Suggestions for a New to Tabletop DM?

Hey, A group of friends of mine want to start tabletop games. Although none of us have much experience with the whole genre. I figured I would step up to the plate and DM our games. We were thinking about playing Pathfinder, any tips you guys could give? Thanks! Kalacha

Tip1 : read the rules and ask questions. Almost anyone here will answer your question. Tip2 : stay simple. For your first campaign, stick with just the core rules and not any supplements till you get the feel for the game. Tip3: have fun. If you miscall a rule but everyone is having fun then don't worry about. Don't bog yourself down with knowing every rule or modifier. Keep it simple and have fun. Tip 4: think out your session in general terms and go with the flow. Say for your first session, have the players meet in town and get hired by someone whose children are missing. The last place anyone seen them is a berry patch near a supposedly haunted ruin. You can have the kids chased there by a bear, or have the kids kidnapped by bandits, or actually have the place occupied by orcs who plan on killing the kids at night time for dinner.  Tip 5: Always leave yourself wiggle room in the game. This is to allow for your players doing something you don't expect and ruining your plans. If you give yourself enough wiggle room to work around with then no matter what they do you can adjust to them so the fun doesn't come to a screeching halt while you try to think of something so the game doesn't end. If you need more tips or help then just ask.

Metroknight has some great tips there for you! My favorite newbie GM tip: Talk to your players.  Even before you get started, decide on what kind of game everyone is interested.  What aspects of roleplaying games sound most interesting?  Do they want really powerful characters that go on epic quests and fight nasty monsters?  Do they want to mimic the protagonists in their favorite stories?  Would they rather be embroiled in social intrigue and shadowy games of politic?  Getting this out of the way is going to prevent you from setting up a game where they're all mercenaries for hire when they'd rather be navigating the vagaries of a royal court, for instance. There's nothing wrong with picking up one of the pathfinder modules or adventure paths either to get started.  Sometimes it can help to begin by running something that's already been planned out.  I ended up trying that first and it honestly made for a smoother ride.  Paizo has produced some "beginner's box" items that might be worth a look as well for getting started.  They even offer some free PDFs of things on their site.  There's a "Beginner Box GM Kit" PDF that might have something useful for you (and it's free!).  That's not to say you should go for broke out of the gate, though.  If you've got some killer ideas for a great plotline, don't hesitate. Also, steal like crazy.  For real.  If you see an idea in a book/movie/video game/historical text, grab it.  You're the GM -- it's totally okay. :)

Sarah has some very good tips also. There are a lot of game system out there that you don't have to buy also or have free stuff to allow you to play their game without any purchase.  Game resource thread  is a good thread to read for systems. Just remember all of us started someplace and some of us didn't have a place like this to go and ask questions or get help. This site is here to help so don't be afraid to ask. I've repeatedly have told my son that the only stupid question is the unasked one.

Wow there have been some really good tips already given by both Sarah and Mentroknigh that really there isn't much for me to add except perhaps suggesting a different game. I only do this because not only are you relatively new to gaming but so is your group. For people just getting into the tabletop RPG game, these days I would suggest they cut their teeth on D&D 4th edition. Wizards of the Coast really worked on making it relatively easy to get players of all skill levels involved with it in an attempt to attract a new generation of players which it clearly has. I've been playing games since Advanced Dungeons and Dragons came out and have played a multitude of different systems and have found that 4th edition is awesome for helping both players and DM's alike get into the gaming world. While the rules that Pathfinder and 3.5 D&D are based on allow for a lot of customization and in depth characters there is merely a lot of info to try and take in not only from a DM's point of view but from a players as well. I have seen my fair share of players get turned away from 3.5 or Pathfinder for that very reason. While limiting your information to the core rules is a great way to start even that can be a daunting task. D&D 4th edition has made the game streamlined for players and as a DM it is almost a dream on how easy it is to set up an encounter whether it is combat or a skill challenge. But other than that suggestion Sarah and Metroknght have really hit the three main tips down.  1) Remember to always have fun and not fret over the rules as long as you are having fun.  2) Know your players and what kind of game they seem to want. Most people that start out tend to go for more combat driven games as the rp aspect is still new to them. 3) Pre-made module. For your first game I really suggest using a pre-made module or adventure as it takes some of the pressure off of you. They tend to always provide ample information on the rules or mechanics used in each part and having the story laid out for you allows you focus more on getting comfortable with the system and the act of DMing itself.  4) Be flexible. Try and remember that not only are you guys there to have fun but also tell a cool story so be flexible with your games. If your players do something totally random that you weren't expecting or that isn't covered in the module / adventure then just go with the flow of the game. Players rarely do what you expect them to and the only way to make sure they do is to force them into certain situations which is never fun. So have guidelines but don't be afraid to go off the grid so to speak.

@ Phisto : I totally agree with you about starting out with a simple system but I was being non-specific about which system. They didn't say what type of genre they liked so I left that open to them taking a look at the game resource thread. It has a bunch of links to various game systems that are free or a free online presence. I will give you that D&D 4e is a very simple system to start with but I would also point out my favorite system called  Basic Fantasy Role-Playing Game  is very easy to learn. It is also free. It has been my preferred system for a few years now.

Back in the 1980's they attempted to sell role-playing games mass-market, in every bookstore. They didn't quite succeed even for D&amp;D. &nbsp;But the idea was to pack the game with enough proper information on how to play, how to design games and how to run them. &nbsp;This was because there might be almost no chance to meet anyone else who played the game, so whoever bought it would have to learn to run it and develop their own players. I was one of those young men who got such a "lifeboat" RPG game, so you can learn from what I learned from. &nbsp;The game-master hints are here for free in Star Frontiers: &nbsp;Alpha Dawn pages 76-103 (minus stuff about running creatures and creature-lists particular to the game) <a href="http://starfrontiersman.com/downloads/remastered" rel="nofollow">http://starfrontiersman.com/downloads/remastered</a> I agree with many of the points above. &nbsp;Both D&amp;D and Pathfinder make starter boxes with colourful playing-pieces mounted in stands, dice, maps, character sheets and more. Like many said, keep the game moving. &nbsp;It is better to keep the action flowing than to bog down worrying about applying every rule with precision. &nbsp;Wing it. &nbsp;You're the game master. &nbsp;If you want, hordes of rats could burst out of the woodwork and gnaw at their ankles if the players are having too easy a time with their characters. &nbsp;Or if they are struggling too much with combat, a major fiend slips and stumbles on a wet piece of stone-work. The 3 things you should not waste time on is the characters buying supplies, travelling routinely from one place to another, and using every trick and device to search for clues where even in your secret notes it says there are none. &nbsp;Tell them they've done what they wanted to their satisfaction and move on. &nbsp;Be firm in these cases and urge everyone to keep things moving. Your descriptions should be vivid but measured. &nbsp;Open with only what the characters would see, hear, and smell at a glance; they should ask questions for more detail. &nbsp;Be vivid in your descriptions. &nbsp;I described a science-fiction crash-site at night with twisted spacecraft metal, smoldering debris, burnt-plastic smells, emergency workers crawling around the wreckage with stretchers yelling at each other looking for bodies, all under the harsh actinic floodlights mounted on towers that someone decided to turn off once the sun rose, the bright lights overhead disappearing and leaving glowing orange filaments that slowly died away. &nbsp;My players talked about that scene for years.

I'd&nbsp;recommend starting with something a bit simpler than Pathfinder.&nbsp;If that's what your players are really interested in then go for it but I've played a fair few RPGs and I don't think PF/D&amp;D (prior to 4th ed) are really newbie friendly games. If you want some recommendations for simpler systems. 1) Savage Worlds. A very love/hate game but you can get the basic book cheap and there are lots of setting books and expansions to customise it to your liking. 2) Basic Roleplaying BRP for short (same system as Call of Cthulu roughly). Has some more complicated rules but when I was starting out I still found it infinitely easier to learn than DnD. 3) Dragon Age. Still has the DnD feel being fantasy but much simpler and arguably a bit less meaty due to their not being as many race/class combinations. Plus if your group have played the computer game it has the bonus of being familiar.

1) A CR 12 monster is not &nbsp;a typical fight for a level 4 party. 2) ... 3) Profit That was the sum of my first experience DMing*. &nbsp;Along with learning that a fully undead dungeon is a boring and disempowering place for a 3.5 DnD rogue. So what's the recommendation? &nbsp;Have a better understanding of the rules than I did! &nbsp;If you can play a game or two in the system it helps, but these are mistakes I made after playing for about 3 months. &nbsp;I must piggyback on using published campaigns if you system has them as they greatly decrease the effort involved in prep. &nbsp;You can usually find a couple decent free ones online. &nbsp;This will give you a great starting point for encounters and storyline; you can always modify it to suit your group. &nbsp; One other tip: start at basic level, whatever it is for your system. &nbsp;It's tempting to want to play as a bunch of awesome 12th level characters but don't fall for the trap! &nbsp;You'll get completely bogged down with the options and abilities of a 12th level party. &nbsp;Stick with level one and go from there; it's a lot more rewarding and is much easier to learn. Not going to repeat what everyone else has said but the most important part is to have fun. &nbsp;The only way you're going to learn how to GM and play is to try it. &nbsp;Good luck! * In case you're curious as to what I'm talking about, I (foolishly) didn't pay attention to the Challenge Rating (CR) rules and added the CR of my party together (4th level, 4 players) and got CR 12. &nbsp;I then (more foolishly) assumed an 8th level vampire monk that could energy drain on a flurry of blows was a nice, easy CR 12 monster. &nbsp;Needless to say my 4th level party had some issues and I ended up having to deus ex machina the whole encounter =).

Chris A. said: I'd&nbsp;recommend starting with something a bit simpler than Pathfinder.&nbsp;If that's what your players are really interested in then go for it but I've played a fair few RPGs and I don't think PF/D&amp;D (prior to 4th ed) are really newbie friendly games. 1) Savage Worlds. A very love/hate game but you can get the basic book cheap and there are lots of setting books and expansions to customise it to your liking. 2) Basic Roleplaying BRP for short (same system as Call of Cthulu roughly). Has some more complicated rules but when I was starting out I still found it infinitely easier to learn than DnD. 3) Dragon Age. Still has the DnD feel being fantasy but much simpler and arguably a bit less meaty due to their not being as many race/class combinations. Plus if your group have played the computer game it has the bonus of being familiar. Agreed Chris A Just played Dragon Age for the first time face-to-face on Saturday having watched it played on Tabletop (Geek&amp;Sundry). It is a lot of fun especially if you like games with a fast 'cinematic/computer-game' feel. Definitely worth a try if you want to see what lies beyond the well trodden path. I think there is a quickstart version which is free. Basic Roleplaying BRP would be familiar territory to anyone who has played Runequest,&nbsp;Call of Cthulhu and quite a few more but may not have been noticed by those new to the hobby. The basic rules are as Chris A said very easy to learn. Many of the rules are marked as optional so beginners need not get bogged down with too much to start with. Again there is a free quickstart pdf to allow people to try it out. Once your players have learned the basic rules you can use BRP for almost anything.

LochaberAxe said: Basic Roleplaying BRP would be familiar territory to anyone who has played Runequest,&nbsp;Call of Cthulhu and quite a few more but may not have been noticed by those new to the hobby. The basic rules are as Chris A said very easy to learn. Many of the rules are marked as optional so beginners need not get bogged down with too much to start with. Again there is a free quickstart pdf to allow people to try it out. Once your players have learned the basic rules you can use BRP for almost anything. Found a site that has the core rules online : BRP system site

Interesting Metronight. I hadn't seen that site. The Core rules on that are an older version and a lot has changed since 1980's BRP. The link to the 2002 edition seems to be broken and that isn't the current version either.&nbsp;Translations of the 1980's BRP&nbsp;into French if you wan't to go 'de vieille école' The official &nbsp; Chaosium site&nbsp;has the current quickstarter as PDF for free.

I just googled the system and that was the first link shown so I clicked on it and posted it here, the chaosium was the second or third.

Metronight &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;I know at least one of my group will be interested. He has played Runequest for years and I think that version of BRP is similar to one of the older versions of Runequest.&nbsp;I'll definitely pass on the link.

No problem. Us mentors are here to help plus it helps that I'm usually helping people constantly in real life or online. That is why I was made an Admin on another forum years ago. It is my nature to help people if I can.

LochaberAxe said: &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;I know at least one of my group will be interested. He has played Runequest for years and I think that version of BRP is similar to one of the older versions of Runequest.&nbsp;I'll definitely pass on the link. (response from Stuart - You can guess his age (and mine) based on the reply) Yep.&nbsp; Stuck it in my favourites for later perusal. There's no official 'release date' for Original RQ, though it debuted at the US 'Origins' show&nbsp;in 1978 (RQ2 1979!).&nbsp; White Bear Red Moon (which became Dragon Pass) was actually 1975 and the first of the Wyrm's Footnotes&nbsp;1977!