Tips for Beginning DM?

[Gaby]

I'm doing a 5-player Campaign (four PCs plus DM), using the Pathfinder system.

the campaign includes a prophecy, three different miniplots that eventually converge, a final dungeon and a pseudo-final dungeon, with the pseudo-final dungeon incorporating plot items and sacred geometry into its puzzle system.

the plot involves a tyrannical king, who is secretly the son of a dragon, and his two bastard sons who enact their own mayhem throughout the campaign.

none of the five players have ever played a tabletop campaign before. we're all teenagers attending the same school, and some of my classmates seem to be taking a lot of hard classes next year. I want to finish this campaign by the end of the school year, at which point, I graduate and go to college.

none of us have any experience actually playing a tabletop RPG. I've read and re-read the rulebook and fully understand what it entails.

I feel myself cracking under the pressure, and right now, what I need most is some help and advice:

1)to streamline this experience as much as possible while still making an engaging experience.
2)to comprehend the frankly complex combat system, and figure out things such as how to calculate stats such as hit points.
3)pacing out a complex plot over the course of 24 sessions at best
4) what the nether are hit die?!
5) how do you calculate damage?!
6) how do you determine hit points?!

basically, what the heck goes into actually playing this game?

if it's necessary, I can go into details

 

[Michcat]

OH man

@cherbert
@Naelwyn
@Fitz

I got some advice myself (Eight time DM, been a player too many times to count) and am gonna tackle these questions, but those guys probably have some tips and tricks better then I ever know

To preface- If you're asking about hit die and damage and calculating HP you prooobably havn't read the rulebooks cover to cover.
The thing is, you shouldn't have to read- and memorize- the rulebooks cover to cover. Especially for pathfinder, thats crazy speaking. I find the best way to introduce someone to Pathfinder (Or any real DnD-esque setting) is to have them PLAY a campaign. Make a character, go through the motions- You learn worlds there. Once you've played from level one to ten you should have an okay grasp of pretty much all you'll need to know (Barring house rules and special artifacts and the more intricate guidelines on Warforged...)

One: "to streamline this experience as much as possible while still making an engaging experience."
As a DM, I've found your most important challenge with keeping the players engaged is PACING. Don't make them have to fight twenty long, boring goblin camps to level up- give them roleplaying EXP and EXP from events and such. Similarly, don't make the fights long and boring! Its perfectly feasible to introduce twists and surprises while still allowing the players to be totally creative and it takes the attention away from the BUTTLOADS of rolls you're going to be doing. Thats all I can really think of that would hold back streamlining- a good plot and good campaign should speak for its self.
Rule a thumb: A single fight should never take more then an hour. The only exception is the biggest most important fight of the campaign.

Two: "to comprehend the frankly complex combat system, and figure out things such as how to calculate stats such as hit points."
Um..
.... oh dear..
Okay. The combat system is going to likely be (depending on campaign, this is usually the norm) the most frequently used system and stats/HP are going to be super bloody important for literally everything the characters do. I'll look at stats/HP first...
From spot checks- I mean PERCEPTION checks (My heart lies in the 3.5 system..) to climb checks to hide to your strength to your charisma to your will to your wisdom to your fortitude... On and on and on. Have you looked into Feats yet and how they interact? Probably the best way to understand these is to grab someone whos played a bit and get them to help you make a character sheet. You'll go through everything your players are going to be introduced to.
The combat system isn't as complicated as it can first look. It relies on the characters stats and the dice- No more, no less. You can find armours and items to add to stats, but otherwise it'll be decided at the beginning (Usually with rolls!) and progress from there. Honestly, the easiest way to explain is again making a character sheet.

Three: "pacing out a complex plot over the course of 24 sessions at best"
You'll need to use your storytelling skills and knowledge of your players personalities to do this

Four: what the nether are hit die?!
Your health. Its decided by your class. Each class has a certain dice for their hit die- and there are two rules for using it.
The first is where the DM has each player roll for the starting hit die on their example sheet. The second is where you just allocate the "average" number the nice could have rolled for their class (Aside from first level, for the first level you add the entirety of the dice)
With either or, once you finish that business you want to add your constitution modifier.
Example!
The Pathfinder Barbarian has a hit die of One Twelve Sided Dice, or "a d12".
With the first rule, the player would roll a d12 for their heath- for the second, they'd just write in a '6'.. then add the constitution modifier! (Or if for the first level, they'd put in a 12)
On the contrast, the Pathfinder Sorcerer has a hit die of One Six Sided Dice, or "a d6". This is the dice you'd see commonly used in most board games
Again, with the first rule they roll a d6 for their health- And second, just write in a '3' then add the constitution modifier (Or, if for first level, write in a 6)

Five: "how do you calculate damage?!"
Here is where I need to say a hard "Play the game!"

Six: "how do you determine hit points?!"
I've answered that above in how hit die work

Bonus Question: "basically, what the heck goes into actually playing this game?"
Heart and soul.


I might've fudged up something because its been a few months since I last played, but I'm happy to help or answer with anything else!

 

[Gaby]

To preface- If you're asking about hit die and damage and calculating HP you prooobably havn't read the rulebooks cover to cover.

I have. ten. times. I must have missed something because throughout the entire book, they mention hit die (and racial hit die which for me was "wot") without actually explaining what they do or how to even calculate them. the closest I got to understanding them was when I noticed each class had a "hit die" entry

give them roleplaying EXP and EXP from events and such.

I was actually thinking give them roleplaying EXP. I made up a system where at the end of each session, the players level up (or I delay the levelup by gm discretion)

Honestly, the easiest way to explain is again making a character sheet.

CAN YOU HELP ME MAKE A CHARACTER SHEET FOR MY PLOT-IMPORTANT NPCS

Four: what the nether are hit die?!

Your health. Its decided by your class. Each class has a certain dice for their hit die- and there are two rules for using it.
The first is where the DM has each player roll for the starting hit die on their example sheet. The second is where you just allocate the "average" number the nice could have rolled for their class (Aside from first level, for the first level you add the entirety of the dice)
With either or, once you finish that business you want to add your constitution modifier.
Example!
The Pathfinder Barbarian has a hit die of One Twelve Sided Dice, or "a d12".
With the first rule, the player would roll a d12 for their heath- for the second, they'd just write in a '6'.. then add the constitution modifier! (Or if for the first level, they'd put in a 12)
On the contrast, the Pathfinder Sorcerer has a hit die of One Six Sided Dice, or "a d6". This is the dice you'd see commonly used in most board games
Again, with the first rule they roll a d6 for their health- And second, just write in a '3' then add the constitution modifier (Or, if for first level, write in a 6)

this actually explained it way better than I ever got from my obsessive reading.
I'm still confused.

Here is where I need to say a hard "Play the game!"

no time. none. I tried finding a game. for 2+ years. looked everywhere. no dice. now I have one, and I'm the GM. and I've scheduled it to start at the end of summer.


all in all, thanks a lot! I guess my next question is:
can you help walk me through this character sheet business? I've gotten all the way to filling in details before, but like i said before, got stuck at damage calculation and hit die. and spells. and where to put some of the special racial traits :/

I'm a hot mess.

 

[Gaby]

thank you btw!!!!!!

 

[Michcat]

Okay, okay. Take a couple deep breathes and calm down.

When is the planned beginning of the campaign? I can see if I can grab a few of my pathfinder buddies (hell, I know theres some pathfinder players HERE), get you some neat notes worked up and walk you through character sheet creation/combat situations/dice rolling/all of that fun stuff.

Edit: Again... Pathfinder isn't my core forte- its 3.5 DnD, but I know it pretty well. I would normally suggest something simpler then Pathfinder for a first-time DM who is also a first-time player...
But you know what, you're following one of the most important rules!
"The DM must be, at minimum, the same experience level of all players"

Theres a couple lovely websites to do this stuff online, I can throw you my skype ^^

 

[Gaby]

Okay, okay. Take a couple deep breathes and calm down.

When is the planned beginning of the campaign? I can see if I can grab a few of my pathfinder buddies (hell, I know theres some pathfinder players HERE), get you some neat notes worked up and walk you through character sheet creation/combat situations/dice rolling/all of that fun stuff.

Edit: Again... Pathfinder isn't my core forte- its 3.5 DnD, but I know it pretty well. I would normally suggest something simpler then Pathfinder for a first-time DM who is also a first-time player...
But you know what, you're following one of the most important rules!
"The DM must be, at minimum, the same experience level of all players"

I plan to begin this campaign at summer's end. basically, round the friday when school starts.
which is like 2 months I should not panic but i am.

I would like to have at least a bit more experience, so I will take you up on this tutoring offer and thank you oh so much michcat this means so much to me

 

[Sos]

*notes*