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

Learn how to be a better DM (Dungeon Master) so you can tell better stories for yourself and your friends. Learn things like how to start a campaign, how to create realistic NPCs, how to move the plot along, and how and why to use session 0's for your party. Join hosts Justin Lewis, Cayden Ottley and Tanner Weyland as they distill all the DM tips, tools and resources for the beginner DM, for the DM with a few years of experience and for the Forever DM who's been playing for 20 years. If you're sick of searching for things like, "...

How to Start Terrainscaping for your D&D Games with Jay’s Tabletop Terrain

34 mins; July 25, 2024

Lessons Learned My First Year DM'ing

10 mins; July 18, 2024

Downtime Activities in D&D, Part 4: Running a Business

28 mins; July 11, 2024

Where Have My Fingers Been & Why Players Should All Be DMs - Guest Appearance on RPG Academy

54 mins; July 08, 2024

10 More Tips for Even Better One-Shots

18 mins; July 04, 2024

Yes And... Why Improvisation Isn't About You | Talking Improv and Comedy with TJ from Comedy Sports

57 mins; June 27, 2024

How to World Build Using Conflict: Into the mind of Jake Packham (DM of The Pact & Boon)

15 mins; June 20, 2024

How to World Build in a Player and Character Focused Way

17 mins; June 17, 2024

Downtime Activities in D&D, Part 3: Carousing

18 mins; June 13, 2024

Easier DND Prep and Planning Through the CASE Framework

25 mins; June 06, 2024

Railroading and the Illusion of Choice: Do Players Care About Being Railroaded?

35 mins; May 30, 2024

Build Your Dream D&D Game Room: Top Tips from Daniel Hanzlian

27 mins; May 23, 2024

Home Brew Rules From Different Game Systems on the Level Up Your Gaming Podcast

55 mins; May 20, 2024

10 Places That Your Fantasy Town NEEDS!

20 mins; May 16, 2024

Downtime Activities in D&D, Part 2: Crafting Items

19 mins; May 09, 2024

Simplify and Streamline your Session Prep | The PUT A CLUE Framework

34 mins; May 02, 2024

What Would a Fantasy Blacksmith Shop Look Like - Wastatch Forge Blacksmith Interview Part 2

28 mins; April 27, 2024

What D&D 5e Gets Wrong About Blacksmiths - Wasatch Forge Interview with a Blacksmith

48 mins; April 25, 2024

Bonus: Always Find Players for D&D, How to Do Lycanthropy in Your Game, The Longstrider Spell, on the Next Session Podcast

60 hours 46 mins; April 23, 2024

5 Tips for More Immersive World Building!

10 mins; April 18, 2024

Downtime Activities in D&D, Part 1: How to Build A Stronghold

27 mins; April 11, 2024

Podcast Takeover! 2nd Episode of New Actual Play D&D Show - Pact and Boon

133 hours 40 mins; April 06, 2024

Pact and Boon Episode 1: Podcast Takeover!

95 hours 51 mins; April 05, 2024

20 Tips for First Time DMs

24 mins; April 04, 2024

How to DM in a Public Place | Tips for Public Dungeon Mastering with Andrew Ashby from We Geek Together

37 mins; March 28, 2024

5 of the BEST online resources for a more immersive world.

12 mins; March 21, 2024

When and How to Speedrun D&D Sessions

15 mins; March 14, 2024

How to Write a DND Heist One Shot | Why You Should Play a DND Heist One Shot

53 mins; March 07, 2024

How and When to Make Realistic, Unforgettable NPCs

22 mins; February 29, 2024

The Joys of World Building, & How To Start!

11 mins; February 22, 2024

Focusing on your DM "Problem Areas" + Some Announcements

22 mins; February 15, 2024

Knowledge vs. Experience: How to Make D&D Character Grow Realistically

27 mins; February 08, 2024

A Tour Through the Feywild

35 mins; February 01, 2024

How to Use Conditions in D&D for Better Story Telling

26 mins; January 25, 2024

Helping Your Players Advocate For Themselves in D&D

19 mins; January 18, 2024

How to be Silly in D&D

19 mins; January 11, 2024

A Tour Through the Shadowfell

39 mins; January 04, 2024

2023 in Retrospect and the Prospects of 2024

36 mins; December 28, 2023

Give the Gift of DMing, presented by the Ghosts of Christmas

14 mins; December 21, 2023

How and Why to Add a Little Tragedy into Your Games

28 mins; December 14, 2023

What to Do When a Player Is Missing

27 mins; December 07, 2023

Online D&D Sessions and The Future of D&D and Generative AI: Andrew Clayton from Foundry VTT

39 mins; November 30, 2023

Focus on the Positive, DMs

17 mins; November 23, 2023

Villages Vs Dungeons: When and How to Use Both

38 mins; November 16, 2023

A D&D Tavern: Setting Up the Iconic Campaign Element

32 mins; November 09, 2023

Post-Session Reflection for DMs: Journaling Towards Success

14 mins; November 02, 2023

Should You Invite Guests to Play In Your D&D Campaign?

22 mins; October 26, 2023

DND, Faith, Religion and Gods: How to Do It Right

37 mins; October 19, 2023

Andrew Ashby: World Record Dungeons and Dragons Game, We Geek Together the Tabletop Tavern and the Patterns of Successful DMs

39 mins; October 12, 2023

Are Random Encounters in D&D Good Storytelling, or Bad?

21 mins; October 05, 2023

How to Run an Expedition In Your D&D Campaign

26 mins; September 28, 2023

Allowing Creative Solutions: How to Relinquish Creative Control for D&D Obstacles and Puzzles

27 mins; September 21, 2023

Are your D&D Conversations too Linear? How to Roleplay D&D with More Options

26 mins; September 14, 2023

How to Play D&D while Being a Parent

29 mins; September 07, 2023

The Key to DM and Player Interactions in D&D: "Yes And"

18 mins; August 24, 2023

Are you throwing away your Saving Throws? - Back to Basics

22 mins; August 17, 2023

How to Get Someone to Play D&D

14 mins; August 10, 2023

Death in Dungeons and Dragons

25 mins; August 03, 2023

Familes In Your D&D Campaign: Why It's Uncommon and How to Make It Work

27 mins; July 27, 2023

9 D&D and Dungeon Master Expectations That You Need to Change

22 mins; July 20, 2023

For Whom the Bell Tolls: Homebrew Collaboration Part 3

63 hours 13 mins; July 13, 2023

Political D&D Campaigns: Let's Roll for Political Office

22 mins; July 06, 2023

The Chimefall Ceremony: Homebrew Project Building with Rob Van Auken Part 2

43 mins; June 29, 2023

D&D and Self-Improvement: How to Improve Your DMing Skills

16 mins; June 22, 2023

How to Make Impactful D&D One-Shots

20 mins; June 15, 2023

What The Future Holds for How to Be a Better DM

17 mins; June 08, 2023

How to Use and Think about Alignment in D&D

17 mins; June 01, 2023

Food in D&D: Gaming for the Gourmand

22 mins; May 25, 2023

Committing to Characters with Victor Bevine (AKA Drizzt Do'Urden)

38 mins; May 18, 2023

Homebrew Collaboration with Rob Van Auken Part 1

53 mins; May 11, 2023

How to Prepare for an Online Session of D&D

20 mins; May 04, 2023

How to Get Your Players to Play Together as an Adventuring Party

20 mins; April 27, 2023

How to Use Animal and NPC Companions Correctly in D&D

22 mins; April 20, 2023

How to Dungeon Master When You're Super Busy

26 mins; April 13, 2023

How to Use Mob Combat Effectively In D&D

20 mins; April 06, 2023

Driving Character Development and Conflict as a DM with Rob Wells

36 mins; March 30, 2023

What to Do About Dungeon Master Boredom

30 mins; March 23, 2023

Why You Need to Start Borrowing Story Ideas in D&D

18 mins; March 16, 2023

How to Avoid DM Burnout Continued

25 mins; March 09, 2023

How to Create a Compelling Villain for Your D&D Campaign

12 mins; March 02, 2023

5 Tips to Spice Up Your Dungeons and Dragons Combat Encounter

19 mins; February 23, 2023

How to Stay Excited About Being a Dungeon Master (Avoiding DM Burnout)

21 mins; February 16, 2023

8 Tips for Player Management in Dungeons and Dragons

12 mins; February 09, 2023

10 Reasons to Do One-Shots as a Dungeon Master

14 mins; February 02, 2023

Family: Isn't it about... D&D? Family Relationships in D&D

17 mins; January 26, 2023

Wizards of the Coast's OGL 1.1 (Or at Least Our Thoughts On What We Think We Know So Far)

22 mins; January 19, 2023

Improve Your Roleplaying Game Immersion with Alex Aries

35 mins; January 12, 2023

6 NPC Questions to Help Stimulate Roleplaying at Your Table

10 mins; January 05, 2023

End of 2022 & What 2023 Holds for How to Be a Better DM

7 mins; December 29, 2022

5 Tips to Make Your Dungeons and Dragons Game Christmas Themed

12 mins; December 22, 2022

Catching Up With Your Players Between Sessions

21 mins; December 15, 2022

Tips to Improve Your Writing Part 2

10 mins; December 08, 2022

Dungeon Master Critique: Dissecting Justin's September One-Shot Part 2

37 mins; December 01, 2022

Giving Thanks to your D&D Players

5 mins; November 24, 2022

What is the Ruling on House Rules in D&D?

26 mins; November 17, 2022

Dungeon Master Critique: Dissecting Justin's September One-Shot

38 mins; November 10, 2022

Christmas Gifts for the Dungeon Master In Your Life (or for You)

23 mins; November 03, 2022

Unearthed Arcana Part 2: Expert Classes

37 mins; October 27, 2022

Level Up Your D&D Game with a Soundboard

19 mins; October 20, 2022

Unearthed Arcana Part 1: Character Origins

29 mins; October 13, 2022

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

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