So I've noticed lately that while there has been a small influx of new people trying their hand at being a DM the ratio of players to DM's is rather one sided. I understand that this is to be expected, there is always going to be more that want to play than want to run it, I understand and accept that. However there seems to be an almost disporportional ratio where either a) Those willing to run games end up running several just to try and get as many people as possible playing or b) Many players end up not getting the chance to play and thus get turned off of the genre which sucks. Now I've talked to my fair share of players, both those in my games and those I've talked to via my board posts, being introduced by a third party etc. and it seems that a lot of people don't attempt to DM for two commonly occuring reasons. The first is they don't think they will do well and the second is that they aren't "creative" enough. Both of these reasons I find can easily be handled as people tend to over hype them both due to not fully understanding the aspects of being a DM so that is what I am attempting to do here. I am not the greatest DM there is, was or ever will be. I am constantly expanding my skills through emulation, stimulation and experimentation. So please do not take this as a guide on how one should be as a DM, but instead view it as a helpful document that is going to expell (hopefully) any misconceptions people may have about being a DM. If you are a DM and you read this and feel I left something out please feel free to post it. The more we talk about it, the more information we put out there for people to draw from, the more likely they are going to be to attempt to DM. Without DM's there can be no game and we need as many as we can get. Just as a little forewarning you may see that I slip between DM, GM or DM/GM. This is not to say that some advice applies to one or the other I just grew up on D&D so DM was the first term I learned and have sinced branched out but I still call people a DM even in systems that involve no dungeons. The DM/GM is the enemy This is quite the misconception. As a DM/GM you are not the players enemy. You are more like a referee or a judge. You are there to "enforce", and I use that term lightly, the rules and make sure the game progresses. Do not think of your time as a DM/GM as one intricate plot to crush your players and prove that you are superior because ultimately in the end...Soundwave is superior...no matter what. I've seen my fair share of DM's go in with this mentality and sure some players enjoy the constant shit storm that is rained upon them, but most don't. Now with that said a DM/GM is not the players friends, I mean if there is no challenge than you might as well just be using your imagination and forgo talking to others. So the challenge becomes walking that fine line where you push your players but don't out right stomp them. Best way I can suggest looking at it is thusly; Think of the movies and books you enjoy. In them the characters are put to the test but typically manage to surpass the obsticle by the skin of their teeth. That is what you are shooting for, granted you don't want every challenge to be one that requires the players to exhaust every resource they have, but the important ones should. Basically you want to set your players up with challenges but challenges they can overcome. Now at some points you will want to throw something at your players that a) they should avoid rather than fight or b) Is meant to defeat them as they really aren't going to be defeated. Both of these are quite common plot devices. In regards to the first, a fight that should be avoided but isn't then I suggest one of two things. Either show them no mercy as to show that not everything should be fought OR Have them get past but at some terrible cost. An example of this. In one of my games here on roll20 the group saw an approaching patrol of hobgoblins that out numbered them 3:1. The party was supposed to avoid this patrol as they were escorting an important NPC to a location. Well the players thought "oh the DM wouldn't put us up against something we can't handle" and attacked. I was then faced with a choice, do I crush them outright or not. I decided not to as I didn't want to have write a new story. Instead they managed to scrape by but at the cost of the NPC's life. Granted this changed the storyline a little but it showed them that not everything is meant to be fought and that if I do decide not to kill them it costs them dearly. But yeah, end of the day the DM/GM is not the enemy. Do you want your players to hate you a little? Yeah, but the kind of hate where it is a hate/love scenario. They hate you for putting their chars through the ringers but enjoy the game for the same reason. Just remember that it can't rain every day so try and balance out the bad with some good. Not only does it give the characters something to fight for but something to lose as well :D "I just don't know the rules well enough" I hear this reason frequently and all I can say to it is this; As a DM/GM you are free to use, exclude or alter any or all rules you see fit. Now if you are going to alter or exclude rules from the setting/system try and make a note of which ones you are changing or dropping so you can let your players know ahead of time. Even the best DM/GM won't be able to make a comprehensive list right off the hop so make sure to inform your players that the rules are going to be a little loose and that should a scenario come up that wasn't previously covered you are going to make a judgement then and there. Most players will be ok with this but you may get some complaints from those that are rules lawyers. If you run into a player that is a rules lawyer you have to make a choice. While they can be extremely helpful with learning rules you did not know they can also drag the entire session down as they continuously question your rulings and tend to cause you to stop what you are doing to check what they said. So you have to decide from the get go if you are going to deal with them or not. If it is your first game then I suggest not dealing with them. An alternative is a rule I use in my games. If something ever calls into question I will take 2 mins to consider it and then make a ruling based on what I feel works best for the game. At the end of the session I will bring up the ruling and discuss with my players how they feel it should be ruled. Whatever we decide then is what it will be so it helps to write it down. I do this as it keeps the flow of the game moving forward as we aren't dragged down in debate but also gives the players a say on it at an appropriate time where you can take things slow. Just remember that in the end as a DM you should always be going with the option that you feel is best for you and your game. These games shouldn't be about getting bogged down in mechanics but should be about having fun which is why the "Golden Rule" in most if not all RPG's is to have fun, first and foremost. "I'm not creative enough to write my own story." This is something I hear often and have a major beef with as to me it is just a bunch of BS. If you can create a character then you have the creativity required to DM. The only way this does not apply to you is if you are creating a character with no background, motivations, views etc. If this is the case then honestly, go play a MMO. This may sound harsh but it is true. I am not expecting everyone to step into RP and be able to craft eloquent back stories for their characters but you should be able to come up with something. If the character is nothing more than a bunch of mechanical stats and numbers then yeah, your playing the wrong genre. An imagination is pretty much required to RP. However I have digressed and did not want this to come across as a rant. My point is, if you are able to develope a back story for your character even one as simple as "My character is John. He was once a farmer but after one night when raiders came by and killed his family he swore he would get revenge on those responsible." then you are able to create a storyline. The only difference being that as a DM you tend to have a bigger picture to draw, that is it. You don't even need to know everything from the start, you can easily get away with making stuff up on the spot. No one is going to be able to cover everything when creating the story so you can definitely get away with winging it should something come up you were not prepared for, and trust me it will. This may scare people but don't be, most players are ok with hearing the answers "I will get back to you on that" as it shows that while you don't have something for them now you plan on getting something done about it. But once again don't be afraid to make stuff up on the spot. That villain you unceremoniously named as Fred when put on the spot can lead to some great rp as the characters eventually learn how he got the name Fred etc. Now there is also an alternative for those new to DMing than writing your own story. Most games have several published adventurers that you can run your group through. This is something I actually highly suggest for new DM's, even those that have no qualms with writing stories as it allows them to focus more on the running of the game than creating a story and the like. Now don't be afraid to change or drop anything you don't like from the adventurers as once again at the end of the day you have to do what makes you feel good. These published adventurers tend to also have the rules for whatever mechanics are used in them so they also help you learn rules. You don't need to use different voices or accents to be a good DM/GM. This is a common misconception. At no point do players or should players expect you to speak in different voices or accents. This is a game that involves our imaginations, we can fill in the blanks ourselves. While using different voices and accents can add to the experience, not having any does not take anything away from it. As long as the story is good and the players are having fun they won't care if you use a different voice or not. Now if you want to try to use them in your games you should be made aware of some of the pitfalls that come along with them. The first is that as soon as you use a voice for an NPC you have to remember what it was and try and use it every time. This can be a little overwhelming at first so it is best if you start with one or two NPC's that are frequent in your story. As you become more confident then slowly add a voice or two etc. Don't be afraid to trip up when doing your voices as that can result in some light hearted laughs and some interesting rp. I had this leader of a goblin force that part way through his speech I slipped into an asian accent somehow, well the players got such a kick out of it that it became cannon. My slip up resulted in creating a more memorable NPC/villain as the players definitely remembered the asian goblin. "Railroading", what is it and should it be used? A term some players and DM/GM's know is railroading. For those that don't, railroading is when a DM/GM forces their players towards one option or scenario. While many people feel railroading is a terrible thing as it takes away a players freedom to choose it can be quite the useful tool if used properly. As a new DM/GM this may seem like something good as it keeps people headed in the directions you want them to go and thus does not require you to improvise much if anything it can actually be pretty boring. My suggestion is if you are going to use it, you need to present it in a fashion that doesn't seem like you are railroading them. What does that mean? I am glad you asked. What it means is you present them with their options but make the one you want them to pick appear to be the best one. Ex. You party is being chased through the village by some werewolves and you want them to go into the sewers. When explaining that they ran into a dead end you present them with their options. "Rounding the corner you find yourselves trapped in a dead end, sold walls surrounding you on three sides. With time running out your quickly look around to see what options you have. In your quick search you spot two potential exits. The first is a door on the building to your left although you do not know if it is locked or not and should it be locked kicking it in will cost you precious time. If you are not spotted in the process your path will easily be discovered. The alternative is the sewer grate a mere 5 feet from you. You know lifting the grate will require little effort and it can easily be slipped back into place when you are finished and while the stench rising up from it is foul you know it will throw off your trail. Hearing the howls and yips of the beasts approaching you know you must decide now if you are to stand any chance of fleeing." By doing it in a manner like that your players are more than likely going to pick the sewers as it seems like the best available option. Now if you present them with options as presented above you should take a little time to expand on what happens should they not pick the sewer. If they decide to kick in the door it is quite possible that in their attempts to flee that they fall through the floor and wind up in the sewer anyways or you can have them continue the chase through the streets but keep bringing up the sewer as a viable option. Regardless, railroading can be a DM/GN's friend as long as it is handled properly. How much should I prepare before hand and how much should I make up on the spot? There is no real definative answer to this question as it all comes down to personal preference. The only thing I suggest that you have prepared is at least the conflicts as nothing slows down the game more than the DM/GM that has to constantly look up the stats of the enemies or the like. It is one thing to have them all listed in a word file but to have to scroll through pdf's trying to find it, then it will slow things down hella much. However with everything discussed so far it is really a matter of personal preference. If you want to prepare the entire story from beginning to end then do so, just remember that players can and will throw monkey wrenches into your plans. I can not stress this enough, so you have to at least be somewhat fluid with your story. I personally like to prepare a fair bit from encounters to points/people/places of interest and of course encounters. I still keep my story fluid enough that stuff can change as if there is one thing I have learned in the 15+ years I have been a DM/GM is that players are going to do something you did not expect. So the question becomes, how does someone new to the posistion of a DM/GM that doesn't feel comfortable in their own ability to wing it, prevent this from happening? Well my first suggestion is the clever use of railroading. If that doesn't work then it doesn't hurt to have some notes jotted down about what would happen should the players diverge from the plan. These notes don't have to be that indepth at all. They could easily be a couple of sentences. Using the example with the party being chased by werewolves listed above your notes for them picking the door might be as simple as "If party kicks in door, the building leads to the next side street that leads to more ally for them to run through, several sewer grates being spotted along the way." or it can be as detailed as you want to make it. While on the subject, don't be afraid to use a scenario that you wrote for scene A during scene D. What I mean by that is, players won't know if something you used was meant for a different part of the story, it will seem new to them so don't be afraid to use some of the work you already did but never got to use. Know your audience. This is somewhat important and I don't mean that you should know the players you are running although that may help for first timers. What I mean is that like any form of art or entertainment you should know what it is your players are looking for and try and provide them that. How do you figure this out? Easy. Ask your players questions. As a new DM/GM I often suggest having a session or two dedicated to character creation and getting to know your players. While it is easy for people to have pre-generated characters on hand it is much better if they build it "in front" of you. They could even be remaking one of the pre-gen characters they have, it doesn't matter. If you are there along with the other players it will help them to get familiarized with the other players and will allow you to know what kind of characters people are playing. If something comes up you don't feel comfortable with (a class, race, power, etc.) you can address it then and there and either familiarize yourself with it or say you aren't comfortable enough with it so you won't be allowing it. Very rarely will you get a player that throws a tantrum over not being able to play the character they want and if you do then you and your game is better off without them. Believe me. The other reason I suggest having a session or two dedicated to character creation is so you can talk to your players and find out what kind of game they want and what kind of game you like to run. If your players want more of a hack and slash then you know to make one. If you want to do a heavy rp game and people want to do a hack and slash then you have the chance to discuss what it is you want to present them and see if you can't come to an understanding. If at the end of the day you and your group doesn't mesh then it is best to find a new one then play in one that is just a train wreck. You may lose a few players but I doubt you will lose the entire group and there are always more players to fill the spots. Getting to know your players characters also allows you to create more personalized storylines should you wish to go that route so it is a win win. At the end of the day the only thing that matters is that you and your players are having a good time. This pretty much says it all. When everything boils down, the only thing that is important is that you and your players are having a good time. If you are then you are doing something right and you shouldn't change a thing. Don't let rules, people or anything else change that. We are all here to have a good time and tell a cool story while we are at it. Fun first, fuck everything else. So yeah, I probably have missed some stuff so feel free to add any advice or the like you feel is missing. As mentioned this is not meant to be a catch all rulebook on the subject but tips, tricks, suggestions and information that hopefully will get people to try being a DM/GM not only more frequently but with a little more confidence.
