Novice vs. Advanced Beginner

Posted this on my patreon, but what the heck.  It's an add-on.

I've been writing about the difference between a novice DM and an advanced beginner. I thought it might be interesting to present a short script between a novice DM and a player, to give an idea of the DM's uncertainty and fragmented approach.

DM: [flipping through notes] "Uh, okay, so... you’re in this room. It’s, um, dark. There’s, like, a... stone floor and some... barrels, maybe? And... a door on the other side.”

Player: “Alright, cool. I go check out the barrels.”

DM: [pauses, looking uncertain] “Oh, okay. Uh, the barrels... they look... wooden. Old, I think. Not sure what's inside. Do you... do you want to open one?”

Player: “Yeah, sure. I open the nearest one.”

DM: [fumbles through notes] “Uh, okay... let me check... I think... yeah, alright. You open it, and... I guess it’s empty? Or maybe it’s... dusty? Yeah, let’s say it’s... dusty.”

Player: “Okay. Well... I’ll check the door.”

DM: “The door? Right. Okay, so... it’s, uh, wood. Old, too. Um, I think... maybe you can try to open it?”

Player: “I’ll try the handle.”

DM: [relieved] “Alright, yeah. It opens... I think it opens... into another room.”

This might be overdone, but the goal here is to capture the DM's uncertainty, hesitation and lack of cohesion, to express the disjointed, step-by-step experience of the player. Each element feels isolated and the DM is clearly struggling to keep up with the flow.

Let's try the same scene using an advanced beginner DM:

DM: [confidently setting the scene] “Alright, you step into a dimly lit stone room. The floor is rough and scattered with old, wooden barrels along the walls. Across the room, there’s a heavy wooden door with iron bands—looks like it hasn’t been opened in years.”

Player: “I go over to the barrels to check them out.”

DM: “Sure. As you get closer, you notice a layer of dust on them. Most of them are sealed, but one is slightly cracked open, and you can see some kind of dried-out residue inside. It doesn’t look like anyone’s touched these in ages.”

Player: “Interesting. Alright, I’ll go check out the door.”

DM: [without hesitation] “You make your way to the door. The handle’s rusted, and it feels heavy in your hand, but you manage to turn it with a bit of effort. The door creaks open, and beyond it, you can see another room... shadows flickering along the walls.”

Not only does the DM more fluidly communicate the scene, but the overall moves faster, giving the player a stronger sense of the setting. The description flows, the player sees the space more easily and the scene feels more immersive.

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