Thanks to World Anvil for sponsoring this video! www.worldanvil.com And thanks to Guy, Dave, Logan, and Davvy for that intro! Check out Guy’s Ghosts of Saltmarsh D&D Livestream! Saturday’s at 1pm PST on www.twitch.tv/dnd
First: Can't wait to play Saltmarsh and Descent. Second: I've seen this topic broken down countless times. I've seen great videos and such. This is utterly perfect. So simple and clear, too. Loved it.
@@alainmarroquin5742 I'm fixing to DM next week and I'm starting to already get worried, even though it's just a quick little one-shot I threw together its my first time and I'm starting to get nervous. But, I really enjoy D&D and figured I might as well take the reigns for a session, still need to make a map and better describe and rebranded the encounters and come up with some improvising notes and make a character for someone and do a little deeper into the NPC's lore and whatever the hell else but I say its probably gonna be worth it in the end
@@lynkcrafter8923 it is worth in the end, it's 1 year later and my friends still talk about that amazing 1 shot that I prepared for them, I have one advice for you, first of all don't ever panic if something doesn't go as you planed, you need to get your shit together and think of something, don't stress out, you can tell you friends to go on a tiny 5 minute break if you want and everything will be all right, *the next thing* remember that yo are the DM you are literally above everything so You and the things that You crate are not tied by rules so if you want to do something cool, go a head, if you want to make something happen you can do it, you can bend the world around you as much as you want, keep that in mind. I hope my advice helps you out my friend, good luck.
My group has a DM that will be straight faced the entire session until one of the players inevitably does something incredibly stupid, and that is literally the moment the rest of the party knows someone is about to die. It goes something like this: DM: "You walk into the dungeon and you see a well" Player 3: "I want to reach in the well" DM: *grins from ear to ear* "Really?" Player 3: "yea sure!" DM: "You reach your arm into the well. You now have no arm because that well is the Dungeon Owner's well and any item put into it is consumed and magically appears in a chest inside the dungeon. Congratulations!" It's like it makes his week that one of us are dumb enough to try something like that XD
Mine’s “...alright?” My players like to do really stupid things no one can think of, like stealing silverware from the man who invited them for dinner or biting people.
As first level characters how do you deal with... this!! HOLY SHIT AS I WAS TYPING I FINALLY FIGURED SOMETHING OUT! THIS SUGGESTION Meshes perfectly with my idea of having a world of floating cities and the party being attacked by one of the 3 demi-god giants of the world they reside in!!! I was gonna start in the floating tavern and have the giant break the island it was floating on, but now I can start them mid-fall and in the best fucking way possible! WITH A GIANT EYE STARING THEM IN THE FACE!!!
@@batterylevellow5473 if your the dm maybe make up a reason they are in the air and run with it it's is sure to make a unique adventure hook like maybe they are on a flying ship or something
Just made me think of the part in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy when the improbability drive turns a missile into Whale. The story then shifts the narrative to the perspective of the Whale's brief moment of existence.
actually you lose that ability at level 3. dms aren't players, they start with unlimited power and gradually learn what not to do. what you gain as you level is the ability to run faster and smoother.
I saw many a "how to be a great GM" (by Guy and other youtubers) and they all had good advise but yours stands out. For it focuses on what is most important. A GM can go from here and master more details, but these are the basics. Also nicely narrated and acted.
Literally experienced this. I was invited to a game through a DM I met at work. He told me everyone was deciding on their characters in the dark. 5 tabaxi rogues showed up to Session 0. There was never a Session 1.
I will never forget my DM who let us have a dance battle to decide the fate of the universe because our wildmagic sorcerer proced a dance effect in the middle of combat. Truly legendary, the best DMs are the ones that just roll with it
Jacob: I'm gonna do a how to guide on being a GM! Nerdarchy: We already did that. Runesmith: We already did that. Davvy Chappy: We already did that. Matt Coleville: All of you are adorable...
Level 20? Upon reaching level 20 your DM remembers a vast amount of game knowledge. This allows them to create entire new gods, worlds, and rules to torture your party; particularly if their the kind of jerk to drop your party through a portal into a dimension that is nothing but a vast Euclidian maze. Examples of Euclidian structures? The endless staircase in 'Inception' or for a really cool idea a tower that from the outside is a single story but in a tiny room inside there is nothing but a pillar and walking clockwise or counter clockwise around the pillar changes the layout of the rooms as well as what's in them, like using a spiral staircase to go up and down floors but with magic instead of instead of expanding physical space. It's also a great trick for hiding secret rooms.
I say a lot of "Are you SURE?" Shockingly, if I asked the outside the game what that phrase means, they will unanimously agree it means "what you are about to do is a really bad idea, and the consequences will inevitably be unpleasant." All of them have been, or currently are, Dungeon Masters themselves. Yet the second the game starts, none of them can remember this information. 🤦♀️
13:28 this is what actually kills my motivation to DM most of the time, players falling off due to work and school, waiting weeks in between sessions and i end up not feeling it anymore because i have to hold back the amount of prep i do in that time, or i'll get too caught up in "write a book" syndrome
The party I'm currently part of had 3 half-elves and a VERY charismatic human so we all decided that the human was our father and we all had different mothers but none of our characters knew this.
Railroading is stupid yes. But when I DM'd for the first time a month ago, my players willingly went down the railroad I set up as they knew I was inexperienced and wanted to help me get more comfortable in the role, and I'm very thankful they did. Since that first session I'm much more comfortable and ready to just let things happen.
My first time Dm'ing I also tried railroading them hard (I was inexperienced and didn't know better). My players intentionally went against the railroad. It helped me learn a lot on the spot but it was frustrating at the time haha
Having a conversation with your players before being the DM for the first time, explaining that you are trying to get comfortable in the role and the mechanics of the job, is a good thing. I did it with my players, and they got on that train for a session or two while I got a feel for it, and I did my best to give them some forks in the track so that they still had some agency. Now of course, they run straight off the stinking map. One is on a mission to outdrink the city of Waterdeep, one adopts everything and is in what is becoming a semi-open relationship with a Drow Priestess of Elistraee, and one is trying to accomplish the campaign goals but nearly started a war with the church of Lathander by accident. 😳
1:28 Protip: Every direction is the one you want. Don't make a map with set data; make a plan you want your players to go down, and let them choose where that is.
I draw the map after a session. It starts out blank and gets filled in as the game progresses. It's less a plan than a record of how it ended up being laid out.
@@jayspeidell Exactly how my book will be written! A basic climate map, some cities and how they were developed by that environment and the races that live there, and any details will be filled in by me discovering alongside the characters what goes there!.
@@sploofmcsterra4786 "At the end of the path you see a witch's hut, its lights flickering ominously." "I want to turn right and just walk straight into the forest." "You turn right and walk into the forest where you eventually arrive at a witch's hut, its lights flickering ominously." "I want to cast Fireball at the hut." "You cast Fireball and through the fire you cleanse the dream you had of being in a forest. You wake up inside a witch's hut."
The final bit is so true, in my friends campaign, was supposed to be a civil war story, instead some people got drunk and we fought Santa in the woods.
I remember the first session I ever ran. I do NOT do well as far as leadership goes and my hands were literally shaking before the game. I was relaxed and laughing ten minutes in once I finally relaxed. The best advice I can give any newbie DM is to take it one step at a time and not to stress about it. It honestly comes so much easier if you lean into the fact you'll always have to improvise as you go and to get comfortable with that. Get e general feel for the rules and for your world - everything will fall into place after that
Skill Challenge: Roll Nature to gather bait; perception to find a stick or pole; artisan's tools to attach the string, hook, and bait; and survival to catch the fish. With only 3 successes, you spend the entire afternoon, but do catch fish. Any less than 3 successes, no soup for you.
This was really helpful to me, especially the "running the game" portion. I was recently asked to DM a Pathfinder campaign for some good friends of mine, and I've just been so nervous about it. I've only ever done this sort of thing once, and it was only a small one-shot. So, I've been really anxious awaiting session 0, because I want everyone to have fun and stuff, but the part where it's just, "Breathe and relax, it's just a game," actually really made me think: it's okay if I screw up every once in a while, there's no shame, so long as everyone is having fun. Thank you for this entire video. It's been really helpful in boosting my confidence for the upcoming campaign.
You can actually plan most of your character in secret, it just can’t be a secret to the DM. For example if you’re creating an anti social character it’s up to the DM to say that there is already an anti social member with in the party and advise you to change it. The reason why it works in Critical Role is because he probably shared at least some basic key details about the dynamics of certain members.
It might work for your current group, but if you plan on gming in the future, don't let that become a habit, because one of my friends let it happen and he's kind of incapable of running anything more scripted for a group that actually cares about their characters, the setting, or story in general. Even when he tries something more scripted, his improv instincts still will sometimes shine through in a way that undermines the scripted work which he seems to find hard at this point from running all improv for so long.
Happy Birthday, My Birthday is in 2 weeks and I also plan on buying a ton of books. The Starter kit and all extra stuff like Volo/Xanathars Guide,etc. You can get them from Amazon for about $160 for all the stuff I'm buying anyway.
@@flamebrindger3984 hope you find a good group! I'm only up to my 7th session with my current group (first time dm) and it's a blast! If you don't mind my asking, will you be a player or dm?
I was asked to DM a DnD game this weekend by some people who've never played it before. I've also never played it before, but I'm excited for it. This video has been helpful. Thank you.
Watched this video when it came out, I was only beginning to.creare the world of Calinean in my head, now I come back today a few hours from my first session with my friends for comfort and a confidence boost. Thank you Jacob for the great video and helping me get into the hobby
Even critical role being as a great group as they are, Matt making them create their character secretly had a HUGE EFFECT on how the party ended up being: 90% of the cast are exotic/weird races 7 players, of those being 1 goblin, 1 half-orc, 2 tieflings, 1 aasimar and 2 humans. That shit is basically a circus in town whenever they set foot on some Palace
About the Critical Role note... their session zero wasn't completely blind and without any management whatsoever by Matt Mercer. The entire point was to make characters who would work with a team in the proper circumstances, or would leave when it made sense for them to (at which point the player would then make a new character). They did have a Session Zero, effectively, because they already had an understanding of what kind of game they were playing and what kind of characters are appropriate.
Putting in the effort to learn how to DM, organizing a group, having a blast of a campaign and then having my players telling me they can't wait until the next play session is such a good feeling.
My brother is currently setting up a campaign for me and my cousins and I’m so excited! When I was little, my brother would come up with random stories and worlds for me to play in. To this day he still loves making stories! He’s always been a fantastic world builder and I can’t wait to see what he’s created
"Make some gods. Draw a map. Write some factions. Bake some kingdoms. Build some cities. Write some history. Incorporate magic in there, somewhere." This was surprisingly helpful.
As I begin preparing for my second ever campaign, I find myself once again watching these videos that first helped me ease into the world of being a dungeon master. Thank you Jacob, you have been my go-to D&D content creator since 2020 and I'm so thankful to have such a whimsical and goofy guide as yourself to help me dip my toes in these deep and mystical waters!
This is one of THE best videos on dming, thank you so much for this, you simplify it all, and turn what could be a terrifying to an amazing first experience dm. Thank you
I know this is an old video, but I just saw it for the first time. Thank you!!! Best and most inspiring thing I have seen for my venturing into the dark and scary realm of the DM.
Okay, so I know this is a bit odd, but I think a fairly good way to set some rules for your party fishing would be to get whoever is fishing roll a d4 and whatever they get is how many hours it takes for them to catch a fish. Obviously the type and size would depend on the type of water they're fishing in and where they are in your world. This could work for if the party wanted a small time to wind down after a heated battle, need to recover and heal up, or if they've been put into a survival situation and they don't have a lot of time to fish so they would need to try to roll a lower number. I think that a d4 would be the preferred die, because then your party isn't doing this for too long, this method can work if there are more than one person in your party fishing, you'd just need to find the average, that would help in the survival situation because then if the whole group is fishing, you'd get a varied number, meaning that there is a higher chance of them getting that lower number from the average that they need. And yes I wrote this as I thought about it, hence why it looks all over the place. But hopefully, this could be of use to someone.
Found this video today. Yessss, Session Zero is the most important session before the start of the campaign...🙊 That was why a canceled my first campaign as a DM, the group didn't grew together, the characters were not compatible with each other (mostly one guy but yeah, you get the point). I'll never start a campaign like that again, so thank you for pointing it out! I just realised this was the main mistake...
I don't think I've ever played a campaign where we haven't made our characters in secret from one another. But after seeing this video I'm wondering if we've just been lucky and we should give the Session Zero a try. We've always shared class so that we weren't all a bunch of squishy wizards (although I'd argue that'd be pretty funny too: The most powerful gang of spellcasters the world has ever seen but they all starve to death because they can't open a jar of rations). And in some instances from time to time we've had people pair up (we had a blast when one player was a sorcerer and the other was her overprotective paladin father). I suppose we might've just gotten lucky with our players or it might just be that among ourselves we agree that "loner" characters are really irritating. Most players take on the role of someone approachable and friendly who isn't brooding in the corner with a fistful of razroblades. And as for backstory interconnecting we once had three party members whose past was connected to the same cult (one a reformed member, one escaped their sacrificial altar and the other was a lawman hunting them down). I don't know. Have we just been really lucky so far or are we subconsciously able to sidestep the major pitfalls that usually come from character creation? (Now I think about it a lot of them have acting and theatre experience so know a fair bit about what makes engaging and likable characters.) We're going to be trying out some new players soon and I'm a tad paranoid that we should've gotten them to build their characters together now.
Theatre experience really sounds like a fantastic boon. The golden rule of improv to never say No to anything and to just flow with it and keep spinning the story makes a lot of sense in that context. I mean, you're playing a role, so. When we played a game, I often tried to find hooks that would attach my character to the others and motivation for actually partying with them. People often forget that the reality of their characters is different from the meta layer, so even if a guy is being a bit of a prick making jokes about your elven heritage, he might be worth teaming up with because of his wealth and connections because remember, you're trying to avenge your father, not stab some rich dude because he's calling you Legolas.
@@LootFragg Hi. Yeah, I have to say with some more experience under my belt that playing with a bunch of former theatre kids has really boosted the roleplay element. When I'm DM'ing I haven't encountered an issue that couldn't be handled and the newer players (the ones I mentioned in my above comment from 3 years ago) all turned out great even if we haven't been able to play as often as we'd have liked over the last few years (a pandemic will do that to a game, but the fact it's still ongoing and we didn't give up is a positive in my book). And the older theatre kid players aren't even necessarily better roleplayers than the newer ones, but starting out they just didn't have the same nervousness and concerns. Several years in now though everyone really gets stuck in.
I'd actually come across World Anvil like a year(?) ago or so, but in my infinite wisdom didn't save or favorite the page and I had forgotten what the name of the website was, but the minute I saw you talking about it I remembered! Thanks a ton, I know I'm going to get a ton of use out of it (and will remember to bookmark it this time. Keep making the excellent content!
This was great for me, I decided to start D&D (for the 1st time) with some friends and this seems really helpful, wish I could've seen it earlier because I kinda scuffed up the introduction, oh well, I'll try incorporate this stuff later, thanks!
Ive been watching your channel for so long that it kinda feels like i grew up with you. I always come back to this vid. thanks for eveything through all these years.
Brewing the urge to DM after being just a player but not playing for a long, long time. Now with just the right people to start it up all up. You gave me just the right amount of support to know that i can do it, and for that, thank you. Love the channel and the unique approach, keep it up, i will... ^_^
About what you said on critical role and session zero: Me and all my friends who play and the DM agree on a date to have a session 0, until then the DM is giving us homework to think of a concept (race, class, background) and then everyone shares their concepts at session 0 after the DM explained the campaign. That way everyone's personality and backstory is still hidden and still people can make aligmant and stuff before the campaign so it's a win win for everyone. After that session each and everyone of the players talk to the DM privately about their backstory and personality so it can fit the game and to other PC's to make aligmant (aligmant like caleb and nott or molly and yasha). That way everyone is happy and ready to the first session. I really encourage you all to do this it's really fun.
Thank you so much for this video. This reminded me, what it meant to be a good DM. I felt like I lost my way and my focus, and couldn't see, why or how. But this! This showed me and remembered me , why I started playing pen and paper. Why playing with friends in this Form became my favorite past time. To accompany the players on their way on becoming heroes or villains, seeing them loving their fellow pcs and npcs and just falling into a timeless gaming round totally immersed. Thank you so much!
Playing a character with a DM-built amnesia background is also a good way of letting the DM go wild with your story and how it fits into the campaign. Don't do it every time because it gets repetitive, but it's a nice little treat for your DM to craft them how they think would be best for the story.
You're the best XP3. I love how you are so light hearted, then get super detailed and crazy, and then bring it back to, just relax. We all start out simple, then get to into it and just need reminded about the basics.
The end part of this video is fantastic. The advice given and the relaxed tone are superb. The best piece of advice you could ever give new (or even moderately experienced) DM's. Fantastic video.
Players: we would like to go fishing at the swamp! Me the Dm: Ok! *looks at papers* you can do that, you go fishing! Roll a d100 to see what you get That one guy: 1 Me the dm: ok roll me a straight strength check That one guy is a barbarian: 22 Me the dm: you catch something big... you struggle to pull it up but eventually you pull up a THE FABLED DRAGON TURTLE THAT RESTS IN THE SWAMP! PREPARE THE CHASE SCENE! See you can do anything with your worlds 👍
This video was so encouraging. I used roll20, and bought the Lost Mines of Phandelver to play with people. I spent a lot of time preparing and tweaking to make it more approachable and fun for everyone involved, but this one guy insisted on being a murder hobo, and constantly calling me on the rules. He soon got everyone on board to only play by every written rule in the book, which suddenly turned an avenue for fun, into a daunting, practically full-time job for me. It wasn't long until he said flatly, that he hated playing with me, ostracized me from the group, and began his own campaign as DM without me. As you said, "they're mean and stupid" and that really restored my sanity on the matter. I hope some day to try again with people who have a better appreciation for the spirit of DnD. Thanks for your guidance.
I'm happy to say that I did pretty much everything in this guide by my own before deciding to watch this. I was DM once about 4 years ago for like 2 sessions, and now it's my time to shine again. We are going to play next friday, and I'm ready to start. I have a huge world with deep lore that I spent my entire weekend writting, and a really absurdly simple first session campaign set up for them to get to know each other. They are all going to be strangers that have to work together to escape captivity for the very first campaign.
No kidding, your short notes on how to buid a world helped me more than any other video I´ve watched on that manner. Love your videos, hope you´re having fun making them.
Thanks to World Anvil for sponsoring this video! www.worldanvil.com
And thanks to Guy, Dave, Logan, and Davvy for that intro!
Check out Guy’s Ghosts of Saltmarsh D&D Livestream!
Saturday’s at 1pm PST on www.twitch.tv/dnd
First: Can't wait to play Saltmarsh and Descent.
Second: I've seen this topic broken down countless times. I've seen great videos and such. This is utterly perfect. So simple and clear, too. Loved it.
XP to Level 3 so we never doing fighter huh.
Can't play without players? Hold my bear
Is it free? :)
You need to do how to play Clerics, Fighter, Sourcerer, please
"Breathe, Relax"
Best overlooked advice ever.
Just run with it is the next one, what a great epilogue
And say you can certainly try
A DMed last week, and i was nervous, and i'm never nervous, this would've been helpful
@@alainmarroquin5742 I'm fixing to DM next week and I'm starting to already get worried, even though it's just a quick little one-shot I threw together its my first time and I'm starting to get nervous. But, I really enjoy D&D and figured I might as well take the reigns for a session, still need to make a map and better describe and rebranded the encounters and come up with some improvising notes and make a character for someone and do a little deeper into the NPC's lore and whatever the hell else but I say its probably gonna be worth it in the end
@@lynkcrafter8923 it is worth in the end, it's 1 year later and my friends still talk about that amazing 1 shot that I prepared for them, I have one advice for you, first of all don't ever panic if something doesn't go as you planed, you need to get your shit together and think of something, don't stress out, you can tell you friends to go on a tiny 5 minute break if you want and everything will be all right, *the next thing* remember that yo are the DM you are literally above everything so You and the things that You crate are not tied by rules so if you want to do something cool, go a head, if you want to make something happen you can do it, you can bend the world around you as much as you want, keep that in mind.
I hope my advice helps you out my friend, good luck.
I learned a big knowledge from this guy. Bless his dough.
Look who it is
Do u know what background music he uses for this video?
nice intro Logan. totally didn't make any of us cringe :P (like ur genies video) ha jk
And that's basically Runesmith...
!!!
¡My leige!
Actual way to play as a dm:
1.Think of a great plan for this epic campaign
2. Cry because the bard is going to be the new dm
That's when you start planning the bards death.
Damn, you too?
I once DM'd a session where I threw a bard and a ranger on a cold, lonely island.
The tables have turned then.
That's due to not knowing how to be a DM and someone not knowing how to be a decent bard.
Or cry because the Mystic/Druid is here.
"You can certainly try" is my single most uttered phrase as a DM
I think mine is "Are you SURE you wanna do that?" Haha
I think mine is “make roll for x stat”
My group has a DM that will be straight faced the entire session until one of the players inevitably does something incredibly stupid, and that is literally the moment the rest of the party knows someone is about to die. It goes something like this:
DM: "You walk into the dungeon and you see a well"
Player 3: "I want to reach in the well"
DM: *grins from ear to ear* "Really?"
Player 3: "yea sure!"
DM: "You reach your arm into the well. You now have no arm because that well is the Dungeon Owner's well and any item put into it is consumed and magically appears in a chest inside the dungeon. Congratulations!"
It's like it makes his week that one of us are dumb enough to try something like that XD
Mine’s “...alright?” My players like to do really stupid things no one can think of, like stealing silverware from the man who invited them for dinner or biting people.
*Chuckles*, “Make a roll and we’ll see...”
Endgame is the biggest crossover in history
XP to level 3: Hold my Ale
Facts
I literally never heard anybody ever say that Endgame is the biggest crossover in history.
Jan Elan Testaverde Endgame is the biggest crossover in history.
There.
But then there is this.
Hold my Dragon’s Ale
@@irok1 Didn't hear you say it, just saw you writing it :P
Man, I really like how a lot of the bigger D&D Channels are so friendly and helpful to one another.
"I will literally kill you"
very friendly indeed
@@masterboa6321 he could have just killed him without notice, though
My favourite starting prompt is :
Roll a d100
That's how many feet in the air you are.
As first level characters how do you deal with... this!! HOLY SHIT AS I WAS TYPING I FINALLY FIGURED SOMETHING OUT! THIS SUGGESTION Meshes perfectly with my idea of having a world of floating cities and the party being attacked by one of the 3 demi-god giants of the world they reside in!!!
I was gonna start in the floating tavern and have the giant break the island it was floating on, but now I can start them mid-fall and in the best fucking way possible! WITH A GIANT EYE STARING THEM IN THE FACE!!!
Also, sorry my first question was how do you do this to a first level party
@@batterylevellow5473 if your the dm maybe make up a reason they are in the air and run with it it's is sure to make a unique adventure hook like maybe they are on a flying ship or something
@@ladylad2763 OH ok. I took it as "you're falling from 500 feet up, what do you do?"
Just made me think of the part in Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy when the improbability drive turns a missile into Whale. The story then shifts the narrative to the perspective of the Whale's brief moment of existence.
Didn't include the lvl 20 ability
Rocks fall everyone dies
actually you lose that ability at level 3. dms aren't players, they start with unlimited power and gradually learn what not to do. what you gain as you level is the ability to run faster and smoother.
@The Milk Man Eehh, doesn't feel applicable here. I don't see much to imply he truly didn't see the joke.
Very true
I thought the level 20 ability was summoning a sentient mountain that could walk?
@The Milk Man You're the one who got *r/woooosh ed
How to Play DM.
At level 1, you get the spell Wish as a cantrip!
And can cast it as a bonus action and you get 3 reactions per round to cast it too!
Perfect
and summon monster
Greater Wish*
Without the 33% chance to disappear!
“Is not your story,
Is everyone’s story” That’s is one thing some people really needs to understand. Good job
* Soviet Union anthem starts playing *
@@LightmareShadow lol
@@LightmareShadow it’s OUR game!
That's exactly why DMs should just give up writing any kind of campaign story. Just make it up as you go.
@@godspeedhero3671 😐?
The cameos by all the other D&D youtubers was awesome
SuperUltraGamer Davvey was how I got here
please, who are them? thanks
@@andrejunqueira7456 in order it's how to be a great gm, nerdarchy, runesmith, davvy chappy
I'm the 666th like :)
Thanks for letting us help out Jacob. Awesome, vid!
Nerdarchist Dave
What a wonderful ending. Really captured the importance of fun in D&D. Thank you!
I checked the comments just to make sure I wouldn't be the first to write that.
Wholeheartedly agree, that was a genuinely perfect wrap-up.
Was about to write myself. Damn that wholesome end :')
I was beautifull and really heartwarming :)
I saw many a "how to be a great GM" (by Guy and other youtubers) and they all had good advise but yours stands out. For it focuses on what is most important. A GM can go from here and master more details, but these are the basics.
Also nicely narrated and acted.
"i want you guys to make characters privately to make it all cool and realistic"
Congratulations, you now have 5 Rogues.
The fifth rogue is sad when the tavern only has four corners...
@@dungeonslug5244 hahahahaha
@@dungeonslug5244 That was good.
Hey, but then he finds a nook and makes himself comfortable.
@Jonerico That will make for an interesting game. 👍
I can work with that.
Literally experienced this. I was invited to a game through a DM I met at work. He told me everyone was deciding on their characters in the dark.
5 tabaxi rogues showed up to Session 0. There was never a Session 1.
Also known as: How to sell your soul to a bunch of dice
"sell your soul to a bunch of assholes who keep coming back every week"
@@XPtoLevel3 Ha, that implies consistent games
@@DB-cn6rw Ha, that implies having friends to run sessions with.
@@Not_Ciel Ha, that implies having money to afford said dice, and dm materials.
@@sylkaaegus3578 Ha, that implies you buy your books and don't use pdfs/websites.
I will never forget my DM who let us have a dance battle to decide the fate of the universe because our wildmagic sorcerer proced a dance effect in the middle of combat. Truly legendary, the best DMs are the ones that just roll with it
2:34 in Saruman's voice "So you have elected the way of PAIN!"
Jacob: I'm gonna do a how to guide on being a GM!
Nerdarchy: We already did that.
Runesmith: We already did that.
Davvy Chappy: We already did that.
Matt Coleville: All of you are adorable...
thanks for the references!!!
WebDm: laughs in weekly.
Matthew Mercer: So cute.
@@adamxei9073 Bah, Mercer’s still a baby. Collville’s been making videos about how to DM since at least 2013.
How to play Dungeon Master?
More like *HOW TO PLAY GOD!*
that's mystic.
@@beesbutinabox The true d&d story is the epic battle between the mystic and the dm
@@azathoth7587 dude it's really simple get him stabbed in the head, but survive. No psionics without your brain 🤔😒
Hah! How to play god... DM's are so powerful and mighty, they don't have stats, a hp pool, and always have... UNLIMITED...POOWWWAAARRR!!!
No wonder God left, we're terrible players.
Thanks for fueling our God complexes and enabling us, Jacob.
How has nobody commented on this yet
Dungeon Master's Level 1 Ability is OP, plz nerf
I know at level 1 they can basically do whatever they want.
How about the level 20 ability.
@@Luckyleol there stuff from 2-20 just improves upon their level 1 ability
Level 20?
Upon reaching level 20 your DM remembers a vast amount of game knowledge. This allows them to create entire new gods, worlds, and rules to torture your party; particularly if their the kind of jerk to drop your party through a portal into a dimension that is nothing but a vast Euclidian maze. Examples of Euclidian structures? The endless staircase in 'Inception' or for a really cool idea a tower that from the outside is a single story but in a tiny room inside there is nothing but a pillar and walking clockwise or counter clockwise around the pillar changes the layout of the rooms as well as what's in them, like using a spiral staircase to go up and down floors but with magic instead of instead of expanding physical space. It's also a great trick for hiding secret rooms.
Also rocks fall everyone dies
"You can certainly try" that is the ultimate DnD phrase.
It's really, really depressing just how often you have to say that phrase too.
True true, but my favorite DM line of all time is-
"How do you want to do this?"
I say a lot of "Are you SURE?"
Shockingly, if I asked the outside the game what that phrase means, they will unanimously agree it means "what you are about to do is a really bad idea, and the consequences will inevitably be unpleasant." All of them have been, or currently are, Dungeon Masters themselves. Yet the second the game starts, none of them can remember this information. 🤦♀️
Boy... it feels good to be....
*An INFLUENCER*
The RussianBadger right?
You cowards will never stop me
WITH EACH PATCH I GROW STRONGER
Sarge: Fire a warning shot Johnson.
Johnson: Sir this is an M2 Rotary grenade launcher.
Sarge: *Potato Potato*
13:28 this is what actually kills my motivation to DM most of the time, players falling off due to work and school, waiting weeks in between sessions
and i end up not feeling it anymore because i have to hold back the amount of prep i do in that time, or i'll get too caught up in "write a book" syndrome
me, before: Oh boy! I can't wait to watch the new "how to play" video!
me, the moment i see the video title: oh boi...
as a starter DM to a tiny group of of friends, this simple and humble guide helped me and made me more invested than any other DM guide
1:16 ok, this is definitely going to be my next NPC now!
BY AZURA BY AZURA BY AZURA
Same. He'd go around and rave to the players how they've trapped his soul like Azura's Star.
The party I'm currently part of had 3 half-elves and a VERY charismatic human so we all decided that the human was our father and we all had different mothers but none of our characters knew this.
@DropkicktheDecepticon Yeah, it was just 4 people with the same last name going around like, "Wait. So your last name is also Marx? Weird."
Plot Twist: The human is 20. The half-elves are all about 100 years old.
@@FlatOnHisFace They were born this way.
Railroading is stupid yes. But when I DM'd for the first time a month ago, my players willingly went down the railroad I set up as they knew I was inexperienced and wanted to help me get more comfortable in the role, and I'm very thankful they did. Since that first session I'm much more comfortable and ready to just let things happen.
My first time Dm'ing I also tried railroading them hard (I was inexperienced and didn't know better). My players intentionally went against the railroad. It helped me learn a lot on the spot but it was frustrating at the time haha
Having a conversation with your players before being the DM for the first time, explaining that you are trying to get comfortable in the role and the mechanics of the job, is a good thing. I did it with my players, and they got on that train for a session or two while I got a feel for it, and I did my best to give them some forks in the track so that they still had some agency.
Now of course, they run straight off the stinking map. One is on a mission to outdrink the city of Waterdeep, one adopts everything and is in what is becoming a semi-open relationship with a Drow Priestess of Elistraee, and one is trying to accomplish the campaign goals but nearly started a war with the church of Lathander by accident. 😳
1:28 Protip: Every direction is the one you want. Don't make a map with set data; make a plan you want your players to go down, and let them choose where that is.
I draw the map after a session. It starts out blank and gets filled in as the game progresses. It's less a plan than a record of how it ended up being laid out.
@@jayspeidell Exactly how my book will be written! A basic climate map, some cities and how they were developed by that environment and the races that live there, and any details will be filled in by me discovering alongside the characters what goes there!.
Use this sparingly though, as it can become obvious. It's a tool, but use it in balance.
@@sploofmcsterra4786 "At the end of the path you see a witch's hut, its lights flickering ominously."
"I want to turn right and just walk straight into the forest."
"You turn right and walk into the forest where you eventually arrive at a witch's hut, its lights flickering ominously."
"I want to cast Fireball at the hut."
"You cast Fireball and through the fire you cleanse the dream you had of being in a forest. You wake up inside a witch's hut."
@@LootFragg I am using this encounter, a witches hut that makes it so you always end up back to it? Yes please
Have you ever wondered why you dont see Jacob and Matt Mercer appear in the same place at the same time?
... yeah. Now you get it
oh my bahamut, how did we not figure this out earlier?
@@chromitehertz9016 Polymorph
100th like. Can I have my monthly roll with advantage now?
@@ashenwuss1651 YAY!
_sees table_
_braces for "SO YA WANNA PLAY THE DUNGEON MASTER HUH?"_
_doesn't get it_
_disappointed_
_nevermind, there it is_
That ending is sooooo wholesome and true
My party was SUPPOSED TO sneak into a building... They burned it down...
No building, no need to sneak; mission accomplished.
My sister walked into the room while you were on screen and said "Hes kinda cute but sounds like a nerd"
For her that is a compliment so be glad
The final bit is so true, in my friends campaign, was supposed to be a civil war story, instead some people got drunk and we fought Santa in the woods.
Y E P
I remember the first session I ever ran. I do NOT do well as far as leadership goes and my hands were literally shaking before the game. I was relaxed and laughing ten minutes in once I finally relaxed. The best advice I can give any newbie DM is to take it one step at a time and not to stress about it. It honestly comes so much easier if you lean into the fact you'll always have to improvise as you go and to get comfortable with that. Get e general feel for the rules and for your world - everything will fall into place after that
My God the beginning. D&D TH-cam cinematic universe confirmed?
I'm pretty sure it's just called the world
Za Warudo
DYTCU
Blade Arts BA oh my god, was that a mother fucking jojos reference?!!?!!
The random fishing rules bit made me think:
Roll Dex for the throwing the line
Roll Wis to see if you lose patience or not
Roll Str for capture
Skill Challenge: Roll Nature to gather bait; perception to find a stick or pole; artisan's tools to attach the string, hook, and bait; and survival to catch the fish. With only 3 successes, you spend the entire afternoon, but do catch fish. Any less than 3 successes, no soup for you.
"Now that you have your world ready..."
Me: (Scrambles to jot down notes, paper is flying everywhere): YOU MAKE IT SOUND SO EASY.
I have found sticky notes to be my best friend
This was really helpful to me, especially the "running the game" portion.
I was recently asked to DM a Pathfinder campaign for some good friends of mine, and I've just been so nervous about it. I've only ever done this sort of thing once, and it was only a small one-shot. So, I've been really anxious awaiting session 0, because I want everyone to have fun and stuff, but the part where it's just, "Breathe and relax, it's just a game," actually really made me think: it's okay if I screw up every once in a while, there's no shame, so long as everyone is having fun.
Thank you for this entire video. It's been really helpful in boosting my confidence for the upcoming campaign.
Bring a gun to the game and say this is my Dungeon Screen,
I guarantee it will work every time, no one will ever question you at all.
Your going get people leaving, and/or calling the police.
Then those people are weak and wouldn't survive the adventure.
Ag silver Radio
r/woosh
Yes, I call police if I see a gun. (Sarcasm)
@@dungeonmasterblaster5600 "HOW ARE YOU GOING TO SURVIVE THE ENCOUNTER WITH THE ADULT RED DRAGON IF YOU LEAVE BECAUSE I HAVE A GUN!"
You can actually plan most of your character in secret, it just can’t be a secret to the DM. For example if you’re creating an anti social character it’s up to the DM to say that there is already an anti social member with in the party and advise you to change it. The reason why it works in Critical Role is because he probably shared at least some basic key details about the dynamics of certain members.
I just fly by the seat of my pants now, since the players never take the plot hooks anyway.
Why not make a red herring and when they run away from it, spring your adventure hook?
@@Lobsterwithinternet Because my friend any plans you make will very quickly be moved past. If you have no plan they cant fuck up your plan
Build a world(or a few towns connected by a circuitous road and dump them in it. 9/10 they'll sorta just make their own conflict.
It might work for your current group, but if you plan on gming in the future, don't let that become a habit, because one of my friends let it happen and he's kind of incapable of running anything more scripted for a group that actually cares about their characters, the setting, or story in general.
Even when he tries something more scripted, his improv instincts still will sometimes shine through in a way that undermines the scripted work which he seems to find hard at this point from running all improv for so long.
"So, what do you do next?"
"You can certainly try"
Literally my entire GM philosophy in two sentences.
Perfect timing! My birthday was yesterday and I got a bundle of D&D books and a custom dm screen!
Happy birthday
Happy birthday, and whoever got you this, they love you!
Happy belated birthday!!
Happy Birthday, My Birthday is in 2 weeks and I also plan on buying a ton of books. The Starter kit and all extra stuff like Volo/Xanathars Guide,etc. You can get them from Amazon for about $160 for all the stuff I'm buying anyway.
@@flamebrindger3984 hope you find a good group! I'm only up to my 7th session with my current group (first time dm) and it's a blast! If you don't mind my asking, will you be a player or dm?
I was asked to DM a DnD game this weekend by some people who've never played it before. I've also never played it before, but I'm excited for it. This video has been helpful. Thank you.
80% of the video is just about preparation. Title checks out.
Those last several minutes were so great. It threw me way back into nostalgic feels of back when I jumped feet first into the deepend of DM.
going to my first session zero today. very helpful!!
Gabbyb133 Good luck!! Hope you have fun :)
The ending was surprisingly wholesome. Thank you for that. You brought an unexpected tear to my eye.
That moment when you know all the ppl from the cameos ^_^
Watched this video when it came out, I was only beginning to.creare the world of Calinean in my head, now I come back today a few hours from my first session with my friends for comfort and a confidence boost. Thank you Jacob for the great video and helping me get into the hobby
Geez. This got real inspirational at the end...
Keep using that bardic inspiration my dude. Somebody will use it. :P
Even critical role being as a great group as they are, Matt making them create their character secretly had a HUGE EFFECT on how the party ended up being:
90% of the cast are exotic/weird races
7 players, of those being 1 goblin, 1 half-orc, 2 tieflings, 1 aasimar and 2 humans. That shit is basically a circus in town whenever they set foot on some Palace
About the Critical Role note... their session zero wasn't completely blind and without any management whatsoever by Matt Mercer. The entire point was to make characters who would work with a team in the proper circumstances, or would leave when it made sense for them to (at which point the player would then make a new character). They did have a Session Zero, effectively, because they already had an understanding of what kind of game they were playing and what kind of characters are appropriate.
Putting in the effort to learn how to DM, organizing a group, having a blast of a campaign and then having my players telling me they can't wait until the next play session is such a good feeling.
I just ran d&d for the first time like yesterday
The timing on this could not be any more ironic
“don’t rush, but don’t stop” best life advice i’ve heard in awhile
I enjoy playing D&D, but DMing has become my passion. Shoutout to all DMs!
My brother is currently setting up a campaign for me and my cousins and I’m so excited! When I was little, my brother would come up with random stories and worlds for me to play in. To this day he still loves making stories! He’s always been a fantastic world builder and I can’t wait to see what he’s created
"Make some gods.
Draw a map.
Write some factions.
Bake some kingdoms.
Build some cities.
Write some history.
Incorporate magic in there, somewhere."
This was surprisingly helpful.
As I begin preparing for my second ever campaign, I find myself once again watching these videos that first helped me ease into the world of being a dungeon master. Thank you Jacob, you have been my go-to D&D content creator since 2020 and I'm so thankful to have such a whimsical and goofy guide as yourself to help me dip my toes in these deep and mystical waters!
Aaaah the Ending!!!
As a DM, your last bullet point just warmed my heart - cause it's so so true!
Thanks, Jacob
First guide that helped me fully understand not just the rules, but what it might feel like and look like to run one. Thank you.
Everybody: avengers endgame is the most ambitious crossover in history
Me an intellectual:
Daikon 4 anyone? 🤓
This is one of THE best videos on dming, thank you so much for this, you simplify it all, and turn what could be a terrifying to an amazing first experience dm. Thank you
*So you wanna play the DM*
I know this is an old video, but I just saw it for the first time. Thank you!!! Best and most inspiring thing I have seen for my venturing into the dark and scary realm of the DM.
In short.
*reality can be whatever you want.*
Okay, so I know this is a bit odd, but I think a fairly good way to set some rules for your party fishing would be to get whoever is fishing roll a d4 and whatever they get is how many hours it takes for them to catch a fish. Obviously the type and size would depend on the type of water they're fishing in and where they are in your world. This could work for if the party wanted a small time to wind down after a heated battle, need to recover and heal up, or if they've been put into a survival situation and they don't have a lot of time to fish so they would need to try to roll a lower number. I think that a d4 would be the preferred die, because then your party isn't doing this for too long, this method can work if there are more than one person in your party fishing, you'd just need to find the average, that would help in the survival situation because then if the whole group is fishing, you'd get a varied number, meaning that there is a higher chance of them getting that lower number from the average that they need. And yes I wrote this as I thought about it, hence why it looks all over the place. But hopefully, this could be of use to someone.
“Breathe, relax, speed, I am Speed.”
Found this video today. Yessss, Session Zero is the most important session before the start of the campaign...🙊 That was why a canceled my first campaign as a DM, the group didn't grew together, the characters were not compatible with each other (mostly one guy but yeah, you get the point). I'll never start a campaign like that again, so thank you for pointing it out! I just realised this was the main mistake...
I don't think I've ever played a campaign where we haven't made our characters in secret from one another. But after seeing this video I'm wondering if we've just been lucky and we should give the Session Zero a try.
We've always shared class so that we weren't all a bunch of squishy wizards (although I'd argue that'd be pretty funny too: The most powerful gang of spellcasters the world has ever seen but they all starve to death because they can't open a jar of rations). And in some instances from time to time we've had people pair up (we had a blast when one player was a sorcerer and the other was her overprotective paladin father).
I suppose we might've just gotten lucky with our players or it might just be that among ourselves we agree that "loner" characters are really irritating. Most players take on the role of someone approachable and friendly who isn't brooding in the corner with a fistful of razroblades. And as for backstory interconnecting we once had three party members whose past was connected to the same cult (one a reformed member, one escaped their sacrificial altar and the other was a lawman hunting them down).
I don't know. Have we just been really lucky so far or are we subconsciously able to sidestep the major pitfalls that usually come from character creation? (Now I think about it a lot of them have acting and theatre experience so know a fair bit about what makes engaging and likable characters.) We're going to be trying out some new players soon and I'm a tad paranoid that we should've gotten them to build their characters together now.
Theatre experience really sounds like a fantastic boon. The golden rule of improv to never say No to anything and to just flow with it and keep spinning the story makes a lot of sense in that context. I mean, you're playing a role, so.
When we played a game, I often tried to find hooks that would attach my character to the others and motivation for actually partying with them.
People often forget that the reality of their characters is different from the meta layer, so even if a guy is being a bit of a prick making jokes about your elven heritage, he might be worth teaming up with because of his wealth and connections because remember, you're trying to avenge your father, not stab some rich dude because he's calling you Legolas.
@@LootFragg Hi. Yeah, I have to say with some more experience under my belt that playing with a bunch of former theatre kids has really boosted the roleplay element. When I'm DM'ing I haven't encountered an issue that couldn't be handled and the newer players (the ones I mentioned in my above comment from 3 years ago) all turned out great even if we haven't been able to play as often as we'd have liked over the last few years (a pandemic will do that to a game, but the fact it's still ongoing and we didn't give up is a positive in my book). And the older theatre kid players aren't even necessarily better roleplayers than the newer ones, but starting out they just didn't have the same nervousness and concerns. Several years in now though everyone really gets stuck in.
I'd actually come across World Anvil like a year(?) ago or so, but in my infinite wisdom didn't save or favorite the page and I had forgotten what the name of the website was, but the minute I saw you talking about it I remembered! Thanks a ton, I know I'm going to get a ton of use out of it (and will remember to bookmark it this time.
Keep making the excellent content!
This was great for me, I decided to start D&D (for the 1st time) with some friends and this seems really helpful, wish I could've seen it earlier because I kinda scuffed up the introduction, oh well, I'll try incorporate this stuff later, thanks!
Thanks for teaching with humor! starting the DM journey can be overwhelming, so thanks for making it so wholesome!
Step 1 buy a gun
Step 2 be prepared to kill anyone at any moment.
Step 3 let strange weirdos into your home.
Step 4 lock then into your basement
Ive been watching your channel for so long that it kinda feels like i grew up with you. I always come back to this vid. thanks for eveything through all these years.
Brewing the urge to DM after being just a player but not playing for a long, long time. Now with just the right people to start it up all up. You gave me just the right amount of support to know that i can do it, and for that, thank you. Love the channel and the unique approach, keep it up, i will... ^_^
About what you said on critical role and session zero:
Me and all my friends who play and the DM agree on a date to have a session 0, until then the DM is giving us homework to think of a concept (race, class, background) and then everyone shares their concepts at session 0 after the DM explained the campaign.
That way everyone's personality and backstory is still hidden and still people can make aligmant and stuff before the campaign so it's a win win for everyone.
After that session each and everyone of the players talk to the DM privately about their backstory and personality so it can fit the game and to other PC's to make aligmant (aligmant like caleb and nott or molly and yasha).
That way everyone is happy and ready to the first session. I really encourage you all to do this it's really fun.
ido erez I don’t know, maybe I want to run a full-wizard party starting at level 1 /s.
@@evannibbe9375 I dont see the problem. Could be hella fun lmao
Thank you so much for this video. This reminded me, what it meant to be a good DM. I felt like I lost my way and my focus, and couldn't see, why or how.
But this! This showed me and remembered me , why I started playing pen and paper. Why playing with friends in this Form became my favorite past time. To accompany the players on their way on becoming heroes or villains, seeing them loving their fellow pcs and npcs and just falling into a timeless gaming round totally immersed.
Thank you so much!
Playing a character with a DM-built amnesia background is also a good way of letting the DM go wild with your story and how it fits into the campaign. Don't do it every time because it gets repetitive, but it's a nice little treat for your DM to craft them how they think would be best for the story.
You're the best XP3. I love how you are so light hearted, then get super detailed and crazy, and then bring it back to, just relax.
We all start out simple, then get to into it and just need reminded about the basics.
It seriously caught me off guard when Guy showed up. "Wait, didn't I click on an XP to Level 3 video?"
I watched this before going into my last exam today, thank you for being my comfort channel.
Love you stuff man keep it up :)
First part of being a dungeon master: za warudo
Dude, I can't move
5:54 my adhd brain makes it so that this few second long explanation of world building is something i can follow way more than any in depth video
8:53 Sounds less like an argument against making secret characters and more like an argument against making a party of Rogues and Rangers.
That is the problem with making secret characters, most of the time critical roles are left out. Every now and then it might work out.
A party of wizards is the best.
The ending made me smile. I'll be DMing for the first time ever. After watching this. I feel at ease now. I feel ready. So thank you :D
1:16, "By Perkins! By Perkins! By Perkins! It's the grand dungeon master! Standing here..., next to me!"
The end part of this video is fantastic. The advice given and the relaxed tone are superb. The best piece of advice you could ever give new (or even moderately experienced) DM's. Fantastic video.
Players: we would like to go fishing at the swamp!
Me the Dm: Ok! *looks at papers* you can do that, you go fishing! Roll a d100 to see what you get
That one guy: 1
Me the dm: ok roll me a straight strength check
That one guy is a barbarian: 22
Me the dm: you catch something big... you struggle to pull it up but eventually you pull up a THE FABLED DRAGON TURTLE THAT RESTS IN THE SWAMP! PREPARE THE CHASE SCENE!
See you can do anything with your worlds 👍
This video was so encouraging. I used roll20, and bought the Lost Mines of Phandelver to play with people. I spent a lot of time preparing and tweaking to make it more approachable and fun for everyone involved, but this one guy insisted on being a murder hobo, and constantly calling me on the rules. He soon got everyone on board to only play by every written rule in the book, which suddenly turned an avenue for fun, into a daunting, practically full-time job for me. It wasn't long until he said flatly, that he hated playing with me, ostracized me from the group, and began his own campaign as DM without me. As you said, "they're mean and stupid" and that really restored my sanity on the matter. I hope some day to try again with people who have a better appreciation for the spirit of DnD.
Thanks for your guidance.
Jacob: *is sponsored by WorldAnvil*
Logan's Campfire technology sponsor: Pathetic
Just wait for this next video. Mr. Worldwide
I'm happy to say that I did pretty much everything in this guide by my own before deciding to watch this.
I was DM once about 4 years ago for like 2 sessions, and now it's my time to shine again.
We are going to play next friday, and I'm ready to start. I have a huge world with deep lore that I spent my entire weekend writting, and a really absurdly simple first session campaign set up for them to get to know each other.
They are all going to be strangers that have to work together to escape captivity for the very first campaign.
Im currently working on how to DM. Even made my own screen out of a cardboard box I found and...its functional
No kidding, your short notes on how to buid a world helped me more than any other video I´ve watched on that manner.
Love your videos, hope you´re having fun making them.
I would totally watch an hour long tutorial on DMing
I'm going to have my first DM sesh this weekend. I'm so nervous but excited. I've just been binging DMing videos and you've been a great help!