It’s kinda crazy for me to think about. Story time! Otherwise just ask me anything :)
Around 11 years ago, I sat in the lounge that the Video Game Club occupies once a month on college campus. I looked over and saw a group of gamers go into one of the meeting rooms attached to the lounge - but instead of laptops or gaming consoles, they had books and dice and paper. I scoffed and thought they were too nerdy and cringey - I then went back to munching Doritos, chugging MtDew, and playing Borderlands/Skyrim/Pokemon for the next 12 hours lol.
Thankfully I was saved from my misguided views. A member of the VGC invited me to try out DnD, his group had an open spot. I was hesitant, but I craved more creativity in games that just couldn’t be supplied. So I decided to try it out.
Ended up not having a great time. One player was entirely checked out for 80% of the time and was a scumbag during the 20% he was engaged. The DM either was very new, or just had some very questionable calls. There were of course some fun moments but not a great impression.
I knew the game had potential. And I knew I could run it better.
So 10yrs ago today, my Players Handbook arrived, which is when I really began my journey to learning the rules, how to make characters, and how to run the game.
I’ve since had a few successfully completed long term games, including one that was over 5 years. I’ve ran a game at a convention, I’ve done some paid birthday parties, in person and online long campaigns, even some very successful afterschool programs while I was a teacher for a few years.
At my peak, I was running 4 games weekly. Since then I’ve slowed down a bit more and focus on two good weekly games.
Willing to share tips or stories for any who ask :) otherwise I just wanted to share this milestone.
What would be your advice to a DM starting a full homebrew campaign for the first time?
Start small with just a town. Create an inviting encounter - maybe it’s attacked by goblins or kobolds or something. Just enough that your players can help.
Keeping it small means you can more easily build it. A blacksmith, a church, a tavern or inn, maybe a general goods store.
Then as you need, build larger. Make the surrounding forest and field. Add a river and small lake nearby. Maybe some foothills that lead to mountains.
Not that you need those things, but the idea is start small and local, build outward. Don’t feel like you need an entire religious pantheon, world creation myth, history of politics and resources and all of that. You just need what your players see for adventure.
Last bit: don’t forget to make it weird. If everything behaves normally and as expected, it can get boring. Maybe the innkeep has a minor fiend chained in the basement. Maybe on the road the party meets a talking tortoise. Maybe in the pile of loot from the goblins, they find a purple metal coin.
Plant those weird little seeds of interest. Your players will seek them, and help you grow them.
Love it thank you! Talking turtle is definitely going into the campaign
You’re welcome :) goodluck!
What was the worst most unlikely death you’ve seen as a dm
That’s an interesting question lol.
So one that really shocked the table was when the party tiefling cleric Hymnal died. The party was mid-high level and deep in a cult stronghold. They needed to enter the core chamber, but did not have a direct route; it was ride a water flume to an unknown end in the hopes it leads there, or go through a long cave system dungeon. They chose the dungeon.
Found an optional obstacle, a monolith with a circle of dust around it. Long story short, the goal is they need to have teleportation, good jumping, or high speed to get there. Then, there’s a check to hold on.
Hymnal attempted, got to the top, but fell off. She landed with “that wasn’t so ba-“ ZAP, disintegrated.
Jaws dropped, tears were shed, and it really changed the campaign - they realized death is actually a risk. It was our first major death for the campaign
What happened after you got your players handbook? Did you start your own group?
I DMed for my fiancés family on an RV road trip first. It was fun and casual, just two or three times.
Then that summer I started a camp game. I had a satchel that perfectly fit my notebook and PHB, so during staff training I walked around recruiting staff to play. I intended to have 4-5 players and ended up with 35 interested. We did have that much the first session - everyone just had their own goblin to fight lol and they decided action with “council vote” lol. But after 2-3 sessions the numbers dropped off, as most were just there to try it and obviously it wasn’t true DnD. But most also weren’t able to, they had duties, but us support staff could play on our nights free.
I also DMed a game online, then some after school programs, and then I finally started my first home game. It was my first “serious” campaign.
When you said officially I imagined you had stumbled your way into becoming an official DM for WotC, running games somewhere in one of their basements, as a job.
As someone who has been a DM for 20+ years, my advice to green ones is that now is the time for you to drop just playing D&D and learn of other pastures, there is a world to explore when it comes to RPGs, or a few. Take a look at some other games/systems, it’ll make you a better DM.
lol I wish
And personally, every time I have dabbled into other systems it just makes me like 5e more lol
I read over some of your other comments talking about this, and have to say that a Pokemon game is a weird choice. Avoid adaptations of X Popular Thing, and look for original games. It’s in those that there’s stuff to learn from.
You don’t need to agree with every rule from other games, and you don’t even need to change your preferences for 5e. But there’s stuff out there that will serve you as inspiration, and change the way you understand things in the books you’ve read before. Start by looking at games in a similar genre, fantasy, high-fantasy, low-fantasy, swashbuckling, sword & sorcery. You’ll probably find at least one piece of advice or implementation of a rule that will make you understand the hobby/DMing better in every game out there.
Meh like I said I’ve looked at other ones a bit. Pathfinder 2, Genesys, some various one-page RPGs etc. I just come back to my beloved 5e.
But I do hear you on it, it’s not like I’m not open, but I know what I prefer and I know what my players prefer, for the most part.
I’m sure there are many great flavors of ice cream out there, but mint is my favorite and if it’s an option it’s what I’m gonna order, if that makes sense.
I’m looking for new hobbies, but I’m in s life phase where time, energy and ability to learn things and cope with frustration and bad vibes is very short.
Is DnD a good idea in my case?
Yes and no.
Yes - if you can find a good group with good vibes, it’s some of the best. Laughing with friends about dice rolls and the ridiculous shenanigans they result in.
No - if you don’t do well learning rules equivalent to a boardgame. You do need to learn some rules to play, but it’s not a ton, and you can try to find good DMs who cater to new players. BUT again if you get frustrated by bad luck, learning rules, etc then maybe not.
Maybe - try watching a let’s play? Critical Role or similar. Keep in mind your average game isn’t professional, but this can at least show you relatively what to expect with the amount of rules and stuff.
Small talk: I’m watching dagger heart session 0 now, will add my thoughts later.
My issue with frustration and learning is temporary. I’ll revisit this as an option after I recover.
What’s your favourite “my player shave caught me off guard and I have to improvise” moment, and what did you improvise?
Probably when one of my players, very early on in my first campaign, jokingly threatened that they should ditch the quest they were on, buy a boat, and sail to some new land. I of course played along and said they would find land eventually. But after that session I drew the rest of the world :) so I like that moment