D&D and other tabletop RPGs require someone to lead them—a Dungeon Master, also known as a Games Master. It can be an intimidating role to take on, but as someone who’s been regularly running campaigns for about 20 years now, trust me when I say that learning how to DM is much less difficult than it appears, and it can be a ton of fun to boot.
The first thing to know is that you don’t need to be perfect right away—or ever, really. Popular D&D shows like Critical Role can make it seem like being a good DM means giving a flawless performance, but the reality is that you can give the group a great time without having any real skill for things like storytelling or vocal performance. Play with friends or at least like-minded individuals, and you’ll find any mistakes you make are quickly glossed over, and that even the most simple and cliché adventure can be a blast.
That said, the role of Dungeon Master does require more preparation than being a player, and you will find things go a lot more smoothly if you put in some time to learn about what’s expected of the role. This guide is designed to equip you with the knowledge you need for a great first adventure—read on, and you’ll be running epic campaigns in no time.
This is not going to sound right, and apologies if you do take it like that, but time to find some new friends. Let me explain this. If they are really friends then they shouldn’t let your concerns like that stop you. I have a couple of people I play board games with weekly (mostly online). One of them decided we should play DnD, which I had been asking to do for a long time, but they didn’t seem to have much interest, so I didn’t push. Once it came up again, the person wanting to play also wanted to DM. Now being a friend I went along with it. They are the DM, and they have never played a single game of DnD in their lives. But you know what, it all worked out and has been great. Don’t let being new and maybe having to rework something stop you, and your friends shouldn’t let that be a hindrance either.