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DM Workshop

Magic Item Workshop: Supercharging Your Wand of Wonder

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About a year ago, we released a list of magical items that had been homebrewed for our Storm King’s Thunder campaign. Since then, we have been busy crafting new, over-the top-items that are intended to allow players to go above and beyond the norm without tossing the game into a dumpster and setting it on fire. With that said, we just created a new magical item that is a little more than just extra. In fact, it is easily the most complex magical item any of us have created. So, without further ado, we present to you the Wand of Wondrous Chaos – a super-charged version of one of the game’s already most audacious magical items: the Wand of Wonder.

Is ‘Don’t Over-Prepare’ the Worst Advice for New DMs?

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DM prep: It can be the most important thing to putting on a good game or the biggest obstacle keeping you from getting back behind the screen. Some DMs say the thing to remember is to not over-prepare, but YouTube DM guru Ginny Di recently called this The Worst advice new DMs hear, and that it actually hurt her development as a young DM. Is “don’t over-prepare” bad DMing advice? In this episode, Thorin, Tony and Dave take a close look at Ginny Di’s take, the different ways they approach prep, the pros and cons of trying to DM without over-preparing, and how new DMs can find the right level of prep for them.

DM Hacks and Tricks to Make Running D&D Less Tedious and More Fun

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What’s some of the tedious stuff you have to do as a DM that you really wish had an easy button? Why does WotC make some essential DMing info hard to find (or at least hard to find while you’re trying to run a game)? Here are the tricks and tips we use to try to make DM chores from magic item pricing to map making and initiative tracking less tedious and more fun. And, spoiler alert, it’s different for all of us because every DM has different things they find tedious in running the game.

How Do You Make New DMs?

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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 

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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. 

No Rest for the Weary: How the Rest Cadence of D&D 5E Can Completely Change Your Game

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Rest! In some D&D 5E campaigns, it’s taken for granted. In others, like Tomb of Annihilation, PCs may have to make their HP and long-rest abilities stretch for days. And like in real life, sleep deprivation changes the game! How can the DM use all of these nuances to their advantage to tortu… er, have fun with the players? Thorin, Tony and Dave discuss all that and more in this episode of 3 Wise DMs.

The Sinister 7: How to Run 7 Iconic D&D Monsters for Maximum Mystique

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Dungeons & Dragons is a lot more than just dungeons and dragons. The game is full of iconic monsters with unique legends and mystique, some pulled from mythology and others found only in this game. But from D&D, many of these monsters have become pop culture icons with stories and expectations that have taken on a life of their own. Here are seven of the most iconic monsters in D&D and how Thorin, Tony and Dave get the most out of them in their campaigns.

Does D&D Magic Item Attunement Crimp Your DM Style?

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Do the magic item attunement rules and limits make D&D 5E a better game or just add a layer of frustration? When we started playing 5E, we actually ignored attunement. Now, we’ve started using it across all of our campaigns to understand how the game is meant to be played. … And we have some concerns. In this episode, Thorin, Tony and Dave talk about attunement, magic items in older editions, and the role these tools play in their games.

8 Tips to Improve Your Game With Better Turn Control for Both Players and DMs 

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One of the hallmarks of D&D is its structured turn-based system. And while this has advantages, it is not without its downsides – such as how a single combat can suck up more of the session than everyone trying to decide what they want for game night dinner. This is why we’ve composed a list of 8 tips that will make turns, rounds, scenes and scenarios run smoother without the DM or players feeling rushed. 

9 Alternate D&D Rules to Try: Our Favorite Optional Mechanics From the DMG, Homebrew and Other Games

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Vanilla Dungeons & Dragons 5E is a fine game, but depending on the atmosphere you want to set and the possibilities of your setting, there are a lot of alternate rules that can bring your game to the next level. The D&D 5E Dungeon Masters Guide has some great optional rules you can use to bring different genres of games to life by playing up things like honor and horror. Beyond D&D itself, a lot of other games use mechanics that are worth porting in to create certain effects in your campaign world. Your own unique homebrew mechanics can be even more powerful tools for bringing your setting more to life. In this episode, Thorin, Tony and Dave talk about their favorite optional rules, how to use them and when.