I love that flowchart on the back of the map. "If you go from here to here, there's ___ chance of __ type of encounter." That's great advice, so many thanks.
I once improvised a dungeon by using the room configuration of the house we lived in for a one shot game. I just decribed the rooms how you would decribe a normal dungeon (mildewy stonework, I played with room dimensions a bit, Otyugh lair for the bathroom, fire trap in the 'kitchen', hidden corridor where the wardrobes were, etc...) Nobody got it even though half of my players lived in that house...
Yeah, you don't need much to start DMing. All you really need is an overland map with a town and a few adventuring sites. Ruins in the swamp, an invaded mine up in the mountains, an abandoned castle with rumors of a great treasure hidden inside, stuff like that. then just start creating scenarios to throw into the game. The Farmers daughter got kidnapped by goblins, rumors of undead near the graveyard etc, strange lifelike statues of people in the swamp; elves (or worse fey) attacking the loggers at the local lumbermill stuff like that. (go ahead and steal those ideas) the more scenarios and adventuring sites you create, the more resources you have available when your sitting down at the table. or plotting out a campaign arch. As far finding the time. all you have to do is put remote down and start working on it; fire up some fantasy music for inspiration and start imagining scenarios and put them down on paper. Jim's 3x5 card idea is brilliant and I've started using that for other games as well as D&D. Hell I use to prep star wars D20 while I was at my lunch break at work. You have more time than you know if you look for it. the dungeon tiles and minis and props all get acquired over time so don't feel like you need all that you really don't.
@@jimmurphy1591 well I got nobody to game with at the moment. but I could put something together in Roll20. it's a little bit of a drive to get down to SoCal. I could put something together in Roll20.
Hello Jim. I love your content. I have been one of those DMs that always confined my campaign to the module, and the content within the pages. You've given me the roadmap and confidence to venture out anywhere my PCs decide to go. Thank you sir, and please keep the videos coming.
Jim, I love your videos. Keep it up. I have a request. Any chance you do a video on your 3x5 cards? Build it from scratch. Monsters, pc's, npc's, and dungeons. I know I would love to see it with all the descriptions of how and why you do it that way as you put them together. Fight on and keep it up.
Your players are a great resource for tailoring your campaign. One of the reasons I joined your patreon was because I wanted to partake in the creation of your online campaign Twilight of the Fay, however once there, I didn't find a way to participate, so I left.
@@28mmRPG not sure if, I thought I would get more Patreons and might work with Matt. Neither happened so it’s hard to move ahead with very little economy and small support. But that’s not the viewer fault. My plate is full, and lots to do! Not always what I want. But that’s life.
I like the idea of allowing the party to lose in stopping some evil forces from taking over... and then they or a new party must survive and maybe fight against the new evil regime. 🤗
I loved these two videos back to back. They were exactly what I needed to kick my prep into a different gear and help me feel more comfortable in the DM seat. Thank you ❤️
Not much of a module DM myself, but I looked recently on the 5e new module, Rime of the Frostmaiden. It's basically a wilderness region (Icewind Dale) with several towns, dungeons, factions with different interests. Everything coupled with really evocative art. Until now, it's the only 5e module that made me want to run it.
My son said "Dad if your going run the Phandelver module here is a gift." He found a Forgotten Realms. Adventures 2nd addition. #2106. My rip off got manual 👊🗡😈🖌
I was just working on artefacts and relics for my game, I usually sneak them in throughout the game but I make them hard. Something else I do, which I stole from video games is give them a bit of lore about the artefact when they identfiy it, without the context that the lore fits in. Great video.
When I started dming I took a lvl 1 to 3 module (sunless citadel) as my first campaign. And did exactly like he suggested changed some stuff around.. which made for an even better story then originally intended.
I used a module called The Siege of Castle Rend and I tailored some items to fit my on-going Greyhawk based campaign. I remember realizing that the module was now on-line as a player started to attempt to use unidentified magic items as they were written in the module. The player had missed that I mirrored the map of both the castle and the nearby village. That I had carved a new kingdom into the corner of the world that was not on the map (SW corner of the Wild Coast up against the forest) and improvised lore to make everything work. The only thing that they noticed was that two magic items never worked liked they thought that they would after reading the module.
Great video , great advice Jim. You are right on , start small then build on it. Encounter map is great too. Maps in my campaigns are like magical treasure, not all are correct either. Slainte ~
Love hiding the card in the box lid idea! I prefer not using a screen, but went back to it because the players didn't like seeing my maps. Also, the screen makes it hard on my back since I use minis and have to lean over it or over the players. Thanks for the great videos!
I understand you have built a lot of your dungeons and creatures over time. But I wanted to know how/when you make time for doing your preparation day-to-day or week-to-week? Cheers!
Love your videos Jim. From an old timer who life dragged away from RPGs for a long time , I am searching for inspiration to offer up a campaign for my young nephew , and I get a lot of reinforcement for my own philosophies on gaming from your thoughts , as well as soem nice ideas. Thanks.
This is great. Today many who play 5e are new to D&D, which is great. A lot of them want to run a campaign in a home-brewed world. But the problem is they don't know anything about making that world cause they never researched a campaign world. I mean how could they know how to put a world together. People cut up playing in the forgotten realms cause it is so popular, but it has more info out there about the realm than any other setting. I do have my own campaign realm, but I have been gaming for over 30 years and that realm has been created by all the years I have been a player. But when You don't have that experience established settings are great. I first started DMing in Ravenloft after playing in it and buy the books/box set for 2nd ed. I could never have pulled off running that world without knowing it. So, using material say from a book series you love or from books about mythology to create your own is great. But I still think looking at a set campaign is great cause it has so much information you don't think to need in running a game. Like my favorite collection of books is my 3.0 is the forgotten realms books I have. I have every piece of info I need to run any type of story in that setting. If I want to I could use those books to make a completely different setting cause there is so much there.
It would be wonderful if you could hold those documents up longer (or better, make available somewhere) for those of us that would like to see them in detail.
My players have suggested i run my D&D game in 1st addition. I think they are intrigued by the older rule system that i slip into the 5e shizzle. Thanks Methuselah! 👊😈🖌
@@jimmurphy1591 I'm working on it. When i was young i could not afford it. Now that i can i try to find them. Something i feel my kids and grandkids will appreciate.
I always use my own rules and own setting. I love it being built through the actions of players. I just have a few NPCs and the feeling on the world. Steal some magic styles from other places. I love drawing maps so that helps.
So, kinda in short: Use campaign supplements and borrow more or less liberally from them and either rip them off or be inspired by them. Use a map, handdrawn or maybe from said supplements. Re-use wehat you got with new monsters Great!
@@jimmurphy1591 By that, you mean live sessions at the tabletop? I hope to return to live play as soon as my players are all vaccinated. Until then, I’m running games over Skype with a virtual table top.
Love listening to another great video as I get ready for work. Ive been trying out your 3×5 card organization and it works for the most part tho I haven't been able to trully use it since everything but as far as I can tell I'll be using that system for smaller dungeons and such.
This is why I want him to do a video showing exactly how to do it. I think it would work but I don't want to reinvent the wheel, I want the man who made it to explain how to do it, why, and how it works. That way I'll have a blueprint that I can modify to work for me instead of starting from scratch.
Another great video my master. You have such a great view of DMing and as I know I have said it really is in line with how I run too. Lov e the video; if you do see this and have time I have a random question; I am working on gettin gmy 3x5 card box ready for an OD&D campaign and I am going to run it at a very high level if the players want and I was wondering what you thought of high level play or what you thought some of the better pre written modules were for levels 14+
Jim, I've noticed you mention random encounter charts quite often. I know it sounds weird, but I honestly don't use random encounters because they kind of intimidate me. On the fly, how do I 'plug in' the random encounter? Like, do you have a map and models ready and set up 'just in case' or do you know the players will have a random encounter? I would love to hear your thoughts on how to use random encounters, when to use them, and ESPECIALLY how to set them up on the fly. Thank you.
Lots of ways… let me get up the play test 2 chart. But often I make Radom encounter groups and they come up twice a day rolls if they are bad. Will post
I have a question! Do you ever take account for adventures the Heroes pass on through the passing of time... like perhaps there's some superstition of the local barrow being haunted but it actually does have a low level necromancer rising the dead.. do you keep that story as is in a vacuum or would you ever update your campaign along with the passage of time? maybe that situation becomes a lot worse. Which a then stronger party would have to deal with which is now an even greater threat.
Absolutely!!!!! If you don’t fulfill a mission the bad guys get better and expand. Minor problems exasperated. Time in one plan might be faster than another( doing that now). If a monster is not defeated, it might raise the town they return to. Verisimilitude!!!
@@jimmurphy1591 Well I figured if I used a hex map, Hexes are almost like d20s so rolling a d20 after a certain passage of time on a chart I'd make would let me know the effect. Maybe a 1 resolves the issue another group of heroes handled it but 20 be an expansion, 2-19 could vary in scenarios varying from situation remaining the same to getting worse or better... Something like that, That or just winging it. All within reason makes the world feel more alive.
Curious, when playing or DMing OD&D and AD&D what is your favorite ability score generation? Is it like 3D6, strictly down the line or something like 4D6 drop the lowest, arrange however you please.
Jim there is a easier way. Chronicles of the Outlands by Better Games. Dry a map and be sure to include a bunch of inland river access. Add some players and a few tarot card flips later your game is off and running.
I am sure there are more modern and even easier and better ways. If you have it use it. This is just my Old School ways. I’ll check out Better Games. Others have also mentioned
@@jimmurphy1591 I first got Rogue Swords out of Space Gamer Magazine Nov / Dec 1992. Found out a year later that it was a streamlined for magazine print version of Conrad's Fantasy. Conrad's Fantasy many years later bloomed into Chronicles of the Outlands.
Hey Jim. Old GM with new players, real table, pencil and paper play... cells on silent. You ever notice penmanship and shorthand notes have disappeared?
LOL, nothing good in gaming is ever really excellent till it has been stained by coffee. This is so funny to me. I am so overprotective of my gaming things especially books that I would freak out on people if they stained, torn, or ripped any of my things. But I don't think I have a single notebook without some kind of stain. Not coffee cause I hate coffee, but something.
I've never had success with a big campaign setting. There's a bunch of ancient history, unpronounceable names, details that can't be remembered, stuff that makes the adventurers feel insignificant that have no bearing on the story or quest. A small area or hexcrawl to explore can be useful - the Forgotten Realms, Eberron, etc. - not so much. The rest of it just seems like a badly written novel, and I find it more inspirational to read Howard or Leiber than Ed Greenwood.
![[LIVE] : ONE ลุมพินี 87 วันนี้!! คู่เอก "ก้องชัย vs โชคปรีชา"](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YN6e7HVnekw/mqdefault.jpg)
I love that flowchart on the back of the map. "If you go from here to here, there's ___ chance of __ type of encounter." That's great advice, so many thanks.
I once improvised a dungeon by using the room configuration of the house we lived in for a one shot game. I just decribed the rooms how you would decribe a normal dungeon (mildewy stonework, I played with room dimensions a bit, Otyugh lair for the bathroom, fire trap in the 'kitchen', hidden corridor where the wardrobes were, etc...) Nobody got it even though half of my players lived in that house...
See! Good game
"Hexcrawls" are really just a useful tool for new GMs! I recommend it heavily!
I’ll look for it
@@jimmurphy1591 oh no, I meant... like, hexcrawls in themselves. I wasn't mentionning a product or anything. I love your maps! XD
Yeah, you don't need much to start DMing. All you really need is an overland map with a town and a few adventuring sites. Ruins in the swamp, an invaded mine up in the mountains, an abandoned castle with rumors of a great treasure hidden inside, stuff like that. then just start creating scenarios to throw into the game. The Farmers daughter got kidnapped by goblins, rumors of undead near the graveyard etc, strange lifelike statues of people in the swamp; elves (or worse fey) attacking the loggers at the local lumbermill stuff like that. (go ahead and steal those ideas)
the more scenarios and adventuring sites you create, the more resources you have available when your sitting down at the table. or plotting out a campaign arch.
As far finding the time. all you have to do is put remote down and start working on it; fire up some fantasy music for inspiration and start imagining scenarios and put them down on paper. Jim's 3x5 card idea is brilliant and I've started using that for other games as well as D&D. Hell I use to prep star wars D20 while I was at my lunch break at work. You have more time than you know if you look for it.
the dungeon tiles and minis and props all get acquired over time so don't feel like you need all that you really don't.
Hey.....I want to play in that campaign, when we starting
@@jimmurphy1591 well I got nobody to game with at the moment. but I could put something together in Roll20. it's a little bit of a drive to get down to SoCal. I could put something together in Roll20.
@@thethan302 in in a ton on line
Hello Jim. I love your content. I have been one of those DMs that always confined my campaign to the module, and the content within the pages. You've given me the roadmap and confidence to venture out anywhere my PCs decide to go. Thank you sir, and please keep the videos coming.
👊😈👿👊👁🤬✌️. Keep at it!
Jim, I love your videos. Keep it up. I have a request. Any chance you do a video on your 3x5 cards? Build it from scratch. Monsters, pc's, npc's, and dungeons. I know I would love to see it with all the descriptions of how and why you do it that way as you put them together.
Fight on and keep it up.
Your players are a great resource for tailoring your campaign.
One of the reasons I joined your patreon was because I wanted to partake in the creation of your online campaign Twilight of the Fay, however once there, I didn't find a way to participate, so I left.
I have had setbacks, but keep moving forward
@@jimmurphy1591 please let me know if you get it set up... I'll repatreon again
@@28mmRPG not sure if, I thought I would get more Patreons and might work with Matt. Neither happened so it’s hard to move ahead with very little economy and small support. But that’s not the viewer fault. My plate is full, and lots to do! Not always what I want. But that’s life.
I like the idea of allowing the party to lose in stopping some evil forces from taking over... and then they or a new party must survive and maybe fight against the new evil regime. 🤗
I loved these two videos back to back. They were exactly what I needed to kick my prep into a different gear and help me feel more comfortable in the DM seat. Thank you ❤️
My pleasure
Not much of a module DM myself, but I looked recently on the 5e new module, Rime of the Frostmaiden. It's basically a wilderness region (Icewind Dale) with several towns, dungeons, factions with different interests. Everything coupled with really evocative art. Until now, it's the only 5e module that made me want to run it.
Yes, they have made some better campaign/adventure books
My son said "Dad if your going run the Phandelver module here is a gift." He found a Forgotten Realms. Adventures 2nd addition. #2106. My rip off got manual 👊🗡😈🖌
Yes!
I was just working on artefacts and relics for my game, I usually sneak them in throughout the game but I make them hard. Something else I do, which I stole from video games is give them a bit of lore about the artefact when they identfiy it, without the context that the lore fits in. Great video.
Thanks 😊
When I started dming I took a lvl 1 to 3 module (sunless citadel) as my first campaign. And did exactly like he suggested changed some stuff around.. which made for an even better story then originally intended.
Yes, pretty much how Matt started and now he is gaming god. There is even a painting of that.
You're the best Jim. I love your videos more and more. Thanks for uploading.
Your welcome
Shaping up to be a great series!
😊
Thanks so much for taking the time to record this!
I used a module called The Siege of Castle Rend and I tailored some items to fit my on-going Greyhawk based campaign. I remember realizing that the module was now on-line as a player started to attempt to use unidentified magic items as they were written in the module. The player had missed that I mirrored the map of both the castle and the nearby village. That I had carved a new kingdom into the corner of the world that was not on the map (SW corner of the Wild Coast up against the forest) and improvised lore to make everything work. The only thing that they noticed was that two magic items never worked liked they thought that they would after reading the module.
Yep.....
Great video , great advice Jim. You are right on , start small then build on it. Encounter map is great too. Maps in my campaigns are like magical treasure, not all are correct either.
Slainte ~
Isn’t it amazing that our eyes get wet when we think or speak about those imaginary characters of ours?
Like they are real
Love hiding the card in the box lid idea! I prefer not using a screen, but went back to it because the players didn't like seeing my maps. Also, the screen makes it hard on my back since I use minis and have to lean over it or over the players. Thanks for the great videos!
My pleasure
Fantastic video! Thanks jim
I understand you have built a lot of your dungeons and creatures over time. But I wanted to know how/when you make time for doing your preparation day-to-day or week-to-week? Cheers!
Whenever I can, I work an hour here or there and maybe paint, read, game.. it’s has to fit into your life also
Love your videos Jim. From an old timer who life dragged away from RPGs for a long time , I am searching for inspiration to offer up a campaign for my young nephew , and I get a lot of reinforcement for my own philosophies on gaming from your thoughts , as well as soem nice ideas. Thanks.
My pleasure
This is great. Today many who play 5e are new to D&D, which is great. A lot of them want to run a campaign in a home-brewed world. But the problem is they don't know anything about making that world cause they never researched a campaign world. I mean how could they know how to put a world together. People cut up playing in the forgotten realms cause it is so popular, but it has more info out there about the realm than any other setting. I do have my own campaign realm, but I have been gaming for over 30 years and that realm has been created by all the years I have been a player. But when You don't have that experience established settings are great. I first started DMing in Ravenloft after playing in it and buy the books/box set for 2nd ed. I could never have pulled off running that world without knowing it.
So, using material say from a book series you love or from books about mythology to create your own is great. But I still think looking at a set campaign is great cause it has so much information you don't think to need in running a game. Like my favorite collection of books is my 3.0 is the forgotten realms books I have. I have every piece of info I need to run any type of story in that setting. If I want to I could use those books to make a completely different setting cause there is so much there.
It’s awesome and I hope we can help keep the history alive.
It would be wonderful if you could hold those documents up longer (or better, make available somewhere) for those of us that would like to see them in detail.
I agree!
Pause button?
YES! although I want a video of how to make them straight from the mouth of the man. Please and thank you.
My players have suggested i run my D&D game in 1st addition. I think they are intrigued by the older rule system that i slip into the 5e shizzle. Thanks Methuselah! 👊😈🖌
The hard part is all the 70’s miniatures
@@jimmurphy1591 I'm working on it. When i was young i could not afford it. Now that i can i try to find them. Something i feel my kids and grandkids will appreciate.
I always use my own rules and own setting. I love it being built through the actions of players. I just have a few NPCs and the feeling on the world. Steal some magic styles from other places. I love drawing maps so that helps.
Then keep at it. 👊👿😈👊👁🤬✌️
So, kinda in short:
Use campaign supplements and borrow more or less liberally from them and either rip them off or be inspired by them.
Use a map, handdrawn or maybe from said supplements.
Re-use wehat you got with new monsters
Great!
Ok, so if you put it that way it’s simple........hey!
Enjoyed your commentary and tips! How do you run your games during the pandemic??
Normally
@@jimmurphy1591 By that, you mean live sessions at the tabletop? I hope to return to live play as soon as my players are all vaccinated. Until then, I’m running games over Skype with a virtual table top.
@@trooks40 I have done that also, whatever works
Love listening to another great video as I get ready for work. Ive been trying out your 3×5 card organization and it works for the most part tho I haven't been able to trully use it since everything but as far as I can tell I'll be using that system for smaller dungeons and such.
This is why I want him to do a video showing exactly how to do it. I think it would work but I don't want to reinvent the wheel, I want the man who made it to explain how to do it, why, and how it works. That way I'll have a blueprint that I can modify to work for me instead of starting from scratch.
Cheers!! 🙏🏻
Another great video my master. You have such a great view of DMing and as I know I have said it really is in line with how I run too. Lov e the video; if you do see this and have time I have a random question; I am working on gettin gmy 3x5 card box ready for an OD&D campaign and I am going to run it at a very high level if the players want and I was wondering what you thought of high level play or what you thought some of the better pre written modules were for levels 14+
Again I am ignorant of modules, but 14th level sounds good.
Jim, I've noticed you mention random encounter charts quite often. I know it sounds weird, but I honestly don't use random encounters because they kind of intimidate me. On the fly, how do I 'plug in' the random encounter? Like, do you have a map and models ready and set up 'just in case' or do you know the players will have a random encounter? I would love to hear your thoughts on how to use random encounters, when to use them, and ESPECIALLY how to set them up on the fly. Thank you.
Lots of ways… let me get up the play test 2 chart. But often I make Radom encounter groups and they come up twice a day rolls if they are bad. Will post
Nice sounding voice! New mic?
Nope, I have no tech. On a fixed income🤷
I have a question! Do you ever take account for adventures the Heroes pass on through the passing of time... like perhaps there's some superstition of the local barrow being haunted but it actually does have a low level necromancer rising the dead.. do you keep that story as is in a vacuum or would you ever update your campaign along with the passage of time? maybe that situation becomes a lot worse. Which a then stronger party would have to deal with which is now an even greater threat.
Absolutely!!!!! If you don’t fulfill a mission the bad guys get better and expand. Minor problems exasperated. Time in one plan might be faster than another( doing that now). If a monster is not defeated, it might raise the town they return to. Verisimilitude!!!
@@jimmurphy1591 Well I figured if I used a hex map, Hexes are almost like d20s so rolling a d20 after a certain passage of time on a chart I'd make would let me know the effect. Maybe a 1 resolves the issue another group of heroes handled it but 20 be an expansion, 2-19 could vary in scenarios varying from situation remaining the same to getting worse or better... Something like that, That or just winging it. All within reason makes the world feel more alive.
Curious, when playing or DMing OD&D and AD&D what is your favorite ability score generation? Is it like 3D6, strictly down the line or something like 4D6 drop the lowest, arrange however you please.
Yes I use the 4 drop low. Or straight 3 sometime in D&D zero. I normally in modern versions like point buy
Hi, Jim! I was wondering if you have a PO box or an email address where I could send you a few maps?
Jimmurphycnhp@gmail.com
Jim there is a easier way. Chronicles of the Outlands by Better Games. Dry a map and be sure to include a bunch of inland river access. Add some players and a few tarot card flips later your game is off and running.
I am sure there are more modern and even easier and better ways. If you have it use it. This is just my Old School ways. I’ll check out Better Games. Others have also mentioned
@@jimmurphy1591 I first got Rogue Swords out of Space Gamer Magazine Nov / Dec 1992. Found out a year later that it was a streamlined for magazine print version of Conrad's Fantasy. Conrad's Fantasy many years later bloomed into Chronicles of the Outlands.
@@MrRourk thanks
Hey Jim. Old GM with new players, real table, pencil and paper play... cells on silent. You ever notice penmanship and shorthand notes have disappeared?
Yes..... the world changes
Agreed, not much to gripe about out here. My hooks are set, the fight has begun. Thank you for all the help.
LOL, nothing good in gaming is ever really excellent till it has been stained by coffee. This is so funny to me. I am so overprotective of my gaming things especially books that I would freak out on people if they stained, torn, or ripped any of my things. But I don't think I have a single notebook without some kind of stain. Not coffee cause I hate coffee, but something.
My old friend all feel like me and we drag out beloved games and reminisce about when the stains happened.
I've never had success with a big campaign setting. There's a bunch of ancient history, unpronounceable names, details that can't be remembered, stuff that makes the adventurers feel insignificant that have no bearing on the story or quest. A small area or hexcrawl to explore can be useful - the Forgotten Realms, Eberron, etc. - not so much. The rest of it just seems like a badly written novel, and I find it more inspirational to read Howard or Leiber than Ed Greenwood.
The Grey Mouser as an NPC.