Welcome back, Dungeon Crawlers! It has been some time since I have written to you all. I was finishing my Master’s Degree, which is now completed, so I am back! I have some great articles planned and cannot wait to get those out to you. For now, we are finishing up our series on the Dungeon Master with some tips and tricks.
Here are some tips I have for being a Dungeon Master:
Go With The Flow
You can plan as much as you want for the game, but sometimes, it goes in a different direction than you imagined. There was a time when I had planned down to the second of my campaign, and my group decided to go a completely different route than the campaign was supposed to.
In these moments, take a deep breath and use your imagination. It is not the end of the world that your group went a different direction, have fun with it and try your best. No one knows what is supposed to happen in the game.
Take control of your group
This is something I struggle with, but I am working on it. When the group gets off track, try to reign them back into the game. Or they could still be wondering what is best to do. Try to help them to move the session along. It can be easy to get off track when working with a big group of people, so taking control to lead the game is essential.
Be confident with your content and decisions
You have worked hard to put this game together for you and your friends, so just be confident when making decisions during the game. It can be challenging when players decide to do something different, but again, they don’t know what will happen. So just be confident and stick to what you want to do.
Have fun!
This game is all about getting together with a group of people to play and step into a new world. You are all here because you love games, and this is just another one. So enjoy your time with friends and make new memories with them!
I also reached out to my current DM of a campaign I am in for some of his tips:
Make it about the players and their characters
It might be the DM's "game," but it is all about the players. That doesn't necessarily mean the players always "win," but keep that spotlight on them. Sure other stuff is going on the stage/world around them, but everyone is at the table to let a character out. As the DM, you're there to facilitate that.
Don't let the rules get in the way
There are so many books, spells, talents, feats, etc., that knowing every rule is impossible. So don't. It helps if you know what the NPCs have going on, and the players can help with what their characters can do. And if you don't know, that's OK. Make a decision, run with it for that session, and keep everything moving. You can look it up after the game if it is important.
No one but you knows how it was "supposed" to go
Don't stress if a scene isn't going as planned. You're the only one who knows how it was "supposed" to go. If the players want to turn a goblin encampment into a water park - just run with it.
Just go for it
A lot of people are intimidated about being a DM. Everyone that has ever sat in that seat has felt the same way.
I am so happy to be back and writing to you all. I will see you next week!
Happy Rolling!
Hey Dungeon Crawlers! Amanda here! I have some more tips and tricks from another DM friend of mine. Here they are:
There are as many DM styles as there are DMs, of course. I think the big tentpoles of good DMing are being a fan of your PCs, considering the PCs' themes (backstories, personalities, interests) when writing the next bit of the campaign, and preparing by knowing a lot about things that *could* happen, without ever insisting that any of them *must* happen. As for practical advice, I swear by having big lists of random ideas behind the DM screen. Most screens come with rules printed on them - carrying capacity, conditions, etc. That stuff can be looked up anywhere. I…