Hi,

I'm thinking of GM'ing a game for the first time in my life. My question is which game people would recommend. Some facts that might be relevant:

* I'm 34.

* I've played a reasonable amount of Dungeons and Dragons (3rd edition lately, and Basic D&D back in high school). I've played a lot more gamebooks than face-to-face games.

* I feel confident in coming up with ideas for adventures, so I don't need a game with a detailed or original setting.

* The people playing will be strangers to me and each other, and are likely to be a mix of experienced role-players and first-timers (via meetup.com).

* The main thing I don't like about D&D is how complicated it is, particularly in fights.

* The main thing I like about D&D is that it seems to have clear rules about what skill to use in what situation, and what a particular roll means. For example once my character was fishing, and the DM was able to look it up and tell me that my roll meant that I got 5 meals worth of fish, rather than having to make it up.

Any suggestions gratefully received.

The great thing about being a GM is you can pick and choose which rules you want to use.

You should find out what you don't like about D&D combat and just take it out. It can still be D&D combat if it only has critical hits and feats modifiers. Just be sure to tell the players about what's in and what's out.

Especially the last two points are hard to reconcile. With most rules, you'd either get something to improvise with or many suggestions at how to do stuff. That's what D&D combat does, it takes lots of questions the players might have ("Can I make him fall down?") and gives you rules for it. This is really a boon for the fledgeling DM. As much as the character creation of 3E is agains the DM, the basic ruleset is for him.

So this is the big point where your decision will hinge on. Spare room to improsvise with or solid, comprehensive support.

Also, with a new group you'd probably need something you can sell to the players, and in this regard D&D 3 is probably the most likely game that new players will have experience with.

I'd recommend a good D20 variant. Conan seems especially handy. Yes, they didn't exactly simplify the combat per se, but due to the lack of magic it's much easier to handle for the DM. Also, the core book is all you need for some time and it has a nice cheap pocket edition for the players.

And "We're playing Conan with the D&D rules" is certainly appealing to a number of people.

Also: True20 might be worth looking at. For a time it was available as a free PDF, sadly no more.

I'd pick a game and setting that everyone is interested in. If your players are dying to play Shadowrun, go with that. If they want to play D&D, go with it.

If there is really no preference, stick with the game that you and your players are most familiar with (which is probably going to be D&D). Having players that are familiar with the system helps, because they can help teach new players, and can give you advice when you forget something. D&D is also pretty readily available in most bookstore chains, so it's easy for people to get a hold of.

The rules for combat aren't that bad once you get going. Use a DM screen or print out a cheat sheet and you'll be fine. At the beginning, I limit the actions of my NPCs (they don't grapple or trip too much) so I don't have to review those rules. If a player wants to do it, I make them look it up while they are waiting for their turn.

An game you might wish to consider running is the new Star Wars Saga Edition. The system is very similar to D&D 3rd edition, but streamlined quite a bit for faster play and less prep time. I think this would be a great way to start GMing.

Good luck!

If you have a copy of the old Moldvay Basic Set (or Mentzer Basic Set), I'd go with that for a few sessions.

Go with D&D. Don't bother writing up NPCs though! Simply using monsters straight from the MM should be more than enough.

Quote from: AkrasiaIf you have a copy of the old Moldvay Basic Set (or Mentzer Basic Set), I'd go with that for a few sessions.

A couple of questions from that -

i) Is Mazes and Minotaurs any good? I've had a look at it and it seemed pretty simple and interesting.

ii) I don't know which D&D set is which. The one that I call 'Basic D&D' was a thick red booklet - I heard that the free game Basic Fantasy was meant to be mostly Basic D&D, but I'm not sure if they meant the same one I'm thinking of?

Quote from: JamesVThe great thing about being a GM is you can pick and choose which rules you want to use.

You should find out what you don't like about D&D combat and just take it out. It can still be D&D combat if it only has critical hits and feats modifiers. Just be sure to tell the players about what's in and what's out.

I've looked at both Simple 20 and Perfect 20, which seem to be 'D&D with stuff taken out' - any thoughts on them?

As might be obvious, I've been looking at free systems on the web a fair bit.

I've never gone over simple or perfect 20 unfortunately.

I have gone over Basic Fantasy though. It's contructions draws inspriration from the older Moldvay rules that Akrasia mentioned. Compared to today's D&D it's simpler especially in PC generation. Combat's pretty easy too. The fact that it's free or available in print for cheap from Lulu is also nice.

What type of game do you want to run?

Are you looking to run fantasy?  It seems like you are.

In fact, it seems like you are looking to run D&D, which would make the suggestion process really easy ... run D&D.  You know the system, you know what you don't like (with great precision) and you can probably already start thinking about how to limit those problems.

Ferinstance, it is fairly likely that your group will include someone who is masterful in his handling of the D&D rules.  Would you feel comfortable delegating?  You could say from the outset "Okay, I don't find conducting combat-rules fun, and Ed does, so I'm going to delegate that stuff to him, unless I spot him doing something wonky in which case ... well ... we'd all know we can't trust him any more, and that would suck.  Ed's no dummy, so I don't expect we'll see any such problems."  Bing, bang, boom, the combat rules go from bug (because the person dealing with them doesn't like them) to feature (because the person dealing with them is stoked to do the job).

Quote from: Age of FableA couple of questions from that -

i) Is Mazes and Minotaurs any good? I've had a look at it and it seemed pretty simple and interesting.

Mazes and Minotaurs is a great game, in fact I was about to recommend it, simple rules, plays very smoothly, solid game design, and lots of old school flavor.

Quote from: TonyLBWhat type of game do you want to run?

Are you looking to run fantasy?  It seems like you are.

In fact, it seems like you are looking to run D&D, which would make the suggestion process really easy ... run D&D.  You know the system, you know what you don't like (with great precision) and you can probably already start thinking about how to limit those problems.

Ferinstance, it is fairly likely that your group will include someone who is masterful in his handling of the D&D rules.  Would you feel comfortable delegating?  You could say from the outset "Okay, I don't find conducting combat-rules fun, and Ed does, so I'm going to delegate that stuff to him, unless I spot him doing something wonky in which case ... well ... we'd all know we can't trust him any more, and that would suck.  Ed's no dummy, so I don't expect we'll see any such problems."  Bing, bang, boom, the combat rules go from bug (because the person dealing with them doesn't like them) to feature (because the person dealing with them is stoked to do the job).

I don't think it's so much that I want D&D more than another system, more that I only know D&D. :confused:

I'd be happy running any genre, but my guess is that fantasy would be the most likely to please everyone, because you can usually do a fantasy version of the character you want.

I do like the idea of delegating things like combat! :haw:

Your first time DMing, familiarity counts for a lot. You're going to feel more confident and capable, which will lead to a better play experience, if you're very familiar with the ruleset. It's a good feeling to have a PC go "Can I trip him?" and to be able to answer, without having to flip open a rulebook, "Yes, make a touch attack..."

If combat takes too long, you have the option of speeding it up, or reducing how often it comes up. Give your PCs more XP for roleplaying, and they'll happily plot and scheme instead of slaying monsters.

Well if you like the looks of Simple, and Perfect 20. You might take a look a True 20. I know theres a lot of people here (or sometime it seems like anyway) that like it around here. I have the agree with Sosthenes I like the Conan D20 variation. If you want to play something other than D&D but keep that old school feel so to speak. You may try Tunnels and Trolls, or Castles and Crusades. I'm not very familair with either. But I know a lot of folks around here are.

Quote from: Age of FableI'd be happy running any genre, but my guess is that fantasy would be the most likely to please everyone...

Just some thoughts to consider:
1. Do not run a game you do not enjoy. If you are only running fantasy because your players like fantasy but you do not, then you will not have any fun. It is important that you have fun as the DM.

2. Since your group is new, do not be afraid to layout the boundaries of the game. My friend tells his players ahead of time what are the boundaries so everyone is on the same page when they create characters and play the game. It leads to smoother play sessions since expectations are set. Some examples my friend has used:
a. No evil characters. He simply prefers heroes and not villains.
b. Any rules disputes are decided by him and then discussion over. He'll discuss the issue more after the session.
c. Initiative is done via playing cards similar to Savage Worlds. This makes the Improved  Init feat less valuable. This lets a player know ahead of time what game mechanics are changing so they do not take a feat that is not worthwhile.

As for a recommendation, Basic Fantasy Role Play is similar to D&D. It's free so anyone can download and read it.

Also, you  may want to check out Dark City Games. They offer a free adventure on their website which is similar to the Choose Your Own Adventure games with tactical melee and magical combat. The rules are free and only 6 or so pages. It makes for a very smooth introduction to DMing since everything is laid out for you.

Enjoy yourself!

Eric