How to Be a Better DM: Dungeon Master Tips for the DM Newbie, the Hobbyist and the Forever DM

IntroWelcome back to How to Be a Better DM, I’m Justin Lewis, here with my compatriot Tanner Weyland, and together we’re here to help you learn how to craft better stories while you DM sessions of Dungeons and Dragons.Suffice it to say, as hobbies go, this one requires a lot of dedication and stick-to-it-I've-ness. Sometimes you just don’t feel like prepping or running a session. Sometimes you just aren’t excited to be a DM. So, in that regard, Tanner and I are going to talk about how to stay excited and avoid DM burnout.Main TopicsWhat Causes You To Lose ExcitementWhat is the Hardest Part of DMingWhat Are You Excited About Right NowWhat Resources Should I use?How to Schedule CorrectlyOne-ShotsSwitch back and forth between prewritten and self-written content.Play Other GamesHave Players DM once in a WhileConclusionIntroWelcome back to How to Be a Better DM, I’m Justin Lewis, here with my compatriot Tanner Weyland, and together we’re here to help you learn how to craft better stories while you DM sessions of Dungeons and Dragons.Suffice it to say, as hobbies go, this one requires a lot of dedication and stick-to-it-I've-ness. Sometimes you just don’t feel like prepping or running a session. Sometimes you just aren’t excited to be a DM. So, in that regard, Tanner and I are going to talk about how to stay excited and avoid DM burnout.Main TopicsWhat Causes You To Lose ExcitementWhat is the Hardest Part of DMingWhat Are You Excited About Right NowWhat Resources Should I use?How to Schedule CorrectlyOne-ShotsSwitch back and forth between prewritten and self-written content.Play Other GamesHave Players DM once in a WhileMentioned in this episode:Brought to you by Session 0 StudiosVisit session0studios.com for more information.I Made a CR 100 MonsterI made a Monster with a Challenge Rating of 100 Why? Because I could—and it only took me 5 minutes using Worldsmith. And the best part? You can do this and much more. Get a free 7-day trial at session0studios.com/worldsmith and unlock their full suite of TTRPG generators from monsters to mythic magic items and everything in between. Yep, that’s a full 7-day trial—completely free. That’s a whole week of monsters, magic items, and more—whatever you need, zero burnout. Try it now at session0studios.com/worldsmith. Save time and make unlimited creations with Worldsmith. Get The Swampberry Moonshine Jamboree For FreeTake a trip down to the bayou in The Swampberry Moonshine Jamboree. We teamed up with Studio Fantasms to bring you a raucous one-shot adventure full of gatorfolk, catfishing, and a whole lotta moonshine. We wrote the adventure, they designed the minis—it’s a sweet little bundle, and it’s totally free for the month of May. Just head to https://session0studios.com/fantasms and sign up to grab it. Don’t wait—May’s free, and once it’s gone, it’s gone.

Ulv had been living in the cave for 2 weeks. He’d managed to down an elk he had tracked. The elk seemed to have been separated from its herd because it was all alone. He’d fashioned a spear out of rock that he’d found in the cave. So far he felt pretty good about himself. He’d been at this trial for a couple weeks and hadn’t died. “Of course, you still haven’t made any progress towards the actual trial,” Ulv said to himself out loud. Ulv had always been comfortable being alone, but for some reason he found himself missing people. He missed Herlia and Hipam. He missed Cojari and he missed Judir. Ulv had always had a strange relationship with family. Being adopted meant that got to choose your family. Despite his gruff and stoic exterior, Ulv had always been quick to welcome people into his family. That’s probably why he felt to mourn the death of Judir so deeply. “Nope. Not going to think about that,” Ulv said to himself as he stood up and started pacing around the cave. No reason to start blubbering about the dead all over again.“What about your parents?”Ulv froze.  That voice had come from deeper in the cave. He looked into the darkness past the flickering light of his meager campfire. “Who goes there?” Ulv cried.Drums began playing and briefly Ulv’s vision blurred. When he could see clearly again, he stared into the darkness, hearing the constant beat of distant drums.What would you like to do?IntroWelcome back to How to Be a Better DM. I’m your host, Justin Lewis, and I’m here to help you learn how to tell amazing stories as you DM sessions of D&D. Sometimes getting a handful of people with different schedules, wants, hopes, interests and experiences together to play a seamless session can seem just about as easy as herding a bunch of cats. Truly, managing players is one of the hardest parts of being a dungeon master. Luckily, it is a skill that you can master. To that point, here are some of my tips on exactly how to manage your players as you dungeon master.Honest CommunicationIn order to corral 3-7 people together to create a shared positive roleplaying experience, direct and honest communication is 100% necessary. You can’t hope to be able to manage your players if you can’t pull any single individual aside to talk about ways the gameplay can improve. Foster the ability to tell people about issues to their face. This is one part strength of the relationship, one part strength of your character and one part social acumen. You need to learn how to do it in an adroit way. What I find works best is only have as many people there as need to be there when you are delivering direct communication that may not be fun to hear. If you are making an announcement for the whole table, let everyone hear it. If you are giving correction to a player who is constantly distracting the other players at the table, only they need to be present.RoutineYou have to treat your players is if they were children. Children need routine, and so do players. Naturally, schedules are ever changing. That’s why having your game at the same time every week, or on the same day every week, helps a lot. Not everyone can do this. My own group doesn’t even do this. So instead, we’ve routinized other things. We always have it at my house. That lowers the work anyone needs to do to figure out where we are playing. They already know. It’s happening at my house. There are other things that you can routinize. Like when we play, I always start off by giving away tokens of advantage if someone in the group did something cool during the week that correlates with a D&D skill. This is a homebrew rule I made up, but I like doing it because it also starts to get us into the mood of playing D&D.ResponsivenessOne huge part of managing players is finding players who are responsive. At some point, it needs to be understood that everyone in the group needs to communicate and respond to communications. This rings especially true for communications about when the gameplay is actually going to happen. If a certain player or two only respond the night of the session to say, “Hey, I can’t make it,” then something needs to change. In those instances, sit down with that player and explain to them that in order to make the game happen, you need everyone’s cooperation. We live in a day and age now where communication really does not take that much effort. All it takes is a little response to an instant text and you’re done. In some cases, the players will have to talk with their significant others to make sure there aren’t any conflicting plans. That might be where you can coach the player a little more about how to bring up the topic and how to talk with the significant other to make sure everything is kosher. Give Players JobsThe whole idea behind player management is to make it so you and the players are vibing on the same frequency. It’s to reduce distractions that are unwanted and increase player participation and cooperation. To do that, giving individual players duties and responsibilities is a very great way to make sure everyone is invested. You could have one player be in charge of keeping and tracking initiative during combat. You could give one player the duty of managing the battle map during combat. You could also give one player the duty to write down just the names of all the NPCs that are mentioned during the session. Whatever job you give any individual player, make sure that it is somewhat small and it doesn’t detract from that player enjoying the game and having fun. Giving players jobs also has the added benefit of making your life as a DM easier. A win win.Understanding of ExpectationsSimply put, your players need to understand and be willing to abide by your rules. You also need to understand and be willing to abide by their rules. Obviously, I use the term “rules” a little loosely here, but that’s essentially what they are. If you have a player that is uncomfortable with certain themes or experiences they might find in D&D, well you need to be aware of that and make sure to help them stay comfortable. Obviously, you can push the envelope with simple fears and such. I’m talking about true discomfort. On the flip side, your players should be well aware of what they can and can’t do. In my book, watching videos on your phone while we are playing is a big no-no. I’m a little bit of a pushover when it comes to this type of thing, but it’s something I’m actively working on. The problem I see is that half the table is interested in what I’m saying and the other half of the table wants to see the video. I want all my players to know what I expect and I want to know what they expect of me. This goes for expectations around responsiveness in communication as well as no-shows, and everything else that could come up. Manage Them IndividuallyJust as I am an individual, my players are too. I have a married couple that plays in my group and I should still treat each of them as individuals. Honestly, neither of them causes me any trouble, but when it comes to making sure they get info about the next session, reaching out about backstories, and more, I need to do it individually. Sometimes, we think of managing players as managing a group. Really it’s managing 4 to 7 individuals who all have their own ideas, wants, wishes, fears, boredom, etc. This doesn’t mean that you won’t make table-wide announcements or have a group text message thread that reaches all of them. You will and should definitely do those things. When it comes to managing difficulties or making things even better, I find it works better on an individual level.Firing PlayersSometimes, you gotta be tough. When everything else you’ve tried has failed, it may be time to “fire” one of your players. Pull them aside one day. Ask them if they’ve been enjoying playing. Look at their demeanor. If they say no, then simply explain that they don’t have to keep playing if they don’t enjoy it. If they do enjoy it, make it clear to them that they are making things much more difficult for you as a dungeon master. Explain that you need them to change their behavior. If they persist without little change, then pull them aside again and kindly let them know that they will need to find another gaming table. In my experience, after trying everything else, the player will likely respond and either quit coming on their own or change their behavior. Very few people want to be an annoyance on purpose.Feedback ProtocolIn my opinion, one of the most important aspects of player management is setting up some sort of system to get feedback. Whether you go so far as to create a formal survey you hand out after every session, or you casually ask your players what they like and didn’t like, it doesn’t matter. You gotta know what makes your players happy and engaged in the game. If you are having problem players, it might be because they aren’t being stimulated enough by the experience. In this day and age, ADD and other challenges have become much more prevalent. If you can figure out that Player A is having a hard time focusing, but Player A also really loves the mythology of ancient China, well, it’s time to introduce a few Oni into the story.  Adding more of what your players love is, in my opinion, the best way to make sure that the players are attentive and cooperative.ConclusionNot every table will be filled with players who are completely engaged and hang on to your every word. In fact, in my experience, the more players sit at the table, the harder it gets to control them all. Your job as a DM isn’t to control them though. You just need to make sure that everyone at the table has a fun time. To do that, you might employ any of these methods of some you make up. Either way, get your players to buy in and give you their attention so they can have fun.Thanks for listening to today’s show.Send any feedback to howtobeabetterdm@gmail.com We’ll be back next week for another amazing episode.Until then, let’s go ahead and roll initiative.Mentioned in this episode:Join Our DiscordSo a little bit of a spoiler alert. We’re building an army. That’s right, we’re building an army of amazing dungeon masters who want to make the world of D&D a better place. If you want to join our army and fight by our side against the evil forces of boredom and bad dming, join our Discord and lend your voice to the cause. Go to Session0studios.com/discord and join for free today. DiscordBrought to you by Session 0 StudiosVisit session0studios.com for more information.Add the Magic of Sound to Your GameplayWhen you set the scene you need to tap into the five senses. When it comes to sound one of the best ways to do that is with music, sound effects, and ambience. That’s why we’ve teamed up with Monument Studios. Monument Studios provides an easy-to-use Soundboard perfect for Dungeon Mastering. If you want to see this in action, go to fantasy-plus.com and get 10% off of your first month of their Fantasy+ App by using the code BETTERDM at check out. Again that is fantasy-plus.com and BETTERDM at checkout. Monument Studios

You and your companions make your way down the trail. You’d left the other companions a day or so ago. Now you’ve been traveling with Hipam and Cojari and frankly, these have been some of the calmest days in the previous months. Your other companions had made some very questionable decisions. Assassinations, lycanthropy, starting fights that were unwarranted, yes they were your friends, however, your conscience has never felt so good. “So what can you tell us about your uncle Judir?” Cojari asks in his deep and soulful accent. “I’ll be honest, I don’t know the man very well. My father never mentioned Judir.”“Well how do you suppose we can convince him to join us?” asked Cojari, ever the practical one.“Good question. We’ll have the next few days to figure it out. He’s stubborn. I know that. So we better have a good argument when we get there.”So what would you like to do?Welcome back to How to Be a Better DM. You’re here because you want to become a High-Class Dungeon master, crafting unforgettable stories for yourselves and your players as you guide them through games of Dungeons and Dragons 5e. I’m here, to help you do that. Whether you’re a noobie or a veteran, I can help. My name is Justin Lewis and today I’ll be your dungeon master on this journey of story crafting. If you’ve been around the game for a while, you’ve no doubt heard the term one-shot. You’ve also undoubtedly heard some controversy around one-shots, namely, are they worthwhile? Can you create fun one-shots? Are they just a waste of time? Why does gas cost so much? Oh, wait, no that last one was just my inner thoughts escaping. Anyways, today, I’m going to give you 10 reasons why I think you should give one-shots a try. I love doing one-shots and if you’ve been listening to this show for a while, you know that you can actually have an opportunity to play a one-shot with me or my counterpart, Tanner Weyland as your DM. Regardless of whether you sign up for that or not, I highly encourage you to try one-shots yourself. Here’s why:Explore new environmentsOne of my favorite reasons for doing one-shots is the ability to explore new settings. Sometimes I see cool ideas on TV or in movies and it makes me want to try it out. For example, I’m a fan of the Netflix series based on League of Legends called Arcane. The series is in an arcane-punk setting that is similar to steam-punk. This would be an amazing setting to explore and in a one-shot, you can without too much commitment. I’m also a fan of StarCraft and think that would be another cool setting to explore.Explore new rulesDoing one-shots is also a great way to pick specific rule sets you aren’t comfortable with and then put your story in. For example, I am not extremely familiar with the rules associated with being underwater or being on a different plane. A one-shot is a great place to make yourself learn those rules. Or have you ever had someone with lycanthropy? Or vampirism? One-shots are great places to figure out how to do that. It’s a low-commitment way to get it all figured out.Explore new challengesIt’s also a great way to force yourself to do new challenges. Maybe you don’t necessarily do puzzle? Maybe you don’t force your group to split the party? One-shots are perfect opportunities to make yourself learn how to deal with those challenges. Or maybe, you’ve never done a group bigger than 4 or smaller than 4. Try a new experience and force yourself to learn and grow in those challenges.The last few days of travel were uneventful. There was a small troop of goblins that you encountered, but Hipam cast a large spell and was able to scare the troop off. Perhaps you’ve misjudged that little one. When you first met him, he seemed naive and perhaps a little unprepared for the wide world around him. Living all your days in a monastery will do that to you… Well, you suppose he didn’t live his whole life in Summit Hall. There were the days before his parents were murdered by the Fire Cult.  Hipam seems a little more serious now. You don’t whether that’s due to the mission you’re on or the days spent in the Drow prison. Regardless, you better keep an eye on that one.Your thoughts are interrupted as you finally enter a small clearing with a large log cabin. Gentle smoke rises lazily up from the chimney. The cabin seems to have undergone some major repairs and renovations. “I thought it would be longer before I saw you again little bear.” a deep and rhythmic voice says. You think about how similar Judir’s voice is to Cojari’s, or at least Cojari’s new voice.“We’ve come back Judir, to come get you.”“I told you boy, this isn’t my fight.”What would you like to say?Work on succinct storytellingStories are when something specific happens. Note how I said something and not something or even everything. Storytelling naturally highlights the best and most salient parts of a series of events and presents those events to the consumer in a pleasing way. In order to do that effectively, you do need to work on telling stories succinctly. What better way to Practice that than to force yourself to tell An interesting story within the confines of a single session Of D&D. One-shots help you get a better sense for session planning and short but effective storytelling. In my last one shot, I dialed what I normally plan back and I ended up being a little short of my target length, but it was still fun and better than going over or having to cut it short. One shots force brevity and pithiness.Work on Pithy RoleplayingSpeaking of being Pithy, one-shots force you to get your role-playing right on the first time. Either you get it right or it takes up valuable time from other integral parts of the story. This assumes of course that you have some sort of time constraint. Most DM’s do have that time constraint and to be frank, it’s called the short attention span of players. Because of this, your roleplaying has to convey the important plot information as well as give the players a glimpse of the NPC you are trying to portray. Honestly, One-shot roleplaying can be much easier than other roleplaying opportunities because you don’t have to worry about repeating NPC’s too much. You can go crazy with an NPC with the knowledge that the players won’t see them again. Breaks from your campaignI don’t know about you, but sometimes the campaign I am running can be somewhat stale. Or maybe it’s me that gets stale. Either way, stepping away and doing something else helps me to come back to the campaign with fresh eyes. I get the fact that once the session is done you’re doing something else, but I’ve also noticed that doing other stories helps me come back to my original story and see it in a new light and have fresh energy for it.Play-test HomeBrew contentHome-brew content can be pretty hard to dial in. Sometimes you make items that are way too powerful and other times, the stuff you give your players isn’t where you want it to be. For example, in my campaign I had my players do a side quest where they go into a haunted mansion. I set up the mansion to almost exist in a pocket dimension and in order to ascend or descend the stairs to the next levels, the characters had to drink a potion that “faded” them. After they were “faded” they had to drink “revivification” potions to become normal again. I hadn’t playtested the “revivification” potions so when the players got more than they need to be normal and had a surplus I had to come up with some features of the potion on the fly. Suffice it to say, the potions were way overpowered and I was happy when the last extra potion was drunk.Work on spotting and fixing plot flawsI’m a big fan of the Youtube Channel, Pitch Meetings. I think the concept is brilliant. If you’re unfamiliar with it, here’s the premise. A man pitches movies to an executive who spots flaws in the story of the movies and the writer then just glosses over the flaws without fixing them. It’s hilarious.Well, you and I need to learn how to do something similar. We need practice spotting and not laughing at but fixing plot flaws. In a way, you and i should treat ourselves as both the producer and the writer of our D&D stories. We need to ask the hard questions and poke holes in our stories so we can find the solutions to those problems. In my last one-shot, I was constructing the scenario and for some reason, it wasn’t quite working. I was stumped. Then I asked Tanner for some help and he helped me see a plot flaw and overcome it easily. Whether you use someone else or yourself, you gotta develop this ability to look critically at your stories. Because one-shots are a little more contained than other stories you can do that a little easier. That’s why you should do one-shots.Allow your players to work on character ideasThus far, all of these reasons for why you should play one-shots have all been for you the DM. But what about your players? How do one-shots affect your players? Positively.Most D&D players can create a new character very easily because they have so many creative ideas swimming around in the think-tank of their brain. In a way, they are the DM of their character, trying to write an interesting story and help add to the collective cognitive experience that is Dungeons and Dragons. By engaging in one-shots you’re allowing your players the opportunity to work on writing better characters. Creating a backstory is fun because you get to essentially explain why any given D&D character is insane, cooky, bold, angry, fat, sloppy, scarred, or almost any other adjective. By playing one-shots, you give your players this chance to hone their creative abilities.Allow your players to work on role-playing Similar to number 9, your players need opportunities to practice their role-playing capabilities. Not every one of us is born as thespians or performers. In fact, in my own case, role-playing might be one of my weaker areas. The only way to actually improve is to practice. Players also get into a routine and it’s much easier to reassess and reactivate those roleplaying muscles when you break their state, put them in an unfamiliar situation, and force them to start asking themselves questions like, “What would this character do?”Try one-shots as a way of encouraging players to act out characters that are different than their normal campaign characters. You’ll be surprised at the growth you see in your players.“The blood of our fathers and of our children.”Those were the words you said. Somehow, those were the words that changed a stubborn man’s mind. Judir is a child of the north as much as you are. Perhaps more. His blood runs wild with the strength of generations gone before him. His stubbornness runs almost as strong. Yet, somehow those words overcame that. Those words that you weren’t supposed to know changed him. How did you know those words? It doesn’t matter. He’s with you now and now you need to figure out the next step. As you trudge forward on the path, you ask, “So what is the plan now?”Hipam responds, “Well mate, I suppose we need to assess how strong your brother’s hold is on the Kingdom.”“We also need to create an army from nothing…. Maybe your relatives up north can help.” Cojari adds“Without dying first…” Judir grumbles as he pets his enormous Bear’s head.All good points. Well, it’s time to figure it out. Thank you for listening to today’s episode. We could not do this without you. We are so grateful for you and your support of us. We want to support you too. If you get an opportunity, reach out to us on Instagram and let us know how we can support you and your quest to become the world’s greatest DM!We’ll be back next week but until then, let’s go ahead and roll the initiative.Mentioned in this episode:Join Our DiscordSo a little bit of a spoiler alert. We’re building an army. That’s right, we’re building an army of amazing dungeon masters who want to make the world of D&D a better place. If you want to join our army and fight by our side against the evil forces of boredom and bad dming, join our Discord and lend your voice to the cause. Go to Session0studios.com/discord and join for free today. DiscordWhy Listen to Ads?Ugh, another ad break. Let’s be real—ads are the worst. If you’re anything like my wife, you’d rather quit a show entirely than sit through another ad. So why suffer? Just skip them. Join our Patreon at patreon.com/betterdungeonmaster and enjoy ad-free episodes with exclusive patron-only content—all for just $5 a month. Look at you, all fancy with your uninterrupted listening experience. So stop wasting time on ads (like this one). Go to patreon.com/betterdungeonmaster and upgrade your listening today!PatreonBrought to you by Session 0 StudiosVisit session0studios.com for more information.

Welcome to How To Be A Better DM. My name is Tanner Weyland, and together we will learn about how to prepare the best adventures and environments for our players to enjoy. I hope you are all doing well this new year, making lots of goals, and having a hopeful start to the year. Today, we are talking about creating realistic and rewarding Family Relationships in D&D.Mentioned in this episode:Shhhhhh!! This is a Secret!Hey! Here is a secret that Cayden and Tanner, hosts of the show don't know about. You can go to session0studios.com/video-courses/ and get the first video of our Dungeon Master Course for Free, and then sign up for the next videos if you want. Again, Cayden and Tanner don't know about this so keep it secret.Dungeon Master CourseBrought to you by Session 0 StudiosVisit session0studios.com for more information.Join Our DiscordSo a little bit of a spoiler alert. We’re building an army. That’s right, we’re building an army of amazing dungeon masters who want to make the world of D&D a better place. If you want to join our army and fight by our side against the evil forces of boredom and bad dming, join our Discord and lend your voice to the cause. Go to Session0studios.com/discord and join for free today. Discord

Today we talk about the OGL 1.1 License and explain some of our thoughts on the matter. Obviously, the OGL 1.1 hasn't been released yet so we are really only speculating based on what has been leaked.Also, Here's the link Justin mentioned about his upcoming business networking event:https://dndmerchantsguild.com/event/dnd-dungeons-networking-and-dragons/Thanks for listening to today's show!Mentioned in this episode:I Made a CR 100 MonsterI made a Monster with a Challenge Rating of 100 Why? Because I could—and it only took me 5 minutes using Worldsmith. And the best part? You can do this and much more. Get a free 7-day trial at session0studios.com/worldsmith and unlock their full suite of TTRPG generators from monsters to mythic magic items and everything in between. Yep, that’s a full 7-day trial—completely free. That’s a whole week of monsters, magic items, and more—whatever you need, zero burnout. Try it now at session0studios.com/worldsmith. Save time and make unlimited creations with Worldsmith. Join Our DiscordSo a little bit of a spoiler alert. We’re building an army. That’s right, we’re building an army of amazing dungeon masters who want to make the world of D&D a better place. If you want to join our army and fight by our side against the evil forces of boredom and bad dming, join our Discord and lend your voice to the cause. Go to Session0studios.com/discord and join for free today. DiscordBrought to you by Session 0 StudiosVisit session0studios.com for more information.

Today we talk about D&D Immersion with Alex Aries from https://gameplaycandles.com/.Use BETTERDM at checkout and get a 15% discount from Alex's Store.Thanks for listening to today's show!Mentioned in this episode:Brought to you by Session 0 StudiosVisit session0studios.com for more information.Add the Magic of Sound to Your GameplayWhen you set the scene you need to tap into the five senses. When it comes to sound one of the best ways to do that is with music, sound effects, and ambience. That’s why we’ve teamed up with Monument Studios. Monument Studios provides an easy-to-use Soundboard perfect for Dungeon Mastering. If you want to see this in action, go to fantasy-plus.com and get 10% off of your first month of their Fantasy+ App by using the code BETTERDM at check out. Again that is fantasy-plus.com and BETTERDM at checkout. Monument StudiosDo You Want to Earn some Money?🎲 Want to Earn Some Extra Gold? We’re offering a referral incentive for our professional Dungeon Mastering services! Here’s how it works: 1️⃣ Refer someone to session0studios.com/prodm 2️⃣ They sign up for a free consultation. 3️⃣ They mention they were referred by a podcast listener. 4️⃣ We DM an unforgettable session for them. 5️⃣ They get 10% off their booking. 6️⃣ You get 10% of what they paid—straight into your coin purse. 7️⃣ We celebrate with a virtual high-five. 🙌 We run games for private groups and corporate teams—whether it’s a one-shot or a long-term campaign. 💰 Want to earn some gold and help someone level up their game night? Send them to session0studios.com/prodm and start earning today!

Ulv stumbled through the snow covered trees. He’d been stripped of his weapons and shirt and was given a pouch of herbs to crush and smoke when he felt the time was right. Apparently, they were supposed to give him some sort of vision about what  his test was. “This is the craziest thing I’ve ever done,” Ulv grumbled to himself amid strides through the knee deep snow. He needed to find shelter soon. There was no way he’d survive if he didn’t get out of the blowing wind and snow. As if in answer to his mental request, he spotted a cave up the slope of the hill he was climbing. The cave was almost covered with snow, but had an opening large enough for Ulv to enter. The interior was cold, but less so than the freezing forest outside. It was dark, but some light reflected in from the outside snow. Ulv made his way as deep in as he dared without a torch. The cave was much deeper than he’d anticipated. That meant more warmth but less light. So what would you like to do?IntroOne important thing you’ll want to remember is that for the most part, these questions work when asked to specific individuals. Singling them out can help to get a better response from some of the more unresponsive players. Just make sure that the question is set up the right way. In fact, before we begin with the actual questions, let’s talk about a few requirements for a good NPC roleplaying-prompt question.PurposefulYou can’t just ask random questions and expect that  every question results in better or more roleplaying. For each question, you need to have a specific purpose. Maybe you ask an open ended question to allow the player more freedom and creativity. Or maybe you ask a very specific question designed to get the player to actually respond.Player directedThe best questions are focused on specific players. If you ask questions directed at the party, it is very likely that the person who is most used to roleplaying will respond. Getting a player to respond who rarely roleplays requires direct questions. That’s not to say that every single question needs to be focused on stimulating roleplaying. Some questions are just for the sake of the story. Now with those two question requirements in mind, let’s get to the actual questions of today’s show.What do You Think?When directed at a specific player, “What do you think?” can be a very powerful tool to help re-engage a player who may have lost focus, or just help jumpstart the party into helping everything collaborate. I’ve used this with ally NPCs or even some NPCs that are slightly adversarial, though I haven’t ever used this question from the standpoint of a complete villain. I haven’t really found a scenario where that makes sense. Simply ask this question using the character’s name and voila! They have to respond with at least something. Even if they say, I have no idea, they’ve at least said something! That is a win in my book.What’s Your Story?I find this question works the best when it’s an NPC that is somewhat neutral to the party, like a shopkeeper or something. Naturally, the party will look different compared to the normal customers (usually), so a shopkeeper could take interest in the party, if only to hear a new story. You can also use this question from the point of view of an NPC traveling with the party. The only drawback with that is once the question has been answered, that’s it. If it didn’t lead to more roleplaying, you can’t really ask it again from the same NPC.That’s a nice piece of equipment, where’d you get it?This question is very similar to the previous question. From the point of view of NPCs, most of the equipment that our adventurers have is really nice and shiny. Normal folk rarely have opportunities to encounter the types of magical items that adventurers carry. I also like this question, because it has an obvious answer. Any roleplay shy character can give an easy answer as to how they acquired a particular item because rather than having to make up some answer on the spot, they can just respond by recounting the history of the game. Anyone can do that.How’d you all meet?Remembering that these questions work best when directed at a specific character, this question works well because like the previous question, it’s simply a matter of recounting history. It’s also a good question if the campaign has been going on for a long time. It’s nice to remind your players where you all began the adventure and how far you’ve come.Why’d You Become Adventurers?This question works best in one-on-one settings, like two people keeping watch, or a player walking the town alone during a shopping session of D&D. You might have to warm up the player to get the optimum roleplay experience. Thinking of a deep question from their backstory like this one might be too much right out of the gate. I would maybe warm it up by commenting on how difficult the road has been thus far and pointing out some of the foes that have been faced. Then the question can be breached about why the particular character became an adventurer in the first place.What are Your Goals?This question is hugely helpful for the Dungeon Master looking to add in story arcs that deal with a particular character’s backstory. Like the previous question, if the table is generally dominated by one or two roleplaying geniuses, then it’s better uses in a one-on-one scenario. This question will give you, the DM, a lot of ammo for preparing future twists and turns in the story. It can also help you fulfill on promises to each player. Each player will want a specific experience, even if they don’t know it. By asking what the characters want, you’ll be better able to fulfill on those promises. Become a Roleplaying MasterUsing these questions can help, but the best thing to help your players roleplay more is to work on your own roleplaying. By leading them with the example of a Dungeon master who isn’t afraid to be the tavern keeper, the villain, or the strange drunk on the side of the road, your players will feel more comfortable themselves getting into character. So loosen up and start practicing. Take every session as an opportunity to improve. Your players might not react right away, but soon enough, they’ll realize just how much fun it is and they’ll join in the roleplaying.If you think I missed any questions, let me know by going to Instagram at Betterdungeonmaster.We’ll be back next week with another amazing episode. Until then, let’s go ahead and roll initiative.Mentioned in this episode:Why Listen to Ads?Ugh, another ad break. Let’s be real—ads are the worst. If you’re anything like my wife, you’d rather quit a show entirely than sit through another ad. So why suffer? Just skip them. Join our Patreon at patreon.com/betterdungeonmaster and enjoy ad-free episodes with exclusive patron-only content—all for just $5 a month. Look at you, all fancy with your uninterrupted listening experience. So stop wasting time on ads (like this one). Go to patreon.com/betterdungeonmaster and upgrade your listening today!PatreonBrought to you by Session 0 StudiosVisit session0studios.com for more information.Do You Want to Earn some Money?🎲 Want to Earn Some Extra Gold? We’re offering a referral incentive for our professional Dungeon Mastering services! Here’s how it works: 1️⃣ Refer someone to session0studios.com/prodm 2️⃣ They sign up for a free consultation. 3️⃣ They mention they were referred by a podcast listener. 4️⃣ We DM an unforgettable session for them. 5️⃣ They get 10% off their booking. 6️⃣ You get 10% of what they paid—straight into your coin purse. 7️⃣ We celebrate with a virtual high-five. 🙌 We run games for private groups and corporate teams—whether it’s a one-shot or a long-term campaign. 💰 Want to earn some gold and help someone level up their game night? Send them to session0studios.com/prodm and start earning today!

Here are some things Tanner and Justin want to work on for 2023. End of the yearDM Tips and Techniques BookDungeon Master KitAdding new team members to the showLiveplay ShowMore Dungeon Master Critique EpisodesA DiscordMentioned in this episode:Do You Want to Earn some Money?🎲 Want to Earn Some Extra Gold? We’re offering a referral incentive for our professional Dungeon Mastering services! Here’s how it works: 1️⃣ Refer someone to session0studios.com/prodm 2️⃣ They sign up for a free consultation. 3️⃣ They mention they were referred by a podcast listener. 4️⃣ We DM an unforgettable session for them. 5️⃣ They get 10% off their booking. 6️⃣ You get 10% of what they paid—straight into your coin purse. 7️⃣ We celebrate with a virtual high-five. 🙌 We run games for private groups and corporate teams—whether it’s a one-shot or a long-term campaign. 💰 Want to earn some gold and help someone level up their game night? Send them to session0studios.com/prodm and start earning today!Save time with Roll and Play PressSave yourself some precious time with Roll and Play Press. Go to https://session0studios.com/rollandplay and use code BETTERDM10 at checkout.Brought to you by Session 0 StudiosVisit session0studios.com for more information.

The entire tribe sat around the feast. They’d managed to down a mammoth and this was cause for celebration. The shaman claims the downing of the beast coincides with the yearly Midwinter celebration Hogash. All the children have been making gifts for each other and the adults have been creating altars for their ancestors. Now the tribe is sat all around the fire pit, feasting on delicious meat. Ulv stands up. The entire tribe hushes and the shaman waves for Ulv to speak. “I wish to attempt the trials. I will lead this tribe.”Suddenly the men of the tribe start beating the ground with their weapons and chanting.The shaman stands up. “Dnuk has accepted the call to the trial. Truly this is a celebration!”We being the preparations at dawn!”IntroWarrick’s Problem.Main Topic: Tips on How to Make D&D Christmas ThemedJustinAdd in a Random Celebration in the setting where your players are. This will give the feeling of the holidays even if the celebration is set in the middle of a desert.Change the “skins” of NPC’sYour players don’t actually have to fight Santa Clause. They could fight a giant that looks like Santa Clause but has all the same stats as a giant. D&D is half narrative and half mechanics. Instead of homebrewing your own Santa, just take the mechanics of something else and say it looks like Santa.Give your Players a GiftEvery player loves getting new loot. Have a random patron show up and gift the adventurers some sort of interesting item. If you don't want to break your game have them give some sort of consumable item that is interesting. If you don’t know what sort of consumable, just choose the form (potion, food or other time) and then pick your favorite ability and give it a one-time use.Change the weather.For most people, Christmas is synonymous with winter. Make it obvious that the weather is changing. Make it snow and give them consequences for the snow. Either have someone open up their home during a snowstorm (spread Christmas cheer) or have the characters have to avoid getting stuck in a blizzard. Go all out with Christmas Homebrew MonstersYou can subscribe to people like GamingBrew from Episode 63. He for example has loads of themed monsters that are custom created for the right feeling and setting. Subscribing to him saves time because you don’t have to do anything other than plug and play.Mentioned in this episode:Do You Want to Earn some Money?🎲 Want to Earn Some Extra Gold? We’re offering a referral incentive for our professional Dungeon Mastering services! Here’s how it works: 1️⃣ Refer someone to session0studios.com/prodm 2️⃣ They sign up for a free consultation. 3️⃣ They mention they were referred by a podcast listener. 4️⃣ We DM an unforgettable session for them. 5️⃣ They get 10% off their booking. 6️⃣ You get 10% of what they paid—straight into your coin purse. 7️⃣ We celebrate with a virtual high-five. 🙌 We run games for private groups and corporate teams—whether it’s a one-shot or a long-term campaign. 💰 Want to earn some gold and help someone level up their game night? Send them to session0studios.com/prodm and start earning today!Listen to Our New PodcastAs a listener of this show, you obviously love story. Now that you’ve learned how to craft your own story on this show, wouldn’t it be nice to have some inspiration? Or maybe just a moment of immersion and escape? Then come join us in our new Actual Play D&D 5e show, Pact and Boon. Enter the World of Calignos where our characters, Jolly, Wolfgang and Alon will meet each other in Hell. Enjoy our troublemaking and near-death experiences wherever great podcasts are heard. Just go to session0studios.com/pactnboon and start listening today. Brought to you by Session 0 StudiosVisit session0studios.com for more information.

Hello, and welcome to How To Be A Better DM. My name is Tanner Weyland, and together we will learn about how to prepare the best adventures and environments for our players to enjoy. I hope you are all doing well this holiday season, and maybe even fitting in a couple sessions with your friends or family. Today’s topic: between session check-ups with your player.We have a favor to ask you: we are always trying to be better DMs, but we also want to become better podcast hosts so we can create more useful and interesting content for you. As part of that, we need your feedback. We set up a super quick survey at https://betterdungeonmaster.com/feedback. If you could take a few minutes out of your day to help us, we would be so appreciative!Mentioned in this episode:Add the Magic of Sound to Your GameplayWhen you set the scene you need to tap into the five senses. When it comes to sound one of the best ways to do that is with music, sound effects, and ambience. That’s why we’ve teamed up with Monument Studios. Monument Studios provides an easy-to-use Soundboard perfect for Dungeon Mastering. If you want to see this in action, go to fantasy-plus.com and get 10% off of your first month of their Fantasy+ App by using the code BETTERDM at check out. Again that is fantasy-plus.com and BETTERDM at checkout. Monument StudiosBrought to you by Session 0 StudiosVisit session0studios.com for more information.Signup for Our Email NewsletterDo you love the show but can't always listen to it? Do you prefer written content? Go to session0studios.com/newsletter/ and sign up to get weekly tips and tricks sent to your inbox so you can become the greatest DM the world has ever seen.Level Up Guide