Tips When DMing For New Players

Highlights

• DMs should explain D&D’s rules as they come up to help new players learn gradually, and to avoid overwhelming them with information early on.
• Assist new players with character creation to engage them in the process and help them understand the link between stats and roleplay in D&D.
• Railroad new players in the beginning to provide guidance and set them on the right track without overwhelming them with too many options.

Starting a new campaign can be a daunting task for any aspiring Dungeon Master, especially when running a game for players who are new to Dungeons and Dragons. If a DM is providing players with their first-ever D&D experience, then they will want to make it memorable and ensure the players keep adventuring for years to come.

The prospect of turning players off Dungeons and Dragons is not one to be taken lightly, and as such, the DM should ensure that the experience is as fun and entertaining as possible, which, may come with some unique challenges when DMing for players who are new to table-top roleplaying games. Here are some top tips to keep in mind when running a game of Dungeons and Dragons for new players.

6 Explain The Rules As They Come Up

Explaining Rules As And When Is More Memorable Than An Info Dump

There are a vast number of rules in Dungeons and Dragons, and it’s hard not to make mistakes sometimes, especially when there are so many different rules to consider. Even some of the most seasoned Dungeon Masters can make mistakes, which isn’t game-ruining most of the time, but new players are much more likely to acclimate to the rules of the game when they learn them as they go.

Dumping a whole load of rules on new players and expecting them to memorize them is a non-starter. Players will learn that they need to roll to hit, or know their spell save DC, but there’s no use in bogging down a first-time Fighter with the intricacies of a Druid’s wild shape if they don’t need to know it. Not only will this allow players to focus on the areas that matter to them, which is still quite a lot, but they’ll learn the rest as it comes. This does take longer than players who are already on board for Dungeons and Dragons and jump in head first, like maybe a first-time DM, but for more apprehensive players who might not have tried roleplaying games before, it’s a great idea to warm them up before throwing them in the deep end.

5 Help With Character Creation

Assist New Players With Their Dream Character

The character creation process can be a little confusing at first, but walking a new player through the process and explaining what each ability, background, or proficiency does in the context of their chosen character is a great way to start engagement with the game. A Half-Orc Barbarian might have a soldier background after being enlisted in a war they grew disillusioned with, or perhaps an Elven Wizard learned her powers from a wise and noble mentor who met an untimely fate.

The players will begin to understand the link between their characters and their stats, and for new players, it can plant the first seed that begs the question of who their character is, and what they might have experienced.

Doing this with players as a DM will help them understand their armor class determines if they get hit, or that their strength will impact how often they are able to successfully strike their enemies, and strengthens the connection between the numbers and the roleplay, which can definitely help to understand the genre a little better for newer players.

4 Railroad Them

Force New Players Into Situations

Most Dungeons and Dragons first-timers will have no doubt played a video game at some point in their lives, and might typically be used to being guided from one level to the next, or constrained by limits they might implicitly assume based on preconceived notions from video games. Dungeons and Dragons allows for a lot more freedom than most games and allows players to generally dictate how they address the problem before them. Whilst this may come easy to newcomers with an avid MMO/RPG gaming background, this can be a little strange for players who aren’t used to this style of gaming.

Whilst railroading usually isn’t immediately the best choice when playing with seasoned players, it can be useful to help set new players on the right track, particularly at the beginning of a campaign. Players may need a little guidance in the right direction, outside of an inciting incident that kicks off the story, which is a great trait for players in small doses, so long as it doesn’t mean they’re ignoring every single plot hook that comes their way.

Perhaps an NPC companion is kidnapped, or someone sends thieves to steal a coveted item from one of the players, forcing them to react to something new that can help further the story isn’t egregious to give players a feel for the game at first, but it’s definitely something that needs to be tempered off as the players grow into their characters and get more comfortable.

3 Let Them ‘Win’ (Within Reason)

Allowing Players A Victory Can Be A Great Motivator

Obviously, this doesn’t mean letting players shrug off every combat encounter like demi-gods, but allowing them a great win can really strengthen their resolve. Building a ‘villain of the week’ for players to tackle can be a great way to keep them engaged.

If these players are in it for the long haul, it’ll be a while before they can take on a corrupt king and their army, or overthrow some evil necromancer, but letting them deal with an ogre who’s terrorizing a village or a common thief can be a great way to satisfy their appetite for adventure with a great payoff.

2 Start At Level 5

Higher Levels Means More Abilities

This might seem a little strange at first. After all, higher levels mean more abilities to keep track of. However, starting at level 5 means there are more fun abilities to keep track of. If a group of veteran players gathers to embark on a multi-year campaign, they’ll likely begin their character from level one and see it through as far as they can, but newer players might struggle to grasp the larger context of what makes Dungeons and Dragons great at earlier levels.

Allowing newcomers to start at level 5, providing it’s a new party starting simultaneously, is a great way to give new players a good range of abilities, which will allow them to properly learn what they like and don’t like. Dungeons and Dragons can be quite an investment of time for players and DMs alike, and there’s nothing more off-putting than a mundane introduction that leaves players uninspired.

Granting a small taste of what they could achieve in a fully-fledged campaign can be the difference between a new adventurer and a dissuaded player. Unless a newcomer is specifically coming to experience Dungeons and Dragons from level one, starting at level 5 is a great option to give players a glimpse of that power fantasy.

1 Engage With Their Roleplay

Build On Players’ Ideas And Story Beats

One of the biggest mistakes a Dungeon Master can make is not engaging with their player’s roleplay. Ideally, a player should be engaging with the world, characters, and storylines around them, so shutting down their ideas is definitely something to avoid. Their participation should be encouraged, so it’s a great idea to keep an open mind with story beats. Players may not inquire about a key line of questioning with important characters, but this doesn’t mean they should miss the plot threads entirely.

If players become fixated on an NPC that has no planned connection to the greater story, maybe that NPC takes up a side hustle for a villainous character, providing a great pathway to further the plot, but also making players feel like they are progressing the story through their interaction.