players to deal with: The one who has to be cajoled and browbeaten into going along with the adventure, and the one who engages in wanton "PVP," stealing from or attacking the other PCs. Do not try to address these problems in-game. If you need to, sit these folks down for an out-of-game talk. Sometimes they have concerns or problems that you can address. Sometimes they don't realize how disruptive their behavior is, and explaining will fix it. Other times they just don't care, and your only options are to live with it or boot them. But in no case will "punishing" them in-game make things better.

*Although often quoted as such, this was not actually advice to novice writers. Chandler was lamenting what he felt was the unreasonable demand of publishers and readers for action, action, action, to the detriment of thoughtful and well-crafted writing. Nevertheless, it's a very useful tool for keeping things moving.

 

[Larnievc]

I just ran my first dnd one shot campaign last night and caught myself being overwhelmed by the unpredictability of some of my fellow PC’s actions. Is there any advice that can be shared for moments that you didn’t quite prepare for? Advice on other DM topics is much appreciated as well.

When my players do a thing I just think about what would most likely happen if it were real. But one of the big things for me is that skill checks are not magic and even if a PC has a Cha of 20 they can't sweet talk the bodyguard to betray his boss with a single roll.

Another thing is to make it clear that they (the PCs) tell you what their characters are trying to do, NOT what they do. So: "I try to cut his throat" as opposed to "I cut his throat". This puts the resolution more into your hands so your players can't railroad YOU.

 

[Quartz]

If everyone - including yourself - is having fun then you're doing it right. Everything else is secondary.

 

[Clint_L]

I think a session 0 is vital unless you are playing with folks you have already played with many times.

A "session 0" is for communication and setting expectations, and it is not just vital for D&D, something like it is vital for any collaborative activity. On the first class of the year, teachers and professors always discuss the course outline, expectations for communication, attendance, etiquette, etc. So does a coach at the first team meeting. Every work meeting should start with the agenda, and hopefully work teams have an agreed upon set of expectations for how they communicate. When you start a new job, you get, basically, a session 0 with your supervisor.

Even if you are playing with familiar players, you should have a "session 0" when you start a new campaign. It doesn't have to be long, but at least let people know what to expect, and find out what they expect. Figure out the most productive way to communicate. Is it going to be a PG campaign (this is something I have to stipulate very clearly for each new group at D&D Club!)? What happens if you can't make a session? Are we using electronic media? Etc.

I suspect what some folks might react against is the formality of calling it "session 0," so you don't need to call it that. And it can be five minutes long, not a full session, so the name is misleading. If you've been playing with more or less the same group for ages, maybe all that's needed is a bit of a head's up on the setting/theme. But to be successful, you absolutely should communicate expectations very clearly up front. In any activity!