Best Tools for First-Time Dungeon Masters (Start Simple, Have Fun)
Will the players be smiling after the TPK?
If you’re DMing for the first time, let me say this clearly:
You do not need to know everything.
You do not need expensive gear.
You do not need to run a perfect game.
What you do need is a small set of tools, a willingness to improvise, and permission to have fun.
This guide is written specifically for first-time Dungeon Masters—the folks sitting behind the screen (or laptop) for the very first time, wondering if they’re “doing it right.” You aren’t - but that’s ok!
Let’s get you set up.
First-Time DM Mindset (More Important Than Any Tool)
Before we talk gear, lets remember why we are sitting down at the table, and the goals are:
Your job is not to “beat” the players
Your job is not to know every rule
Your job is to facilitate fun and tell a story together
If you don’t know a rule:
Make a quick call
Keep the game moving
Look it up later
This is often called the Rule of Cool—if something is fun, cinematic, and reasonable, let it happen. In my first session as a player - I asked the DM if I could use command to make a goblin walk through fire and burn himself alive. He said sure, and I honestly still laugh about it today. We looked it up later and learned that command CAN NOT be used that way - but in the moment, it made sense to allow it and have fun with it.
Players will remember the moment whether you “got it right” or not. Remember, we are here to have fun.
The Absolute Essentials for a First-Time DM
You can run your first session with very little. Here’s what actually matters.
Dice (Cheap Is Perfectly Fine)
You need:
One full polyhedral dice set (d4–d20)
That’s it.
Beginner advice
Resin dice are cheap, readable, and table-safe
You do not need metal dice
You will eventually want extra d20s, but not on day one
Check out my DM ToolBox article where I link out a couple of options for cheap dice sets to get you started - here.
Access to the Rules (Physical or Digital)
Is there a “how to roll a dice” section?
You need some way to answer basic questions:
Ability checks
Saving throws
Combat flow
Spells and conditions
Good news:
You do not need to buy every book.
First-time DM options
Basic rules (free)
One core rulebook (physical or digital)
For a physical copy: Core Rule Book Link
If you are going digital, check out DnDBeyond
A Notebook (Seriously, Don’t Skip This)
You need a place to write down:
NPC names you make up on the fly
Player decisions
Plot threads you didn’t plan for (and won’t remember later)
This can be:
A cheap notebook
A binder
A Google Doc
The best DM notebook is the one you’ll actually use. Our party started off using word docs and Drop Box. Worked great! As we started playing more, we found that using a google sheet / doc with shared access is a bit easier for us to drop in and add notes, track quests, etc…. I will share samples of those in a future article - stay tuned!
I do have a Book of Holding for quick notes at home, and it look fun on the book shelf.
Do New DMs Need Maps?
DM brought a sword to the party?!
Short answer: No.
Long answer: Maps help—but they are not required.
In-Person Games
Theater of the mind works great
A quick sketch on paper or a dry-erase mat is more than enough
Clarity matters more than detail
Online Games
Maps make things much easier:
Players understand positioning
Combat runs faster
Fewer questions about distance
That said:
Simple maps are fine
Many adventures include maps already
You don’t need to design anything fancy
If you’re writing your own campaign, a rough sketch is totally valid.
If you’re running a published adventure, the maps are usually done for you.
Do First-Time DMs Need a Virtual Tabletop?
Only if you’re playing online.
If you are, keep it simple.
Lightweight tools are often better than complex ones when you’re new.
Many first-time DMs succeed with:
Simple map + tokens
Basic fog of war
Manual dice rolling
You can always upgrade later.
I firmly believe that OwlBear Rodeo is the best option for a new DM, or a group that is seeking to play online for the first time. It is easy, and everyone will be proficient after watching a few YouTube videos - and a session or two. We use OwlBear for all of our sessions, and it keeps things simple!
The Best One-Shot for First-Time Dungeon Master
If you’re nervous about running a full campaign, start with a one-shot.
My top recommendation for new DMs is:
A Wild Sheep Chase by Winghorn Press
This is a well written, simple and fun one-shot that many DMs regard as the best for first timers. This has everything from talking sheep, to weird wizards, and a shockingly interesting fight with some furniture…. Yeah… funny shit!
I also recommend watching an actual play before running it. Seeing a table run the adventure can boost confidence immensely. There are plenty of videos online of DMs running this one-shot, but I will be linking you to mine!
Watch us play A Wild Sheep Chase as a side mission in one of our campaigns! We gave our DM a break for a few sessions and had our cleric (my character) enter into some drama with God, Helm. Raimond Moonglow lost his way a bit, and Helm wanted to teach him a lesson - so Rai entered into a fever dream - beginning the Wild Sheep Chase adventure for our party. This was only my second time DMing, so you will see my fumble a bit, but no one remembers those things - only that we had a good time learning why this strange sheep showed up with a scroll of talk to animals!
What First-Time DMs Should Ignore (For Now)
You do not need:
Expensive terrain
Custom minis
Advanced automation
Every expansion book
Perfect voices or accents
You do need:
A starting situation
A problem for the players
A willingness to say “yes, and…”
As Dwight Schrute would say - “Keep It Simple Stupid. Great advice, hurts my feelings every time.”
Final Reassurance (Read This Twice)
Are they graduating?
Every great DM:
Was once nervous
Forgot rules
Made mistakes
Improvised wildly
That’s not failure—that’s learning the craft.
If your players laugh, talk about the session afterward, and want to play again—you did it right.
-DJ