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15 things I've learned being a DM

The game I DM might be coming to an end so it seems like a good time to reflect.

  1. If you can, make some of the characters know each other before the campaign starts
  2. Voices are fun and hopefully your party doesn't care if you maintain the exact voice
  3. Mannerisms are fun to add to NPCs
  4. Do a character creating session as it builds excitement, helps newbies, and gives you some worldbuilding to do
  5. Guide character building by explaining the world a bit so players know if they're making a character that stands out in the world or not
  6. Be flexible--the party won't always want to do the side quest you made, they'll think of new ways around something, and they'll want their characters to do things you didn't think of
  7. Improvisation is key
  8. Make fun side quests--not everything has to do with the BIG plot
  9. Bottle neck newbies in the beginning to give them a little more structure (this is also helpful if you're a newbie yourself)
  10. Let your players contribute to worldbuilding
  11. Play music when you can (I didn't really manage to do this tbh)
  12. Learn what your party likes to do (e.g. puzzles) and lean into it but sprinkle in a bit of everything
  13. Make sure the characters have some pure fun at times (e.g. a dance competition)
  14. Plan a little at a time session to session as so much can change even in a short session
  15. I want to do it again (as long as I have chill players)

(Prompt by Kimisha Cassidy)

"D20" by Nuwandalice. Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0).


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