Category Archives: DM Advice

Selling The Drama

Posted on May 17, 2012 by

Regardless of the actions that take place during combat encounters in Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition, it is the responsibility of the DM to ensure the players know what they are fighting for and both how and why monsters are reacting to them … Continue reading →

Posted in Communication, DM Advice, Encounters, PC Behavior | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Critical Overload

Posted on May 15, 2012 by

I am discovering a growing “problem” in my campaign. The number of critical hits leveled against monsters during any given combat encounter in our Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition campaign is getting out of hand and it is effecting my … Continue reading →

Posted in DM Advice, Encounters, PC Behavior | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 35 Comments

The Agony of Defeat

Posted on May 4, 2012 by

Approximately 60 hours before I learned that my blog won the RPG Site of The Year from Stuffer Shack this week, I presided over arguably the worst D&D session I have ever run. The session started out well enough, but the last two … Continue reading →

Posted in DM Advice, PC Behavior | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 33 Comments

Lest Ye Be Judged

Posted on April 26, 2012 by

Character alignment has been something that is largely overlooked in the D&D campaigns I am a part of – either as a PC or a DM. Generally the players are Lawful, Lawful Good or Neutral on their character sheet but … Continue reading →

Posted in DM Advice, Encounters, PC Behavior | Tagged , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Dungeon Mastering: Theory & Practice

Posted on April 24, 2012 by

Several moons ago, I posed the following question on Twitter, “What is your biggest flaw as a DM?” I also asked, “What is your biggest strength as a DM?” It should come as little surprise that more DMs responded to … Continue reading →

Posted in D&D Next, DM Advice, Research | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 19 Comments

The Complexity of Creating Compelling Campaign Conclusions

Posted on April 17, 2012 by

With the announcement of D&D Next, many gaming groups are likely now in the process of forming an exit strategy for their 4th Edition campaigns. It is first worth noting that most D&D campaign do not reach a conclusion. Even DM Extraordinaire, … Continue reading →

Posted in D&D Next, DM Advice | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Discount Fares to Shattered Isles

Posted on April 9, 2012 by

I previously detailed a skill challenge that featured the party chasing their prey along the rooftops of Gloomwrought. Once the party finally corners their prey – in this case, traitors of Ghost Talon – the unstable building in the Shattered … Continue reading →

Posted in DM Advice, Encounters | Tagged , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Gloomwrought’s Final Destination

Posted on April 3, 2012 by

One of the fun challenges of running a session in the Shadowfell is trying to convey the magnitude of wickedness, gloom, despair and violence. The DM can hit the five senses quickly through flavor text, but the Shadowfell seems to call for even more attention … Continue reading →

Posted in DM Advice, Encounters | Tagged , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Understanding Self and Other

Posted on March 28, 2012 by

In recent weeks, I have been asked for input from others in the online community about certain topics. It has been fun to communicate with other bloggers on their ideas and contribute in any way possible. I wanted to direct … Continue reading →

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Drink It!

Posted on March 6, 2012 by

I have the good fortune of playing with a gaming group that has a great deal of terrain and miniatures for combat encounters. The host of our game has been collecting such items for many years, and members of our group … Continue reading →

Posted in DM Advice, Encounters, PC Behavior | Tagged , , , , , , , | 15 Comments