Dungeon Master's Lair

I've been a DM for several years and would like to share my knowledge and experice with other DM's and players alike! I'll likely post some of the content I create for my own campaigns. Please feel free to inbox me questions about being a DM or the game in general!

[sketchdeath]

everyone in the 80s was like fuck ending this song

[dungeonmasterdude]

Back Again

Hello my friends, sorry I have been away for so long, and thank you for continuing to follow my page. I haven’t had time for D&D in quite awhile but I am back in business for now. I have been considering creating content designed for new DM’s, not entire modules but encounters, NPC’s and maybe small villages. What aspects of creating an adventure do you find most difficult? What kind of content would you like to see most? I plan on making the content as generic and accessible as possible as well as tips on how to implement it into your story. 

As always feel free to ask any D&D related questions. 

[dungeonmasterdude]

Hey! I’m a new DM and I’ve been able to avoid having my party fight “normal” NPCs (with spell-casting or specific actions in their classes) for our first few sessions but I probably can’t do that for much longer. How should I go about combat between my party and NPCs whose classes have specific moves/actions? Do I just make a whole character sheet for every NPC combatant or is there a more simple trick you use?

Great Question. I absolutely do not make a character sheet for every NPC as that would be incredibly time-consuming. In the very back of the Monster Manual (p. 342), there is an appendix for NPCs, from Acolyte to Veteran, with tips on customizing them included. I like to start with one of these (there are around 20) and add and remove aspects as I see fit for the encounter. Not only does this cut down on time but also improve your ability to make/ remember some of these stats on the fly if need be. 

As a side note, consider doing this with “regular creatures” as well. Changing a few aspects of a creature can make strategies players used in the past useless. Give a group of goblins some cantrips to cast, throw some flying kobolds at them. The same trick can also be used in reverse to give players a chance to fight something that would typically be too powerful such as a blind cyclops or a group of wild minotaurs with no weapons.

[dungeonmasterdude]

What was your first character?

Myself.

Allow me to explain.

My very first campaign was in junior college with some friends from high school. It was a homebrew campaign that loosely used 4e rules with an interesting premise.  Our DM created characters for us using our general size, strength, and college entry test scores among other things to generate stats. The campaign started in the very basement we were playing in.The only backstory was the 4 of us spent 3 days straight playing League of Legends then slept for 36 hours. Upon waking up we discover that we are in a zombie apocalypse. We navigated our hometown and surrounding area with memory and Google Maps while the DM used real people and places we knew as NPC’s and Quest locations.

 IT WAS A BLAST. 

If anyone would like to more details about this campaign, feel free to message me as I would love to talk about it more. 

Thanks for the great questions and as always feel free to ask me any D&D/DM related questions

[dungeonmasterdude]

Twitch Stream?

Trying to find a way to start a semi-regular D&D related twitch stream. I feel like streaming the game being played is a bit over my head and also way overdone. Like most of the content I create, I want to it to be from the perspective of the DM I am just totally lost on what type of content would be Twitch friendly. 

Thoughts?

[dungeonmasterdude]

For my campaign, I'm co Dming. Dragonborns feature pretty heavily, and we both feel it's not good that dragonborn don't have any special kind of vision. We were thinking of adding infravision, that allows them to see heat signatures. Does this seem like a good plan?

This could work! I would consider putting some sort of cap on the useage. Maybe they use a bonus action for 60 seconds of heat vision a number of times a day equal to level. Sounds like a good excuse to throw in some invisible enemies! Tell your players that it's a new mechanic and it's subject to change as it gets play tested.

[dungeonmasterdude]

Ask Away

Pretty bored today, feel free to ask/inbox me and DND related questions! I'm totally about being a resource for you all to bounce ideas/plans off of since you usually can't with your players.

[dungeonmasterdude]

Help!!!

Hi! A group of friends and I are really wanting to get into D&D but none of us have ever played it so we have no idea what we're doing. While I think it's okay if we go messy and bonkers (as long as we all have fun), they've designated me as the DM and I'm super nervous! I love writing but for our first run I'm probably going to follow an already existing campaign. However, when looking online I realize I dont quite understand how they work and feel overwhelmed with all the infos!

Do you have any DM 101 advices?

-------------------------------------------------------

This was an ask but I hit publish by accident so I'll just do it like this.

As always I recommend doing a session 0 for character creation and to get everyone on the same page. Since everyone including yourself is new, I would recommend using a One-Shot for your first campaign. These adventures can usually be completed in 5-6 hours. It might even be helpful to run a few combat encounters before playing just to reduce the amount of questions being asked during the session. There is nothing wrong with using pregenerated characters for the first session either and there are plenty of free ones available online.

Feel free to inbox me or ask any DnD related questions!!

[parskis]

i swear to god, men raising their voice is the most terrifying thing in the whole world. they dont understand, like its an immediate panic response, game over

[cl4yton-deactivated20180207]

I actually had no idea women found this so scary

[periwinklepromise]

my downstairs neighbors fight on a regular basis, and every time he starts yelling i’m a little afraid he’s going to kill her. i have no reason to think this except that he is a man and he is angry

[thewonderfulthingaboutfish]

My math teacher has a loud voice and a temper and he scares the living shit out of me almost everyday. He’s made me and other kids cry more than once and he and his teacher buddies make a joke out of terrifying students.

[diamondsamura1-deactivated20220]

this was women in general? i knew my gf didn’t like it but I was unaware if this affected most women

[survivor-surviving]

Yes, it does

[pandora-ness]

As a woman, I had no idea it effected other women like this. I was too afraid to even talk about it. I thought I was weak. Thanks for bringing attention to this.

[kaldraws8280]

My dad thinks it’s funny that I used to cry when he raised his voice. I freak out whenever some one does. Once my director did, and I started crying I couldn’t stop. I’m glad to see I’m not alone…

[suicunesrider]

This is so important– seeing how common this is– and I also want you all to know that this is not normal. It isn’t something instinctively ingrained into women, to be afraid of men. There is no natural state of men being a threat that women constantly have to be afraid of. This is cultural. So many women and girls here have a mutual understanding of this feeling, and I think it really shows an unsettling truth about our society, particularly about how men are raised to act and how so many women have this defensive reaction gradually develop. It’s so important that these people have their voices heard, because it teaches us about problems that we just can’t deny the existence of any longer.

[shidoninoure]

I’m glad I’m not the only one

[anexperimentallife]

My fellow men, pay attention. I didn’t realize how scary this could be until one of my exes explained it to me, and it’s heartbreaking.

Also, when we move too much during an argument, or lean forward, it’s scary, and I never knew. I was even a little insulted at first, because surely she didn’t think I would hurt her. But see, that doesn’t matter. It wasn’t a sign that she mistrusted me specifically; it’s a conditioned response. (Although if you keep doing it once you realize it scares her, she SHOULDN’T trust you.)

Not every woman has been physically harmed by a man she trusted, but every woman KNOWS a woman who has.

I used to be horrible about this, because I didn’t realize how intimidating it was. I didn’t understand why the woman I was with clammed up or tried to tell me what she thought I wanted to hear, and I only got angrier, and acted even more like an asshole. It was wrong. It was abusive. It didn’t matter if I INTENDED it that way; it was still emotionally abusive. And it was inexcusable.

I get that when passions are high, and when you’re frustrated, it’s a natural tendency to let your voice get louder, to shout and gesture and lean forward. But you can train yourself to do better. You can train yourself to keep more of an even tone, to refrain from large and fast gestures, to not lean into her personal space. I did. I’m not perfect at it yet, but goddamn it, I WILL be.

Don’t tell me it’s too hard, that you just can’t do it, or that you “shouldn’t have to.” I’m 53 years old and just now getting the hang of it, and if this old dog can learn something new, so can you.

[elfwreck]

Note to guys: It really, REALLY doesn’t matter if you’re thinking, “but I would never…”

History is littered with the bodies of women who believed a man “would never.” This includes women killed by men who honestly, deeply, truly believed they “would never”… right up until she said that one thing or moved in just that way and he just got so mad, just that once, and pushed her or punched her or slashed her or shot her… just once, y’know, to shut her up, or because she was flinching and didn’t she know that HE’S NOT LIKE THAT and I’LL TEACH HER TO BE AFRAID OF ME…

We are trained, from infancy, that Men With Loud Voices are a source of pain from which we cannot escape, and attempts to escape may result in more pain. And as soon as we’re old enough to comprehend a world broader than our immediate circle, a world that extends into the past and will run into the future, we realize that there is no way, no way at all, to tell which men “would never” and which men “would never… except if.”

We live or die on that “if.” And any man who doesn’t like facing that hyper-vigilance can work on fixing OTHER MEN, not women’s fear.

The reaction shouldn’t be “not all men are like that;” it should be “no woman should have to live in fear.”

It’s telling that so many people will hear a story of long-term abuse and say, “why did she stay with him?” and not “why did he treat her like that?”

[plaggnoir]

This made me cry.

[galactic-gangstar-gibbon-deacti]

Don’t skip over this.

[mjolnirsruin]

I’m not going to lie, reading this gave me war flashbacks. I have learnt a trick or two for men who don’t realise they’re acting intimidating. I’ve found this particularly useful in a customer facing role like receptionist.

When a man approaches your desk/leans over the desk, stand up. This puts you at a more even level to their height and helps them realise that they’re in your space and they step back. That normally is enough for a change in behaviour.

Be as direct with them as they are with you. Most people love the phrase “brutally honest” but are more interested in being brutal. Tell them you’re happy to help and understand they’re frustrated but their tone and behaviour doesn’t change then they’re welcome to come back in a few hours, mutual respect is required. Stick to that. Any manager worth their salt should understand and support this.

I would say don’t be afraid to leave the situation and don’t be afraid to ask for help but I’ve been there. I know it is. But try honey, people won’t change unless they know.

[dungeonmasterdude]

I’ve played a series of one shots recently but now I’m DMing a whole campaign for my friends and kinda nervous about it. What advice do you have for getting players to care about the world of the campaign and how should I go about planning each of the sessions?

Getting the characters to care about the world can be very challenging espically with new players. Dropping them into a fantasy world they know nothing about may feel overwhelming.

For this reason I highly recommend hosting a session 0 to meet with the players and give them a rundown of the setting and feel of the adventure. Here they can also all make characters together, if they already know each other then they can pay more attention to your world.

Also, when talking to the players as the DM try and use lots of adjectives and adverbs. Be as descriptive as possible. When they ask a question give them an answer even if you don't know. For example: if a player asks what a shop keeps name is and you shrug and say you don't know. You have destroyed the idea that the character is in a living world where their intrests matter and decisions have impact. If you feel like your players are going off the beaten path of your story. Let them! Fake the rest of the session and write new material for the next one eventually getting them back on track.

I believe a lot of player disinterest can be avoided by not over preparing. It's okay to have a story planned out. But try and let the session go where the players take it.

Sorry for the long answer, feel free to inbox me more questions

-Dungeonmasterdude

[dungeonmasterdude]

I want to get into D&D, but I have personal problems that get in the way. My dad passed away recently, so it would be uncomfortable for me and any players, if their character had a dead family member, which I hear is a common backstory trope. And on a less sad note I love all the characters I create and am terrified of them dying. Should I see if I can find a group that could work around this, suck it up and be uncomfortable for my first couple games, or should I just not play at all?

Dungeons and Dragons should always be a place for people to escape. The bad news is having players with deceased parents is almost unavoidable. The good news however, is the state of the characters parent almost never matters outside of each backstory and I can't think of a reason any DM wouldn't be able to exclude it from end. When you find a DM, talk with them. I'm sure they will will facilitate you and ask the others to limit the talk of such things

[dungeonmasterdude]

what do your DM notes look like?

Thank you for the question.

Typically I have two sets of notes.

I take big picture notes like major plot points, NPC's, locations, and story arcs in Onenote or I a notebook. Then for each session I use loose paper or a small notebook for session to session notes.

For the session to session notes I usually start with a brief synopsis of what the players were doing and are currently doing. Then I usually list the NPC's that may come up and any note on them I may need for the session. Next, a loose timeline on what I think will be accomplished in the session. Having some loot ready to hand out as well as a few random encounters just in case is nice if I have the time.

Hope that helps!

As always my inbox is open to questions.

-DungeonMasterDude

[dungeonmasterdude]

Choosing a campaign for new players.

Later today I will be meeting with some new players and I want to try something new. I want to go into it with no particular adventure in mind. Since they are new players I want to try and figure out what they want to play before making a selection. I have plenty of past campaigns I wouldn't mind returning too as well as access to some published adventures. Writing something new isn't out of the question either.

What sorts of questions would you ask new players with no experience in order to gauge what style of campaign to run? So far I plan to ask what aspect of D&D is appealing to them and describe some of the adventures I already have.

[weareoracle]

[dungeonmasterdude]

Dm Tip #1

TL;DR Get into the habit of creating problems for the players without creating solutions. Instead, focus on giving the players enough tools to create solutions themselves. 

A few months ago I was actively looking to play in a DnD adventure rather than run one.  I found a local restaurant that had a DnD night and was welcomed into one of the adventures. It had been awhile since I got to create a character for play and I was excited for some interesting role play with strangers (this was the first time I would not personally know anyone at all at the table). What I got was a wild goose chase of a session filled with cinematic-esque monologues and dialog between non-player characters. The DM rarely gave an opportunity or reason for a player character to speak to the NPCs and when they did anyway it felt empty and meaningless even in the moment. When presented with a problem, there was one, maybe two, confusing solutions the DM crafted. Needless to say I never went back. It’s been several months since that happened and I never thought about it much. This week as I was completing the final chapters of Red Dead 2, I started to feel like I was playing DnD back at that terrible session. RDR2 is one of the best fiction narratives I’ve ever experienced in any medium. At some points however, it begins to feel like Rockstars way or the highway. Almost every attempt I made to be creative and stray off the yellow line on the map would swiftly be stopped with a game over screen. Going from a wide open world to one with strict instructions during missions felt awkward and made me curious how I could avoid such problems in my own games.

DnD is a game of tools. Some tools are given to the players through a race or a class like dark vision or natural charisma. Other tools are given to the player by the DM. In fact, I believe most information the DM chooses to share with the players should be able to be utilized by the player in some way even if its not entirely obvious. This mean avoiding things like burying important information in long dialog or describing a room with detail that cannot be utilized in anyway to solve any issues.

At the end of the day DnD and gaming in general should be focused of player choice and not an “experience” that’s mostly crafted by the creator. 

If you stuck around for the entire post thanks! I’m going to try and think of more tips that I can elaborate on like this. The next one may be on why I’m not a fan of random encounters. Thoughts?

[sj0]

you have been visited by the seven magic dragon balls your biggest wish will be granted but only if you reblog

[hersheyhipster]

Couldn’t risk it.

[justjengie]

didn’t realize they change colors. now I know o gotta wish.

[pinayputa]

THIS SHIT IS REAL I GOT THE JOB I WAS NUTS ABOUT BC I REBLOGGED THIS YESTERDAY maybe it’s a coinkidink but it okay just take the necessary steps to achieve what you’re wishing for and YOU CAN DO IT

[dungeonmasterdude]

Maybe all my players will finally have the same night off. C'mon Dragon Balls work with me here.

[dungeonmasterdude]

Bored

Anyone wanna chat? Someone hit up my inbox.