New DM Tips - Resources, Backgrounds & Pacing - Web DM

[@WebDM]

Thanks for watching! Want more Web DM in your life? Get our podcast here: www.patreon.com/webdm

[@Acsion42]

I have a player who always- every time- asks to be a horse. I'm talking 4 campaigns, this guy has asked to be a horse every time. So finally, I'm starting this Spelljammer campaign based on an Illithid take over, and I say "FINE, you can be a horse this time." Reading volo's and the monster manual, I get the idea that mindflayers like to do experiments on creatures with regards to their psionic potential, so here I am with an awakened horse psion in my party.

[@bazzfromthebackground3696]

Acsion42 He's just emergency food now.

[@Darjaboo]

You could have worked it so he was a person who had a wizard polymorph him into a horse look at emperors new groove, or maybe fairies polymorph him into a horse or Unicorn as punishment for injuring a Unicorn during a hunt or destroying a sacred part of the forest so that he may live for a time as one to understand and appreciate the delicate balance of nature like "Brother Bear". Obviously this would be a themed game so others would have to make characters to fit or have it only last a few sessions while he figures out a way to redeem/cure himself lest he be stuck in that form forever like Beauty & the Beast.

[@tackroachmicmoacka2348]

I managed to play a three hour one shot tonight with my little brother my little sister and my girlfriend. I only had a few things planned and I winged everything else. By the end of the game my girlfriend had a pet zombie cannibal, my brother was slightly molested by a bone spirit shaped like a boar and bred two illegitimate bone children, my sister (a gnome) had a giant rat steed, and they fought a 100 ft unicorn God angry about the whole party turning cannibalistic and desecrating the dead. Almost all thanks to you and your videos.

[@melissahancock654]

tackroach mic moacka lol @ slightly molested!

[@fearbot8560]

This video really brings me back. It's what originally opened my mind to the idea that I could GM, which is something that I'll never regret. This has been my favorite hobby for six years, and I don't see it ever slowing down. Thank you, WebDM, for giving me the creative outlet I needed all my life.

[@alanmacpherson]

The tip of not having the most interesting thing having already happened to a character is a fantastic, simple tip. Keep it up, you guys have a great series so far.

[@VioletDeliriums]

Maybe you should start with the first-level monk never had a monastery to burn down because, who would go to a beginner to study and where did he get the money to build it? That would really give him something to strive for: maybe one day he would actually have an orc chief to go after because he owned a monastery that an orc burned down.

[@BeardkingOfAngmar]

I have a good tip: If you are running a homebrew campaign, use your best ideas as you get them. Don't save them for later, you will always come up with new, awesome ideas.

[@STATIONDOWN1]

Can confirm

[@ellagrant6190]

Did pretty much this for our 2nd ed game. I argued at first to play a Succubus, but he said no, but he agree to my second choice, an erinyes. I was unable to find a pc race erinyes for 2nd so we are coming up with something. She is a devil, that should mean something but Ideally it will be something I have to buy in to to balance it against everyone else as we level up. I contrived the background to suit this goal though, so I start off (in theory) the same as everyone else. Basically another devil conspired with a spellcaster of some sort who wanted erinyes wings for spell components. My character was sent to make a contract with him, it was a high profile thing but unknown to her, it was also a set up. Long story short she crawls back to hell having had her wings ripped off and because of the failure, she looses a lot of standing and status. She is kicked out and told to not come back without his soul. So the campaign will start with my character with very little of a typical fiends power (can't fly or anything), beaten, scarred and weak, and thirsting for vengeance. She ends up hooking up with the other players for whatever reason to track down the spellcaster. In game terms I think starting abilities will be dark vision and a single +1 stat modifier. This set up gives me a solid reason to be with the players and allows me to be true to the evil alignment (I'm on a mission to drag a guy kicking and screaming back to hell) while simultaenously giving me an excuse to not be evil to the other players (She is focused on the big picture.) It also gives 2 villians (one of whom is not identified at all), both of whom have a reason to send stuff our way in an effort to finish me off. 'Random' encounters ho!

[@jeffreylucier5266]

50 k views! nice job boys. We're loving the channel, thanks guys.

[@WritingRealism]

Ty so much hosting my first game on Wednesday this has given me the finishing touches!

[@UglyFatNerd]

Literally Just Canonball A little late, but how did your game go?

[@WritingRealism]

really good we play every Sunday now

[@finnianquail8881]

Literally Just Canonball How about now?

[@duvanok3277]

Is that a "Hero Quest" game behind Pruit? Man that brings back memories!

[@palpytheemperorofelevators4937]

Ahhhh... Hero Quest. The gateway drug to my role-playing addiction.

[@Dyndrilliac]

If I had a player who wanted to play a particular race in a Human-only campaign for its mechanical benefits (like the Elf's Trance feature) I'd simply re-skin all the various races as humans from different regions, and so that way the player can play a human but still get the mechanical benefits they want for their character.

[@blahlbinoa]

Thank you so much for these videos! I love hearing the tips you two give, it always helps out with my games!

[@minerknight7303]

Great video and thank you for the tips.

[@duquand5163]

my friends and I never play Dungeons and Dragons. instead we play Diplomats and Dragon!

[@onnopleaseno649]

*rawr* YES SIR SENDING THE NUKES

[@Zankaroo]

Story trumps rules! You are NOT an elf. lol I love The Gamers: Dorkness Rising

[@CorodonSilvern]

Ever have an initiative that lasts for three sessions

[@CorodonSilvern]

Each session is an hour

[@TheBlackLantern34]

Only an hour? Geez your sessions are short! How small is your party?

[@jessep3571]

I have been nerfed in two games to date. Once when I picked Heavy Armour Master as a human at level 1 and the DM's Zombies were getting trounced by my Paladin. He reduced the -3 to damage to -2. In another game a DM did not allow chain stunning from Monks but he only let me know this after I had made my character and had played for several sessions and had entered a boss fight.

[@CesarIsaacPerez]

What about DM aids? Like do you use puzzles? Do you use Magic the gathering cards? Play music? or is it all in the players minds and dice rolls?

[@homebreweddude]

I think immersive music is a great option for a DM. In a recent game I my players were traveling in the Arctic so I played some Arctic winter storm sounds and almost desert like music to bring in the mood of the environment and the players feeling of it all. It works well.

[@cannastartover1720]

Dm aids doesn’t sound right.

[@montlejohnbojangles8937]

Seriously guys I love this show. You are both fonts of knowledge, and heaps of fun to watch!

[@Nick-gy3uz]

Another great video! I'll definitely be using stuff from here in my own games.

[@ArBee123]

I love how 80s 'adult entertainment' the intro music is xD

[@Ouefdie]

Your Playlist is in reverse it starts with the newest and ends with the oldest.

[@silver4831]

"I wanna play the warlock."

[@BonoPirouette]

I guess is better when the players chose their race they want.

[@Dave-oo1sp]

If during the course of a campaign, a player became a pirate, would they get the background bonuses of pirate? And would that apply to all potential backgrounds?

[@RagoDN2]

That depends on how lenient your Dungeon Master is. Personally, I would say "no" UNLESS your character goes through a lot of pirate adventuring to earn the fearful reputation throughout the game. The reason a pirate character is able to get away with not paying for meals and committing vandalism and such is because everyone knows how scary that character is. They've heard rumors and tales about how your character plundered the seas and became wealthy and took the lives of anyone who stood in your way mercilessly. Getting the reputation of "pirate" is no joke, and it would take a long time before the law decides to leave you alone. EDIT: The same would apply to other backgrounds. Unless they've done enough stuff to warrant the bonuses in game, the answer would still be "no".

[@metalbag8874]

In the player's guide, it does state the optional background of a pirate that they would achieve a bonus for being a pirate, not for a normal sailor.

[@StarlasAiko]

The backgrounds are things earned/acquired in the many years of living that lifestyle before entering the game. They had a lot of time to become that. If the character takes on that lifestyle in game, they don't have any of the advantages from the get go and have to still become that.

[@connorp8408]

Wow, I was a dick as a dm

[@noahhillard]

Lighting get slightly better

[@asdasd-ty9se]

Hey, any free offline map makers for a word/continent level?

[@LAJackson123]

Can't get enough of the style these amazing vids come out as. Really nailin' the deep D&D philosophy.

[@a7699aaa]

Suggestion: make a video about OSR and differences between OD&D and 5e!

[@delravinger2740]

Can you do an episode on mundane weapons?

[@Wolfphototech]

*Me again .* *Just rewatching classic Web DM videos .*

[@esoopthederp7672]

Yep

[@fandabidozi793]

Both you guys have over trimmed your beards around the neck

[@erho2967]

Thanks doods!!!

[@toshbennett8217]

My 1st time DMing, I said," Its a no magic world" (Syfy fantasy/post apocalyptic) and 2 players told me 1. "I wanna be a duid." And 2. "I wanna be a warlock." Had to reskin them. One became a techromancer, the other...we'll see...

[@jonathanminderhoud4573]

thank you alot is it safe to say that the rule books are guide lines

[@kyubii972]

El-Vadin FOUND YOU ON SAVE OR DICE YOU FOOOOOL!

[@JohnSmith-do4ut]

glad you guys are back :)

[@JPruinc]

Glad to be back.

[@SerCapelli]

I'd love to use more random tables in my encounters but I often have trouble finding ones that work for me. Is there somewhere good for me to use/find these tables?

[@gr33bogrenk]

The 5e DMG provides a guide to creating your own random tables.

[@JPruinc]

+Ser Capelli We'll be covering that in an upcoming episode.

[@k-manmccool1870]

I have been looking for some easy random encounter tables, is there any place i can find them pre made?

[@michaellawhorn1355]

I would be interested in that as well. Were you able to find anything related to your question?

[@k-manmccool1870]

Michael Lawhorn Unfortunately no

[@devilsbench]

Posted to the Facebook page for our gaming cafe!

[@Raphaelus13]

Well done.

[@acceptableconvo]

Only 75 comments?? Crazy

[@MrGreensweightHist]

Guideline to writing backgrounds: Your background should never include you doing something that if you had done it would give you enough exp to not be the level you are starting at.

[@tooncraft3d]

ONLY 2 Days left for the TileScape DUNGEONS Kickstarter!!!! GET a 3D Printer for Xmas!!!!!!

[@kenneththibodeaux4826]

Why would be an example of a stranger happening?

[@kenneththibodeaux4826]

What not why sorry

[@TimeBombStereo]

I wish they wouldnt always mention Dungeons and Dragons for these videos. Keep it general. DM tips for Table top RPGs.... for those who dont play Dungeons and Dragons.