There is no doubt that D&D 5E is pulling in a lot of new players. Unfortunately, this exacerbates the problem of needing more Dungeon Masters (DMs), and luckily more players are jumping in to be new DMs for games. If this is you, then this article is for you. Let's cover the top ten things to know as a new DM for 5E, well, besides the rules, which come in convenient book form.
- You need 3 books: The Players' Handbook (PHB), the Monster Manual (MM), and the Dungeon Master's Guide (DMG).
You can get started with just the first two, but the DMG will teach you a lot of important skills and give you a lot of needed advice. - Learn the rules, but don't sweat it when you get them wrong.
Learn the rules as best you can before hosting your first session, but don't feel bad when you don't know a rule. Even experienced DMs take many session over months to learn a new rule set. Ask your players for help, make a ruling, and make a note to revisit it after the session. Keep reading the rules between sessions until you feel confident.
Let me repeat, keep notes and revisit them after the session -- that helps a lot. - Play with your players, not against your players.
As GM, you provide meaningful settings, scenarios, and challenges for the PCs. You do not play against them. Choose your language, posture, verbiage, and attitude to show this. Don't try to kill the PCs; try to build a good story where the PCs are the heroes that have overcome their weaknesses. Don't ever try to punish players or characters -- it is not your role. If you abuse your "power", your players will stop playing with you. - Mostly say "Yes" to things players want to do in game.
When a player comes up with something to do in game, say yes, unless it is just not possible. That doesn't mean it will be easy. Try to figure out how it would be done within the rules, or in a matter that is consistent with the rules. Some things are not possible, like the dumb barbarian suddenly discovering how to make gunpowder. In those cases, say no, and give solid reasons why. - Keep character creation rules simple.
If you aren't comfortable as a DM, keep the rules for character creation as simple as possible. Consider staying just with the PHB. Consider disallowing multi-classing. Consider using the standard array instead of rolling for ability scores. Consider not using feats. Throw out all optional rules. The depth of the story and fun does not depend on adding extra rules, so make it easier. This is where you can say "No" to keep things fun.
Set the rules in the beginning and stick with them. Don't change them after the characters are made. Generally, if one characters seems greatly overpowered, it usually means that the rules aren't being played properly. - Keep the choice to roll with the DM
Rolling the dice outside of attack rolls is pretty much your call. Try to call for rolls instead of having your players say they want to make them. When it makes sense, give them success without a roll. Try to let your players state what their character is doing and you tell them when a roll is needed. Keep players focused on the scenario and what is happening, not character sheets and dice rolls.
Rules are not the thing; the story of the players' characters is the thing. - Have your players help.
You don't have to do everything. One player can write the turn order down so everyone can see. One players can look up rules in the PHB. One player can move tokens on the board. Do whatever you can to make things easier on you, so you can focus on the part you must do. - Roleplay.
This is the hardest part of playing and DMing -- learning to be the character you are playing. When the party encounters someone or something to interact with, you are it. Talk as them, use appropriate mannerisms, use a different voice or accent if you can, and speak to the player's character. Have the player speak as the character they are playing too. The only thing to do is to jump in and do it. Over time, you will get better at it. Practice makes perfect. - Prepare.
For every hour in game, your are going to spend some period of time in advance preparing. In the beginning it may be quite a bit. As you gain experience it will become less. Prepare locations and people/creatures in those locations to interact with. Get the material you need for roleplay and combat figured out and organized. Understand who the characters in the story are, what they want, and how and why they interact with the players' characters. This goes for adventures you invent yourself or for premade adventures. As you get more experience, you will get better at preparing what you need for whatever crazy idea the players come up with. - Grow.
Don't get discouraged when things don't go smoothly. Take each mistake as a learning opportunity. Look for resources to help you grow. Talk to other DMs. Watch game recordings online. Check out my twitter feed with #GMTip. Leave me a comment below with your questions or drop me a line on twitter. Continuously improve and know that along the way, you are going to have a lot of fun, tell some great stories, and enjoy a wonderful hobby.
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