“Hipam, can’t you do anything? Herlia asks with an exasperated tone.

“Well, Miss Herlia, I’m not exactly suited for..”

“What about you you dumb bear?” Herlia yells at the large brown bear at the back of the cave. You’d all found this cave a few weeks ago while looking for shelter. 

“Herlia. I’m not exactly sure something can be done. He’s just lost his uncle. That’s not exactly something you get over in a matter of minutes. Have a little heart.”

Herlia walks up to Hipam who’s sat propped up against the large brown bear. She crouches down in front of him.

“Let me tell you something little halfling. I’ve had my fair share of losses. After all of it, I found my way into the city guard where I could at least do some good. I was able to stop beatings and prevent murder. Now, I’ve been pulled away from that to do what? This?” Herlia gestures to the front of the cave where Ulv sits motionless as snow covers his face. Herlia gets up and walks over to Ulv and spins him around and cries, “Your uncle died but Cojari is still alive and he needs our help. The entire kingdom needs our help. You haven’t said a word in weeks. What are you waiting for?”

No response from Ulv. 

So Herlia punches him in the mouth.

Suddenly, Ulv finds himself on a warm rug. Surprised by the change of scenery, he sits up. He’s in a large teepee made of animal skins. 

What would you like to do?

Intro

Christmas is coming the goose is getting fat! And we’re getting ready for it with this list of Dungeon Master Gift Ideas. Welcome back to How to Be a Better DM. I’m your host, Justin Lewis and I’m here to help you craft better stories for yourself and your players as you DM sessions of D&D.

The first announcement today is who won the giveaway! 

The winner is …… twisted.toga !!!!! I’ll reach out to you today to get you your download key!

We’ll also have some more announcements at the end of today’s show so stick around for that.

Main Topic

With the holiday season fast approaching, I thought it would be a good idea to create a sort of Christmas wishlist for gifts to give to the aspiring Dungeon Master. This list can serve as ideas for you to give a gift to someone else, or you can hand this list over to your significant other to help them with their shopping for you. 

I’ll be honest, this list is pretty long, but that is because there are many things that you can buy for a Dungeon Master. Let me also just say that almost all of these things are “luxury” items. That means you don’t actually need them to play D&D, they’re just really nice to have. I also need to mention that I have no stake in mentioning any of these products. I have not been paid or compensated in any way. I just like them. That said, let’s get into the list and see what I have in my Santa Sleigh of holding….

Player’s Handbook

Number one on the list is really the only thing that you should get for your DM if they don’t already have it. It has the rules of how to play the game as well as the rules on how to create characters. To be honest, though, Wizards of the Coast is releasing Unearthed arcana in parts for free, meaning if you wait long enough, you’ll probably have enough to use to play the game for free anyways. If you want to know about unearthed arcana go back and listen to Episode 68 and Episode 66. But there are two options for buying the player’s handbook. You can get the digital copy (which is being sold on DNDBeyond for $29.99 as of me writing this episode) and the physical copy (which is being sold on Amazon for $22.95 at the time of me writing this episode, though it does look like that is a sale, and usually it sells for $49.95). Obviously there are pros and cons to both having the book digitally or physically. I would pay attention to what your Dungeon Master uses normally and then get them that. You can always get them the other one next year.

Dungeon Master’s Guide

Next to the Player’s Handbook the Dungeon Master’s Guide makes the perfect gift for the DM or aspiring DM who does not have it. This one is nice to have both online and in person, so gift-givers, feel free to give either one because they both have their benefits. Right now the Dungeon Master’s Guide is selling for $27.95 on Amazon (though that seems to be a sales price with the original price being $49.95) and the digital copy is being sold for $29.99 on DnDBeyond. This gift is a nice-to-have gift as it is more focused on being a Dungeon Master while having less content that you actually need. Naturally, there are case by case situations where you might need one thing within the DMG but overall, I’d say this book is a luxury.

Monster Manual

Last of all, there is the Monster Manual. This book is exactly what it claims to be, a manual of monsters. Compared to the DMG I would say this is a little bit more of a need for dungeon masters simply because every story needs conflic, and there are a lot of conflicts that happen between two living entities. This manual inspires you with those entities. It makes it really easy to fill up your games with baddies. Right now you can buy the physical copy on Amazon for $26.90 though the original price is $49.95 and you can get the digital copy for $29.99 on DnDBeyond. Now if you want to get the Monster Manual, Dungeon Master’s Guide and Player’s Handbook, you can get a bundle which might save some money. Right now the physical bundle is available on amazon for $85.99 and comes with a DM screen and the lost mines of Phandelver adventure. 

A Resin 3D Printer

Usually, I stick with the cheaper things when giving tips on this podcast however, I know there is someone out there looking to give their dungeon master a high ticket gift so these next two are more expensive. Number 4 on the list is a resin 3d printer. A resin printer would allo your DM to print their own minis and even tabletop terrain in extremely high detail. A quick nitro resin printing. Your DM will need to have a computer so if they don’t have that this might not be the best gift. Also, the resin can be toxic so your DM will need a space where the resin printer can be kept away from children and pets. Also extreme hot or cold does not produce great prints so an insulated place is very important too. So let’s look at some prices. Now, this episode is not looking at which printer to buy. Instead these prices are just to set your expectations. Right now on Amazon I found a Creality Official Halot One for $199. Your DM will likely need a washing and curing machine as well in order to make sure the prints actually cure correctly. If you’re looking to do that I found a full bundle with all three from Elegoo for $378.99. Remember you’ll also need to buy that actual resin which I found for about $19.99. I would also recommend having paper towels and rubber gloves and a mask on hand too.

A Tablet

Again, among the expensive items of this list is a tablet. It would allow the DM of your life to access DnDBeyond without having to lug around their laptop. It’s simply a much more convenient tool than a computer. It can also be used in conjunction with computers. So there are lots of tablets out there but I found an Apple IPad mini on Amazon for $468 to set your expectations.

A Dice Tray

Having a dice tray is just really nice. It so allows you to set your style as a DM and I think it helps your players get in the mood too. There are millions of dice tray creators out there. Find one you like and get it! I love what @sterlingmakes does on Instagram. These are beautiful dice trays made out of wood, often with resin details added. They are quite beautiful to look at. Dice trays come in all shapes and sizes and therefore, all price ranges so find one that fits your DM and get it for them.

A Subscription to DNDBeyond

DnDBeyond offers Dungeon Masters the ability to craft encounters and campaigns with characters uploaded online so you can play anywhere. Their free account allows you a select number of these encounters and characters. For Christmas, gift your DM a yearlong subscription to DnDBeyond so they can have unlimited encounters and characters. The Hero Subscrition is about $40 for the year and the Master Subscription is about $70 for the year. The Master just allows you to share downloaded content with your players which is nice for DM’s who heavily use DNDBeyond for their character creation process.

A DM Screen

I particularly love the Dungeon Master Screen because it hides what you’re doing, and it gives you some authority and credibility at the table. It also has some really nice references as far as conditions and other things go. Here you can also find a screen as expensive as you want. From a quick Google Search I saw a range of screens going from $40 to $240 so you can really find one that fits you and your table. The nice thing about buying special or custom screens is that they are taller which is nice because the screen that comes in the normal D&D kit is somewhat short. It’s the one that I use though so don’t let the shortness of it stop you.

A Nice but Simple Sound System

Ambience can be a great tool for the burgeoning dungeon master. Giving them the opportunity to add ambience in full surround sound is a great gift! Some things to note here. Before getting the DM surround sound you might want to check with them about hooking things up to walls or what their plans are in this area. Usually people hook up Surround sound on walls and such. You don’t want to get them a gift they are unwilling to use. Next, often, surround sound systems require cabling. Make sure you get that as well. It’s annoying to get a gift that you can’t use. That said, surround sound systems are not as expensive as you might think. Just looking on amazon I found one that is $49.97 and it comes with one large subwoofer with 5 smaller speakers and it is Bluetooth capable. You can then get speaker cable for $12.99 and you have a passable speaker system in your D&D room.

A Microphone

This gift is for the online DM or the intrepid streamer, or the prospective podcaster. Microphones are pivotal for excellent gameplay over the airwaves. Here you want to think of a few things. There are two types of mics. There is a dynamic microphone which is designed to pick up everything. This sort of mic is best used in a very controlled environment like a recording booth. It will give great audio but may need some engineering on the backend. The other type of microphone is a compressed microphone which is designed only to pick up the voice of the speaker. You can use this microphone in a lot more of a noisy location (though you still want to get your audio as clean as you can as you record). For most people, I would recommend a compressed mic because it’s just easier. Bar-none I recommend the Samsun Q2U Microphone (you can get the recording and Podcasting pack for $70 on Amazon). It has excellent sound quality and USB and XLR connection and you can hook up your headphones to the mic to hear how you sound as you use it. It is the best in plug and play mics.

A Very Fancy Notebook

Depending on your DM, a fancy notebook might be just the thing for them. You’ll definitely want to pay attention to them to make sure that it’s something they would use though. I have an amazing notebook made from listener of the podcast, Anna. I use it everyday to record thoughts and insights. There are some really cool options on Amazon right now that are around $25 and would make a perfect gift.

A Fancy Medieval Mug

It’s a small touch, but supplying interesting mugs for players can help them to immerse themselves into the game. It can do the same thing for your DM. As you DM you are talking a lot so you naturally want to drink to keep your throat moiste. What can be cooler than drinking from your very own D&D styled mug. There are a lot of options on Amazon. You can even get a Viking horn mug for around $50. There are endless options.

A Gift Card to Hero Forge

If you haven’t heard of Hero Forge, it is an online site that allows you to create custom miniatures to match the character you are playing right now. They have a lot of options and you can buy the mini, buy the STL file to print the mini or buy the mini and have them paint it. You can also create a character and then import them into software like Dungeon Alchemist to play online in a 3D fashion, pretty cool. Naturally a gift card is the best choice because you don’t know what your DM would like to use it for. For example, last year, my older brother got me a $25 gift card to hero forge and just recently, I used some of it to create a mini that looks like me and then buy the STL. I printed it out and now I’m using it to make reels on Instagram.

Dungeon Alchemist

If you’ve been paying attention to the podcast these last couple weeks you’d know that I am a huge fan of Dungeon Alchemist. They are a software you can download on Steam that allows you to quickly make maps of dungeons. You can simply select the type of room you want, draw the shape and click the check mark and the software will design the room complete with furniture and treasure in a 3d Fashion. You can export the map to use on online platforms like Foundry or Roll20. It’s incredible and like I just mentioned, you can import minis from Hero Forge and use them as 3D avatars for your players. If you want to know more about Dungeon Alchemist go to betterdungeonmaster.com/dungeon-alchemist. And here again I have to say that I am not being paid to say that, however I do have that link so then I can hopefully go to Dungeon Alchemist and show them that our listeners love their product so then they will sponsor us. Just being transparent. Anyways, I really love their software and I use it all the time. 

A Subscription to World Anvil

World Anvil is a tool that anyone can use to world build their homebrew project or even just use it for their current campaign. You can create Dungeon Master specific pages or let everyone see everything. You can even keep notes on your current campaign as you run it. There is a free account that allows you to get started, but that doesn’t offer nearly any of the really cool features like Secrets or Word Count Goals. The Cheapest account is for $54 a year and may well be worth it for that Dungeon Master itching to create their very own world….

Tabletop Terrain

We’ve all seen excellent examples of tabletop terrain on Shows like Critical role or High Rollers, so why not get your DM something similar. I’ve preferred my own tabletop terrain that I’ve spliced together from things I’ve found online and my own design that I 3D print. It’s cheaper, but it takes more time to get everything together. I also have to paint it which I’m not very good at. If your DM doesn’t like anything that I’ve just mentioned then you can opt for sites like Dwarven Forge. They have awesome options for Tabletop Terrain sets that are fully fleshed out and painted. Or if your DM loves to craft and make things themselves, maybe look at getting them XPS foam and super glue and paint. Either way, make sure it’s what the DM wants and will use. 

Naturally there are infinite combinations for gifts you can get the Dungeon Master in Your life. Simply pick one and get it for them. The sad truth about gifts is that we rarely get it right. Getting someone a great gift is really hard. That’s why I’d like to challenge you to really think about your Dungeon Master and think about what they would like. The more you think about them, the close you will get to a perfect gift. 

Now let’s get to today’s announcements.

Announcements

Thank you to everyone who participated in our giveaway! We had an amazing turnout and I can’t tell you how grateful I am to you for supporting the podcast and helping us reach new listeners. We want to give you ever better content. That’s why we want to ask you for feedback. Lend your hand in shaping the show and helping us help you to be a better DM. Go to betterdungeonmaster.com/feedback and answer a couple questions on what we can do to improve the show. Your opinion would be incredibly valuable.

I’d also like to extend another invite to join our One-Shot for this November. It will be on November 19th and we still have spots open. If you’d like a chance to play D&D with guest host Rob from Dungeons, Dragons and Psychology, sign up for free! Even if you’ve played before, the spots are first come first serve. Go to betterdungeonmaster.com/one-shot.

Conclusion

As always, I want to say thank you for all the support you give us on a weekly basis. We’ll keep doing what we do and come back next week with another great episode. Until then, let’s go ahead and roll initiative.

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