DM Tips

I'm a new dm and i was wondering if you guys could give me a few tips on it.

Personally when writing a story, I usually will get up walk away from my computer, and take a walk outside. The walk usually gathers my thoughts and helps me compile ideas better so that I have a much easier idea in mind for a game, but then again I can get distracted easily. Second, Bookmark important or commonly looked upon rules in your book or pdf,...can you bookmark a pdf...anyway,: combat, equipment, spells, etc, I'm sure any DM will tell that even though they've read a core Rulebook cover to cover most of them don't have photographic memory so it doesn't hurt to make it easier to look up a rule, either obscure or common, when you or a player are confused about something. Finally, have fun...I know that sounds cliche, but come on it's obvious, especially for the DM, I mean that guy/girl runs the show and if they aren't having fun how the heck are players going to have fun? I mean most players, and I say most because those that aren't considerate enough should probably play PbP instead of tabletop, are not going to run you into the ground if you make a couple mistakes as long as they have fun. Honestly I probably have more advice but I'd think it'd be better to see what others have to say. While on the subject what RPG are you using?

Talk to your players. Often. That's my favorite piece of advice. If you want to run a game about court intrigue and THEY want to play a game where they dungeon crawl and smash stuff, you're going to have problems. Just saying. :) It's best to get everyone's expectations out in the open before you get going. Granted, some times it's fine to say "Hey guys, this is the game I'm running" without worrying too much about their input -- especially if you use the LFG feature here since only people who want to play that kind of game are going to get on board (theoretically, anyway). Don't be afraid to say no to your players, but give it some thought first. I've found my gut instinct is often to just veto things, but on some pondering I'll realize that a lot of what they ask for isn't really going to affect the game that much. I've also seen some games get completely destroyed because the DM wasn't willing to refuse players even ridiculous requests, though. Bottom line, if it's going to cause you serious hassle, tell them no. But if you can compromise on something that will make it more interesting for all of you, go for it. Steal stuff. Seriously. If you're watching a movie and see an incredible plot twist, write it down. Books, tv shows, movies, plays, even music are great sources for inspiration. Cliches and tropes can be tons of fun if handled properly or even turned on their heads. I personally have a great love of ridiculous tropes, but try to tailor them to logically fit into my story. Sometimes, the orphan is just going to have an evil villain of a dad they did't know about, though. :) I also second The Question on the have fun thing. Don't get so wrapped up in the game that you forget the number one thing is that everyone at the table (including the DM!) should be having a good time.

The best advice I can give to you is to be open-minded and fluid. No matter how well you prepare, know matter how well you know your players and their characters, invariably, players will do things that you never saw coming- in short, they'll blindside with thinking outside of your box, the box you spent all that time setting up for them. You have to be able to roll with the punches and keep the gaming moving forward- and look cool under pressure to your players while doing it despite being all out-of-whack on the inside from their curve ball moves. Just as in flying an airplane, a stall in your game could spell the end of the game if not caught and fixed immediately; people lose interest quickly if the game is not moving forward- or, at least, has the illusion of forward progress (whatever form that might take for your particular game). Also, knowing the game system that you are using could allow others to provide more detailed advice in regards to the system being used in your game. :)

Some more thoughts... Don't get too hung up on extremely detailed preparation because (given the Player Axiom in my above post) it will probably only lead to frustration. The players might just ignore or bypass all the stuff you lovingly spent hours crafting never to be used or seen again; or, they just might not appreciate all the work you did and this could lead to some feelings of resentment on your part. You have to be willing to discard or modify anything you have prepared on the fly in order to respond properly to the players' actions in game-play.

Know your role as DM is the best advice I can give. A good DM is not competing against his players, but rather is giving them opportunities to shine and challenge themselves. These opportunities are different for everyone, but fortunately most players make it quite clear with their character build and their play style. If someone has built a warrior to take out 10 kobolds with a single swing.... LET HIM. He (or she) will love it and will tell their friends and family about it the next day (mostly likely with a huge sweep of their imaginary sword.) If someone wants to have the diplomatic character that convinces the monsters to change their life of banditry and become farmers. LET IT HAPPEN. You must temper their success with challenges and creativity, but most importantly, I recommend that you make encounters that will allow your players to shine each night if possible. If you have 4 players, make an encounter that the rogue who can climb walls very well be the main reason that they win. There is just as much suspense of the rogue walking the tightrope to get to the trap panel that stops the lava as there is swinging a 2-hander, but the rogue gets that chance to be the hero. You will find if you build your encounter for the group, you will see them have a lot of flavor and the game becomes very easy to create and control. Lastly, and this is also paramount to a successful night, if you do not have a rule handy, or a stat handy, just have the player roll a die and more often than not, let them succeed on what they were trying. You can look up the rule later and email how that will be handled in the future. Keeping the pace of play up is much more important than knowing if the bull rushing the hill giant was actually possible. -Brent

Keep 'em Entertained! End of story..............