Once you have a sense of what kind of game you want to run and what kind of game your players want to run, you’re ready to choose a module. It’s still worth noting that players can go certain directions very quickly, though. If you are brand new to Dungeons and Dragons as a whole and your players are, too, these conflicts might be slightly less likely to arise since no one has any expectations yet. This is especially important if you have played before and are simply new to DMing. That will help you find the right players for the game. And Player #3 will only be as committed as their friend.Īs a Dungeon Master, it’s important to decide why you want to play first and what kind of game you want to run (generally speaking). Player #2 seems to want a more traditional game that’s more narrative-focused. Player #1 would want a game with a lot of combat, maybe dungeon crawl heavy, and might even enjoy player vs player. These are wildly different answers, though. Now, there is no wrong answer to why someone wants to play D&D. My friend wanted to play, so I’m doing it to support them. I love fantasy stories and want to pretend I’m in Lord of the Rings. I want to fight and kill a bunch of stuff! Let’s say then you get these three answers. This simple question will give you a sense of two very important things: what module to choose and how committed that player is likely to be. For example, here is one simple question I encourage you to ask all potential players. We’ll get into this more with a Session 0, but there are some questions you can ask potential players before you invite them to one session. Why? Because your friends may have wildly different expectations for the game, or they might have horribly conflicting schedules. However, many DMs and players sometimes find that this isn’t the best way to find D&D players. There is absolutely nothing wrong with gathering a bunch of friends who also want to play D&D and just going from there. If you take these three steps seriously, then you’ll be on your way to running a great D&D game as a first time DM. There are three important steps to laying the groundwork. The long-term success of any Dungeons and Dragons game for new and experienced players alike comes from laying the right groundwork. Setting Up Your First Dungeons and Dragons Game as a DM How do you run a Dungeons and Dragons game when you’ve only played a few times, or never? What does it mean to be a Dungeon Master, or a DM, for new players when you are also new?
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What I needed to know was how to run a game for the very first time. It was great advice, but it wasn’t the advice I needed. I wanted to play Dungeons and Dragons for years, but every time I tried to learn how to run a game, I found a bunch of advice on how to write your own game. It can be hard to know where to start, though. And there’s no better way to do that than to run your very own game. So you want to run your first Dungeons and Dragons game?ĭungeons and Dragons is more popular than ever, and many people are looking for a way to jump in for the first time. If you purchase something through this page, Cats and Dice may earn a share of sales from the link. Hey there! This website does contain affiliate links.