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Browsing All posts tagged under »dm«

How many new DMs did 4e bring to the table?

August 6, 2009 by newbiedm

I want to run an informal poll and maybe bring up an interesting topic of conversation. As I’ve pointed out before, it wasn’t until the release of 4th ed. that I decided to DM, although I have years of experience in prior editions of the game. 4th ed. was marketed as a simpler game to […]

Running your large D&D party

August 2, 2009 by newbiedm

I’ve been running a large party since I started DM’ing 4th Ed., and while I appreciate the fact that I’m able to play and have friends willing to play with me, running a large party has its ups and downs. In this article, I hope to give you several tips to manage the table filled […]

Monster Builder to be released tomorrow July 30th!

July 29, 2009 by newbiedm

Yes, it’s true. The long awaited DDI Monster Builder releases tomorrow, Thursday July 30th, as a beta download for DDI subscribers. It’s expected to be up around 12:00pm eastern time. I can’t wait. Link

Beginner tips for effective narration

July 26, 2009 by newbiedm

For a newbie DM, the scene can be a daunting one: you’ve got your binder open in front of you, minis or counters ready to go, your players are sitting at the table, the battle map is laying there, and all eyes are focused on you. All that’s left is for you to begin narrating. […]

Don’t make the PC’s ride your newbie railroad!

July 25, 2009 by newbiedm

One of the pitfalls I discovered in my early days as a DM, was the tendency to “railroad” or lead my players on a track right into a storyline that I thought I needed them to follow. This, my beginner DM friends, is not a good thing. Players want to have free will. They do […]

On 4th Ed.’s simplified skill list

July 21, 2009 by newbiedm

I’m having a hard time wrapping my head around the argument coming out of some forums regarding the 4th Ed. skill list, in that mainly the list is too short to create fully fleshed out and distinct characters. I’m not buying it, as there are many ways to accomplish just that without needing too much […]

About DM’s, the future of the game, and what not…

July 20, 2009 by newbiedm

Okay. Before I begin this post, let me preface it by telling you what sparked it (although in all fairness I’m been mulling it over for a few weeks). I tried to organize a D&D Game Day for the upcoming date for DMG2 and I couldn’t make heads or tails out of the websites for […]

Tell the PC’s to leave their powers at the door

July 19, 2009 by newbiedm

This post is aimed directly at a newbie dm who may be DM’ing a set of newbie players through their first experiences with role-playing games… You’ve got the books, you’ve played a few sessions, and you’re really digging it. Your players are getting more and more comfortable with the rules, your table management gets smoother […]

Table Drama: Handling PvP & angry players

June 22, 2009 by newbiedm

I went backpacking through Europe for a month back in 1996. I was 23 years old, had a couple of hundred bucks saved up, so I decided to take the plunge. I went with 3 other friends, and spent the month traveling from hostel to hostel aboard rickety old trains. It was a great time, but […]

Reader contributed D&D houserules

June 16, 2009 by newbiedm

So, another reader makes my life as a blogger easier by providing material. At this rate, I won’t have to write a word, and the site can live off guest writers. I kid, I kid. It’s always welcome though, and if it’s halfway decent, you’ll have a place here to publish your stuff if you […]