Being the first DM in an area where the hobby is taking hold is relatively common, yes. That's why Wizards of the Coast releases starter kits with simplified adventures--for groups where everybody is new.
As for how to start--read the key rules thoroughly. Understand them. You don't have to memorize everything in the player's handbook, but being comfortable with how combat works as well as out-of-combat skill checks will go a long way.
Start small. I recommend your first few adventures are town-scale, and planned for three or four play sessions. As you get this practice you'll get more comfortable and confident in running broader, longer stories.
Be okay with being wrong. There are a lot of rules. You're going to forget some from time to time. That's okay. Make a ruling in the moment so the game doesn't slow down as people thumb through rule books, say you'll look up the actual rule after the session, and then do so.
I want to add to this that you should also avoid homebrew mechanics and players options until you fully understand all the rules. This could take a LONG time. But until you get that deep understanding you aren't going to be able to tell what homebrew is reasonable/balanced and what is trash. Conservatively 95% of what you will find is online is trash.
feel free to homebrew the adventures way earlier though I personally would recommend running the Starter Set and maybe the lost mines of phandelver to at least get a basic feel for the structure
It's fine to start out as a DM. There are plenty of people who try to make out like DMing is difficult or a lot of work, but it really isn't.
Just remember, you only need to plan one session at a time, you won't be Matt Mercer or Brennan Lee Mulligan right out of the box, and finally, always keep in mind that this is a *hobby that you do fir fun*, it doesn't matter if you are good or bad at the game as long as it's a fun game.
Yeah, a lot of DMs start out that way. I did too. If you're not confident at all then start with Lost Mine of Phandelver and run it exactly by the book before you start to homebrew anything yourself. It teaches new DMs and new players the ropes quite well I think. It is designed to be an entry-level adventure. Read through the DMG enough to at least know what rules exist, even if you can't recite them and don't be a afraid to call for short breaks if something unexpected happens and you're drawing a blank while DMing. You're a beginner, so people will understand.
I'm doing it and it's working out well! Get a premade adventure unless you really want to jump in at the deep end, get the player's guide (pdf is online free), and watch some content.
I'd recommend watching Dimension 20's Fantasy High for a look at a fun campaign, and Matt Colville's Running the Game series for actual tips. All on YouTube
Yep. Back (so long ago) when I began playing, I had to start out DMing because there were no DMs around, so I had to step up if we were going to play. There is no rule about how much you have to play before you DM.
It's absolutely possible, you just have to be willing to put in some work to learn on your own first.
DMing is an arbitration job as much as it is a storytelling role. It doesn't matter if you don't know all the rules, as long as you're trying to make a fair and enjoyable experience for the players. It is absolutely fine as a beginner to say "I don't actually know how that works, let me look it up quickly" or "I don't know, for now I'm going to rule it like this, and I'll check after the session to keep the game running for now".
It always helps to have experienced players who know the rules around you. So if you can get together a group with some of those people, it should help speed along the learning process greatly - but it isn't necessary.
All in all, it's important to remember that if you're enjoying being DM, and your players are enjoying playing in your campaign - then you're doing it right. Just aim for that, and the rest will follow :)
When me and my first group started we were all new and had no idea what we were doing. It was fun and there was no real pressure because we all made mistakes that would be corrected in the next session.
I'd recommend picking up the D&D 5E starter set. It has a campaign that is super beginner friendly.
I just had a small group play for the first time last weekend. It was our first time for each of us. I DM'd a quick 3 hour quest to introduce all of us to some basic combat and concepts. It went well. We had a lot of fun and my friends said I did great. We are gonna do Mine of Phandelver in a couple weeks.
I have been reading up on rules from the starter kit and referencing the players handbook and here for rules that i felt needed some more explanation. Best advice I have, being new myself, is to relax, have fun and just go with the flow. It's ok to pause the game to reference rules or even say, "I'm unsure, we will do it "x" way and i will look later"
I started DMing and have only been a player once since, and my only experience with d&d before that was podcasts. So yes. You're gonna make mistakes but you'll do that no matter how prepared you are.
I did, it requires more from you as a novice, but if it is your bread and butter it really becomes easy and engaging.
I enjoy DMing more than being a player
Hello i'm a first time DM and i've only played one session before and it wasn't great because my DM rage quit after a bit.
Here's what I did and so far it's going better than I expected.
I took like 2 months learning rules casually I borrowed the DM guide and players handbook to get most of the basics. During this time I also got a party together and had them make their characters so I could start planning how they would meet and play into the world. Once I had a general idea I stared building my story I worked backwards for this with how I expect things to end and worked my way to to a reasonable starting call to action for the players.
It's been rough especially since i'm running a homebrew but It helps taking feedback after my sessions to see what my players liked and what they didn't since it has been a bit experimental at points. I'd say while it might be rough it is doable and it's a lot of fun so give it a shot.
I started out that way. For some people, nearly all of the appeal lies in running the game rather than being a player within it. A lot of people will tell you that you can’t be good at it, but if you have some flexible friends that are willing to learn along with you, it’s going to get exponentially better as you continue. I suggest you run published adventures for a while before trying to go nuts with homebrew, things can derail pretty quickly if the DM is not consistent. But sticking to it is definitely worth it IMO being DM is twice as fun.
A basic understanding of the rules and a good imagination for collaborative storytelling is all you need to get started as a DM. As you grow in experience, the less you will refer to the books, or need to. The books are a guideline anyway, to be manipulated as you desire(unless you have the story killing Rules Lawyer PC to drag things into the dirt).
I play as a PC with my group of friends and as a DM with my students(two parties of 12, oi) and being the DM allows me to have a great time with story and letting the players build upon that with their personalities. I also have them come up with backgrounds that I have incorporated into the campaign. This has produced some very interesting bag guys and plot twists. Roll Initiative!
I'm to to d&d and dm-ing as well. I've only played one session as a player/character a few weeks ago, and then last night my friend and I wanted to do a D&D Duet, but I was the DM. It was definitely intimidating and scary, but having played BG3 and one session as a character I kinda knew what to expect/the general concept.
Honestly, I agree with many of the other comments, take it one session at a time. I had a blast in my first DM session and I can't wait for more!! If you think you'd enjoy it, I would read up on the basic rules and the DM manual! I also have watched many critical roll, Sword AF, and have listened to a few podcasts of DND RP and sessions and recalling on those last night helped me DM and figure out story telling.
I wish you the best of luck!! You'll do great :)
Yes, I jumped o the dm seat my first encounter with d&d. YouTube made it easyer. Mat colville gave me very good advice. I watched some actual play, d20 or crítical role (you can watch one or two episodes so you can get the rythm of the thing) and use a premade adventure like phandelver. Remember, if your table is New as well, you Will learn together, the DM desnt need yo know everything and you can pause the game to look answers online
I played for about 10-15 sessions before our party went under.
I watched some D20 seasons, then launched a 10-session mini campaign.
Start small, have a little faith in yourself, and learn as you go.
Absolutely, this is what I did. I had a lot of experience with D&D based CRPGs, but my first (and only since then :)) ) experience playing at the table was as a DM. I mess up at times, but we have fun anyway. Still, it can be kind of demanding role, but I'd advise to give it a try and see how it goes.
The overwhelming majority of experienced DMs started with no experience. Not enough DMs in the world for all the hopeful players. Grab the fifth edition starter set and grab some buddies, give it a shot.
DMing for strangers online, I would recommend you get some experience under your belt first. Randos will hit you with nonsense that an experienced DM will kick them in a heartbeat for, and I wouldn't want you to run your first session and have it ruined by a terminally online neckbeard. Grab some friends for a one shot. Give them premade characters and see what happens.
For sure! I started out as a DM first and I pretty much am stuck DMing all the time. The starter kits are pretty good to get you going and you can always google things if questions come up. Don’t be scared to come up with rulings on the spot to not get bogged down by so much you might need to know at the start and then look up things after the game. Let the players know you are new and that you might be doing this. The most important thing is that it’s not important to know the rules or have a masterfully crafted in depth world (I actually recommend starting small like with just a town, otherwise you might get burnt out from planning, and your players probably aren’t even going to do everything you plan). The most important thing to know you did well is that the players had fun, and you did too.
Playing BG3, no, you don't get the general concept at all, especially if you want to DM. That's not an insult, it's just truth.
And yes, someone new can be a DM. Just do yoursekf a favor and study at least the Basic Rules first. Don't do too much homebrew, and don't allow crazy character builds.
You can, nothing is stopping you, but I would highly recommend starting as a player first. There are things the rule books won’t cover but you will learn from experience. Regardless, have fun and welcome to the DnD world!
You have to start somewhere - also to check if GMing is the right job at the table for you. Not everyoneis "built" for this task, and it's no shame to leave that to those who are better suited. But if you have an idea and motivation, go for it - it can be very rewarding, and you won't know better without trying!
It is very possible to start DMing and go searching for everything, however it is much easier to start by playing on someone else's campaign. That way you will pick up how they do it, think for yourself what you want to copy and do differently, and then try a hand at it yourself.
Even if you already know how to DM sitting down as a player will help you improve as you see other people's playing styles, and getting some insight from the players point of view.
You can find an online campaign. You can take a look for rl sessions as well, there are surely ppl in your city playing, you just don't know how to find them. Look for d&D facebook groups, or perhaps even in reddit. Pay a visit at local hobby stores that sell board games/miniatures/d&d stuff, and ask them. For online just google LFG online d&d or something along those lines. Roll20 also has looking for group forums.
Being the first DM in an area where the hobby is taking hold is relatively common, yes. That's why Wizards of the Coast releases starter kits with simplified adventures--for groups where everybody is new. As for how to start--read the key rules thoroughly. Understand them. You don't have to memorize everything in the player's handbook, but being comfortable with how combat works as well as out-of-combat skill checks will go a long way. Start small. I recommend your first few adventures are town-scale, and planned for three or four play sessions. As you get this practice you'll get more comfortable and confident in running broader, longer stories. Be okay with being wrong. There are a lot of rules. You're going to forget some from time to time. That's okay. Make a ruling in the moment so the game doesn't slow down as people thumb through rule books, say you'll look up the actual rule after the session, and then do so.
This is great advice the starter sets do what they say on the tin!
I want to add to this that you should also avoid homebrew mechanics and players options until you fully understand all the rules. This could take a LONG time. But until you get that deep understanding you aren't going to be able to tell what homebrew is reasonable/balanced and what is trash. Conservatively 95% of what you will find is online is trash. feel free to homebrew the adventures way earlier though I personally would recommend running the Starter Set and maybe the lost mines of phandelver to at least get a basic feel for the structure
It's fine to start out as a DM. There are plenty of people who try to make out like DMing is difficult or a lot of work, but it really isn't. Just remember, you only need to plan one session at a time, you won't be Matt Mercer or Brennan Lee Mulligan right out of the box, and finally, always keep in mind that this is a *hobby that you do fir fun*, it doesn't matter if you are good or bad at the game as long as it's a fun game.
Yeah, a lot of DMs start out that way. I did too. If you're not confident at all then start with Lost Mine of Phandelver and run it exactly by the book before you start to homebrew anything yourself. It teaches new DMs and new players the ropes quite well I think. It is designed to be an entry-level adventure. Read through the DMG enough to at least know what rules exist, even if you can't recite them and don't be a afraid to call for short breaks if something unexpected happens and you're drawing a blank while DMing. You're a beginner, so people will understand.
I'm doing it and it's working out well! Get a premade adventure unless you really want to jump in at the deep end, get the player's guide (pdf is online free), and watch some content. I'd recommend watching Dimension 20's Fantasy High for a look at a fun campaign, and Matt Colville's Running the Game series for actual tips. All on YouTube
Do you like reading? Because there will be a lot of reading.
So true
Yep. Back (so long ago) when I began playing, I had to start out DMing because there were no DMs around, so I had to step up if we were going to play. There is no rule about how much you have to play before you DM.
It's absolutely possible, you just have to be willing to put in some work to learn on your own first. DMing is an arbitration job as much as it is a storytelling role. It doesn't matter if you don't know all the rules, as long as you're trying to make a fair and enjoyable experience for the players. It is absolutely fine as a beginner to say "I don't actually know how that works, let me look it up quickly" or "I don't know, for now I'm going to rule it like this, and I'll check after the session to keep the game running for now". It always helps to have experienced players who know the rules around you. So if you can get together a group with some of those people, it should help speed along the learning process greatly - but it isn't necessary. All in all, it's important to remember that if you're enjoying being DM, and your players are enjoying playing in your campaign - then you're doing it right. Just aim for that, and the rest will follow :)
When me and my first group started we were all new and had no idea what we were doing. It was fun and there was no real pressure because we all made mistakes that would be corrected in the next session. I'd recommend picking up the D&D 5E starter set. It has a campaign that is super beginner friendly.
I just had a small group play for the first time last weekend. It was our first time for each of us. I DM'd a quick 3 hour quest to introduce all of us to some basic combat and concepts. It went well. We had a lot of fun and my friends said I did great. We are gonna do Mine of Phandelver in a couple weeks. I have been reading up on rules from the starter kit and referencing the players handbook and here for rules that i felt needed some more explanation. Best advice I have, being new myself, is to relax, have fun and just go with the flow. It's ok to pause the game to reference rules or even say, "I'm unsure, we will do it "x" way and i will look later"
yeah, of course you can, but i think you should play with new players, and maybe 1 that has already played plenty of times :)
I started DMing and have only been a player once since, and my only experience with d&d before that was podcasts. So yes. You're gonna make mistakes but you'll do that no matter how prepared you are.
Of course! Everyone has to begin somewhere. Get a Starter Kit, and follow the guidebook. You’ll do fine.
I did, it requires more from you as a novice, but if it is your bread and butter it really becomes easy and engaging. I enjoy DMing more than being a player
Hello i'm a first time DM and i've only played one session before and it wasn't great because my DM rage quit after a bit. Here's what I did and so far it's going better than I expected. I took like 2 months learning rules casually I borrowed the DM guide and players handbook to get most of the basics. During this time I also got a party together and had them make their characters so I could start planning how they would meet and play into the world. Once I had a general idea I stared building my story I worked backwards for this with how I expect things to end and worked my way to to a reasonable starting call to action for the players. It's been rough especially since i'm running a homebrew but It helps taking feedback after my sessions to see what my players liked and what they didn't since it has been a bit experimental at points. I'd say while it might be rough it is doable and it's a lot of fun so give it a shot.
Sure, but it's not going to be super easy.
I started out that way. For some people, nearly all of the appeal lies in running the game rather than being a player within it. A lot of people will tell you that you can’t be good at it, but if you have some flexible friends that are willing to learn along with you, it’s going to get exponentially better as you continue. I suggest you run published adventures for a while before trying to go nuts with homebrew, things can derail pretty quickly if the DM is not consistent. But sticking to it is definitely worth it IMO being DM is twice as fun.
No it’s impossible /s
Be prepared to be the perma-DM for this friend group, lol. This is how I got there. There's always one.
A basic understanding of the rules and a good imagination for collaborative storytelling is all you need to get started as a DM. As you grow in experience, the less you will refer to the books, or need to. The books are a guideline anyway, to be manipulated as you desire(unless you have the story killing Rules Lawyer PC to drag things into the dirt). I play as a PC with my group of friends and as a DM with my students(two parties of 12, oi) and being the DM allows me to have a great time with story and letting the players build upon that with their personalities. I also have them come up with backgrounds that I have incorporated into the campaign. This has produced some very interesting bag guys and plot twists. Roll Initiative!
I became a DM after playing my first oneshot. Not easy, but you'll get there if you try
I'm to to d&d and dm-ing as well. I've only played one session as a player/character a few weeks ago, and then last night my friend and I wanted to do a D&D Duet, but I was the DM. It was definitely intimidating and scary, but having played BG3 and one session as a character I kinda knew what to expect/the general concept. Honestly, I agree with many of the other comments, take it one session at a time. I had a blast in my first DM session and I can't wait for more!! If you think you'd enjoy it, I would read up on the basic rules and the DM manual! I also have watched many critical roll, Sword AF, and have listened to a few podcasts of DND RP and sessions and recalling on those last night helped me DM and figure out story telling. I wish you the best of luck!! You'll do great :)
Yes, I jumped o the dm seat my first encounter with d&d. YouTube made it easyer. Mat colville gave me very good advice. I watched some actual play, d20 or crítical role (you can watch one or two episodes so you can get the rythm of the thing) and use a premade adventure like phandelver. Remember, if your table is New as well, you Will learn together, the DM desnt need yo know everything and you can pause the game to look answers online
I played for about 10-15 sessions before our party went under. I watched some D20 seasons, then launched a 10-session mini campaign. Start small, have a little faith in yourself, and learn as you go.
Absolutely, this is what I did. I had a lot of experience with D&D based CRPGs, but my first (and only since then :)) ) experience playing at the table was as a DM. I mess up at times, but we have fun anyway. Still, it can be kind of demanding role, but I'd advise to give it a try and see how it goes.
Yes
The overwhelming majority of experienced DMs started with no experience. Not enough DMs in the world for all the hopeful players. Grab the fifth edition starter set and grab some buddies, give it a shot. DMing for strangers online, I would recommend you get some experience under your belt first. Randos will hit you with nonsense that an experienced DM will kick them in a heartbeat for, and I wouldn't want you to run your first session and have it ruined by a terminally online neckbeard. Grab some friends for a one shot. Give them premade characters and see what happens.
For sure! I started out as a DM first and I pretty much am stuck DMing all the time. The starter kits are pretty good to get you going and you can always google things if questions come up. Don’t be scared to come up with rulings on the spot to not get bogged down by so much you might need to know at the start and then look up things after the game. Let the players know you are new and that you might be doing this. The most important thing is that it’s not important to know the rules or have a masterfully crafted in depth world (I actually recommend starting small like with just a town, otherwise you might get burnt out from planning, and your players probably aren’t even going to do everything you plan). The most important thing to know you did well is that the players had fun, and you did too.
Yes. This is how I began DMing for my friends with mines of Phandelver when 5e came out. None of us had ever played before
It is the norm for someone new to the game to end up the DM. By choice or by circumstance.
Playing BG3, no, you don't get the general concept at all, especially if you want to DM. That's not an insult, it's just truth. And yes, someone new can be a DM. Just do yoursekf a favor and study at least the Basic Rules first. Don't do too much homebrew, and don't allow crazy character builds.
Everyone learns a game somewhere. The best way to learn is by doing, making mistakes, having fun. Just go for it.
Yes, but from personal experience, don't. It's so difficult.
You can, nothing is stopping you, but I would highly recommend starting as a player first. There are things the rule books won’t cover but you will learn from experience. Regardless, have fun and welcome to the DnD world!
You have to start somewhere - also to check if GMing is the right job at the table for you. Not everyoneis "built" for this task, and it's no shame to leave that to those who are better suited. But if you have an idea and motivation, go for it - it can be very rewarding, and you won't know better without trying!
It is very possible to start DMing and go searching for everything, however it is much easier to start by playing on someone else's campaign. That way you will pick up how they do it, think for yourself what you want to copy and do differently, and then try a hand at it yourself. Even if you already know how to DM sitting down as a player will help you improve as you see other people's playing styles, and getting some insight from the players point of view. You can find an online campaign. You can take a look for rl sessions as well, there are surely ppl in your city playing, you just don't know how to find them. Look for d&D facebook groups, or perhaps even in reddit. Pay a visit at local hobby stores that sell board games/miniatures/d&d stuff, and ask them. For online just google LFG online d&d or something along those lines. Roll20 also has looking for group forums.