5 Tips for DMing Your First Game
On the surface, being a Dungeon Master seems like a daunting role to fill. The Dungeon Master is there to be the final judge on rules, play the role of the world, and ultimately control the fates of the player characters. So to someone starting out, this can seem like an impossible role to pick up. Where do you even start?
Well, have no fear. I’m here to dispel any fears you may have of taking up the role of a Dungeon Master and give you the tools necessary to run your first game! If you aren’t sure on why you should DM in the first place, here is an article I wrote on how being DM helped develop my writing ability.
1. Don’t DM for Complete Strangers
Hopefully, this one is obvious, but I’m going to dive more into why you shouldn’t DM for complete strangers. Sometimes this is unavoidable, but if at all possible make sure that you are DMing for a group of your friends.
Running a game for your friends will be much easier since you don’t need to cross social barriers to get to know your players. You have an idea of what they like and dislike and can communicate with them a lot easier. Overall, you will be more comfortable around friends than you will complete strangers. If possible, get one of your friends who is a DM to play. Not only will they appreciate not being in the DM seat, but they will be able to provide you with valuable feedback after the game and even help with rules if you struggle.
2. Give Up on Being Perfect
One of the biggest mistakes that I see new Dungeon Masters make is trying to be perfect and replicate other DM’s that they’ve seen. Sure it is great to watch Matt Mercer and get some tips from him, but you are not Matt Mercer and your players are not his players. Every table is unique and each DM and player have their own style. Early on your only goal is to find your own style.
That means making mistakes and trying new things. Be ready to mess up, retcon things, and try again. Don’t dwell on the mistakes, just get through the session to the best of your ability. After the game is over you can ask your players what they liked and didn’t like. Taking their feedback you can look back on the game and figure out what you can improve on. Becoming a better DM requires practice. No one is perfect at it overnight.
3. You Don’t Need to Know The Rules
There are assumptions that because you are the judge of the rules, that means you must be a master of them. This is entirely false. There are DM’s that I have met that have been playing D&D 5e since its launch and have still gotten rules wrong. That is alright, it's a complicated game. While it is nice to know the rules, it is not entirely required. Skimming the basics is good enough. Players that have been playing for longer can assist you with any rules you may be unfamiliar with (see having a DM as a player).
The important part is that you play through the story and have fun. Some DM’s even throw rules out entirely (see Why I Stopped Using Initiative) to make the game more entertaining for their players. Take it from Jeremy Crawford, lead designer of D&D 5th Edition on who determines the rules of your game.
4. Prepare Ahead of Time
There is a large range of ways that a DM can prepare for a game. It’s an entire article on its own merit, but I’m going to give you a little guidance in this department. My first recommendation is to pick up an existing module and run that. This does a few things for you: gives you a complete story with minimal leg work, and informs you if you do better with more or less prep.
A few days before your scheduled game night, I recommend reading over as much of the book as you can. You don’t have to commit it to memory, but get an idea of where the story is headed. By knowing just that piece of information, when the players act outside of what the module expects, you can make stuff up to get them to where the story wants to take them. The best part about having the published module is that you can keep the book with you for reference. With it being your first game, no one is going to shame you for referencing the book when you aren’t sure what’s going on.
5. It’s Okay to Give Up
The best thing to remember when playing a game of D&D is that if you are not having fun, then it is not worth the time. This is compounded as the DM. If you are not having fun with it, then that will impact your players. If you are overly anxious and the stress is getting to you, that is alright. Being a DM is not for everyone. If it’s not fun, stop. Your players will understand. Being a DM can be a massive responsibility, but it should not come at the expense of your own enjoyment. Keep this in mind, and relax. After all, D&D is just a game.
After Your First Game
If you have completed DMing your first game, congrats! You have two avenues that you can take from here, both are perfectly normal. First, you can choose to step down from being a DM. As mentioned in #5, it’s perfectly fine to give up as being a DM isn’t for everyone. You have gained valuable knowledge that will actually make you a better player. You understand the difficulties that your DM has to go through in order to create a fun experience.
Lastly, you can keep improving your DMing skills. You would be amazed at what you can actually learn to become a better Dungeon Master. From worldbuilding to story structure, even game design. Not only will they make you a better DM, but they will make you a better person. There is a joke that on DM’s resume that they put “Team building exercises with a weekly group” from their experience DMing. It’s actually true. You will begin to have a better grasp on how to manage a group and organize.
If you have completed your first game and want to learn more, feel free to check out our other content which is filled with techniques and deep dives. If there is something you don’t see but want to know more about, we have a discord where you can ask questions or leave a comment on this article and I will do my best to answer them (or write a new article for it).
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