Tips and Tricks for the New GM (Part 2): After Your First Session

You’ve done it! You had Session 0 or you’ve run your first game! If you haven’t yet, or are just looking for advice before diving into Game Mastering (GMing), consider reading Part 1 of Tips and Tricks for the New GM.

For the rest of you, congratulations on becoming a Game Master! We hope you are having fun so far. However, the responsibility of a GM doesn’t end with a single session (unless you’re playing a one-shot!).

You might be excitedly planning for your next session already! 

Or you may have some lingering doubts or worries. Especially if a session didn’t go as planned - this is completely normal. We’ve all been there! Take a breath and keep moving forward. A good campaign isn’t built on a single session. 

It’s normal for new GMs to need time finding their footing.

Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) is a game that rewards the time you put into it, and luckily, many people have put in plenty of time before you, leaving behind a wealth of advice and tips.

So read on and let us help you move forward!

Common Worries

Here are some common issues that both new and experienced GMs face, along with some advice to help you through them.

My Table is Too Quiet! 

A lot of GMs are prepared for the chaos and noise of D&D. But many aren’t ready for how intimidating silence can be. This is common with newer players who aren’t sure how to roleplay yet!.

Silence isn’t always a bad thing. Players could be deep in thought or listening actively. But if it’s happening too often or going on for too long, here’s some advice. 

• Always keep the energy levels up! 

  
  

GMs set the tone and atmosphere of a game. Even when the energy levels dip, you need to hold them up yourself. This doesn’t mean bouncing off the walls! Instead, continue to treat the game seriously. 

When your players see how invested you are, they’re more likely to follow your lead. 

• Spotlight quiet players, but don’t push them to speak!

  
  

Sometimes quiet players just don’t know where or how to jump into a story. Make sure that everyone is getting enough attention, and don’t be afraid to cut in and ask a quiet player about their character. 

Use more focused questions: “How does your character open the door?” or “How would your character comfort this person?” works better than  a general “What would your character do?”.

Don’t force them to talk more than they’re comfortable with. Praise their ideas, be patient, and if you’re still worried, check in outside of the game. Ask if they are enjoying themselves,if they are, trust them. Some people enjoy things quietly. 

• Take a break!

And if all else fails, take a break. Sometimes the session is early in the morning. Sometimes people had a long day. If the energy feels tired,call a break. Encourage your players to grab snacks or water and remind them that breaks are always okay to ask for.

We Don’t Have a Schedule!

Ah! The dreaded scheduling problem. It hits almost every casual table eventually. Everyone seems too busy to sit down and play. 

The simplest fix: nail down a recurring date during Session 0, weekly, fortnightly, monthly, whatever works and stick to it! 

If you missed that window, start setting the next date at the end of every session. Before everyone packs up, lock in the next available slot and make sure people note it down. 

If scheduling issues persist, have an honest conversation - with the tale or with the individual. 

Extra tip: A great way to get people invested in showing up, is to have dinner or lunch plans with your players on the same day! This only works with casual friend groups! Don’t invite strangers to dinner!

They’re Not Following the Story!

A lot of newer GMs panic when players go off script. Not only is this normal, it should be expected. Your players have agency. They’re going to  create their own story as they go. 

As a GM, your job is to guide the world around them, and reshape parts of the story to fit where they’re headed.

Don’t punish them for their choices, but show them the consequences. Avoid railroading, instead, use plot hooks or the passage of time to give urgency to the main story. And remember, the players don’t always have to beat the bad guy. 

The world will always react to player action.

Follow where your players are having the most fun! If they’re having a blast investigating a petty crime, lean into it, tie it to the main arc! Give it weight by having a character’s backstory intersect with it, and have those NPCs show up later! There are countless ways to weave a detour back into the story. Other GMs have done it before, don’t be afraid to look at what they’ve tried.

If  the derailing is becoming too much, take it out of the game.  Talk to your players openly, find out why the main story isn’t landing, explain why it matters and work out a solution together. D&D is written by both the players and the GM. It only works when you’re building it together. 

I’m Not Comfortable With Some Player Actions!

The best time to set boundaries is Session 0. Refer back to Part 1 for guidance on that. 

But not everything can be anticipated upfront,so make sure your players know that they can always raise new limits as the campaign goes on. The same goes for you

Your safety and comfort matters just as much as theirs.

If a player's action crosses a line, speak up! Let them know you’re not comfortable roleplaying that scenario and move forward with something different.

Everyone at the table, including the GM, deserves to have their limits respected.

I Didn’t Know the Rules! 

Here’s an open secret: almost no GM memorises every single rule in D&D, or any other Tabletop Roleplaying Game (TTRPG)!

The books exist for a reason, and the internet has made it even easier to look things up on the fly.

Don’t be afraid to pause and look something up mid-game. If you don’t have time, make your own ruling and move on.

If a player flags a rule to you, be open, discuss if needed, but make it clear your ruling stands for now. 

If you later realise you got something wrong, own it. Decide if you want to continue ruling it your way, or retcon it going forward. . You’re human, mistakes happen and players respect GMs who learn from them.

I Don’t Have Any Cool Map Pieces!

Good news: you don’t need any! Your imagination is the coolest map piece at the table!

That said, here are a few options if you want to build on it: 

Consider drawing your map pieces. This can be done on paper or on a dry erase board for reusability. It is a great way to change the environment on the fly. 

Those with a bit more creativity can start designing their own terrains as well. Throw in some color pencils or markets to add a bit more life to your maps!

Feeling more hands-on? You can also build your own terrain pieces. It is not as hard as you think! Consider joining TableMinis’ terrain workshop to bring home some custom landscapes. 

Join Our Workshops!

For the more tech-savvy,,  using a tablet or simple projector to create your maps works well! All you need is a smooth surface and decent lighting.

Getting More Help!

You may be looking for more specific help for certain campaigns or story moments. In these cases, you can ask your local GMs or turn to help online. 

Most official modules have been through rigorous playtesting by GMs that came before you. And those GMs have, helpfully, talked about their experience online!

Here are some useful sites or videos that you might want to check out. 

• DNDBeyond

 The official site for D&D boasts its own set of forums. Both players and GMs can talk about their experience or ask for help from the wider community. Experienced GMs have also posted their own sets of tips and tricks for new GMs!It is a good place to read up on the reviews of common game modules. You can also take inspiration from how people have tweaked the stories to suit their players. 

• Youtube

Beginner GMs, you are in luck! If you’re starting off with a beginner module, there are whole playlists of videos dedicated solely to dissecting and explaining each part of that module. 

Might we recommend Matthew Perkins for his series about ‘Dragons of Stormwreck Isle’? 

Videos aren’t the only source of knowledge though! Simply scroll down and you’ll find a wealth of comments talking about their own experiences and advice! 

• 5e Tools

We’ve mentioned 5etools before, but did you know you can find beginner modulus here? Official beginner modules can be found here, complete with handy stat tables! Don’t just use it as a study tool. Keep a tab open so you can guide yourself while GMing a game.Each stat block also contains a handy breakdown and more links to its individual components.  

Finally, it has an ‘encounter builder’, allowing you to calculate the right amount of creatures for your party to face off against!

Setting Up Tips

Knowledge, imagination and dice are all you really need for a D&D session.

However, if you want to spice things up, here are some extra set up tips for your table! These can be great tools for immersing your players!

Maps

Prepare, draw or print your maps in advance. 

While most beginner modules come with handy maps, you might want to alter them beforehand. Some GMs might want to add in extra encounters in different environments. Make sure you have all of these planned out in advance. 

Avoid having to think about how to create an encounter in the moment. It will save you time and energy. 

Playtesting encounters with your custom maps is useful, but not necessary. Your players will find a way to make the most of their environment themselves! 

Always keep a blank grid map spare. Your players will inevitably start combat in unexpected places. So it is good to have a blanket grid to use at any moment

Extra tip: When you set up your maps, make sure to sit where your players will be seated It will give you an idea of their point of view.

Music

Music is one of the reasons why people get so invested in films or television shows. The same can be said for D&D games! 

You don’t need to constantly blare a sound track, but having background music or ambience can go a long way towards immersion. Prepare a playlist in advance. 

Figure out what music matches an encounter or scenario. We promise you, your players will be pumped up the moment you start the battle music! Or teary eyed when you play a lullaby to honor their fallen character.

Remember that silence can be just as powerful! Cutting the music during a suspenseful moment or a horror scene can send a real chill through the table.

Those who are very daring can consider using sound effects, however, we encourage you to get used to setting the scene with simple music first. 

Music is sure to make any table more exciting!

Lighting

Like music, good lighting can create more immersion for your group. 

An icy blue light can evoke the cold of winter's day, while red light could signal the start of a battle. Have a selection of colors preplanned for certain scenes. 

If you don’t have access to colored lights, keep it simple!Many a D&D game has been played in dimly lit spaces by the glow of a single lantern or torch. Oftentimes, this was out of necessity in the old days. You can’t deny it was accidentally atmospheric though!

So keep the lights low, turn on a lamp and set a scene!

Snacks

You might be wondering how snacks contribute to immersion. 

A well fed player is a player that won’t be distracted by hunger pangs! The same can be said for hungry GMs.

Consider asking your players to contribute their favorite snack foods. A happy, fed table is a table that stays focused on the story! 

Advice from Experienced GMs at TableMinis

Here is some advice from the professional GMs at TableMinis! We hope their words give you some encouragement!

Some of our cool GMs posing for camera

“Don’t worry too much about ‘making cool voices yet’. Focus on the fundamentals which are narration, the storytelling and making a story that your players want to interact with. And have fun! Because if you’re not having fun, then your players aren’t!”  - Zach, TM GM

“Do not stress out about having every single detail planned. But also knowing when do you plan something and when do you settle on improv. Improv the right things and plan the rest. And have fun, make mistakes and learn from these mistakes!” - Rui, TM GM

“Start with a module, follow the module, plan for stuff that players will throw at you outside the module. Treat (D&D) as an art and keep learning! - Jelly, TM GM

“Embrace the chaos! Do not be afraid to pull your punches and whatever HP you think you need? Double it! And just have fun!” - Jojo, TM GM

“When you’re starting out, just have fun with the game. Don’t stress about the ‘what-ifs’. Your players are looking towards you to have fun with them. You are also part of the ship. If anything, you are the ship! And if the ship is sinking, they don’t want to be part of the ship! So have fun! Run something you would enjoy! Of course you need to know the nuances of things, but that will come later. If you’re having fun, nobody really cares (about the nuances)! - Anon, TM GM

“Never solve above-table problems in-game. Don’t try to be the villain and tell them “You have failed because you didn’t support your friends!” No. Just go up above-table (out of the game) and tell them “Hey man, this game is about teamwork and we need to support each other for that. Let’s try to do that with our characters.” And play through that.

Always remember, you have a magical power. And it's not to create worlds or narrate the most tearjerking scene. But it is to be in the focal point of connection. You are trying to connect people together and you are trying to connect with that person. Into that connection, you collaborate and you create interesting scenes, fun worlds and that’s just a good time for that table  - Mellow, Principal GM and GM Manager

We hope that this has helped you on your Game Master journey! It’s not always easy, but we encourage you to keep pushing forward!

There’s no doubt you’ll hit more obstacles as you grow and learn. This is all part of being a GM. But there will be just as many rewarding moments for you to experience with your players, and you’re not facing any of it alone! 

The community is always around to help and support. Don’t be afraid to turn to your local GMs,  and when the time comes, don’t be afraid to be that helpful GM for someone else. 

Good luck! Keep gaming! And may the dice roll in your favor!