dope-dm

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People claim to be fantasy fans but then they haven't read the Belgariad

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It's good to be the Dungeon Master!

Not only do you get to tell fantastic stories about heros, villains, monsters, and magic, but you also get to create the world in which these stories live.

The Dungeon Master

The Dungeon Master (DM) is the creative force behind a D&D game. The DM creates a world for the other players to explore, and also creates and runs adventures that drive the story. An adventure typically hinges on the successful completion of a quest, And can be a short as a single game session. Longer adventures might embroil players in great conflicts that requires multiple games sessions to resolve. Strong together these adventures form an on going campaign. A D&D Campaign can include dozens of Campaign can include dozens of adventures and last for months or years.

A Dungeon Master gets to wear many hats. As the architect of a campaign, The DM creates adventures by placing monsters, traps, and treasures for the other players' characters (the adventurers) to discover. As a storyteller, the DM helps the other players visualize what's happening around them, improvising when the adventurers do something or go somewhere unexpected. As an actor, the DM plays the roles of the monsters and supporting characters, breathing life into them. And as a referee, the DM interprets the rules and decides when to abide by them and when to change them.

Inventing, writing, storytelling, improvising, acting, refereeing- every DM handles these roles differently, And you'll probably enjoy some more then others. It helps to remember that DUNGEONS & DRAGONS is a hobby, and being the DM should be fun. Focus on the aspects you enjoy and downplay the rest. For example, if you don't like creating your own adventures, you can use published ones. You can also lean on the other players to help you with rules mastery and world-building.

The D&D rules help you and the other players habe a good time, but the rules aren't in charge. You're the DM, and you are in charge of the game. That said, your goal isn't to slaughter the adventurers but to create a campaign world that revolves around their actions and decisions, and to keep your players coming back for more! If you're lucky, The events of your campaign will echo in the memories of your players long after the final game session is concluded.

An excerpt from the 5e Dungeon Master's Guide, pg. 4

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As reference to a meme, I added a throw away goblin npc named Sam Smorkle, and to date he was by far my most beloved NPC ever to grace our gaming table. The party instantly fell in love and he only separated form the party when he sacrificed himself to save them. He was so well liked that people who weren't even part do the campaign got very upset with me when he died.

as a dm my favorite thing about starting a new dnd campaign is prepping all of these throw away npcs, and some npcs that could be worth keeping/revisiting, but knowing if you fuck up and do something like make an npc too pathetic, or name a goblin ‘devin’ or something youre going to have to account for the players deciding that this is the character they want to keep around

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This is excellent advice for Dungeon Masters who struggle with putting ideas down on paper, like myself. To help me actually write my ideas, I buy lots of cheap notebooks. Everytime I see a 50¢ or 80¢ notebook. Because of all the random ideas, drawings, dungeons outlines, NPCs, plot points, etc, I use them up pretty quickly.

How To Be A Somewhat Successful DM - Part 1 - Writing A Campaign In 10 Easy Steps

Step 1: Get an idea. Your idea doesn’t have to be super specific, it can be as simple as “hey, pirates are cool, what if I made a campaign with some pirates”. 

Step 2: Get yourself a notebook to scribble your idea in. This is the breeding ground of idiocy and genius alike. I have two notebooks because I’m insane and write too many campaigns 

Step 3: Develop that idea from earlier. You want pirates? What do the pirates want? Are they good or bad? And why do the players care? What is their quest? Most importantly,  come up with an end objective for the campaign. You want a goal for the players to aim for. Even if you don’t reveal the true goal immediately, you’ll need one to plan around.

Step 4: Vomit up all your general ideas and notions about what you might like in the campaign. Just take a page in your notebook and write a list of everything you think you might include. Plot points, monsters, loot, whatever, just put it down on paper. You can sort through it later. This is what my idea page looks like (censored in some places for spoiler reasons):

Step 5: How to get from the start to the end. You’ve got the end point, the Big Bad, but you need some slightly smaller bads along the way. I usually plan around 5 or 6 lower level villains to defeat before the players reach the Main Fight. These fights are best connected to the end goal, where we get major story progression. Between these fights have a variety of smaller challenges, some story related and some more in the ranks of random encounters. 

Step 6: Develop a world. It can be anything you like but make sure that you establish the rules and stick to them. Consistency is important. Figure kingdoms/cities/planets or whatever and how they all work together in your plot.

Step 7: Make some NPCs. This is the fun part in my opinion. Give them some depth, an actual personality and motives of their own. How do they serve the plot? Why do the players need them? Do they get to join the party? They can be an ally, a villain, a betrayer, anything. Just so long as you give them a purpose.

Step 8: Detail time. Time to flesh out those enemies. Give them appearances, abilities, personality. The Big Bad needs a purpose and a way it can be defeated. If you want to make your own monsters as well, I’d advise thinking of one or two traits that make you Uncomfortable and adding those. If you want a monster to be scary, be descriptive. If it makes your skin crawl, it will probably do the same to the players.

Step 9: Time to start writing sessions. Don’t write anything too specific or detailed, the players aren’t about to cooperate with that. Just write the most important points of what will happen, notes to yourself of what you need to mention and the stats of monsters or characters that are relevant. You’ve got to be prepared to improvise.

Step 10: Finishing touches. Get yourself a list of loot. Get the backstories of your players so you can add finer details to the campaign to give them a personal stake. Make a map (and let no one touch it). Figure out how you’re going to hook your players into the story. Make yourself a roll20 or discord or what have you. Find some music. Then you can play. 

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if you definitely 100% own all of the dnd 5E content after spending hundreds of dollars on it whether physically or digitally (or both!) u should use this site here as a quick n easy reference point for the content you definitely already legally own because you’re a law abiding citizen who has paid hundreds of dollars for a shittonne of books.

[dope-dm]

10 quick adventure ideas #4

The party finds a logging camp which has been recently attacked by tree ents. The ents claim this forest is sacred & the loggers are violating their agreement.

While hunting for food, the party find a rabbit in a trap, surrounded by other rabbits all speaking common, trying to figure out how to free their friend.

The party happens across a strange merchant dressed in bright blue robes with matching shoes & gloves, and a white porcelain mask. They sell several magic items, and disappear as soon as the party look away. When asked about the figure, no one seems to even know they exist.

The local town hall has collapsed into a massive sink hole, and the party is hired to rescue the mayor from the kobald infested ruin & network of tunnels before it's too late.

A local Bard has hired the party to delve into a local ruin, so he can observe their adventure and crate an epic tail for the ages, albeit incredibly embellished.

A beast master has come to town, and his troop are holding ostrich races.

Local farmers scrape together a bounty for anyone who can help with their "beast" problem. Some animal has been killing the livestock. Little do they know, a field hand turned werewolf is responsible for the carnage.

A minor local Lord is holding a fancy dinner for several esteemed guests, and the party just so happens to have won a ticket in a raffle. The night turns sour then the Lord is murdered, and everyone is looking at the party.

The party is stopped by a Robin Hood type figure. Depending on the parties appearance & wealth, he and his merry men either rob them for their treasures, or redistribute some money to them.

An assassination attempt is made on a member of the party. After dispatching the attacker, they find a contract from a relatively minor NPC they'd slitted previously.

#d&d #d&d ideas #dm tips #dungeons and dragons 5e #dungeons and dragons #adventure ideas #d&d adventures #d&d adventure ideas

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Every plot relevant NPC after talking to the party once.

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10 quick adventure ideas #3

Someone has stolen farmer Martin's prize pig, and the tracks lead into the woods

A ghost has been haunting the local tavern for the past few weeks, and it's bad for business.

A giant has laid claim to the town, saying it is within his domain, and requires everyone to swear loyalty.

The nearby lake has had reports of strange monsters lurking in the shore at night, scaring away the local fisherman.

A man calling himself the King of Bees has been attacking citizens with his swarms of insects. (Bonus points if he steals honey)

Deep in the snowy mountains, a ruined city has just been discovered and is rumored to be ripe with treasure.

The town's folk are holding a lunar festival, but during the ceremony the moon vanishes.

A knight in black armor blocks a small bridge nearby, and refuses to let anyone pass.

Everyone in a small village have started turning into anthropomorphic animals, usually in their sleep.

A wizard has accidentally turned himself invisible indefinitely, and needs specific ingredients to reverse the effects.

#d&d ideas #d&d #dm tips #dungeon master #dungeons and dragons 5e #dungeons and dragons #dungeonmaster #dungeons and dungeons #dungeon master tips #adventure ideas #dm tools

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What it feels like when your players derail the session in 5 minutes after 6 hours of prep.

#d&d #d&d shenanigans #dungeonmaster #dungeon master #dungeons and dragons 5e #dungeons and dragons

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10 quick adventure ideas #2

A fisherman reports seeing a dragon near the lake.

The party is invited to a royal ball, only to find the king is really two children in a trench coat with a fake beard.

A ghost ship has been spotted in the bay every full moon at midnight, and several ships have been attacked.

A nearby town has been shrouded in unnatural fog for 3 weeks, not a soul in or out since.

The local Duke is having "marital" problems, and has requested some rare herbs to "spice things up".

A large tree in town has come to life and the locals have taken to worshipping it.

Giant spiders have been seen lurking in the near by forest.

A wizard's tower suddenly vanished with a lightning strike, leaving only a smoking crater in the ground where it once stood.

A gnomish chocolate factory has caught fire, sending panicking gnomes and the smell of burnt chocolate through the city streets. They suspect a rival company was involved.

A powerful necromancer has been, for a fee, briefly resurrecting the dead to help solve murders.

#D&d #dungeons and dragons #Dm tips #5e #dungeons and dragons 5e #homebrew 5e #adventure ideas

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Honestly D&d is flexible enough that in can fit any genre, not just typically fantasy.

Some people seem to have the notion that dungeons & dragons just isn't for them.

Maybe your play style doesn't match your Dungeon Master's, maybe you had some less favorable party members. This is alright.

Remember that Dungeons & Dragons is a game for everyone. Perhaps you just need to find a group that sees the game as you do. Leave your assumptions at the door, and see the truth about the kind of people who enjoy table top RPGs.

Elderly people play

Children can play dungeons & dragons

It's a game with something for everyone, even those who don't typically enjoy fantasy.

The Game is a great tool for building team work, communication, creativity, and problem solving skills.

Personally, I struggled with math in school, but because of all the number based systems involved in d&d, I had exposure to math in a way which wasn't intimidating or boring. I believe dungeons & dragons is a great game with many benefits to playing, be setting that aside, who doesn't enjoy a good dungeon crawl?

So get out there, sling some dice, slay a dragon, and have some fun with friends.

[dope-dm]

10 quick adventure ideas #1

1. The local village is being harassed by a witch

2. A star has fallen out of the night sky and landed in the nearby mountains.

3. A mysterious black tower has been spotted in the forest, and everyone sent to investigate have disappeared.

4. The well water has turned black & foul, and many town's folk blame a local legend.

5. A bakers gingerbread men have come to life, and not everyone is very fond of them.

6. A statue of a famous hero has come to life, believing itself to be the long dead hero.

7. The Bard collage is holding a literal battle of the bands, offering 500 gold to the 1st place winners.

8. After refusing to craft a ceremonial dagger for a druid, a well respected blacksmith is transformed into a very grumpy, human sized rabbit.

9. The locals have started to have similar nightmares ever since a strange old recluse moved into town.

10. The local harvest festival turns sour when a scarecrow comes to life and starts abducting people.

#d&d ideas #d&d #dungeons and dragons 5e #adventure ideas #dungeons and dragons #dm tips #dm #dungeonmaster #dungeon master #dm tools