Dice in Hand

Welcome to DMs Corner! It's here that I hope to share my passion for Dungeons & Dragons, and maybe give Dungeon Masters (DM) advice and suggestions on a different approach to how the game is played. So, let's dive right in and see what we can get into!

So, you've picked up the dice, you and friends are ready to jump into a world where anything is possible! "Where to start...?" You may ask, and that is a question that only you can answer! The world of Dungeons & Dragons is, to put in words, FREAKIN' HUGE!!! But don't let that scare you, because it's now your world too!

If you're a new DM, I make one suggestion above all else, "Know Your Players". Seems like a pretty obvious suggestion, right? You know your friends, you know what's up, it will be great! And you're right, it can and will be great!

Here's what I really mean by Know Your Friends. A lot of new players are unsure exactly how they want to play their new character. Some go all third person on it, "Hey DM, my character goes over here and starts looking at the bookcase". While others may want to get a little more role play oriented, "I swing my greatsword and yell 'Die you monster!'". Others still may fully submerge themselves into character, staying in character, miming actions, and possibly altering their voice and speak patterns to give their character more personality.

Each play style is amazing in its own right, and should be encouraged. But what if your players all have different styles? That's easy, let them have different styles! Some of your players may encourage others the share their style, while others are perfectly fine with having that difference. Do what feels natural for you and your players. Because when you boil it all down, D&D is about having fun. If someone (DM included) isn't having fun, make changes until everyone is! Sometimes that means sitting down before the session starts and going "Hey, X got out of hand, let's try to avoid that if we can." or "Before we start, X really bugged me last time, and I wanted to bring it up." This can be done by players too, and I believe it should be encouraged as well!

I know this can be difficult to do at times. Some of the greatest forms of peer pressure comes from those we're closest too. But again, if not everyone is having fun, then something is wrong. Just remember, it's a game! A great game, but just a game. It shouldn't be something the drags you down and cause you to dread the next get together. It should be exciting!

Now, we'll be getting into this topic later, but there are times in Dungeons and Dragons where you and your players will start to "feel" the story, and that's when things get intense!

And speaking of player styles, it turns out the Wizards of the Coast made some in depth insight into typical player styles, and how you as the DM may want to interact with them to keep them engaged! We'll be tackling those one at a time so you can really see the differences between them, and maybe get a game plan (Ah, see what I did there? Game... Plan... Plan for the next game?... Okay, I'll stop.) together about making the most of of each session!

Anyway! Thanks for jumping in and reading! Feel free to comment, share, and subscribe if you want the latest as we tackle everything a DM will encounter!