DM 101 - Episode 1: The Basics (Dungeons & Dragons Help)

[@clicks5271]

I’m a new DM and the biggest lesson I’ve learned is- make a simple story and the players will make it complex by fucking up a ton.

[@expandapantsii341]

Cole Licklider great advice

[@ChubbPirates]

i am slowly learning

[@TheDaltonius]

“And then they fought the dragon” My friends: why was the dragon there? Dies to dragon*

[@gringusgaming]

I plopped my players in a prison, told them to escape, and now they have murdered 5 police officers and taken multiple people hostage. We are in the 3rd session, each a ~1 hr 30 minutes long and I have no clue how they managed to get on the run from the police

[@atomic_cow]

@@gringusgaming lmfao, how did you get them in the prison in the first place?

[@Dollightful]

Thank you so much!! This was very helpful. I am going to try and DM for my first time during a family vacation, when all my family gets together! I am a bit nervous, but this is exactly the sort of 101 class I need. Wish me luck!!

[@daredghoul1678]

Omg dollightful

[@CatCheshire]

O.o

[@enchantedrose4552]

Out of all the KZbinrs here I didn't expect to see you here dollightful. But I wish luck and I hope you make a D&D doll in the future too

[@fynworld]

So how did it go, you know, pre covid and all

[@TechnoDewdrop]

Didn't expect to see my favorite doll customizer here!

[@rowan940]

The timing of this couldn't be better, I'm going to start dming my first game next week for a bunch of people who have never played and some who have never looked into d&d before, and I've never played myself either. (And you're an amazing dm and so tips from you are awesome). So thank you for this series

[@nickkenter7551]

Exactly the same for me! Scary coincidence

[@CitizensTea]

I am also a new DM who has never played. Super excited at the timing of this new series since my game session 0 for character creation is next Wednesday. Also glad to know there are others out there in the same boat

[@rowan940]

Tea D I'm so glad I'm not the only one who's going to be doing this. My players are making their characters on their own at the moment, and one of them nearly made his own race so he could be a horse rogue but changed his mind.

[@rowan940]

Nick Kenter it is a bit of a weird coincidence but I'm glad I'm not the only person doing this

[@CitizensTea]

Another Awkward Fangirl one of my players mentioned wanting to be an inanimate object and I think I’ve now persuaded him to be a sorcerer with the wild magic path to get the same zaniness. 😂

[@dummythickrodriguez]

18:50 "new players will try different things" For example: one of the PCs in my campaign collects kneecaps from monsters and people hes killed.

[@sillygooseenergy]

Me, carrying a torso around with me everywhere.

[@matthewthomason5811]

My friend took off any male enemy's genitals and made necklaces out of them .-.

[@mrahmed8033]

My new friend is an orc barbarian who collects toenails using sleight of hand and stealth. He has another (experienced) player playing a goblin bard become his apprentice in cutting toenails using sleight of hand and stealth, or charisma. On an unrelated note, the LN wizard in the party clashed personalities with the CN goblin and they ended up fighting. The wizard won by a mile and everyone clapped when the goblin died.

[@why-td1rp]

Lmao I have a friend who collects femurs

[@hamzaad1194]

I collect eyeballs then pickle them

[@ಇLiv]

The most memorable moment in recent memory is me(DM) and my younger brother(SoloPC) calculating the price of cocaine in gp his character found on the beach.

[@izstrella]

Ahaha, that’s so wonderful XD

[@Raf-qz7ih]

Thank you for giving me an idea for my next session of dnd (I’m the DM)

[@jack0fspades-svg629]

Human Bean thank you my pteranodon encounter just became a whole lot more interesting

[@pidgethepigeon2706]

WHAT WAS THE PRICE

[@NikolayHizenprof]

Yes, we want to know the price

[@Mika-mc8xz]

Buttercup, my cat, spent half the video pawing at the screen as your hands moved and it was precious.

[@nathanscott148]

My cats name is Buttercup as well! :)

[@ninjaoforthanc8177]

@@nathanscott148 I'm a nerd so my cat's name is Arwen

[@xWinterstarex7]

I never realized this was something i needed to hear

[@jurtuijn]

My Dog Honeybowl humped his face the whole video. Funny and adorable.

[@annalise4682]

a little late, but my kitten doris was doing that also!! very cute, but it sucked a bit when she fell on the keyboard

[@michaelchambers8829]

"The game's intent is NOT to win; the game's intent is to HAVE FUN." Well said. I'm a high school English teacher who has started a club at school, and I'm hoping my childhood experiences playing D&D will somehow be imparted to the club, many of whom are beginners. I plan to DM their campaigns, but didn't DM as a kid, so I'm a bit fresh and expecting a steep learning curve. Thanks for your advice.

[@tysquirt111]

I want to know how this went, it's been a year since you made this comment which means (in theory) a year of stories.

[@marcusrwd5301]

I’d like to know how it went too !

[@ryan.1990]

He got fired for inappropriate conduct

[@Sip_Dhit]

The players: *have fun* The DM: Penguins meme "Good job boys we've made a good game"

[@TheRdamterror]

SHERLOCK ! sorry mate im trying to make a online roll play game whit me the crazy warlord orc as the master there its kinda interactive all kinda and i make it all up as we go along i got a few player but i need some more it wil be more fun as im under youtube shadow ban i try to post a few links to people that might like it hope you undersand kzbin.info/www/bejne/bWewoHSJl6uVnZY

[@corbinbarron8772]

TheRdamterror dude

[@JinjaDragon_77]

@@TheRdamterror Dude dont advertise in other peoples comment section

[@TheRdamterror]

@@JinjaDragon_77 GO TEL DAD and now fuck offf :P

[@BaconHer0]

I so need a random name list, so many times I've looked around the room and say things like "Oh...my name is... Shoe...man, Greg Shoeman" or "Dorit.... Dorithy. Yes, that's it." or "Lord... er... Lord Table... chair... Lord Tablechair of house Tablechair."

[@lanxreedalenlum3706]

We end up with many bobs and a Biggs and wedge in ever game haha. I also suck at names

[@brennaaustin8914]

Big book of baby names, random page in your characters gender section. Used to do this all the time for the Sims.

[@manuxalunx6522]

If you need to improv: Lord Rablechoire Change things a bit and it could work

[@SFXENT]

Lol my rpg name in most video games and dnd ( im new) is renn tu shu i got it from an asain man who ran a bowling ally and he would always ask what size renn tu shu you need lol

[@greghannibal]

dude, random name generator. the internet is full of them. just google them

[@inconspicuousjerry6660]

What rarely ever gets talked about is DM's notes. I mean there is no definitive way of doing them, but getting a look into what your basic prep notes for a single session look like would help alot. I'm pretty sure you use a Laptop on HR by now but it used to be just paper so getting a look into past notes might work. Dunno if you kept them but maybe even the ones for that simple dungeon you did in the first episode. Starting the Campaign on such a micro scale was pretty smart as a sort of "tutorial" so definitely gonna steal that one.

[@fangs89]

YES!

[@ElectorCount]

It's just one sheet with the words: "KILL THEM ALL!"

[@shaclown7721]

Agreed. Gonna use this micro dungeon idea as well.

[@mattd5857]

Man I really like that dice alchemy circle shirt

[@hitbycars]

DM'ing my first time in three weeks. Building the world now (I make fantasy maps for fun, so that part is the easiest), and I get the general idea of DM'ing, as well as being able to do many different characters and accents, but the general rules are what I am not 100% knowledgeable on. Hearing "don't break the action, just ask for an appropriate check to keep people immersed and the game flowing, as well as the rule of cool going" is something I needed to hear. I am nervous about doing this and doing it wrong, but most of my playgroup is amateurs. I'll also COMMUNICATE that this is my first time, it won't be home brew, but it will be based off my understanding and ability and as long as everyone is cool with that, we can have some fun.

[@owlfashioned]

THANK YOU FOR THE MENTION MARK!!! I love your new show

[@SherlockHulmes]

Ahh Holly you are so welcome! I love your show too! Just updated the link to your newest episode!

[@UCFElCarnicero]

Holly! Yay.

[@lauraclause7472]

I wanted to play D&D all my life but, for various reasons, I was unable to do so until just before my 50th birthday. I was blessed to play with a group of crazy guys who have been adventuring together since I first heard about D&D so many years ago. Because of events outside my control, I needed to say farewell to the group of misfits I've grown to love over the last year. Now, knowing that I was bummed out, my grown children are requesting that I begin our journey into Dungeons & Dragons as a family...as the DM. I'm both honored by this request and a bit apprehensive due to my lack of experience. Therefore, I'm on the hunt to gather as much information as I can to make this a fun experience for us all. As I have accepted this challenge, I can't help but wonder if this will begin a family tradition with my kids and grandchildren...five thus far. One can only hope. Thank You for this delightful introductory video. I believe that I've started my endeavor in a good place. God bless. Without Wax, Laura

[@adamnedfrogboy1633]

wAIT- I love your shirt! I have one DnD shirt that says ‘When the DM smiles, it’s already to late’

[@adamnedfrogboy1633]

“New players are often more creative” One my new players: *kills everything in sight* *keeps leaving the party and story line to hunt squirrels in a forest that’s an hour away, even if there full*

[@v1de0gamr23]

Dungeon Master's Proverb: If dropping subtle hints does not work, try dropping strong hints. If dropping strong hints does not work, try dropping obvious hints. If dropping obvious hints does not work, try dropping rocks.

[@mr.morning8869]

I had a new player who was my best friend and his traits and ideals were literally "kill, kill, kill, kill, money, kill, kill" Later he did not cancel our first session, just didn't show up and started playing on his pc. Then he said he didn't actually want to join but thought to try, since I didn't have enough players

[@Oddthority]

Giant squirrel boss monster or squirrel swarm attack

[@DivingDog0]

"Prepare your tools." But I thought you already covered your players- oh.

[@DarkSamers]

lol, you started this series when I started playing D&D, and now I'm watching it to get an edge in my first campaign! Thank you so much for you help.

[@Bluecho4]

Good Thing To Remember: If you make a homebrew world, while it's good to prepare details about that world, it's also important not to _over_ prepare. While it may seem tempting to figure out ahead of time every little bit of world-building for your setting - I enjoy intellectual exercises more than most, so I get it - the game will ultimately be a collaborative effort. Ninety percent of the minutia you come up with for the setting will never come up in play, while aspects of the setting players do force into the game will almost certainly be details you never thought of. No plan survives contact with the players, and you'll need to accept that. Instead, leave plenty of negative space in the world, and let the _players_ or the evolving plot fill it up. The players will have backstories for their characters, and you should accommodate them where possible. It will make the characters seem more real, and make the players more invested in the world. If one of the PCs is the scion of the noble line, make a kingdom or duchy or whatever that their line were nobles OF. That if the party cared to go down a particular major trade route and over a mountain, they could wind up in the homeland of one of the PCs. Leave it flexible where you can - it keeps your options open - but have the details the players come up with fill out the greater world-building. Moreover, the players will give you more ideas that can be used to create plots later. They will do a lot of the hard work for you. So long as the ideas they invent don't violate one of the central conceits of the setting - or at least violate them in a meaningful way, that creates story opportunity and mystery - it's all good. Mark's Lightfall setting, for instance, has the titular Lightfall as a major world event. If a PC's backstory or motivation don't contradict that - or do so in an interesting way - it's acceptable.

[@sgtflamingo6532]

Ive had success building lore and story. You just cant negate player action with info dumps. Though honestly, it really depends on the people playing. I tell people that the worlds are lore heavy in my home brews and if that aint their jam, then its whatever. I also let the Pcs design parts of the world and lore each campaign and take feedback with the plot progression. I guess i just got people who like story more than combat.

[@biankamisenkova1714]

I started to DM two weeks ago. Both me and my players never played and honestly, I´m very thankful for this video.

[@notryan9935]

first time DM... i.'m 14 and playing it at school with my friends, this helped so so so so much...thankyou!!!

[@gehyashgigzwerg]

Tfw i recently decided to get into DMing and universe sends this to help me

[@coldfrontx_5962]

Great video Mark! As a medium experienced DM (weekly for about a year) I enjoyed the basics. It reminded me of things I used to do that I had forgotten. The comments on prepping tools was big for me. One thing I would love a video on, that I have seen many people ask about and I see in High Rollers and CR is how to make a larger world feel alive. Most people can handle a town and a kingdom but when it comes to whole worlds/realms/continents a lot of people seem to get nervous/intimidated/lost. Making a living world is scary and enticing,

[@rickscribner6312]

Havent played in 20 years..but the boys from high school..want me to, dungeon master again..been so long..i love yer video.thanks bro

[@is-be6725]

Richard Scribner That’s awesome! Have you played yet?

[@rickscribner6312]

@@is-be6725 yes..we get together again on Nov 30, for some more fun

[@mathsalot8099]

"Hmm, there's no rule for trying to throw a squid into space... I'll have to make that up." Could not stop laughing for a solid 5 minutes and had to pause the video.

[@khaosCaffe]

Roll a strength check and a dex check, strength for if it is actually going to space and dex for if it hits a party member’s face.

[@TheEwker]

The way I see the Dungeon Master: The players write their own stories and the DM binds them together

[@josepablolunasanchez1283]

The DM creates a context, builds a theater with backgrounds. Players make actors to act.

[@mattk6719]

😒 Or if you are in my group, the DM takes control of everything from railroading conversations to writing 100% of the player character backstories, and calls every game his own "creative project."

[@SCharlesS]

​@@mattk6719sounds like me but my players are 8 and 10. Hard part is keeping it g rated.

[@Shmeckos]

Mark i have a suggestion for your whiteboard lighting. i know there's this film trick where you put fabric over your lights (black velvet if i remember correctly) and the light that shines though gives you the light without the glare on the whiteboard. never tried this personally but hopefully this is helpful

[@SherlockHulmes]

Appreciated! My lights are exposed but I'll see what I can do for next time!

[@PrincessSkullcrusher]

A polarising filter for your camera can be super useful in reducing glare from specific directions as well.

[@Clairevoyant101]

Dming for the first time soon and I’m so excited but I have no idea how to do skillchecks properly and I found this at just the right time

[@jordanculver1246]

When our DM doesn’t have enough prepared we just “go shopping” and by the end he adds in a quick battle or something and it’s super fun as a player :)

[@pakunsio]

On july of 2017, Me and my group had our first experience with D&D, with me as DM. i was a bit under prepared and because of that the game took more and more time. at the end of the session we didn't even had finished the tutorial dungeon i created, panicking with the problems and setbacks the session was a disaster. On december i managed to get the group back to try again, this time more prepered and calm, the group maneged to finish the session having fun and i was pleased to have fixed my frustration of the fiirst time DM, thanks to you Mark! and also, thanks for geting me and my group into D&D.

[@JaingSkirata]

My god the intro is incredible.

[@Inceyb]

I think it's hilarious

[@chrisbolland5634]

*Puts on a sport coat in intro* *Hype increases* *Doesn't have it on in the video* *Hype decreases*

[@lwolf2006]

Thank you for doing this series. I'm about to start a D&D campaign with my over 40 women's soccer team. We have some players with injuries and I thought this would be a great way to hang out while they recoup.

[@shuheihisagi6689]

Helps with teamwork too!

[@Sword-Girl-11]

I was fighting my ADHD to watch this whole thing but it was very helpful

[@e.e5377]

I liked the vid but the first few minutes were rough

[@realshadow4284]

Haha I want to do something but I need to listen to this since I am already committed to being a DM

[@JimothyTheGreen]

Good advice especially about mistakes and communication. New DMs are often really worried about screwing something up but that’s inevitable and failure is the best teacher. Often players won’t care or even notice anyway.

[@odinfastflame6568]

This actually really de-stressed me. I've been wanting to start DMing for about two years now, got the three "basic" books but I was always too stressed about it. I can say that I now feel marginally more confortable, thank you for the amazing content! I know this was made four years ago, but still, somehow I just now stumbled upon it.

[@xlucky1373]

Hey man, I really appreciate your outlook on everything. I just got done with my first session ever of D&D. I was acting as DM for a small group of people who have also never played before. But watching your advice videos and you acting as DM gave me a good basic understanding of how I should go about things. Not being a set of rules and regulations, but being a catalyst for allowing them to try and accomplish their goals, no matter how mundane or ridiculous they may be. Thanks again, man and I hope you keep doing what you're doing. 😊

[@TheMeldanor]

That was a great video start! It will help (new) DMs to understand what this position means. I like the way you used the whiteboard! I was tempted to suggest to more video editing to list your points as you did in the beginning with "The Dungeon Master role". Would like to see more "textual" support in the video, a mix of your whiteboard and some added text boxes. (Or hold an important note as a protest sign..). This would help to memorize important parts and keep the viewer active (he has to read something instead just listening). EDIT: Another suggestion for your first point "When and where". I'm using the tool "Doodle" to schedule such session and it is great! It helped me A LOT in my study to meet up with other students and I'm using it now to find a time slot for each one of my players. Exited to view the next videos. Keep it up Mark, you are awesome!

[@SherlockHulmes]

Nice feedback! Will keep it in mind!

[@niduroki]

Something to add to the when and where: Even though this is mentioned in the GM Advice thingy: Scheduling and hosting a session is absolutely *not* solely the GMs responsibility, even though it often is this way in reality. If your players time schedules are a nightmare (the schedules of my offline players are …) this makes your preparation even worse. Japanese TTRPGs deal with this very nicely: If you host the session, or help organizing it: You gain XP for that. How this works in DnD … I still intend to find out, and write it into a proper homebrew thing to put out on the internet eventually.

[@G-and-J-Chapel-Artworks]

12:04 I encourage my players to inform me of spells and abilities that we haven't run or don't run often. This helps me apply it properly and helps ALL of us learn.

[@BeaverWalter]

Hey Mark, just wanted to say that this came right at the moment as my friends and I are soon going to play our fourth session, me being the GM (we play Pathfinder :) ) and I was beginning to doubt myself. Was I doing it right, are the players satisfied... The first few minutes made my day (as did the rest of the video, but you get the point). Great video, as always! Greets

[@johntheherbalistg8756]

Knowing players as I do (I'm playing in one game and running another simultaneously), you'll know if your players aren't happy. They'll definitely bitch about it to you 😂😂

[@theworldof11]

I'm playing DND for the first time today, DMing for my sister and mom in a sort of campaign. I still need to learn more about the game mechanics, but I figured the first encounter out (more or less). I'm so excited :3

[@doctorshotty]

At 19 minutes in when he mentions mental health it made me cry a little, because I've struggled with mental health issues my entire life and the stigma and ignorance have made it so much more difficult. I'm so grateful to see people recognizing it and working to make the world better for everyone. I'm also super stoked to DM for my first time this weekend, thank you for all your tips! So helpful! I'm much more confident now!

[@michaelballard8163]

Excellent first show of the series... I'm looking forward to the rest. I'm one of the "old timers" in the game - first started playing in the early 80s, played for about a decade, got out of it (4 children, was kept busy between them and work) and now, recently retired, I'm getting back into it with 5E. I've already shared the link to this with sons #1 & #2, who is just getting into gaming. Keep up the good work!!

[@justusrodriguez8896]

I had a player who attempted to cast Acid Splash. I had just started DMing, and I asked him what the description he wrote down for it was (I have all of my magic user players write down notes about their spells), and he began reading off the description of "Power Word Kill" (he was 1st level). Had a pretty good laugh at that, then looked it up in the PHB. I think the moral of the story is: it's ok to use the books midgame (edit because of a good reply): sometimes.

[@niduroki]

Depending on how long looking stuff up in the book, adjudicating rules, etc. takes this can be a real killer for action sequences and immersion. Same thing if you have to look in the book every 3 minutes, because the players don't know what their spells do. DnD is more on the rules heavy side. If you, additionally to playing the board-game of DnD with its rules, want to have compelling RP and immersion you need to cut the rules adjudicating/looking stuff up as short as possible, otherwise one or two players with the book will be reading stuff themselves for a fourth of the time, while the other players twiddle their thumbs.

[@justusrodriguez8896]

Chris I totally agree, but sometimes you really need to check the written rules.

[@dvldgz6306]

google dnd 5e then the spell. boom you got it. much faster if you are slow in the book

[@sanninshima]

Hey mark, I just want to say a massive thank you. A couple of months ago I started a DnD home brew campaign with some friends from college and your tips and numerous streams have helped me massively to become a better DM so, from the bottom of my heart, I thank you. Keep being awesome.

[@Panikdemet]

25:00 So true, you don't need anything to play. First DnD game I had was with just a dice app on a phone (which we had just downloaded at the time). The players then made up stat-less chars and the DM just kept track of their supposed HP in his head.

[@edwards376]

I'm a middle schooler who became interested in DnD when a friend from a summer camp proved to be very involved in it. Over the rest of the summer, I binged the beginning of High Rollers and loved every minute of it, and your storytelling was a big part of why Ioved it. After asking a few friends about it, we decided to start a campaign. I am an aspiring author, so I thought that I would DM and write my own campaign. Thank you for this resource!

[@Telleryn]

Adam Koebel never gets enough mentions as an awesome DM, he's got some great DM help series including some game planning and Q+A

[@marshalsea000]

This is one of if not the best starter guide to gming. It was a random youtube recommend and needed something soundtrack the Saturday morning house cleaning routine. Unlike many of the youtube videos which are largely people that have never played the game but want to dress up as an elf or think telling people 2mins after picking up the manual is fine - seemingly a problem for Americans. This one is presented from years of playing and is genuine advice I after 30 years of playing would also give.

[@aidanscovers]

I love to see you working mark keep up the hustle.

[@SherlockHulmes]

Thanks friend!

[@klapptapp4929]

i played dandd three days ago for my first time and i think it was the best one i ever played. we got a very experienced dungen master who play dand d for 15 years which help us a lot.

[@TheMagicFellow]

When all your friends can DM but dont want to :/ Now I have to DM

[@GameUnCrafter]

I have the opposite problem, all my friends want to dm but no one has played before 😅

[@datniggakermit5287]

@Darius Orosco talk slow a carefully.

[@graceyl.195]

This is me rn

[@junichisensei_ttv]

haha that's kinda funny😅

[@marioiscool845]

@Darius Orosco hey I feel you! I'm the DM in my party and I've got an awful stutter, especially whenever I'm not able to look at people when I'm talking to them and we're doing our game over discord. You're not alone my friend

[@Minty_Meadow]

I started a club at my school and we decided to play some D&D and they all said I should be the DM cause we all have NEVER played at the same time I have not ever played so our first meeting is like 2 days away and I’ve been going from video to video and this is one of the best ones I have found! Thank you for everything!

[@VincentoftheRolleri]

How’d it turn out? 😂

[@Catfisher893]

I love this! Been planning out my first dnd session as a DM for a while now. My friends and I are very eager to begin our first ever game, but I havn't felt confident enough. This video gave me a lot of good insight, thanks! Looking forward to more episodes!

[@JasonWelch]

Love it. I haven't DM'd (or even played) for almost 12 years now. I remember discussing this sorta stuff a lot back then, but the idea that you want to encourage the players to want to do something vs essentially forcing them, is really, really great!

[@Maliz_Ultraviolet_Lantern]

The question I ask every DM/GM ever is: What is your stance on players preferring to be the more exotic or odd races like Djinns, Goblins, Gnolls, etc? This is likely the big thing for me since I find the “classic” races quite boring in DND/Pathfinder but the one experience I had with getting to be something abnormal was very maliciously punished by the DM

[@SherlockHulmes]

I think my question BACK as a DM would be "What about the other races doesn't interest you?" if it's a homebrew game, the Elves may be very different to the "boring" normal ones you think of for example. ;) Also, customising monster races is no easy feat for even experienced GMs so can understand some folks hesitance.

[@MegaPatnet]

This just got me thinking. I usually play those "exotic" races. Humans? Never played one, when I had a choice (some setting allow you to play only human). As a GM I don't mind what race is a character, as a backstory is generally way more relevant. The difference may be that I don't play D&D that often and I'm mostly running/playing Savage Worlds campaigns, which gives you rules on how to create different races. There are also bunch of homebrew races for D& Don the Web though and some are even balanced. But my question is: Why those GM may discourage that kind of characters? I understand not being able to play a Lizardman when they don't exist or are naturally considered animal-like monsters. But sometimes it would be intresting to play a mindflayer with a neutral alligment. Especially if most folk doesn't even know they exist. Yeah he would be an outsider, it's kind of given when you say "exotic". But he doesn't need to slaughter humanoids if he could eat animal brains (yeah a small tweak, it is needed in most cases). And there is an answer to my question. They are abnormality, so the GM may be scared to introduce and work around that sort of character, especially in established settings. It provides an unknown that technically breakes the rules of that setting. Therefore it should not be played. And yeah it's a lot of work for a GM as Mark mentioned. Although I think that simply playing a dark elf as opposed to a high elf is still kinda meh. It's not exotic. Even if you design their culture to be similar to ancient Egypt they still look like elves or have similar stats to elves and are still fairly commonly exploited. Making a race that looks like half-dog half-human anubis styled race make it much more appealing to me. Mainly because you don't see it often.

[@niduroki]

They sound like a munchkin to me: "Give me more powers, I want to build the strongest character ever!!" My answer to Munchkins is a (metaphorical) punch to the face. I hate them. :D Jokes aside though, being a Munchkin isn't wrong (hell there's a whole card game about it … which I actually like) - My actual answer to this will probably be a: Sure you're a Goblin, I'll send you your race bonuses next weekend. Until next weekend I'll figure out which of the established races matches a Djinn/Goblin/Gnoll/Space-Catgirl-Centaur the best, so behind the curtain its just a re-skin of an existing race.

[@MegaPatnet]

Well those races have to be balanced. If a player wants to play because it gives him better stats then obviously it's a no. Making them weaker is also a good option. Although no one in this conversation said they awnt to play exotic characters for their power. I just like to play them because I don't like playing generic races. And actually a reskin is a good option but as a player I wouldn't like to know about it.

[@Maliz_Ultraviolet_Lantern]

Tabletop Weekly , Specifically what I don’t like about the classic races is that they are quite generic rather than being specialized with any particular weaknesses (which is the point I know) while I always feel like the odd races have more potential for creative implementation in campaigns. In some games they have the stats available for the odd races so I know I’m not alone in wanting the option otherwise they wouldn’t have bothered to make the books for it. This isn’t exclusive to fantasy either, Sci-Fi is pretty bad about always pushing you to be human or at least only be the very human-esque aliens (Mass Effect is a perfect example) but I don’t wanna role play something I already have to be on a daily basis

[@benjaminwillford8659]

I've been trying to be the DM for my wife and kids (both under 10) and this was super helpful! I haven't played since the 90's so all these tips were appreciated! Thank you!

[@ba-wp5zs]

Your wife is under 10?

[@halo3603]

I said "Storyteller" when you did. I realized they are more like the person that creates a Mad Lib book. The players fill in the blanks and that can change everything. X-Factor.

[@hankscorpio8928]

This is awesome. I’m going to start DM-ing the 5e Essentials box for my college age daughter and her boyfriend and haven’t played or DM’d since I was in middle school (1986) and this video brought it all back, not just how to DM but all the great campaigns and side quests I played back then. Thanks for this amazing video.

[@noblenineseven5074]

I would love an explanation of exactly what LARPing is, more of just curious of how you play it. Like character creation, rules etc. (Btw great video, D&D is so much fun, just started Princes with my friends.)

[@whiskeyhound]

This should give you a decent idea of what good LARPing looks like. kzbin.info/aero/PLz2TUw__7qw4AOrIb5qe-cwSUtMewrm6o

[@piratewhoisquiet]

Seconded, something like what a volunteer would learn from helping at an event as opposed to a player playing at one would be great. Like, not necessarily behind the scene but a look at the mechanisms that run the scenes.

[@nhaggmark]

I'm a new DM as well as a new player and this was really helpful. Looking forward to catching up on your content!

[@eggarts9158]

Can you do a video on play D&D over the internet please as there’s no where near me where I can play in person but it looks really fun

[@jezrawithgoodvibes4239]

I want to thank you so much. I have been so incredibly confused about all of this. I'm starting a group with my fellow freshmen in high school, and none of us have ever had any experience whatsoever besides this one time I did a One Shot with my Uncles friends. But since I'm the only one who knows anything about how it works, they elected me as DM, and in one week I'm DMing for the first time. I got some materials, but I dont have the money for a premade campaign book, so my everything is kind of precarious, and I just had a lot of trouble writing a campaign, and even more so trying to understand how I can help the game move along. All of this has helped me so much. Thank you.

[@squid1712]

"all you need to play is dice, a pen, and some paper" *cries in quarantine*

[@m4500n]

I can´t describe how much better I feel about DMing for the first time, after watching this. thanks!

[@dreadknot69]

Thanks Mark, great tips there! I'm about to embark on my first D&D campaign as a DM and this is great help. Some good ideas here and gave me a good perspective on going forward. The biggest issue holding me back from going forward is dealing with the character creation process. I feel I have to know all these things about factions, potential skills and their paths, high-level options, etc. People ask me questions about that stuff and I feel overwhelmed....I don't know all the answers. I wish there was an easy quick-start for new characters, where it focused on just what you need for the first few levels (or even just 1st) and you could learn about the other stuff later, as you play the character. I don't know if that makes sense but it just seems like there's a novel about each race and then another novel for each class. Too much to sit down and just say I want to play a half-elf rogue, let's go. Now that I type this though, maybe I'll look into those on-line character generators as a starting point for my players. They have shorter descriptions of everything and are more to the point. I'll check that out as an option, instead of me giving them the PHB to digest.

[@SherlockHulmes]

At 1st level, you don't need to worry about class paths or factions, or potential skills. Just come up with a cool story and make a 1st level character!

[@irkain]

I had similar fears regarding a quest I'm about to start with some new players, and I found out that they actually loved the character creation. I only needed to explain them the basic Hit dice mechanics, and they devoured the book. And to be honest, you said it yourself. You can start by focusing on the 1st lvl options for each class (which are quite limited in most cases) and then get more into what they want to do as the story advances. Maybe the paladin thought he would want to go for the Oath of Devotion and the super legal part of it, but on his way he loses one of his friends, and turns out to take the Vengeance one. What I'm trying to say is, I wouldn't overthink this part. But I'm quite new myself, so I don't know if someone else can help you with better advice haha

[@dreadknot69]

Nah, I think you're right, I probably am overthinking it. I just need to get the mechanics of play under my belt and let the rest fall into place.

[@Force2reckonVods]

If you're a new DM and you have players asking about high-level options and character paths you need to make it clear to them that you're still pretty new and figuring it all out just like them, do exactly like you said, instead of worrying about all the stats and end game stuff, read through the blurb at the beginning of each class and race, don't worry about stats, and than maybe read the blurbs for their different specializations, use that to help them decide. Explain to them if they don't like where their character is or is going that the best part about D&D is it's fluidity, you can switch it. One thing a lot of people don't think about is that, yes the class/race stuff might be technically static, but you can change it around. If a player is playing a Rogue but decides ahhh Warrior would have been better, find an excuse to let them switch their class, maybe they meet a Master Warrior who retrains them but forces them to forget all their past training, now they can be a 5th level fighter instead of a 5th level Rogue. Take my party, one of my players was really disliking his Rogue, but he didn't want to lose the character he is. He died in the last boss fight they had and came to me asking if the parties resurrection could fail so that he can change his class and this was when he explained he didn't like the class, but he was sad to lose his character. My fix? What if the Resurrection messes with your head and fills it with new skills and knowledge but leaves your personality in tact. So he'll be reclassing his person but keeping the same character which has him super excited, he spent ages figuring it out this time on his own.

[@CitizensTea]

I’m using two resources to help my new players choose a character 1st is a fun flowchart from lucid chart about what type of class you could play (although I’m probably going to change the name to what type of class do you want to play): www.lucidchart.com/pages/flowcharts/which-dungeons-and-dragons-class-should-you-play I found another awesome resource on reddit to help break down the basic stats and choices between races or classes during character creation olddungeonmaster.wordpress.com/2016/04/22/dd-5e-character-creation-sheet/amp/ Hopefully this helps some with the daunting task character creation feels like.

[@bunghead]

What a magnificent whiteboard! So jelly!

[@FlorescentInk]

wow you explained everything super super clearly and this was helpful! thank you!

[@noahmcmillan9047]

More than two years later the whiteboard still definitely works, and was very helpful. Cheers Sherlock

[@petrusheikkila734]

Finally a NOT pay-to-play game with easy tools to get

[@klex4676]

It is tho

[@petrusheikkila734]

@@klex4676 How do you mean? You literally need paper and pencil to play. You can make characters own way and change some rules if you're only playing w/friends

[@klex4676]

I mean yeah but for like me I want the book the dm crap the miniatures

[@klex4676]

@@petrusheikkila734 true true I don't REALLy disagree with you tho

[@petrusheikkila734]

@@klex4676Yea, in the game it's how you wanna play, not how much you wanna spend

[@bigsneak4601]

Mark you are genuinely my favorite Dungeon Master ever, I know a lot of people really look up to Matt Mercer but to me you're the best! I know it wont ever happen but I would love if someday to be a player in one of your amazing worlds

[@ftlcaptain2417]

One of my personal tips is that if you're struggling for ideas, be it: settings, items, characters, use the resources out there. This especially applies for homebrew campaigns. There's tons of homebrew sites filled with ideas to use in your campaign. Sure some homebrew stuff can be brokenly overpowered, but its your campaign; tweak things as you see fit.

[@Blandco]

6:38 Excellent. I wish more people expressed this.

[@Axios_Deminence]

I really like this type of series especially as I am still a fledgling DM inspired by HighRollers. I currently create names beginning with a single sound and then deciding what sounds nice for the rest. However, I was wondering how you create your names and if you had a list of names, if you could give it out. I was also wondering what you would recommend to do with players who only do a simple backstory like "I was a mercenary." I've encountered a couple of these players and have offered them help by bouncing around some ideas but sometimes they stick with it. I am afraid of doing something relating with their backstory (since it may be something they do not envision their character doing) but also afraid that they would not be involved with the campaign. I would like to thank you once again for all of these series (both on this channel and HighRollers) and for helping those seeking answers.

[@niduroki]

www.fantasynamegenerators.com/ all your name generation needs fulfilled. You want a backstory from guys: 1) The background system already tells you something about the character (this is one of the few RP things DnD5 makes mandatory, so *use it!*). They were a mercenary, so: What were some earlier jobs? Who did they work for? … And the question you should ask *every player character ever* (which isn't this written in any DnD book): "Why are you not a [background] anymore, but adventuring with the group right now?" Some people are really bad with providing information about their character masking it as "I'm not creative enough!" so it means for you as the GM you'll have to ask loads of questions: What's your background? Mercenary. Tell me more about your mercenary career. I don't know, I'm not as creative as you are! Well, whom did you work for? I … worked for a thieves guild before? Great, so what did you do for the thieves guild? Beat up the guards who were getting onto us? … Your player just told you about a thieves guild beating up guards you didn't know about before! Liars! They are creative, you just have to ask. Lovely liars our players.

[@theDMLair]

Great video, man! I love your points about the DM being narrator and adjudicator, and not the storyteller. The story is told by everyone at the table. Also dead on about not needing to be Matt Mercer to be a great DM. I think most players' expectations are much lower and they get (or they should) that what they watch on Critical Role is PROFESSIONAL ACTORS who are putting on a show for an audience. Anyway, great stuff. Looking forward to more.

[@bassicguitar7863]

Hi mark! As a part-time dm I find that my main issue is an extreme lack of confidence... any advice would be helpful! Thanks!

[@OctoberGeek]

I wish I could give you more than one like. Mark Hulmes is one of the great D&D luminaries, not joking. Mark, I'm so glad you exist.

[@games-or7ig]

can u do a video on minis and terrain

[@kellynelson3236]

Dude, thank you so much. Your last bullet point really hit home. Relax! I ran my first game last night and I was FREAKING OUT about how I didn't do this or didn't do that and I was pretty close to not having fun, but my players had a blast. This video was super helpful! Can't wait to watch the rest of them!

[@marachime]

#CONSEQUENCES

[@BatsyCherri]

WHEN WILL YOU L E A R N WHEN WILL YOU L E A R N

[@fan9775]

@@BatsyCherri T HA T YOUR ACTIONS....THAT YOUR ACTIONS HAVE

[@michaelschmuke6019]

During this Covid 19 deal and being isolated with the family.....We are learning how to play D&D, these videos have been very helpful. Thank you.

[@PogMcDog]

1500hours on Roll20 DMing alone. Multiple years offline. But I'll Still watch :3

[@douze8184]

damn dude, you know your shit

[@kydoren2372]

im in the middle of watching high rollers on youtube and decided to look up how to be a better gm. i was pleasantly surprised to find you at the top of the list!

[@dementiagaming851]

I'd love to start playing d&d but I've got no friends

[@ami876]

force random strangers you find on the street to come home with you and play d&d

[@adamantiumn]

I've decided to take up the mantle of DMing my first campaign. I am a moderately knowledgeable D&D player, with basics down, and some mechanical interactions understood. My group of friends I usually play with uses homebrew campaigns regularly, so I am following suit with them. My future PC's are mostly new players, so this campaign I am making will be a learning experience for both me, and my players. This video/series will help me tenfold in building my campaign, along with learning mechanical skills and narrative plotlines. I am quite excited to learn from you Mark!

[@NoxArcani-z4u]

My dm had us fighting a troll in a cave. Me and a cleric were on a cliff, I was a rouge that was sneaking and jumped on the trolls back and one hit killed it, my dm was pissed.

[@caffeine_alex]

The 'relax' thing was my favourite! I've been running games for a little while, and one of the best bits of DMing I think I've ever done was a sequence where the players had to escape a collapsing mansion. I had the BAREST plan for it and had considered ending the session before we got to it, but I decided to charge ahead in the spur of the moment and it turned out amazingly! Sometimes just letting yourself go off map a bit can be great because if nothing else the adrenalin rush gets you a long way

[@poisonedoak6563]

Make a mistake, say for instance, my mistake of giving all the players the exp for the encounter and not splitting it between them so they reached level 3 in two sessions?

[@wahlflower3517]

6:50 To be honest, you're the reason I started DMing. You make DMing look fun, challenging at times but fun. Matt Mercer and other super pro DMs made DMing look way more intimidating than it actually is. I didn't need to be the DM of my group since there are two other people who do the job just fine. But watching High Rollers made me want to the DM.

[@tired_and_bored_nerd]

I’ve been playing d&d for about three years now but I have been wanting to dm for a while, so thank you for creating this series

[@MiiohMariokart]

I have learned a lot from this and I am a first time dm

[@Moodachris]

I just got into D&D and I love it. I will be DMing a session in my group soon and I am kind of nervous and am feeling a bit overwhelmed. I’m a noob. But your video has given me so much confidence. Thank you! You’re an awesome dude, and I’ll be coming back for more help!

[@matthewsmith3649]

Hey mate thanks for uploading this video! I will be DMing my first ever game of D&D using the Curse of Strahd campaign. I have no idea what I am doing but I'm confident that I will learn very quickly. This video has been a huge help and is the best of its kind, in my opinion, on youtube. Please upload more soon! My campaign starts in February haha

[@dukeofthedoomdunes9396]

ive been playing for about 3 years and never DMed. i start my homebrew next month and was super nervous till this video. thank you.

[@weedragon3440]

So I'm just getting started and I'll be DMing my first game with my mates who haven't played DnD before either. You videos are helping a lot

[@AquaSloth345]

My friend keeps watching a dnd podcast and I got the essentials kit like a year ago but we never got round to it because the rules made no sense to me so thanks for this!!!!!!!

[@minijester5588]

Cheers mark, as a DM myself its great to see you helping new players or encouraging players to take it up. If only your videos were here when I started, I jumped straight in at the deep end and learned the game and to DM all at once, really intimidating. Keep up the good videos!

[@wendull811]

I'm running my first dnd game with my friends and this is all our first time. It is super stressful. After watching this it has helped me to relax. Thank you

[@fabled5906]

As both a DM and a player, I can say this opened my eyes a lot for both. Will definitely watch the rest of the series.

[@kadehuddleston]

My wife and I just got a players handbook and are starting to make some characters, all because of High Rollers and your DM skills. Keep up the good work!

[@theBlindestDog]

i know this is from years ago, but wanted to leave a comment anyway! i'm preparing my first game soon and found your video to be so soothing. it's been helpful, informative, and really encouraging without coming off condescending and stressful. thank you so much for all the advice!