by Chris Bober

Created on: May 20, 2010

Before I begin, allow me to abolish the myth upfront: there is no way any Dungeon Master can please all of their players. With that being said, however, it is obvious that some are much better than others. There are a few key points to becoming a good Dungeon Master. First off, you are a part of the game. Nothing ruins a gaming session faster than when a Dungeon Master decides that they are God. Rather, your role is to provide a pleasant gaming experience to your players. This begins with preparation.

When preparing a campaign, begin from the ground up. The first aspect needed to have fun is a world in which to play in. Decide beforehand, with your players, what aspects exist in the environment. If your group enjoys playing mages, it is unlikely that a world with little magic would be a good fit. Think of the setting in terms of location, climate, culture and time. Set up a history for the region the players will be exploring. The world shouldn’t restrict them. Instead, build one where the players can participate on every level. Pick out all of the details before hand, down to what plants are growing, to help the game take more of a vivid hue and maintain continuity.

After you establish a world, decide what is going on in it. Your players need a sense of direction, so build them a story with which to interact. Make it as detailed as possible, and don’t disclose it all at once. The players should enjoy learning small pieces at a time, all painting a larger picture. Fill it with plot, as well as aesthetic elements. Describe what happens, rather than telling. Players will always enjoy it more if you can make the story come alive.

As the Dungeon Master, you will be forced to make some potentially difficult decisions. Limit what the players can do. Well its no fun playing characters too weak to defeat even the meekest of Kobolds, neither is it enjoyable to defeat everything with one roll of the dice. Keep your characters guessing, but don’t leave them in mortal harm. As the Dungeon Master, it is alright to fudge some rolls. If the low level guardsman gets a lucky hit off that will kill the group’s only fighter, tone down the results. It’s never fun to have the game decided by a simple fluke roll.

The strongest thing to stress as a Dungeon Master is moderation and cooperation. Make sure every player gets a chance to display their unique skills. If a fight has been completely dominated by the fighter, throw in a few traps so the rouge has a chance to shine. Each player wants to be recognized, and each should be. Bringing a group of players together is the best thing a Dungeon Master can do.

So remember, as Dungeon Master, it’s your job to facilitate the game. Keep things moving so the players remain interested, but don’t rush through the details. Know the rules up front, but don’t let them stifle the players’ creativity.  Allow the rules to keep things fair, but don’t just play from the book. If you set up a world where the players can enjoy themselves, and make sure every game is unique, the players will thank you.

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