The Bootstrap Guide to DMing Your First Role Playing Game
Every DM needs to run their first game, and you don’t need a Ph.D. to do it. Here’s the 3 Wise DMs’ advice for mastering the game while you run it.
DM Workshop
A Wise DM’s Guide to Homebrew Magic Items
Custom magical items can add a sense of mystery to the game as well as your own style to the already strong framework of the existing 5E system. I suspect most DM’s and players are open to the idea of introducing non-canon magical items but have valid concerns surrounding these homebrews being labeled either broken or underwhelming. To help find a middle ground between the two, I would like to share four pieces of advice (or, rather. insane ramblings) on how to create custom magical equipment in your game without derailing both your party balance and the game itself.
How to Set Traps in D&D: Causing Chaos, Mayhem and Problems for Your Players
D&D Traps require the DM to walk a fine line. Balance them right, and your PCs will find themselves in a world of trouble that’s entirely their fault. But overdo it, or make traps too randomly deadly, and the party can slow to a crawl as they check for traps every 5 feet — cursing the DM the whole time. In this episode, Thorin, Tony and Dave talk about how they build hazards that up the mayhem and force layers to solve problems, without reducing traps to two rolls to avoid random death … at least not too often.
3 Tips for RPG Villains Your Players Will Love to Hate
Heroes are defined by their villains. But what really makes a villain worthy of such greatness? Here are 3 tips to help knock your villains out of the park! (Before your players literally knock them out of the park.)
D&D Errata: Love It or Hate It, Here’s How We DM It
Several years into D&D 5E, they’re still releasing new errata that impact books printed years ago. How do you handle these changes at your table?
Wishful Thinking: DM Tips for Granting D&D’s Most Powerful Spell
Few spells or abilities in dungeons & dragons are as powerful or open-ended as the Wish. Having the power to simply wish for whatever you want, and then have it given to you, is the stuff of legends. As a DM, how do you handle that?
Theater of the Mind: Is It a Better Way to Play D&D?
The 3 Wise DMs get old school with their best tips for DMing without maps and minis. Hear what we like about theater of the mind for D&D, what we don’t, and our best tips for making games engaging and fun without maps and minis.
Rolling the Dice: How to Balance Randomness, Story and PC Agency in TTRPGs
The dice never lie, but they don’t tell great stories, either. So how much of your game do you want to leave up to the dice? When should you roll them and why? What kind of game are you teaching your players to play? Can rolling the dice even discourage role-playing?
Famous Fictional PCs: Should You Allow Pop-Culture Clones in Your RPG Campaigns?
Should your TTRPG campaign allow players to make clones of famous fictional characters (like Drizzt, Riddick or The Avengers)? Maybe. After all if a player is inspired, they’re going to be more engaged. But these can be complicated situations. Here’s how to make them work.
7 RPG Improv Tips for DMing Open-World Campaigns
Some DMs are right at home improving from the first time they open a Monster Manual, while others are never comfortable without a rock-solid module to run for the night. If you want to improv more, or just do it better when you have to, here are seven tips for making it up on the fly.