Home For DMs So You Want To Be A Dungeon Master?

So You Want To Be A Dungeon Master?

by Arawen Silverstar
Head, DM-Friendly Initiative
DM, Neverwinter Connections

Looking for a new way to play NWN beyond the single player game? The DM Client offers a unique experience in computer gaming. As DM, you do more than play the game--you are the game. You provide the adventure, moderate events, and help make a story come alive for your players. A DM can control virtually every aspect of the game behind the scenes, creating a much more interactive experience for players than in a scripted game.

How do you become a DM? If you are familiar with playing NWN, you will find it easy to get started. Arawen Silverstar, head of the DM-Friendly Initiative and a DM at Neverwinter Connections, shares her experiences:

I've been DMing NWN for over a year and a half. I run two pen and paper style NWN campaigns, both built by myself in the toolset. Each week, I quickly write up a story, build a few areas, creatures and NPCs, and then host a game. For me, the rewards of DMing come from interacting with my players and co-DMs. We create each game's story together. As a DM, I provide a stage for players' choices. The players then have the freedom to interact with people they meet and to brainstorm strategy. My motto is: "think outside the NWN engine." Players can propose any action via text and I will create logical consequences with the DM client.

For example, in a recent game, my players' goal was to reach a city besieged by enemies. When I planned the game, I assumed that they would use stealth or trickery. However, one player decided to ask his friend who was a professional summoned demon to help. I allowed the player to do so and spawned the demon in with the DM Client. The friendly summoned demon had started out as a joking exchange with the players as a way to give cannon fodder personality, but he's now a recurring character in the game. Traveling with a demon does make my players more powerful, but his presence also tends to complicate their relationships with other people they meet. From this example, I hope you'll see that NWN can be every bit as alive as a pen and paper D&D game. The video game medium, however, brings its own distinctive features.

When I first started DMing NWN, I had little inkling of the power of the DM Client or the lightning speed of real time gaming. I had originally bought NWN for the single player game. I then played community modules and I joined a DMed campaign at Neverwinter Connections. Zarsynn the Gray's campaign there had a depth of story and immersive player freedom that reminded me more of pen and paper D&D than a computer game. At that time, I had put pen and paper D&D aside, but I was soon digging out old AD&D materials in preparation to run my own first game (Oraweb's the Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh). To prepare, I practiced the DM Client and played through the module. I then scheduled a game at Neverwinter Connections. Though I was new, I surprised that more players than I could accommodate wanted to play. I signed up five. My plan was to use the DM Client to possess the NPCs (non-player characters) "live" and add a little atmosphere with the DM FX Wand, but early on I started changing story.

At first, DMing NWN felt very hectic compared with the leisurely pace of pen and paper. As a DM I was active 100% of the time. I played NPCs, shouted descriptions of areas, added sound and visual effects, created combats, and responded to my players by rolling dice for typed actions such as *listen at the door*. Since then, I've learned that DMing in a group while on voice chat can be a little more relaxing. My fellow DMs and I in Chimera Gaming often discuss ideas, play off each others' NPCs, and coordinate to create dramatic scenes.

To improve my skills, I took the DM 101 class at Neverwinter Connections, where I met fellow DMs and I learned useful tips. A pair of more senior DMs also kindly took me on as an assistant DM. From them I saw how dynamic NWN could be. In their campaign, one fighter was striving to become a paladin under the instruction of a cleric character. He did not have the wisdom or lawful alignment, but the DMs were willing to adjust his character as his faith grew.

The worst part of my first DMing experience was hosting the game itself. I had technical problems so my players and I kept crashing out. Fortunately, the players in the game helped me figure out how to set up things properly afterward. Future DMs, always test your server before you start your first game. On weekends and evenings, people in the Neverwinter Connections IRC channel are often willing to help, especially if it means a chance to play in a DMed game.

Today, the Neverwinter Nights community has developed many innovations that help new DMs. Lazybones' excellent guide covers approaches to DMing, the DM Client, and hosting issues. Neverwinter Connections provides scheduling and player matching services, as well as a friendly community of fellow DMs specializing in small group games.

You can also download many "DM-Friendly" certified modules. All "DM-Friendly" modules include a complete DM Guide and DM Tools. No past DM Client expertise or toolset use is required to play. Just download the module, follow the instructions for DM preparation, and you can DM a game. It's that simple.

The aim of the DM-Friendly Initiative (DMFI) is to make DMing easier. We review modules designed for DMs and certify those with good documentation, tools, and quality as DM-Friendly. Often, these modules are overlooked within the massive number of community modules out there. Through our review process, we try to make finding "DM-Friendly" modules easier so anyone can run a DMed game.

Personally, I enjoy running DM-Friendly Modules as a change from DMing my own campaign games. They are great for quick entertainment. My all time favorite is Dungajin's Labyrinth of the Goblin King, a module in which the players are orcs on an urgent mission to save their tribe after a tragic massacre. Players love roleplaying orcs and the module has something for everyone: intense emotion, moral choices, and great battles.

Also, the DMFI Wands and Widgets (W&W) is a set of amazing community DM tools compiled into a single convenient package by Hahnsoo and Demetrious. They are the magic "Swiss Army Knife" of DMing. With them, I can make NPCs in the game perform actions such as sitting, praying, or even flying away. I can destroy objects, make dice rolls, create special effects, spawn encounters, daze a character, and even throw my voice to various NPCs. For example, I like to use the DMFI W&W to change the game music at dramatic moments. With the DMFI W&W, a story idea, a few areas, creatures, and some NPCs, you can easily DM a game of your own design. No knowledge of scripting is required.

Lastly, the DMFI Guild can always use help with reviewing DM-Friendly modules, developing DM Tools, and promoting DM-centric module design. If you are interested, please join us.

Want to comment on this article or read what others have to say about it? Join the official discussion!

Update: March 2005

Read an additional profile of The DM Friendly Initiative that discusses the new wands and widgets package and new DM-friendly modules.