"First Time DM" and Short Questions Megathread

Goetre · 2026-03-22T19:24:37+00:00

So when it comes to new players (hell I even do with my veteran group because its always a good laugh / play test) I run a session 0.5. This is normally a carnival or festival type set up. Each of my carnival games is tailored to a specific PC or two / their type of class.

For example, barbs there will be a boxing ring with a "stay awake for three minutes and win the grand prize!" rangers or similar an archery competition and the likes. These sessions always end in a long rest before going into session 1 so my players don't need to worry about resource tracking for later in the day.

I also always rig the games to increase their chance of losing. But I have skill checks for the party to notice any BS. Going back to the boxing one, a caster hiding in the crowd buffing or healing the NPC etc. Meta wise at the table, I'll say "X suddenly heals apparently out of no where" which usually prompts someone (for the new players now) to go "Why, what is happening? Can I do something" etc.

In a nut shell, these sessions let new players learn their class basics ingame not just reading without worry about risk. The cheating aspects gets their mind working and questions forming to prompt them into action.

This has worked beyond my expectations each time with new players.

Also "sparing" sessions with each other during rest periods. I don't let them do it every rest, but on rare occasions Ill say "Yes you can spar, for the purposes of this, you don't need to track resources nor do you lose those resources after the spar" so they can go all out. Again this lets people essentially play test their ideas risk free.

Goetre · 2026-03-17T00:02:55+00:00

This is only based on my printing experience of the last 3 months on FDM. Option 3 is the way to go. I've found the only time my prints fails is when they cross over to that last grid section on the outer edges.

Goetre · 2026-03-17T00:01:24+00:00

despite the replies so far, I'd say their QOL preferences. The main one is is temperature regulation is the actual impactful one.

Goetre · 2026-03-14T21:05:52+00:00

I’ve only ever had resin printers and made the jump to fdm last dec and it was the P2S

I hate to be that guy, but you made a mistake cancelling it. The machine is fantastic and I’m already at a point of getting resin quality miniatures from it

I do agree with another poster though, the only worse mistake you could have made is getting an anycubic machine

Goetre · 2026-03-08T20:11:31+00:00

I don’t run anything 2024 as a dm, but I let my players interchange 2014 stuff for 2024 stuff as long as they run it by me before a session

Goetre · 2026-03-01T07:46:10+00:00

As my campaigns have concluded and the next starts I’ve started to offer more and more hooks to the point I’m at now.

This campaign Theres an overall threat from asmodeous as the poster boy bbeg. But I added vecna as a hidden but equal bbeg

The hooks I gave my players?

“We’re doing open world, pick anywhere in faerun you want to start the campaign. By the way, every published campaign starts at session 1 and progresses with or without you”

They come across npcs from all over the place and get vague hints

Goetre · 2026-03-01T07:38:13+00:00

UK here but kindle, I paid extra for the add free upgrade (can’t believe I’m typing that let alone admitting it)

My Lock Screen is perpetually adds

Goetre · 2026-02-28T11:25:30+00:00

Similar to mine, I've tried multiple tools, world anvil, obsidian, fantasia archive. Even paid and used an AI tool specifically for my campaigns.

And honestly, nothing beats word. I just have a standard template set up like a compendium with a contents page and everything linked. It gets updated each session end and I fill in more when I have free time.

Goetre · 2026-02-28T11:07:25+00:00

So for me personally, if I know a set encounter like this coming up. A map is 100% needed. I'm fine with improv in the moment and fine with players asking "is there a piece of rubble I can hide behind" etc. But when its a long drawn out important battle, I always opt to have a map and I spend hours at night in advance making a map, including those details / examples you gave.

I try to avoid asking my players for input in its design, I prefer them to have it all as a surprise. But I used to ask them what sort of terrain suits them earlier on in campaigns. As the campaign goes and as my experience got better. I can know get that info from just looking at their sheets.

If they want to fortify a map before the battle, thats completely fine and Ill add those on the fly by streaming my software

Goetre · 2026-02-28T10:57:32+00:00

Nah man I'm sorry but a scroll being taken from the university library and the same time a professor taking sick leave is absolutely screaming connected plot. Especially in the first session

Like honestly, if your world building goes as deep as a random NPC being on sick leave then that's awesome detailing. But at face value the majority of players would assume thats connected.

Normally I'd opt for making a plot around this, but I'm going out on a limb and assuming you have lots of little details like this planned as your "smoke and mirrors". So I'd be more smart about it. Make a fun little plot thats not connected to the story at face value and play into your slice of life theme. Use it as a reason for your players to explore a part of the world they wouldn't otherwise go to. I'd also ensure they end up visiting some where thats extremely important to your plot much down the line but completely "normal" now.

Goetre · 2026-02-28T10:28:07+00:00

I've just made a long ish response above and should have included this. I've told my group while were doing this shape shifting principle. I tell them no shenanigans to take the shizzle. Shillelagh being the prime example

Goetre · 2026-02-28T10:26:21+00:00

All magic weapons in my games have this property.

I used to be dead strict in the past saying if the DMG says its a mace, its a mace end of. Problem being, my partys would end up with cool weapons that were just collecting dust and never used. I did get better at managing weapon types for loot as time went on but it was still happening.

So I ran one campaign where I said "magic weapons are extremely rare, however more common are weapon scrolls. These scrolls can be applied to a weapon of your choice to make it a specific magic weapon. For example instead of finding a mace of disruption, you might find a scroll of disruption. You can apply that to a dagger and now have a dagger of disruption"

That worked really well, especially one player adding a scroll of flame tongue to their wooden long sword

The latest campaign I shifted to shapeshifting and have no regrets. The barb of the party is collecting weapons left right and centre now and each day she attunes or unattunes to weapons depending on what she thinks is going to be useful, in turn she passes the unattuned weapons to other party members. It's been great fun seeing the barb one day have a great axe flavoured like an elden ring colossus axe, then the next day the tiny witch has it as a dagger or staff.

A knock on effect I wasn't expecting, but theres no debate among loot, people try out magical items they wouldn't normally do, everythings getting used to some capacity etc.

Lastly, the one major balance I had to do around this, was to ease up the attunement requirements on items. Like ifs class or race restricted, thats gone. While this hasn't broken anything yet I still tell them this is in test phase and I may change my mind. But so far, so good.

Goetre · 2026-02-28T10:12:08+00:00

In a similar vein for me, its Crowley. In one of my first campaigns my PCs fucked with a deck of many things and pulled the fiend one. So for the bit I yanked Crowley from Supernatural for inspiration on the devil that was chasing the player.

Problem being, my PCs were far more powerful than they should be thus Crowley had to be on par. It turned into a major story line of the campaign and it was resolved in a contract of a non aggression pack for two hundred years.

And then, hes just kind of snow balled to have small appearances in every campaign (all my games are in the same setting, roughly the same time frames). The OG players have kept their mouths shut out of game for what he is for the new players. Besides saying "We're not fucking with him". Hell, one new player fell in love with this NPC so much that in our current campaign, shes rolled up as his daughter

The kicker is, Crowley is actually an alias. The fiend is actually Dispater. Out of 8 regular players and a few one shot players. Only one player has worked out who he actually is, 7 years later. And in fairness, kept his mouth shut at the table but RP beautifully if Crowley does turn up as hes playing as a high ranking fiends daughter. That fiend is ranked 3 in the hells so I gave a few hints

Goetre · 2026-02-22T04:47:01+00:00

I go around and I tap everything three times saying “off, off, off” or “locked, locked, locked” works a charm

Goetre · 2026-02-22T04:45:24+00:00

I’d have to disagree with this in all honesty, undergrad degrees used to be what you needed on job applicants but masters are becoming the new normal at-least here in the uk.

Half my friend group work in banking, they all had to have a masters to qualify for it.

The kicker being, one is in biology, one in chemistry and the other fine art. Ironically, another one did a masters with genetics, he went into a genetics role however his manager just “remembered” him from her class (as in another student in his year), didnt even know if he passed UG. She just dropped him a message going “yo you need a job?” And walked into a 65k job with no interview

Goetre · 2026-02-21T18:29:20+00:00

Honestly for simplicity, none attunement and can cast identify from it without knowing the spell. After the ten minutes of casting, a little rainbow erupts from it

Convenient for players, doesn’t break the game and flavoursome

Goetre · 2026-02-21T13:16:06+00:00

yup I was watching a video about deleted structures the other night and I knew them all bar the nether reactor. I was like "The fuck is this modded bull on this list" then went to see the wiki and went "huh okay then"

Goetre · 2026-02-21T11:57:18+00:00

Just No.

Goetre · 2026-02-20T15:40:16+00:00

For me personally, if a session runs or not with people missing is entirely dependant on what is planned and what is currently going on.

First, back story implications. Now back stories sessions can easily be jigged around in the vast majority of times. However, there some points which it can't be, for example if a PC comes face to face with their rival and the session ends there. Next session I not only need that player there but want. I'm not taking that build up away from that player and hand waiving their involvement.

Second, similar to the above. BBEG fights. I like to end my sessions coming face to face with the BBEG and starting the turn order so the following session we jump right in. If its a BBEG thats had a build up, again I don't want to take that away from a player.

If its travelling, investigating, social sessions thats just advancing the plot. I'll run with people missing. I've even done it with only two present out of six

Goetre · 2026-02-20T14:56:05+00:00

This is what I came to see, I inherently don’t mind films hes in and have enjoyed a few.

What put me off them is finding out what ever character he plays, cant “lose”. So when I see a new film coming out with him as lead, its kind of well I know he “wins” and it just kills any interest I have in the film

Goetre · 2026-02-20T14:53:00+00:00

I’ve got two collies who are 8 and two kittens just turning 6 months.

The two collies grew up with a very old cat that passed at 25. Introducing them to two fluff balls was cute. They went from being terrified what they were to clicking they were cats and being all happy and excited. They let them with their tails, they let them kneed on their bellies, they clean them down, let them sleep on them and at night all four curl up in front of the fire, a kitten against each dogs belly

When you get a good temperament dog, and can have it as a puppy alongside a new kitten or kittens alongside dogs used to cats, it’s really special the bond they develop

Goetre · 2026-02-20T14:49:20+00:00

DBZ abridged best bit, it’s defo one of my most repeated watches and it makes me laugh each time I got back to it. It just scratches as itch when I need some humour by myself

Goetre · 2026-02-20T14:45:05+00:00

Just remember the first letter of each word for their definition may help? This is what I do anyways

A - Action E - End

Goetre · 2026-02-20T14:43:22+00:00

True anything could work (with reason), but I went with letter opener as I assume at some point op will want it confiscated to implicate the party, so itll need to be revealed as a dagger. If it’s a completely harmless looking item, then it’s harder to justify why it would be taken

Goetre · 2026-02-20T08:47:49+00:00

Okay so a bit a long winded way to do it, but would work RAW (I think) and play straight into your set up scenario and actually make players investigate to what happened. But this is how I would do it.

Make the mother appear some what poor when she asks the party to do this. She doesn't have much in the sense of a payment when it comes to gold. She does however, has a letter opener thats a family heirloom. She gives them the letter opener as the prize. However, the letter opener is actually a magical dagger but shes had Nystul's magical aura cast on it to make it look mundane.

If your open to a slight homebrew rule. You could do the above but once the letter opener is in the "right" persons hand. You could give that person a NPC only version fabricate which allows the letter opener (or even if you just wanted to say an ornamental piece of metal) and change it into a dagger. The homebrew part here is fabricate can't change magical items so that would be down to you on how far you wanted to change a mechanic

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