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DM Guide

So You Want To Be A DM

If you have never DMed before, here are some resources to help you prepare for your very first session:

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DM Incentives

You are eligible to receive rewards for quests you run, within certain guidelines. Your maximum quest level for DM rewards is equal to three plus the level of your highest level PC. For example, if your highest level character is level 2, you can DM a quest for 3 + 2 = level 5 players or under. If your highest level character is level 12, you can DM a quest for players at levels 1-15 players. In either of the previous examples, you could DM a quest for level 16 players, but you would not be able to claim any DM rewards.

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EXP Rewards

  • 125% of per player quest EXP (rounded down)

  • EXP rewards must be applied to a single OC, even if you have multiple OCs in the group. EXP and gold earned from DMing may not be applied to NPC characters.

GP Rewards

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You do not have to accept DM rewards, and you can forgo them if you choose. Boons (more on that below) do not have a value and do not earn DM GP. DMs do not earn loot other than the DM Incentives described above, even if they have an NPC present during a game*.

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*Please discuss getting a boon for a DMNPC with mod Spooky. These appeals may be approved on a limited basis.

The DM Guild

Our more seasoned DMs have shown that they are ready and willing to run for the group. We'd like to show our gratitude and offer up some additional incentives!

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The Dm's Guild is broken up into 4 Ranks, corresponding to the number of public quests you've run:

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Adventurer: 10 public quests

  • You can post quests with impunity, you no longer need to submit a review for your quest.

 

Local Legend: 30 public quests

  • You may submit the result of a questline to affect the worldbuilding and setting. See Player involvement for more details.  
     

Faction Leader: 40 public quests

  • Access to one of a kind artifact level magic item creation and distribution system!
     

Hero: 60 public quests

  • You may submit a homebrew subclass for entry into the group. This subclass will become available to all players when submitted. 

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it is your responsibility to keep track of when you have advanced into the next rank of the guild!

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A Step-by-Step Guide to DMing for BNB

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Not all quests must be opened to all members. You may have a quest idea that involves specific characters or elements of specific character arcs (for example, Suzie's goal is to find out what happened to her brother, who disappeared under mysterious circumstances; you want to DM a quest that relates to her backstory). If that's the case, you can DM a private (all players pre-selected) or a semi-private (some open spaces, but some players predetermined) quest. However, even private quests must still occur in the BNB server in order to be official (in case a moderator is needed).

Private quests do not need to be posted in the Discord quest-board, but semi-private quests should be. Private quests still need to go through an approval process and may undergo more stringent approval.

DMs leading private/semi-private games should communicate with their chosen players before submitting the quest for approval so that it doesn’t come as a surprise to your players that you're running a quest for them!!

How To Submit a Private/Semi-Private Quest

When you submit a quest proposal for a private or semi-private quest, include this line submission along with the standard submission template:

  • Players: dA name 1 (OC name), dA name 2 (OC name), dA name 3 (OC name), etc.

Private & Semi-Private Quests

Developing a dungeon/quest/adventure idea

If you're brand new to DMing, it helps to search the internet for pre-written modules that you can adapt to the campaign setting. Otherwise, just about anything can inspire a new adventure! Some adventures revolve around a key NPC; others are born out of interesting 'what if' scenarios; and still others are twists on historical events or interests of the DM. Keep in mind that all good quests should have some instigating event, choices for the players to make, balanced encounters, and a resolution. Check out the resources linked at the top of this guide to help steer you in the right direction as you develop these.

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Your maximum quest level to be eligible for DM rewards is equal to three plus the level of your highest level PC.  For example, if your highest level character is level 2, you can DM a quest for 3 + 2 = level 5 characters or under. If your highest level character is level 12, you can DM a quest for level 15 characters or lower. You are welcome to DM a quest for characters of level 16 or higher, but you will not earn DM incentives for doing so.

Determining appropriate player EXP and loot

The loot/EXP table shows you the most you can offer. You should not be requesting the maximum EXP/loot for every quest, and it is in fact expected that you will go lower unless it is very clearly justified by the types of encounters in your quest. Most quests have at MOST 2 kinds of loot and do not hit the loot OR EXP caps. For example, gold + magic items, gold only, items only, etc.

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If you are opening a quest to a range of levels, reference the rewards row equal to the average level of allowable players rounded up. For instance, if your quest is open to levels 1-3, use the level 2 row as your guide for EXP and loot. If your quest is open to levels 8-11, use the level 10 row (8+9+10+11= 38; 38 ÷ 4 = 9.5) as your guide for EXP and loot. This is a recommended guideline, not a firm rule. If you are planning an easy quest for levels 1-3, you might prefer to use the level 1 loot and EXP row instead of the level 2 row. 

The difficulty of the encounters and obstacles in your quest will determine the rewards reaped by the players. The table below shows the maximum rewards players are eligible to receive. It is divided by "Quest Level", i.e., the highest level of OC a quest is open to.

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A few words of caution regarding the Loot & EXP table. Even within quests designed for the same level, you could still have variation in difficulty and therefore earn different amounts of EXP/loot. See Chapter 13 of the Dungeon Master's Guide (Building Encounters), for details on building encounters & determining rewards.​

Also note that "XP" and "EXP" are completely interchangeable terms - use whichever you prefer!

Quest Level
Per Player EXP
GP
Item Value (in GP)
Magic Item Value (in GP)
1
150
40
57.1
250
2
300
48
68.6
500
3
420
58
82.8
750
4
880
70
100
1000
5
1600
84
120
1600
6
1925
105
150
2400
7
2290
131
187.1
3000
8
3045
164
234.3
4000
9
3660
205
292.9
5000
10
4300
256
365.7
6000
11
4400
333
475.7
8000
12
5000
433
618.6
12500
13
5115
563
804.3
19999
14
6227
732
1045.7
30000
15
6350
988
1411.4
40000

Determining Appropriate Per Player EXP

This is just a brief overview. Again, refer to Chapter 13 of the Dungeon Master's Guide, for detailed information on building encounters. The EXP you award per player should be based on the difficulty of the encounters the players can overcome.

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Combat Encounters

All monster stat blocks have a challenge rating (CR) and an associated EXP award. Divide the EXP listed on the monster stat block by the # of PCs to determine per player EXP. If you have multiple monsters, add the EXP together and then divide by # of PCs.

 

For example, a bandit is a CR 1/8 monster and is worth 25 EXP upon defeat. If 5 characters fight 4 bandits, each character would earn 20 EXP for defeating the encounter (25 EXP per bandit x 4 bandits = 100 EXP. 100 EXP ÷ 5 players = 20 EXP per player).

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Non-combat encounters

Only award EXP for non-combat encounters that have both (1) a meaningful risk of failure and (2) consequences for failing. If the encounter has both of those traits, determine the difficulty of the encounter (trivial, easy, medium, hard, or deadly). The EXP value of a non-combat encounter is equal to a combat encounter of the same difficulty. If a non-combat encounter does not carry consequences for failure or have a meaningful risk of failure, then it should not earn EXP!

Currency as Loot

The standard currency of the realm (copper, silver, gold, electrum, and/or platinum coins) are often given by quest givers to groups of adventurers as payment for their services. Keep in mind that only wealthy clients are likely to have gobs of cash lying around. The per player currency earnings may not exceed the GP column of the Loot & EXP table.

Mundane Items as Loot

The per player value of mundane items may not exceed the Item Value column of the Loot & EXP table. Depending on the quest, non-magical, non-GP loot might be appropriate. For example, a bronze trophy that can be sold for 100 gp; a valuable art object; adventuring gear such as rope or books. All standard adventuring gear or trade goods are assumed to have their list price value. For example, a non-magical longsword obtained as quest loot is worth 10 gp, a book is worth 25 gp, a pound of ginger is worth 1 gp, etc.

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Custom mundane items such as art objects are only worth gold if you as a DM assign them a GP value. Items that are not assigned a GP value are considered trinkets and cannot be sold back to the shop.

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To assign an item a GP value, take the desired sale price and divide it by .7 (because items resell to the shop at 70% of their posted value). For example, if you are running a level 12 quest and you want each player to receive a platinum statue worth 105 gold upon resale, you must assign each statue a 150 gp value (105 ÷ .7 = 150 gp).

Magic Items as Loot

The total value of magic items obtained on a quest cannot exceed the Magic Item Value column in the loot and EXP table (e.g., the total value of magic items on a level 1 quest cannot exceed 250 gp, whether that is 5 items worth 50 gp each or 1 item worth 250 gp).

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Even the most common magic items are still relatively rare. In order to make magic items feel special, do not overuse magic item loot. Another point to consider is, what magic item loot would be appropriate and not excessive. What magic items do the characters in your quest already have, and at what rarity levels? Are the magic items you're planning to give consumable or repeat use? Consider whether the items you want to give will cause either you or future DMs a headache.

Also consider that at higher levels, the "level-appropriate" value of magic items is more money than the vast majority of people in the world will ever see in their entire lives. Realistically, only the wealthiest quest givers or specific kinds of quest givers (e.g., wizards, retired adventurers, filthy rich nobles, governments) would be able to offer multiple high-value magical items. You may also have to come up with alternative ways of giving players loot. For example, rather than it being a reward from the quest giver, it is found guarded by a mimic during the quest, etc.

Pets as Loot

Pets of CR 1/4 or lower may be awarded as quest loot. As with magic items, do not overuse pets as loot. Pets are valued at the cost of their corresponding pet ticket and the per player pet value should not exceed the Item Value column in the Loot & EXP table.

Pets of CR 1/2 or higher should not be awarded as quest loot. However, if you have purchased a pet/mount ticket, you can meet or obtain the pet in a quest. For example, if you purchase a copper dragon wyrmling (CR 1 Exotic pet), you can meet the pet in a quest, but you still have to OOCly purchase the ticket item. CR 1/2 or higher pets "obtained" on quests still count against the pet ticket limit per character, as they were obtained via a pet ticket purchase.

Boons as Loot

For more legendary rewards for truly heroic deeds, boons may be awarded as player loot. These are available exclusively as part of questlines and may only be awarded to players of level 10+. A list of boons, blessings, and charms that are allowed in bnb can be found here.

 

Because boons are so powerful, they are INTENTIONALLY RARE as rewards. Not everyone who requests a boon as potential loot will get one. If you ask for boons and don't get them, but someone else did, it's not personal. 

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Please keep in mind that while some boons are temporary, many others are permanent. Use caution and forethought when offering a boon. Particularly in the case of a Dark Gift or Inhabitation, providing some indication either OOC or IC about the potential downsides is good practice.

Hoard Loot for Bigger Achievements

If you are running a multi-part questline (i.e., a series of interrelated quests), you may prefer to award monetary loot only at specific milestones (e.g., in the middle, at the end, etc.). If you do not want to award monetary/item/magic loot every session, a healthy infusion of cash is fine long as it doesn't break the limit for what characters would have earned up to that point in the questline.

 

For example, if you are running four interrelated quests and only want to award monetary loot at the end of quest #3 and quest #4, you can request up to three quests' worth of loot for quest #3, and one quest's worth of loot for quest #4. If your potential loot request is too high, we will let you know during the quest review and approval process.

No matter what kind of loot you choose, you do NOT have to give out all the potential loot that you include in your quest.

Submitting a quest for approval

DM Spooky on Discord with the following format:
 

  • Name of DM: [your dA name]

  • Play Style: [Session or Play-by-post; descriptions of these terms after template]

  • Anticipated Run Date: [Optional, but sometimes helpful.]

  • Encounter Difficulty: [Easy, Moderate, Hard, Deadly], [Accepted player level(s)]

  • Ideal number of players: [standard party size is 4, but you may want more or fewer or you may be comfortable with a range, like 3-6]

  • Potential Loot: [Amount of gold per player, mundane items, and magic items, etc. Any custom/reflavored loot items should also be included for review. Note that this is POTENTIAL LOOT. You are NOT OBLIGATED TO GIVE OUT EVERYTHING YOU LIST AS POSSIBLE LOOT.]

  • EXP Per Player: [EXP is given at the end of the entire quest at once; not by encounter]

  • Quest Outline: [Provide a short blurb like what you would post to the quest board. For the purposes of mod review, the plot of the quest is less critical than a list of combat/RP encounters. You do not need to have fully prepared combat maps, etc., but since the RP/combat encounters are important for the completability of your quest, we need to know about them!]

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Note: Please allow at least one week for Spooky to review your quest outline; longer if you are submitting multiple quests at once. 

Types of Playstyle

Session​

  • This is the traditional play style for DND games. In the "session" format, players agree to gather at a specified time and date and go through the game together during that time window. Sessions may be conducted via voice chat or via text RP; in discord, in roll20, in google hangouts, or some combination.
     

Play- By-Post

Better in Bulk

If you have several quest ideas or several inter-related one-shots, it's best to submit these in bulk! If you send in, say, 10 quests for review at one, the revisions might take a little bit longer, but once it's done, that gives you 10 different quests that you can pop into the quest board at your leisure. It is the most efficient for player DMs and mods for you to submit many ideas at once.

Once Your Quest is Approved

Choose a time & date for your game

Even if you are DMing a PbP-style quest, you should still decide when the game will start so that people have sufficient time to sign up and you have sufficient time to prepare.

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Note: If your quest must be cancelled or rescheduled, it is your responsibility as the DM to notify the players beforehand! 

Review the D&D Etiquette Guide

It is important that you are aware of the expectations for players' behavior so that you can maintain control of the game. Two things you should particularly keep in mind are:
 

  1. Preventing intentional player-versus-player (PVP) combat and skill checks. Nothing has the potential to derail and break OOC relationships more permanently than PVP. If a monster charms a character or enforces other mind control, it is appropriate for the character to work against the others. If you are running a private quest for a close-knit group of people, you can consider allowing PVP. Otherwise, don't.

  2. Enforcing consequences for reckless, illegal, or immoral behavior. Killing that innocent old man and then covering up the murder is murder. Players can make bad choices, but there should always be appropriate consequences for them. Jail time, fines, having an arrest warrant issued, being barred from the adventurer's guild, etc. are all appropriate responses to bad player behavior.
     

Most of the time, you won't have to worry about these things, but you need to be prepared to handle these situations if they do arise.

Prepare to run your game

More experienced DMs may do less prep, but beginner DMs should give some thought to how they will handle player choices, prepare any combat maps, NPC art, NPC tokens, plot points, etc. they want to use in their game. For text-based sessions and PbP games, do you want to have a time limit or length limit on player posts? Will you allow physical dice to be rolled in addition to digital ones? For voice-based sessions, do you want to use discord or another platform for voice? Where will you put maps? There may also be certain things you want to know from your players before you have your session, like their passive perception scores or their greatest fears.

Post in the discord #quest-board

When you post your quest, take note of the dates and times of other quests on the quest board. No more than 3 quests are permitted on the same day; no more than 2 may happen simultaneously. If the mods see that your quest breaks these rules, we will delete the post. You can take a loot at the member-run quest calendar (which is pinned in the #quest-board) to see what days and times are available.

Choose your players 

Because people operate in many different time zones and have busy lives, it's nice to give everyone a few days to see your quest before you pick players for it. Once you've picked your players, send a Discord PM to any BNB admin with your player list and a role name and we'll assign them (and you!) a dungeon. As a courtesy, please allow a minimum of 24 hours to assign the quest role whenever possible.

Run Your Quest!

Wrapping Up Your Quest

Submit your Loot Report

@ DM in your quest channel with the loot report. The quest name must appear at the top of the loot report. Loot must be logged separately for each individual player, and all loot items that aren't gold or magic must have an assigned value (if it has no assigned value, it is assumed to be worth 0 GP and cannot be sold). Make sure to to include your own earnings for DMing the quest, and to mention which character you would like the gp and xp earnings to go to (regardless of how many characters you have). Below is an example of an acceptable loot report format:

example.png

Note that in this case, both the Flail Snail Shell Fragments and the Magma Mephit and Magmin Corpse Rocks are non-magical items and were not given a GP value, so they are trinkets with no resale value.

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A mod will review the loot/EXP report and let everyone know when the information has been logged. If the quest EXP leveled a player up, their level up will not be processed until after loot and EXP have officially been logged.

Quest Summary

If you'd like to include a short summary of what happened in the quest, that's great too! Quest summaries that detail the events of the quest can be submitted to the group gallery for gold by either the players or the DMs (though we prefer that DM submits the summary). Quest summaries earn +5 GP over standard lit submission GP value (see the Earnings calculator in the Member Registry).

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