Ten Principles for Dungeon Masters in Dungeons and Dragons

[@DungeonDudes]

Our principles are by no means an exhaustive list of all the great tips and advice you can rely on to run better games, and we only could touch on each so briefly! We'd love to hear YOUR principles for how YOU run great games, too! We have a LOT more to say about improvisation, game prep, managing social issues at the table, and using the rules well. If you'd like to hear us talk more in detail about one of these principles and the tips and tricks that go along with it, please leave a comment to let us know!

[@HundredYearsBoar]

I’ve never thought about outlining guiding principles for myself as a DM, at least that I know of. Very good list! I’ll be using most of them for my next campaign

[@DragonSlayerRob]

Thanks guys, ran my first session last week, will be taking these tips to make the next sessions better and better for my players!

[@erelat]

Embracing player creativity is great, just gotta turn into that wave because at first I resisted my best laid plans not panning out as anticipated.

[@Damnationization]

Are you two a couple?

[@sonniehobbs121]

I literally have a suggestions chat that my players can suggest what they would like to see or do in the world. So far I've gotten fights with vampires and just a chill day where they get really drunk throughout the whole session. That's how I get to know my players at least lol.

[@1B1ueyedwo1f]

DM: "You come to a bridge with a man standing on it." New Player (joking to the other players): "What are the chances it's actually like, a demon or something?" DM: "As you approach, the man holds out his hand and says, 'One gold and you may pass. Refuse and I'll turn into a Balrog." New Player: "Uh-huh, right." Other Players: "Dude...he's got a Balrog figure." This has since become a common encounter. We always pay him.

[@Lionrhod212]

Recently I've been playing a derivative of the game with an old-school DM that he calls 50/50. Basically in any scene there's a chance that something will happen. Dice get rolling and it could be bad or good. After you begin to follow the concept as a player, you start suggesting, "What's the chance that...(something beneficial)" But that can go horribly wrong if the dice say that your saviours are the bad guys.

[@Immortal_Mentor]

BALOR.. Balor.. lets not start this lawsuit again 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@gnomad42]

Most of these principles are the same ones I was taught to become a teacher. They work for a lot of circumstance, not just D&D.

[@michaelsorensen7567]

D&d is life. Dm you have to relationship counsel, healthy managing, cooperative effort, morality coaching....

[@donm6552]

I did have an explosion in high school chemistry ...

[@Ricaxa]

Me too as a teacher and dm

[@jonathanbabcock9177]

There's a psychologist i think Ohio University? Who suggests DND to be a tool to rehabilitate prisoners. Implement proper de-escalation, anger management, social practices. Honestly... I think most humans would benefit from improving conflict resolution skills

[@michaelball2529]

Especially the "just add an explosion"

[@_bats_]

You guys touched on the video several times but I think it deserves to be its own principle: never lock content behind a single die roll, or make problems that only have a single solution. I've seen games grind to a halt because of stuff like this and it's frustrating for everyone. One more I might add: never take away a player's agency. I don't like to describe how player characters feel, or narrate them doing something that they didn't explicitly say they did.

[@deletedaccount2134]

Colville mentioned in one of his Running the Game videos that he always builds three completely different ways of figuring something out. That way if players fail a dice role or don't notice your planned clue there's still a way forward.

[@adriannelson4214]

Exactly. The only exceptions to this that I can think of right now is when a character is under the Frightened condition or if they are making a roll for information. Other than that, what a character feels, thinks, or does, is up to the player (in my opinion).

[@njflyersfan74]

Agree with you so much ..wish I could give you more than one like on this. So true.

[@Karajorma]

The comment about agency is very important. The second the player doesn't feel any control over their character is the second they start wondering why they are even playing the game. Very little will grind a game to a halt faster than that.

[@johngalt6752]

I'll just support some of the commenters, when a character is magically influenced, let them play it. If they are not following through, step in and tell them that what they are doing is in violation of their condition/status.

[@stevehoyle2802]

love the empty boot. i had a tea pot in a witches house. they expected it to be magical so i let it magically brew the most refreshing tasting tea. didn't have any mechanical benefit but they kept trying to find out what it did

[@nettogames4268]

This reminds me of something it says in the DM Guidebook. It mentions how the DM's goal isn't to beat the players, or help the players. Their goal is to create a memorable experience. They "Win" when the players have fun, and when the players are smiling.

[@TriMarkC]

Netto Games I agree!! I’ve been running a campaign for over a year now for 5-8 players. I started w a Session Zero (although I didn’t know it was that) to see what we’d all like to play together. We ran our game for 6-7 months, & wrapped up my initial ending where they fought a Predator & Artificer tag team and won. I asked players if someone else wanted to DM a new game and they said they really liked my world, keep going. That really amped me up! So next session, they’re magic macguffin went wild & pointed deeper into the caves. They followed, and fought the next level BBEG I had created, who called on a lava elemental, which ignited the volcano under the island. Terrain challenges, powerful minions, secondary but loved NPC captured by BBEG who escapes. And they’re still chasing him down today!

[@wescbaker]

1:00 0. Have fun 3:37 1. Know your players 6:48 2. Be consistent and fair 8:28 3. Foster a positive environment 10:51 4. Use the rules as a tool 12:30 5. Know when to roll the dice 15:53 6. Keep track of time 18:00 7. Be prepared...to improvise 21:31 8. Be forthcoming with information 25:00 9. Embrace player creativity 29:50 10. When in doubt...add an explosion

[@MadHatter-cj8bh]

I think you need to add 10:48 Don't be a dick

[@bryantstone4673]

thanks for the timestamps @Wes Baker

[@lilyfae7197]

2 is at 6:48 and 1 is at 3:37.

[@NoName-ym5zj]

When your players do something random and get an awesome story out of it and think you are a master of improv, but it was actually planned all along and they have been on the rails the whole time. ILLUSION 100

[@vladimiregorov8382]

Hi guys! I’m an experienced player and a new DM who just started a mix of my own adventure with "Out of the Abyss". So, I wanted to thank you for all the DM tips on this channel, which are REALLY smart and helpful. I also find your style rather clever and funny, thanks for not falling into the Demonweb Pits of idiocy nor vulgarity. So, keep up the good work, and if you ever visit Russia, the beer's on me! ;-)

[@TheDefirion]

How is this channel not bigger? Started watching some videos that popped up on my feed yesterday and I already love the content and attitudes! Also I am a first time DM (on a formal setting anyhow) and love all the tips and ideas you guys share!

[@johngard15]

probably the lame name; no offense

[@Shane-The-Pain]

I think there is "character building" in the traditional sense when you wait for fame, fortune and glory. A misnamed enterprise can be more rewarding then the best, well-marketed concept.

[@lightbornadventures]

Agreed. And I actually like the name. Only so much word play you can do with 'dungeons' and 'dragons'. Much like their videos, its to the point and before watching my first video of them, I knew their vibe and exactly what theyre channel was about. Pretty effective if you ask me.

[@berzerkbankie1342]

I agree with everything the original comment says. Nothing wrong with the name either.

[@Zerg41]

Videos too long, hosts are verbally inefficient, no cuts to reduce speaking pauses

[@ndowroccus4168]

I love when (as a DM) the players choices ruin my gameplan. When the players decide to go against what I am trying to do (pre-planned story line) and forces my mind to go into automatic-improv! After all, improv is what the players are doing.. I’ve had a few groups where I could go in blind, and come out with a thrilling game and the urge from everyone to come back ASAP to continue the story (giving me time to polish up a good ending). Success from everyone contributing. Even once, when I thief stole a weapon and just half-heartily joked “I bet this thing is cursed” (poor cursed weapon), made everyone more intent on figuring out how to remove the curse (none had the spell). Just that change, from one player cracking a stale joke - created an entire campaign of sorts. To this day, there are still inside jokes told of some of those player-created campaigns/multiple sessions.

[@johnekare8376]

Great tips! Thank you for sharing. The point on preparing problems and not solutions spoke to me especially. I remember one game where a player wanted to light some rubble on fire to smoke some baddies out and my response was ‘no, that spell doesn’t work that way’ - partly because the spell didn’t mention lighting things on fire and partly because my gut reaction was that it was ‘too easy of a solution’. After contemplating the situation after the game I realized how bad of a call that was, that basically stifled my players creativity. The next time I met my players I told them what I had realized and ’fessed up to having made a bad call.

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

Integrity as a GM! You may never personally realize just how rare and special a commodity you have at your table for fostering that atmosphere of positivity... simply for "fessing up to a bad call". While there are SO FEW GM's ever willing to admit a misstep without some painfully obvious "evidence" like a Rules list in Canon, or similar, those few who can step up and say "my bad, guys... I FFFF'ed up." gain trust (so long as it's not a growing habit of FFFF'ing up) by admitting to shortcomings in the steady growth of a group of storytellers. ;o)

[@njflyersfan74]

Good principles most I've already been adhering to which was nice to see.

[@EdgeNicx]

How would you solve your situation in a way embracing the player's imagination? "You try to light the rubble on fire with your magic missile. The missile fizzles with a loud rumble as it sends the rubble flying to all sides. No fire is lit, but you hear activity from inside the cave. The commotion has attracted some attention. Roll for initiative." Something like that?

[@cavalcantineto9857]

Guys, seriously, I've been playing tabletop rpg for some years from now on, and for a couple months I've started reading the d&d core books so I can become the DM. You guys are amazing, always explaining everything in the best way possible and also presenting to us so many different things to improve our social experience as well as our RPG skills. Thank you so much for this channel. And see you next video!

[@HowtoRPG]

I love the explosion as a principle.

[@queenannsrevenge100]

Raymond Chandler - “When in doubt have a man come through a door with a gun in his hand.” 😁

[@Hazel-xl8in]

@@queenannsrevenge100 “Orcs Attack!” -Matt Colville

[@Kattywagon29]

I'm a new DM whose going to be running the very first campaign in a couple of weeks. I, of course, have been doing all of this planning and what not to get ready. Part of that is trying to strike the balance between railroading and sandbox play. I'm terrified of the idea of them trying to go somewhere or do something that I haven't planned for or getting bored with me, the world or themselves. The explosion thing is a great idea. I also like thought of generating bad whether or some kind of town event to distract or prevent them from leaving a place to go somewhere that they shouldn't either cuz it will kill them or can't because I have no idea what or who is in the place they want to go yet! I'm also trying to find interesting ways to have NPCs that they have met come along to remind them of things they should or could be doing besides maybe shopping for curtains for their house that I have every intention of burning to the ground. 😃

[@tristanlapoint1798]

I just found this video while preparing as a new DM. It's super helpful! You got yourself a new subscriber.

[@DungeonDudes]

Thank you!

[@noeldacosta7621]

Wish I'd had this video back in the 80's >.

[@mortisCZ]

And me back in the late 90s. Every generation of DMs have find out how RPG works for them and players.😊

[@bibbobella]

Yeah I did the whole "What if there is a" one of my players said not too long ago. He stumpled upon some random pretty weird traveling merchants. Now I hadnt really planned anything special with these people they were just there to make an otherwise slightly uneventful travel less boring. My player however though they were weird and started asking questions about special good or interesting items they might have stumpled upon in their travels. Minutes later he had one of the most important items I have created for this game in his hands after having tradet A LOT of his other items for it. Best part is. He has given so much for this item and find it super interesting so no way he will just throw it away.

[@serg10xm.69]

Okay.... now tell us what this precious item is or does :)

[@ericmeinke6913]

This channel has been really really helpful. After 35+ years since DMing D&D 2e, I was really daunted getting traction to get started. Back in the day there just was few examples to draw from. I feel ready and excited to get a party going and knowing that there are resources I can leverage from. Thanks to the Dungeon Dudes!

[@DungeonDudes]

Thank you! Welcome back to this fantastic game!

[@goblincleric4130]

Also on improvising don't be afraid to say you didn't prepare that, esp as a new DM. I am running my first campaign and week one my players wanted to keep going past what I prepared. I told them "You see completely darkness down the stairs almost as if god had not yet created the next room" which got a laugh. Then we have a choice. 20 min intermission or leave off here. It had been over 3 hours so everyone agreed it was a good stopping point.

[@dford4014]

Did you prep a little extra next time? Sounds like you got some grinders playing, best to prep double!

[@goblincleric4130]

@@dford4014 legit this was so long ago I don't even recall what happened. but my players are the kind of people that will blast throuhg a mini boss in 3 rounds and then spend 2 hours taming a wild animal. They're hard to prep for and I love them.

[@dford4014]

Wild animals for 2 hours, Alex! Awesome!

[@alecmullaney7957]

@@goblincleric4130 my old group wasted a session where he had a friend come by as a DMPC for shopping, only for us to delay the fight with the helmed horror to a day where my level 2 ranger was the solo healer. Nobody died! But everyone hates the taste of goodberries at this point.

[@TheFleahost]

My players take it as a badge of honor if they throw me off by a weird decision they made. It doesn’t happen often so they are proud when they do it.

[@betci90]

ive been rewatching this so often right before sessions, its an amazing ressource!

[@windsgrace688]

Somewhat related to #9 and something I learned in the first game I ever DM'd: If your players have some kind of plan, be sure to ask them to elaborate or explain their end-goal. It'll help the player understand what they really want from that plan/action and will allow you to help them achieve that goal. That way, there'll be little to no miscommunication.

[@ethanbrooks2251]

As a new player of DnD watching your videos is very helpful. Especially since several of the people in the game I am in want to do a second game so that the DM can have extra time to prepare. I was asked to come up with at least a one shot to DM for the group and had hit a brick wall when writing down ideas and how I wanted things to go. Watching a few of your videos has helped me tremendously and inspired me to build a world that I believe my friends will enjoy for a very long time. So thank you for the inspiration and advice that your videos have provided for me.

[@JonnoDavies1]

Hey guys, another great video and some great tips! I took your advice on the feats for my Bard class, he really was a force to be reckoned with!... Until we walked into an ambush and I got suckered with a shovel to the face... I tore it off the guys corpse and it's already a running joke after session 1. Thanks for the pointers guys, keep up the amazing work you do.

[@shivanzombie262]

I'm running my first game Monday, great timing and helpful!

[@ericpeterson5924]

Good luck on the game! Just remember to have fun! (Yes the DM can have fun too 😄)

[@shivanzombie262]

I picked a group of four people that I have known for years and we always have a blast in D&D. Should be good times.

[@j.w.7608]

How did it go?

[@shivanzombie262]

It went really well. Going to segue our first stand alone adventure into an open world sandbox D&D game. All the player's and myself had fun.

[@davisiimdavisiim1295]

I feel you guys have pretty much precisely described and analyzed the pillars of perfect play. well done

[@brunzy420]

Thank you so much for doing these videos! Had never played before or even rolled anything besides a d6 in my life but got the starter set for my friends and I. Was instantly overwhelmed when I found out what it meant to be a DM. We're about half way through LMoP having a blast and I wouldn't be running things half as well without these videos.

[@shivamutreja6427]

I especially loved the last rule. I too always abide by the idea of focusing on truly what matters - the emotion of the scene, and keeping it exciting. Everything else follows.

[@VariableRC]

Thank you guys this is a big help! Just started DMing Lost mine of Phandelver and my 3 brand new players to table top anything ( wife son and co-worker) as well as my somewhat veteran best friend said they loved it my son wanted to play the next day after a 12 hour session haha I feel like next session is going to be great after I listen to this a few times!!!!

[@fa91016]

A few Dungeon Masters I know should watch this. It would make their sessions extremely fun and have better quality

[@Wh173c0c0]

Great video (as usual), guys. There are a lot of good points and good advice given here. I think that points 7 & 9 together can make for fantastic games/scenes. I was the same way when I started DMing (a book of notes, all the scenes planned out, etc.). I have tried kicking that habit over time and even though I always make sure to prepare a good adventure, I usually leave things open by just offering bullet points or possibilities instead of concrete outcomes. One of my favourite instances of this was when my players were searching out a white dragon. People in town claimed not to have seen it. One man said that only "Crazy Old Bill" truly claimed to see it (this was my way of following rule 6 and saving time. "Only a crazy guy saw it; just go up the mountain so you guys can do something fun today.") They engaged this though. Oh, no... No preparation here. Time to improvise! They get to Bill's house and find four scarecrows outside. Going in, they find a ragged robed man asking how they got past his " guards." He speaks what seems to be nonsense, mentioning an invisible beast riding the dragon (which was "hard to see"), the voices of people who don't know they are dead, and an evil jester. The players climb the mountain to find a nearly invisible (in the snow) yeti, sense what could have been banshees, and encounter their evil clown nemesis with the dragon. The four dead adventurers in the cave also happen to wield weapons identical to the ones the scarecrows had. The players had said, " I wonder if he's a divination wizard who fought the dragon and went crazy." Well, now he was. We made it canon that his party died there and all of his premonitions involving the party came true. All improvised because they suggested it. It ended up being a memorable scene and character and it was all because the players had agency to just try something. And as for borrowing from other media, our main story is basically my three favourite games as a kid, all mashed in to one, making a unique story. The players are taking their own direction with it too, so it is becoming a new story in its own right. I have really enjoyed this just because seeing characters from those games end up in new and exciting stories has meant that I get to evolve them beyond the scope of their original source. Sorry for the rant; it's my thing I do when something excites me and this video really got me thinking. = ]

[@jordankern5332]

Hey guys thanks a lot! Consumed all of your videos ! New dm here I’ve been playing for 2-3 years now I’m in the middle of running avernus and you guys have made it way easier 😎👊🏼

[@DungeonDudes]

Glad you’re enjoying our content! It’s our pleasure to help you with your Avernus campaign.

[@BonAtMetropole]

Impressive Guide for me as a new DM. I instanly found the mistakes i did in my first game. Keep going guys. Love your work. Greetings from Germany

[@Fjuron]

I would say, it's not only fun, why we play games - it's more broad that that: Experiencing intense emotions. Surprise and even "negative emotions" can be what we strive for in our play-sessions. Because in the end, even a sad story can be an memorable experience enriching your life.

[@tonyhunt7967]

As always, excellent content, gentlemen. As a DM one of my core principles is being both infallible and fallible in the same go. I don't like referencing books, but there are times when I don't recall precise wording of a spell, or a minor blurb of dialogue about a character i had to improvise a month ago. Other players might. I think a core principle is being willing to admit if something you said isn't 100% right but, as you said so eloquently, that you're also the final deciding authority on what happens in the game. Ultimately you are the structure around the which the system is built.

[@rcschmidt668]

I have watched a bunch of Dudes videos, and I think this was the most helpful for me. I am building a mini campaign that will be closer to epic thanks to these guidelines. Keep it up, Monty and Kelly!

[@jetmanjason]

Thank you so much for mentioning the perception check, could not agree more!

[@natethetoe386]

Thank you very much for talking about players that really like to stick to the rules. I am one of them. Inconsistent rulings by a DM make the game really hard for me to get into.

[@twisted3844]

You guys are great! Love watching you talk about DnD. I've been running RPGs for about 20 years now, but there is always something to learn! Thanks!

[@adriannelson4214]

Something that really grinds my gears is when fellow players just say "I roll for (for example) Arcana" instead of describing the actions they are taking and letting the DM decide when a roll is called for and which one. A typical example is also "Oh yeah one time I did this thing with this guy-" "INSIGHT CHECK!" instead of just "This seems a bit suspect. Do I believe them?"

[@Gorbukoki]

I think the best response to someone announcing what they are rolling for is the DM responding to the roll and not relating it to the situation at hand. For example: Player: "I roll arcana" ... Rolls dice ... "I rolled a 22" DM: "that's a pretty good arcana roll, you have a sudden vivid recollection of this passage you read in a book which discussed the possible negative side effects of mixing various potions, all of which has nothing to do with the situation at hand. Now what would you like to *do*?"

[@bronwynpillay2113]

This is absolutely awesome! I'm DM'ing Descent into Avernus. Took notes on these tips and I'm more excited than ever! Thanks guys :)

[@TheMusicSavage]

Cracking video yet again. Absolutely love the fundamental points and very well explained! Also - so much respect for rolling out in the open. I do the same. Only reason I use a screen is to hide the minis until they come in to play (for effect) and for the useful tables on the DM side. Still producing unique and epic content guys keep it up!

[@ImaginaryJeremy]

Great list of tips! There's a lot to dig into here and pull out for your games! Tip 7 especially, on improvising is essential!

[@Axiom_Link]

I think I’ve watched all your content as of now. Always golden-Always watch through to the end. Thank you guys for being such a bastion of knowledge for the D&D community! ❤️ Have you guys considered offering DM/player classes for patrons or some form of monetary compensation? I would pay good money to DM a game for you guys as the players and then have you critique/teach me where my skills need improvement.

[@briana208]

10:47 i love you two:) Thanks as always for a well thought out and insightful video!!

[@VcassCsoto]

I’m starting to dm to get better at my story telling. I took the idea of Greek mythology and the fall of Olympus. I didn’t know where to really start until I set key points of my story- Eros and psyche, ares and thecoliseum, the 5 rivers, a merging of hades (place) and the heavens, etc etc. all these place came into be and I realized how I surprisingly created a story that has a web of connections. So long story short, I just took what I knew and started with places and then people and started developing my story based on my disgustingly high d20 roll on a history check. Thanks for these awesome tips!

[@JadesnakeVA]

I love there kind of video because I’m horrible at being descriptive of stuff and talking as a NPC. This has helped be become a little better at being a DM.

[@ron72761]

Dudes, these videos are extremely helpful, thanks for sharing with us. I also love the room you video in. Anyway we could see the entire room?

[@quentinlowery]

Thanks for this guys! Took several years off from being the DM and needed to reboot of fundamentals. Fun is always the goal!

[@poetwarrior7153]

I thought something totally different when you first mention rule #4 rules are tools. Great point btw nothing slows a session down like endless rules debates. My version of rules are tools refers to using, especially the more tedious rules, only when they add to the adventure, story or the setting. I tend not to use the travel rules random encounters, rations, exhaustion, distance traveled per day if the players are just going from place to place in the same localized safe area. However, if they are exploring unexplored territory where figuring out how to survive is part of the adventure sure. Similarly I don't track spell components unless they are expensive but if the players are shipwrecked maybe I throw that challenge at the spell casters to figure out what spells they can scrounge the materials for. The rules are there to give you tools to work with to make the world challenging and fell real but if they aren't adding any value feel free to ignore them.

[@DungeonDudes]

YES! We completely agree. Use the rules that are USEFUL to you, that do the things you need them to do to build your game and creature structures for better storytelling. Rules are supports for a DM, not a straightjacket :)

[@benjaminfrost2780]

Fantastic video guys. I couldn't agreed more with it. There are an unruly number of "tips" for DMs and some great places to look for it including right here.

[@AmieWardArt]

thank you so much for all your videos! I'm running my first D&D session in Tuesday and your channel has been key in helping prep for it!

[@benmckee1122]

4:15 THANK YOU for stating the kind of player I am! I was in a game for a while with some friends which was never really that much fun, and although there were a couple of the DM's and other players habits which kind of bothered me I could never put my finger down on one singular thing which made that game not fun! Now I think I get it.

[@TalairanPerigord]

Such amazing advice, thank you! One of the things I learned as an improviser on stage was to never say "no." That shuts down a scene and all of the potential that goes with it. Besides, PCs almost always zig when you think they are going to zag anyway, so I'm always prepared for them to go all "open world" on me. I love character-driven narrative, so let the players engage in their stories as much as I can. But there are always consequences. As for ripping off other material--DO! many of Shakespeare's plays were written from existing folk stories. The campaign I'm running right now is a weird fusion of an SCA Kingdom and the Hundred Years War. There's some good storytelling in that and lots of high drama!

[@zerochi4970]

I’ve been into D&D for a year now. I’ve only ever played as the DM. I’m still learning the rules and every once in a while I’ll run into a rule I don’t have much experience with so I make up a ruling on the fly. When I have time to really look at the rules to see if I was right it’s often been incorrect. With that, I struggle with consistency a lot. A ruling from a previous game won’t always be the same ruling the next time. It understandably frustrates people. I’m getting better the more time goes on though so i hope it’s a temporary problem.

[@DungeonDudes]

It is! Kelly here. I was a player for 5 years before becoming a DM and I had the same issue with consistency. The more you play, the more it sticks. Some games are better than others but generally each game I DM is a push in the right direction and I can feel me getting better and better.

[@ParkerReedJones]

Best video I’ve seen on DM tips so far. Thanks so much!!

[@manolispiperias7608]

It is truly awe inspiring to see this code of conduct being expected at a tabletop game than a workplace.

[@rynopsm]

Great channel guys, just played/DMed for the first time and it went great. Thanks for all the awesome tips!

[@LockSteady]

10K and growing fast, keep it up you unarmed monks

[@lightbornadventures]

Just found your channel today. You dudes are awesome, subscribed for sure! You explain things thoroughly as you speak from experience and give examples for the things you are explaining and why they are important for us as new DM's. It's simple but so rare to see done right. I love your videos, I am real excited to run my first campaign soon! Cheers Dudes and all new DMs alike! :D

[@christopherdodds9435]

You guys Rock! I love your Videos. I am a brand new DM and you Dungeon Dudes have all the answers to everything i need to know! Thank you so much guys

[@samiollikainen6259]

I used to write massive "novels" to make GM notes. Just to have a plan how to act when players did X, Z or Y. I did it because i knew I was not good at improv. Those noted took work, but they did help me to create sessions that made sense and were enjoyable to everyone. Now a days I still do quite alot of notes (Maybe 2 - 6 pages for 4h - 6h session, mostly depending on the situation) but it's less than they used to be, and do include most of the monster stats for quick reference.

[@vincepale]

This is one of the best New DM videos ever. I know I watched it years ago, but just re-watching, makes me go, Yep, I'd tell a new dm that too.

[@TheVexinator]

Adding too much description to an area, or adding too much personality to a random NPC interaction, can cause the adventure to derail. Players often ascribe too much importance to anything that catches their attention.

[@DungeonDudes]

Indeed. It's a tight rope to walk. Players need enough to work with, but not so much that it overwhelms, confuses, or distracts them. Finding the right mix your a given group of players is a huge challenge every DM has to overcome, and it really differs from group to group. I run games for some players that just eat up every little of description I throw at them, but I've also run for others who want only the bare essentials.

[@roumonada]

I mostly agree with this, but at the same time, using description to cause players to become fascinated by something which is actually mundane can be a useful tool.

[@brifox]

To be fair, this isn't always a bad thing. I once had a green dragon wyrmling try to ambush a sleeping party, with the intention of just being a random encounter. To my complete surprise, they managed to befriend it and it's even managed to convince them to slay a bunch of monsters in its territory and I've been able to use that little dragon to start dozens of adventure hooks.

[@davecam4863]

I agree as a DM. IF I give detail to an area my players go "OOOOOH DETAIL! HE MUST BE PLANNING SOMETHING" where most of the time I am just making it neat and descriptive.

[@karsonkammerzell6955]

@@davecam4863 This actually goes with voices too. My coworker's brother was DMing for him and his group and had this NPC running up to tell them something important, but the voice the brother was using sounded crazy shady and conniving. Thus tons of time spent trying to check for deception and use intimidation all to later learn from the DM that the guy was honest; he just made a bad use of that voice, lol.

[@BlackShadow1991]

Thank you for making these guides, Dudes, they are fun, informative and well made :D

[@drbukowski9490]

10:46 : Needs looping and posting everywhere. Made me spit my tea out laughing. Good job, lads!!

[@jonathanhallberg3009]

One thing I´d recommend a GM should do is to ask warmup questions just as the session is about to begin. Asking your players questions like "What is your characters deepest fear?", "What is your characters greatest regret in life?" or "Which of the other PCs does your character trust the most and which one does your character trust the least?" makes your players really think about things they may not have thought about before, which in turn helps everybody get into the game a little bit easier.

[@nomukun1138]

Matt Colville has a principle, "Orcs attack": add extra random encounters to break up deadlocked debates. Your principle 10 is much more general: add unexpected action to change a situation that is bad for any reason, either losing or easily winning or confused or boring.

[@Omegaroth666]

In one of my most memorable games, we were fighting a Lich, and everyone else fell. Nobody died. It literally came down to my character and the Lich. I beat it with single digit hp left. I agree fully in avoiding battles of attrition, but sometimes there are enemies that will refuse to surrender. I'm considering having a courage rating, so the players can do insight checks to see if they can scare some enemies away. Sorry, for the long-windedness, I was taken right back to the energy inn the session. So good.

[@DarkAuraLord]

One thing that helps a lot with Improv as both a player and a DM is understanding the core concept of "yes, and..." When you're doing cooperative improvising, that's the entire name of the game. No matter how utterly ridiculous it might seem to you, you accept it at face value and build on it by adding to it. I find that when players and the DM keep this in mind, there's less instances of arguing about things and more storytelling and fun to be had. A lot of times in my experience, the biggest thing that can either slow games down or grind them to a halt entirely are when people take the OPPOSITE of this philosophy, which would be "no, but..." This often times to leads to bickering about semantics or small unimportant details, when really all that's needed is to just roll with it, and go "yes, and then x and y and z!" to keep the story flowing smoothly.

[@skraal1801]

I will be hosting a little gamesession soon (my first rpg ever) and I am super anxious about it. My biggest fear is, that they find it ridiculous or bored and I am the only one enjoying it. Since I am the only one who is really into tabletop. Your Tips have helped me to be more certrain I can handle that- THANKS !

[@The1EyedK1ng]

You guys are really helpful! First time dm here and you guys have a video on every one of my questions

[@billiam7412]

I think that even if you aren't having an amazing amount of fun a campaign can still be fantastic. You should strive to make sure that your game is compelling as well as fun.

[@DungeonDudes]

Compelling, engaging, intellectually stimulating, exciting, gripping - these are all “fun” in our books. It’s that “thing” what makes the game satisfying and rewarding experience. Whatever fun means to you, it’s the reason to play the game!

[@rmsgrey]

I have a couple of guidelines: A) Roll first, calculate second. B) Death must be earned. A) ideally, you already know (and have made a note of) the threshold values for likely die rolls - at a minimum, precalculate the combined modifier for a given monster's standard attacks rather than having a list of modifiers for base attack modifier, weapon modifier, modifiers from buffs they usually use, terrain modifiers for its home field, etc, that you then have to spend ten seconds adding up every time they attack. On the other hand, players will always do something unexpected eventually. At that point, rather than spending thirty seconds working out modifiers and figuring out what the system says they need to roll, get them to roll the d20. If they roll 15-20, it's probably a success; if they roll 1-10, it's probably a failure; if they roll 10-15, then you might want to actually calculate it. It's worth calculating things from time to time anyway just to check that your intuition is on target, but, in general, for well over half of rolls, you know, and the players know, whether it's a success or a failure the moment the die lands, without needing any calculations. If the threshold is too extreme (can only fail on a 1 or only succeed on a 20) then you probably shouldn't be bothering to roll anyway. B) Character deaths should count. A PC shouldn't die because a group of goblins couldn't miss while the PCs couldn't roll a hit to save their lives (literally). If players do something stupid, like charge into battle with an elder wyrm at first level, then, sure, let them die unless they can come up with a convincing alternative - and a deliberate heroic sacrifice is always awesome - but the PCs, the heroes of the story, shouldn't die by choking on their food, or in a random encounter designed to soften them up a little for the upcoming boss. If the PCs are going to die senselessly, then start cheating in their favour.

[@ArtByKarenEHaley]

I agree 👍👍 If you can only fail on a 1 or succeed on a 20 you may as well be flipping a coin instead to move things along

[@Taranthis]

How can anyone give this a thumbs down... Losers... Seriously this is a great video guys thank you for this and all the other great content you produce.

[@leenewport1793]

Great vid guys'. Im just getting back into D&D after a 30 year gap. Thanks for the advice.

[@slEDgeire]

Hi Lea Your not the only one getting in afte 3 decades. There are quite a few of us around. Some have never stopped.

[@dsan05]

Same! Just started dming my first group in 30 odd years. Going well, but I am way over preparing!

[@52392daner]

That was a big thing I struggled with for my first couple of sessions. I made my players roll dice way too often. Specifically for stealth in an area of a dungeon where they weren't near anything. I fixed it for future encounters like this by letting my players ask if they could and granting it to them if I thought it made sense.

[@mingramh]

Good list. Agree that improv is the most important skill. You cannot account for every scenario. I do what was you guys stated, plan what will happen without the characters.

[@kokirikid817]

Surprise is so important, and as the DM surprise is always when and how you want it. Never forget that you can spice things up at any time for any reason

[@dantertart5118]

I would love to see a video about your favourite non combat magic items and useful tools to give to the players

[@fhuber7507]

Sword: Engraved "I am against Ethyl" ... Bearer can not get drunk. (does not cure someone who is already drunk) Useless effect in combat, but very nice for drinking contests.

[@nestoraquino-serrano7058]

I tried the empty charred boot tonight. My players were losing it lmao

[@twitchster77]

My first session is today...and my dm (new to dm'ing) wants to start with Curse Of Strahd. I found out yesterday that, even though he owns the book on d&d beyond...he hadn't even read a single page in the book yet and had zero clues on any of the story or anything. He's had several weeks to prepare and I've asked him over and over if there's anything I can do to help him which he's declined. I'm just frustrated with him. I've done a crap ton of research and reading getting prepared for our first session...but he hasn't put any effort that I'm aware of at all. We'll see how the session goes. I might see what he, and the rest of our group, feels about running a simpler/starter adventure since we're all so new to the game and will be far easier to manage with less prep. I might eventually see if he'd be open to me dm'ing. I have more time on my hands to prepare for things, and maybe he's just feeling overwhelmed. I don't want to step on his toes though.

[@chainer8686]

+1 immediate like for the early Sun Tsu reference. :D

[@kyleoakley7708]

Another great way to keep the dice rolling down, you can use passive checks as a baseline. Trying to lift up a 100lbs gate thats not locked for a character that has an 18 strength wouldn't be that difficult, so don't roll the dice.

[@mikamelin3022]

Another great video, dudes, keep up the good work!!

[@lucasmarquesdecamargos4298]

The overdescribing vs underdescribing is a good discussion. I have been reading a lot about minimalistic DMing, where you describe the minimum, and when players ask more about it, then you complement on that. Kinda like you're rendering the area in a videogame, only showing what it is important to players, rather than describing every possible room or street or area with 3 senses. There's even the possibility with mature players where they ask if there is, for instance, water in the cave, then the DM asks back, "Is there? Would you describe it?" and then players also get involved in describing tiny bits of the game world.

[@leopoldjenkins]

Binge watching these. Hugely useful and accessible

[@eaglesking497]

The best dungeon I have ever designed was built upon player creativity. I built a dungeon of traps and rooms with strange puzzles in order to proceed. But I had not created a single solution for these rooms or traps. I knew what they did and how they worked, but I didn't know how to get past them. I decided that if my players attempted a solution, and it was believable and creative enough, I'd guide them to making it work. One of the paths dead-ended to a giant fish-bowl room with a massive goldfish swimming in it. After nearly thirty minutes of discussion one of the players spontaneously decided to jump in with the fish, so I said that it swallowed him. I told him separately that he felt a rush as he landed on the floor of another area in the dungeon, but the other players simply saw their companion eaten by a giant fish. Eventually they figured it out and everyone got through, but the panic and problem solving that occurred in the entire dungeon was amazing to watch.

[@JWLuiza]

Eagles King that sounds super fun.

[@michaelryan3818]

My main principle for new DMs is fun is the priority. Fun is above the dice rolls, the rules, and whatever story you, the DM, are trying to tell. DMs win when the party has fun and comes back for more.

[@poetwarrior7153]

Just fantastic advice I like all 9 plus X rules. I did get a little nervous with the introductory comments around "fun". Needless to say the whole point of the hobby is to have fun but some sessions and some of the most memorable and rewarding sessions are not fun. Players character deaths is not fun; it may be fair and it may make perfect sense from a story perspective but for the player losing a character it's not fun at all. Players can sometimes spend large amounts of time debating what to do and sometimes it gets heated. This is not fun and as a DM you can try to give them options and information so they can reach agreement but letting them settle it is important to their teamwork and agency. Sometimes it's that long tough fight that takes forever because ten different things go wrong that everyone remembers years later. Also "fun" is now used as a justification for just ignoring every rule and pressuring the DM to fudge every roll so the players never die and always succeed. I'm guessing both of you know this but it might be important to talk about fun being the long term goal

[@DungeonDudes]

Exactly! Fun is a great "catch all term" . -- but what we are really going for is an exciting and engaging game experience. The thing is that "people have fun in different ways.* One person's fun is another person's tedious snoozefest. This is why we put principle #1 as "know your players".

[@FrenzyVidzHD]

My tip, Fun yet very dark can be done. Certainly don't be scared of dark subjects. The players in the session I ran had a terrible sacrifice on a completely innocent NPC that was close to the players party and in turn gain a powerful ally. They sacrifice .. and people didnt see eye to eye on it but they were all hooked to see what happened next. By far an awesome twist. Loved the improv bit of this video... learned that my scripts are often adapted to suit the new situation.

[@davidgriffin7821]

As a DM I love it when my players completely take me off guard with one of their plans, it puts me on the spot to create this new path that they opened.

[@tiberiusroot]

Cracking content chaps! Brill!

[@johnathanrhoades7751]

The best example of "be forthcoming with information" was when the party was in a house and the DM neglected to describe a front door without realizing it. The party ended up cutting a hole through the wall to get out when in the DM's mind the party had gone crazy-ignoring the door that she had just never described :)

[@BuckFu]

You guys need to drop all these episodes in to a podcast!

[@louishermann7676]

"The Last of Us" gave me a beautiful, stark, and scary environment for my players to make it through last session. The God of Plants was making a ruckus, and had infected the beasts of the Land with cordyceps spores, making them into her numerous spies.

[@GMCiaramella]

You guys are awesome... so earnest and considerate of your viewers. I am SO going to follow you guys from here on out. Tell me, are you excited at all about Pathfinder's upcoming 2nd edition?

[@DungeonDudes]

I’ve personally only done a little bit of research in to it and it sounds really cool, my heart belongs to 5th edition due to the ease, in my opinion, of being able to DM off the cuff. As a player I enjoyed both. I’m interested to see what it will be like - Kelly

[@DrewTombs]

New DM here. I had it planned so that the party would have a brief encounter with a dragon (it would fly off after so much damage and I was going to baby it's attacks to not kill them)... They came up with the plan to strike a deal with the dragon instead to make food offerings in return for peace in that area. Did not anticipate that, but rolled with it.

[@erridian6838]

Aw man, I laughed so hard at Principle X....I planned for thatto happen on my next game XD

[@dannyboy121889]

I love all of these videos! I just feel like Monty always implies that using a DM screen means I'm fudging dice rolls. I never fudge my rolls I use my screen to keep other stuff secret like minis notes maps and stat blocks

[@shanewalsh9644]

I used to spend far to long preparing epic moments and planning out resolutions to traps/problems. But you learn quick players mess every plan up with creativity. So now i prepare only problems, i have no idea what the solution is myself, its whatever the players decide to do, then i improvise from there. Trust yourself to roll with it