fbpx

DM-Player Communications

The Problem With the Servant DM: The Fastest Path to Dungeon Master Burnout

by

Every DM and GM puts together their campaign to have fun with their players. You want everyone to have a good time. But by chasing that goal too hard, many DMs take all the pressure and responsibility for the players having a good time on themselves, and they lose site of running a game they’ll have fun DMing. This is the problem of the servant DM. If you’re not careful, it can be the fastest path to DM burnout, and even falling out with your players in real life.

The Pregnant PC: Handling Odd Character Creation Requests in Dungeons and Dragons and Other RPGs

by

Would you allow a player to bring a pregnant PC into your game? That’s the question listener Joel brings to us for this episode. And while at first, it caught us off-guard, we realized this doesn’t need to be a deal-breaker. In fact, not many PC backstory requests need to be a deal-breaker. It all depends on how you implement them in your fantasy game.

100 Episodes of Dungeon Master Advice: The 22 Most Important DM Lessons From 2 Years of Gaming and Recording 3 Wise DMs

by

What are the most important things every dungeon master (or game master) needs to know? In the 100th episode of 3 Wise DMs, Thorin, Tony and Dave run down the biggest things they’ve learned about running RPGs from Dungeons and Dragons to Marvel to Call of Cthulhu over two years of intensive gaming and discussion on this podcast.

Are Red Herrings Derailing Your D&D Game? Here’s What to Do About It

by

Rich, vivid descriptions bring your fantasy world to life. Unfortunately, they can also lead your players to think that the intricately carved and decorated elven bridge they’re crossing has to be an important clue or secret! If it weren’t, why would the DM have given it such a cool description? This is the curse of the red herring: When you’re casually monologuing details to give the world depth, and the players lock onto something that you meant to be insignificant. Next thing you know, they’re spending 3 hours trying to investigate a mystery that isn’t there. d Dave talk about red herrings they’ve seen get out of control and what they do in their games to try to back to the story … if they can.

How Many Players Are Too Many for One D&D Game? What About Other RPG Systems?

by

The oldest Dungeons & Dragons books said the game was for 4 to 50 players, and we know people who DMed white box D&D campaigns with groups in the 20s. But that was then, and D&D 5th Edition runs into a lot of issues once you pass a certain number of players. So, what do you do when your game is already at 6 players and 3 more want to join? That’s the question posed by one of our listeners in this week’s episode of 3 Wise DMs.

Putting PCs In Charge: How Do You Handle RPG Players Characters Moving Up to Become Kings, Queens and Leaders of Powerful Organizations In Your World?

by

Many RPG campaigns end with the players taking over kingdoms, wizard colleges, crime syndicates or other powerful organizations in the world as a sort of epilogue. But what about when they want to take these titles during the campaign and actively run their new empires? How do you handle putting your player characters in charge of powerful organizations in your world as an active part of the game?

When Should You Bend RPG Rules? Handling Players Who Want to Adjust Game Mechanics They Don’t Like

by

Not every player is OK playing RPGs by the rules as they’re written. Some can’t even get through character creation without asking the DM to make some kind of mechanical adjustment. This may seem like an easy situation – do it my way or play with someone else – but it’s not always that simple. How do you handle those situations?

Don’t Be a DM Martyr: To Recruit New Dungeon Masters, You Need to Make DMing Look Fun

by

The “forever DM” is a stereotype as old as roleplaying. The idea that one guy in the group gets roped into DMing and never gets to play has spawned a thousand memes, YouTube videos and TikToks. But as we discussed in our most recent blog, a lot of players actually want to DM – you just need to help them see why it’s fun. And you can’t do that if you’re busy playing the DM martyr.

How Do You Make New DMs?

by

How do you make new DMs? Here’s how we recruit new players to DM, encourage them to take the mantle, and support them as they take the reins.

Should Everything Be Handled During Game Time? 8 Pros And Cons To Help You Decide 

by

One of the biggest selling points of D&D is that it provides an excuse to get together with your friends and do something interactive. However, sooner or later, one of the players will want to do something without the knowledge or approval of the entire group. This is why we have prepared a list of points both for and against keeping all events in front of a live audience to help determine what’s best for your game and group.