11 Ways I make my Dungeon Mastering EASY
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.พ. 2025
- Here are 11 things that I do to make my dungeon master life just a little bit easier when I'm running my Dungeons and Dragons campaigns.
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1. goal for a session
2. write down names for some random npcs and separate by races
3. write down places description
4. take a break. take a pause. don't panic. google quickly. get back into action.
5. write down ac, hp, spellsave dc, passive skills
6. roll dmg and attacks at the same time
7. learn mob tactics (math, no rolling)
8. check in with players often
9. take notes during the game and after
10. use reference images for descriptions
11. have a back up plan
youre a delight, thank you for this
@@loghead2437 np :)
Thank you
I've done none of these things and regret nothing... Also I regret some haha.
Improv, improv, improv. Being able to come up with things on the fly and adapt your story beats to what happens in the game is the most important thing. If anything, wing it during the session and you’ll tie up all the loose threads when you’re by yourself, preparing for the next session
A gig helpful hint: Simplify. It's really easy to get way too involved and obsess over the details but you don't need a lineage going back six generations for the village blacksmith on a continent that campaign doesn't even take place on.
A few lines to convey the important information and expand it as necessary.
My dm a few years back would have loved to know about mob tactics. Especially when I raised 16 skeletons in preparation to fight a boss. He just had me roll them all as one D20 hit or miss… the nat 20 was a good time.
I’m a writer as well but I never “write” outcomes for my campaign. I have a general sense of where I’m going to lead the players. (We’re more of a linear storytelling campaign than an open sandbox). I create the settings, encounters, and NPCs but that’s it. It’s up to them how the story unfolds.
I like having a vague idea of how things end, but I always plan like 10 different scenarios and it usually NEVER ends up being any of those haha. But I need to write my ideas down so I can tweak and pick and choose later. But yeah, the players always do something that surprises me and completely changes my outline
I was literally watching this thinking I wasn't going to get a shout out. Which is fine, but it was funny that I got it as I thought that. Love your stuff man!
Lol normally I can go through the shoutouts and be fine, your profile pic just broke me for a moment haha. thanks for the love!
Yay, I got shouted out! And yes, one of the three attempts at my name was correct, haha. (McNeish is "mik-NEESH")
Great tips here. Mine is simply RELAX! Deep breath, people. Remember that nothing in the world exists until it comes out of your mouth at the table, and loads of things in our very real world make absolutely no sense, so it's totally okay for your world to include logical inconsistencies, names that you only realize are funny once it's too late, and whatever else you're worried about.
It's fine. You're doing great. Embrace the silliness of life.
LOVE this. Relaxing and remembering it's a game is BIG
Next video idea; mob tactics explained? 😇
Oh boy that's hard but I will try haha
Excellent advice. These tips will save a TON of headaches.
Gonna be keeping this video in a playlist while I prep for my first campaign! My game is going to be digital, but I feel like a lot of these are just as if not more important if you're not in-person. Only thing I'm going to tweak is I plan on asking my group if they don't mind mind me recording the audio so I can go back and take notes afterwards; I'm already going to be pushing it with DMing, I don't think I could multitask enough to add in taking notes at the same time.
Looking forward to the next video!
recording it is super smart! Good luck on the game, let me know how it goes!
Good luck !
Yes! New tips and trick I love that! I wish I could run my campaign as smoothly as your voice :)
aw shucks I appreciate that haha. Still hate my voice tho
Wow, 11 things in less than 6 minutes, and it doesn't sound rushed. Also, I found it funny that #1 is "have a plan/goal" and #11 is basically "wing-it because the session will be chaos".
Seriously, it's good advice.
Personally, I plan to improvise. I got a bunch of random generators for 101 things in smartphone apps and books, and I've taken the time to know what they all do, so I can quickly roll for something when the unexpected comes up.
I am a novelist myself, and proof-reading takes forever, so I enjoy the creative process of making things up on the spot and just making them work.
As long as I have a setting with people and events, then with the above, I'm golden. I can take a published adventure and adapt from it as necessary.
@@StinkerTheFirst can you send me some of the random generators?
@@gathor_ Sure!
As far as Apps go - RPG Generator, DM's Lili Helper, and RPG Companion are good for a wide range of things.
Monsters and Generators is a good all-puprose tool.
D&D Names, Dungeon Map Generator and 5E Treasure Generator are good ones at what they do.
As for book version, Matt Davids has a series called "Book of Random Tables", which can cater to any need you can imagine, but it's literally just a bunch of random tables. The book themselves don't have a theme. I had to create a separate file to categorize them all.
@StinkerTheFirst thank you so much, im dming my first session this sunday and this will be a big help
@@gathor_ You're welcome. Good luck with your first session. May you and your players have lots of fun!
I use the " I know a guy" it's where the players 1 to 2 times each player can say I know a guy and there's an npc that will take them in for a long rest, top off supplies, even give small bit of info to go on and then they're off.
Taking notes mid session is key to having the world feeling real and connected to the players. It will help you for when you start your next session.
Not necessary but I kee track of how many in game days its been since the start with my notes. Every session I ask myself how many days has it been since the last then I add the numbers and write it down. Then I just rinse repeat.
I'm so bad at tracking days haha
@TheFantasyForge this is my 3rd campaign and it's only this one where I do it. First two didn't have it but it really isn't needed. I just like to have it to help keep track for festivals and scale for how long these characters have really known each other.
@@affarinoxa Its just an additional level of immersion, my current DM does it and I love it
I like this format, I feel like we all have our tips and tricks to cope with the amount of mental energy required to GM! Thank you for sharing 😊
thanks for the kind words!
This is extremely practical and helpful advice. I feel that the worst sessions I have are when I didn't put time for note taking MID-session and it comes as a almost a world shattering "but I thought you said x last time," and the worst being in combat with the rulings of an item. ADD SOMETHING TO THE WORLD, ADD IT TO YOUR NOTES
Someone else mentioned they record the sessions so they can listen back and take notes AFTER which is pretty darn smart
very cool thank you for being quick concise and helpful. the simplicity helps me with how complicated dming is
I'm a first time DM; thanks for the helpful tips!
Ok, this was the first time I saw one of your videos and holy beholder is it helpfull!
I'm still a new-ish DM (a little over 50 sessions) and currently rethinking a lot of how I prepare and run the game because it often feels like I'm making things harder than necessary for myself. Your video found me at the perfect moment!
MY fav. Video of you yet i think :)
I have a spreadsheet of NPC names that i have encouraged other DMs use, it saves so much
Oh no! Keyleth threw up on the displacer kitty!
You mentioned something I’m specifically struggling with. I recently realized I have more subplots than a main plot. How do people handle having a plot, yet let players have freedom? A video would be great.
Thanks for the idea! I appreciate that, I'll add that to my list! 🙌
This video help calm my nerves since I'm making my first campaign ever, and was like where I start? will it be good? will I make mistakes? The only thing my friend that is a dm told me mistakes will happen and always take notes
@@gamingdragoon1527 I still make mistakes after doing this for years, just remember it’s a game. Just have fun and learn along the process!
Ive been using Notion for over a year in my homebrew campaign. For eeach session i play out 4 potential scenes. These are places where i think they might go and who is there and what might happen. These may be encounters or they may be fact/lore dump locations. Once i got in the swing of this, the ones i didnt use jist roll over to the next session so i have this bow wave of preplanned stuff that can happen. Sure i get surprised but more often i have some pre written notes to improv off of
Thats awesome! I have a similar set up! Never used Notion tho! I'll be checking that out right now
Thank you great video
thanks for the love!
At the end of a session, if there is a break in the action/story, I asked my players "What's next?". What course of action will they take in the next session? And I hold them to that. It could be three or four things. As long as I know what to prepare for.
i run my game almost exclusively online, so one of my other tricks is to record the session on OBS. It's not good enough quality to show, but I have a full record of what was said that I can go back to that is unambiguous. Even if I was running an in person game, I'd probably try and figure out an option for that as well.
I'm going to be a DM for a friend group, although I will have it be Rain World oriented so I'm trying to prepare as much as I can :'D
Thanks for the tips!!
aw shucks, thank you for the kind words and good luck/have fun!
1:27 player asks a question
I have to pee.
Comes back and player asks a follow up question
I have to pee again 😂
This is epically perfect
2:05 Hi Tobias!
Dude I just want to say thank you. I'm a new DM. tysm!
Happy to help! Hope the game sessions are going well!
@@TheFantasyForge thanks. My first DM session starts tomorrow!
Wright down or bookmark obscure rules that might come up in a particular session. It helps with slowing down the game mid session to look up an obscure rule.
Beautiful tip! Definitely will save time
I always like to have my players describe a successful role or finishing move on an enemy. Ive gives them a chance to role play in combat as well.
100% love this. Let them dictate the story
Milanote is the note taking app I've been looking for!!!
it's pretty dang great lol
My first Tobias sighting on a new video, 2:05! Great tips thank you! Do you have any recommendations for play-by-post games? I'm working on a prequal series right now that will be pbp in Discord. ✨️
Oh good question! Play by post is hard, I've been in a few of those! I would say make sure to step in every bit to guide the story, otherwise it becomes pretty chaotic.
@@TheFantasyForge haha just like normal dnd, thank you! XD
@@cvltofcrows LMAO yeah I guess so. I think it's just easier for the DM's message to get lost in the text messages so maybe adding a rule like 1 post per person before I jump in or something like that
@TheFantasyForge yeah I was thinking about that too! Definitely working on putting together a system of organization and play where nothing gets lost ✨️
2:05 Hey Citty Citty
The entire city comes running, and since you happen to be in Waterdeep....
Yes names
I have a ton of NPCs named Bob
And notes are critical
Ah yes, good ol Bob haha
2:05 Tobias always just looks prepared.
Displacer Kitty in the Vox Machina scene
2:03
Thank you getting resdy to dm for the first time and it helpped eased my nerves i subbed!
I will never run or play a game that requires more than one sheet of paper for the players and two sheets for the GM.
You do you!
But what about casters?
@waluigiisgod938 spells can be 1 line. Read index Card RPG as one example.
@@Joshuazx I detect rigid non-flexible DM. May God help your players.
@@sonicmaster047 rigid and inflexible is not either fully or none, it's a matter of how much. I am not happy playing ANY sort of game, and so come curation is applied to suit my taste. What I like about a simpler game system is that it means you have more flexibility. That's for replying.
nice
Have you ever played panic at the dojo?
No I haven't but it looks fun!
Does anyone know if dsycrybe works for games held on discord?
Play EZD6 or TPS (edit: Total Party Skills)
Is it wrong to ban players at the table from playing certain classes? My last 5 campaigns my 3 players have played the "same character" and its getting old for me. (Barbarian, Fighter, Rogue
Good question! It ultimately boils down to "does what your players want match what you want?"
If your players want a whole wizard crew but magic doesn't exist in your world, then your world is not the right fit for them.
To answer your question, I think it's totally fine! As long as everyone is on board
" Write down some names." I've been dming multiple groups for years and not one time have they ever asked an npc their name 😂 nor do they care to know when I introduce them.
Using MATH?!?!? In a Role Playing Game? Heresy! 🤪
LOL
no sound
nm. sound is working now.
@@TheLeebo1962 my heart sank when I saw that comment haha. I was like “how long has it been up with no audio!?”
Always write down the accents. Markus has had 10 in two sessions.
LMAO I'm guilty of this one, I always turn it into a joke haha
I just improvise :P
probably the best skill you could have as a DM lol
@@TheFantasyForge Yeah honestly lol
Referencias pics
Plan secundario
Goal for session
Random names
Descripciones
Descanso
Anotar importante
Ataque y daño a la vez
Mob tactics aprender
Pregintar q onda personajss 1x1 y pensamientos
Notas
"now before you skip" as im skipping ahead
I'm always watching
lol, a black behind DM screen. and a female, even, top kek