So first: The tavern. Bars, taverns, pubs, etc… all different names for pretty much the same thing, a gathering place for fun and drinks. This makes it an excellent gathering place for adventurers of any genre to meet contacts, refresh after an adventure, and gather information on the locals. To a DM, the tavern is an excellent place to get a quest rolling. I have included some quest hooks at the end of this post.

After you have your starting location you will want to figure out what the actual story is. Try looking in the core book of your game for a basic adventure. Alternatively, find a short (1-2 session) module, online or at a gaming store. Find one that sounds interesting to you or come up with something on your own. Once you run through that adventure, you and your party will know whether they’d like to continue playing that game.

A quick heads up on modules and adventures you find online: Read through the whole adventure. Figure out how the players move from one part to the next. I have found well-written adventures that leave that second part out. It can be very annoying to find this as you quickly reread the module during play. Keep in mind though that as the DM, you can do whatever you want to the story. Make changes when needed and adjust whatever you want. You’re trying to tell a story and if you think it’s more exciting if the dragon is away from his horde when the players show up, then do it. Maybe have him return as the players are leaving.

Regardless of where you start, it is important to set the tone for the story. If you want a dark, gritty story, talk about how everything is dingy; shady people look at you through squinted eyes. On the other hand, if it’s a light hearted romp, talk about the silly names of places and the jovial atmosphere.

One very important thing to remember if you're an up-and-coming DM: you can do it. There’s a lot on a DM’s plate and it can be overwhelming at times. You might be nervous and not sure how to role-play every Non-Player Character (NPC). That’s okay. After you’ve run a couple adventures you’ll start getting the hang of how you like to DM. Ask your players for ideas and suggestions. Always keep paper on hand, take notes on names and quick descriptions of NPC’s, locations, and events. It helps keep things consistent throughout the story.

Another thing that trips up a lot of DM’s when they first begin is their player’s ability to ruin your plans. Players are … creative, and will often think of surprisingly interesting solutions to problems. I find it best to roll with the ideas -- improvise. Players can spend an hour discussing opening a door. It’s best to keep game play moving, so if people are getting hung up on minor details nudge them forward. Give them tidbits to help solve the issue. It’s a hard balance to find, but it is very doable. Keep an eye on your players, lest they get out of hand.

Last but not least when starting a new game, let the players make changes to their character after the first couple sessions. Players new to a game will often not be aware of certain things and want to change their character until you've begun. Personally, I give a two-session grace period for character modifications. After that, the character is locked in and can’t be changed outside of advancement.

Best of luck on your adventuring! Feel free to post stories and adventures that you’ve had with your own parties. I love reading the various different shenanigans parties have gotten into. Next week, I plan on setting up a table of definitions as quick reference to new players.

 

Idea 1: (for combat heavy games) “The party is enjoying a round of drinks, when they suddenly notice their drinks are shaking. A man bursts through the door shouting, ‘<NAME OF LARGE CREATURE/VEHICLE (ie A TROLL)> is coming! Run!’ Outside you see townsfolk running toward the center of town.”

 

Idea 2: (after some backstory or adventuring) “The trip to the town was long, poor conditions made it even longer. You [the players] eventually reach the only open building, the tavern. Drenched from the rain, the warm dry tavern is very inviting. As you enter, you are greeted by the ravings of a madman from the far corner. The other customers are trying to ignore him. The bartender offers you a free round drinks, if you remove the nuisance from his bar. When you confront him, you quickly realize maybe his ramblings aren’t as crazy as you first thought.”

Use the madman’s rantings to explain a legend of treasure, power, impending doom, or just plain old lunacy. It could be fun sending your players on a wild goose chase.

 

Idea 3: The specifics for this idea are up to you and what you need/want for your campaign. Though I would highly suggest it be mystical and unearthly.

(after the characters had something to drink) “[the most drunk character] passes out from his/her drinking. He/she dreams of a being of white standing before a doorway, beckoning. You snap awake from the dream. The being and door still vivid in your memory.”

<some traveling and perhaps some reoccurring dreams later…>

Note: You can also have this being of white be an important person to the character.

“[the same character] spots a being of white walking into the woods. He/she is the only one who saw. What do you do?”

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