Almost all of our dice rolls as DMs take place behind the screen. And while that’s not necessarily a bad thing, it’s a good idea to change it up every now and then. Occasionally, at really dramatic moments, I’ll roll attacks or saving throws (sometimes damage, though I usually use average damage for most things) […]

​I make this mistake often. I know my players are heading into an area soon. I know they’ll want a map when we get there. But I don’t draw it out ahead of time. Mostly it’s just that I’m lazy. But sometimes I think “oh I don’t want to spoil anything – I’ll draw as […]

There’s a delightful set of roll tables in the Dungeon Master’s Guide, pages 142-143. They’re answers to four questions about a magic item that help make it feel just a bit more special: Who created it or was intended to use it? What is a detail from its history? What minor property does it have? […]

​If you ever truly want to feel naked as a DM (short of taking your clothes off, of course), try DMing without a screen. It feels weird. But it also changes the feel of the game. No longer are you the DM on high dispensing monsters and damage. You’re a player with the other players. […]

We’re all familiar with random roll tables, but you might not be using them well. See, there are a couple issues with random roll tables. First, as a DM: you never know what you’re going to get. If it’s something totally insane, you then suddenly have to find a way to make it work. Random […]

Before you get your leather armor in a twist, let me clarify: I’m a huge fan of D&D. Like … all the kinds. Matt Mercer has a knack for dramatic storytelling. The McElroys are hilarious. And both games are great. At the end of every session, I ask for feedback. I like to see what […]

I never think to use mounted monsters. An orc riding a warg is kind of a classic fantasy trope, thanks to Tolkien (woot!), but I just never think to use them. Two reasons you should think about using mounted enemies: It’s something different and unusual. New things always grab players’ attentions! It adds new tactics […]

I have a player introducing a new character into the campaign (he’s the one who got himself executed last session). And then WotC released the new Unearthed Arcana Artificer for playtesting. In the past, I’ve not really been open to using UA material (except for Ranger a while back). Part of it is because I’m […]

I am not artistic. I can barely manage stick figures, except for that one time when I drew this one beautiful line picture, but that was it. Normally? Nope. And yet … doodling and drawing ideas can genuinely lead to good things in your game. Maps are a great example. You can start just drawing […]

One way of thinking about your planning — especially if, like me, you’re a story-focused DM — is to think about things in terms of “story beats.” Instead of a complex plot or anything, just think of it like a quick snapshot of a scene. I’ll often do this by character, so that I’m making […]