So You’ve Decided to Ruin Your Friendships: How to Survive Your First D&D Session as a DM

fear not! This post will help you survive (and maybe even enjoy) your very first Dungeons & Dragons session as a Dungeon Master. You don’t need to be Matt Mercer. You just need to be one step ahead of your players. Or at least make it look like you are.

Step 1: Know the Basics, Fake the Rest

You don’t need to memorize the entire Player’s Handbook. Honestly, nobody has. Just understand the core mechanics:

How combat works (initiative, attack rolls, damage)

What ability checks are

When to say “Roll for it”

Pro Tip: If you’re unsure, say “Let’s make it a Wisdom check” in a serious voice. It works 9/10 times.

Step 2: Prep Light, Improvise Heavy

Don't build an entire world just to have your players rob a bakery for 3 hours.
Instead:

Prepare a simple premise (e.g., “You’re hired to clear goblins from a mine”)

Have 3 key locations

Create 2–3 memorable NPCs (give them weird voices – your players will love it or suffer in silence)

And when they go off the rails? Nod thoughtfully and pretend that was the plan all along.

Step 3: Set the Mood, Not the Rules

Your goal is to make your players feel safe to be ridiculous, heroic, clever, or chaotic dumbasses.
Here’s how:

Snacks. Always snacks.

Session zero: Talk about tone, expectations, and whether murder-hobos will be tolerated.

Establish the Golden Rule: “Cool and creative always beats boring and rules-lawyery.”

Step 4: Use Tools That Do the Heavy Lifting

Not to push you, but for example we could help you with building your fantasy world or when ready you can download some of our free quests to start with.

Next step would be to check out these websites:

• https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/

• https://limitless-adventures.com/

• https://www.dmsguild.com/

Final Tip: Embrace the Chaos

Your players will:

Adopt the goblin instead of killing it

Ignore your boss fight and flirt with the blacksmith

Try to seduce a dragon
This is not failure. This is D&D.

You are not God. You are not even a narrator.
You’re the improv jazz conductor of nonsense, and you’re doing great.

One Last Thing

If things go wrong?
Just say, “The mysterious fog thickens…”and go get more snacks.

Want more DM wisdom from someone who’s cried behind a DM screen? Follow for weekly tips on worldbuilding, storytelling, and surviving your players’ chaotic energy.

May your dice roll high and your snacks never run out.