So I've been wanting to learn how to be a DM, and was starting the process of... I dunno.. thinking about running some smaller/one off adventures with pre-made characters (because the people I know take forever to make characters...), and I was thinking the one-offs would have specific scenarios/situations or mechanics that were included to help me learn and practice the tracking of certain mechanics of running the game that would perhaps be good foundations for future use.

So I'm kinda wondering if anyone has any advice on things I should try to include or list out that are useful to keep track of or include so that I can be sure to get the practice/experience to be able to run games smoothly.

Quote from: Banjo Destructo on September 09, 2021, 09:52:33 AM
...I was thinking the one-offs would have specific scenarios/situations or mechanics that were included to help me learn and practice the tracking of certain mechanics of running the game that would perhaps be good foundations for future use...

Read and run modules B1, B2, and B10. If you make it out the other side of running those, you'll have experienced most things that could be considered foundational to DMing/gaming.

Then just play as often as you can and always keep seeking out new things to read/watch about DMing and always seek to make what you're doing even better.

I've been playing now for 30 years (with the same group of players now for the last 11), and I find ways I think I need to improve myself every single week when we play. it's a never ending process, but if you're starting off by seeking out advice on how to do a good job, then you're on the right track.

"No module ever survives contact with the players." --me, cribbing off a fairly well-known military truism.

Seriously. Unless you plan to brutally railroad your players (which more often than not will cause them to kick up the traces even harder or worse, quit), expect a party to take more than a few divergences. Even the ones that don't disrupt the module excessively will cause your brain to occasionally hiccup.

It's not a bad idea to have a few backup plans, just in case. Or if you're good enough, wing it.

Quote from: Mithgarthr on September 09, 2021, 10:20:29 AM

Quote from: Banjo Destructo on September 09, 2021, 09:52:33 AM
...I was thinking the one-offs would have specific scenarios/situations or mechanics that were included to help me learn and practice the tracking of certain mechanics of running the game that would perhaps be good foundations for future use...

Read and run modules B1, B2, and B10. If you make it out the other side of running those, you'll have experienced most things that could be considered foundational to DMing/gaming.

Then just play as often as you can and always keep seeking out new things to read/watch about DMing and always seek to make what you're doing even better.

I've been playing now for 30 years (with the same group of players now for the last 11), and I find ways I think I need to improve myself every single week when we play. it's a never ending process, but if you're starting off by seeking out advice on how to do a good job, then you're on the right track.

Well I do have b1/b2 so that's good. Hadn't heard about B10 before so I'll certainly look it up.

If you have any additional or specific advice I would appreciate it. Like.. Hmm, here's some questions. Do you roll random encounters ahead of time?  Any good tips for keeping track of in-game time? Or any useful tips for handling light/shadows and visibility?  And I'm guessing.. you roll the monster reaction every time?  Or do you roll that ahead of time too? Any tips for handling "encounters"?  Like.. I dunno.. when do you think its appropriate for the DM to initiate combat? Should you make it up to the players as a reaction to hostile demands from NPCs?

Quote from: Banjo Destructo on September 09, 2021, 09:52:33 AM
So I've been wanting to learn how to be a DM, and was starting the process of... I dunno.. thinking about running some smaller/one off adventures with pre-made characters (because the people I know take forever to make characters...), and I was thinking the one-offs would have specific scenarios/situations or mechanics that were included to help me learn and practice the tracking of certain mechanics of running the game that would perhaps be good foundations for future use.

So I'm kinda wondering if anyone has any advice on things I should try to include or list out that are useful to keep track of or include so that I can be sure to get the practice/experience to be able to run games smoothly.

   Draw a map, with a small dungeon complex, maybe 10-12 areas.   Put a few tougher encounters in it (that can either be avoided, negotiated or killed) and a bunch of mooks.  Personally, for level 1 characters Goblins with a few beefier creatures/leaders can work well, or if you have a decently tanky party, you can use Orcs.  Maybe a small raiding band sharing an abandoned dungeon/castle/network of caves.    This is a flexible area for a low level party to investigate (give them a reason to be there, rumor of treasure, punitive raid against the humanoids, recover item stolen in a caravan, recover captives, etc) and you can do a few things on the fly if needed. 

    Modules IMO are pretty long and are as mentioned a bit railroaded in the modern iterations I see, and they tend to be pretty long.   That complex is something that a party can finish in 1 or 2 sessions, and though it hits on a few standard tropes of low level groups, how you play the interactions will make all the difference in the world.   I would suggest giving the party the "odds" for the first adventure, ie do not use too many tactics or traps from the bad guys and allow them to explore how they handle a situation.   This should allow you to give them a few wins, with maybe one or two tough encounters, but for the most part you get to familiarize yourself with the job and give them some momentum.   

Quote from: Banjo Destructo on September 09, 2021, 10:32:04 AM

Quote from: Mithgarthr on September 09, 2021, 10:20:29 AM

Quote from: Banjo Destructo on September 09, 2021, 09:52:33 AM
...I was thinking the one-offs would have specific scenarios/situations or mechanics that were included to help me learn and practice the tracking of certain mechanics of running the game that would perhaps be good foundations for future use...

Read and run modules B1, B2, and B10. If you make it out the other side of running those, you'll have experienced most things that could be considered foundational to DMing/gaming.

Then just play as often as you can and always keep seeking out new things to read/watch about DMing and always seek to make what you're doing even better.

I've been playing now for 30 years (with the same group of players now for the last 11), and I find ways I think I need to improve myself every single week when we play. it's a never ending process, but if you're starting off by seeking out advice on how to do a good job, then you're on the right track.

Well I do have b1/b2 so that's good. Hadn't heard about B10 before so I'll certainly look it up.

If you have any additional or specific advice I would appreciate it. Like.. Hmm, here's some questions. Do you roll random encounters ahead of time?  Any good tips for keeping track of in-game time? Or any useful tips for handling light/shadows and visibility?  And I'm guessing.. you roll the monster reaction every time?  Or do you roll that ahead of time too? Any tips for handling "encounters"?  Like.. I dunno.. when do you think its appropriate for the DM to initiate combat? Should you make it up to the players as a reaction to hostile demands from NPCs?

   I would keep it as simple as possible.  If you want a few wandering monsters on a table do it, to keep the group moving.  For the most part I would populate the area specifically, and depending on your ideas for their goals, decide ahead of times what monsters will need reactions and which ones will be kill on sight.   Make your life easy.

Quote from: Banjo Destructo
Do you roll random encounters ahead of time? 

Sometimes, like if I know a chunk of an upcoming session is going to be overland travel, I'll roll encounters and weather before hand.

Quote from: Banjo Destructo
Any good tips for keeping track of in-game time?

https://savevsdragon.blogspot.com/2016/02/free-pdf-download-exploration-time.html

Quote from: Banjo Destructo
Or any useful tips for handling light/shadows and visibility? 

Other than what's specifically spelled out in the rules, you know how light works in the real world, so just use common since when adjudicating things that deal with it.

Quote from: Banjo Destructo
And I'm guessing.. you roll the monster reaction every time?  Or do you roll that ahead of time too?

If you're actually rolling for reaction, don't do it until you see how the players' characters are interacting with/handling the situation that way you know how to modify the roll (are the PCs being chill? Aggressive? Etc.). If you do it ahead of time, that's no different than you as the dungeon designer writing a room that says "the orc in here does X". Nothing wrong with that (and it's good to have some encounters' tactics planned), but the idea of a reaction roll is specifically for the times it's not already spelled out what the monsters would do, so don't make the roll until it's needed.

Quote from: Banjo Destructo
Any tips for handling "encounters"?  Like.. I dunno.. when do you think its appropriate for the DM to initiate combat? Should you make it up to the players as a reaction to hostile demands from NPCs?

Emphasis mine. That's literally the entirety of being a DM. ;-)

Being a good DM means you have to actually DM games. Like anything you get better the more you do it.

A lot of good advice here.

From my personal experience as a mainly 5e DM and having literally DMed 100s of people, lots of new players mainly, be prepared, know your rules and adventure, don't get hooked on having everything turn out perfectly, and be confident.  My personal DM style is very laid back but you have to find the specific DMing style that works for you and then improve on that.

I wouldn't start with the adventure. Your first job isn't the adventure, but where the campaign starts. Usually a starting village. Develop a few of the major characters. Not as much in terms of stats, but in terms of personalities. Have an inn, tavern, some kind of general shop where they can get some equipment, and any options for healing. Borrowing maps is fine, but even if you steal ideas for the NPCs, try to make them yours. There should be a trade town not too far away with more equipment and other resources (like magic and healing), and a city further off. You probably want names for the town and city, but you don't have to develop them until later.

I wouldn't skip character creation. While that may be necessary for things like conventions, it's really important when setting the groundwork for a campaign. Even if you only think it might turn into a campaign, it's still a good idea. It's a way to get everyone on the same page, to learn a little bit about each other, and maybe develop a few campaign hooks. It's analogous to warming up before exercising. It's okay if it takes a while. There's no rush, as long as everyone's engaged and having fun. It's not a bad idea to encourage everyone to have a personal connection to at least one other party member.  Give each of the PCs a hook to the village, an NPC they have a connection with. These should be positive relationships, so the NPCs can serve as resources when needed. This gives them a tangible connection, a reason to care.

Then come up with some rumors. Some can be fairly random, warn/hint of various things, or work as foreshadowing, but there should be a number of adventure seeds. This is important, because at this stage you're setting a precedent. If you just tell them "here's your adventure, you start in this room", that's what they'll expect in the future, and they'll become very passive and wait for you to lead them along the adventure path. But if they start in the village, wander around for a bit, and then go the tavern and hear talk about a legendary white stag that was reportedly seen in the woods to the north, and a farmer who's barn is full of stirges and may be able to offer a pack mule to anyone who can clear it, and a report of goblin seen spying on the trail to the south, that tells them they have nearly infinite agency. You're setting the precedent that the players are in charge, and that can lead to a a much more dynamic campaign.

Don't design too much ahead. You can drop adventure hooks, like a rumored dungeon to the east, without detailing them. The goal really should be design exactly one adventure ahead. It's fine to be upfront and ask the players what hooks they're going to follow at the end of each session, and then plan the next session based on that. But it's always a good idea to have a few encounters sketched out that can be easily dropped in. Maybe running across a child who lost their puppy, and it's tangled in some bracken.

The starting adventures should be simple and straight forward. You can eventually develop longer arcs and more involved adventures, but it easiest to start with straightforward tasks. Even megadungeons can be designed this way, with a simple entrance and relatively few choices at the start, which can be expanded as the campaign progresses.

Starting with a pre-written adventure isn't always the best approach. They tend to be overwritten and fairly rigid, and overly complex. Since they're not yours, you won't remember the details as well, and it can be harder to improvise. It's often better to steal a few parts here and there, and mix them up on your own.

There doesn't always have to be a clear reward, and rewards don't have to be treasure, they can be information, connections, or other intangibles like a letter of introduction, a new rumor, someone owing a favor, or even a better reputation.

Reputation should be a constant concern; be aware of the public actions the PCs take, and have the world react to what they know. Saving children might lead to rousing cheers in the tavern, or people buying them beers, or even discounts or other expressions of goodwill. Secret missions won't affect public perception at all. And behaving badly can lead to nasty looks and general unfriendliness and lack of cooperation. More extreme cases can lead to shops refusing to do business with the PCs, or even a posse be called up to bring them to justice. If the players really act in ways that would make them outlaws, then treat them as outlaws. They're not heroes because they're PCs, they're PCs who can choose to be heroes, anti-heroes, villains, or other.

Use morale. Seriously, use morale.

I honestly wouldn't worry too much about being new or making mistakes. Everyone was there at one point.

I'd lay your cards on the table, as simply say, I'm new to this so bear with me. Then you'll always be given some slack.

You're the GM, so don't be afraid to make judgments on the fly and overrule the players where needed (being fair of course).

Quote from: Pat on September 09, 2021, 11:10:39 AM
Use morale. Seriously, use morale.

PREACH!!! Reaction and Morale are two rules that I'd wager are often overlooked/forgotten in the heat of the moment by new DMs, but at the same time they are two rules that take so much weight/guesswork off of a DM that newbs need those two rules more than anyone.

One last thing: don't be too proud to use premade modules.

Not everyone has the time, energy, or creativity to sink into worldbuilding as well as plotting. Feel free to tweak and modify, but you're not under any obligation to produce an adventure from scratch.

Quote from: Ghostmaker on September 09, 2021, 12:20:07 PM
One last thing: don't be too proud to use premade modules.

Absolutely... Nothing wrong with that. Plus, you can always out your own stamp on them too.

Quote from: Mithgarthr on September 09, 2021, 12:12:26 PM

Quote from: Pat on September 09, 2021, 11:10:39 AM
Use morale. Seriously, use morale.

PREACH!!! Reaction and Morale are two rules that I'd wager are often overlooked/forgotten in the heat of the moment by new DMs, but at the same time they are two rules that take so much weight/guesswork off of a DM that newbs need those two rules more than anyone.

Absolutely, plus they make a more interesting world because most fights are no longer to the death.

Can't go wrong with the B/X system. It's the simplest and easiest to adjudicate, and works astonishingly well. The AD&D 1e and 2e systems are functional, but they overcomplicated things.

Quote from: Banjo Destructo on September 09, 2021, 10:32:04 AM

Quote from: Mithgarthr on September 09, 2021, 10:20:29 AM

Quote from: Banjo Destructo on September 09, 2021, 09:52:33 AM
...I was thinking the one-offs would have specific scenarios/situations or mechanics that were included to help me learn and practice the tracking of certain mechanics of running the game that would perhaps be good foundations for future use...

Read and run modules B1, B2, and B10. If you make it out the other side of running those, you'll have experienced most things that could be considered foundational to DMing/gaming.

Then just play as often as you can and always keep seeking out new things to read/watch about DMing and always seek to make what you're doing even better.

I've been playing now for 30 years (with the same group of players now for the last 11), and I find ways I think I need to improve myself every single week when we play. it's a never ending process, but if you're starting off by seeking out advice on how to do a good job, then you're on the right track.

Well I do have b1/b2 so that's good. Hadn't heard about B10 before so I'll certainly look it up.

If you have any additional or specific advice I would appreciate it. Like.. Hmm, here's some questions. Do you roll random encounters ahead of time?  Any good tips for keeping track of in-game time? Or any useful tips for handling light/shadows and visibility?  And I'm guessing.. you roll the monster reaction every time?  Or do you roll that ahead of time too? Any tips for handling "encounters"?  Like.. I dunno.. when do you think its appropriate for the DM to initiate combat? Should you make it up to the players as a reaction to hostile demands from NPCs?

When it calls for random encounters roll the dice and make appropriate noises for whether you want the to think no encounter or yes encounter.  But since you're learning you should make it easier by rolling out some ahead of time so you know approximately when they'll happen and which monsters they'll be.  That way you can be at least passingly familiar with the monsters before you run them live.

If you're using a screen use initiative cards.  Just a piece of paper or index card folded in half so it rests on the screen.  Announce who's turn it is and if it's another player on deck let them know they're up next.

In game time.  1d6 for 10 minute chunks and a d12 for half days.  When something that takes a bit happens --searching a room, combat longer than a certain amount of time, chatting for a long time to discuss plans -- increment the d6.  Have a tin or lid for these so you can keep them separate and not get knocked by your other dice.

Nothing really on visibility.  Try to be aware of it because it drastically affects how characters play.  This one is honestly just experience.

Yes roll monster reaction every time.  Yes it's very good for the DM to initiate combat from time to time as well.  Particularly if the monster group seems more powerful than the PCs, has some sort of advantage, and is actually hostile to the group (hence why you check reaction).  Note that Hostile monster groups don't necessarily have to escalate to combat immediately.  They could threaten the PCs but retreat and get reinforcements.  Or you could have the bard seduce them all and become king of the kobolds!