Content

• Steps
• Tips
• Warnings

The term Dungeon Master (Dugeon Master) was coined by Dungeons & Dragons in the early 70s, but has now become a universal term for those who play role-playing games (but usually the name DM [ Dungeon Master] applies to Dungeons and Dragons, while MI [Game Master] is considered "DM" in other RPGs other than Dungeons and Dragons.) Being a Dungeon Master is easy; you are in control and just tell people what they can or cannot do. However, this is far from true. You are responsible for describing the details, creating tasks, while maintaining a realistic sequence of events in your dungeon. You should also have a good knowledge and understanding of the rules of the game. An honest DM will leave a good impression on everyone, and a bad one can ruin any game. Below are the D&D rules, but they are more or less general and can be applied to any RPG.

Steps

1. 1 Understand the role of the DM - Descriptions of the Dungeon Master you may have heard range from "the one who does all the work" to "You are God here." Typically, such descriptions are exaggerations of people who do not really know what DM is or an utter interpretation of half-truths.
   • As a DM, you control everything and everyone who is not a Playable Character (PC for short). This means that everyone with whom the players can communicate and everything that can meet them is under your control. However, do not forget that the purpose of any role-playing game is to be fun for of all its participants. I emphasize once again - for of all... Your reactions to the players, the situations you imagine, the challenges you create, the stories you come up with should all be harmonious in order to provide an enjoyable experience for you and your players. You are not playing against an IP. If your goal is to take out PCs at every opportunity, then you are almost certainly wrong.
     
     
2. 2 Know the Rules - If you are a DM, you are expected to be very familiar with the rules of the game. It may therefore be helpful for you to present yourself as an impartial judge. Just as a referee cannot fulfill his duties without knowing the laws of the state, so the DM cannot control the game without knowing the rules of the game. To help with this, most RPGs come with introductory books known as "ground rules" sets. You should know everything that is considered the basis, or at least have an idea about it. The D&D rulebook includes the Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master Guide, and Monster Manual. Don't bother with the rest - they don't have to be taken into account when playing; you portray the surroundings, control the plot, and direct all elements of the game, including determining the outcome of battles between players and the inhabitants of the dungeon. If your players encounter a living creature and choose a battle plan, you can decide whether to roll the dice to decide the outcome, and although the rules are based on specific instructions, you can use your own judgment to make the game play out in the best possible way, thereby supporting development. and the sequence of the game. This is a difficult task, but I guarantee that it will get easier over time - all it takes is patience and practice.
3. 3 Prepare. The reason some DMs come up with adventures and stories and present them to their players is because of deep excitement. Others are driven by the sense of harmony they can provide, or simply by the fact that you are in control. And for some, it's just a set in a DM game session. Regardless of, why you do it then, how you prepare, can create or destroy the game.There may be enough preparation methods for an entire site, but here are the basics for first-time DMs. Remember that there are different ways for everyone and that it is best to use what is convenient for you. Do not try to do anything with force. I repeat, the game should ultimately entertain everyone. If you feel like it bothers you, like work, stop without thinking.
   • IF you don't have time between games, consider creating modules. They will be given to players at certain levels with tasks that fit on the page. This is the easiest and fastest way to control the game, as most of it is done for you. You just need to read the quest. It is suggested that you read a few pages before stopping at each session before starting the next to refresh your memory before playing.
   • IF you have a few hours between games - creating a module is still a good option. However, you can rewrite the parts of the module to fit the game or the individual storyline (s) that you create for the UI. Changing the descriptions of a location or moving the found treasure in the module along with data items that are more suitable for your players are good and easy options to start with. As you gain experience, over time you can begin to translate entire battles from one module and fit them into another. This will allow you not only to choose the best parts from another mediocre module, but also to surprise players who have read or encountered this module before!
   • IF you have a lot of time OR you really enjoy writing stories, you can come up with your own adventures. DM newbies are still encouraged to follow the module first, simply to stick to only one main concept at a time (learning the rules). However, you will really want to change something and write new scripts yourself. For starters, you can take skirmishes from published works and link them together, then gradually replace the published works with your own.
4. 4 Take notes - during and immediately after a gaming session. Make sure you jot down a few notes about what the players did, what your non-playable characters did, how your other non-playable characters (NPCs) and bad guys will react to new events, the names of the NPCs you come up with on the fly and other details that you may think are important. This will help maintain consistency and will allow you to reuse your previous NPs to reappear. A side effect is that you can limit the number of IRs that are involved in the story, which will keep confusion to a minimum and allow you to further develop their storyline or show it from a new angle.
5. 5 Accept mistakes - sometimes things don't go as you planned. Whether this error was caused by a violation of the rules, or confusion about how a spell can affect an IR, or your carefully planned adventure was not to the liking of players who believe that the IR should not be chosen at random, this is MUCH more interesting than the quest from the series " save the princess ”, because sometimes everyone has difficulties. Often. The best weapon in any DM's arsenal is the ability AND willingness to cope with circumstances.
   • If the problem is a disagreement over the rules, don't let that disrupt your game. Spend just a couple of minutes fixing everything before this character dies as a result. Calmly explain how your rule will work and agree to discuss it after the game or between sessions and continue. Nothing kills the game faster than a 15 minute squabble between two people while the rest of the group gets bored. It is better to try to play fair, and not spoil the game, trying to do everything right every time.
   • If the problem is that the players did something that you did not plan, did not foresee or did not want ... say yes, or at least do not say no. Some DMs fix the situation on the fly - do it if you can. If you're so uncomfortable, ask for a short break (people can go to the bathroom, eat or something) while you jot down a few ideas and make a quick general plan for a new and exciting direction in which they will move ... and it will lead us to ...
6. 6 The golden rule of DM is that players always do things that you never even thought of and could never have imagined. It doesn't matter how many solutions or tangents you have planned - chances are that you still missed one. Better to come to terms with reality now, otherwise you will condemn yourself to fairly frequent disappointments when this happens ... over and over and over again. Don't be upset about this! This moment will keep the game exciting and unpredictable, which can be very positive for you.
7. 7 Be confident in yourself. This is not only crucial but also makes the game more fun. No one wants to play when the Dungeon Master says, “um ... well, yeah, ... you just found a cave. And in the cave ... there is ... um ... devil. Mmm… what are you going to do? " Instead, you should say, “You stumbled upon a cave, and what did you find? Besa, count up! What will you do?" Preparation is a good way to build confidence. Remember that until you say that it exists, no one will know what is on that piece of paper that lies behind your screen. Whether you read this straight away or change the details as events unfold, until you tell the players how it should be understood from the outset. Use this to your advantage.
8. 8 Get into the role, be creative and practical enough. Don't just mumble about what's going on around; change your voice to show that you are really interested in it. Adding personality traits to various NPs will also add flavor to your dungeon. In addition, the purpose of the adventure is to see and experience something new. Be creative with your descriptions and scenarios - give each location and interaction its own special charm. But don't overdo your creativity either. There is a thing called “belief in suggested circumstances,” and you could use it to establish it. Despite the fact that you can pretend to be in a fantasy world where magic is common, there are still rules of the game. Working within the framework of these principles, you can find a middle ground between a fascinating fantasy story and a pathetic parody, where everything looks contrived and stupid.

Tips

• One of the most important qualities of a DM is the ability to think quickly. Something you never expected may happen. Players can kill the person from whom they were supposed to find out the necessary information, or it may turn out that they went exactly to that part of the city, the decoration of which you have not yet finished. Do this as the events unfold, just make sure you take notes so that you can build a story out of them later.
• Instead of fighting a horde of weaker monsters, sometimes it's much more enjoyable to fight a few more powerful monsters. When fighting a horde of weaklings, you will have to roll the dice often. Fighting strong monsters means you can focus more on your individual strategy.
• When you first started, play with your friends; a not tense and familiar group of people will help everyone learn to play much more, especially if you can be kidding.
• Meeting - Over time, playing with the same gamers, you will chat for a couple of minutes before starting the game. This is the order of the day.It helps the players to get it together, gives you time to double-check if you have what it takes and get ready to answer any questions players might have, or even a chance to find out who has been doing what since your last game. However, don't let this drag on. About 15 to 30 minutes. If it takes longer - consider that you are burning through the day (well, almost a day ...).
• You don't have to "not let" anyone do something. If you are trying to get your players to go to a specific location, don't just say “you can't come here”, instead say something like “a lady says that something interesting just happened> happened where you want it to come from send them>. Would you like to check? You can also make them analytically imagine how likely their character is to want to go in a direction ... in that case, lower the DC (difficulty level). "
• Give a name to the crypt - Start coming up with names for the crypts after your first game. Over time, you will need names, so start making a list of names that you find interesting or will impress you. Ozell is still my favorite (He was a cool guy!).
• Have fun. It may sound difficult, but it gets easier afterwards. Just have fun with it. If your players notice that you are not having fun, they will also lose their spirits.
• Description is very important in D&D. Unlike a movie or TV show, the players are actually just watching you. The better your descriptions, the more distinct they will appear to your players, and your game will be better. (For example: a filthy stench leaks in front of the cave entrance. Water seeps down around the outside of its mouth, splitting into two tiny streams along the rock bottom. The rock appears to have a grooved channel.)
• Books are optional for all players; you can play fine without them, but the DM should have at least one copy of each book so that it can be shared with all players.
• Newbies DMs are strongly encouraged to limit themselves to ONLY Rulebooks when establishing situations / rules for themselves and the players. Not all of the supplemental literature is compiled to standards, and you will quickly find a player far superior in power. In general, this is not bad.
• A good DM cannot be just a judge (i.e. you should always use ideas about dungeons outside of the network), so use them occasionally, but let them be your own (add your monsters, etc.), but create a dungeon yourself using your imagination.
• In general, there are 2 types of Dungeon Masters: one that kills all playable characters in the very first microseconds and one who likes to arrange adventures for the playable characters; you can choose what you like.

Warnings

• Don't let other players bully you. Anything you say is considered the highest law in your dungeon.
• Know when you are giving the players too much or not enough information, and when - just right. Answer the questions briefly and don't give too much information.
• D&D can be addictive, like all games. Allow yourself to take a break from the game spiritually and physically; perhaps even a fifteen-minute break every three hours is enough for most DMs. Don't exhaust yourself or your players (it just can lead to a loss of mood and the game will become less enjoyable).
• Don't let your players dictate how things “should” be from novels or published stories. Otherwise, a person who has read thirty novels based on this world may try to manipulate you with their knowledge. When it comes to what does and does not exist, the DM ultimately has the final say. It's better to keep a balance, though - work with them to put things together, unless it gives anyone an overwhelming advantage.
• By adjusting the process, from time to time you can find yourself in a delicate situation. Remember that evil is not stupid, it is just evil. As a DM, you have to be on all three sides: the good, the bad, and keep up with the scenery.
• Beware of the rulers, lawyers and metagamers playing RPGs, and don't play the game for them just to punish them. Instead, come up with interesting ways to deal with their characters as you play.
• If you want to make your dungeon difficult, you shouldn't make it impracticable. What is the point in this if it is very difficult for the PC (playable character)?
• Some people really want to learn how to play D&D, some might just be interested in what you do, and some might just be rude. As a DM, be sure to show respect for all three types of people. From the first group you can fish out a few new players (in addition to your new DM), the second group may have people who will eventually want to play, and the third group may debunk the myth. As a last resort, she will teach your players how to handle these situations (as some players may overdo it from time to time).
• Some people may think that some parts of your dungeon story are stupid (monsters hatch from pumpkins growing on a nearby farm, ALL NPs are foreign invaders), but these are their problems, not yours. After all, this is your story.