Question: Coaching for newer or prospective AD&D DMs?
I’ve been thinking about something and wanted to get a sense of whether there would be any interest in it.
I’ve been running AD&D since 1985, with most of my long-term experience rooted in 2nd Edition. Over the years I’ve played other editions and other systems, but I always end up coming back to AD&D.
One thing I’ve noticed, both in person and online, is that there are too few Dungeon Masters in the world, and certainly not enough good ones. That is not meant as a knock against anyone. DMing is a learned skill, and a lot of people who might be good at it never really get past the “I’d like to try, but I don’t know where to start” stage.
So I’m considering offering some low-cost ($40) one-on-one help for new or nervous DMs, especially people interested in AD&D, old-school D&D, or OSR-style play.
This would not be paid DMing, and I would not be running games for people. The idea would be more like a one-hour confidence and structure session: helping someone understand what the DM actually does, how to avoid overpreparing, how to create situations rather than scripted plots, how to make fair rulings, and how to give players meaningful choices and consequences.
My personal interest is especially in character-driven AD&D: campaigns where story comes from player choices, NPCs, pressure, danger, and consequences rather than from railroading or prewritten outcomes.
The goal would be for a newer DM to leave with more confidence, a clearer structure, and a concrete next step toward running their own game.
Part of the reason I’m interested in doing this is just wanting to give back to the hobby. AD&D has given me a lot over the years, and I’d like to help future players and DMs experience the best of what I still think is the strongest edition of D&D.
Does this sound like something some of you newer DMs would actually find useful?