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Advice for Dungeon Masters

For the greenhorn DM

Juan Vasquez

Mar 06, 2017

Lehman College

Wikimedia Commons

Okay so I am going to stray away from the scientific and political shitposting for a while so I can talk about my FAVORITE hobby of all time. Role playing games. So with Dungeons and Dragons being out for some time now, I have decided to list a few tips that have helped me over the years. These little tidbits of advice came from several times of reading over the Dungeon Master's Guide (from both the 5th Edition and older editions) as well as some advice passed down to me from older sages. Pull up a chair, order some mead, and listen well, young greenhorn.

1. Know the Rules

This does not mean that you know all the rules and can argue long and convincingly for them. But you should know where the rules are, so when a disagreement about what a player can or cannot do arises, you know how to resolve it.

2. Be Consistent

If you start out a specific list of rules, stick to those rules. Now of course this does not mean that you cannot pull off a deus ex machina every once in awhile, but stick to the rules when possible.

3. Be Fun, Not Original

I know that Dungeons and Dragons takes heavy inspiration from Tolkien. That being said YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PLAY IN YOUR STANDARD HIGH FANTASY SETTING. I remember reading the 4th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide and it said that Avatar: The Last Airbender was a great idea for a Dungeons and Dragons setting. That being said, you could take from ANYTHING, even if it has nothing to do with fantasy.

4. The Rules Are Made From Paper, Not Stone

This is the most important "rule" when playing ANY role playing, not just Dungeons and Dragons. You may find some rules to be unnecessary. That is totally just fine. Omit it from your gaming table. On the other hand, you may find that you may need to add a few rules. This is also totally fine. Simply homebrew them in! Modify the game to suit your gaming needs!

I hope these little bits of advice help you in your DMing journey, young greenhorn. Go and do be careful. It is too dangerous to go alone. Take this with you...

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.

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Advice for Dungeon Masters

For the greenhorn DM

1. Know the Rules

2. Be Consistent

3. Be Fun, Not Original

4. The Rules Are Made From Paper, Not Stone

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No one best represents the struggle like our favorite 90s squad.

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7. Carefully moving things around to accommodate a different class/section.

8. Waking up at 6:00 a.m. for your enrollment time.

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