The thing many people forget is that the Players always have option to flee when the enemy is too strong for half of their party. just remember to not shut the doors as dm etc
MotW has a wonderful approach to this. As part of the "monsters moves" one action is "separate a party member" the mundane (one of the classes/playbooks) even gets experience for it! It's a wonderfully devilish move that can really like you focus on a PC. The issue, often times with splitting the party is splitting actions. You kinda just "sit there" while players x and y go off. I definitely think though the benefits outweigh the cost, especially for shorter scenes, or longer scenes when you can have the other PCs take the roles of other aspects of the scene, such as sidekicks, or npcs, baddies or even the environment!
New DM here (i only started playing in January 2024 (less than 2 months) and have all the core books (my group don't and don't want to read them) so my group wants me to DM) I was running a group about 3 weeks ago, the first 2 hours were going well, with the 3 players I had and we came to a crossroads and my players wanted to split up one up, one left and one right. My heart dropped into my stomach. Not only am I a new player/DM having to manage 3 level 1 players but now I need to manage 3 level 1 players going different directions (we was using minis and a grid map). It was horrible and made me hate D&D honestly, I made it work the best i could but it really put me off D&D for life. I am going to try implement this if it comes up in our next session next week. I have a supportive group who know I'm trying my best but I won't lie my experience with D&D so far has been stressful.
There's a couple ways to go about it, but truly, as you've just started out, it's probably best to start with a chat with your players about running a more linear game. Did you run a session zero to set expectations? It's a good opportunity to set the tone of the game and make sure the game being run is the one everyone wants to play, including you. As the DM, you do pretty much all the work; it's okay to set a basic expectation of your players. To start, set the expectation for the level of freedom you want your story to have; anywhere from linear to full sandbox. I'd personally start with something in the middle; a small area but with a bit of freedom to move within that area. Ideally run a module like Lost Mines of Phandelver if you aren't already. Otherwise, set a main story conflict [could be a vampire lord in a nearby castle is terrorizing the countryside or a young dragon has taken over a mountainside village] and plop the players down in a small, contained area [a countryside big enough for a few villages, caves, and maybe a ruined fort]., then let them build on the story from there, exploring local villages for information, delving into caves to find missing villagers, heading to the local fort once they find out its the meeting spot for the big bad and his cronies, etc. But the main thing you want to establish before you set down to play and do all that fun stuff, is have a frank conversation of player buy-in. I usually ask for two things: make up adventurers who want to adventure as a party and follow the story I provide for you. You could say something like: "hey so last session stressed me out when you guys split upas it was a lot to manage going back and forth. DnD is meant to be a game where we get together and tell a story as a group, but I can't run the game if you guys split up and ignore my story leads. Do you think you could work with me here, and find motivations for your characters to want to stick together as adventures and follow the story I present for you?" DMing is stressful the first few times you run it. My main suggestion, beyond asking the party to stay together as the game intends, is to run a more linear game. Keep it simple like I said above. As you get more experienced, then you can build up to the bigger stuff like splitting the party, running more sandbox games, complex encounters, etc. But for now, remember that you're learning the game as much as your players are. I hope it works out for you; DnD is a really fun hobby once you get more comfortable with it. You could also try joining a game as a player to get a feel for how the game is played by more experienced folks; you can find online games on places like the subreddit r/lfg. Also, if you're looking for more game-to-game advice, the channel series that helped me more than any other was from the RUclipsr Matthew Colville and his series Intro: Running the Game. Best of luck!
@skapunker96 I wish I could heart comments as this is really useful. My playgroup know I'm as new as them, so that's not an issue. I've had a lot of praise despite it. It's probably been sympathetic praise, but im doing my best, so im not going to hate myself too much. The campaign I was running was a solo D&D campaign by Paul Blimmer the death Knights squire it's a solo campaign that I bought and really enjoyed playing with my Paladin PC and bought a bunch of other solo campaigns by the same author for myself as I enjoyed the first so much. Right now, we've had 3 sessions (following the campaigns from the same author that ive modified for my own world) and one next week, I don't want to restrict what my players want to do and would prefer to get better as a DM despite still learning as I go. I really appreciate the comment and am definitely going to take everything on board. But going from someone who's never played a TTRPG to commanding a whole game has been stressful, but I strive to get better. Plus, I have acquired so many miniatures I've painted that I want to use so plenty of reason to continue on. Again, thank you so much for the kind comment. Anything right now is super motivating and helpful, and a struggling DM :)
I don't know about giving people xp, if they kill another player with a monster(and I say kill, because that is what they will try to do, not just 'defeat').
Some pretty dam good reasons for me to not split the party... I personally would never want this to happen in a game I play, though it's probably not bad enough for me to leave a game, I would dodge one before or during session 0 though, where it should be brought up. I almost always play supportive characters or people that can control terrain and use cover rules, this would get rid of field play, tanking, control, and even damage carry team roles. This undermines what I love about combat. (Though I wouldn't say other people shouldn't use it, do what's fun.) I want to know where world features are, I want to physically stand in the way of enemies, I want to mold earth cover for my allies that can't, and I just wouldn't take the bait of earning experience for killing an ally. (Though I probably wouldn't hold back, I wouldn't be terribly viscous, to much effort.) Besides, asking me to break character by playing someone else is gonna trip me up. I wanna keep thinking about my character's thoughts and actions (or their impending death lol), that's why I make 'em.
Awarding XP for getting other party members killed? Just so people aren't bored? That's a hard "No" from me, fam.
The thing many people forget is that the Players always have option to flee when the enemy is too strong for half of their party. just remember to not shut the doors as dm etc
i also love the idea of the players running monster. thank you
MotW has a wonderful approach to this. As part of the "monsters moves" one action is "separate a party member" the mundane (one of the classes/playbooks) even gets experience for it! It's a wonderfully devilish move that can really like you focus on a PC.
The issue, often times with splitting the party is splitting actions. You kinda just "sit there" while players x and y go off. I definitely think though the benefits outweigh the cost, especially for shorter scenes, or longer scenes when you can have the other PCs take the roles of other aspects of the scene, such as sidekicks, or npcs, baddies or even the environment!
For some reason, whenever I grin wickedly and ask, "Sooooo... You are going to split the party?" my players end up deciding to stick together.
Thanks for the tips! Also, did anyone else think for a split second that this was David Drainman (singer for Disturbed)?
Interesting thoughts. I think a little DM discretion can help, ie when you have a lone scout or small group, don't just mob and slaughter them.
New DM here (i only started playing in January 2024 (less than 2 months) and have all the core books (my group don't and don't want to read them) so my group wants me to DM)
I was running a group about 3 weeks ago, the first 2 hours were going well, with the 3 players I had and we came to a crossroads and my players wanted to split up one up, one left and one right.
My heart dropped into my stomach.
Not only am I a new player/DM having to manage 3 level 1 players but now I need to manage 3 level 1 players going different directions (we was using minis and a grid map).
It was horrible and made me hate D&D honestly, I made it work the best i could but it really put me off D&D for life.
I am going to try implement this if it comes up in our next session next week.
I have a supportive group who know I'm trying my best but I won't lie my experience with D&D so far has been stressful.
There's a couple ways to go about it, but truly, as you've just started out, it's probably best to start with a chat with your players about running a more linear game. Did you run a session zero to set expectations? It's a good opportunity to set the tone of the game and make sure the game being run is the one everyone wants to play, including you. As the DM, you do pretty much all the work; it's okay to set a basic expectation of your players.
To start, set the expectation for the level of freedom you want your story to have; anywhere from linear to full sandbox. I'd personally start with something in the middle; a small area but with a bit of freedom to move within that area. Ideally run a module like Lost Mines of Phandelver if you aren't already. Otherwise, set a main story conflict [could be a vampire lord in a nearby castle is terrorizing the countryside or a young dragon has taken over a mountainside village] and plop the players down in a small, contained area [a countryside big enough for a few villages, caves, and maybe a ruined fort]., then let them build on the story from there, exploring local villages for information, delving into caves to find missing villagers, heading to the local fort once they find out its the meeting spot for the big bad and his cronies, etc.
But the main thing you want to establish before you set down to play and do all that fun stuff, is have a frank conversation of player buy-in. I usually ask for two things: make up adventurers who want to adventure as a party and follow the story I provide for you. You could say something like: "hey so last session stressed me out when you guys split upas it was a lot to manage going back and forth. DnD is meant to be a game where we get together and tell a story as a group, but I can't run the game if you guys split up and ignore my story leads. Do you think you could work with me here, and find motivations for your characters to want to stick together as adventures and follow the story I present for you?"
DMing is stressful the first few times you run it. My main suggestion, beyond asking the party to stay together as the game intends, is to run a more linear game. Keep it simple like I said above. As you get more experienced, then you can build up to the bigger stuff like splitting the party, running more sandbox games, complex encounters, etc. But for now, remember that you're learning the game as much as your players are. I hope it works out for you; DnD is a really fun hobby once you get more comfortable with it. You could also try joining a game as a player to get a feel for how the game is played by more experienced folks; you can find online games on places like the subreddit r/lfg. Also, if you're looking for more game-to-game advice, the channel series that helped me more than any other was from the RUclipsr Matthew Colville and his series Intro: Running the Game.
Best of luck!
@skapunker96 I wish I could heart comments as this is really useful.
My playgroup know I'm as new as them, so that's not an issue.
I've had a lot of praise despite it. It's probably been sympathetic praise, but im doing my best, so im not going to hate myself too much.
The campaign I was running was a solo D&D campaign by Paul Blimmer the death Knights squire it's a solo campaign that I bought and really enjoyed playing with my Paladin PC and bought a bunch of other solo campaigns by the same author for myself as I enjoyed the first so much.
Right now, we've had 3 sessions (following the campaigns from the same author that ive modified for my own world) and one next week, I don't want to restrict what my players want to do and would prefer to get better as a DM despite still learning as I go.
I really appreciate the comment and am definitely going to take everything on board.
But going from someone who's never played a TTRPG to commanding a whole game has been stressful, but I strive to get better.
Plus, I have acquired so many miniatures I've painted that I want to use so plenty of reason to continue on.
Again, thank you so much for the kind comment. Anything right now is super motivating and helpful, and a struggling DM :)
I don't know about giving people xp, if they kill another player with a monster(and I say kill, because that is what they will try to do, not just 'defeat').
Some pretty dam good reasons for me to not split the party...
I personally would never want this to happen in a game I play, though it's probably not bad enough for me to leave a game, I would dodge one before or during session 0 though, where it should be brought up.
I almost always play supportive characters or people that can control terrain and use cover rules, this would get rid of field play, tanking, control, and even damage carry team roles.
This undermines what I love about combat. (Though I wouldn't say other people shouldn't use it, do what's fun.)
I want to know where world features are, I want to physically stand in the way of enemies, I want to mold earth cover for my allies that can't, and I just wouldn't take the bait of earning experience for killing an ally. (Though I probably wouldn't hold back, I wouldn't be terribly viscous, to much effort.)
Besides, asking me to break character by playing someone else is gonna trip me up. I wanna keep thinking about my character's thoughts and actions (or their impending death lol), that's why I make 'em.