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Nokom
Learned Scribe
USA
109 Posts |
 Posted - 17 Jul 2006 : 20:43:41
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Ok this is a once in a life time chance:We are dmless and i have been picked to be a dm.Should i be a dm or stick with playing?
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GothicDan
Master of Realmslore
USA
1103 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jul 2006 : 20:48:28
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| It's up to you. It's a hard thing to do, and requires a lot of work and time. |
Planescape Fanatic
"Fiends and Undead are the peanut butter and jelly of evil." - Me
"That attitude should be stomped on, whenever and wherever it's encountered, because it makes people holding such views bad citizens, not just bad roleplayers (considering D&D was structured as a 'forced cooperation' game, and although successive editions are pointing it more and more towards a me-first, min-max game, the drift away from 'we all need each other to succeed' will at some point make it 'no longer' D&D)." - ED GREENWOOD |
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Kalin Agrivar
Senior Scribe
Canada
956 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jul 2006 : 20:53:54
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quote:
Originally posted by Nokom
Ok this is a once in a life time chance:We are dmless and i have been picked to be a dm.Should i be a dm or stick with playing?
It can be alot of work and sometimes all that work doesn't pan out the way you like it but you should at least try to be DM, it may give you insight that will help you become a better player
to be a DM (in my opinion) you need to be pretty creative to entertain your players, have a good grasp of the rules so things will run smoothly, be a storyteller with a grasp of the dramatic and mostly have a good dose of patience 
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Kalin Xorell El'Agrivar
- High Mage of the Arcane Assembly
- Lore Keeper of the Vault of Ancestors
- 3rd Son of the Lord of the Stand |
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Mace Hammerhand
Great Reader
Germany
2296 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jul 2006 : 20:54:44
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Have you ever GMed before?
Can you tell a story?
Do you like presenting a story?
Are you ruthless?
Do you like tossing people into the frying pan and watch them sizzle?
If you answered at least 3 of those questions with yes...go ahead!
In all honesty...how do you want us to reply to that question??? We don't know anything about your opinion etc. To know the rules makes no good GM. Neither does knowing the lore. It helps, yes, but the main question is: do you wanna GM? |
Mace's not so gentle gamer's journal My rants were harmless compared to this, beware! |
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Jorkens
Great Reader
Norway
2950 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jul 2006 : 20:55:11
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| Well, if you feel like DM-ing you should, if you don't someone else should. As GothicDan said, it is a lot of work, but it is also very rewarding, at least to me. Maybe you should try it a couple of times and then decide if it is something you have a taste for. |
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Ergdusch
Master of Realmslore
Germany
1720 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jul 2006 : 22:52:16
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Most importantly - if you commit to the task, remember that you are the DM. You are only the DM. You lead the game, you manage the it and through your actions and words the game is brought to the imagination of your players. BUT the most important thing in your game should always be the players!!! Let them be the heroes!!!
I never thought dming could be great fun! But I have proven myself to be wrong!
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"Das Gras weht im Wind, wenn der Wind weht." |
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Nokom
Learned Scribe
USA
109 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jul 2006 : 22:55:55
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| Well.I am going to give it a try!If I dont like it i will let someone else do it.i think i will like it.i love to write and tell stories and everyone says i good at it so:What the heck!Lets give it a try! |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jul 2006 : 01:11:38
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quote:
Originally posted by GothicDan
It's up to you. It's a hard thing to do, and requires a lot of work and time.
Agreed.
Familiarity with the basic principles of both the PHB and DMG are essential. As well, significant knowledge of the setting itself, while not crucial, helps greatly since you won't frequently have to stop the game or quickly flip through books during rounds to find a particular reference.
If you do decide to do this... I'd say you you spend an extensive amount of time planning before the game itself. Stick to the parts of the setting your are familiar with, or know a lot about, and work from there.
And, above all, remind your players that this is your first time as DM, so a little patience on their parts helps you as well.
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Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
Edited by - The Sage on 18 Jul 2006 01:14:39 |
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Sgain
Acolyte
Canada
32 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jul 2006 : 01:27:50
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If you're going to use 3.5 then specify what books/rules/prestige classes/races that the players can/can't be in advance of the game. Don't for any reason, let them choose, it will just cause you a ton of grief and confusion. Also, learn to be a bit tight with loot at first...dole it out in small amounts, don't go giving away +5 swords and such, you'll regret it later.
Keep track of NPC's (I keep a little journal of them and how the players and they got along), it really will add to the feel of your game if they get to 'know' folks.
Have fun...if it isn't fun, then figure out why, change it, or move on.
Good luck. |
Wanna play online? Try out Klooge! www.kloogeinc.com
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Sanishiver
Senior Scribe
USA
476 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jul 2006 : 01:48:12
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Once you get started please don't hesitate to stop by and post a scroll letting us know how things went or if you need help in some way.
Good luck!
J. Grenemyer |
09/20/2008: Tiger Army at the Catalyst in Santa Cruz. You wouldn’t believe how many females rode it out in the pit. Santa Cruz women are all of them beautiful. Now I know to add tough to that description.
6/27/2008: WALL-E is about the best damn movie Pixar has ever made. It had my heart racing and had me rooting for the good guy.
9/9/2006: Dave Mathews Band was off the hook at the Shoreline Amphitheater.
Never, ever read the game books too literally, or make such assumptions that what is omitted cannot be. Bad DM form, that.
And no matter how compelling a picture string theory paints, if it does not accurately describe our universe, it will be no more relevant than an elaborate game of Dungeons and Dragons. --paragraph 1, chapter 9, The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene |
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Nokom
Learned Scribe
USA
109 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jul 2006 : 02:25:40
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Quote:Stick to the parts of the setting your are familiar with
Yes.I am going to start out with the sword coast,the spine and cromyr.Thats what i know most about. |
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scererar
Master of Realmslore
USA
1618 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jul 2006 : 03:26:17
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quote:
Originally posted by Nokom
Well.I am going to give it a try!If I dont like it i will let someone else do it.i think i will like it.i love to write and tell stories and everyone says i good at it so:What the heck!Lets give it a try!
Exactly my friend!  |
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Evro
Acolyte
USA
12 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jul 2006 : 13:22:56
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| The best part is that you regularly get to sit back with a knowing smile and go 'MUWAHAHAHA'. :D |
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Wandering_mage
Senior Scribe
688 Posts |
Posted - 18 Jul 2006 : 14:54:07
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| Being DM rocks. You create a story that if done well leaves your players stunned and wanting more. Plus you get to create whatever you want. Watch movies, read books, flip through some history, read through candlekeep's archives, read your DnD resources on FR and get to work on your masterpeice! Playing is awesome too, but to be DM is to be an Archmage with all the power in the world. Do not abuse it. Mwhahahahahah!!!!! |
Illum
The Wandering Mage |
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Shottglazz
Acolyte
Canada
49 Posts |
Posted - 12 Aug 2008 : 18:07:51
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quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
If you do decide to do this... I'd say you you spend an extensive amount of time planning before the game itself. Stick to the parts of the setting your are familiar with, or know a lot about, and work from there.
I can't agree more on this point. An article I read many years ago (can't remember the source but I'd hazard a guess at Dragon) suggested that for each hour of play planned, spend that many hours in the week before preparing for the game. I've followed this formula, and found that it makes for much better, smoother games that are (generally) enjoyed more by the players... |
Shottglazz
"Take my love, Take my land, Take me where I cannot stand;
I don't care, I'm still free. You can't take the sky from me." |
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ShadezofDis
Senior Scribe
402 Posts |
Posted - 12 Aug 2008 : 19:11:13
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As everyone has said, it's a heck of a lot of work but well worth it. Personally, I probably spend 3 to 4 hours planning for every hour of game. Since we generally do 8-10 hour marathons that means I spend roughly 20-30 hours on each game, though a lot of that work is on the things happening around the PCs, rather than the things happening to the PCs.
Another couple of things I'll suggest;
Don't go into the game with expectations of what your players will do, they'll surprise you just about every time.
Start small, with limited options. A small frontier type town with a low population is great, you can decide what's in the town and have a good idea about how the folks in town will react to various PC actions. Don't go for intrigue yet, just run something pretty darned standard. Once you get a feel for your PCs and a feel for the area you're running then you can throw in some intrigue, but let that come with time.
Don't let your players bully you. Sometimes folks get heated and have a totally different perception of what's going on then you hoped to provide. I had a player basically flip out because he tried to slip a truth elixer into a high priest's tea and the high priest noticed (he'd rolled really high, but I'd already decided that he wouldn't be able to hit the roll because it was in the high priests temple, in his own chambers, things got decently heated but calmed down eventually, and we're mostly late 20's early 30's folks)
Be a bit forgiving when the players misinterpret what you've described. A word when someone decides to do something really dumb can save quite a few headaches. This is a delicate balance though, because sometimes players are all about doing something really stupid (personally, I love doing heroically suicidal things with my PCs, it's quite satisfying when it works out and usually pretty damned amusing when it doesn't, even if I have to roll up a new PC *g*)
And, make sure you're having fun. It's a ton of work to DM, so if you're not having fun then. . . well. . . it's a pretty big waste. ;D
Good luck, let us know how it went! |
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Hawkins
Great Reader
USA
2131 Posts |
Posted - 12 Aug 2008 : 20:35:12
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I always end up spending at least as much time planning as we do playing. And I don't really know how to reduce this. That is why I only DM about once a year.  |
Errant d20 Designer - My Blog (last updated January 06, 2016)
One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back. --Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking-Glass
"Mmm, not the darkness," Myrin murmured. "Don't cast it there." --Erik Scott de Bie, Shadowbane
* My character sheets (PFRPG, 3.5, and AE versions; not viewable in Internet Explorer)
* Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Reference Document (PFRPG OGL Rules)
* The Hypertext d20 SRD (3.5 OGL Rules)
* 3.5 D&D Archives
My game design work:
* Heroes of the Jade Oath (PFRPG, conversion; Rite Publishing)
* Compendium Arcanum Volume 1: Cantrips & Orisons (PFRPG, designer; d20pfsrd.com Publishing)
* Compendium Arcanum Volume 2: 1st-Level Spells (PFRPG, designer; d20pfsrd.com Publishing)
* Martial Arts Guidebook (forthcoming) (PFRPG, designer; Rite Publishing)
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Glantir
Acolyte
Germany
8 Posts |
Posted - 12 Aug 2008 : 20:45:39
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quote:
Originally posted by ShadezofDis
Don't let your players bully you. Sometimes folks get heated and have a totally different perception of what's going on then you hoped to provide.
After sixteen years as a GM I stopped listening to sentences like "That encounter is too hard. This dungeon is impossible. The NPC is unbalanced etc."
When I heard such comments in my first GM-year I thought that I did something wrong and took all the whining seriously. Eventually I asked if I should resign, but the same players told me then "No, you do a great job. We don't want anything else."
I also noticed that even so they were complaining, these players always came back, week after week, month after month and didn't miss a single session. Actually these guys take part in my current campaign and yes, they are still whining  .
It's like they say in the army: "If they are complaining, they are happy."
Remembering this last sentence will make life a lot easier for you.
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Edited by - Glantir on 12 Aug 2008 20:46:53 |
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ShadezofDis
Senior Scribe
402 Posts |
Posted - 12 Aug 2008 : 22:08:14
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quote:
Originally posted by HawkinstheDM
I always end up spending at least as much time planning as we do playing. And I don't really know how to reduce this. That is why I only DM about once a year.
Heh, mine is monthly, with an occasional month off when things are busy.
Of course 4 of the 7 players live 2 hours away, and getting 8 folks (including myself) on the same timetable is a beast to begin with. ;) |
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Thauramarth
Senior Scribe
United Kingdom
729 Posts |
Posted - 12 Aug 2008 : 22:35:45
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quote:
Originally posted by HawkinstheDM
I always end up spending at least as much time planning as we do playing. And I don't really know how to reduce this. That is why I only DM about once a year.
Well, actually, the planning is a big part of the enjoyment, the plotting, the careful musing on how your NPCs will react (and then the thrill of having to improvise anyway, because the players have done something completely off the wall - again. |
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Hawkins
Great Reader
USA
2131 Posts |
Posted - 12 Aug 2008 : 23:21:49
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quote:
Originally posted by HawkinstheDM
I always end up spending at least twice as much time planning as we do playing. And I don't really know how to reduce this. That is why I only DM about once a year.
Opps, I left out a key word (in bold) in the comment above; maybe now it will make more sense. |
Errant d20 Designer - My Blog (last updated January 06, 2016)
One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back. --Lewis Carroll, Through the Looking-Glass
"Mmm, not the darkness," Myrin murmured. "Don't cast it there." --Erik Scott de Bie, Shadowbane
* My character sheets (PFRPG, 3.5, and AE versions; not viewable in Internet Explorer)
* Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Reference Document (PFRPG OGL Rules)
* The Hypertext d20 SRD (3.5 OGL Rules)
* 3.5 D&D Archives
My game design work:
* Heroes of the Jade Oath (PFRPG, conversion; Rite Publishing)
* Compendium Arcanum Volume 1: Cantrips & Orisons (PFRPG, designer; d20pfsrd.com Publishing)
* Compendium Arcanum Volume 2: 1st-Level Spells (PFRPG, designer; d20pfsrd.com Publishing)
* Martial Arts Guidebook (forthcoming) (PFRPG, designer; Rite Publishing)
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Edited by - Hawkins on 12 Aug 2008 23:22:34 |
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Alisttair
Great Reader
Canada
3054 Posts |
Posted - 13 Aug 2008 : 00:53:04
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| I myself enjoy poring over my FR books in preparation of a campaign or game session. Some of it is a lot of work but some of it is a lot of fun also. |
Karsite Arcanar (Most Holy Servant of Karsus)
Anauria - Survivor State of Netheril as penned by me:
http://www.dmsguild.com/m/product/172023 |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31774 Posts |
Posted - 13 Aug 2008 : 01:12:21
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quote:
Originally posted by Shottglazz
An article I read many years ago (can't remember the source but I'd hazard a guess at Dragon) suggested that for each hour of play planned, spend that many hours in the week before preparing for the game. I've followed this formula, and found that it makes for much better, smoother games that are (generally) enjoyed more by the players...
You're probably thinking of what Ed said back in '04 about good campaign design:- "... any good DM will spend about 4 hours of design time for every 1 hour of playing time."
Wise words indeed! |
Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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To be a dm or not to be?
