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Are you a good DM? Do you have any tips/advice/fun adventures to share?

I

imported_Tomato

Diamond Member
Looking for other D&D players... I'm going to run an adventure for the first time, and am not quite sure where to begin. I've been a player in about 5 games now and it's been fun, but I think it will be a bit more difficult to DM. Does anyone have any tips/advice to share for a D&D DM n00b, and any suggestions on possible adventures/memorable adventures you've played DM-ed?
 
Deligate some jobs to the players, to help get them involved and to help bail you out incase you forget something. Like assign a certian rolling duty to everyone. In case of emergency, have some surprise food/drinks/dancing girls to keep people busy while you get your shinola together.
 
What's this a parody of? Chicks don't play D&D, and they certianly don't DM. 😛

Pre-rolled numbers. Can't live w/o them. Have a sheet printed with your D20s already rolled, mark them out as you go down the list. Then you get to guess will the section of 18s-19s-20s come right when they get into combat, or when your are rolling hidden save throws. It's also easier to "cheat" the players when you don't have to roll dice (you never roll twice when you want to disregard that 20 when the monster is hitting the last standing party member).
 
Originally posted by: SchrodingersDog
Deligate some jobs to the players, to help get them involved and to help bail you out incase you forget something. Like assign a certian rolling duty to everyone. In case of emergency, have some surprise food/drinks/dancing girls to keep people busy while you get your shinola together.
Click to expand...

What if I'll be DM-ing for one player only?
 
Originally posted by: Tomato
Originally posted by: SchrodingersDog
Deligate some jobs to the players, to help get them involved and to help bail you out incase you forget something. Like assign a certian rolling duty to everyone. In case of emergency, have some surprise food/drinks/dancing girls to keep people busy while you get your shinola together.
Click to expand...

What if I'll be DM-ing for one player only?
Click to expand...

Geez for only 1 player and 1 GM it seems dull and way too much work to try to play a "proper" RPG. In that case, I'd play a conventional board game with RPG aspects....Mageknight Dungeons isn't bad or maybe go get a copy of Heroquest from Ebay...
 
Originally posted by: Jzero
Originally posted by: Tomato
Originally posted by: SchrodingersDog
Deligate some jobs to the players, to help get them involved and to help bail you out incase you forget something. Like assign a certian rolling duty to everyone. In case of emergency, have some surprise food/drinks/dancing girls to keep people busy while you get your shinola together.
Click to expand...

What if I'll be DM-ing for one player only?
Click to expand...

Geez for only 1 player and 1 GM it seems dull and way too much work to try to play a "proper" RPG. In that case, I'd play a conventional board game with RPG aspects....Mageknight Dungeons isn't bad or maybe go get a copy of Heroquest from Ebay...
Click to expand...

It might be a typo and really be b-m.
 
Originally posted by: Jzero
Originally posted by: Tomato
Originally posted by: SchrodingersDog
Deligate some jobs to the players, to help get them involved and to help bail you out incase you forget something. Like assign a certian rolling duty to everyone. In case of emergency, have some surprise food/drinks/dancing girls to keep people busy while you get your shinola together.
Click to expand...

What if I'll be DM-ing for one player only?
Click to expand...

Geez for only 1 player and 1 GM it seems dull and way too much work to try to play a "proper" RPG. In that case, I'd play a conventional board game with RPG aspects....Mageknight Dungeons isn't bad or maybe go get a copy of Heroquest from Ebay...
Click to expand...

It's actually pretty fun with the right DM, I'm hoping I can make things exciting for the 1-on-1... how many players do you think are necessary?
 
Originally posted by: Kelvrick
Originally posted by: Jzero
Originally posted by: Tomato
Originally posted by: SchrodingersDog
Deligate some jobs to the players, to help get them involved and to help bail you out incase you forget something. Like assign a certian rolling duty to everyone. In case of emergency, have some surprise food/drinks/dancing girls to keep people busy while you get your shinola together.
Click to expand...

What if I'll be DM-ing for one player only?
Click to expand...

Geez for only 1 player and 1 GM it seems dull and way too much work to try to play a "proper" RPG. In that case, I'd play a conventional board game with RPG aspects....Mageknight Dungeons isn't bad or maybe go get a copy of Heroquest from Ebay...
Click to expand...

It might be a typo and really be b-m.
Click to expand...

What's b-m?
 
Some geek telling me what I'm seeing (scenary) and getting after killing a monster just doesn't appeal to me. I've never played and nor do I have any interest in playing.

DM: "You're walking through a windy road outlined by bright yellow stones illuminating the path. As you continue to walk, an ugly green goblin jumps in front of you. You look at him with fearful eyes as he withdraws a silvery broadsword made of steel. The sword hums in the dim light as the goblin charges, wildly swinging his blade. What do you do?"

Bahh, geek paradise! 😛
 
what's DM stand for?

all i can come up with is "Dungeon Master".

<---glad there are people in this world who are nerdier than me 😀
 
Originally posted by: Ranger X
Some geek telling me what I'm seeing (scenary) and getting after killing a monster just doesn't appeal to me. I've never played and nor do I have any interest in playing.

DM: "You're walking through a windy road outlined by bright yellow stones illuminating the path. As you continue to walk, an ugly green goblin jumps in front of you. You look at him with fearful eyes as he withdraws a silvery broadsword made of steel. The sword hums in the dim light as the goblin charges, wildly swinging his blade. What do you do?"

Bahh, geek paradise! 😛
Click to expand...

LOL... you might actually make a pretty good DM! 😉
 
My advice to you is to initially run a pre-made adventure just to get into the swing of things.

Figure out what world you plan to run in (Eberron, Forgotten Realms, Greyhawk, etc.) and then find a module that fits into that world, preferably in an area you find interesting or you think the players will find interesting. A good place to find modules on the cheap is Dungeon Magazine.

Really learn that first module you intend to run. Make sure you're familiar with the bad guys/monsters and their capabilities. Make sure you have a plausible adventure hook the player(s) will go for.

Once you get your player(s) thru that first adventure, then spend some time developing your own material if that's something you're into. Alternately, you can string pre-developed adventures together.
 
the problem w/a pre-made adventure is that (I think) very few are made for just one player, and they can be very difficult to balance on your own if you don't know what you're doing.
 
Originally posted by: DealMonkey
My advice to you is to initially run a pre-made adventure just to get into the swing of things.

Figure out what world you plan to run in (Eberron, Forgotten Realms, Greyhawk, etc.) and then find a module that fits into that world, preferably in an area you find interesting or you think the players will find interesting. A good place to find modules on the cheap is Dungeon Magazine.

Really learn that first module you intend to run. Make sure you're familiar with the bad guys/monsters and their capabilities. Make sure you have a plausible adventure hook the player(s) will go for.

Once you get your player(s) thru that first adventure, then spend some time developing your own material if that's something you're into. Alternately, you can string pre-developed adventures together.
Click to expand...

Good tips, thanks DealMonkey... I'd like to run an adventure in the Dragonlance world, and bought a Dragonlance players handbook in an attempt to give me some guildance. I'm reading about all the characters (elves, dwarves, knights of solamnia, etc.)... that part's easy, coming up with a fun/plausible adventure isn't as easy. I'm working on one right now, with the help of a pre-made one.
 
Originally posted by: Yossarian
the problem w/a pre-made adventure is that (I think) very few are made for just one player, and they can be very difficult to balance on your own if you don't know what you're doing.
Click to expand...
That's very true. You'd have to pick the right adventure and then nerf it quite a bit for just 1 player. Ultimately, it would be better to create a custom scenario/adventure for a single player game ... I'm just not sure how much time/experience the OP has.

Alternately, he could run a pre-made adventure with just 1 player, but then bring along 2-3 NPCs to balance the game out. Sometimes it can be tricky for a DM to run lots of NPCs, however with only 1 player it might not be too bad...
 
Kazz: Do vampires have anuses? Cause that's why I wouldn't let this kid invade a vampire's anus in this RPG, right, I was GMing, and his character was an Anus Shade, with the power to possess and control the anuses of people and animals.. and I figured that vampires don't have anuses.
Zaratustra: a vampire's anus is present, but non-working.
Zaratustra: like a network card without the appropriate driver.
Kazz: Wow. You're the biggest dork on Earth.
Sharkey: And you're DMing an rpg with Anus Shades.
 
Originally posted by: yllus
Kazz: Do vampires have anuses? Cause that's why I wouldn't let this kid invade a vampire's anus in this RPG, right, I was GMing, and his character was an Anus Shade, with the power to possess and control the anuses of people and animals.. and I figured that vampires don't have anuses.
Zaratustra: a vampire's anus is present, but non-working.
Zaratustra: like a network card without the appropriate driver.
Kazz: Wow. You're the biggest dork on Earth.
Sharkey: And you're DMing an rpg with Anus Shades.
Click to expand...

:laugh:

didn't i read this before somewhere? :laugh:
 
Originally posted by: Tomato
It's actually pretty fun with the right DM, I'm hoping I can make things exciting for the 1-on-1... how many players do you think are necessary?
Click to expand...
It's hard to fix a specific number, but I've always felt that the fun of RPGs hinges almost entirely on social interaction and the fact that you've got a bunch of players with different personalities each trying to portray a character who in turn has a personality of its own that may not be at all connected to the player's personality.

It's almost like doing improv - the GM sets up a situation and rules and the players react to the situation and to each other. Part of the challenge isn't just coming up with what to do, it's hoping the other players pick up on it as well and act accordingly. Even playing multiple characters, you never have to worry that one character isn't going to "get it" and do something stupid.

Generally I find it most fun with 3+ players and a GM (so 4 minimum).

Otherwise, it's just a narrated die-rolling festival...and there's a lot of other such games that, IMO, are more fun.
 
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