Thank you for watching! What things do you wish you knew before being a GM? Let us know in the comments below. Check out The Black Void here: www.drivethrurpg.com/product/285707/Black-Void-Core-Book?affiliate_id=934343
Can we get a link to the tabletop group finder thing? I couldn't easily find one. It would be great if you mention something in your videos you provided a link in the about section
10 things I'd wished I'd known as a new player, in order of importance: 1) You are not married to your GM, and even if you are, you don't HAVE to play with them. Better to not play then to be divorced... 2) Likewise for your group. If you're not having fun and don't see it ever improving, just leave; it'll help prevent burnout and losing friends 3) It's alright to take breaks from a *good* group if life gets in the way; if they're really your friends, they should understand how it is 4) Take time to learn the rules when you can. You'll be helping your GM and the group by doing so, usually by saving time that can be spent actually playing 5) Keep your character idea *as simple as possible* at the beginning, just a sentence or two at first. This gives them ample room to grow as you play 6) You don't have to play the character that's "needed" by the party; it's not a videogame, good GMs can and should compensate for weaknesses in a group's composition. Play what you want 7) Practice minor inter-party conflicts (bickering over treasures, having a rivalry, etc); when you get good at these, they tend to create the most fun and interesting moments at the table 8) Don't feel pressured to do voices and such if you don't want to. This isn't a broadway production, your group shouldn't *need* that kind of excess to RP with you 9) Even if you *hate* GMing, it'll be good to create at least one one-shot adventure to fill the night with in case your GM is sick last minute and nobody else will step up. It WILL happen, promise. 10) Be prepared for people to eventually leave your group, or for your group to dissolve altogether. As discussed earlier, life happens; there will be other groups to join, especially nowadays.
While I do think number 5 is good for new players, I don't think it should always be the case. Many GMs like to put the backstories of their players into the game.
Nr. 5 needs some adjustments, cause my first character was exactly that, just a few sentences, but since he had no ties to the world, no family, no aim in life, he was just there, and it took out some of the fun for me since the GM used the other ppls backstories to build a story, while mine just didn't have one. I personally found that characters who have some tie to the world and some reason to go adventuring make for better characters since they are actually part of the world. You don't have to write ten pages, but at least give your character a reason to go out adventuring (for example looking for a treasure, a lost family member, to defeat someone who killed your family, gain knowledge, smth like that). I've recently started dming and it's so hard trying to motivate players to take part in anything, or have them get invested in the game if the character doesn't have any reason to get invested. Of course you can add a reason to be part of the party later on (like my first character, he's now staying with the party to gain knowledge and mastery over plants and to figure out how to use an item the gm gave him). It made the game infinitely more interesting for me and it's easier for the GM to build in things my character can be interested in, but I wish I knew this before I made my character.
#10 resonates strongly for me, I've been in the same weekly group for nearly a decade (originally using Google Wave & Skype, now over Discord) - and over 4 distinct campaigns I think we've had 12 different players (4 or 5 plus a GM at any one time) and there's only 2 of us that have stayed involved for the whole life of the group.
The last couple of years has really driven that message home for me. I've had to let some of my friends who I used to play with know that I'm "very picky" about who I play with due to the fact that they play with some terrible excuses for human beings.
My old flatmate was a roll player, it really clashed with my GMing style, which was only exasperated by the fact I'd never expected that people would willingly play a stat block with some flavour text.
You should allow one or two games with everyone that seems interested, but as you do a series of "trial games", you need to start making a roster of who is actually worth playing with
There is one big problem with that, which is why we have the rule book. So, let's say I cast "silence" on an enemy caster in a DnD game. The GM then thinks it would be cool if that character casts a specific spell, but it has a vocal component. Obviously, the rules say that he can't cast it. I don't want him to cast it. THAT'S WHY I SILENCED HIM! But the GM goes "oh well it's all make-believe anyway, it's about fun!" Well, I'm not having fun if my hard work just gets thrown out when all the rules are on my side. (BTW I know about metamagic, let's just assume he didn't silent-cast it.)
Gygax himself said "If the rules come in conflict with having fun, throw out the rules for a minute and have fun instead." Words to live by. [That's a paraphrase, I don't remember Gary's exact words] Also, some of my favorite antagonist critters aren't even in the rules. The False Hydra is phenomenally fun to throw at PCs.
@@suicune2001 the False Hydra, if you're a Doctor Who fan, is basically an adaptation of "The Silence." It's a great seed for supernatural mystery-horror that keeps your players guessing wtf is going on.
Between sacrificing the fun for the sake of a rule, and having NO rules at all there's a huge difference. When everybody does whatever they want whenever they want, or when the GM arbitrarily tells the players "NO!" or crushes the PC's, there is no fun. This "you don't need to learn the rules" crap has killed gaming, and no game master reads the rules anymore and they are incapable of balancing encounters if they even try to have encounters anymore. Everybody "focuses on the story" and nothing ever happens anymore, except PC's talking among themselves or with NPC's that tell the PC's they are forgetting their place. It's literally 7 out of 10 lines. And every 3 sessions there is the COMBAT ENCOUNTER with a party of 5 players against 3 zombies or goblins, or the one shot where there are 5 lvl 1 players against a lvl 15 demon
What I learned is: It is OKAY to kill a player in game. If you've established the world as dangerous and they act foolishly where death could be/is a consequence they may suffer, then let it happen. Coddling players and always making things go their positively is a sure fire way for them to quickly come to disrespect the world they're all playing in.
A few random things I wish I knew when I started GMing 1. Don't script. If you try and plan out every part of a given sequence you'll find that what happens is players will do something that you didn't plan for as they will inevitability do 2. Don't give them the answers but don't deny their ideas. To tie into my last point. If the players come up with a good idea that circumvents your puzzle or trap don't just tell them no "because". Give them the W and move on. 3. Don't be afraid to pull someone aside. Whether their having an issue with another player or undermining you make sure you respectfully approach them about the issue. Don't let one person screw your game up for you or others. 4. Pay attention. You may have the most brilliant cathedral in your head and you want to describe every inch of it, but if everyone is looking around not really caring wrap it up and move on. This works in the opposite to if you introduce a character that they all love that you had no intention of bringing back have him make another appearance or two. 5. Help your players. If your players are stuck and stopping the plot don't be afraid to give them the pros and cons and inch them in a direction.
I'm playing in my first campaign with my brother and some D&D veterans, and I'm DMing for my first time with a game for my wife and kids. It's fun learning and teaching them how to be creative!
I just recently started GMing for my wife and some friends too. And I love that you say, "learning and teaching them how to be creative" because you absolutely can learn to be creative. So much of my younger life people would always talk of creativity like a gift that you either have or don't. After I discovered D&D, a whole new world was opened to me and I learned how to be creative with my weekly D&D games being the workshop to improve the craft.
1: When DMing, speak and say everything with absolute confidence and command presence. Players will be confident in the game you are running if you are confident in the game you are running. 2: When in doubt, side with your players. If you are struggling to compute values in your head and it's not game breaking, a little bit of extra leeway in the player's favor doesn't break the suspension of disbelief. 3: Have a general plan of a start and end goal for the session but don't be afraid to change course if the players players do. You are the master of what is going on and you can always tie in where the main campaign is going in a different way. Flexibility and compromise will make everyone feel included at the table. 4: If you have players who are all about the shiny and the loot, make yourself a generic list that you can quickly reference from by your screen, likewise don't be afraid to tell them they find nothing even on a very high search role or skill check. 5: If you are not very creative or quick at making stuff up on the fly yet, don't worry you'll get better at it. Practice makes perfect. Initially you may want to spend extra time preparing sessions until you get a feel for the party and the world that you're in. Once you're comfortable, the world and party will progress and grow organically and it'll be much easier to let creative play happen outside of the path that you initially thought of. 6: Don't be afraid to make a ruling, and don't derail an entire game and start breaking out books. 7: Having silent timers behind your screen is a great tool and will help you keep track of events that you wish to have and keep the party on pace so as you don't spend 45 minutes talking in one room about doing nothing. The group will be silently looking to you to help make things happen. 8: Take advantage of apps and free digital tools as it's never been easier to be a DM. 9: Don't be afraid to try something new and push the boundaries of traditional storytelling and gameplay. Likewise, if a campaign is falling flat don't be afraid to suggest a restart or starting a different type of campaign. Perhaps the party initially agrees to a steampunk pirate setting but then after a while your game starts losing steam and the players are not very enthusiastic with it for a variety of reasons, don't take it personally and don't be afraid of having the discussion of changing games. 10: Keep it light, keep the jokes rolling, and let even random NPCs have personalities. For my group, referencing other Pop culture by in-jokes, or even making subtle stabs at breaking the fourth wall will keep it light and players will be laughing That's what they'll be talking about at the end of your campaigns. Best of luck to anyone starting out.
Yeah, I'm lucky to GM for another GM, So whenever I need to make a rules call, I ask them for confirmation on my judgement. As well as giving my players hints to everything, They don't have to engage with it, But they can if they want, There's a lot of mundane items, But also some magic items That may or may not be malfunctioning.
@@BramLastname I'm running my first campaign (we're about 8 months into it now) for 2 of my former GMs, so both of of them understand how much work goes into a good story. Turns out I actually enjoy it even more than playing as a single character, and they prefer playing over keeping track of all the moving parts behind the scenes. Wish I'd had the confidence to take up the screen years earlier, because we often went long stretches between campaigns, and I'm starting to think maybe it was partly because they wanted to play as characters, not run the table. So, my "wish I knew" was *it's super rewarding to be the facilitator of fun* and *your friends won't judge you if you make small mistakes while you learn* , but I'm really grateful that my players have been through the same learning curve themselves. We joke a lot about "DM Problems" when they do something really unexpected and things go briefly sideways while I try to reorient around the sudden changes.
@@cristiaolson7327 good for you, I'm glad it's working out well for you and I share many of the same sentiment. Consider yourself a rare breed, I have hardly met many female players and I have never met a female GM. Having been DMing for close to 7 years, it is fun to see how much your friends love the stories GM's put together for them. Very rewarding, and teaching the next generation even more so. I have got my friend to start his own game, and another is going to take up our next when finish the two we have.
@@immortalmonk2891 My friends got me into playing a year ago, our group was 3 guys, 2 girls, and by now everyone has tried gming themselves, me and the other girl both run our own games now, we just needed to get introduced to dnd and have enough people say 'we wish we had a gm to play with' to pick it up ourselves. If you invite female players to your games, make it inviting for them (for example don't make the girls uncomfortable with sexist/r*pe jokes, they will leave), encourage them to try gming themselves and you'll have plenty female gms around soon enough. The biggest reason why girls aren't gming is that they either got uncomfortable around dnd players or they just don't get invited as often into games.
The most important rule I learned was this: become comfortable with being uncomfortable. In other words, you csnt prep for everything. Players are too unpredictable. So become comfortable with improvisation. Improvisation is one of the greatest joys as DM, as it means you too are going to be challenged by the unknown. You too will have puzzles. You too will be tested... but by the players.
This!!! And not just during play, but in-between as well. I once had a player come to me, his second week of play, and ask if a relative of his character could be a villain setting him up as a scape goat. At that time, I didn't have any detailed ploy hooks, so that became the BBEG of the whole first adventure
I’m a new DM and I had realized this while I was planning my first campaign. I was going too far into planning and realized it’s a heck of a lot easier to have a rough and flexible plan rather than putting forth so much effort to have a contingency for every eventuality.
if you make a scenario you have a bit more generic, you can railroad them without them realizing it. I think Guy talked about this very thing, and I've done it myself. You prepared for a big epic battle against an evil king in a castle, but your team decides they REALLY need to explore this cavern? With a bit of tweaking, suddenly it's a goblin king inside the cavern! That's actually crazy helpful.
@@Nerobyrne I recommend against it, though it may seem that the players can not know if their choice matter or not, then it is my experience that they often figure it out anyway. I have seen quite some examples of players discovering it, leading to trouble for the campaign it happened in. I have caught a GM doing it in a campaign I played in, it resulted in the end of that campaign. (That was not the only reason, but it was the "last drop".) Of course you do not have to end up in the opposite side where, sandbox like, things looses connection entirely. It is about having some options. Five is a good number, I will say at least three, so when the group make a choice, you can pick which of the options you have at hand, that matches their choice best, and then run it. This way the players choices matter, but without being either too strong or too weak. (Both situations equally frustrating to the players.)
This is actually great advice. Back in March I started my own campaign set in a homebrew world and we're still going. Everyone helps each other, and encourages the other players. I worked with the players beforehand and asked them what they'd like to see in the game, giving each of them the chance to develop their own story-arc within the world. Since then, we've been playing weekly, and I've never GM'd before, I played D&D a few times back in high school, like 15 years ago, but like Guy said, as long as you have fun, respect the players and don't railroad them into your story, you can have an amazing time! Plus, it's really rewarding to watch people interact with the world you've created for them, even if it's not how you imagined it when building it.
The only thing I wish I knew when I started is how to read the table. As an example, if we are doing a huge dungeon slog, and the party is getting saddle-sore of the dungeon, I wish I knew enough to inject a little tangent adventure in so that the party could come back refreshed and invigorated to continue on their path.
Your note to cancel if you're not in the right frame of mind is so true. I've wondered if I was losing interest for the game so many times and then I would come back excited to dm. Need to spend some time finding the right frame of mind - triggers and telltale signs.
Can I just say, from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS VIDEO! I only just started my first campaign back in March and I was terrified! I thought I had to know every rule, every monster, every sourcebook, every map, etc. or else I would look like an idiot. But here I am, 8 months down the road with a weekly campaign that my players just LOVE. I’m still learning, I’m still adjusting, and I’m still seeking my players’ opinions. And after finding you on UA-cam, your videos have helped me silence my inner critic and just GO FOR IT. You’re amazing. Thank you for the content and the care.
The golden rule of RPGing: If the rules/numbers/books are getting in the way of having fun, ignore them and do something else instead. Everyone having fun is the most important thing in running a game. Rule consistent is important but the the rule of fun is more important.... don't let the rules bog the game down and let things get borring..... HAVE FUN! Generaly a GM vs Player mindset is also a bad idea as unless thats what the players want, it's not fun. Most people would rather have a story than have there chars killed and death kinda puts an end to any story ideas you have.
I'm always hesitant on videos like these considering that they are usually skewed to the person's style of play (especially with the case of Taking20's channel). But this is probably THE best video about this topic, as it covers the unspoken rules and the lessons any GM will learn as they go along. it's really important that we teach people that they shouldn't be looking for the "right" way to play, but instead steer them away from harmful traits that could damage or break up a group in their future and leave them with that bad experience.
Yes. This channel has the fortune of being about a becoming a great GM & not just a great DM. It's not automatically selling D&D books rules as written.
Guy is usually VERY good at giving out good general advice not how he feels about particular things. However, I DO still enjoy Cody's content now and then but I will often skip videos like "10 best feats in ..." for awhile, eventually I will watch them because I have no life therefore plenty of time to watch videos!
@@JacksonOwex i don't mind those videos, it's more the fact that Taking20 constany goes on about having his games be realistic and even said things like that Monks don't have a place in D&D due to them being too unrealistic with their Ki. It's like... dude, what?
I had a poignant mistake moment once when I was GM’ing and even just after it occurred, I had the feeling that I mishandled the situation. I left the table feeling like I had absolutely let one of my players down, specifically, and at the time I knew I could have done better. I went home and pondered on what I did wrong, and I actually managed to come to a solid answer, and ever since then I look back on that moment as a *great* learning moment. The player was one of my best friends so I was especially down that I had flubbed it, but I feel like I learned a very valuable lesson in interpreting mechanics as narrative.
So true. How many times have I been stressed out at the table and thought...I get paid to deal with stress at work, why am I so stressed out playing a game? I enjoy spending time preparing, building sets, etc. The stress for me usually comes from bickering over rules minutiae or some player complaining about other party members' play style (like "they don't role play seriously enough"). I've gotta think that some players take the game more seriously than their job.
The 3 dislikes at this point are all debating points 4 and 6. But what boggles my mind is how people are stuck in the books. This game is all about problem solving and creativity. Thanks for the Videos you are a great help!
On monsters and such: I can't recommend basing stats off your party enough. Not sure how strong a monster should be? Compare it to your party! Compare its AC to the parties average "to hit" chance to figure out how often they'll be hitting it. Compare its health total to the average damage per round of the entire party (and "nova" round). Compare its "to hit" chance with the party's AC to figure out how often the creature should hit. If you want it to be capable of one shot-ing someone, compare it's average damage per round to the party's average health etc. It makes balancing encounters so much more intuitive. The DM Coach put out a video about this awhile back and I've heavily utilized the concept for my homebrew monsters, especially "re-imaginings" of existing creatures.
oh man not knowing the rules was huge for me. I thought I was gonna have to know the DM guide/PHB/MM front to back and inside out before I could GM. I finally just started and realized I didn't need half of the rules I was worried about.
The thing I wish I knew was: they might be your friend, but doesn't mean they are a good player, or at least a good fit for the kind of game you are trying to run.
1:36 #1 Role play can be done without rules. 3:31 #2 Role play is collective storytelling (Not the GM's story). 4:40 #3 Role play is better without monsters. 8:38 #4 Both NPCs as well as PCs should flee and/or surrender. (You can not role play with them if they die.) 10:10 #5 Everyone, NPCs as well as PCs should have a motivation/goal. (What do they want/desire?) 12:59 #6 Role playing time should be good time for everyone, the GM included. 14:53 #7 Role play can be done in complete darkness. (Being blind should be no hindrance for role playing!) 16:56 #8 Accept that not everyone is going to like your game / style. 18:55 #9 Do not be afraid of making mistakes, recover and proceed. 20:25 #10 Do not stick to only one RPG system, learn new (to you) systems! 23:03 #11 Respect your fellow players. (Everyone is allowed to have their own opinions.) 24:57 What are your ten things? What thing do you wish you had known before you joined or started role playing? I RPG rules are to role play, as safety net is to tightrope walking: Superfluous when things go well, but nice to have when things go wrong. (Rules have their use, especially during character creation. But get the rulebooks off the table during IC play, as looking in rulebooks are immersion breaking.) II Dice are bad storytellers; avoid the use of dice as much as you can. (Dice can be useful during character creation. But keep dice off the table during IC play, as dice rolling are immersion breaking.) III Being a GM is like being a doctor of medicine: Your ultimate goal is to make yourself superfluous! (Until then; ensure to keep your patients/PCs as healthy/self driven as possible, so they can go the longest before you have to give them the next injection.) IV Always ensure that everyone know when we play next time. (The #1 killer of campaigns is when they are postponed until further notice.) V Remember that as GM you are all the PCs senses. (Describe what they see, hear, smell, etc. - From the PC's perspective.) VI Know your PCs. (Knowing their characters is the most important knowledge you need. - World/Rules/Story/etc. is secondary.) VII "Warhammer 40k" and "Dungeon & Dragons" are not role playing games. (They are Table Top Tactical War Games. This is, like football and piano, something that can be played. But! Never ever pretend they are role playing games.) VIII Avoid negations when you talk. - Rephrase or remove them. (Bad: PC: "I open the door", GM: "You can not", PC: "Why not?", GM: "It is locked". - Fix by remove all negations: PC: "I open the door", GM: "It is locked".) IX: Recurring antagonists are not good for role play. (They are only good for episodic TV series, as they allow the viewer to skip episodes without loosing the story.) X: Remember to have a good time! (Time is precious, so get the best out of it!)
The thing I love the most about being a GM, now that I'm talking to my table friends about a campaign I'm preparing, is that I suggest a world and they add things to it with their character ideas. Like, it's not just MY world, it's OUR world as a group of friends having fun, and I truly like being a GM and having a wonderful laugh with them. It really already feels like sharing something beautiful
Great video I recently started GMing my first D&D campaign. That I home brewed and I had bought my GM guide a full year and a half before agreeing to DM because I was so intimidated by the process and then realized in the first session that it was funner to allow the story to develop and that you can't accurately predict the motives or what is going to intrigue the party and wish I had watched this video a year ago.
Guy, this is one of your best videos. I am a very experienced GM and player, and this advice is GOLD. ESPECIALLY the "It Is Supposed To Be FUN!" I would add one more: read GMing blogs and watch GMing vlogs. They are fun, inspiring, informative, and helpful. At least, they have been for me.
A couple of my players told me about this saying "he stole your list!" Obviously, he didn't. We've just had VERY similar experiences in gaming. I would add: read every game you can find. Never stop reading games. Learn everything you can. You will come across a situation in your game where you do not like the rule/resolution method for your chosen game system, and another game system might have one you like better. There is no "winner" in an RPG, but, if you're not having fun, you can lose one.
I could listen to Guy say 'Shrubbery' all day haha Great video thank you. I second the not needing to know all the rules point. I would have started years earlier if I had believed that! Still working on the Have Fun though. I want so badly for everyone to have a good time and an engaging session I sometimes forget to have fun myself. ~Dan
@@alexanderthompson7164 *True* . Also a point we can all agree on is to never buy *Two Monstrous Manuals* . I have an old one from when I was young & thought I needed to buy everything. Second or third edition maybe. It's just a list of ideas & pictures now. But all the MM's have skeletons & Zombies as weak even if we all know that if we saw one in real life that we would sh*t ourselves. Also goblins are comic relief when any Japanese anime can do them better justice. I just got a DMG 5e for Christmas. Not because I needed it, but because my wife kept pestering me about putting something, anything on my amazon wish list. It was half price on Amazon so... it made her happy. It's known as _the one book everyone owns but nobody has read cover to cover_ .
Thanks to your videos. I jumped into DMing D&D with a group of 6 of my friends. Before I started this campaign I only played in 2 one shots where I didn't even make my own character! You can start running games whenever you want know nothing go forth and have fun. Every week all 6 players tell me how awesome the story was and how they can't wait for nxt week weave good stories the rest can come later. ALso invite a player or two that knows the rules alot better and have them there for help if you need on callings.
On numbers and monsters, this is why I LOVE Fantasy Flight Games narrative dice. You can add boost and setback dice to alter rolls based on the GMs gut instinct of how difficult an opponent should be and then narratively explain it. Makes for a dynamic story centered approach that discourages accounting.
This channel helped me grasp the basic and advanced concepts of dming, I've added all you videos to my gm core knowledge list on youtube, always great advice and I really enjoy your videos, thank you for all the amazing advice. 😊
I cant find it just skimming around now to quote it exactly, but the part where you talk about finding a new group if your friends arent into your GM style is something i needed to hear. I have friends who prefer a lighter theme and less roleplay than what i usually like to bring, and even some friends who have outright said "you're a bad GM." (Though that was mostly my very first few games) And all of that is fine, because i can find a new group and try and learn while they have fun with another GM who likes that way of doing things. Thank you ❤
I desperately wanted to try gm'ing Call of Cthulhu, so one time when our scheduled dnd session got cancelled, I offered to run COC, but there was a few who adamantly didn't want to try any other system, so we didn't do it. Now almost a year later (and several cancelled sessions later) three of us have started COC with a coworker of mine. Oh, and we're in the process of reorganizing the dnd group, because some people just can't seem to prioritize even 1 day a month to dnd.
I'll be DMing for my first time this christmas with my family, and feel so overwhelmed and nervous with not knowing the rules. So these videos have been so helpful. I love improvisation and just making things up so hopefully things will go well.
I appreciated the section about "sometimes just not feeling it". Matt Colville had some good advice: figure out the part(s) of the game we love/get energy from and be sure to lean into that aspect. I realised I enjoy "doing voices"/portraying NPC's as well as crafting engaging battle maps on Roll20. For the particular session I didn't feel like running, I invested energy in those aspects, found myself then looking forward to playing. All the other aspects still need to be done but the characterization and maps gave a way into enthusiasm. (My players said the session was exceptional). In addition, scheduled breaks are important. To recharge, engage in other aspects of life, give time to write and prepare, etc. We return fresh with new ideas!
I totally agree with the statement about monsters. Mine are always what I want, and rarely what is found in any book. It has always worked out very well and players like not really knowing what a monster can do, unless they learn over time.
I loved your mention of expanding horizons, for just like moving away from home, sometimes you just have to leave your comfort zone/postal code to get more solutions to the same problems. From the tabletop perspective, I wish I spent less time early on stratifying my gameplay and just accepting that elements outside of classic Tolkien or the elder lais still had so much to give in ways of enjoyment. Thank you for sharing this list, sir!
When I wrote my first own campaign as a GM, I never looked into the monster manual at all until after I was done writing everything else. I literally just put in the monsters and enemies that I wanted to have at that point in the story and how many hp they had and what their attack is and after that I really just searched through the monsters list to find stat blocks for them in case someone made them do a saving throw. I pretty much changed up everything about them from what they originally where. I also sometimes spontaneously increased or decreased their hp depending on how the players were holding up during the game so they would always be a challenge but never overkill. And after my campaign was over and we're playing with other gms now, I realise that it's sometimes really obvious when the GM just took some monster from the manual and didn't change it up to fit the parties level. some fights can get really stupid when your opponent has an AC of 19 and you all have only +1 on your hit...
Some things I am happy I know as a newbie GM aside from some storytelling goodness: This is your story! Don't be afraid that people might not like it. People who want to roleplay will probably not object to talking with you. We're not at school, people are here voluntarily. That's it for now.
Running my first one shot pretty soon and I am sooo fricken grateful that I can UA-cam these videos instead of 100% winging it. I've gotten alot of tips and ideas from this channel. Thank you.
Heh, I thrusted myself onto the GM seat when I first started DnD. A bunch of my friends wanted to get into it, but we didn't have anyone who was into DnD before us, so we all learned along the way.
Everything has a goal - best advice! Thank you. This was my biggest hang up for like three sessions. I started to lose my players because the world was getting flat and boring (despite many tens of hours of world building and planning).
Guy, you are the reason I found the courage to GM for my group after we were ghosted by our first GM. We've been playing GoSM for about 6 months now and we're having so much fun!! I wish I had started playing 30 years ago instead of waiting so long.
Woah I’m early for once, love your videos dude! I’m beginning to write my first proper campaign for over the holidays, and your channel has been such a huge help. Thank you!
I ran a campaign that went for well over a year, and there were definitely days I felt obligated to run the game, though I didn't really want to. I eventually learned that canceling and perhaps playing a different game with the group for an evening is often the better choice. Burnout is real, and it won't just affect you as the GM.
I am new to being a GM but not to D&D. My best friend from high school and I played D&D way back in 1988-89. For some weird reason I got the itch to play again, and low and Beholder we got back into the game. The scary part was he was the GM back when we were young, and he didn’t want to run the campaign he wanted to be the player. I was terrified at first, but I agreed to run the campaign and relearn the rules. Your point about having fun being the number one rule is spot on. I truly enjoyed hearing your input on playing, and to just relax. Glad I got to see this video, as a still wet behind the ears GM. Thank you.
Point 6 was so important for me to hear! I've ended up in a bit of a D&D slump because I feel like I have to DM as often as possible! Of course it's flattering that my players enjoy the game so much, but I feel drained and uninspired! I need to remember to take breaks!
Probably won't see this since this is an older video, but you are awesome. I was stressing out so much trying to plan my first GM attempt (a one-shot, going down tonight!) and you completely calmed my nerves. It'll be okay - and I can't wait to become a great gm!
The thing I wish I knew when I started playing, all together, was that a DM is a regular player, like everyone else at the table, just with a slightly different job. A main DM, from my childhood, was selling some special social order. Really made it sound mystical.
I read a thing last night talking about how DM/GMing is like doing improv theater. We make offers, and the players can pick them up (or more often, not). For example, in a certain streamed RPG, the GM described a room, finishing with a solitary chair in the middle of the room. There was nothing in his plans about that chair, but the party SEIZED on that chair and it became a trope for them for the next 20 sessions. Or in one of my games. I described a fencing-master, Ginaldo, and one of the players quipped "and he has a brother, Owaldo, but no one can ever find him." And thus Owaldo the spy-master was born. I made an offer, Ginaldo, and the party reciprocated, and we're building together. It's a beautiful thing. And so long as we're having fun together, that's what matters, in my book!
I’m making my first campaign right now waiting for the campaign I’m playing in now to end. This and many of your other videos are great. Full of experience and wisdom. Thank You Sir.✌️
Thank you since I have come back to D&D just recently (started back in ‘77) I’m back.. I was a DM in early 80’s so thing’s have massively changed and loving it. And thanks good on sir!!!
Hey mate, Ive been dipping my toe in Gming for about 2 years on and off and lately I have been doing a pokemom dnd and its been so fun BUT i wanted to come watch you to see if i can get better as a GM and help my players have even more fun. I thank you for all the notes, mate ❤
I love lists, too!!! Keep on keepin' on!! And thank you! And the best "Big Bad" ever was a GM created one: and for every member of that Party, when we hear that Bad's "theme" music we say, "oh, NO!!!"
You could do d12s instead of d20s if you were running a game where the players are all commoners, maybe as a prologue or interlude. It would be a fun little thematic contrast, making all the numbers less impressive so the heroes feel even stronger when going back to them.
Thanks Guy! Just about to close my first year DM’ing & at least 5 of these points resonated with me at some point (they still are...). Good for me to see quality bits and pieces of wisdom on the internet consolidated into a personal talk like this.
Always trust that your players will go in a direction you hadn't planned for. And that's okay. Just go with it, taking a quick break if you really need one to figure out what the heck you're doing.
Cool video. My #1 is your #2. GM’s role is “Serve & Respond”... Then: #2 Heroes get the spotlight (and share it roughly equally) #3 Motivate your NPCs (not sure what number you gave that but you’re right, it’s crucial) #4 Keep the world turning in the background #5 Differentiate NPCs with description, body language & voice #6 Make fantasy settings fantastic (I owe the Lazy DM for that one) #7 Players lead the scenes, GM weaves the story, the dice throw in the unexpected twists & laughs #8 “Yes and...” is good; “No but...” is also good #9 Bring character backgrounds & goals into every story arc #10 Keep it fluid - don’t get bogged down in rules or details There’s my tuppence anyway. Thanks for the advice, Guy - great as ever!
Surprisingly good advice from Guy here! Another word of warning - One thing that nobody tells you when you become a DM is that your players are going to expect your 'leadership' or authority to extend outside of the game. Not only will you be expected to plan the sessions and carry the social burden in game, but it will also suddenly be your responsibility to schedule games, resolve conflicts, transition from hanging out to game, and, sometimes, dragging your players' option out of them. The DM job comes with weird, exhausting social pressure and the structure often allows others to sit back and abdicate the responsibility that THEY have to communicate THEIR wants, needs, boundaries, availability and issues. Suddenly that's your job, and so now it's also your job to talk to them ABOUT TALKING. Get used to communication workshops y'all
Something I have learned as a New GM: Some platforms worth better for the budding GM than others. I cannot for the life of me run again on an actual table top without getting overwhelmed and driving myself nuts; however I do much better running games via digital platforms like Roll20. Things can be more organized, streamlined and customized to a way I feel comfortable. So if one format doesn't work for you at first, maybe give it a chance in another format!
Thanks for this. I watch your channel and get the itch to run something... and then quit after a session or two for exactly the reasons you mention in this vid - because I dont feel like I know the rules enough, I get too caught up with MY story I have in my head instead of allowing the PCs to create story, etc etc. I need to bookmark this so I can rewatch it again and again.
What a delightful video I’ve stumbled across. I simply love your philosophy and mindset. As a DM who’s always favoured story/experience over rules it was a joy to listen to. My one thing I wish I knew before becoming a GM: just go with it! At the beginning I had a plan for how things would unfold but nowadays I delight in my players going off the beaten path and breaking the script. It’s pure joy watching them turn all of my plans upside down. And they also feel giddy because they also know they’ve gone off script and taken a different path. Once upon a time I’d try to railroad them or punish them but these days I’ll fudge rolls to facilitate crazy, bold decisions just to encourage that glorious improvisation.
Thank you! I volunteered to GM my first ever game because the only group I could find only had room for a GM and my plus one; this goes a long way toward easing my nerves. ^_^
Thank you for the videos. It has given me new outlooks on how to GM any system. I am in the process of starting a new D&D campaign after about 15 or 20 years of not being able to TTRPG. The group that I will be running with are all new players to the TTRPG genera. Besides D&D, the other system I like is Palladium. Games like TMNT, RIFTS and Robotech are the ones that I grew up playing the most and was my first system that I was a GM with. I still have some of the books and still look at them for some inspiration in my current D&D game I am running.
Haha I love how you said you don't need to know all the stats or even any. In my game just yesterday I messed up on a creature that was immune to Acid damage. I let acid do normal damage... My PCs didn't know the difference so I Rolled with it
We found that a 2'x4' roll up easy erase grid map and pens was a great group investment for the game. The beginner box (pathfinder in our case) came with some minis at 1" diameter base. Together we can draw out any scenario in a hurry and it really helped with the tactical placement of characters, which helps fight the dreaded "I was here not there" arguments that slowed the game down. Would recommend for new GM's as nice to have starting purchases, and I say this as someone who can't draw a circle =p
I’m having a crack at DMing for the first time this weekend, so much support in the community for DMs it’s awesome! Advice like this makes it less of an unreachable goal in peoples’ minds. Fab video!
Your hints and tips have helped me immensely. My game continues to grow and I'm seriously considering turning my sessions into short stories/novellas. Thanks again and keep up the good work.
I've been binge watching all of your videos lately, and I cannot say thank you enough. This video came at the perfect time too! You've inspired me to build my own world and run my own campaign starting early 2021. I've run some test one shots, implementing things I've learned from your channel and my friends have been nothing but supportive and complimentary to me, which is all thanks to you - so, thank you again for giving so much to the RPG community!
I've being GM for a while for the past years to be exact, in every session it as been mistakes after mistakes and my anxiety was not helpfull, and in every single point you talked about you made me realise that i should have fun. You made me realize i need to breathe. So thank you i will take everything you said to heart
I wish I'd known when I started out that a campaign is really a series of interconnected adventures. I didn't write specific adventures; I wrote a campaign, which meant I sort of hit the wall when I started realizing adventures were what we were doing. Knowing that now, it's revolutionized how I've handled my campaigns, and it makes it feel far more manageable. (I learned that from this channel, even. :) )
@@larsdahl5528 My problem is I came at it like the novelist I am rather than recognizing the genre's unique requirements! You're exactly right about it being an episodic show, and treating it that way has improved my GMming a lot!
Re: you don't need the monster manual - while that's generally true, I'd say that the Paizo versions are quite handy to have. At least the first one - they contain the rules for creating custom monsters near the back of the book.
As a current GM, there's been many occasions where I didn't know exactly what the propper protocal of a moment should be for one or more of my players, so I'll decide to very quickly access what that want to do and either just say "Kool you do it" or as simple as "Ok give me an athletics or acrobatics or strength check. Depending on situation. And monsters, enemies, I've created most of my own and sometimes just simply pull one from Google or the monster manual and tone it down a hair if I tink it's TOO badass for my players. I love this guys advice. Love his channel.
I always feel like I'm saying something sacrilegious when I disclose that I don't give monsters hp at all, I just count the damage up until I feel like it's enough. If someone gets a really good crit I might even decide 'fuck it, it's dead' in one hit. I don't even know where this perceived pressure comes from, it's a make-belief game!
I use the hp a monster has in the book as a guideline, but I often adjust up to 5 points (in Warhammer this is alot) depending on how the game is going. There's no sense in having two or three monsters left on 1 to 2 wounds, just kill them, unless you still have a tactical purpose for them to fulfill in this combat (like a distraction), or it's going too easy. It always feels more satisfying for the player to kill something in one swing than having to 'redo'.
This is a really late reply but this comment made me feel so much better. I've wanted to DM for so so long, but I have trouble keeping on top of math and hitpoints because of my ADHD so I've always been super scared of doing it. My two DMs are both very strict about following rules, so when I mentioned to them once that I wish the game could be more flexible and narrative-based for the DM they both were staunchly against it. Not giving the enemies HP would make it possible for me to DM really well, but so many people think it's the worst possible thing you can do. Seeing comments like yours is giving me confidence to give DMing a try anyway :)
@@faunix3573 There are all kinds of DMing styles out there, some more represented than others, but it’s definitely possible to find your crowd if you’re clear about what you’re going for! I often find myself at odds with the mainstream dnd meta, so I got into DMing for first-timers a lot (and there are tons of “it seems interesting but i don’t know anything about it” people now). It’s lots of fun to see what decisions they make when they never heard how you’re ‘supposed to play’ and you only ever need to stay just one step ahead of them if you’re still learning yourself, I highly recommend.
@@faunix3573 I just ignore HP for most of my monsters, too. If a player goes 'Wait a minute, I added up all the damage, this creature should be dead by now!', I just reply that not every PC has the same hitpoints, not all wizards are the same, maybe this polar bear is a bit tougher than most of the others, maybe it's actually being controlled and buffed by BBEG from the distance, maybe it was recently healed by a druid who found it badly wounded so he decided to give the polar bear some extra health.. YOU dont know that, dear player, it's none of your business, you dont know all the stats, history and details of every person and creature you ever come along. If your players think someone was killed too soon, maybe it was already wounded when the battle started because it had just escaped a much harder battle with something else in the next room and wasnt actually charging you but trying to run away when you walked into its path, or maybe it was always the shortest of its siblings, never got much food and stayed weak. Or there has been an outbreak of goblin-pocks and the goblin would've died tomorrow even without the fight. Numbers dont matter, you have to tell a story. If you think the fight should go on, it goes on. If you think the creature/person should die (or flee), that's what happens.
Long time player and DM but I still learn something new from every one of your vids, thanks. My favorite tip from this vid: the social contract. My own tip: never DM or play a game that doesn’t start with a session zero.
My biggest barrier is learning how to GM in Roll20. I downloaded a module then realized I have absolutely no idea on what to do. I think the technical barrier is one thing that not enough people discuss. DMing is significantly more effort than playing.
I was the same at the start of this year. But my best tips for you are, use the free inbuilt 5e character sheet they have. Get used to typing "/r 1d20" and other values for when the sheet doesn't work. Try the Reddit page on battle maps really good things there. Free tool "token tool" to create own tokens. Fog of war is easier than dynamic lighting. Simple handouts are a good thing to use, not as good as physical print outs but it does the job. Finally, the bare bones stuff is all you need. Give it time you'll get it! 😎
I hear ya I use fantasy grounds but it takes a while to get the systems down. My best recommendation is just play with the obvious tools and you will pickup on the rest as you go. And never be afraid to ask for help or to Google your questions. Chances are someone has had the same problem in the past.
Great video wish id known alot of these too when i started, Some my tips are, Every so often let some monsters die when you want them too just to make a player feel epic or if they do something really cool, or make it do more damage to the players so they feel like it was a grueling battle that they only just scraped though but when its a real important boss fight be a bit less forgiving as there has to be a real chance of death, Play at conventions if you can! conventions games are a selection box of treats to taste and expore new systems and withness other gm's styles, And to add to "you dont need a monster manual" and "try different systems" i think looking at systems with its owt beastiary or alternate monster manual, find and adapt some realy obsure shit that'll blow your players minds!
This is great :D a few of my players are interested but intimated about becoming DMs themselves and I think this video will be a good way to encourage and help them over come their reluctance :) And hopefully I maybe able to become a player again instead of DMing all the time lol
"You dont need that stuff" Back in day? Theatre of mind. If you want to map? Wet erase, cheap colored markers and wooden tokens from a craft store. I dont buy a bunch of figs, I make tokens. Good times! I dont have it handy at the moment, but Paizo and their pathfinder/starfinder always open their books with "The first rule/The most important rule" In that the game is supposed to be a fun social experience. So if you need to address or change or even ignore some aspects? Just do it. Respect players and make the game your own.
I've been gm'ing for a couple of years now and started not long after finding your channel. Turns out I've already implemented a lot of the (amazing) tips in this video into my games and I think they've been all the better because of that. Thanks for the always fun and informative content throughout the years!
“Relax” is probably the most useful but most difficult tip on GMing I’ve heard so far. It’s so scary to jump in without knowing what you’re doing but you’re right!
Hi Guy. Veteran GM here. The thing about the storytelling; I have a story in my head, and I want my players to "act it out". I put them on the path and see how they do. They might follow the straight line (my line) or - more likely - they follow their own line. And THAT is exciting! I don't know what lies beyond that line or what I'm going to do now, but I can find out until next session. But I still have my story - the narrative story - when the party is ready for that. :)
Thank you for watching! What things do you wish you knew before being a GM? Let us know in the comments below.
Check out The Black Void here: www.drivethrurpg.com/product/285707/Black-Void-Core-Book?affiliate_id=934343
Can we get a link to the tabletop group finder thing? I couldn't easily find one. It would be great if you mention something in your videos you provided a link in the about section
@@michaelmagee2062 I aggree with Michael.
If this is beginner we need the sophomore version next please thank you guy 🙏
Love ya Guy, I like most of what you say, I also like how you correct yourself mid sentence! Shows humility and a humor that is comforting.
Thank you for noticing and fixing!
10 things I'd wished I'd known as a new player, in order of importance:
1) You are not married to your GM, and even if you are, you don't HAVE to play with them. Better to not play then to be divorced...
2) Likewise for your group. If you're not having fun and don't see it ever improving, just leave; it'll help prevent burnout and losing friends
3) It's alright to take breaks from a *good* group if life gets in the way; if they're really your friends, they should understand how it is
4) Take time to learn the rules when you can. You'll be helping your GM and the group by doing so, usually by saving time that can be spent actually playing
5) Keep your character idea *as simple as possible* at the beginning, just a sentence or two at first. This gives them ample room to grow as you play
6) You don't have to play the character that's "needed" by the party; it's not a videogame, good GMs can and should compensate for weaknesses in a group's composition. Play what you want
7) Practice minor inter-party conflicts (bickering over treasures, having a rivalry, etc); when you get good at these, they tend to create the most fun and interesting moments at the table
8) Don't feel pressured to do voices and such if you don't want to. This isn't a broadway production, your group shouldn't *need* that kind of excess to RP with you
9) Even if you *hate* GMing, it'll be good to create at least one one-shot adventure to fill the night with in case your GM is sick last minute and nobody else will step up. It WILL happen, promise.
10) Be prepared for people to eventually leave your group, or for your group to dissolve altogether. As discussed earlier, life happens; there will be other groups to join, especially nowadays.
As a GM, 9/10 great advice for players, new and old.
These are great!
While I do think number 5 is good for new players, I don't think it should always be the case. Many GMs like to put the backstories of their players into the game.
Nr. 5 needs some adjustments, cause my first character was exactly that, just a few sentences, but since he had no ties to the world, no family, no aim in life, he was just there, and it took out some of the fun for me since the GM used the other ppls backstories to build a story, while mine just didn't have one. I personally found that characters who have some tie to the world and some reason to go adventuring make for better characters since they are actually part of the world. You don't have to write ten pages, but at least give your character a reason to go out adventuring (for example looking for a treasure, a lost family member, to defeat someone who killed your family, gain knowledge, smth like that).
I've recently started dming and it's so hard trying to motivate players to take part in anything, or have them get invested in the game if the character doesn't have any reason to get invested.
Of course you can add a reason to be part of the party later on (like my first character, he's now staying with the party to gain knowledge and mastery over plants and to figure out how to use an item the gm gave him). It made the game infinitely more interesting for me and it's easier for the GM to build in things my character can be interested in, but I wish I knew this before I made my character.
#10 resonates strongly for me, I've been in the same weekly group for nearly a decade (originally using Google Wave & Skype, now over Discord) - and over 4 distinct campaigns I think we've had 12 different players (4 or 5 plus a GM at any one time) and there's only 2 of us that have stayed involved for the whole life of the group.
The only thing I wish I knew was 'you don't have to play with just about everyone. Pick and choose'
An important thing to know that isn't brought up often enough.
The last couple of years has really driven that message home for me. I've had to let some of my friends who I used to play with know that I'm "very picky" about who I play with due to the fact that they play with some terrible excuses for human beings.
My old flatmate was a roll player, it really clashed with my GMing style, which was only exasperated by the fact I'd never expected that people would willingly play a stat block with some flavour text.
You should allow one or two games with everyone that seems interested, but as you do a series of "trial games", you need to start making a roster of who is actually worth playing with
“There is no system. It’s make believe.” This needs to be on a shirt or coffee mug.
When we can play in person again here, I am gonna make that
there is no spoon
@@BurningLove73 knew that would pop up after that line.
Quick, Robin, to the TeeSpring!
There is one big problem with that, which is why we have the rule book.
So, let's say I cast "silence" on an enemy caster in a DnD game. The GM then thinks it would be cool if that character casts a specific spell, but it has a vocal component.
Obviously, the rules say that he can't cast it.
I don't want him to cast it. THAT'S WHY I SILENCED HIM!
But the GM goes "oh well it's all make-believe anyway, it's about fun!"
Well, I'm not having fun if my hard work just gets thrown out when all the rules are on my side.
(BTW I know about metamagic, let's just assume he didn't silent-cast it.)
Gygax himself said "If the rules come in conflict with having fun, throw out the rules for a minute and have fun instead." Words to live by. [That's a paraphrase, I don't remember Gary's exact words]
Also, some of my favorite antagonist critters aren't even in the rules. The False Hydra is phenomenally fun to throw at PCs.
What is a False Hydra? Is that like a Ditto?
@@suicune2001 the False Hydra, if you're a Doctor Who fan, is basically an adaptation of "The Silence."
It's a great seed for supernatural mystery-horror that keeps your players guessing wtf is going on.
@@KickstandOptional Oooo, ok. Neat! Yeah, I am a Doctor Who fan. I should think of ways to incorporate that stuff.
I wish all players were able to follow that sentiment
Between sacrificing the fun for the sake of a rule, and having NO rules at all there's a huge difference. When everybody does whatever they want whenever they want, or when the GM arbitrarily tells the players "NO!" or crushes the PC's, there is no fun. This "you don't need to learn the rules" crap has killed gaming, and no game master reads the rules anymore and they are incapable of balancing encounters if they even try to have encounters anymore. Everybody "focuses on the story" and nothing ever happens anymore, except PC's talking among themselves or with NPC's that tell the PC's they are forgetting their place. It's literally 7 out of 10 lines. And every 3 sessions there is the COMBAT ENCOUNTER with a party of 5 players against 3 zombies or goblins, or the one shot where there are 5 lvl 1 players against a lvl 15 demon
What I learned is:
It is OKAY to kill a player in game. If you've established the world as dangerous and they act foolishly where death could be/is a consequence they may suffer, then let it happen. Coddling players and always making things go their positively is a sure fire way for them to quickly come to disrespect the world they're all playing in.
Never ever kill a player!
It is OK to kill the player's character. - But never kill the player!
@@larsdahl5528 debatable!
I personally like to shy away from player death, but I don't mind putting them on death's door to see how they will get out of it.
@@darienb1127 I do understand that. But if they can't and it's their fault? And the deaths are fair? Sometimes that's how the dice roll
@@christopherbronson3275 at that point, by all means.
I love how this channel could be renamed "How to be a decent human being".
I'm a teacher, and I can confirm most of the advices are useful in a classroom setting.
That's the main thing about rpg horror stories: people who act in a mean way.
If I recall correctly, it was George Carlin who said one of the most true things ever - ONE goal/"Commandment";
Don’t be an asshole
Truth!
It's the best part of rpgs for me
A few random things I wish I knew when I started GMing
1. Don't script. If you try and plan out every part of a given sequence you'll find that what happens is players will do something that you didn't plan for as they will inevitability do
2. Don't give them the answers but don't deny their ideas. To tie into my last point. If the players come up with a good idea that circumvents your puzzle or trap don't just tell them no "because". Give them the W and move on.
3. Don't be afraid to pull someone aside. Whether their having an issue with another player or undermining you make sure you respectfully approach them about the issue. Don't let one person screw your game up for you or others.
4. Pay attention. You may have the most brilliant cathedral in your head and you want to describe every inch of it, but if everyone is looking around not really caring wrap it up and move on. This works in the opposite to if you introduce a character that they all love that you had no intention of bringing back have him make another appearance or two.
5. Help your players. If your players are stuck and stopping the plot don't be afraid to give them the pros and cons and inch them in a direction.
I'm playing in my first campaign with my brother and some D&D veterans, and I'm DMing for my first time with a game for my wife and kids. It's fun learning and teaching them how to be creative!
I just recently started GMing for my wife and some friends too. And I love that you say, "learning and teaching them how to be creative" because you absolutely can learn to be creative. So much of my younger life people would always talk of creativity like a gift that you either have or don't. After I discovered D&D, a whole new world was opened to me and I learned how to be creative with my weekly D&D games being the workshop to improve the craft.
“What is a shrubbery thinking about?”
Nobody:
My brain: THE KNIGHTS OF NI
Well now they're technically the knights of icky icky icky icky spatang du bu u....
Ni! Ni! Ni!
My brain went: “Oh no, not again.”
Glad to see this comment here
Something is chewing on my roots.
My wife is about to GM for the first time, so great timing on this video.
Awww, good luck to her!)
No way, same!?
Same here brother!
Another piece of evidence that Guy is an omniscient entity
@@ohyea8486 lul
1: When DMing, speak and say everything with absolute confidence and command presence. Players will be confident in the game you are running if you are confident in the game you are running.
2: When in doubt, side with your players. If you are struggling to compute values in your head and it's not game breaking, a little bit of extra leeway in the player's favor doesn't break the suspension of disbelief.
3: Have a general plan of a start and end goal for the session but don't be afraid to change course if the players players do. You are the master of what is going on and you can always tie in where the main campaign is going in a different way. Flexibility and compromise will make everyone feel included at the table.
4: If you have players who are all about the shiny and the loot, make yourself a generic list that you can quickly reference from by your screen, likewise don't be afraid to tell them they find nothing even on a very high search role or skill check.
5: If you are not very creative or quick at making stuff up on the fly yet, don't worry you'll get better at it. Practice makes perfect. Initially you may want to spend extra time preparing sessions until you get a feel for the party and the world that you're in. Once you're comfortable, the world and party will progress and grow organically and it'll be much easier to let creative play happen outside of the path that you initially thought of.
6: Don't be afraid to make a ruling, and don't derail an entire game and start breaking out books.
7: Having silent timers behind your screen is a great tool and will help you keep track of events that you wish to have and keep the party on pace so as you don't spend 45 minutes talking in one room about doing nothing. The group will be silently looking to you to help make things happen.
8: Take advantage of apps and free digital tools as it's never been easier to be a DM.
9: Don't be afraid to try something new and push the boundaries of traditional storytelling and gameplay. Likewise, if a campaign is falling flat don't be afraid to suggest a restart or starting a different type of campaign. Perhaps the party initially agrees to a steampunk pirate setting but then after a while your game starts losing steam and the players are not very enthusiastic with it for a variety of reasons, don't take it personally and don't be afraid of having the discussion of changing games.
10: Keep it light, keep the jokes rolling, and let even random NPCs have personalities. For my group, referencing other Pop culture by in-jokes, or even making subtle stabs at breaking the fourth wall will keep it light and players will be laughing That's what they'll be talking about at the end of your campaigns.
Best of luck to anyone starting out.
Yeah, I'm lucky to GM for another GM,
So whenever I need to make a rules call,
I ask them for confirmation on my judgement.
As well as giving my players hints to everything,
They don't have to engage with it,
But they can if they want,
There's a lot of mundane items,
But also some magic items
That may or may not be malfunctioning.
@@BramLastname I'm running my first campaign (we're about 8 months into it now) for 2 of my former GMs, so both of of them understand how much work goes into a good story. Turns out I actually enjoy it even more than playing as a single character, and they prefer playing over keeping track of all the moving parts behind the scenes.
Wish I'd had the confidence to take up the screen years earlier, because we often went long stretches between campaigns, and I'm starting to think maybe it was partly because they wanted to play as characters, not run the table.
So, my "wish I knew" was *it's super rewarding to be the facilitator of fun* and *your friends won't judge you if you make small mistakes while you learn* , but I'm really grateful that my players have been through the same learning curve themselves. We joke a lot about "DM Problems" when they do something really unexpected and things go briefly sideways while I try to reorient around the sudden changes.
@@cristiaolson7327 good for you, I'm glad it's working out well for you and I share many of the same sentiment.
Consider yourself a rare breed, I have hardly met many female players and I have never met a female GM.
Having been DMing for close to 7 years, it is fun to see how much your friends love the stories GM's put together for them.
Very rewarding, and teaching the next generation even more so. I have got my friend to start his own game, and another is going to take up our next when finish the two we have.
@@immortalmonk2891 My friends got me into playing a year ago, our group was 3 guys, 2 girls, and by now everyone has tried gming themselves, me and the other girl both run our own games now, we just needed to get introduced to dnd and have enough people say 'we wish we had a gm to play with' to pick it up ourselves.
If you invite female players to your games, make it inviting for them (for example don't make the girls uncomfortable with sexist/r*pe jokes, they will leave), encourage them to try gming themselves and you'll have plenty female gms around soon enough.
The biggest reason why girls aren't gming is that they either got uncomfortable around dnd players or they just don't get invited as often into games.
Love your rule number 10! My family loves to do movie quotes, and they often end up in our games. It really is funny!
The most important rule I learned was this: become comfortable with being uncomfortable. In other words, you csnt prep for everything. Players are too unpredictable. So become comfortable with improvisation.
Improvisation is one of the greatest joys as DM, as it means you too are going to be challenged by the unknown. You too will have puzzles. You too will be tested... but by the players.
It is one of the joys of being GM: The "Oh! Brilliant! I have not thought of that, myself" - moments.
This!!! And not just during play, but in-between as well.
I once had a player come to me, his second week of play, and ask if a relative of his character could be a villain setting him up as a scape goat. At that time, I didn't have any detailed ploy hooks, so that became the BBEG of the whole first adventure
I’m a new DM and I had realized this while I was planning my first campaign. I was going too far into planning and realized it’s a heck of a lot easier to have a rough and flexible plan rather than putting forth so much effort to have a contingency for every eventuality.
if you make a scenario you have a bit more generic, you can railroad them without them realizing it.
I think Guy talked about this very thing, and I've done it myself. You prepared for a big epic battle against an evil king in a castle, but your team decides they REALLY need to explore this cavern?
With a bit of tweaking, suddenly it's a goblin king inside the cavern!
That's actually crazy helpful.
@@Nerobyrne I recommend against it, though it may seem that the players can not know if their choice matter or not, then it is my experience that they often figure it out anyway.
I have seen quite some examples of players discovering it, leading to trouble for the campaign it happened in.
I have caught a GM doing it in a campaign I played in, it resulted in the end of that campaign. (That was not the only reason, but it was the "last drop".)
Of course you do not have to end up in the opposite side where, sandbox like, things looses connection entirely.
It is about having some options. Five is a good number, I will say at least three, so when the group make a choice, you can pick which of the options you have at hand, that matches their choice best, and then run it.
This way the players choices matter, but without being either too strong or too weak. (Both situations equally frustrating to the players.)
This is actually great advice. Back in March I started my own campaign set in a homebrew world and we're still going. Everyone helps each other, and encourages the other players. I worked with the players beforehand and asked them what they'd like to see in the game, giving each of them the chance to develop their own story-arc within the world. Since then, we've been playing weekly, and I've never GM'd before, I played D&D a few times back in high school, like 15 years ago, but like Guy said, as long as you have fun, respect the players and don't railroad them into your story, you can have an amazing time! Plus, it's really rewarding to watch people interact with the world you've created for them, even if it's not how you imagined it when building it.
The only thing I wish I knew when I started is how to read the table. As an example, if we are doing a huge dungeon slog, and the party is getting saddle-sore of the dungeon, I wish I knew enough to inject a little tangent adventure in so that the party could come back refreshed and invigorated to continue on their path.
Your note to cancel if you're not in the right frame of mind is so true. I've wondered if I was losing interest for the game so many times and then I would come back excited to dm. Need to spend some time finding the right frame of mind - triggers and telltale signs.
The recent longer video format I really enjoy, it's helpful to explore broader/longer subjects in depth for me at least
Can I just say, from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS VIDEO! I only just started my first campaign back in March and I was terrified! I thought I had to know every rule, every monster, every sourcebook, every map, etc. or else I would look like an idiot. But here I am, 8 months down the road with a weekly campaign that my players just LOVE. I’m still learning, I’m still adjusting, and I’m still seeking my players’ opinions. And after finding you on UA-cam, your videos have helped me silence my inner critic and just GO FOR IT. You’re amazing. Thank you for the content and the care.
as a DM since circa 1980 who is about to start my first campaign in about 6 years I appreciated the reminders.
Hope it's still going!
The golden rule of RPGing: If the rules/numbers/books are getting in the way of having fun, ignore them and do something else instead. Everyone having fun is the most important thing in running a game. Rule consistent is important but the the rule of fun is more important.... don't let the rules bog the game down and let things get borring..... HAVE FUN!
Generaly a GM vs Player mindset is also a bad idea as unless thats what the players want, it's not fun. Most people would rather have a story than have there chars killed and death kinda puts an end to any story ideas you have.
I'm always hesitant on videos like these considering that they are usually skewed to the person's style of play (especially with the case of Taking20's channel). But this is probably THE best video about this topic, as it covers the unspoken rules and the lessons any GM will learn as they go along. it's really important that we teach people that they shouldn't be looking for the "right" way to play, but instead steer them away from harmful traits that could damage or break up a group in their future and leave them with that bad experience.
Yes. This channel has the fortune of being about a becoming a great GM & not just a great DM. It's not automatically selling D&D books rules as written.
Guy is usually VERY good at giving out good general advice not how he feels about particular things. However, I DO still enjoy Cody's content now and then but I will often skip videos like "10 best feats in ..." for awhile, eventually I will watch them because I have no life therefore plenty of time to watch videos!
@@JacksonOwex i don't mind those videos, it's more the fact that Taking20 constany goes on about having his games be realistic and even said things like that Monks don't have a place in D&D due to them being too unrealistic with their Ki. It's like... dude, what?
I had a poignant mistake moment once when I was GM’ing and even just after it occurred, I had the feeling that I mishandled the situation.
I left the table feeling like I had absolutely let one of my players down, specifically, and at the time I knew I could have done better.
I went home and pondered on what I did wrong, and I actually managed to come to a solid answer, and ever since then I look back on that moment as a *great* learning moment. The player was one of my best friends so I was especially down that I had flubbed it, but I feel like I learned a very valuable lesson in interpreting mechanics as narrative.
Dude. I think number 1 should have been "Its a game" Seriously. Its a game. If u want it to be work, go to work 😂
That's number 0
So true. How many times have I been stressed out at the table and thought...I get paid to deal with stress at work, why am I so stressed out playing a game? I enjoy spending time preparing, building sets, etc. The stress for me usually comes from bickering over rules minutiae or some player complaining about other party members' play style (like "they don't role play seriously enough"). I've gotta think that some players take the game more seriously than their job.
@@SetzerII It's # -1
@@commandercaptain4664 No, it's literally rule zero. Or unless you are making a joke my brain cannot comprehend.
The 3 dislikes at this point are all debating points 4 and 6. But what boggles my mind is how people are stuck in the books. This game is all about problem solving and creativity.
Thanks for the Videos you are a great help!
On monsters and such: I can't recommend basing stats off your party enough. Not sure how strong a monster should be? Compare it to your party! Compare its AC to the parties average "to hit" chance to figure out how often they'll be hitting it. Compare its health total to the average damage per round of the entire party (and "nova" round). Compare its "to hit" chance with the party's AC to figure out how often the creature should hit. If you want it to be capable of one shot-ing someone, compare it's average damage per round to the party's average health etc. It makes balancing encounters so much more intuitive.
The DM Coach put out a video about this awhile back and I've heavily utilized the concept for my homebrew monsters, especially "re-imaginings" of existing creatures.
oh man not knowing the rules was huge for me. I thought I was gonna have to know the DM guide/PHB/MM front to back and inside out before I could GM. I finally just started and realized I didn't need half of the rules I was worried about.
What does a shrubbery think about? The sun, growing, etc.
What does crab grass think about? "Consent please!"
I was just thinking almost the same :D No Grab-ass Henry Crabgrass
The cutest of grass Henry crabgrass
The thing I wish I knew was: they might be your friend, but doesn't mean they are a good player, or at least a good fit for the kind of game you are trying to run.
1:36 #1 Role play can be done without rules.
3:31 #2 Role play is collective storytelling (Not the GM's story).
4:40 #3 Role play is better without monsters.
8:38 #4 Both NPCs as well as PCs should flee and/or surrender. (You can not role play with them if they die.)
10:10 #5 Everyone, NPCs as well as PCs should have a motivation/goal. (What do they want/desire?)
12:59 #6 Role playing time should be good time for everyone, the GM included.
14:53 #7 Role play can be done in complete darkness. (Being blind should be no hindrance for role playing!)
16:56 #8 Accept that not everyone is going to like your game / style.
18:55 #9 Do not be afraid of making mistakes, recover and proceed.
20:25 #10 Do not stick to only one RPG system, learn new (to you) systems!
23:03 #11 Respect your fellow players. (Everyone is allowed to have their own opinions.)
24:57 What are your ten things? What thing do you wish you had known before you joined or started role playing?
I RPG rules are to role play, as safety net is to tightrope walking: Superfluous when things go well, but nice to have when things go wrong.
(Rules have their use, especially during character creation. But get the rulebooks off the table during IC play, as looking in rulebooks are immersion breaking.)
II Dice are bad storytellers; avoid the use of dice as much as you can.
(Dice can be useful during character creation. But keep dice off the table during IC play, as dice rolling are immersion breaking.)
III Being a GM is like being a doctor of medicine: Your ultimate goal is to make yourself superfluous!
(Until then; ensure to keep your patients/PCs as healthy/self driven as possible, so they can go the longest before you have to give them the next injection.)
IV Always ensure that everyone know when we play next time.
(The #1 killer of campaigns is when they are postponed until further notice.)
V Remember that as GM you are all the PCs senses.
(Describe what they see, hear, smell, etc. - From the PC's perspective.)
VI Know your PCs.
(Knowing their characters is the most important knowledge you need. - World/Rules/Story/etc. is secondary.)
VII "Warhammer 40k" and "Dungeon & Dragons" are not role playing games.
(They are Table Top Tactical War Games. This is, like football and piano, something that can be played. But! Never ever pretend they are role playing games.)
VIII Avoid negations when you talk. - Rephrase or remove them.
(Bad: PC: "I open the door", GM: "You can not", PC: "Why not?", GM: "It is locked". - Fix by remove all negations: PC: "I open the door", GM: "It is locked".)
IX: Recurring antagonists are not good for role play.
(They are only good for episodic TV series, as they allow the viewer to skip episodes without loosing the story.)
X: Remember to have a good time!
(Time is precious, so get the best out of it!)
The thing I love the most about being a GM, now that I'm talking to my table friends about a campaign I'm preparing, is that I suggest a world and they add things to it with their character ideas. Like, it's not just MY world, it's OUR world as a group of friends having fun, and I truly like being a GM and having a wonderful laugh with them. It really already feels like sharing something beautiful
Great video I recently started GMing my first D&D campaign. That I home brewed and I had bought my GM guide a full year and a half before agreeing to DM because I was so intimidated by the process and then realized in the first session that it was funner to allow the story to develop and that you can't accurately predict the motives or what is going to intrigue the party and wish I had watched this video a year ago.
here's a tip for you! don't apologise for making long videos, you're very helpful. sometimes more is more.
Guy, this is one of your best videos. I am a very experienced GM and player, and this advice is GOLD. ESPECIALLY the "It Is Supposed To Be FUN!"
I would add one more: read GMing blogs and watch GMing vlogs. They are fun, inspiring, informative, and helpful. At least, they have been for me.
Point 6 is absolutely preposterous! No way this sort of wild nonsense would fly in the GM Academia!
A couple of my players told me about this saying "he stole your list!" Obviously, he didn't. We've just had VERY similar experiences in gaming.
I would add: read every game you can find. Never stop reading games. Learn everything you can. You will come across a situation in your game where you do not like the rule/resolution method for your chosen game system, and another game system might have one you like better.
There is no "winner" in an RPG, but, if you're not having fun, you can lose one.
I could listen to Guy say 'Shrubbery' all day haha
Great video thank you. I second the not needing to know all the rules point. I would have started years earlier if I had believed that! Still working on the Have Fun though. I want so badly for everyone to have a good time and an engaging session I sometimes forget to have fun myself.
~Dan
“You don’t need a monsters manual”
Looks over at a monster manual I spent $30 on Amazon for...
Yes they are free but you don't even need those. Google fantasy art instead.
@@alexanderthompson7164 *True* . Also a point we can all agree on is to never buy *Two Monstrous Manuals* . I have an old one from when I was young & thought I needed to buy everything. Second or third edition maybe. It's just a list of ideas & pictures now.
But all the MM's have skeletons & Zombies as weak even if we all know that if we saw one in real life that we would sh*t ourselves. Also goblins are comic relief when any Japanese anime can do them better justice.
I just got a DMG 5e for Christmas. Not because I needed it, but because my wife kept pestering me about putting something, anything on my amazon wish list. It was half price on Amazon so... it made her happy. It's known as _the one book everyone owns but nobody has read cover to cover_ .
Thanks to your videos. I jumped into DMing D&D with a group of 6 of my friends. Before I started this campaign I only played in 2 one shots where I didn't even make my own character! You can start running games whenever you want know nothing go forth and have fun. Every week all 6 players tell me how awesome the story was and how they can't wait for nxt week weave good stories the rest can come later. ALso invite a player or two that knows the rules alot better and have them there for help if you need on callings.
On numbers and monsters, this is why I LOVE Fantasy Flight Games narrative dice. You can add boost and setback dice to alter rolls based on the GMs gut instinct of how difficult an opponent should be and then narratively explain it. Makes for a dynamic story centered approach that discourages accounting.
This channel helped me grasp the basic and advanced concepts of dming, I've added all you videos to my gm core knowledge list on youtube, always great advice and I really enjoy your videos, thank you for all the amazing advice. 😊
I cant find it just skimming around now to quote it exactly, but the part where you talk about finding a new group if your friends arent into your GM style is something i needed to hear. I have friends who prefer a lighter theme and less roleplay than what i usually like to bring, and even some friends who have outright said "you're a bad GM." (Though that was mostly my very first few games) And all of that is fine, because i can find a new group and try and learn while they have fun with another GM who likes that way of doing things. Thank you ❤
I desperately wanted to try gm'ing Call of Cthulhu, so one time when our scheduled dnd session got cancelled, I offered to run COC, but there was a few who adamantly didn't want to try any other system, so we didn't do it.
Now almost a year later (and several cancelled sessions later) three of us have started COC with a coworker of mine.
Oh, and we're in the process of reorganizing the dnd group, because some people just can't seem to prioritize even 1 day a month to dnd.
I'll be DMing for my first time this christmas with my family, and feel so overwhelmed and nervous with not knowing the rules. So these videos have been so helpful. I love improvisation and just making things up so hopefully things will go well.
I appreciated the section about "sometimes just not feeling it". Matt Colville had some good advice: figure out the part(s) of the game we love/get energy from and be sure to lean into that aspect. I realised I enjoy "doing voices"/portraying NPC's as well as crafting engaging battle maps on Roll20. For the particular session I didn't feel like running, I invested energy in those aspects, found myself then looking forward to playing. All the other aspects still need to be done but the characterization and maps gave a way into enthusiasm. (My players said the session was exceptional).
In addition, scheduled breaks are important. To recharge, engage in other aspects of life, give time to write and prepare, etc. We return fresh with new ideas!
I totally agree with the statement about monsters. Mine are always what I want, and rarely what is found in any book. It has always worked out very well and players like not really knowing what a monster can do, unless they learn over time.
I just had a player tell me last night that he wants to learn how to GM; a very well timed video indeed!
I loved your mention of expanding horizons, for just like moving away from home, sometimes you just have to leave your comfort zone/postal code to get more solutions to the same problems. From the tabletop perspective, I wish I spent less time early on stratifying my gameplay and just accepting that elements outside of classic Tolkien or the elder lais still had so much to give in ways of enjoyment. Thank you for sharing this list, sir!
When I wrote my first own campaign as a GM, I never looked into the monster manual at all until after I was done writing everything else. I literally just put in the monsters and enemies that I wanted to have at that point in the story and how many hp they had and what their attack is and after that I really just searched through the monsters list to find stat blocks for them in case someone made them do a saving throw. I pretty much changed up everything about them from what they originally where. I also sometimes spontaneously increased or decreased their hp depending on how the players were holding up during the game so they would always be a challenge but never overkill.
And after my campaign was over and we're playing with other gms now, I realise that it's sometimes really obvious when the GM just took some monster from the manual and didn't change it up to fit the parties level. some fights can get really stupid when your opponent has an AC of 19 and you all have only +1 on your hit...
Some things I am happy I know as a newbie GM aside from some storytelling goodness:
This is your story! Don't be afraid that people might not like it.
People who want to roleplay will probably not object to talking with you. We're not at school, people are here voluntarily.
That's it for now.
Running my first one shot pretty soon and I am sooo fricken grateful that I can UA-cam these videos instead of 100% winging it. I've gotten alot of tips and ideas from this channel. Thank you.
Heh, I thrusted myself onto the GM seat when I first started DnD. A bunch of my friends wanted to get into it, but we didn't have anyone who was into DnD before us, so we all learned along the way.
Everything has a goal - best advice! Thank you. This was my biggest hang up for like three sessions. I started to lose my players because the world was getting flat and boring (despite many tens of hours of world building and planning).
Guy, you are the reason I found the courage to GM for my group after we were ghosted by our first GM. We've been playing GoSM for about 6 months now and we're having so much fun!! I wish I had started playing 30 years ago instead of waiting so long.
Woah I’m early for once, love your videos dude! I’m beginning to write my first proper campaign for over the holidays, and your channel has been such a huge help. Thank you!
Good luck! Have fun in your campaign!
I ran a campaign that went for well over a year, and there were definitely days I felt obligated to run the game, though I didn't really want to. I eventually learned that canceling and perhaps playing a different game with the group for an evening is often the better choice. Burnout is real, and it won't just affect you as the GM.
I am new to being a GM but not to D&D. My best friend from high school and I played D&D way back in 1988-89. For some weird reason I got the itch to play again, and low and Beholder we got back into the game. The scary part was he was the GM back when we were young, and he didn’t want to run the campaign he wanted to be the player. I was terrified at first, but I agreed to run the campaign and relearn the rules. Your point about having fun being the number one rule is spot on. I truly enjoyed hearing your input on playing, and to just relax. Glad I got to see this video, as a still wet behind the ears GM. Thank you.
Point 6 was so important for me to hear! I've ended up in a bit of a D&D slump because I feel like I have to DM as often as possible! Of course it's flattering that my players enjoy the game so much, but I feel drained and uninspired! I need to remember to take breaks!
Probably won't see this since this is an older video, but you are awesome. I was stressing out so much trying to plan my first GM attempt (a one-shot, going down tonight!) and you completely calmed my nerves. It'll be okay - and I can't wait to become a great gm!
The thing I wish I knew when I started playing, all together, was that a DM is a regular player, like everyone else at the table, just with a slightly different job.
A main DM, from my childhood, was selling some special social order. Really made it sound mystical.
Thanks for including the tip on being mindful and respectful to boundaries. Always important to remember, even if gaming is our “escape”.
I read a thing last night talking about how DM/GMing is like doing improv theater. We make offers, and the players can pick them up (or more often, not). For example, in a certain streamed RPG, the GM described a room, finishing with a solitary chair in the middle of the room. There was nothing in his plans about that chair, but the party SEIZED on that chair and it became a trope for them for the next 20 sessions.
Or in one of my games. I described a fencing-master, Ginaldo, and one of the players quipped "and he has a brother, Owaldo, but no one can ever find him." And thus Owaldo the spy-master was born. I made an offer, Ginaldo, and the party reciprocated, and we're building together. It's a beautiful thing. And so long as we're having fun together, that's what matters, in my book!
Hey your Critter is showing.
I’m making my first campaign right now waiting for the campaign I’m playing in now to end. This and many of your other videos are great. Full of experience and wisdom. Thank You Sir.✌️
Thank you since I have come back to D&D just recently (started back in ‘77) I’m back.. I was a DM in early 80’s so thing’s have massively changed and loving it. And thanks good on sir!!!
Hey mate, Ive been dipping my toe in Gming for about 2 years on and off and lately I have been doing a pokemom dnd and its been so fun BUT i wanted to come watch you to see if i can get better as a GM and help my players have even more fun. I thank you for all the notes, mate ❤
I love lists, too!!! Keep on keepin' on!! And thank you! And the best "Big Bad" ever was a GM created one: and for every member of that Party, when we hear that Bad's "theme" music we say, "oh, NO!!!"
You're channel is ... wow...cause I'm like hey, I dont need to obsessively watch these... but I do. You present these so well. Thank you
You could do d12s instead of d20s if you were running a game where the players are all commoners, maybe as a prologue or interlude. It would be a fun little thematic contrast, making all the numbers less impressive so the heroes feel even stronger when going back to them.
Thanks Guy! Just about to close my first year DM’ing & at least 5 of these points resonated with me at some point (they still are...). Good for me to see quality bits and pieces of wisdom on the internet consolidated into a personal talk like this.
Always trust that your players will go in a direction you hadn't planned for. And that's okay. Just go with it, taking a quick break if you really need one to figure out what the heck you're doing.
These are amazing tips. Tomorrow will be my first time DMing and this video came up just in time
Great video as always. I never reflected on what I wish I knew bevor GM-ing for the first time. Thank you for the insight.
Cool video.
My #1 is your #2. GM’s role is “Serve & Respond”...
Then:
#2 Heroes get the spotlight (and share it roughly equally)
#3 Motivate your NPCs (not sure what number you gave that but you’re right, it’s crucial)
#4 Keep the world turning in the background
#5 Differentiate NPCs with description, body language & voice
#6 Make fantasy settings fantastic (I owe the Lazy DM for that one)
#7 Players lead the scenes, GM weaves the story, the dice throw in the unexpected twists & laughs
#8 “Yes and...” is good; “No but...” is also good
#9 Bring character backgrounds & goals into every story arc
#10 Keep it fluid - don’t get bogged down in rules or details
There’s my tuppence anyway. Thanks for the advice, Guy - great as ever!
Surprisingly good advice from Guy here! Another word of warning - One thing that nobody tells you when you become a DM is that your players are going to expect your 'leadership' or authority to extend outside of the game. Not only will you be expected to plan the sessions and carry the social burden in game, but it will also suddenly be your responsibility to schedule games, resolve conflicts, transition from hanging out to game, and, sometimes, dragging your players' option out of them.
The DM job comes with weird, exhausting social pressure and the structure often allows others to sit back and abdicate the responsibility that THEY have to communicate THEIR wants, needs, boundaries, availability and issues. Suddenly that's your job, and so now it's also your job to talk to them ABOUT TALKING. Get used to communication workshops y'all
Something I have learned as a New GM: Some platforms worth better for the budding GM than others. I cannot for the life of me run again on an actual table top without getting overwhelmed and driving myself nuts; however I do much better running games via digital platforms like Roll20. Things can be more organized, streamlined and customized to a way I feel comfortable. So if one format doesn't work for you at first, maybe give it a chance in another format!
Thanks for this. I watch your channel and get the itch to run something... and then quit after a session or two for exactly the reasons you mention in this vid - because I dont feel like I know the rules enough, I get too caught up with MY story I have in my head instead of allowing the PCs to create story, etc etc. I need to bookmark this so I can rewatch it again and again.
What a delightful video I’ve stumbled across. I simply love your philosophy and mindset. As a DM who’s always favoured story/experience over rules it was a joy to listen to.
My one thing I wish I knew before becoming a GM: just go with it! At the beginning I had a plan for how things would unfold but nowadays I delight in my players going off the beaten path and breaking the script. It’s pure joy watching them turn all of my plans upside down. And they also feel giddy because they also know they’ve gone off script and taken a different path. Once upon a time I’d try to railroad them or punish them but these days I’ll fudge rolls to facilitate crazy, bold decisions just to encourage that glorious improvisation.
Thank you! I volunteered to GM my first ever game because the only group I could find only had room for a GM and my plus one; this goes a long way toward easing my nerves. ^_^
Thank you for the videos. It has given me new outlooks on how to GM any system. I am in the process of starting a new D&D campaign after about 15 or 20 years of not being able to TTRPG. The group that I will be running with are all new players to the TTRPG genera. Besides D&D, the other system I like is Palladium. Games like TMNT, RIFTS and Robotech are the ones that I grew up playing the most and was my first system that I was a GM with. I still have some of the books and still look at them for some inspiration in my current D&D game I am running.
Haha I love how you said you don't need to know all the stats or even any. In my game just yesterday I messed up on a creature that was immune to Acid damage. I let acid do normal damage... My PCs didn't know the difference so I Rolled with it
We found that a 2'x4' roll up easy erase grid map and pens was a great group investment for the game. The beginner box (pathfinder in our case) came with some minis at 1" diameter base. Together we can draw out any scenario in a hurry and it really helped with the tactical placement of characters, which helps fight the dreaded "I was here not there" arguments that slowed the game down. Would recommend for new GM's as nice to have starting purchases, and I say this as someone who can't draw a circle =p
I’m having a crack at DMing for the first time this weekend, so much support in the community for DMs it’s awesome! Advice like this makes it less of an unreachable goal in peoples’ minds. Fab video!
Your hints and tips have helped me immensely. My game continues to grow and I'm seriously considering turning my sessions into short stories/novellas. Thanks again and keep up the good work.
You are so inspiring! Your videos make me believe I can do it and make fun with my friends as a GM, not only as a player. Thank you!
I've been binge watching all of your videos lately, and I cannot say thank you enough. This video came at the perfect time too! You've inspired me to build my own world and run my own campaign starting early 2021. I've run some test one shots, implementing things I've learned from your channel and my friends have been nothing but supportive and complimentary to me, which is all thanks to you - so, thank you again for giving so much to the RPG community!
I've being GM for a while for the past years to be exact, in every session it as been mistakes after mistakes and my anxiety was not helpfull, and in every single point you talked about you made me realise that i should have fun. You made me realize i need to breathe. So thank you i will take everything you said to heart
I wish I'd known when I started out that a campaign is really a series of interconnected adventures. I didn't write specific adventures; I wrote a campaign, which meant I sort of hit the wall when I started realizing adventures were what we were doing. Knowing that now, it's revolutionized how I've handled my campaigns, and it makes it feel far more manageable. (I learned that from this channel, even. :) )
Yes, that is a classic: We dream of running an epic saga!
But... Often end up making an episodic show instead.
@@larsdahl5528 My problem is I came at it like the novelist I am rather than recognizing the genre's unique requirements! You're exactly right about it being an episodic show, and treating it that way has improved my GMming a lot!
Love how the automatic subtitles keeps replacing "GMing" with "jamming"...
Re: you don't need the monster manual - while that's generally true, I'd say that the Paizo versions are quite handy to have. At least the first one - they contain the rules for creating custom monsters near the back of the book.
As a current GM, there's been many occasions where I didn't know exactly what the propper protocal of a moment should be for one or more of my players, so I'll decide to very quickly access what that want to do and either just say "Kool you do it" or as simple as "Ok give me an athletics or acrobatics or strength check. Depending on situation. And monsters, enemies, I've created most of my own and sometimes just simply pull one from Google or the monster manual and tone it down a hair if I tink it's TOO badass for my players. I love this guys advice. Love his channel.
I always feel like I'm saying something sacrilegious when I disclose that I don't give monsters hp at all, I just count the damage up until I feel like it's enough. If someone gets a really good crit I might even decide 'fuck it, it's dead' in one hit. I don't even know where this perceived pressure comes from, it's a make-belief game!
I use the hp a monster has in the book as a guideline, but I often adjust up to 5 points (in Warhammer this is alot) depending on how the game is going. There's no sense in having two or three monsters left on 1 to 2 wounds, just kill them, unless you still have a tactical purpose for them to fulfill in this combat (like a distraction), or it's going too easy. It always feels more satisfying for the player to kill something in one swing than having to 'redo'.
This is a really late reply but this comment made me feel so much better. I've wanted to DM for so so long, but I have trouble keeping on top of math and hitpoints because of my ADHD so I've always been super scared of doing it. My two DMs are both very strict about following rules, so when I mentioned to them once that I wish the game could be more flexible and narrative-based for the DM they both were staunchly against it. Not giving the enemies HP would make it possible for me to DM really well, but so many people think it's the worst possible thing you can do.
Seeing comments like yours is giving me confidence to give DMing a try anyway :)
@@faunix3573 There are all kinds of DMing styles out there, some more represented than others, but it’s definitely possible to find your crowd if you’re clear about what you’re going for!
I often find myself at odds with the mainstream dnd meta, so I got into DMing for first-timers a lot (and there are tons of “it seems interesting but i don’t know anything about it” people now). It’s lots of fun to see what decisions they make when they never heard how you’re ‘supposed to play’ and you only ever need to stay just one step ahead of them if you’re still learning yourself, I highly recommend.
@@faunix3573 I just ignore HP for most of my monsters, too. If a player goes 'Wait a minute, I added up all the damage, this creature should be dead by now!', I just reply that not every PC has the same hitpoints, not all wizards are the same, maybe this polar bear is a bit tougher than most of the others, maybe it's actually being controlled and buffed by BBEG from the distance, maybe it was recently healed by a druid who found it badly wounded so he decided to give the polar bear some extra health.. YOU dont know that, dear player, it's none of your business, you dont know all the stats, history and details of every person and creature you ever come along. If your players think someone was killed too soon, maybe it was already wounded when the battle started because it had just escaped a much harder battle with something else in the next room and wasnt actually charging you but trying to run away when you walked into its path, or maybe it was always the shortest of its siblings, never got much food and stayed weak. Or there has been an outbreak of goblin-pocks and the goblin would've died tomorrow even without the fight. Numbers dont matter, you have to tell a story. If you think the fight should go on, it goes on. If you think the creature/person should die (or flee), that's what happens.
Long time player and DM but I still learn something new from every one of your vids, thanks. My favorite tip from this vid: the social contract. My own tip: never DM or play a game that doesn’t start with a session zero.
My biggest barrier is learning how to GM in Roll20.
I downloaded a module then realized I have absolutely no idea on what to do.
I think the technical barrier is one thing that not enough people discuss. DMing is significantly more effort than playing.
I was the same at the start of this year. But my best tips for you are, use the free inbuilt 5e character sheet they have. Get used to typing "/r 1d20" and other values for when the sheet doesn't work. Try the Reddit page on battle maps really good things there. Free tool "token tool" to create own tokens. Fog of war is easier than dynamic lighting. Simple handouts are a good thing to use, not as good as physical print outs but it does the job. Finally, the bare bones stuff is all you need. Give it time you'll get it! 😎
I hear ya I use fantasy grounds but it takes a while to get the systems down. My best recommendation is just play with the obvious tools and you will pickup on the rest as you go. And never be afraid to ask for help or to Google your questions. Chances are someone has had the same problem in the past.
"Every tree that's growing has a goal" is the most Aristotelian thing I've heard anyone say about RPGs outside of Ars Magica.
Great video wish id known alot of these too when i started, Some my tips are, Every so often let some monsters die when you want them too just to make a player feel epic or if they do something really cool, or make it do more damage to the players so they feel like it was a grueling battle that they only just scraped though but when its a real important boss fight be a bit less forgiving as there has to be a real chance of death,
Play at conventions if you can! conventions games are a selection box of treats to taste and expore new systems and withness other gm's styles,
And to add to "you dont need a monster manual" and "try different systems" i think looking at systems with its owt beastiary or alternate monster manual, find and adapt some realy obsure shit that'll blow your players minds!
This is great :D a few of my players are interested but intimated about becoming DMs themselves and I think this video will be a good way to encourage and help them over come their reluctance :)
And hopefully I maybe able to become a player again instead of DMing all the time lol
Love these videos. I've really just started playing this year, but I think I'd really enjoy GMing so I'm trying to learn to be a good one
"You dont need that stuff"
Back in day? Theatre of mind. If you want to map? Wet erase, cheap colored markers and wooden tokens from a craft store. I dont buy a bunch of figs, I make tokens. Good times!
I dont have it handy at the moment, but Paizo and their pathfinder/starfinder always open their books with "The first rule/The most important rule" In that the game is supposed to be a fun social experience. So if you need to address or change or even ignore some aspects? Just do it. Respect players and make the game your own.
I've been gm'ing for a couple of years now and started not long after finding your channel.
Turns out I've already implemented a lot of the (amazing) tips in this video into my games and I think they've been all the better because of that. Thanks for the always fun and informative content throughout the years!
Tbh I find a lot of this guy's videos to be too long and rambling, (but still fun), but this one was fun and useful!
Yes, (Sorry Guy, but) this channel have slowly (over the years) changed from quality content to quantity content.
Making that this video stand out.
“Relax” is probably the most useful but most difficult tip on GMing I’ve heard so far. It’s so scary to jump in without knowing what you’re doing but you’re right!
Hi Guy. Veteran GM here. The thing about the storytelling; I have a story in my head, and I want my players to "act it out". I put them on the path and see how they do. They might follow the straight line (my line) or - more likely - they follow their own line. And THAT is exciting! I don't know what lies beyond that line or what I'm going to do now, but I can find out until next session.
But I still have my story - the narrative story - when the party is ready for that. :)