Top 50 D&D Tips for Dungeon Masters
I’ve been collecting Dungeon Master tips for several years and I now have a massive list of them. Following are the best fifty, in no particular order:
Engage passive players by giving them a special relationship with an important NPC.
Have intelligent monsters use tactics, such as feigned retreats, encirclement, and multi-pronged attacks.
Create different encounter goals rather than just "kill everything." Have the PCs save a hostage, seal off a magic portal, retrieve an important item, etc.
Use your NPCs to make the PCs look good. Have them praise and celebrate the PCs. Create situations where the PCs can heroically save the NPCs.
Buff up common monsters with a special ability: extra limbs, regeneration, the ability to fly, etc.
Don't over-describe a location. Give the players a good overview and let them ask for details.
Create nefarious master villains and scheming factions for your campaign.
Ask the players if they are enjoying the campaign. If the fun is waning, use their feedback to find out what needs changing.
Have the characters refight the occasional tough battle after they level up, to show them how far they have progressed.
Real-world maps of castles, manors, abbeys, etc. provide great inspiration for dungeon design.
Have your NPCs ask relevant questions about a PC’s backstory in-game. This can be a fun way to help a player flesh out their character.
If your players are struggling to figure out what to do in a situation, quickly recap their options.
You can create fun and distinct NPCs with just a single line of text. Note their name, their occupation, a personality trait, and a physical trait. Bereene Jadeshaw, a shy tinker who constantly flips a coin. Jalyp Ironbrand, an anxious goldsmith with red cheeks. Etc.
Monster hit points are a range, not a single number. You can effectively lower the Challenge Rating of a monster by reducing its hit points.
"Defeating" a monster could mean sneaking past it, convincing it to help you, or tricking it. All of these are worthy of XP and progress.
Give some of your magic items physical descriptions and a history, along with minor properties and quirks. These make them feel unique and valuable.
Occasionally have a major NPC ride in and save the day. This is especially satisfying if it is a high-level PC from a previous campaign.
Combine humanoids with strange mounts to create interest. Drow riding giant spiders. Goblins riding giant bats. A wizard riding a chimera.
Make a list of all the NPCs mentioned in the character backstories the players create, then find ways to inject them into your campaign.
Not every search requires a Wisdom (Perception) check. If there is a ring in the vase, and someone looks in the vase, they find the ring.
Add simple lair actions to weak monsters to spice up low-level boss fights
Every time you call for a death saving throw, ask the player for a memory that flashes before their eyes.
If you want to make your major NPCs more interesting and playable, give each of them a juicy secret.
For fights at higher levels, round hit points and damage to the nearest 5 points. The maths is much easier.
Ask one of your players to handle initiative tracking.
Include some easy fights to allow the characters to feel strong and heroic.
Try using props (such as a wig or a pipe) to differentiate your NPCs.
Give a short recap of the last session at the start of every game.
Sprinkle clues throughout your adventure. These could have information about treasure, monsters, history, people, locations, or anything else.
During combat, tell the players whose turn it is, and whose turn it is after that. This greatly speeds up combat.
Don't be afraid to stop and look up a rule during the game. Even the very best DMs need to look up the rules.
If players are getting bogged down in a location, it's ok to say, "You've learned all you can here" to get them going again.
Adjust the tempo of your speech when describing an encounter. For weightier matters, slow down and use pauses.
Players often come up with great ideas when they are trying to figure out what is going on. Don't be afraid to incorporate these ideas into your game.
Don't call for an ability check unless there is a meaningful and interesting consequence to success or failure.
Steal campaign ideas from all your favorite books, comics, movies, and tv shows.
Ask your players what magic items they'd like to find. Even if you decide to ignore the suggestions, it will help you understand the player’s goals for their character better.
Say "yes" as much as possible. Encourage the players to try new and unusual things.
Keep the action flowing. If looking up a rule will disrupt things too much, just wing it and look up the rule after the session.
The real "rule zero" is: "Make sure everyone at the table is having a good time."
Ask one of your players to track the damage inflicted on monsters for you.
If someone is being left out of the game, bring them to the forefront of the action by saying, "Xxxxx, what does your character do?"
Don't argue about rules with the players during the game. Make a ruling and move on, but let the players know you can discuss it offline.
When creating character backstories, ensure every PC has a major relationship with at least one other PC.
Nominate a city or town as the PC's home base and let them return there regularly. This provides good opportunities for character development.
Occasionally give your players a magic item that is busted or out of charges. Repairing it becomes a fun side quest.
Actively recruit PCs into the factions that are shaping your campaign world.
Be a fan of your players. Celebrate their victories and commiserate with their failures.
Most monsters should attempt to flee a battle when it becomes hopeless, which is a good way to end a dragging combat.
Give your players the occasional bit of narrative control. For example, ask them to describe what their spell looks like, or how they land the killing blow on a monster..