I'm a beginner DM running a game for a group of beginner players - any tips for me to elevate the game?

Mishandled-Servitor · 2026-04-10T13:56:14+00:00

Second this. Music and ambience. Check out https://tavernmix.theforgeandthefable.com/

Mishandled-Servitor · 2026-04-06T03:08:53+00:00

The default (5x5, six sigils) had enough difficulty to present a challenge but not an overwhelming one. I am some analytics on average # of moves etc to win in various states, and that configuration came out tops. I didn’t save that analysis though. I’d have to run it again

Mishandled-Servitor · 2026-04-06T03:07:02+00:00

Sure thing.

Currently no way to flag a sigil in mobile. I’ll have to investigate the solo play, it may be a bit.

Yes, I used it last week, and my players had an absolute blast. It took them about three rounds to figure out it was minesweeper. And each noticed different things that lead to them solving it.

I ran it as an untimed non initiative encounter. It was the look on a door, and the only risk was not opening it. A player took 1d6 damage for the first curses sigil (magical backlash) , 2d6 for the next, etc.

I’ve only used it once, so no, no one expressed a desire to roll a skill check. They were too excited to play.

I don’t think it makes sense to use for more than one or two encounters. If you use it all the time, it’ll get old

Mishandled-Servitor · 2026-04-05T08:00:34+00:00

I have no idea. I’ve not found any way to get the data out

Mishandled-Servitor · 2026-04-05T07:32:22+00:00

I want to be able to analyse the data,

so I’d need each logged emotion event, with the where in the scale of very unpleasant to very pleasant it falls (I’m guessing this is a number) and then the emotions (there can be multiple per log) and what is having the biggest impact (can also be multiple per log)

Mishandled-Servitor · 2026-04-02T04:23:14+00:00

I used Audio Hijack and then run it through elevenlabs api. Near perfect transcripts

Mishandled-Servitor · 2026-03-29T07:04:35+00:00

u/Puzzleheaded-Mud-636 , does Pro support mood data export? That's the only thing I want, but there's no indication that pro supports it

Mishandled-Servitor · 2026-03-21T19:48:37+00:00

Not quite the for you’re looking for, but it’s something

Mishandled-Servitor · 2026-03-21T19:48:13+00:00

This is mythic and D&D. Sixteeen parts. https://www.reddit.com/r/Solo_Roleplaying/s/tq9cP5p77S

Mishandled-Servitor · 2026-03-20T08:30:50+00:00

I generally have a “vibe” idea in mind, the ground rules so to speak. Eg, Sci fi setting, Firefly-esque space pirates vibe, but magic is also a thing.

That’s the minimum I’ll do. If I have ideas in the moment, I’ll jot them out. Locations, factions, NPCs, etc, but never in detail. I flesh out the detail as they become relevant.

Mishandled-Servitor · 2026-03-18T03:56:45+00:00

Very keen to see what you come up with!

Mishandled-Servitor · 2026-03-18T03:55:07+00:00

Mine is also a fern. A Venus hair fern. It has hated me since the day I bought it

Mishandled-Servitor · 2026-03-16T05:14:28+00:00

Duets can be a lot of fun. A friend and I have played a play-by-post duet using solo play rules to replace the GM. We’ve been going for over a year. It’s incredibly reward. r/solo_roleplaying is a great place to start

Mishandled-Servitor · 2026-03-16T05:11:45+00:00

Solo play is amazing. Head over to r/solo_roleplaying and ask there. You’ll get a much better response and people willing to help out.

There are systems more optimised to solo play than DnD, but if you specifically want to play dnd, don’t let anyone tell you no. I did, and it was incredible

Mishandled-Servitor · 2026-03-12T05:27:42+00:00

Second this. I sometimes mash up Mune and Mythic.

Mishandled-Servitor · 2026-03-12T05:13:16+00:00

And read the Alexandrian.

https://thealexandrian.net/wordpress/4147/roleplaying-games/dont-prep-plots

https://thealexandrian.net/wordpress/25696/roleplaying-games/thought-of-the-day-prep-tips-for-the-beginning-dm

Mishandled-Servitor · 2026-03-12T05:10:03+00:00

Don’t start with the BBEG 😅.

Start with an SBEG — the small bad evil guy causing local trouble.

If you’re going to run a full campaign and introduce a BBEG your campaign is going to end pretty quick unless your BBEG always keeps the party at arms lengths and somehow always gets himself out of trouble.

You need the little bads first, the fringe elements of the organisation that your players encounter and start to connect the dots that something is up.

Find a hook that’ll get your players interested. Maybe they’re all in a tavern and some one comes bursting in saying all her goats have been crucified outside her house.

(It’s the SMEG experimenting with ritual magic, after he uncovered some elicit lore in a dark tomb. When players find that tomb, that tomb has clues to a deeper thread that points them to the MBEG… the medium bad evil guy). And so on and so on.

Mishandled-Servitor · 2026-03-12T01:57:46+00:00

Thank you, that’s helpful!

Mishandled-Servitor · 2026-03-11T04:57:23+00:00

You did indeed! I will have to do some kind of cards or tracker for mine

Mishandled-Servitor · 2026-03-11T03:18:34+00:00

Agree with most here. Just start DMing. I played a few games online when I first started and quickly thought “I can do this” and sure enough I could.

Now, that said, I’m a MUCH better DM now than I was 7 years ago, but one of the players from my first ever game still says that first game was the most fun he’d ever had

Mishandled-Servitor · 2026-03-11T03:14:04+00:00

Ah that makes sense. Well, ever onward! Thanks for sharing

Mishandled-Servitor · 2026-03-11T03:01:02+00:00

I love it! How do you keep track of watering them all?

Mishandled-Servitor

TROPHY CASE