Pass Your Dming Along So there are more of us .

I am a member of a Few 5th ed Facebook groups , and even there i see nervous DMs , step out into the arena to run their first group , and they are met with a swarm of tip , and then it degenerates into a clash of insults , having noting to do with the topic , or the person posting .

And this makes DMing seem even more daunting . I have been Dming out of obligation in one game or another for over 20 years . I Run a table of 12 people at once through a dungeon . I have DMed 2 tables at the same time .

These party tricks have taught me 3 things .

• I am making this look harder than it is …..
• They arent having as much fun as they could be …
• Im not having fun because im loosing the personal touches

How can we solve this

Simple Spend some money at your FLGS ( friendly local gaming store ) And buy the Starter Box . Now give it to someone and its all solved .

Its not that simple , and there is no easy fix other than Encouragement .

How we fix it is , we pass it on ….

I am a phenomenal DM , it sounds proud but i have worked hard at it .

I ad-lib , rule lawyer , and argue with the best of them . I do it all the time .

Except when i DM .

When i DM , My players tell a story i narrate with them , from cinematic scenes to negotiations , i have replaced npc with lost party memebers , i have included back stories into personal adventures , that link all the characters together .

I have woven the tools they bring to the table with them , into an experience , each one of them is excited about next week .

No one just appears in a party , there is a story that ties them to being there .

I get npcs to encourage danger or heroism when the group stagnates over a decision .

I try to emotionally tie the character to the players and the players to me . I have made made men cry over loss , i have tricked know-it-alls into pre written traps , that i hand them after they trigger them .

But thats Just how i dm , What i want to do , is sit a table with a first time dm , Smile when they get things wrong , and encourage them when they get things right . I help them when they get stuck , and if i know the story we play , i dont let on , and fumble around to make the group more fun .

I pass along the game , to people who already play it , and i give them the first thing they really need …. a player who cant wait to go on an adventure .

No one is good at it in the beginning , but we are all perfect for it at the end of every game

My first game i got every rule wrong forgot all the players names , it was hard , and then i just started lying , id roll , and hit them , and roll and miss them , and man i was so bad at this .

I got better , but the other thing about DMing is not everyone has the time to play . Also not everyone can make more than one game . the worst news tho is , everyone has the time to dm once .

I recommend If your a player and you want to DM , Or The Other Way round , You buy a starter box .

And you approach Either a DM who you think would be willing and has time to play in your game and help gently guide you .

And if you think you have a player interested in DMing , do the same , approach him with the box and your thoughts , see if he/she is interested.

My next bit advice and the end of this article will be how , i was so sick of a game we were running i had all there level 2 characters go to the mines of phanelver .

First you need to know we were playing adventure league and season ones rules were , hard to follow at best there was a flood of content , alot of people thought were interchangable , and we just decided to have fun .

So i fast forward them to find the dwarf on the ….. Wait this is a spoiler alert you should stop reading if your sensitive to this ….

if your still reading here we go , stick with me its pretty good .

My players find dwarf , on the side fo the road , and i decide to have them ambushed by not only goblins but , a bugbear , named Gklar “ Brother of Klarg!” Yada yada yada , they loose while this guy continues to narrate his linage .

They find the cave , about to go in they are spotted by a goblin and he goes for help ……. out come largk and ralgk , “Brothers of Klarg ! General Of the Kings Army” they fight talk talk talk , the brothers die right before anyone can ask who klarg is .

anyways they go into the mines , they find Klarg , general of the kinds army and his 2 brothers , whom he states “ names are not as important as his “

they win find this goblin holding a hostage they are looking for , and the first thing he says is ill let him go on one condition , you kill the bugbear with all the brothers all they so is walk around keeping everyone awake yelling their names . they agree , let him know he is dead goblin leaves shakes their hands . steps out side runs off with his crew …..

Robbed them all blind ……

Thats all it takes laughs a guy they all really want to kill , and a twist at the end that gives them a new enemy to chase ….. thats all there is to DMing .

i wish you luck and i hope you Pass it along .