So you've Created an Adventure or have chosen to run a published adventure and now you're ready to run your first session. You meet with the other players, who've already created their characters, and gather around a table with some dice and snacks. You're ready to get started!

Introduction

In your story introduction, you want to give the players a brief description of the overall setting, perhaps reiterating what you've already told them about the adventure background. Here you should introduce the general area where the adventure is taking place (town, region, etc), any important background (such as historical or current events that are important to the story), and describe why the PCs are there. If you are running a published adventure, you will likely find descriptive text to read aloud or paraphrase to the players.

Next go around the table and have each player introduce their characters. This should include the character's name, physical description, and any background information that the player wants to share (i.e. their class, why the PC chose to become any adventurer, etc). More in depth information about a character's background can come to light as the story progresses, so at this point player's need only share what is considered to be "common" party knowledge. This is also an opportunity for players to determine the relationships between their PCs if they haven't done so already (i.e. how they know each other, how they came to be adventuring together, etc). For your first adventure, we recommend having the PCs know each other before the adventure begins, but more experienced GMs may choose to have PCs meet each other through the course of the game.

Your First Scene

Once you have introduced the setting and the characters, you are ready to begin your first scene. This is your chance to establish the tone and feel of the story, as well as give the PCs a chance to interact with each other. You may choose to jump right into the action here, starting things off with a combat or similarly high paced encounter. Alternatively, you may choose to give the PCs more of a chance to Roleplay, letting them get comfortable with the character's personalities and how they interact with each other. You should try to allow for both in your first few scenes, but exactly how you begin the adventure is up to you. If this is your first time as Gamemaster, we recommend that you begin your adventure with every character in the same place (and the same scene), but you can alternatively have your characters begin in different scenes and then work to slowly bring all of the characters together.

When running a scene, the first step is to describe the scene to your players. Start with describing what the PCs see when the scene begins, then supplement with descriptions that appeal to the other senses (sounds, smells, etc). Try to use vivid language that will convey a tone and emotional feel to the scene (i.e. homey atmosphere, eerie silence, etc). Make sure to account for any other creatures in the scene, such as NPCs, monsters, and the like and include some mention of their overall appearance and expression (i.e. hostile, guarded, friendly, etc). If you're using a published adventure, you may have pre-written text to read aloud or paraphrase the describes the scene for you.

Once you've finished describing the scene, ask the player's what they would like to do. This is a cue to the players that you've set up the scene and are now turning things over to them. Sometimes the description will necessitate a particular type of action. For example, if you complete your description with an NPC greeting or questioning the PCs, it would signify that the PCs should respond in some way. Alternatively, if you end your description with "and then the monsters attack," a combat scene is likely to follow and you'll then call for Initiative.

After you've given your description of the scene, be prepared to answer any questions the players may have. The players will then decide what their character's do and how they interact with the creatures and objects in the scene, describing their actions as they go. As the Gamemaster, you are responsible for narrating what happens and determining how NPCs, creatures, or other aspects of the scene respond to the PCs actions. Through this interaction, the players should be presented with any information or opportunity that fulfills the scene objective. For example, if the objective is information, the PCs should gain information through their interactions in the scene. Similarly, if the object of the scene is to present the PCs with a social challenge, that challenge should be presented to them.

When the objective of the scene has been completed, and the gameplay has progressed to its natural end, you are ready to finish the scene. Sometimes determining when to end a scene is easy, as it is necessitated by the PCs decisions on the next course of action or a change of location. Other times you will do something to prompt the change in scene: interrupting with another event (i.e. "you hear a crash outside") or narrating the passage of time (i.e. "you continue drinking and joking late into the night, and now it's morning").

Introducing the Plot

If not in your first scene, then certainly somewhere in your first session you should introduce your PCs to the plot of your story. Typically, this is done through the introduction of some sort of Adventure Hook, a bit of storyline or premise that gets your PCs started on the main storyline of your adventure. There are many ways that you can introduce the plot to your characters. They can learn about it directly from an NPC who asks or hires them to complete a task; or they can learn about it more organically, by presenting the PCs with bit and pieces and leaving them to explore the rest.

Transitioning between Scenes

The section above discussed briefly how to end a scene, but how do you transition from scene to scene? Typically, transitioning between scenes simply requires the Gamemaster to narrate what happens (if anything) between one scene and another. If there is a change in location between scenes, the Gamemaster will narrate through the travel between locations, pointing out whether anything interesting happens along the way (which could insert a new scene all its own). Similarly, the gamemaster can narrate changes in time between scenes (i.e. you spend several days waiting about town for your audience with the Duke). Events can also serve as a scene transition, prompting the PCs to move into the next scene. For example, when the church bells begin to toll a warning, it may prompt the PCs to investigate (leading into the next scene).

When transitioning between linear scenes (i.e. scenes that occur one right after the other), you as the Gamemaster are simply responsible for jumping over the gap in time or the travel between scenes. Sometimes, however, the scene has an open transition, where there are multiple options for the next scene and the PCs choice will determine where the PCs go from here. When a scene is open, the type of transition may depend on what the PCs decide: whether the PCs wait till morning or explore during the night, whether they visit the library next or the wizard's workshop.

Ending the Session

You will continue running through your adventure from scene to scene until you are ready to end the session. You may have a set point in the story where you choose to stop, or you may have a time frame within which to play. When possible, it is best to end the session on a point of anticipation: setting up the next scene or foreshadowing things to come. This will allow you to build excitement for the next session and jump right in when the time comes.

Once you've drawn the gameplay to a close, make sure to award any Experience for the session if you haven't already. This is also a chance for the players to ask any last minute questions that they didn't have a chance to get answered during gameplay or to discuss anything about their character with you. If you have time, it's useful to ask the players to give you feedback on the session: what they liked best, what they didn't like, what was fun vs what was boring, etc. Encourage your players to be open and honest, as this is a learning experience for both of you. Know that you won't be perfect the first time around (nor the 50th) and any feedback that they can give you just helps you to make a better game in the future.