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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Liquidsabre" data-source="post: 1610403" data-attributes="member: 15635">I started very much this way myself at the time when 3.0 first came out. Didn't know any DMs but lots of friends who discovered we all wanted to play, so... <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink    ;)"  data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" /> Have at it, there's nothing like first wading into it.A note of caution here: DMing is a collaborative story-telling process between DM and Players. Over the years of DMing I've cometo the conclusion that good campaigns are grounded in stories (themes) but game-play revolves around situational-based DMing (not plot-based DMing). In other words, you set things up: Evil Villain-cronies-resources-goals, unique NPCs, and a realistic game world. Plop the PCs in the middle and provide an interesting event/situation to get things started and let them go, the PC decisions determining where the "story-lens" goes/views. Plot-based DMing is quite similar except certain events tend to be required to occur to "move the story along" and sometimes at critical points certain things must happen in order to "tell the story". We create stories together and I've seen good plot-based campaigns with great roleplay tumble in flames about a DM because of his insistence to tell 'his' story, at the expense of the PCs. Most any of them are, ready made NPC stats, monster stats at hand, maps, and a basic premise. The bare tools of an adventure, take them and maybe take a few interesting bits for story and make up your own story stuffs. Can be done with any module really, though some require more cutting and pastign than others. My group enjoyed the Sunless Citadel (1-3 lvl) WotC module but hated the Forge of Fury (4-6th) WotC module. So I recommend the first.While this is true, I wouldn't start them higher than 2nd. The complexities of special feats, abilities, and spells encroahc at a rapide rate that makes it difficult to handle of you haven't come across them before. Best to keep things simple and handle them on the way up.Oh there's nothing like thwarting a band of low-level adventurers with a runaway herd of cattle they must figure out how to get back to the village while keeping poachers and carrrior-eaters (birds lol) away. Be creative and get nitty-gritty with them. If they don't figure out why the well was poisoned and a way to fix it the whole village could die of thirst in a matter of days, someone needs to ride to the local hospice some day and a half away, can they make it in record time?? Can they survive the hazardous falling rocks on the cliffside road and the inlement weather? All of which have CRs and award experience points but don't necessarily kill outright. When in doubt, just use a few goblins.Also be made aware of 'script-immunity': where the DM keeps anything from killing the PCs no matter what happens. This breaks the bubble of suspension of disbelief for the game, takes the bluster out of PCs strut after achievements (which weren't a threat really at all), and can sour a good game once players realize there are never any real dangers or threats (afterall this is what creates excitement and drama).Best of luck to ya mate, that's all I can offer on the subject I'm afraid. One last bit: "You don't have to memorize/know all the rules, just know where to find it." <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f61b.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":p" title="Stick out tongue    :p"  data-smilie="7"data-shortname=":p" />Cheers!</blockquote>

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