Writing an RPG Session

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  • čas přidán 2. 03. 2020
  • Here I run through some basic tips and rules I use when writing for RPGs, then show you how I wrote one and how it was handled, then write one from scratch!
    Check out My Book! ghostfiregaming.com/
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Komentáře • 641

  • @Runesmith
    @Runesmith  Před 4 lety +226

    GO LOOK MY BOOK FRIEND: www.kickstarter.com/projects/415994272/stibbles-codex-of-companions?ref=at298h

    • @An0xymoron127
      @An0xymoron127 Před 4 lety +2

      LOOK THE BOOK

    • @i_dontexist4951
      @i_dontexist4951 Před 4 lety +1

      LOOK AT THE BOOK

    • @beastboy0078
      @beastboy0078 Před 4 lety +2

      I will buy 2 books if you have a stitch from lelo and stitch

    • @randomrants148
      @randomrants148 Před 4 lety +2

      Well crap, I want RP your story right now.

    • @zormarrivaks8257
      @zormarrivaks8257 Před 4 lety

      Hi! I have a question about "Danger Spectrum" that you showed when discussing Mayor. It looks like a useful tool, could you expand on what it means?

  • @viktorthecreator4458
    @viktorthecreator4458 Před 4 lety +764

    The Quietus: "Why?"
    Player: "because I'm one of the idiots that lives here"

    • @davidpotts7116
      @davidpotts7116 Před 4 lety +23

      Viktor the Creator can’t help but think of an answer that Ryuji from Persona 5 would give lol. Just walk right up to the god and tell him to fuck off

    • @OMartinez91
      @OMartinez91 Před 4 lety +3

      Was that an Unexpectables reference?

    • @DerUbermonke
      @DerUbermonke Před 4 lety +12

      Was that a Guardians of the Galaxies reference or am I stupid?

    • @adammclauchlin7605
      @adammclauchlin7605 Před 4 lety +9

      Dylan 'El Danko' Thunder you are stupid but yes it is a Guardians reference

    • @DerUbermonke
      @DerUbermonke Před 4 lety +8

      Napoleon Bonaparte oh thank god. Confirmation, I knew I was stupid!

  • @morganrosenfeld5917
    @morganrosenfeld5917 Před 3 lety +284

    "Players are unpredictable"
    *Flashes back to my players deciding they wanted to start a harem after meeting my favorite NPC who they immediately started to call a Goth GF*

    • @AI-ke9pp
      @AI-ke9pp Před 2 lety +16

      Means you made a good char 😉

    • @bullboy7880
      @bullboy7880 Před 2 lety +21

      We refer to our BBEG as mommy

    • @DaBlueIghuana
      @DaBlueIghuana Před 2 lety

      That would have been predictable if you thought about the fact that she was a big tiddy goth gf

  • @SunsetSullivan
    @SunsetSullivan Před 4 lety +2193

    DND isnt about planning ahead so that every conceivable outcome is being calculated. It's about tricking your players into thinking that it is.
    Jokes aside, this is why I tend to take a "skeleton" approach to worldmaking or storyline writing because planning ahead too much can result in wasted effort if things go in a different direction. I once scrapped an entire storyline arc in one go because the players decided to just shoot the villain instead of dealing with his shit.

    • @MeTaLISaWeSoMe95
      @MeTaLISaWeSoMe95 Před 4 lety +64

      I feel like world building should be a mix. A heavy amount of history , but enough room to change things if it fits your story a bit better

    • @joshwist556
      @joshwist556 Před 4 lety +15

      Sunset Sullivan 10/10, Indiana Jones the BBEG

    • @bobthetitan1
      @bobthetitan1 Před 4 lety +67

      One time my poor, long-suffering DM started a campaign where we were going to fight a cult. Little did he know, three sessions in, we would join the cult instead, destroying every campaign plan he had written

    • @knightofficer
      @knightofficer Před 4 lety +9

      I like to have the pieces set about so whatever direction they go they have something to knock over, and just let the story kind of grow from them on the fly, however I'm really bad at doing either and I just want to be a dumb player again.

    • @SunsetSullivan
      @SunsetSullivan Před 4 lety +13

      @@MeTaLISaWeSoMe95 One of the things I always say is that if the players want to change a detail of the setting I hadn't considered then they're free to do as they please. For example in my most recent campaign, a player wanted to be from a local magic college. The starting zone is my settings equivalent of industrialized mid century Russia, so a magic university of some kind sounded plausible. And now I have the incentive to make them into an entire faction to flesh out the world.

  • @eyospin
    @eyospin Před 4 lety +849

    "You want the whole game to be the best story ever told. Which is unreasonable, Spiderverse already exists" glad to know Runesmith also has impeccable taste in movies

  • @Moon-Raven
    @Moon-Raven Před 4 lety +793

    Dming is about improv. It's not you against the players, it's about creating a fun session together.

    • @pal1d1nl1ght
      @pal1d1nl1ght Před 4 lety +34

      Part of my Dm "notes" is a sticky note that says "fuck it, improvise."
      I make locations, people, and quests. I dont make a story. I let the story build itself.
      That sticky note has never been seen by my players.

    • @AuntieHauntieGames
      @AuntieHauntieGames Před 4 lety +17

      @@pal1d1nl1ght "I make locations, people, and quests."
      This is basically how Gary Gygax wrote adventures, or at least how he wrote modules for publication. He wrote descriptions of locations, non-player characters, and a few events that lead up to the start of the adventure. From then on, it is up to the players to suss it all out.

    • @meris8486
      @meris8486 Před 4 lety +15

      Improv is important, but you do need _a_ plan or at the minimum an outline.

    • @Moon-Raven
      @Moon-Raven Před 4 lety +3

      What I always do is have the worldmap, city maps, major NPC characters, possible encounters and a general idea of what I have planned. I outline what's going on and I act upon what the players do. Apart from the map making, it's relatively little effort on my end and keeps it open to let the players do what they want to do.

    • @commandercaptain4664
      @commandercaptain4664 Před 4 lety +5

      @@meris8486 "Preparation begets improvisation" is my DM Rule #3

  • @sheldorf11
    @sheldorf11 Před 4 lety +1478

    No joke, DMing my first session tomorrow night and I see this notification. Nice

    • @ferikk92
      @ferikk92 Před 4 lety +15

      good luck mate have fun with your players

    • @thoronbar
      @thoronbar Před 4 lety +28

      Be calm, and be prepared to improvise. I've been a DM since the start of the school year, and I have fun the most when I don't worry about too many details.

    • @an8strengthkobold360
      @an8strengthkobold360 Před 4 lety +8

      Good luck.

    • @CasualBrolyMain
      @CasualBrolyMain Před 4 lety +9

      Bazar Games look it is hard but after 9 11 sessions then you get the hang of it so hope you go do it have a good time

    • @jasmineiii3966
      @jasmineiii3966 Před 4 lety +11

      as a full time dm of 3 years, my number one tip is, let you players ave some fun, but make sure it doesn't go too far outside the rules. i wish you luck, have fun

  • @adwitatherealadwita
    @adwitatherealadwita Před 4 lety +604

    "If you're new to world building..." then you should use WORLD ANVI-

    • @silvertheelf
      @silvertheelf Před 4 lety +9

      Forgot the L there or did someone slap duck tape on your face.

    • @adwitatherealadwita
      @adwitatherealadwita Před 4 lety +68

      Sorry, I was cut off because WORLD ANVIL'S AWARD WINNING WEBSITE DESIGN MADE ME SPEECHLESS

    • @silvertheelf
      @silvertheelf Před 4 lety +3

      Lol

    • @mikechurvis9995
      @mikechurvis9995 Před 4 lety +9

      I'm rolling. This is too accurate for comfort.

    • @MeltUp3
      @MeltUp3 Před 4 lety +28

      I use WA all the time and that's why I'll never finish my stupid worldbuilding... I'm down to detailing the different chapters in the declaration of independence for one of my countrys.

  • @BlondieHound1
    @BlondieHound1 Před 4 lety +536

    Me planing a session: they'll go talk to a dragon and then go on a trip through time and learn about the world.
    Me during the session: you guys were just supposed to go talk to a dragon, not spend 3 real world hours shopping in game.

    • @i_dontexist4951
      @i_dontexist4951 Před 4 lety +24

      This might be a problem with too open world games. No directions. But just abandoning every village or having silent npc telling the players to leave and continue might be too plain. Hopefully they got to the dragon and your didnt tell them after the session. Just a grain of salt.

    • @BlondieHound1
      @BlondieHound1 Před 4 lety +41

      @@i_dontexist4951
      They got to the dragon but they had to grab winter jackets to go to the dragon cause it was at the top of the mountain and they just kinda started shopping for other things.

    • @jonispatented
      @jonispatented Před 4 lety +37

      BlondieHound sounds like your session went well. Not joking. If your players wanted to shop and you let them, then congratulations, you had a good time with your friends. That’s what this game is about. Keep doing what you’re doing. If you don’t get to do all the stuff you wanted to, save it for next session. Less for you to worry about writing.

    • @fredflintstone1787
      @fredflintstone1787 Před 4 lety +15

      @@jonispatented I absolutely agree. I'm a new DM so I feel like I spend waaay too much time writing and planning scenarios than needed, but I try to be as prepared as one can be. Well, two weeks ago my players decided to start a business. They spent 4 hours on getting a blacksmith shop going, with players persuading people to work for them, intimidating competition and getting rare materials. Everything improvised, we didn't do ANYTHING that I had planned, everyone had a fantastic time.

    • @commandercaptain4664
      @commandercaptain4664 Před 4 lety +2

      Session .5 is your friend. Talk to the players between adventures to see what they want before you design it. Then if they deviate, it's their fault.

  • @gogostarr6109
    @gogostarr6109 Před 4 lety +160

    Me as an Icelander reading the names of the Undead kings; "Shame King", "For Older", and "Fiaee the slow" - Love it!

  • @jamesrobillardjr
    @jamesrobillardjr Před 4 lety +347

    I ran the first session of what I feel is my first real campaign as a DM, and it went really well. I think the most memorable moment I had is when I let my players just RP having lunch together and then quietly put a mattress on the floor on the other side of the table, which I then jumped on, screaming. I then informed them that they see a man on the ground under a broken window.

    • @Zerpderp0
      @Zerpderp0 Před 4 lety +51

      Dude, I want you as my DM. Literally amazing

    • @drizztiley8740
      @drizztiley8740 Před 4 lety +37

      *IMMERSION*

    • @commandercaptain4664
      @commandercaptain4664 Před 4 lety +26

      If you ever scared me like that, I would have no choice but to let you continue.

    • @akumari6450
      @akumari6450 Před 4 lety +6

      Pls be my dm xD

    • @Zerpderp0
      @Zerpderp0 Před 4 lety +6

      @@akumari6450 I mean, we may not get James irl, but if he's willing to use Roll20, I am so down for a game man!

  • @zeinnerp7609
    @zeinnerp7609 Před 4 lety +181

    Me: spends months working on the campaign
    Also me: so let's start planning the first session
    Also also me: I have no idea what I am doing

  • @The_Sharktocrab
    @The_Sharktocrab Před 4 lety +2184

    My session notes for every game: "lol idk the tarrasque attacks or somethin"

    • @ROYBGP
      @ROYBGP Před 4 lety +53

      That killed me. GG. Lmao

    • @theblazingcrusader6322
      @theblazingcrusader6322 Před 4 lety +80

      Time to sing karaoke.

    • @lsedge7280
      @lsedge7280 Před 4 lety +21

      I've had the idea for a campaign I want to run of slightly mortal-engines-esque mobile settlements because it's actually not just 1 tarrasque but a whole bunch and they're not all sleeping in the core of the planet but rather storm across the planet surface somewhat like titans/godzilla. It'd not so much be the party fighting these creatures, but they'd shape the world and sometimes it'd be like "oh shit we gotta start packing up town and get out the way" when one happens to be spotted starting to come your way.
      *I suppose* they could try and fight it, and might stand a chance at a higher level or if they're being particularly creative and clever, but it's not something they necessarily have to do at all. Rather something which just really shapes the world a lot. (After all, given the tarrasque is like the ultra-strongest-creature-ever, it's kinda bland isn't it?)

    • @albusvoltavern4500
      @albusvoltavern4500 Před 4 lety +4

      This is how I do it, it hurts

    • @thee_bard7004
      @thee_bard7004 Před 4 lety +8

      5 secs in I'm like: wait there's a process to this??

  • @absolstoryoffiction6615
    @absolstoryoffiction6615 Před 4 lety +185

    "Young man. To defeat the Demon Lord, I need an... *ESCORT* ... What say thee?"

    • @Zerpderp0
      @Zerpderp0 Před 4 lety +56

      I cost 50 G an hour, 60 if you want it weird

    • @isultansultangaliev5852
      @isultansultangaliev5852 Před 4 lety +12

      That sounds like a proposition to go distract Graz'zt.

    • @bmusic4213
      @bmusic4213 Před 4 lety +20

      @@Zerpderp0 i read this to the tune of ymca... oh no

    • @MimmyckChor
      @MimmyckChor Před 4 lety +24

      YOUNG MAN! To meet with demon lords, I say YOUNG MAN! Will you be my escort? You can SLAY HIM! If you do so fancy, you can strike! Him! Down! Now what say thee!?

  • @Cyb3rHusky
    @Cyb3rHusky Před 4 lety +118

    In relation to talking about how you cannot completely prepare for a session;
    "Art is never really done, you just run out if time." - Making of Halo 3

    • @RuneKatashima
      @RuneKatashima Před 3 lety

      Where did you see or hear that quote?

    • @leahbeah1585
      @leahbeah1585 Před 3 lety +4

      I do not agree, there is definitely a point where you should stop adding to something. If you don’t it will over complicate things and stress you out, don’t try and make it perfect. The advice in this video is telling you to make a skeleton and not prepare too much.

  • @zacharywoolstenhulme5614
    @zacharywoolstenhulme5614 Před 4 lety +137

    My notes for every session inevitably contain the phrase “wing it”

    • @Freezo90967
      @Freezo90967 Před 4 lety +6

      bro that is my dm every time he didnt even plan for me and da party teaching chikcens how to speak draconic.

  • @fourfascinatingfrogs
    @fourfascinatingfrogs Před 4 lety +96

    Thank you, Grand Lord Runesmith, for your absolutely perfect timing.

    • @Overclocked-nm2vu
      @Overclocked-nm2vu Před 4 lety

      Bennett Hansen IKR, I am asked to write a game within this week, and then I see this after they text me this

  • @barefootwalk1798
    @barefootwalk1798 Před 4 lety +47

    This is good advice, though instead of using a single story shepherd, I start with two (to represent some conflict), then slowly inflate to between five to seven that are phased in and out as their interests are touched by the session.
    Also I'd oppose the notion that there should be a fight or interesting conversation each session. I'd rather say that you need two to four meaningful interactions per session, depending on the sessions length. These can be conversations, fights, or other challenges.

  • @TrentlarKane
    @TrentlarKane Před 4 lety +225

    0:08, nah I just click on all of your videos cause I like your voice.

    • @belugawhale8128
      @belugawhale8128 Před 4 lety +2

      Same lol

    • @maxwolf8559
      @maxwolf8559 Před 4 lety

      Yah man

    • @theadhdgamer7590
      @theadhdgamer7590 Před 4 lety +4

      I have to admit. I love all his videos, and they have given me some awesome ideas for my games. However. I do enjoy listening to him talk 🤣

    • @jordank6961
      @jordank6961 Před 4 lety

      Wait you mean there's people who dont do that?
      O_O

    • @luuuvbung8990
      @luuuvbung8990 Před 4 lety

      mans got ASMR voice

  • @Deathven1482
    @Deathven1482 Před 4 lety +56

    Honestly perfect timing. My party just finished Lost Mines of Phandelver and want to keep going.

    • @ataberkdedemen9802
      @ataberkdedemen9802 Před 4 lety +5

      Continue with “Storm King’s Thunder”. Its story could be tied directly to the Lost Mines. (There is a section in the campaign book which explains ways to connect this with lost mines)

    • @Deathven1482
      @Deathven1482 Před 4 lety +1

      @@ataberkdedemen9802 That is pretty awesome as well. There is a moment in Lost Mines that connects it to Hoard of the Dragon Queen and its books

  • @somethingsuperdankImsure1304

    I noticed during the mayor's "personality block" something labeled a danger spectrum. I was wondering what the context of that was, to me it looks like a tool for how an NPC might react to different things and I'm interested in it. I think it could help me and other DM's as well. Awesome video as always, I'm looking forward to the next one.

    • @Dawning_Light
      @Dawning_Light Před 4 lety +2

      I was wondering this too, it looked like his skill modifiers up until the bloody and afraid descriptors.

  • @arguserhardt8244
    @arguserhardt8244 Před 4 lety +12

    This is the kind of video I want every RPG CZcamsr to make. Because your style is slightly different from Colville, Mercer, Mr. ToLevel3. Please don't be apologetic for longer content. You have more than earned our attention and patience.

  • @celestialtree8602
    @celestialtree8602 Před 4 lety +31

    Meanwhile, my session notes:
    "well eventually they should do this, and that unidentifiable item they got last session is this"

  • @Phoenix-nq2ki
    @Phoenix-nq2ki Před 4 lety +7

    I'm gonna be honest, I've never DMed in my life, so in preparation for running a campaign for my friends I've been taking online improv classes, and churning as much information as I can think of into google docs, and creating character after character in a D&D app to make sure I had enough NPCs for my players to interact with. Thank you so so so so much for making this. It's a massive weight off my shoulders. Thank you.

  • @Hlast1
    @Hlast1 Před 4 lety +8

    Love seeing how other DMs prepare! I take a couple of different approaches, ranging from very free form to quite rigid, depending on what's going on. If there's a dungeon that I know the players are going into (and, more importantly, that they know they're going into, which makes it a certainty), I'll stat out the monsters, write about the traps or puzzles in the rooms, and have a few bullet points on the overall feel of the place. That's the most rigid of my planning.
    For downtime sessions or when we're sort of in between bigger plots, I'll have a bit written about each player character's current motivation, after asking the players, as well as enough to run a single encounter if things get really slow or boring for everyone. I'm confident enough in my world building of their immediate surroundings that I can work with anything they decide to do around there. That's max freeform.
    When they're in the middle of an adventure that takes multiple sessions, I write out as much as I want to for each area. When meeting an important NPC, I'll write out what they're wearing and a few lines of dialogue. I might not use those exact lines, but it lets me know how this person speaks and what their most important things to impart to the party are. I include narrative beats with a lot of detail (like a dragon attacking a town, the way into and contents of a secret basement, or getting out of the way of some pompous noble in a procession down the street), then write up some more generalized, fun details that I can place at any time. The players will investigate the adventure in whatever way they want and I just put in whichever of those beats I want to when it's appropriate, using the generalized stuff to fill in gaps between those. Sort of a mix between freeform and rigid.
    I know that I tend to prepare a lot more than other DMs out there, but I legitimately enjoy doing it. If something doesn't get used, that's fine. Keep it in the notes and reuse it another time. Flavor and NPCs are always useful, as that's a bit of world building, which builds up over months and years into a huge repository I can draw on whenever I need anything.

  • @chanceasteria
    @chanceasteria Před 4 lety +14

    “A story is never done, and everything left unsaid should remain a mystery.”- Hulk Hogan 1786

  • @sigurdgram
    @sigurdgram Před 4 lety +47

    I couldn't help but notice "henshin hero" was one of the four people who answered the question of "why." what class are they using? is it homebrew? if it's from the unearthed arcana subreddit I probably already have it...

    • @Runesmith
      @Runesmith  Před 4 lety +36

      It's a game I run for my patreons, and it's a class I got commissioned to make (basically a magical girl)

    • @seansimonalle8896
      @seansimonalle8896 Před 4 lety +7

      @@Runesmith is there, by any chance, a way that we can obtain this class, or did the terms of the commission prevent that?

  • @AllTheOthers
    @AllTheOthers Před 2 lety +1

    I usually have a lot of loose ideas that can fit any setting and then just spring them on my players whenever its appropriate and then I improv together whatever I need too. It works amazingly well and has lead to some genuine stories where my players have gotten emotional and had a fantastic time.

  • @CyberColossus
    @CyberColossus Před 4 lety +3

    This videos variety and it's clear simplicity of explanation was a joy to behold and a pleasure.
    Thanks for sharing this dude. You're a friend to all DM's

  • @ComXDude
    @ComXDude Před 4 lety +9

    Personally, I write lots of very vague notes so that I can plan several sessions at once. I make a central area, a few important NPCs, and several locations of interest, as well as a list of ways each can link back to my main story if I want it to, as well as its more general purpose. I also have several list of 100 things to progress the session or make up for an unanticipated turn of events; random encounters, throwaway NPCs, short dungeons, and the like.
    For instance, when I started a recent campaign with a group on Discord, I started with the party on a ship as it got ready to dock. I only wrote for the captain, first-mate, quartermaster, and a mutual friend of each of the party members who actually brought them together, as well as a general description of the other passengers and crew on the ship (mostly human, but with a few scattered members of other races). Even then, I only gave a brief excerpt of their physical appearance, a couple personality traits, and some notes to myself about how to play them.
    I also wrote a few notes about the dock town they will dock at, only saying things like, "it is a small town" and "there's a gang that's been causing trouble," as well as giving out the most important locations: the tavern, town hall, an abandoned building the gang is using as a hideout, and a shop. I gave each an important NPC, with the tavern having a tavernkeep, the bandit hideout having the bandit leader, and so on, as well as one who gets off the ship with them that I used purely to buff up the party since they were all squishy at level one, and our fourth member couldn't make it.
    After that, I wrote several hooks. At the tavern, either the tavernkeep could tell them about the gang, or some of its members could show up and cause trouble by demanding the party pays a "traveler's tax," or something along those lines. In the town hall, they could find the mayor being threatened by some thugs. If they stray too close to their hideout, they might be jumped by thugs after a time. All of these lead into the bandit plot, which I would then use as the first step towards reaching my larger story. If they decide not to pursue my main quest, I could instead use each of these as staging points for side quests that would eventually factor into the main story.
    With these, I always leave a lot of room to improvise, and I tend to rely on my list of random encounters and NPCs more than my notes, as I find it easier to adapt a generic prompt to whatever I need than a short paragraph.
    However, that's just me. Like I said, I like writing enough notes for several sessions without going into much detail with any of them, but some may prefer to plan out every session, or to just wing it entirely.

  • @Luis-ij1jk
    @Luis-ij1jk Před 4 lety +2

    How did you know I needed this? Literally this weekend is my first session as DM and I’m equal parts nervous and excited

  • @bastianhobbs7375
    @bastianhobbs7375 Před 4 lety +1

    Gm'ing my first proper 5e session very soon. This helped, I'm regularly a very planned and schemed person. I enjoy routines. I hope I learn from my mistakes as you did!

  • @maximeflageole770
    @maximeflageole770 Před 4 lety +1

    It is really similar to how I plan my sessions!
    As a new DM years ago, I used to plan everything, It obviously went out the window at the moment the players decided to do something I did not plan.
    Now, I mostly improvise with about one page of "what if's" and general guidelines for each session.
    Great quality, you got a subscriber!

  • @BlueInkAlchemy
    @BlueInkAlchemy Před 4 lety

    Thank you so much for this insightful video! You create great content and I'm sure your players enjoy both your presence and the worlds you create.

  • @imclueless5744
    @imclueless5744 Před 4 lety +2

    I'm DMing for the first time, and session 0 is only a couple days away. I'm really nervous about it, but I feel confident about the campaign I've built so far. Your videos have been incredibly helpful, and I'm really glad I stumbled across your channel :D

  • @writative8285
    @writative8285 Před 2 lety

    I've learned to improv heavily, but this has become my go to method of designing a session. I remember it as STRNF (strength) -- See something cool, talk to someone interesting, rewards, new info and fight!
    Thank you for introducing me to that!

  • @Venthryx
    @Venthryx Před rokem +1

    I keep coming back to this video any time I feel lost before a session or a new campaign.

  • @jraywagsii
    @jraywagsii Před 4 lety +2

    At the start of the video you assumed I was here for writing advice! But little did you know I'm only here for your smooth narration skills! Ahaha you've just been bamboozled!

  • @cobyblessing4359
    @cobyblessing4359 Před 4 lety +10

    I was literally in the middle of writing my next session when I got this notifications. Thank you so much

  • @jefescdo88
    @jefescdo88 Před 4 lety +1

    Impecable timing as always my dude. 10/10 thanks

  • @bruuze1258
    @bruuze1258 Před 4 lety +2

    10:56 Such a beautiful quote, gonna keep that one with me

  • @whatcaniwriteinhere7407
    @whatcaniwriteinhere7407 Před 4 lety +1

    This was so great! I'm a new DM and I like to just improve the session but this gives it more structure without taking away the freedom of the players

  • @andreas9030
    @andreas9030 Před 4 lety +1

    I like to come up with random side quests and events on the spot also in reaction to player choices and actions helps everything in the game flow better and feels more natural, it ties the world together nicely.

  • @dannyr.8634
    @dannyr.8634 Před 4 lety +2

    I really enjoyed the video, my group has a strange way of DMing, we have three players which are all DMs, the way that we keep things fresh is that one person finds a module and we all play it, even the person who picked it, we just ride what is needed and run with that

  • @ashwinnmyburgh9364
    @ashwinnmyburgh9364 Před 11 měsíci

    Been thinking of trying to DM for my friends, and have been trying to create a campaign on and off. This video is EXACTLY what I was looking for!

  • @hurdydurdy7034
    @hurdydurdy7034 Před 4 lety +50

    I'm first time DMing and totally not panicking and wOW it's like he knows

  • @CardboardCleric
    @CardboardCleric Před 4 lety

    Great video that helped me organize my ideas and thoughts!

  • @tagaloatia
    @tagaloatia Před 3 lety

    Thank you so much!! I'm a first time Dm! my first session did not go well at all in my opinion, though I the players said they had fun so that's what matters. This video eased a lot of worries and fears for future sessions and simplified a lot of things I was making unnecessarily complex. I hope my players can have even more fun with my next session and grow their love for DnD and RPGs in general, thank you!

  • @user-ve3bs2ye7w
    @user-ve3bs2ye7w Před 4 lety +9

    I’m DMing this Friday for the first time. So thank you!

  • @Lavorre
    @Lavorre Před 4 lety +1

    Needed help planning for tomorrow, you are a godsend

  • @d20tavernaz68
    @d20tavernaz68 Před 3 lety

    Some really good information here. Love it.

  • @johnstarinieri7360
    @johnstarinieri7360 Před 4 lety +3

    I legit did the same thing for my first session with an enormous script, and now I'm mostly winging it with some help of my own plans and some help from the module that I'm loosely basing the game off of.

  • @undeadslime8818
    @undeadslime8818 Před 4 lety +1

    Thanks so much runesmith, it was a lot of help

  • @BigMcStronghuge
    @BigMcStronghuge Před 4 lety

    Hey thanks for this, big guy. I'm running Krenko's Way but a buddy is running a Pathfinder campaign where last session was literally one fight, we didn't even get to move into the next room. This helps make it way better than that.

  • @luuuvbung8990
    @luuuvbung8990 Před 4 lety +2

    Literally the most useful thing I will ever need for DMing. Ty sir 🥺💗

  • @CL30
    @CL30 Před 4 lety +2

    Working on fleshing out my own world so this really helps!

  • @ZanraiKid
    @ZanraiKid Před 4 lety +1

    Could have used this a few hours earlier last night. The sesh went off without a hitch, but it was touch and go in some parts. Will definitely try to use your advice.

  • @bluedraken2872
    @bluedraken2872 Před 3 lety

    Thank you for this, you have given me something to start with.

  • @thesteve580
    @thesteve580 Před 4 lety

    Excellent video as always.

  • @Jane_8319
    @Jane_8319 Před 3 lety +1

    I watch this nearly every Friday before I run a game. Thank you, Runesmith.
    (I would just use my notes but I keep losing them!)

  • @CthulhuOnCam
    @CthulhuOnCam Před 4 lety

    You're general creativity with world and encounter design is really impressive. Would love to run around in one off your worlds

  • @cait9896
    @cait9896 Před 4 lety +1

    This was really useful. Thank you!

  • @timelorddialga815
    @timelorddialga815 Před 4 lety +41

    10:55
    Jk Rowling: This sign wont stop me because I can’t read.

  • @yitzledee
    @yitzledee Před 4 lety +1

    Ok I'm literally 0:58 seconds into this. Neverwinter + Skyrim soundtrack? Instant Subscribe.

  • @IbraheemM98
    @IbraheemM98 Před 4 lety +14

    This is an interesting video, your choosing to display your vulnerability to the internet and I'm happy for you. Just putting up the front of a well oiled machine can be tiring. Vulnerability is risky, but I like to live dangerously.

  • @this5224
    @this5224 Před 4 lety +1

    Thank you Runesmith, I was considering DMing soon, so thank you

  • @b.roekmanh.ellemonds3449

    This whole video is a big flex. Damn you write interesting and creative stuff

  • @jayteepodcast
    @jayteepodcast Před 4 lety

    Great video I will watch again and look over my notes

  • @fraggle9337
    @fraggle9337 Před 4 lety

    Spanks.
    Needed these reminders.

  • @jclarkent3757
    @jclarkent3757 Před 4 lety +5

    Dawg. I’m sitting here rn trying to write a DnD session, and this video drops. The gods are good

  • @Shatterverse
    @Shatterverse Před 4 lety

    Good video. As an improv heavy GM, I rely heavily in bullet pointed outlines and what-ifs. My rule of 3 is usually a rule of 3-5 though, and recently I've decided to try out the "5 room dungeon" technique for my upcoming campaign.

  • @RIVERSRPGChannel
    @RIVERSRPGChannel Před 4 lety

    Yes I prepare some things but always ready to go on the fly.
    Good video

  • @Brokensnowball
    @Brokensnowball Před 4 lety

    im just now getting into learning the Hyper Light Drifter ttrpg. this was very helpful, especially since i've never ran a campaign that went for more that 6 sessions. One of the best things about HLD is that it give the Dungeon master and players different names; The Narrator and The Characters. Definitely helps the mindset of how these types of games should be played.

  • @FloppeyPyro
    @FloppeyPyro Před 4 lety +1

    Writing this right before watching, ill be real, when this popped up on my feed i was actually about to sit down to think of ideas and write stat blocks. Good timing

  • @cameronday4940
    @cameronday4940 Před 4 lety

    Dude - I want this setting book. Also, love Retrograde - I had them over on my show!

  • @crow.378
    @crow.378 Před 3 lety

    Welp 1 year later and I've got people interested in playing. I am excited to DM and make cool voices lol. Your guides are amazing!

  • @ferrousoxide7806
    @ferrousoxide7806 Před 4 lety +10

    For me, I just improv litterally everything. Often times I don't have a single plan for any individual session.
    I have my big bad guy, his goals, and the speed at which his plan progresses.
    Other than that, I have literally nothing planned and everything is based solely on what my players decide to do that session.

    • @NobleLeader6
      @NobleLeader6 Před 4 lety +1

      This is how I plan to do it, as I suck at creating stuff beforehand. Currently using Dragon of Icespire Peak as a way to have my players get familiar with their characters, and to buy me time to figure out some of the major points in the campaign.

  • @Tansen_
    @Tansen_ Před 3 lety

    Thank you for taking the time to make these lovely and funny videos! I'm planning to be a DM for the first time. I'm quite the visual person and so are my few players I'll have. To save money and have fun. I'm using small Pokémon figurines...an Oddish can count as a viscous sea creature right?? Hah. We will be drawing out the characters including npc and the map. I want to write out various characters, locations, phrases, cost of items in the store ect. I've seen some videos where barely any notes are written and it's almost all improve and nothing but one dice per person. Maybe one day I can work my way to being a minimal DM. I just find it so fun building everything.... That and I'm nervous I'll freeze up or struggle to come up with ideas or what the NPC might say or do next. So doing what I can to learn from you and many others!

  • @void-bear455
    @void-bear455 Před 2 lety

    5:36 I agree but the only thing is, sometimes it is good to have some made and just improve a few things and you have an encounter. As a DM I love combat encounters when it comes to travel bc i can work on world building as well as the fun that combat has.

  • @KoovoParkolainen
    @KoovoParkolainen Před 4 lety +1

    I always make a scaffolding of sorts. Things that might happen at some point, npcs that they may meet, items they might find, that sort of things. I never write any dialogue beforehand. The only thing that I plan to much detail are the combat encounters. I try to always be ready to change anything at moment's notice to react to the players' solutions.

  • @darkminer14
    @darkminer14 Před 4 lety

    Thanks, this helped me some I was looking for inspirations.

  • @CoyoteGris
    @CoyoteGris Před 4 lety +1

    for my 3 groups, I start with the Background of the players, with them we change things of the background to make it fit the Homebrew setup, and then I build the campaign around their story and made new things to their story while moving forward, this helps me keep inspire to write more and more campaign, and their insterest in their characters backgrounds makes them keep going on the options I created, so far, all good, a few derailed that I contoled, and happy players with their very important PCs.
    also the players have heard of the other groups, I hope to take them to lvl 20, and reunite the 3 parties into a Great super BBEG final fight.

  • @gabrieldossantos3195
    @gabrieldossantos3195 Před 4 lety

    I am happy to say that your way of preparing the game reminds me of mine. You help me a lot to improve my method.

  • @the_Miles_crew_fun
    @the_Miles_crew_fun Před 4 lety

    I'm going to use this idea for my campaigns

  • @motherofnerdlings
    @motherofnerdlings Před rokem

    Thank you! This was helpful!

  • @100timesinarow8
    @100timesinarow8 Před 3 lety

    I was going to bs my way through a campaign with 3 max players and a party npc. it was first one, and I was going to do random fun crap bc two of the players were new. Little did I know 2 more players would join both of my forever dms. Now I'm writing a whole story and arc. It's a lot of fun, but a good bit stressful. This video is great!

  • @matthewyarlot9822
    @matthewyarlot9822 Před 4 lety

    Subscribed cause its very good information but mostly because of your use of MTG art. Keep it up!

  • @LeoxandarMagnus
    @LeoxandarMagnus Před 4 lety

    So far my notes have been an outline of situational consequences and a map that I fill with monsters as need demands it. I’ve learned to make up descriptions on the fly, so I’m glad to see more DMs just throw up their hands at times.

  • @Cloudydawn25
    @Cloudydawn25 Před 3 lety +1

    that's certainly an interesting way of thinking, the only issue I have with this is the checklist, According to most of my players, my best session yet was pure improv'ed roleplay with no combat, and the only reward was learning something new.

  • @celeb7295
    @celeb7295 Před 4 lety

    I personally LOVE how Dungeon world suggests you write adventures. Basically, all you should do is write "fronts". You then fill the front with "actors" and "dark signs" that advance the story. For example, the front yould be the black atoll, with the actors being the three villains. Dark signs would be the villains getting closer and closer to their goal. This keeps the game open, but you do have a little plot outline what can happen. As a DM, you have to be ready to improvise a lot, but it works like a charm for me.

  • @knowledgefox8857
    @knowledgefox8857 Před 4 lety +1

    This Fate music has me entranced. Thank you!

  • @Marhathor
    @Marhathor Před 4 lety +1

    So, I was just making preparations for my first ever session as a DM, coming up...
    And notice someone has released a video on writing a session...
    And the date is 4 Mar.
    ...
    My friends call me Mar sometimes, so, thank you :3

  • @askyw69
    @askyw69 Před 4 lety

    that was the best plug you've done for the codex. well balanced all around.

  • @patricksundqvist1154
    @patricksundqvist1154 Před 4 lety

    Not a DnD player, but I always take notes on your world building videos since I do creative writing on my freetime. I acctually really appreciate your conciceness because that is something that doesn't exist in my student/academic world

  • @user-yv6wu6ht5u
    @user-yv6wu6ht5u Před 4 lety

    My first DM session was a complete trainwreck. I had no idea about the plot and stuff, so I just improvised and came up with the plot on the go, to the point where improv became a staple in my sessions, because, quoting one of my players, "it's fun and original this way". From now on, every campaign I run begins with all the characters waking up in a brand new inn by the name "Hotel". Yep. "Hotel".

  • @utubebgay
    @utubebgay Před 4 lety

    Hulk Hogan... deeper than you thought. Also, longtime DM here, and man, this vid would have saved me a lot of time learning... you know, if i had seen it back in the early 90s before i started. It's cool to know this will help a lot of people who are just starting out DMing. Keep up the good work Runesmith.

  • @picklerat8758
    @picklerat8758 Před 4 lety

    Thanks duderino, very helpful.

  • @couchmaster3773
    @couchmaster3773 Před 2 lety

    Heyy, I just realized that I use that same exact parchment paper background for my maps n' stuff!

  • @thefightingfedora2976
    @thefightingfedora2976 Před 4 lety +2

    @Runesmith have you written any adventures? Have you printed them out? I've dabbled but the hardest thing for me is programs and layout. Could we get a vid on how to physically layout a module?

  • @sethierot7067
    @sethierot7067 Před 4 lety

    Thanks man this, like all your videos help alot :)
    You Jacob and all the other DnDtubers really helped me DMing for my own set of soon to be TPKs :p
    And are entertaining as Hell thanks man.