6 Lessons I Learned Running My First D&D Campaign

dm tips 3 Minutes

Here are six tips I learned from running my first D&D campaign. What did you learn from running your first campaign?

Have an arrival time and a start time

This allows everyone to hang out and chat a bit before the game starts. I like to use this time to ensure snacks and food are ready, and to remind the players to look over their character sheet and ask me any questions.

Give the players a chance to add to the world every session

Ask the players questions that allow them to create and add to the world. Let them describe their new outfits, how they kill the final enemy, or even how they know an NPC. By allowing the players to add to the world, you connect the PCs to it, and the unfolding story.

see my article 10 Questions To Ask During A Session for PC Worldbuilding for more about this technique

The most important session is the next one

Yeah sure, you may know how your epic campaign will end but if you don’t know what’s happening at the next session will you ever make it there? Instead, focus on the next session and how the characters can affect the story. Who will they meet? What fantastic locations can they explore? What secrets can they learn? What treasure can they find?

Take every chance to connect the story to the PCs at the table

Use all the tools at your disposal here. One of the PCs knows the mysterious new NPC. One of the PCs is wanted at the next city the party must go to. Making it personal creates a sense of connection and immersion in the world and the story. They are more likely to pick up your plot hooks if they affect and matter to the PCs at the table.

This also is about not wasting time on PCs that couldn’t make that session. No need to spend time or energy on what they’re doing while they are away. Just handwave it and get to rolling dice with the players at the table.

It’s not true until it hits the table (usually)

You might have all these notes for the session but sometimes the session doesn’t go as planned or the PCs do something crazy. Being flexible with your planning and worldbuilding will allow you to make changes on the fly to suit the new situation you have found yourself in. This can include upping the BBEGs HP during the fight or even changing details to match up with the cool idea the player came up with.

The players will outthink you most of the time, let them

My job as a Dungeon Master is to present situations for the PCs to overcome. I don’t think much about how they can solve their problems because there should be more than one answer. Any plausible answer will be way better than the one I came up with. I like to be surprised and allow the players, and myself, to be creative in problem-solving.

As always, good luck with your next session. I believe in you. See you in the future!

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