DM'ing for the first time, especially with experienced gamers, can be quite intimidating. But, if you know what you're
doing, know the game
rules well (not to say that being a
rules lawyer is a good thing), then you shouldn't have much trouble. I was never much into White Wolf myself, but from what I've heard, the gaming experience for that system is based more on the
storytelling aspect, as opposed to the actualy gnit'n'gritty (killing, treasure, etc).
A key element in this situation would have to be properly playing out the
NPC's. I always loved doing the voices of the NPC's, changing tone and mannerism with each person. It's also good to encourage the players to actually
converse, per se, instead of just having them
say, "Well, I want Johnny to say 'sure baby, let's go back to my
place'"
The most important factor, though, is to
remember that there are
basically three types of
GM's:
- The Game Master who wants the party to fail. These GM's will usually put the players up against horrendous situations and hordes of monsters (Once again, this won't apply much to the White Wolf universe, since it isn't much for hack'n'slash). In my experiences with these types of GM's, they were almost always sadists, as they loved to see the player's fret for their char's life.
- The second type is the Game Master who wants the party to succed. Usually, they don't want to feel like a dickhead for killing off the party, so they'll usually cut the players alot of slack. This was how I used to GM, and it loses it's appeal quickly, especially for that joy you're supposed to experience for giving the players hell ;)
- The third and most balanced type of Game Master is the GM who wants the players, and himself, to have a good time. Usually , these GM's will mix totally fucked situations (like having to fight a band of child-enslaving fast food workers), with excellent rewards for positive player performance(It's the three P's!). Don't be afraid to reward players, but don't let them get fat, because they'll start to bitch when you stop giving them all those +1, +2, +3 weapons (Once again, this doesn't much apply to WW ;)
And, maybe this is just me, but I always loved a GM with a sense of humor. Good luck, kenata :)