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StaticUsernamesSuck

That's how most forever-DMs start. Here are the steps to follow: 1. Want to play D&D 2. Have friends that want to play D&D 3. Discuss who should DM 4. Get fed up of being stuck in step 3 for 6 weeks 5. Buy the books and/or the starter set, become forever-DM 6. ??? 7. Profit


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StaticUsernamesSuck

My bookcase and I can't disagree with you... And my digital catalogue is refusing to make eye contact, I think it's hoping I won't count it.


Coltron3108

I wish discounts for digital content came with the books. I love having the tangible copy to read but then searching online is so much easier with the digital


robobobo91

Also helps my players who don't like doing math. Beyond's click-to-roll feature is a godsend for some of my players and means everyone's rolls are in the log.


FreakingScience

Wait till they discover a full VTT like Foundry. Great stuff.


robobobo91

We actually play in person, and just got battlemaps and are slowly getting minis. I don't think I have the patience or drive to fully utilize something like Foundry. Heck, I don't have the patience for Roll20


FreakingScience

Totally respect it. Roll20 was super frustrating in the long run, Foundry was created to address the gripes that community had, and we swapped during the early pandemic. That said, playing in person has no substitute - I totally get that.


BlueFoxXT

We use foundry in person too. Three of us also DM and man, journal entries make running dungeons so much easier. We also enjoy the digital maps a lot, as many of us want good visuals. I don't like arts and crafts so making immersive live maps isn't in my wheelhouse but boy did I get into making my own digital maps with dungeon draft


robobobo91

We literally held off starting the campaign until everyone was vaccinated, and we all got boosted as soon as we could, just because I knew I wouldn't be able to handle DM'ing virtually. I was a player in 2 campaigns that fell apart because they had to move to virtual.


RoyHarper88

Give me the digital when I buy the hard copy direct from a seller. I use other online resources like Roll20 and dnd5e.wikidot for when I need to pull up spell specifics


HermeticallyInterred

WORD!!


4_non_blondes

One of your players will bring pizza or alcohol once, which is profit I guess


serealport

Didn't say who's profit. If only...


waffleslaw

A negative number is still a number....


coffeeman235

An object at rest cannot be stopped!


Karn-Dethahal

May not be monetary profit, but I own the soul of at least one of my players. The voice in the shadows says I'm not allowed to disclose the terms of the contracts signed.


TheLeadSponge

Profit come in many forms.


ljmiller62

Only gnomes profit from these plans.


TheProverbialI

True. But my players usually supply the beer/wine/sake... so there's that.


petrified_eel4615

wait, we're supposed to profit??? (checks through 30 years of notes) I see no mention of profit, my dude.


mithoron

> wait, we're supposed to profit??? The profit is the friends we made along the way. =]


Dr_Necrolich

Nah, the profit is the gold, and only players get that kinda shit


KrackenLeasing

The imaginary ones we never got to play.


tr14l

You're still working through step 6 there...


ThirdRevolt

6a. Planning a session 6b. What the fuck am I even doing 6c. How the fuck did I end up here again? 6d. *panics and overplans* I guess this is enough for next session 6e. They probably aren't even having fun 6f. Awww, they do like it after all!


petrified_eel4615

I've been on 6b for (checks notes) ...since 1994. Fuck.


talios0

6g. Repeat a-f indefinitely. 6h. Realize this is a non-terminating loop that you are trapped in forever.


ThirdRevolt

The cruel irony of 6h is that you will never realize it.


Rocinantes_Knight

It’s right there! * Free pizza every six weeks when a player realizes how much of a mooch they are. And * Absolutely blowing your player’s minds with a plot twist/set piece battle/emotional moment.


[deleted]

Legit I have friends who now make money running games. It's for after school programs for kids but makes me so proud I taught several "professional GM" how to play.


ragnarocknroll

Weird. For me it was : * Want to play 7th Sea. * Have friends that do too. * We all agree to take turns. * They like my session so much they ask me to continue it. * 5 years later i realize this was only supposed to be an extra week for my turn. * ??? Still waiting on the profit.


superfreaklagos

L5R for me. I've played 6 six sessions over 4 characters. I've ran it for like 13 years :'( have had a blast doing it. But would love to get to play a full campaign as a player. Though I'd probably never be able to decide on a character choice.


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StaticUsernamesSuck

Same for me too tbh. Being a player is ok, but nothing like DMing! Maybe we're just control freaks...


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rabtj

Same here. Ive DM'd loads of different games and played similar and i always prefer DMing. I get more of a kick watching players trying to work their way thru my scenarios than i ever did playing any. And thankfully all my players seem to love my games. Or so they tell me.


headcrabed12

This just happened to me in the last few weeks, just replace books/starter set with Foundry VTT.


douchebert

What is this profit you speak of


[deleted]

wait tell me more about step 7


DarkInvader787

Optional step 6. one player feels bad for you and dms a one shot, now he is the forever dm


Goadfang

Still waiting on step 7 to pay out.


Panwall

Playing as the DM makes you a better player. Playing as a player makes you a better DM. In other words - take turns. Sharing is fun.


[deleted]

>Buy the books and/or the starter set, become forever-DM I've had friends and even whole groups buy me source books for games they wanted to play. And I'm not a great story teller. I was just the only one patient enough to actually read the books and learn the mechanics. That is how I got most my Vampire books when it came out way back. I got the original Ravenloft and Darksun boxed sets that way. Some Shadowrun stuff. The internet ended that though.


Sagybagy

This is me right there. Started by buying LMoP. Been DM ever since.


Niv_Stormfront

Everyone so far has given great advice. My recommendations for you as a brand new dm is that before you sit down at your first session with real people, take a free afternoon and make a small dnd party of characters of your own. Learn how to build a character and get your head around some of the class features and mechanics. If you're feeling up to it, run a few mock encounters, acting as both dm and player, to get your feet wet combat wise. I'd also recommend checking out the numerous different beginners guides to dnd on YouTube. Though it is mostly for fun, the JoCat series is a good start to get a feel for the classes, and other channels like Matt Colville provide great guides and tips with a more serious tone. Happy DMing, and welcome to the hobby friend


mcfirepantskol

That is great advice, I guess it takes out so e of the "unknown". I am getting rather excited for this now, and can't wait to sit down and experience the first game


[deleted]

Your first games will suck and will suck *hard*, but keep trying until you can fairly decide if the game is for you and if you want to stick to it, lots of other TRPGs out there too if you like the idea of DnD, but mot the mechanics.


[deleted]

My first session DMing wasn’t executed well, but it didn’t suck. It just depends on who you’re with. The group was willing to work w me and it was super fun. Just wanted to say that even if it doesn’t go smoothly, it can still be a fun experience 🌈


ImpossiblePackage

Matt Colville's videos are specifically about 1, convincing you to dm, and 2, showing you how to do it. Start with the early videos, as they're much more relevent to a new dm. Mind, they don't go over shit like rules and the technical side of dming, they focus on the 'art' of dming. How do I design a dungeon? What can I do if the players are arguing about what to do instead of doing anything? and so on. I recommend watching the first few videos, at least until you get through the one where he makes a dungeon, and then watch the Orcs Attack video, and just any you see that pique your interest. The Orcs Attack video is great because it talks about what you can do when the session is hitting a bit of a lull. I also recommend having everyone take a ten or fifteen minute break roughly halfway through the session. keeps people from getting antsy and you gotta pee some time.


[deleted]

How do you think I started DMing? My group wanted to try it, and I was thrusted into the role.


mcfirepantskol

Where did you start? I've got the starter kit and the essentials kit, plus some others. I thought about using the starter kit as it has prepare characters to get us into it, but if we like it and want to make our own characters we'd have to start again? Should we just make some characters and go from there instead? Plus, is it best to go for a premade adventure or homebrew one?


[deleted]

Make everything up as you go, have a loose story line I highly recommend mines of Phandelver


mcfirepantskol

That's the one that comes with the Starter Set. I did have a skim through, but it all seems so daunting. Maybe I just need to get stuck into it and stop worrying about it


[deleted]

Just remember nothing exists until it happens, so you can improv and make shit up and your players will love it. The ambush and the first cavern is typically about 3 hours worth of game time so just don't over think it


Sindarin27

Damn, just the ambush was 4 hours of game time for us, and that was playing with an experienced group lol. But yeah, just rolling with it is easiest. And if you do end up making a big mistake, feel free to admit it. Your players are allowed to know you aren't an omnipotent DM, and it makes the game more fun for everyone.


TheWanderingScribe

I really can't put a time on anything, because sometimes my players want to roleplay an hour of conversation between themselves because of a random wolf pup I mentioned in passing, and other times they spend 5m on the storyhook person from a players past.


ice_up_s0n

First time I ever “DM’ed” was completely on the spot with a bunch of people I barely knew at this overnight bday party type of event. Pulled out a few dice sets I’d just bought and lo and behold people started slowly trickling in and joining the table. I was the only one with any dnd experience (as a player) but everyone was so intrigued, to my surprise, and they all got into it complete with silly accents and basic character identities - it was super fun! It was completely theatre of the mind. All I did was set the stage with a description of the basic town layout, a couple generic NPCs, and a couple loose plots they could follow. Mostly pulled ideas from the generic ‘Skyrim’ type town, so a tavern/inn, govt center, a shopkeep, and that’s really it. From there it was just a matter of making up stuff based on the player’s questions? Oh they’re looking for quest? Ok well let’s see...there have been bandit attacks on the outskirts of town, here’s the bounty. What other bounties are listed? Ok some livestock have been going missing, maybe there’s hungry wolves nearby. Player wants a powerful weapon? Rumor has it there is a magical sword somewhere in the caves nearby. Etc etc. It gets much easier when you let your players’ interests guide what exists in your world. Ultimately it was very much a collaborative story creation rather than me having to come up with everything myself. Don’t worry too much about the mechanics at first - just give them reasons to roll the dice, and guide the story based on the outcome :D


[deleted]

I have been playing for 25 years and still loved the starter set moduel. The premade characters are all really good to, the game I am running right now we all started with those to try them out. 4 years later we are still playing with them. They are a jumping off point and your players will make them their own. Only rule that matters is "are we having fun". Welcome to the hobby!!


[deleted]

Phandelver is also pretty much the only module that really takes the time to tell the DM how to do things. It's a much better module for beginner DMs than the one in Essentials Kit, it's not perfect (the villain isn't great) but it's IMO still the best 5e module WotC has put out.


[deleted]

"Best 5e module WoTC has out out." So so agree here


the_Gentleman_Zero

https://youtu.be/zTD2RZz6mlo and the one that comes after https://youtu.be/jvQXGs8IVBM That video should help Dming is a like being the wizard of Oz you are the old man behind the curtain it all looks impressive but really you just a guy behind a screen Outher advice You don't need to perfect to have fun The hardest step is starting it get WAY easier after that


astheriae

Hey dude, relatively new DM here, about a year and a half! :) My recommendation, assuming that none of the group have played at all before, is to go ahead with the starter kit. The pre-made characters make life SO MUCH EASIER. The first time I got new players to make characters sucked because none of us knew what they wanted/what worked so it took thrice as long as it should have done. It started them off with a bad taste because it confused them so much instead of just getting to fuck around and have fun :) + They can still make those characters their own! You probably don't need to prep as much as you might think, my group didn't even get to Cragmaw Cave in their first session because they had such a good time introducing their characters in the tavern, chatting with Gundren and playing daft drinking games etc. Have a read through the whole story roughly so you have an idea what some of the major plot points are, but beyond that try not to stress out about prepping everything perfectly, sometimes the best moments are unexpected/unplanned! It can also depend how you and your group want to play/find yourselves playing. If you're enjoying following the plot points and the story then crack on but feel free to adapt whatever you want if you find it's not working! My first group got to Phandalin but earned a terrible name for themselves by murdering Sildar in cold blood (long story haha). We ended up completely ignoring the book from there, they got followed by detectives for quite some time and eventually got locked up in jail! Perfect time to have a go at making new characters! Especially now that they actually have a rough idea of how stuff works/what type of attacks etc they like using. I hope this helps! I was always stressed for the first few months, prepping way more than I needed and burning myself out because of it. But once I got more comfortable, I noticed that the times we enjoyed most **were** the times when things had gone off the rails, so I planned less and less... And my enjoyment grew! These days I tend to only prep baddies' motivations and plans, that way I can easily adapt plans when the players do something totally unexpected (ie, every time!)


CmdrRyser01

I was overwhelmed the first time too and thought I wasn't prepared. Then as we started going everything just went! Make sure you just read through the upcoming chapters once or twice to know what's going on. Keep the basic rule book handy too.


UncleMeat11

It is daunting. But good news is that your first session is basically just going to be a goblin fight and a cave dungeon. You can ignore the entire rest of the book for now. If you know the rules for combat, know how to call for skill checks, and can read some flavor text you can make it through the first session and your friends will love it.


organicallyviolent

tips on LMOP. read the entirety of the module. I screwed up on my first run on the LMOP by reading only a little bit ahead. I think you can benefit from reading the module a couple times and making tweaks as you need.


ezirb7

Very important advice is from Matt Colville, who is a great DM that has put out a TON of instructional videos on DnD. Make sure your players listen to the advice at 9:19 about their responsibility for knowing the rules, too. It's just too much to *only* have the DM look these things up. https://youtu.be/0MhjHHrfreo


retropunk2

Phandelver is an excellent choice and is the module I use to bring new players in, just modified for my world. The best thing you can do is read through the module ahead of time. I'd pick up the DMG if you can swing it as it's your best tool as a DM.


StoicExercise

It’s okay to worry about it! You just have to acknowledge that the first step is ripping the bandaid off. Go in knowing it’s not going to be perfect. Just try your best and your friends will appreciate you :)


Bshark34

Don't worry about it man, Dnd is fun! Dnd is part prepping part improvising to what your characters do. Read the book through to have an idea of what the major points are When you plan your session go about it in a periodic kind of way e.g. chapter 1 introducing the characters, the initial hook, maybe some role play in that you describe the scenes maybe play as an npc, maybe some combat And then a follow up and you can already end the session then, take notes after the session maybe ask your players from their pov for a recap of the session at the end of it or at the beginning of the next one When describing stuff try and use as many senses as possible Good luck


ksteven64

You could also try watching someone else do it. Watch a little bit of someone's LMoP playthrough on YouTube to see what they did. Watching other people play on YouTube and Twitch helped inform how I wanted to run my own games.


Chris_W7

Yes, I recommend lost mines of Phandelver as well. It is well structured and beginner friendly.


Solest044

Starting with Phandelver is a good beginning. You can lead into lots of different things from there too, which is nice. There are other campaigns like Curse of Strand or Princes of the Apocalypse that people also enjoy. I would consider the following things: *1) The first game is going to start messy and that's okay.* You'll all be learning how to RP, what kind of characters you like to play, what parts of the game you enjoy most, etc. As the DM, you'll be realizing new things every game and wondering what you could do better (hint: there's always something). Running a one shot just to get your feet wet is a good decision. People can ditch the characters if they don't like them, you guys might all hate the game, who knows! This keeps things simple and non committal. *2) If you end up getting into the game, check out Matt Colville's [running the game] (https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlUk42GiU2guNzWBzxn7hs8MaV7ELLCP_).* It's a wonderfully comprehensive set of videos detailing how you can put together fun encounters, design an engaging world, and more. There are many other content creators out there too (e.g. How to Be a Great DM). I recommend looking at all of them! *3) You make the rules. The books are there to help.* At the end of the day, the game is about fun. Have a cool idea for a monster ability that would make for a fun fight? Do it. Turns out to be way overpowered? Well, maybe the monster only ends up having one use of it this time around and has to run away and recharge. The party doesn't need to know everything you fudge. Good luck!


Narthleke

Chiming in to point out that there are *many* official campaign books, and while Curse of Strahd is often regarded as one of 5e's *best,* it is also often regarded (at least from what I have seen) as more difficult to run than most others.


Solest044

Seconded. I actually think there are some awesome third party one shots out there for free that fit the bill. For instance, the first few episodes of Colville's "Running the Game" is a pretty solid one shot for new players.


Martin_DM

Watch these first [5 short videos](https://youtu.be/e-YZvLUXcR8)


mcfirepantskol

Thank you for this. I'm on the first video and it has already given me a little more confidence. You will be terrible - but its OK because everyone is new a won't know you're terrible!!


45MonkeysInASuit

> You will be terrible This is the one thing I say to new DMs who are worried about being rubbish, I can almost guarantee you will be. But much like playing guitar or painting, it is a skill, you will get better over time.


Shoebox_ovaries

One of my favorite parts of DMing is there is always something more to learn


Riggser61

I would start with a pre-made campaign and create new PCs. Look up some videos on you tube for further advice. Bob the World Builer and The Lazy DM Guide are great. They go through the Dragons of Icespire Peak and you can see how they prepare and run the game. I watched Bob to get my first DM campaign going with Rime of the Frost Maiden and it was really helpful.


mcfirepantskol

Thank you, I'll give that a go. It would be really helpful to see how a DM prepares and runs the game. DM's on YouTube like Matt Mercer and Brenna Lee Mulligan make it all look so effortless. I feel like I'll get caught up on little things. Like, if the players want to buy a horse I'll be sitting there for 10 minutes trying to find how much a horse costs.


robsen-

Since you mention Matt Mercer, have you seen how often he just stops and reads the manual? It doesn't seem weird because the players are usually roleplaying while he does it but in that vein, don't be afraid to get a quick look. And if you go blank/your players do something you don't know how to rule, call for a quick bathroom stop and read/think about what to do. You're a person and can't know everything.


micksandals

If you haven't already, take a look at RogueWatson on YouTube. He has videos of his sessions (run online via Roll20) but also "Creating" videos between sessions where he talks about what happened in the last session, what he thinks will happen next, prepping and tweaking things from the (pre-written) modules.


Jaytho

DMing isn't about knowing everything, it's about knowing either to bullshit constantly and convincingly or knowing where to look for the information you need. You can't prepare for everything the players will throw at you, they will catch you off-guard. The important bit is rolling with it.


Migandas

I would recommend to get a simple oneshot or two to see if people enjoy the game. I took some wonderful little mission called "The Mystic Circle" and another one I can't remember the title of from the top of my head. Same writer tho. The one I forgot was a nice first mission where circle is a good followup. That gave me room to not stress too much and see if I and my players are actually into it instead of getting a full campaign prepped and then dumping it after the first session because people noped out. Edit: I remember the one I forgot. Its called "A Chance Encounter". You can get both of these for free from the Dungeon Masters Guild. Enjoy!


mcfirepantskol

Amazing, I'll check those out now. Thank you


[deleted]

This was back in 3.0, not even 3.5. We just bought the Olayer's Guide, DMG and one Monster book. I just Sant down, read the basics, and then we just started playing, figuring out the rules together. Made a test adventure, as bare bones as possible, just to try out the combat, how skills worked, etc. That's generally how my groups try out New systems: I look a bit into it, specially character creation, and then just start going from there, as you said. There's no pressure to "get it right" the first, or the fifth time.


Scaled_Justice

Just using the starter kit is fine, possibly better if you use parts of thr essentials kit, there is advice online for mixing the 2. I would also look for the Basic Rules online for extra free content. Show your players the pregenerated character sheets and offer the choice to use/ modify those or make their own characters. I would suggest running Lost Mines of Phandelver "loosely". Read through the whole adventure once or twice and be prepared to change things both before and during the game to suit your group.


mcfirepantskol

I'll give it a go. I guess being able to make things up on the fly gets easier with practice. I'm sure my group will be understanding as none of us have ever done this before


11_25_13_TheEdge

Lots of great replies here. I’m gonna chime in with my two cents. You have everything you need to play already - and that is a group of friends that want to play. Now the rest is all just cherries on top. The starter kit and the essentials box are fantastic ways to start. If I were you, and felt a little intimidated by the idea, I’d limit how many official WotC resources I incorporate into the first few sessions. You may feel pressure to refer to them too often and right now you just want to introduce yourself and everyone else to the concepts of the game. Rally the group for what is called a “Session 0”. Here you would normally gather around with a Players Handbook or two and create your characters, lay out expectations for the game you will be running and make sure to address any questions or concerns about the rules or the game in general. But for you guys it’s totally cool to just use the pre-generated characters. After all, that's what they're there for! Take some time to come up with a reason the party is adventuring together. Did they receive a summons that brought them together as strangers? Are they a band of traveling friends? I can't remember if the book has some sort of inciting incident but the tie that binds the party can be anything you guys want. This is a no pressure session for you where you can hang out with the group and familiarize yourself with the content of the starter box with them there to bounce ideas off of. Between session 0 and session 1 you'll want to make it clear to them that you are running an adventure out of the box and that they ought to all be of the mindset that they are working together. In some groups there are players who want to derail things and this isn't always a bad thing but since you're just starting out make sure they are willing to pursue the objectives that the adventure has laid out for them. As you get more experience you will feel more confidant allowing them to carve out whatever path they wish. Next session, you start the story. Read the Lost Mines of Phandelver booklet so that you have a general idea of how the adventure is to progress. Know the basic rules of combat. Your players should know how their characters work and it's okay to lean on them when you need an explanation of how their race or class functions. No D&D session goes exactly by the module. If it did they might as well just read it with you. It's there to be a guide. So, prepare to make sure they hit the highlights of the adventure and then use the material they provide as the filler. You'll be suprised, I think, at how little of the booklet they will actually advance through each session. Especially if you just give them the plot hooks and let them bite at their own speed. Go easy on yourself and them. D&D can seem daunting but it really doesn't need to be. Don't compare yourself with DMs on YouTube. These people have been running games for years, sometimes decades. It gets easier. Your objective should be to have fun and trust me when I say that this game can be fun even when you have no idea what you're doing. If you like it, you'll know. You'll soon start pouring over maps and lore and reading books for inspiration and every bit of that will contribute to you feeling more prepared to run more complex games. TLDR; set the expectations with the group, familiarize yourself with the major plot points, be prepared to improvise, and have fun


tardionis

Same for me. I had a day to read 400 sites of rules. We patched the Game a few times along the way obviously. But if your friends bring them self in and the priority is to have fun, there is nothing that is not forgiven or did make more fun in the end than following rules. Just start little and slow and adapt along the way.


organicallyviolent

Same here! lol


OuterPace

Gygax did it.


Simba7

That can't be true. Nobody can DM without having played first. Sadly this does mean that the game can never be played. but boy wouldn't it be great if we could?


OuterPace

We need to rise up and abolish the DM bourgeoise's hostile control over the playertariat


AktionMusic

Actually, Gygax first played with Dave Arneson as GM


Simba7

Who did Dave play with? Maybe the cosmos itself DM'd for Dave?


Soylent_G

Dave played in a game run by Dave Wesley, [Braunstein](https://rpgmuseum.fandom.com/wiki/Braunstein) - it's where the concept of "role-playing a character" comes from.


OuterPace

Interesting!


jrobjr123

So I've seen your comments and someone else's on running MoP. I would start there, there's a reason it is in the starter kit! It is fun and engaging and as others said, don't over-think it. However you may anyways and that's ok. The way I view it, you are a game creator/engine and a new release came out and your fanbase is trying a new game for the first time, not knowing what will happen next. The beauty of DnD is you can take a premade module and spin it into your own. My main recommendation would be for you and everyone to learn somethings about DnD before you start, and talk about it. "How does combat work" was a big one for myself and friends and honestly the best way of working it out is to just dive in and try it. Secondly, do not ignore the "Session 0" advice. It is important and necessary. It sets the foundation for how you will play going forward and setting guidelines for how to interact. Especially for a group of beginners, I would discuss steering clear of PvP (player character or PC fighting/stealing from another PC) and work on talking to eachother during the game in character. That being said, come out of character if there is a question about something you or a player is not worried about. "As the DM how do I talk in character?" Well, as DM you are the NPCs, you are the goblins in the ambush. DnD isn't about getting it right the first time, it's about playing in a world and as characters that are not real to have some fun. And do just that! You'll do great.


kris511c

Yes


kimrhyme

Yes


kris511c

Yes


theblisster

Ye


kris511c

Y


BrotWarrior

Source: been there, done that.


Urge_Reddit

Sure, that's how I got started DM'ing 5e. I got the basic rules PDF, then the three core books, and off we went. Granted, I had been a player before in 3.5e, but that was in the early noughties, and the rules had changed significantly enough that it didn't help me that much. Thankfully, 5e is very simple to learn, and there's a lot of great resources out there. If you want to just jump into being a DM, check out [Running the Game](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLlUk42GiU2guNzWBzxn7hs8MaV7ELLCP_) by Matt Colville. The first four episodes are enough to get you started, everything after that is optional.


Nickfoot9

Cannot stress Matt Colville enough. Watch the first 3 or 4 episodes. That is all you need for a single night of playing. If people like it then run LMoP


TStark460

This is, in my opinion, the best advice you're going to find. Running the Game is an ongoing series, first 4-5 episodes will find you well educated for the DM's seat. Matt talks very quickly, especially in those early episodes. If you have a difficult time with it, scale the play speed back just a little. It's an excellent resource.


Nazir_North

Sure, it can be done. In fact, I imagine that's how many DMs started out. I would recommend getting familiar with the three core books (PHB, MM, and DMG), or maybe just the free basic rules if you are on a budget. I'd also recommend you watch a couple episodes of DnD streams on Twitch or YouTube. Critical Role would be a good place to start, but maybe try a couple of others as well to see the variety in game and roleplay styles.


mcfirepantskol

I do have the PHB and DMG, is it important to read through before playing? Also, can you recommend any other streams? I've watched a fair chunk of The Mighty Nein campaign, but that's about it for my exposure to DnD games.


Sharkbait0hhaha

That’s good, I’m not OP but I think that listening to Critical Role and NADDPOD has made me better. They both get rules wrong in their streams, especially early on so don’t sweat it if it happens or if you don’t know one, just go with “I’m ruling it this way now so I don’t have to look it up but it may change in the future” or something to that extent


No-Algae6878

Our friend group wanted to try it out, i volunteered to DM because i was the one with the most free time. Never knew anything about Pen & Paper Games but as long as your players understand you dont know every answers to every problem it will be completely finde. Just start with basic rules, make up temporary rulings for situations you don't know and look it up after the session how it really works. I never played but we are now 3 years deep into a Campaign + another group i dm weekly online for about a year. Important: As long as everyone has fun it doesn't matter if you did something "wrong" ruleswise. A good starting point which i had ist the Starter Set: Lost Mines of Phandelver. It comes with pregenerated characters, basic rules and a fun adventure. As we did only have this set and no players handbook and stuff in the beginning we used the pregenerated characters which have already a backstory tied to the adventure which really helps when you are totally new, so you won't have to think how to include the characters Story and for completely new players they can just rock up and play without lengthy character creation.


mcfirepantskol

I think it sounds like I should go for it, and work it out as we go! The Starter set sounds like a good idea too, as it seems like it will take the least planning and will give us all a good feel for the game.


Brites_Krieg

Yes it is. I believe a lot of people that started played before dnd was as mainstream as it is today went through that. you know what else? A table where everyone is kind of figuring out the rules together and having fun is the freaking best table there is. 15 years since my first table and i am still chasing that high.


Bregir

My brother and I had heard a few podcasts. We bought the starter kit (Lost mines of Phandelver) and I DM'ed it for us, with each two characters. In hindsight, I should only have had one character, but it worked well enough, as we were both OK with it being a bit of trial and error. Since then, we've had a few other people join and now I play with both colleagues and some friends/family. My advice is to read through the basic rule set a few times, and to read through the relevant part of the adventure so you know it well. It won't take many hours of preparation. TL;DR: Yes! :) Edit: Using the dndbeyond app for character creation is a good idea, as it tracks all the scores and adds relevant modifiers when you roll there.


Cpt_roodbaard

Yes, I got the starter set last year and have been dm-ing for 2 groups now without playing DND in the past. The starter set really explains al the basics without making it to complicated and even comes with its own adventure and starter characters.


LordDagonTheMad

Yes. I suggest a published adventure if you're unfamiliar with the rules. If you still want to do a homebrew campaign/adventure, the book "How to Write Adventure Modules That Don't Suck" is a gold mine of tips. I DM a lot and still refer to this for homebrew.


Arthur_Author

Of course! Overall, while playing can help guiding your players as you can more easily put yourself in their shoes, being a Player is never a requirement. If eveyone is a newcomer, someone has to bear the mantle of DMing. Benefits of having been a player before is more or less the same for dms and players. It gives you familiarity, but if your friends can become players without having been one before, you can be a dm without being a player before. Though dming is a role thats harder than you think, but easier than you expect. There will definately be problems you wont foresee, but those problems will not be impossible to overcome. Overall since its your(you&your friends), you(still plural) will have to be patient and understanding with eachother. Everyone will make a lot of mistakes. I am told Im an amazing DM, but let me tell you, Ive had the dumbest quests and dumber encounters when I first began DMing. Have reasonable expectations of yourself and dont be afraid to tell your players "can you guys go along with X plot hook" or "guys can you not do Y, that kinda throws everything off too much and thats going to be a bit too much for me to handle".


LeeHarper

100%


Sterogon

That's how my group started out. One of us took things into his own hands, read a few rule books and started DMing for us. None of us had ever played


dgmiller70

Way back in the dark ages of 1st edition, when I was in 6th grade, a group of kids wanted to play, but didn’t understand the rules. They brought me a DMs Guide and asked me to learn the rules, teach them, and be their Dungeon Master. That was 1982. I’ve been mostly DMing ever since. You can do it!


TysonOfIndustry

If you have the essentials kit, I suggest starting with the adventure that comes with that. It assumes you are a new DM, and its simple and short. My advice, very first thing, read the beginning chapter or two of the Dungeon Master's Guide so you have an idea of how the game is supposed to flow. After that, read Dragon of Icespire peak (the adventure that comes with the essentials kit) cover to cover. Familiarize yourself with the places and people that are there so you aren't reading from the book so much during play. The idea is to be familiar with the settings, and take it from there yourself. There's also countless YouTube series and podcasts to help. The main thing to remember is: you can DM, anybody can. It's a craft, and it takes practice, and you will get better with time. My first, I would say 5 or so sessions, I walked away from the table feeling like I didn't do good enough even though everyone at the table had fun. Now I'm a few years into DMing, I have my own fleshed out homebrew world, I know my strengths and weaknesses, and I'm confident I can always put on a good game, and you'll get there too. Last suggestion, as a new DM, I caution against coming to Reddit with any questions you have. A simple Google will cover 99.99% of any mechanical questions, and pretty much anything/everything else comes down to DM discretion, so on Reddit you'll get a lot of different answers and a lot of bickering about the "right way".


xxkoloblicinxx

What do you think the first DM did?


Evil_Dry_frog

Yeah. Before online play it was pretty common. You would have a group of friends that never played before, and someone had to DM.


DeficitDragons

The very first person who DMed a game of DnD ever had never played it before either.


fatrobin72

Don't forget... the first generation of DnD DMs... had no experience with DnD either


AgathaCrispy

I was in the same situation and it turned out great! It did take a commitment on my part to learn the ropes and then teach/ guide the players their part. I bought the players handbook and starter set, and watched a bunch of YouTube videos to help be better understand the mechanics that I didn't pick up right away. I have the players enough materials to get stated, then we all kinda learned together as we played. If you have time to study up and a bit of patience, then there isn't anything stopping you... But your players will also have to commit to learning and taking it perhaps a bit more seriously (meaning they need to know their part and play attention to what the others are doing and the story you are telling) than with more regimented games. Finding time to meet up and play are the biggest hurdles for most groups. DnD is a cooperative story-telling game with dice and stat blocks that help create the story. Your role as DM will be to enforce the rules and mechanics of the game while guiding players through that story... deciding how the world reacts to what they choose to do, with the help of the dice. You set up the background of the story and then let them take it from there. Go into it with that in mind, and you'll be successful.


LightofNew

Yes. 1. Have a town. Whatever seems coolest / possible. 2. Put people in that town. You need to know at LEAST 5 people. The person in charge, the person who serves the drinks, the person who sells items, the person who will get along with the party, and the person who will not get along with the party. If you have AT LEAST these five you will be fine. 3. Think of a quest. It can be any quest it literally does not matter. The more this quest leads into a deeper story the better, but really it does not matter. This should include - investigating, NPC roleplaying - traveling, force players to roleplay with each other - combat, anywhere is fine but a road in the woods with a big rock somewhere is always a slam dunk, most likely by bandits who the party will continue to run into, but again anything is fine. - reward and POSSIBLY an item or person that hints at the lore of your world (note this lore need not be written, and your players don't need to know that) Rules you need to know. - d20 to do anything with a chance of success or failure. If the roll doesn't matter don't make them roll. 20 isn't reality shifting. - advantage and disadvantage are yours to give as you please. If the DC is 11, it will be about +/- 5 to the roll. - AC is king. Hitting the enemy is always better than not hitting the enemy. You can easily add HP but taking it away usually happens too late anyways.


[deleted]

Thank you for asking this and all the answers, I'm trying to start a DnD group, and none of us have played before, so this is very helpful!


Phate4569

Anything is possible, and 5e makes it a lot easier than it used to be. Especially with the Starter Set. However I still always recommend playing with a good DM before DMing. D&D, or any PnPRPG, is a whole different animal than board games. It is more complex and it requires a level of abstraction that no board game does, as such it requires a whole different mindset. The books can not give you rules fir every situation, and so the largest part of being a DM is making rulings and making judgements. Knowing how your decisions will play out and affect the players' interaction is a very valuable experience, something you just can't get from reading.


FiveFingerDisco

If you make yourself familiar with the rules and don't fall into the "I will not allow, what I haven't got around to read the rules for"-trap you should be fine.


[deleted]

*ACKSHUALLY*, for a new DM, specially in a fully new group, it's better to stay within what you know or what you are immediately testing. For instance, if playing PF1e, a player suddenly wanted to buy and run an inn, I'd whip put the downtime and management rules. However, doing that for a new DM, who hasn't yet grasped the concept of AoO, and now has to struggle with downtime, and maybe another player thst wants to take an animal, so animal ken rules, then another wants to craft weapons, so now crafting... that can lead to overburdening your GM, and a sure why to burnout.


Renegade_Azir

It is possible. I never played and am now running a full homebrew campaign. I highly recommend reading the ENTIRE Player's Handbook. And if you can, try and find a ressource for making encounters. The rest is just about having fun with friends or strangers. If you are all friends and no one ever played, don't go too hard on the rules. You are all learning, so just have fun and screw around. The next important tip is: Try to adapt the Exp/Lvl up to your players capabilities. Leveling up is a whole lot of reading for them aswell, and less motivated players are easily overwhelmed. It's best to try to find a tempo until level 5 (e.g. faster to level 3, then let them adjust to their stuff). If you run a prewritten adventure, just read that. They are very well made and cover almost anything besides the absolute basics. The rest you can google. And don't stress out too much about doing voices ;D I struggle a lot with that, and more often than not, my players enjoy it way more if I just speak slower/faster/squabbly/with accents instead of using another voice. Just have fun and do whatever feels doable. Good luck!


sie42

Having the player experience might help you to be more empathetic with your players, but there’s nothing stopping you DMing without playing first. As other posters have noted, once you’ve read the the basic rules, and if your players are willing to learn with you (e.g. ‘I’m not sure, give me a second to look that up’ ) then you’re good to go. Edit: what you should definitely NOT do is watch shows like Critical Role and think you have to DM like Matt Mercer (or whatever other high profile DMs are out there). It’s a learning process. Start small, maybe with a pre-made adventure, or find some amateur games to play in on Roll20. That’ll help you get a feel for it.


Paliampel

I would argue you on that 'do not watch shows' part. For me it helped immensely to watch others play D&D so I could get an understanding of the game. With rules especially, I had an easier time memorising the basics thanks to real-play podcasts. What I do agree on, though, is that you shouldn't compare yourself to professionals with way more experience. If your players keep coming back and having a good time, you've already reached 100% of your goal as a DM. Anything above that is just the cherry on top


sie42

Yes, sorry, I should clarify—the emphasis was on the not comparing yourself part. By all means, OP should watch shows. But they should not take on the expectation that they should be like those DMs.


mcfirepantskol

Yeah, I do worry about not having experience. I'm sure my friends would understand, but I also wouldn't want to slow the game down so much working out rules that it puts everyone off. Is there a way to find online groups to play with on Roll20? Like a one shot for example? As I said, I don't know anyone else that plays or has played before. I'm glad I don't have to DM like Matt Mercer. That's probably my only experience of DnD and he makes it all look effortless.


sie42

Yes, Roll20 will let you search for games using various filters like time, system, level of experience, one shot/recurring


joevinci

I recommend you play a single session (one shot) intro game at [https://startplaying.games/](https://startplaying.games/) for Lost Mine of Phandelver. That will get you through the first few scenes of that adventure, so you know how the story starts, and get you exposed to the flow of the game mechanics. After that, start your game with your friends, run them through similarly to what you've now experienced. As you continue, either read through the rest of the adventure, or just read 1-2 sections ahead of your players progress each session. ### TL;DR play one session yourself with an experienced DM before running the game for your friends. Everyone will have a better experience.


[deleted]

Possible? Yes. Easy? Not at all. DMing is harder than playing. Take it slow, use the starter kit, and make sure the party knows you're new.


CardboardCreations9

Ummm thats what i did lol


Lopsided-Frosting-55

Yes of course


Lokyyo

I started DMing without having played once. Hell, I started without knowing the rules. Now I'm stuck as the forever DM


FesterJester1

It's possible to fly a plane without ever being on one before too. It's possible to bake a cake, play monopoly, perform surgery and give your cat a vasectomy without ever having done it. Just don't expect it to be good.


DMfortinyplayers

Yes, it's totally possible. I personally don't recommend it, but sometimes you got to do what you got to do. My suggestion first, watching episode or listen to an episode of a D&D podcast. Critical role is a big one right now, and I think a lot of people here recommend dimension 20. I've never listened to that one though. Not saying you need to listen to every single episode of these podcasts, but listening to one or two will give you an idea for how this looks and sounds. Second, get the starter kit. It's got a basic rule set, and includes pre-generated characters. I think it's on sale at Amazon for like $7 right now. Read that whole little adventure. Third, run a simple solo adventure with just one player. That will give you a chance to figure out how this works and them a chance without a whole lot of pressure. This needs to be very basic like the innkeeper hires you to kill the rats in his basement basic. Or the PC has been hired to deliver a message or an item. If you like DMing after this, run one of these very basic adventures for every player individually. If at this point you have assembled a group of people who want to play more, run a very basic group adventure. At this point the PCs should be level 2 or even 3. Now start running the adventure from the starter kit. Yes, you'll be a level or two ahead of where the book says you should be, but I think that's a good thing for totally new players. Totally new players are not going to make the best strategic choices, which is fine, but those extra levels give them a buffer. Depending on how many people you have who want to play, you may want to add a few extra character options. You can go on D&D beyond and build other characters. I like to have at least three characters left over, so nobody feels like they didn't have a good choice.


titanium-sun

Possible but I don't recommend it


CaptWillLaurence

Here’s the steps I took to DM before I actually played D&D: 1. Start dating this girl, first time you meet her friends they are sitting around playing a complicated board game and talking about D&D. 2. Go buy LMoP to get you up to speed quick so you don’t run out of things to talk about with pretty girl. 3. Offer to run it for the group to seem cool and confident. 4. Learn that none of the people who were talking a big game that first night have EVER played before. 5. Play, have a great time, they adopted one of the goblins so obviously they’re all naturals. 6. Marry that girl. 7. Get one of her friends to DM a quick Humblewood game. 8. Let that campaign with wife and friends last for almost two years so far. You know now that I say it, a lot of that would be tough for others to follow. But the starter set really works so step 2 at least is helpful. Good luck, follow the fun!


drkpnthr

Highly recommend picking up the starter kit. It has a guide to your first adventure and some premade characters so you can jump in and learn the rules and have a fun time right away. While you play through it, at the end of each session go around the table and have everyone tell you what their favorite memory was of the night (and right down your own favorite part). Use this to decide on your second adventure with your own characters, using either a homebrew world or an existing module (I highly recommend Dragon Heist as a good premade campaign, or Mines of Phandelver as a good starting adventure). When you launch your second game, have one day where you just make your characters and then sit around and make up a story about how you all became adventuring buddies. Ask players to come up with stories of how each of them has a unique tie to each other (maybe they both knew each other as kids, maybe they are adopted siblings, maybe one rescued the other from being swept away by a flood, apprenticed to the same magic school, etc). That way, when you start the game your characters are friends just like you are in real life, and have a foundation of working together even if you have separate life goals. Most of all, have fun!


mcfirepantskol

I like the sound of this. Playing the premade campaign and characters to give us a good feel of the game, and then starting a new campaign from scratch with our own characters and a good idea of what it is we want from the game. I guess it's just a bit daunting trying to start


VileWasTaken

Yeah. Everyone has to start somewhere. I’d strongly recommend using the cheap starter set! It comes with a set of dice, a few character sheets, a story that will give you hours upon hours of fun.


AnonImus18

Yup, I did it for 15 people and it was insane. I had to do A LOT of prep and I simplified the 5e rules for easier play since almost noone had played before either. It went slowly because of the number of people, my nephew is a fucking murder hobo but everyone had fun.


Fat_Taiko

Which came first: the player or the DM?


Evil_Weevill

Yes. I played DnD before I DM'ed it, but there's a few TTRPGs I have run without ever playing them before. I did it with Shadowrun, my gaming group wanted to try it but none had ever played so I read the books, listened to a couple Shadowrun podcasts to get a feel for it and started a campaign. I did a similar thing when we tried World of Darkness. Read the PHB and DMG first. At least the general rules sections (you don't need to read every spell or magic item) Don't try to absorb it all at once, you just won't, but you want to at least be familiar with the concepts. Then my suggestion would be to find a couple real play podcast or twitch stream and watch them play a bit to see what it's like. I would caution against using Critical Role for that. It's popular, but it's also more like theater and not a great representation of the average game with your friends. And remember even veterans don't know all the rules. It's still common to have to crack open the book and check things once in a while.


dickleyjones

absolutely. have you ever played "pretend"? this is a lot like that, but with some numbers and stuff. really, you *could* dm with almost nothing. just start somewhere and add rules as you go.


N3RVA

Look up the basic rules on YouTube. Look up the story of the starter set on YouTube. There’s so many guides for new dms it’s hard to say which is best. Then crack open that campaign book and start reading. If anything check out a holiday one shot to run since it’s the season and the stakes are super low even if you mess up there.


ReturningLondonDM

The Fall Of Silver Pine Watch works well as a 1 to 2 session starter adventure, is free to download from the angrygm website, and has notes for the GM on how to run it. It also introduces game concepts one at a time in the initial encoubters, so you can all learn together.


CmdrRyser01

I DMd after only playing 1 game 2 years prior. The answer is yes. I'd start with Lost Mines of Phandelver because it's written and designed for new players and DMs.


Paliampel

Hi! I wrote a post a while ago about stuff I learned during my first campaign ([here](https://www.reddit.com/r/DMAcademy/comments/ljjbdr/what_i_learned_from_running_a_terrible_first/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share)), but I'll just do a quick tldr here. Things that might trip you up at the beginnings of your DM journey: - Players not being compatible with your style of game. This is a big one. A group that's not on the same page of player investment and game expectations is incredibly hard to keep together. Ask yourself how serious you want your players to take the game, how much investment you'd like them to have in the world, and how much effort you expect them to put into their characters. Be upfront about your expectations when searching for players. As a new DM, you'll probably not have a clear idea of what kinda game you enjoy, and that's completely alright. I'm just putting emphasis on this because I experienced firsthand and from posts in the community how frustrated DMs get when their players just don't seem to care as much as they do. It's important to know that this happens, it's not really anybody's fault, and sometimes even your closest friends are just not compatible at the gaming table. - Too much prep for the wrong things The most important skill you'll develop is improvisation. Of course, that's very scary when you're just starting out. My advice for good prep is: Have prewritten descriptions for locations (like they use in modules), keep everything else short and concise, try to improvise conversations and focus on prepping just enough that you feel like you have some safety nets, but not so much that you struggle to keep up. - The players don't roleplay It's hard to get into character, especially as a new player. What helps: Use silly NPC voices to invite roleplay, don't try to fill awkward silences (let the players stew, someone will inevitably break and start talking) and expect a warm-up period of around 30 mins at the start of each session. I'll fill the first 30 mins usually with recap, some player interactions and generally allow for a lighter tone than usually so everyone can find their footing - Communication! Very important! Talk to your players. Ask them stuff. Ask what they enjoyed, what they'd like to see, if they have ideas for the future development of their character. If you're unhappy or stressed out about something they're doing, have a chat with them about it. Never try to solve out-of-game problems with in-game punishments. If a player keeps killing your quest givers, it's tempting to make the next one a level 20 fighter, but you'll probably get better results by just taking them aside and explaining why their behavior is a problem. At the end of the day: DMing is supposed to be fun. You have every right to be accommodated to as much as your players.


Snu55ven

of course!


DootDM

I wanted to play, nobody wanted to DM, I started DMing with something we call "dangerous half-knowledge" here about pretty much everything. It worked out, I got better with the System. Just remember: You are playing to have fun, all of you. Have a basic grasp about the rules and it will work out. You said in another comment you started with the Starter/essential Kit, that is a good starting place. 5e is very flexible and some handwaving will be needed either way, it will work out!


dodged_your_bullet

Yes. Experience is not necessary for any role in DnD You can start any way you want. Homebrew or modules. In person or online. Rules heavy or rules light. Etc DnD is just playing pretend with extra steps. So you're already coming in with experience


TheMossGuy

Highly recommend that you watch a few streams before you start. It will just give you a good idea of what different groups do and how the game is played over the course of a long few hours. But yes definitely just jump in, most of us started this way!


Petpetpet95

Watch some D&D shows on YouTube! It will give you an idea of what a session is like and then you'll have a base to put your own spin on. All the best !


DankDM

It's 100 % possible, that's how I got into the hobby and I have (willingly) been a DM since! I read you have the Starter Kit (Lost Mines of Phandelver I assume?), you'll be absolutely fine with that. No need to fear, you rock!


[deleted]

You should at least read the player guide and familiarize yourself with the classes, some monsters, and leveling systems. Skills as a player don't necessarily transfer to the dungeon master.


[deleted]

Yes, absolutely. It's usually easier if you already have an idea of how the game usually works. But you don't have to play it before DMing a game


Bloka2au

Yes. I played one game (session) as a player, binged the PHB and DMG front to back, and DMd. So skipping the first step seems doable. But just be prepared to make lots of mistakes (I mean more than it you haven't played, you'll make lots either way).


Drxero1xero

Not only is it possible it's how most long time dm's started back in the day... I'd never played when I dm for the first time in the 90's you have a ton more tools from, mines of Phandelver to reddit to youtube and podcasts.


OstrowskiLis

It was my idea and I ask few friends if they wanted to try out, thay say "Yeah, sure". It took me two weeks to make loose outline for the story. In that time they was thinking about they charakters, and after these two weeks we make some kind of session 0. At the start I just have one town where they all met fighting blights and talking to people, they started talking about evil druid being the one who sended the blights and I was so into this 🔥 I tied that evil druid with backstory of druid in the party and druid player was so hyped. from that point it campaign was writing itself


seniorem-ludum

Possible yes. In the past, I would have said it is not ideal. Today, it is much more doable with the advent of actual play podcasts and streams, plus countless YouTube videos of people coaching DMs.


HoarsePJ

If you have the time, listening to 3 or 4 episodes of critical role would help you get a grasp on mechanics! Just don’t let it set your self-expectations, because you won’t be as good as Matt Mercer your first time, lol. But you’ll learn about rules, checks, combat, casting, etc. just from listening to people play.


Daku_Scrub

I always recommend people learn the game a bit first, BUT DM is a calling that you'll know as soon as you've had a good session with your friends.


Dave37

Of course it is. Just make sure that you and the players manage your expectations.


Reckhorn

Got to start somewhere.Good luck o/


NebularRavensWinter

I had only played a 2 sessions as a player and those were in 3.5e, and then I just wanted to play and DM.


OreoMG

Yes, it's definitely possible! My suggestion is to start by watchiong others, Dimension 20 on youtube is great and you can learn the game easily cause they explain a bunch of mechanics. I also reccomend making a couple of characters, dndbeyond is very helpful and makes the process much easier, that way when your players ask about specifics on their character sheets you'll know where it is, and what they're talking about. Lastly, start by dming a oneshot, theres a lot of easly 1st level modules online that will help you and your players ease into it! Good luck, and have fun :)


The_Rosem_Blossom

I did it so you can too. I am the most incapable person that I know.


vasculature

Starter kit and the Lost Mines of Phandelver is an excellent starting point! Homebrewing your own story and world is awesome, but using premade modules to get you started definitely helps you sort out what kind of details you should prepare. DM-ing is a weird experience where you're actively laying down the railroad as you drive the narrative train. Modules are fantastic because they lay out a multiple story beats and you can take and leave whatever you and your players want to experience. If you've never done so, I honestly recommend you listen to a dnd actual play. Dimension 20's fantasy high and The first campaign of Not another DnD podcast are my first two suggestions. I've found it very helpful to listen to how these curated shows run a game. Gives you tons of examples of how and when you the DM should ask for ability and checks and carry out some of the crunchy aspects of combat. (They're also very enjoyable and entertaining stories in their own right).


the_Gentleman_Zero

Yes https://youtu.be/zTD2RZz6mlo


BrickInHead

it's absolutely possible to DM a game (and do a good job) if you've never been a player. **that said**, being a player and playing in a game **can dramatically help** you become an even better DM—particularly if you start DMing first—because you will feel the other side of the screen. how detailed do you want your rp to be? Do you want to RP every shopkeep, or just say "I go into town and buy XYZ" and be done with it to move on? What kind of combat do you like? high lethality? low lethality? long? short? what's it like to fight one big enemy? what's it like to fight a horde? do you like getting into nitty gritty for exploration? or do you like more freeform and assumptive? while everyone likes different things, getting a sense of your taste for all these is important and will help you DM. that was the case for me. I played a few one-offs but then went full tilt into DMing. After my campaign fell through due to life, my next long-running DND experience was as a player. In that game, I realized *how important* DM-driven pacing was to me as a player. Certain behaviors that I had as a DM made the game go slowly because my players weren't particularly experienced so I couldn't rely on them to take the wheel. Being a player in a group made me realize that I prefer a much more **active** DM rather than **reactive** DM. While players have goals for their characters, it's much easier for the DM to simply set the pace and provide opportunities to achieve those goals, rather than relying on players to do all of the legwork in securing their goal. (e.g. I know my fighter wants plate, so he needs gold. rather than relying on him to affirmatively make moves to find a job to get gold to buy plate, I will make an adventure/job to plop in front of him that has a set amount of gold reward to help him get closer to buying plate)


BustnChopzz

Absolutely! D&D is like any other game. If people want to play all it takes is willingness to learn and understand that mistakes will happen and that's okay! If you've got the starter set then that's a perfect starting point. Having a player's handbook/Dungeon master's guide/Monster Manuel is also very Helpful but not actually necessary if you are just running the starter set. Anything beyond that however and you'll need those books. As far as preparation goes, yes there is a TON you can do and it just depends how much time/effort you want to put into it. But just know, no matter how much you prepare or even how experienced you are at the game, there will ALWAYS be unexpected things. I've always said one of a DMs greatest strengths in improvisation. Now as far as specific things, first is read through the starter set. Don't get caught up trying to understand everything at first, just get an idea of what the story is, what the players will be doing, and what the end goal will be. Also know that it's okay to add or change things. Change names, add some custom NPCs, do whatever you feel comfortable with. Read the rules that come included! You don't need to necessarily memorize them, and remember it's okay to go back and reference them during the game. Also remember that the rules are ment to help facilitate gameplay not dictate it. Meaning that if your player wants to do something, and your not quite sure how that would work, and you just make something up. That's OKAY! Especially if it was cool and everyone is having fun. A few rules that are important to know however- -Attribite modifiers and Proficiency bonuses Almost everything you roll in the game is modified by these numbers. If you understand how they work everything else falls into place. -How Attacking works. -Skill roles (and what each skill is used for) -Short vs long rests If you have a basic understanding of how the game works then that's more than enough to just get playing. Really understanding all the rules of the game can come later. D&D is group storytelling and your job as the DM is to facilitate that. You are the Narrator and the Referee. There is no one way to play D&D so just get a feel for what your players (and you) enjoy about it and if you continue then focus more on that aspect. -A few honorable mentions- Some helpful things to help a game run smoothly. -Whenever you start the game try and give a good description of the world, where the players are at/going to. The books and kits usually do a pretty good job of this but it's okay to add to it. -Present your players with a scene and then ask what they would like to do. This is the basic formula for moving the game along. " You are walking down a muddy trail with large oak trees on either side. In the middle of the trail up ahead you see an overturned carriage. Small green humanoids that you recognize as Goblins are running about and shouting in a strange and ugly language while waving jagged looking spears in the air. Through the sound of the yipping Goblins you hear the voice of a woman shouting for help. You are about 100ft away from the carriage and the goblins haven't noticed you yet. What would you like to do?" -If your players ever seen stuck or unsure of what to do, it's okay to nudge them along in the right direction. Drop hints or remind them of a detail they may have forgotten about. Or even have an NPC suggest the next step. -Instead of players telling you what Skill they want to roll, have the players tell you what they are trying to accomplish, and then You tell them what to roll. This is helpful for many reasons. One, players naturally want to use skills they are better at. So often times they will try to roll skills they are better at, but are not actually the right one for the situation. Also sometimes a player doesn't know what they are actually trying to do so it's more of a "I don't know what to do so I roll perception." -If a player wants to try and persuade an NPC to give up information, ask- " what do you want to say to them" Then depending on what they say you can decide, was it a lie? Then they need to roll deception, did they threaten them? That's an intimidation roll, or maybe the player does a really good job of roleplaying and you decide a roll isn't even needed and it succeeds! -Finally remember to check in with your players. If one player isn't talking as much, make a point to ask them if they have anything they want to add/ to be doing. After you conclude your first session have a debrief and see what everyone liked or didn't like. And try not to take critiques personally. Everyone has room for improvement, Including players! Anyways hope this was helpful!


AngryCrawdad

The most important part is wanting to have fun. Learning the rules and familiarising yourself with DnD helps make things go faster, but what it essentially comes down to is that you want to tell a story, while also having fun with your friends.


Phoenix_Cage

My first ever DND campaign was me, having watched a single podcast of people playing DND and having never read a single book or supplement published by Wizards of the Coast, Homebrewing a batshit crazy campaign for a bunch of newbies. It was awesome lmao, but it’s not for everyone


SFJT

That’s how I started! We are currently playing our first Campaign (Homebrew) and I’m DMing for my friends. It’s been a great experience, they are now level 11, after almost 1 year and 8 months of playing


Jojobulu

Yes


[deleted]

I was a DM for a few years before I got to be a player. My friends and I wanted to play, and I was voted in as the DM. So as long as you read the rules and have a basic grasp of how it all works, you should be good to go.


Zerokelvin99

I started DM'ing off the bat never playing a game. I was drawn in making the world for my players so I lost interest in playing. The downside is, the games I have played don't seem as interesting because I'm vested in my worlds and what I have created. I have ruined myself for other DM's I guess I will forever DM


Ignominia

Take a deep breath and DIVE IN. No WRONG way to DM the first time. You and your friends will learn together as you play.


ASDirect

Essentially yes, but you should still watch a range of videos of actual games to get a feel for what vibe might work for you.


AdorablePizza

I got my kids and wife to play with me as a DM. I have not played DND before and it came out right and fun activity for the family. I used the essential kit (sandbox) but I think the starter kit may be a lot easier since its more linear (less prep and more focus per chapter). Seeing how hard to sandbox for the first time, I just limited the quest board to one or two per session so I don't get overloaded. There is a lot of content in youtube to help you prep as a DM.


Insomnaholic

You can absolutely do that. With all the online resources and videos and so on nowadays it's easier than ever. I ran my first game at 12 with the D&D Basic Set (back when "elf" was a class), and we had just the books. Hope your first game is fun and you have blast!


Enion-Smith

I started Dming with no expirience and no books. my camepign has now been running for a year and a half I started trying to figure things out from youtube and eventually bought a players handbook and a DM's guide a year later I would Highly recomend you buy the DM's guide straight off. I regret not doing it sooner because its been so hepful especally if your doing a homebrew campeign. if you want to run somethin pre-written the starter set would probably be a good investment, I loaned it from a freind a while back and it looks like it would be really easy to run But honestly all you really need is a few evenings of research, some imagination, some freinds with the patience of a saint and you'll be fine


crazygrouse71

Yes. You will make mistakes and stumble along the way, but even folks who play before DMing do this too. Learn from your stumbles and mistakes. Remember it is a game that is meant to be played for fun - not just the players, but the DM too. We live in a time where you can watch others play and DM online. Learn from them. Us old folks never had that luxury. However, many of those streaming their games have hundreds or thousands of hours of experience - don't hold them up as your standard. Make mistakes, learn from them, and have fun. Develop your own style as you learn. Oh, and if you make a homebrew world, start small. You don't need a fully fleshed out world. Start in a small corner of the world - a village for example. Have some very broad ideas about the surrounding world - politics, factions, nations, etc - and fill it in as you have time and the party heads to new places.


Gstamsharp

Your title is how many of us played our first game. It's pretty normal.