Tuesday, June 23, 2009

I Was A Teenage* DM (Part 2)

Today is the first game that I will be DM'ing.

I have found some great resources online. Dungeonmastering.com is amazing, just because it has a ton of resources, and because it's got a lot of tricks and tips for DM's who are just starting up.

I found a great adventure to download for free on one of the site's links, which, for me, anyway, seems like the better way of getting my feet wet. I could have started from scratch and tried to build a world of my own, but from personal experience in almost every aspect of my life, it seems I have had better luck first wading in the kiddies pool rather than jumping in the deep end.

I bought a Dungeon Master's screen (it arrived in the mail yesterday, WOOT!) a 30-sided die (in pink), some miniatures, and I feel good.

Reis, he of the extraordinary Geek Orthodox blog (you should be reading it every day, Crickets), and three other brave adventurers (I'll ask their permission to use their names) will be arriving at my house tonight. We have sorted out a lot of stuff over email. Important stuff. Like who brings the snacks.

Wonderfully, everyone has fallen into the roles we need: Reis is playing a rogue, we have a cleric, a druid/sorceress, and a fighter. Everyone is super-nice (over email, anyway. they could be monstrously awful in person, but I doubt it), and ready to play some D&D.

But I am nervous. Like a virgin on her wedding night. To a half-orc marauder.

One of the suggestions of the folks over at Dungeonmastering.com is that the first game be just about rolling up characters, and if there's time, a skirmish. I like this idea. The group is bringing together two sets of gamers. Reis and I have played together, and the other guys have played together. I'd like to get an idea of the group dynamic before I throw us all into a full-fledged adventure.

Reis is the one at the greatest disadvantage, really, since he does not know anyone (besides me). That, and he may be the only straight in our new group. The awesome thing about Reis (yes, there's just the one thing), though, is that he's so comfortable in his own skin that I doubt he has even paused to give this a thought. Really, Crickets, if you get the chance to befriend him, you should do it.

Crickets, I know many of you are asking how I, as a gay DM, differ from a straight one. The answer: I plan on vacuuming before my guests arrive. Well, that and the glitterball and Cher's greatest hits playing full blast as the soundtrack to the campaign.

2 comments:

  1. Just reading that makes me want to beat something up.

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  2. I have to be comfortable in my own skin, because other peoples' skin makes me itchy.

    Oh, and that better be a glitterball of +10 boogie.

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