Guide to Becoming a Mera Fumiris Dungeon Master

Google Doc: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JtM3Wt4ISlnXceMVEP_5RJXzZ5gje-0eL6_BVoDytRk/edit#

= Becoming a Dungeon Master = Hello! If you are reading this document, you have expressed interest in becoming a Dungeon Master in the Mera Fumiris Discord server. You will find in this document all the things that you will need to understand in order to prove yourself as a dungeon master. Yes, we have standards. Yes, these standards are put into place because we don’t know what we’re doing.

= Privileges of being a core DM = At its heart, the job of being a DM is one that comes at almost zero compensation; you essentially gain nothing but you shoulder the responsibility of others’ fun by being the main arbiter of a hobby that takes a fair amount of time to prepare for and run.

Becoming a core DM opens you to the inner workings of the campaign. Custom items, characters, magic, politics, and player enforcement happens here.

Dungeon Masters' Custom Creation Primer

Requirements to Become a Guest DM

 * Have a Level 7 Chevalier
 * Be willing to do the job

That’s really it lol.

Responsibilities

 * An understanding of the lore. The biggest hurdle that I imagine that new and existing DM’s will face is getting one’s self acquainted with established lore. This includes but isn't limited to:
 * The origins of each race, sometimes modified.
 * The deities and powerful beings at play in Myrias
 * The politics between countries and societies.
 * The catastrophes and conflicts that have risen in the world.

This doesn’t mean that a DM should be able to easily recall every single little detail and tidbit about the world, but this entails a level of commitment to adhering to well-established lore that has been modified to fit a narrative or need that is being fleshed out in a homebrew world.


 * Consistent. The fact that we are running a server with multiple DM’s means that each session should have a level of consistency between them. That being said, rules normally have to be read as-written (RAW), with some wiggle-room for rewarding creativity.
 * One of the worst things that can happen with inconsistent rule-application is when a player says “Why can’t I do X? Dungeon Master A said I could do it!” This has to be nipped in the bud. If you make a mistake, fix it. If another DM makes a mistake, either hastily correct it or talk to them privately.


 * Collaborative. If a Dungeon Master makes a mistake or an issue arises because of a DM’s judgment, the issue must be discussed among the DM’s or the relevant parties without having to “air dirty laundry” for other players. This is mainly in order to keep peace and maintain a healthy and positive environment for everyone. If a mistake is truly made, it will be made clear through discussion with other DM’s in the appropriate channels
 * Knowledgeable. This is a strong tool for consistency. Having a good understanding of the underlying concepts of the rules will allow all the DM’s to apply challenges in a manner similar to their peers. This includes Saving Throws, Ability Checks, and class abilities.
 * Responsible. You are responsible for the hooks you generate, both when it comes to following through on them, and how it would affect other DM’s sessions. Don't expect the other DM's to be willing to share the obligation of introducing elements that you yourself made solid; before introducing elements that you feel might be met with resistance, skepticism, or rejection, be sure to run it through your co-DM’s first.

First Leg: Fundamentals
In the first leg of the Gauntlet, the following are the major considerations for moving on:


 * A good grasp of the core mechanics.
 * Ability to manage players as a group.
 * Ability to keep time.

While running the first leg of the Gauntlet, you are only allowed to run Sanctioned missions, and you are prohibited from creating custom magical items and giving rewards beyond Sanctioned mission rewards. This would mean that mission challenge is commensurate to the reward, not any more or any less.

Also, you are not permitted to use table rules or homebrewed mechanics. This is to ensure that you are acutely aware of the mechanics of D&D on a RAW perspective. You cannot give DM inspiration, and you can’t give heroic feats.

This is definitely the most constricting part of the gauntlet, and you may feel that a bit of your creativity will be stifled by these rules, but once this leg is over, you’ll be granted much more leeway and creative freedom. The main point of the first leg is you proving to the DM’s that you don’t need to be observed or babysat when it comes to the fundamentals.

Ritter Missions
Ritter missions are most likely going to be your first foray into flexing your DM muscles; managing groups of players, representing multiple characters and NPC’s, and combat encounter-building. This is a practice ground where you are normally playing against PC’s that don’t have truly game-breaking abilities. That being said, the experience you gain in these sessions is invaluable to your growth as a Dungeon Master.

Other skills that you’ll pick up include the understanding of other race/class abilities and spells, and even the ability to hold people’s attention during roleplay.

Chevalier Missions
At the Chevalier level, players become more hardy, and start to further differentiate resource-wise and healthwise. It is also at this point that players start attaining stronger and more specialized skills.

In line with the introduction of higher-level spells, chevalier missions should take on a higher level of difficulty. Since we want to enforce the use of a balanced team, the importance of having multiple combat encounters in a session to challenge the players is more apparent at higher levels. This is to make sure that all roles/classes are given the opportunity to shine in combat, as the spellcasters get to expend higher level slots in battle, and the martial/short rest classes such as fighters, rogues, and monks get to show off their endurance, juggernaut-ing their way throughout multiple skirmishes.

This will not only challenge the mechanical capabilities of the DM running the game; as balancing the combat and exploration encounters is a key factor, but also their creative skills; taking extra measures to make sure that although the party is being put through many harder encounters, they still are able to enjoy and be immersed in the setting the DM creates.

The Warlock Predicament
One key example of why battles are different at higher tiers of play is the Warlock predicament. Warlocks have an extremely limited number of spell slots. If you run one single giant combat encounter in a session, warlocks will instantly be at a disadvantage, due to their being useful for only the first few rounds, after which they may have expended all their spell slots. This contrasts harshly with Wizards and Sorcerers who would possess exponentially more resources. Dealing with this disparity is the cutting up of singular combat encounters into multiple smaller ones, and adding short rests in-between. (Mileage may vary)

Second Leg: Creative Freedom
At the second leg, you are now able to use personal table rules, and really everything that core DM’s do is made available to you. In the second leg, we’re trying to gauge if you are able to provide creative challenges and creative rewards for the players that are, again, commensurate to each other. Remember that even at this point, you have to confer with a DM when you are about to run a session.

Unsanctioned Missions
Once you have demonstrated the ability to run Sanctioned Missions for both Ritters and Chevaliers, the ability to run Unsanctioned missions is made available to you.

The key differentiating factor of unsanctioned missions is that these missions provide no completion exp or gold, so the reward is less clear cut than that of sanctioned missions. Not only that, but being unsanctioned means that the mercenary guild does not monitor this mission in any official capacity. Things like personal quests fall under this category, because the narrative is driven by the player characters themselves.

An important aspect of unsanctioned missions is determining the reward. Without the default EXP or gold, these missions must be motivated in some other way. Examples include specific magic items, personal story hooks, and gathering rare resources for the masteries. Be sure to consult with the other DMs on what would be too much or too little.

The Finish Line: Graduation Mission
When you have successfully provided evidence of the necessary skills to run games, the last session you will need to run is a Graduation Mission. These are missions that are exceptionally difficult or challenging and serve as a means for the Players to reach the next tier of play. These missions are meant to, among other things, challenge your ability to design an objective that the players can very realistically fail while still feeling fair and fun.

The Graduation Mission is already your victory lap. This will be your first session as a full-fledged DM. By running this mission, we are confident in your ability to provide a fair, engaging, and challenging session for your players.

Challenging combat encounters
Essentially, most bits of combat must be able to challenge the players without being too punishing. As a mercenary, the threat of death is always there. The following are good indicators of challenge in combat:


 * The players will end up using consumables in order to fix a mistake that was made
 * The players have to break standard formation in order to address something
 * The players are using their resources instead of plainly attacking (this is more indicative for spellcasting classes)

It shouldn’t be hard to tell if you’re challenging the players because they will be giving “hmm” cues.

Challenging encounters can be demonstrated either through one singular combat or many small ones. These differ mainly through the need for resource management (hit dice, features, spell slots) and finding an opportunity to rest.

The presence of this section does not mean that all combat should be challenging, but if you are unable to properly challenge the PC’s, then the experience that they gain as a result of the session’s completion is meaningless. Experience gained is experience earned.

Engaging Non-Combat encounters
Non-combat encounters come in many forms and are indeed more fluid and less structured compared to combat encounters. While the sense of accomplishment from a combat encounter is very straightforward, non-combat encounters tend to stretch the imagination further. This calls upon your ability to think outside the box and work within the systems of 5e in order to create something unique, intriguing, and engaging.

Some examples of non-combat encounters include, but are not limited to:


 * Puzzles
 * Skill Challenges
 * Social Encounters
 * Confrontations (such as stand-offs)

= Observers = You need a Dungeon Master to observe your game.

Either call on the Dungeon Masters in chat or personally message us. If there isn't a Dungeon Master available to observe your session, it would be extremely difficult to confirm your proficiency in being a good DM, which may waste the opportunity to prove yourself. Sometimes, the availability of an observer might be more important than the requestor, so please take that into account.

An observer DM can either be a player or a silent observer. No matter the position, the observer would benefit greatly from any plot or session outline that you can provide for them so that they may be able to follow the session with a more prudent eye. Spoilers be damned, it's more important to have a proper gauge for your sessions and DMing style. Be sure to indicate planned extra rewards and sanctions

The DM reserves the right to modify or remove rewards from the session.

Maybe you'd created or provided the players with more than what was prescribed, or more than what is deserved. The DM can change these rewards. This is one of the toughest things a DM can do; take away rewards, so please don't ever force the DM's hand.

In the same vein, the DM reserves the right to outright invalidate a mission that has taken place. This is an extreme case and will only happen under certain conditions:


 * The mission was executed poorly.
 * The mission was run with the intent of reaping mission note rewards without real effort.
 * Favoritism.

Note that when this happens, the DM that does this must confer with other DM's, and must message you with a clear reason as to why action has taken place.

= Privileges and Limitations of Guest DM’s =

Requirements

 * You must submit or collaborate with a DM concerning the nature of the mission you are going to run. Doing so will allow observing DM’s to better understand the flow of the mission you are running, and enables them to give more constructive feedback once the session has ended.
 * You are required to provide an avenue for a DM to observe your session, be it through an observer account or through a stream. If a DM is not around to observe, then the session will not count towards your fulfillment of your prerequisites for becoming a DM
 * A summary of the session with clear and succinct details must be posted in the mission-notes channel within 3 days after the completion of the session. Doing so promotes giving all players a look into the happenings of your session, as well as gives everyone context as to how the session turned out.

Going RAW
While you are a Guest DM, you need to run sessions as dictated by the rules of the game, more colloquially called RAW, or Rules As Written. This includes:


 * Use of the square grid (5 feet horizontally and vertically. 7 feet for diagonal movements.)
 * Round down values (For resistances, etc.)

The following systems are only allowed with special permission:


 * Wound and Injury systems
 * Modified Long Rest and Short Rest systems

The following systems are not allowed at all:


 * Variant encumbrance

Custom Content

 * Custom magical items need the approval of a DM before implementation. Make sure that the DM you consult has further consulted their co-DM’s
 * Custom locations cannot enter the territory of Beyond Canon as dictated by the Dungeon Masters' Custom Creation Primer

Rewards
You gain benefits from running sessions, though not as much as a full-fledged DM.

Upon posting a mission note, Guest DM's gain 100gp and 1 experience point to any character they have of equal or lower tier to the mission played. They can also pursue a mastery check using the same character. These things must be noted in the tavern, with the Dungeon Masters tagged. Once a DM is present to witness your mastery roll, you may make the associated check.

Example: After posting a mission note, a Guest DM will go to the tavern and say:

"For #mission, I will be giving 100gp and 1xp to Maneera Sheinkladt. I will also be making a mastery check for a Potion of Vitality. Can anyone witness my roll?"

= Some unsolicited advice =


 * Telling your players how many combat encounters there are will lead to your players metagaming the use of their resources, which tends to break immersion. For example, the players may use all their resources on a fight with an owlbear because the DM said this would be their only fight in the day. Barring special circumstances, PC’s would normally not know what the future holds, and it’s suggested to keep it that way.
 * Guideline on Half-cover and ¾ cover:

''To determine whether a target has cover against an attack or other effect on a grid, choose a corner of the attacker’s space or the point of origin of an area of effect. Then trace imaginary lines from that corner to every corner of any one square the target occupies. If one or two of those lines are blocked by an obstacle (including another creature), the target has half cover. If three or four of those lines are blocked but the attack can still reach the target (such as when the target is behind an arrow slit), the target has three-quarters cover.''