DMing is the most complex aspect of the game. You prepare the adventure, act as eyes and ears for the characters, play monsters and NPCs, deal with problems and questions, give out rewards and basically serve as the focal point for the whole game. Someone taking that type of job on deserves some assistance and advice at times. Here are some guidelines to help make the game easier and more fun for both you and your players.

Be prepared: One of the worst mistakes a DM can make is to be unprepared for a game session. Looking over the adventure even 15 minutes beforehand can make for a better session that a DM that is looking through the adventure on the spot constantly to find information he or she should know easily. That frustrates the players and can be frustrating for the DM as well. You should know the basic plotline, major NPCs and the set challenges that the characters will face before you open up your DM screen. Also, be ready to deal with minor issues that constantly come up. One that comes to mind is when players, during roleplay, ask a minor NPC's name. Have a list of names ready for both minor NPCs and for inns and taverns and your game world will not be populated by a bunch of people named "Fred".

Be prepared to improvise: You may have figured out 12 different ways to get through a scenario but it is likely that the characters will find a thirteenth. The important thing here is to let them do their method. Guage how the situation will change because of that choice instead of blocking that action. It might turn the adventure in a whole different direction. If it means that you have to take a moment to rework some ideas, go ahead and tell the players that you need a little time because you weren't expecting them to do that. (They love hearing that.) There are times to stick to the script and times to "wing it".

Of course, in some adventures, getting too far off track could mean missing the objective completely. Find ways for the players to know that they are going too far astray. Just don't overdo it. Give them signposts but don't lead them by the hand.

No DMus Ex Machina: Many a bad adventure has come about by the characters going through major challenges only to have the DM's favorite NPC come save the day. The characters are the ones that should always move the adventure forward to its conclusion. They are the heroes of the story and that is the aspect that makes the game fun. In the same vein, the players must

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