Hello, new DM here!
I’m the proud DM of a group of three players. We started with a premade oneshot designed for 4 players, but one player didn’t enjoy it as much. Now I have this solid group of three and I’m ready for a second oneshot.
I’ve been planning a homebrew adventure for months, but I was strongly advised not to start with homebrew, so I listened. Now I feel ready to try it. I’ve prepared a modular adventure with a few mandatory modules (introduction, main plot, boss fight, etc.) and several optional ones. This way I can better control timing, pacing, and player decisions.
I still have several doubts and would really appreciate your advice:
- Time management: How much time should I expect each module to take? I was told around 20-40 minutes, but our first oneshot took much longer because I had to explain the rules constantly.
- Character creation: My players asked me to make their characters, so I did. Now I’m not sure how detailed I should be. Should I write a full backstory for each? Should I personalize every item in their inventory? How much of their personality should I define, and how much should I leave for them to roleplay? I don’t want to be too controlling. I just want them to have fun, but I’m scared of taking away their agency.
- Railroading: After talking with them, they said they actually enjoyed being somewhat “railroaded” in the first session. That’s why I went with this modular structure. Still, I’m not sure where the line is between good structure and too much railroading.
- Priorities: I don’t know what things I should give priority to. Should I keep everything simple? Focus on a good short plot? Prepare fun battlemaps? Create detailed NPCs? There’s always room to expand, but it’s difficult to know where to invest my time and where to stop.
- Future campaign: If everything goes well, I designed this oneshot so it can continue as a full campaign. In that case, is it good to prepare a lot in advance, or should I avoid over-preparing?
Honestly, I’m pulling my hair out a bit. I wish I had an experienced DM friend I could send all my notes to for feedback.
Any advice or thoughts would be greatly appreciated! Thank you so much!