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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Quickleaf" data-source="post: 7165787" data-attributes="member: 20323">Yah! <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /> More well-mentored DMs is great!That describes me pretty much to a T, especially during my formative years DMing. My weakness continues to be running fast-and-loose with the rules, and very much being a "ruling over rules" DM. I've had to learn why that can be troubling for some players, how to rein myself in a bit, and bolster my rules knowledge in small increments.Starter Set is a good choice. To spare her brain / save her time, I recommend customizing a DM screen with info that she has trouble remembering. This takes time to create. I made one for 4th edition using a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Savage-Worlds-Customizable-Screen-S2P10002/dp/1930855591" target="_blank">Savage Worlds Trifold Landscape Customizable Screen</a>. That or Hammerdog's "World's Best GM Screen" (which may be 4-fold landscape, can't remember) is a GREAT tool.Alternately, what I've done sometimes with a group of experienced / tactically minded / rules-lawyer types (even if just one person at the table has that disposition) is designate one of them as our Rules Lawyer. Anytime there's a debate about rules in game, they are responsible for adjudicating swiftly and fairly, so their word is the iron law unless they defer to my DM ruling. Maybe for your group – if the new DM is anxious about mucking up the rules or upsetting old-timers – this could be a nice compromise.One of the best ways to learn DMing is to have a 1-2 hour "demo session" with the new prospective DM just observing, and you really breaking down what you're doing behind the screen. It's not that exciting for some players, but is invaluable as a teaching tool. So, you'd take a published adventure (which is probably for a new DM to cut her teeth on), and explain:Ok, here I'm deviating from the boxed text because Ed's PC did XYZ...With these goblins, I'm having to determine if they've surprised you or not. Here are those rules and how I'm applying them. There are some instances where you need to make rulings that aren't covered 100% in the rules – surprise is one of those...Vanessa's PC set off a trap. Check out the write-up for this trap. On the DM screen you're going to use there are guidelines for making traps that are "appropriate challenges" for a party - what should their attack bonus be, their saving throw DC, etc., etc. These are good trap guidelines to start from until you get a feel for DMing...So, sometimes players like John will roll all their dice separately. Roll for each attack separately, then re-rolls if he has advantage, and then roll Bardic Inspiration dice Vanessa's PC is giving him, and THEN roll any damage...possibly adding bonus damage as a separate roll. As a DM, I like to gently encourage players like John to roll his dice at once if possible...a faster method is one roll with all attack dice, and then one roll with all damage dice...Behind my screen, you can see I have notecards of your PCs (and monsters) draped over the top of the DM screen. I use this for initiative order, like you know. What I also do is, looking behind the screen, I've taken note of certain stats for your PCs: Passive Perception, AC, and spell save DC for the spellcasters. That way speeds things up and lets me avoid tipping off the players by asking "what's your AC?" or "what's your passive Perception?"And so on.</blockquote>

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