D&D 5E Your one best piece of GM/DM advice?

[Morrus]

If you were to offer one single piece of GMing advice, what would it be?

(If this works out, I'll pick a few for an article).

 

[Satyrn]

Figure out what your players enjoy, then try to give it to them

 

[Lanliss]

Be flexible. No plan survives first contact with your players.

 

[Inchoroi]

Plan setting, not plot. Remember that your Setting includes NPCs, monsters, cities, weather patterns, everything.

 

[darjr]

Stock your imagination. Think of neat cool things just for there own sake. Do it a lot. Then when you need to ad-lib use them.

 

[Xaspian]

Be honest with your players about your GMing weaknesses so you can work on them together

 

[Bigsta]

Anyone who uses the word "Verisimilitude" is not someone you want as a player.

 

[mrpopstar]

Have fun! Fun is infectious.

 

[mpwylie]

My #1 piece of advice....Have a session zero.

In the session zero, find out what type of game your players like, combat heavy, roleplay heavy, mystery, heist, politics, etc. Let them know about any house rules and what you like as a DM. Give them an idea of how you want/expect your game to run. Give them an overview of the world and feel of the campaign that fits with what they, and you, like so they can create backstories and characters that work with the theme. I ask for a name and description of an NPC that each is friendly with, and one that they are rivals or unfriendly with. This allows me to weave these NPCs in at various points if I want and create ready hooks for side quests or sources of help/info if the players start to flounder.

I can think of tons of pieces of advice but starting out, this was by far the best advice I got and really helped me not only design a game everyone enjoys, but also it gave me so much to work as far as plot.

 

[ad_hoc]

You are one player of many at the table and you are all collaborating together to tell a story.