39 Tips for New Dungeon Masters — and a Few for Veteran DMs, Too
New to being a dungeon master or game master and not sure how to get better? Here are 39 things the 3 Wise DMs wish they knew when they started running role-playing games.
DM Workshop
The Holy Grail: Making Your Epic & Crazy DM Ideas Work in a Game
Let me start with a warning: I am, and have always been, a DM who wants the party to do crazy, super, heroic things like they are living out scenes from mythology. With that said, let me tell you the tale of Sir Thomas & the Quest for the Holy Grail, and how a truly epic adventure played out in one of my games.
Is Faster Leveling Better?
Of course players want to level up just about as fast as they can, but does that lead to a better, more fun game? Our recent experience shows it might. Here’s what we’re seeing, and some ideas about how to optimize level pace in your games.
Stealing Smart: 10 Easy Steps to Prep Any D&D Session
I’ve learned over the years from running multiple games in multiple systems for multiple groups of players that the old adage of “the best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry” is all too true. In this vein, I’d like to detail how I prepare for a session that leaves all the room for the organic decision-making that the players are going to bring.
What’s Fun for the Dungeon Master?
The D&D dungeon master is expected to be the storyteller, referee, manager, entertainer and more. But is that stuff any fun? And what do you do when it isn’t?
The 8 D&D Player Types and How to DM Them
We revisit the eight player types, how we relate to different types of players (sometimes poorly), and strategies to bring out the best in your party and yourself.
10 Do’s and Don’ts for DMing Power Gamers
Here are 10 do’s and don’ts for DMing power gamers that will let everyone – including you and the power gamer – show off and have fun.
What Makes Good Players and Problem Players for a DM?
Thorin, Tony and Dave reveal their player-DM relationship struggles, what makes good/problem players, setting your XP pace, and what to do when players turn on each other.
Your Campaign Isn’t Broken: Recovering From a TPK
So you killed the party? Or you overpowered the party? Or they killed something they shouldn’t have? Or they ruined your story? Campaigns broke, and it’s time to restart! … But is it? In this series, we’ll look at different ways to save campaigns you might think are broken, and we’re starting off with the first campaign killer new DMs run into: The Total Party Kill (TPK).
Our Biggest DM Mistakes and What We Learned From Them
From accidental party kills to evil campaigns that went … well, evil … we’re only Wise DMs because we’ve made all the mistakes more times than we care to remember. What happened, what did we do about it, and what do we wish we’d done differently? We get into all the details and what we’ve learned from them.