DM Orientation

## **Introduction**

**DM:** *"So you make your way through the dense growth of Winterglen, the sun blocked out by the branches and leaves of the tall trees above you. You know at this point that you've been travelling for roughly 4 hours East of Wynnesford, and your guide at the front warns everyone to keep noise to a minimum; he knows this is a hot-spot for the very beasts you look for to brew those potions.*

*A few more minutes of travel go by when the guide puts his hand up for the party to stop. He says "Shhh! Everyone stay quiet..." in a hushed tone, alerting the party to a nearby presence."*

**Player 1:** *"I want to see if I can use my Perception or Nature to either hear/see if there is a creature nearby, or attune to the plants and arcane energies here in hopes that they can give me some form of guidance."*

**DM:** *"Ok... In this case make a Nature check. Let's see if the natural arcane energies of the forest can help you get a sense of any nearby beasts."*

**Player 2:** *"Can I assist in this roll to give Player 1 advantage?"*

**DM:** *"Ok. How exactly would you assist your friend?"*

**Player 2:** *"Well survival is one of my main skills, so I'd like to look for any claw markings on the trees, footprints on the ground, see if there is a lack of prey animals/fauna, check the weather conditions, that sort of thing."*

**DM:** *"Alright. Make a survival check then, since you have been told some information regarding this creature so you know what to look for."*

**Player 2:** *"...Argh, I rolled a natural 1!"*

**DM:** *"Yep; unfortunately you can't quite get an imprint in this area despite your best efforts, so Player 1 doesn't get advantage in this situation. Player 1, roll for your Nature check."*

**Player 1:** *"...Ooo, 19 + 4 is a 23 for Nature."*

**DM:** *"Alright! So, as you use your natural sense of the wilderness and arcane magics at work in Winterglen, you begin to get a sense of something unnatural within the trees around you. It takes you a moment, but you focus more and more until you realize that the unnatural energies are coming from straight above. You look up, and with a keen eye you see a four legged beast emanating a dark aura, it's claws attached to the bark, looking straight down at you and the rest of the group... everyone roll Initiative!"*

## **The Premise**

So you want to become a DM in the West Marches Winterglen Campaign? Good to hear!

Being a DM for a West Marches session isn't always easy; it requires plenty of planning, patience, knowledge, and focus to do. Despite this, it's always worth to try being a DM for a least one session, so you have an idea of what it's like on the other side of the table. You might decided afterwards that you love DMing and want to do more, or realize it's not your cup of tea. However, as long as you and your players had fun on your first time, then you successfully ran your first session despite any hiccups or errors along the way!

Before you decide that you want to become a DM, think about the following points and whether they strike your fancy:

* **Story-Teller** - Are you a big fan of telling a story as it unfolds? Story drives everything that the players, and you as a DM, do. Without a story, there isn't anything for the players to hook onto; without a story, there is no immersive world or lore for you to explore and unravel. Without a story, the world of D&D is non-existent.
* **Improvisation** - Do you like improvising ideas on the spot? Most D&D sessions never go exactly as planned, so it's important to be flexible and creative in your thinking. This is perhaps the hardest thing to do as a DM, but with practice and experience you can become an improv god.
* **Rules / Knowledge** - What about reading up on rules and role play systems? It is absolutely vital that you have at least the basics of D&D down pat in your head, otherwise you and your players will have a nightmare session. The core books exist for a reason, and there are plenty of third-party source books online with hundreds of pages of rules and creatures to explore. Just take the ones you feel are necessary and manipulate them to your own liking.
* **DM Style** - How would you run the game? Are you very lenient on the systems of D&D and prefer lot's of creativity and player success? Or are you fixated on rules and believe that they govern the game entirely, despite any potential risk of player death? Every DM runs their game differently, and players will gravitate to groups that fit their play-style. Only time and experience will tell you what kind of DM you are.
* **Criticism & Learning** - How well do you take criticism from players and other DMs? Did a system you make work or not? It's always important to listen to your players and fellow D&D friends to find out what works and doesn't, what the players want to see more of from you, and if they think you should make some changes.
* **Fun** - The most important question to be asked is if you think you'd have fun being a DM? It's not for everyone, and most people are more than happy just sticking to PCs. But if you think you'll enjoy it, or are even slightly fascinated by the prospect of DMing, then why not give it a go. You never know until you've tried...

Don't worry if one of the above bullet-points makes you worried. DMing all comes from experience and learning; for example, you may not turn out to be the best story-teller but your knowledge of the rules and systems in place is unmatched by everyone else around the table.

There are plenty of tips and advice on how to DM both online and in the core D&D books, so it's up to you to do your homework in your own free-time if you want to learn DMing.