Dear Readers, welcome to a guide designed to enhance one of the most crucial aspects of any Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) campaign: player engagement. Keeping players invested in the story not only ensures that everyone has a great time but also enriches the narrative, creating a memorable and immersive experience. In this post, we’ll delveContinue reading “Captivate Your Players: Complete Guide to D&D Player Engagement”
Tag Archives: how to
Creating Dynamic NPCs: How to Develop Memorable Non-Player Characters for Your Campaign
Dear Reader, welcome to a journey into the heart of what makes Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) campaigns truly unforgettable: the creation of dynamic and memorable non-player characters (NPCs). Whether you’re a seasoned Dungeon Master (DM) or a newcomer looking to enhance your storytelling prowess, developing NPCs that resonate with your players can elevate your gameContinue reading “Creating Dynamic NPCs: How to Develop Memorable Non-Player Characters for Your Campaign”
How-to DM: Session Preparation
Dear Readers, Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) is a game of imagination, strategy, and collaboration. At the heart of every memorable D&D campaign is a Dungeon Master (DM) who crafts a rich and immersive world for players to explore. One of the key elements that contribute to a successful D&D session is thorough preparation. In thisContinue reading “How-to DM: Session Preparation”
How-to DM: Creating Your Own Monsters – Customizing Critters
Greetings, esteemed Dungeon Masters and imaginative world-builders! Today, we embark on a comprehensive exploration into the realm of crafting your very own monsters. Elevate your campaigns to new heights as you breathe life into creatures born from the depths of your creativity. In this extensive guide, we will delve into the intricacies of monster creation,Continue reading “How-to DM: Creating Your Own Monsters – Customizing Critters”
How-To DM: Running an Epic Boss (BBEG) Fight
Dear Readers, I’m going to try a different format for this post to see how I feel about it. If you love it or hate it, let me know in the comments section below! Introduction One of the most exhilarating aspects of D&D is facing formidable foes in epic boss battles. These climactic encounters canContinue reading “How-To DM: Running an Epic Boss (BBEG) Fight”
How-to: Mastering the Art of Scheduling D&D Games – A Guide for Dungeon Masters and Players
Scheduling Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) games can often feel like herding cats, with conflicting schedules, real-life responsibilities, and various commitments of the players involved. However, with effective planning and communication, you can create a seamless gaming schedule that accommodates everyone’s needs and ensures an immersive and enjoyable D&D experience. In this post, we’ll explore someContinue reading “How-to: Mastering the Art of Scheduling D&D Games – A Guide for Dungeon Masters and Players”
How-To Run a Successful One-Shot Adventure
One of the most fun and engaging ways to play D&D is through a one-shot adventure. A one-shot adventure is a self-contained story that typically lasts for one session, usually around three to six hours. It’s a great way to introduce new players to the game, and it’s also perfect for more experienced players whoContinue reading “How-To Run a Successful One-Shot Adventure”
How-To DM: Adventure Outlining
Dear Readers, I have a confession to make: I don’t usually write out the adventures that I run with regards to my homebrew stuff. Not even a little bit. I don’t usually pre-plan the interactions, per se, I don’t have “read aloud” text, but what I do do (hehe, insert 12-year old joke), is outline!Continue reading “How-To DM: Adventure Outlining”
How-To DM: Improvisation
Dear Readers, as you may have seen, my Tuesday group has begun a new campaign, calling themselves the Inglorious Ingrates. You may have seen our Wednesday staff writer, Brandon, who does our “Player’s Perspective” post, writing about their new exploits. If you did not know, by the way, we are starting that group as aContinue reading “How-To DM: Improvisation”
How-To DM: Game Extras
Pretty much everyone knows the basics of playing D&D. You need your books, dice, character sheets, an adventure/module to run, players and a DM. That’s the basics of what one needs to be able to play. But that’s just the basics. What else can enhance your game above and beyond the basics? Electronic Campaign TrackingContinue reading “How-To DM: Game Extras”
Let’s Do Some World Building: More on the Village of Borest
Last time, we took a look at the concept of world building and applied it to a small town of Borest, specifically the inn. We fleshed out a few NPCs. Now, let’s flesh out some more. Last time, I said I’d flesh out the town mayor/selectman/elder. The reason I left him off the list isContinue reading “Let’s Do Some World Building: More on the Village of Borest”
How-To DM: Using a Random Encounter Table
So, you have a great campaign, maybe one you wrote, maybe a prewritten one. Who knows. And you have a random encounter table. The question usually comes up: what do you do with it and when do you use it… Here are some ideas: The Players Derail the Campaign So the players have gone totallyContinue reading “How-To DM: Using a Random Encounter Table”
How To DM: Fighting on the Fly
This week’s How-To post is by my good friend yourdorkmaterials… So. You’ve meticulously planned your big boss fight, carefully balanced your CR’s and come up with cool, integral roles tailored beautifully for each player. It’s going to be epic! Aaaaannnd…two players can’t show. Or the wizard goes down early. Or what was supposed to beContinue reading “How To DM: Fighting on the Fly”
How to DM: Creating Memorable Villains
What do you think of when you hear names like, Cruella DeVille, Melificent, Jafar, Scar (other than I can only seem to think of things Disney rolled out…)? They are memorable villains! Who can forget how awesome that fight between Prince Philip and Melificent was when she turned into a dragon? Who can forget theContinue reading “How to DM: Creating Memorable Villains”
DM How To: Campaign Building
Last week we talked about plot hooks. Remember that post. It becomes important. Start with building a home base. Usually it’s best to make this a small to medium village where you can flush out a number of NPCs and build out an area from there. All the characters should have a reason for beingContinue reading “DM How To: Campaign Building”
How to DM: Encounter Building
This week’s How to DM, we are looking at building encounters. Last week, we talked about Adventure Planning, where we decided what sorts of encounters the party would face while getting to their goal. I break encounters up into four categories: Monsters Role-playing/NPCs Puzzle-solving Traps Sure, there are other kinds, but in my opinion, allContinue reading “How to DM: Encounter Building”
The Daily Dungeon Master Blog 