How to Be a Better DM: Dungeon Master Tips for the DM Newbie, the Hobbyist and the Forever DM
By Justin Lewis
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Subscribers: 12
Reviews: 0
Episodes: 209
Description
Learn how to be a better DM (Dungeon Master) so you can tell better stories for yourself and your friends.
Learn things like how to start a campaign, how to create realistic NPCs, how to move the plot along, and how and why to use session 0's for your party.
Join hosts Justin Lewis, Cayden Ottley and Tanner Weyland as they distill all the DM tips, tools and resources for the beginner DM, for the DM with a few years of experience and for the Forever DM who's been playing for 20 years.
If you're sick of searching for things like, "How to create a homebrew DND campaign?", click the play button and listen to become the best dungeon master you ever could be!
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/betterdungeonmaster
Discord Server: https://discord.gg/g77qt8quM2
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/howtobeabetterdmpodcast/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@session0studios
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@session0studios
Professional Dungeon Master Services: https://session0studios.com/dungeon-master-for-hire/
DM Coaching: https://session0studios.com/coaching/
| Episode | Date |
|---|---|
|
Why Your Villain Falls Flat (And How to Fix It with Show, Don’t Tell) | Part 1 of the Show Don't Tell Mini Series
|
Apr 03, 2025 |
|
Diving Deep into Theme, Fate, and Storytelling with Jay Foster from Swole Initiative
|
Mar 28, 2025 |
|
GMing 101: Top DM Tips from Dragon Steel Nexus
|
Mar 20, 2025 |
|
How to Help Players Fit Into Your D&D Party
|
Mar 13, 2025 |
|
Why Your D&D Party Won’t Stay Together (And How to Fix It)
|
Mar 06, 2025 |
|
Alignment in D&D: Outdated Relic or Roleplay Goldmine?
|
Feb 27, 2025 |
|
The Lost Episode? Lessons from Ashley May King on Mastering the Art of DMing in Horror and Mystery
|
Feb 20, 2025 |
|
Long Vs Short D&D Campaigns: Which is best for you?
|
Feb 13, 2025 |
|
The Dos and Don'ts of the Early Campaign
|
Feb 06, 2025 |
|
Writing a Homebrew One-Shot: Part 5
|
Jan 30, 2025 |
|
DND for Kids? Much Easier and More Rewarding than you Thought with The Kids Table DND
|
Jan 23, 2025 |
|
Frustration with D&D: Resolving D&D and DM concerns
|
Jan 16, 2025 |
|
Writing a Homebrew One-Shot: Part 4
|
Jan 14, 2025 |
|
DM Coaching: Timelines and Weather with Samantha Fortune
|
Jan 09, 2025 |
|
DM Goals and Resolutions for 2025
|
Jan 02, 2025 |
|
2024 in Review and What Lies In 2025
|
Dec 26, 2024 |
|
A Simple Session 0 Checklist
|
Dec 19, 2024 |
|
Challenging Yourself With Challenge Rating in D&D
|
Dec 12, 2024 |
|
Important Lessons Learned in 2024 about being a Dungeon master
|
Dec 05, 2024 |
|
Simplify and Supercharge your World Building with Worldsmith.io
|
Nov 29, 2024 |
|
The Art of Foreshadowing: Planting Seeds for Big Reveals
|
Nov 22, 2024 |
|
To Randomize or Personalize Loot: That Is The Question
|
Nov 14, 2024 |
|
How to Start an Actual Play D&D Podcast With Brennon from the Afterlife Pod
|
Nov 07, 2024 |
|
DM Coaching: DMing for Kids and Tying Up Loose Ends with Aaron Singh
|
Oct 31, 2024 |
|
Oh No! Your party is in trouble! Deus Ex Machina, I guess??
|
Oct 24, 2024 |
|
How to Flesh Out Your Afterlife - Questions to Ask to Help Develop the Concepts of Afterlife in your Homebrew World
|
Oct 17, 2024 |
|
When Your D&D Group Loses Momentum
|
Oct 10, 2024 |
|
8 Tips for Begginner Dungeon Masters
|
Oct 03, 2024 |
|
Swole Initiative: Player Check-ins and Campaign Themes with Jay Foster
|
Sep 26, 2024 |
|
What to Spend $50 on For Your D&D Hobby
|
Sep 24, 2024 |
|
The Skills of the Dungeon Master
|
Sep 19, 2024 |
|
RAW: Voice Acting Tips from a Non-Voice Actor
|
Sep 17, 2024 |
|
Focusing on Your Strengths: What Makes You a Great DM?
|
Sep 12, 2024 |
|
RAW: How to Move DND Along
|
Sep 10, 2024 |
|
Dan Wells: What are You Good at As a GM?
|
Sep 05, 2024 |
|
How to Give Just a Little More to Your Roleplaying as a Dungeon Master
|
Sep 03, 2024 |
|
How do Bounce Back after a Bad Session | Dungeon Master Coaching with Al
|
Aug 29, 2024 |
|
Linguistic Tactics for More Realistic Characters with Ethan Myers from Lyres for Hire
|
Aug 22, 2024 |
|
How to upgrade your games with Monument Studios
|
Aug 15, 2024 |
|
In the Footsteps of Giants: Part 1
|
Aug 13, 2024 |
|
3 Questions To Determine a Combat Encounter’s Length
|
Aug 08, 2024 |
|
11 More Things Every Dungeon Master Should Remember Part 2
|
Aug 02, 2024 |
|
11 More Things Every Dungeon Master Should Remember Part 1
|
Aug 01, 2024 |
|
How to Start Terrainscaping for your D&D Games with Jay’s Tabletop Terrain
|
Jul 25, 2024 |
|
Lessons Learned My First Year DM'ing
|
Jul 18, 2024 |
|
Downtime Activities in D&D, Part 4: Running a Business
|
Jul 11, 2024 |
|
Where Have My Fingers Been & Why Players Should All Be DMs - Guest Appearance on RPG Academy
|
Jul 08, 2024 |
|
10 More Tips for Even Better One-Shots
|
Jul 04, 2024 |
|
Yes And... Why Improvisation Isn't About You | Talking Improv and Comedy with TJ from Comedy Sports
|
Jun 27, 2024 |
|
How to World Build Using Conflict: Into the mind of Jake Packham (DM of The Pact & Boon)
|
Jun 20, 2024 |
|
How to World Build in a Player and Character Focused Way
|
Jun 17, 2024 |
|
Downtime Activities in D&D, Part 3: Carousing
|
Jun 13, 2024 |
|
Easier DND Prep and Planning Through the CASE Framework
|
Jun 06, 2024 |
|
Railroading and the Illusion of Choice: Do Players Care About Being Railroaded?
|
May 30, 2024 |
|
Build Your Dream D&D Game Room: Top Tips from Daniel Hanzlian
|
May 23, 2024 |
|
Home Brew Rules From Different Game Systems on the Level Up Your Gaming Podcast
|
May 20, 2024 |
|
10 Places That Your Fantasy Town NEEDS!
|
May 16, 2024 |
|
Downtime Activities in D&D, Part 2: Crafting Items
|
May 09, 2024 |
|
Simplify and Streamline your Session Prep | The PUT A CLUE Framework
|
May 02, 2024 |
|
What Would a Fantasy Blacksmith Shop Look Like - Wastatch Forge Blacksmith Interview Part 2
|
Apr 27, 2024 |
|
What D&D 5e Gets Wrong About Blacksmiths - Wasatch Forge Interview with a Blacksmith
|
Apr 25, 2024 |
|
Bonus: Always Find Players for D&D, How to Do Lycanthropy in Your Game, The Longstrider Spell, on the Next Session Podcast
|
Apr 23, 2024 |
|
5 Tips for More Immersive World Building!
|
Apr 18, 2024 |
|
Downtime Activities in D&D, Part 1: How to Build A Stronghold
|
Apr 11, 2024 |
|
Podcast Takeover! 2nd Episode of New Actual Play D&D Show - Pact and Boon
|
Apr 06, 2024 |
|
Pact and Boon Episode 1: Podcast Takeover!
|
Apr 05, 2024 |
|
20 Tips for First Time DMs
|
Apr 04, 2024 |
|
How to DM in a Public Place | Tips for Public Dungeon Mastering with Andrew Ashby from We Geek Together
|
Mar 28, 2024 |
|
5 of the BEST online resources for a more immersive world.
|
Mar 21, 2024 |
|
When and How to Speedrun D&D Sessions
|
Mar 14, 2024 |
|
How to Write a DND Heist One Shot | Why You Should Play a DND Heist One Shot
|
Mar 07, 2024 |
|
How and When to Make Realistic, Unforgettable NPCs
|
Feb 29, 2024 |
|
The Joys of World Building, & How To Start!
|
Feb 22, 2024 |
|
Focusing on your DM "Problem Areas" + Some Announcements
|
Feb 15, 2024 |
|
Knowledge vs. Experience: How to Make D&D Character Grow Realistically
|
Feb 08, 2024 |
|
A Tour Through the Feywild
|
Feb 01, 2024 |
|
How to Use Conditions in D&D for Better Story Telling
|
Jan 25, 2024 |
|
Helping Your Players Advocate For Themselves in D&D
|
Jan 18, 2024 |
|
How to be Silly in D&D
|
Jan 11, 2024 |
|
A Tour Through the Shadowfell
|
Jan 04, 2024 |
|
2023 in Retrospect and the Prospects of 2024
|
Dec 28, 2023 |
|
Give the Gift of DMing, presented by the Ghosts of Christmas
|
Dec 21, 2023 |
|
How and Why to Add a Little Tragedy into Your Games
|
Dec 14, 2023 |
|
What to Do When a Player Is Missing
|
Dec 07, 2023 |
|
Online D&D Sessions and The Future of D&D and Generative AI: Andrew Clayton from Foundry VTT
|
Nov 30, 2023 |
|
Focus on the Positive, DMs
|
Nov 23, 2023 |
|
Villages Vs Dungeons: When and How to Use Both
|
Nov 16, 2023 |
|
A D&D Tavern: Setting Up the Iconic Campaign Element
|
Nov 09, 2023 |
|
Post-Session Reflection for DMs: Journaling Towards Success
|
Nov 02, 2023 |
|
Should You Invite Guests to Play In Your D&D Campaign?
|
Oct 26, 2023 |
|
DND, Faith, Religion and Gods: How to Do It Right
|
Oct 19, 2023 |
|
Andrew Ashby: World Record Dungeons and Dragons Game, We Geek Together the Tabletop Tavern and the Patterns of Successful DMs
|
Oct 12, 2023 |
|
Are Random Encounters in D&D Good Storytelling, or Bad?
|
Oct 05, 2023 |
|
How to Run an Expedition In Your D&D Campaign
|
Sep 28, 2023 |
|
Allowing Creative Solutions: How to Relinquish Creative Control for D&D Obstacles and Puzzles
|
Sep 21, 2023 |
|
Are your D&D Conversations too Linear? How to Roleplay D&D with More Options
|
Sep 14, 2023 |
|
How to Play D&D while Being a Parent
|
Sep 07, 2023 |
|
The Key to DM and Player Interactions in D&D: "Yes And"
|
Aug 24, 2023 |
|
Are you throwing away your Saving Throws? - Back to Basics
|
Aug 17, 2023 |
|
How to Get Someone to Play D&D
|
Aug 10, 2023 |
|
Death in Dungeons and Dragons
|
Aug 03, 2023 |
|
Familes In Your D&D Campaign: Why It's Uncommon and How to Make It Work
|
Jul 27, 2023 |
|
9 D&D and Dungeon Master Expectations That You Need to Change
|
Jul 20, 2023 |
|
For Whom the Bell Tolls: Homebrew Collaboration Part 3
|
Jul 13, 2023 |
|
Political D&D Campaigns: Let's Roll for Political Office
|
Jul 06, 2023 |
|
The Chimefall Ceremony: Homebrew Project Building with Rob Van Auken Part 2
|
Jun 29, 2023 |
|
D&D and Self-Improvement: How to Improve Your DMing Skills
|
Jun 22, 2023 |
|
How to Make Impactful D&D One-Shots
|
Jun 15, 2023 |
|
What The Future Holds for How to Be a Better DM
|
Jun 08, 2023 |
|
How to Use and Think about Alignment in D&D
|
Jun 01, 2023 |
|
Food in D&D: Gaming for the Gourmand
|
May 25, 2023 |
|
Committing to Characters with Victor Bevine (AKA Drizzt Do'Urden)
|
May 18, 2023 |
|
Homebrew Collaboration with Rob Van Auken Part 1
|
May 11, 2023 |
|
How to Prepare for an Online Session of D&D
|
May 04, 2023 |
|
How to Get Your Players to Play Together as an Adventuring Party
|
Apr 27, 2023 |
|
How to Use Animal and NPC Companions Correctly in D&D
|
Apr 20, 2023 |
|
How to Dungeon Master When You're Super Busy
|
Apr 13, 2023 |
|
How to Use Mob Combat Effectively In D&D
|
Apr 06, 2023 |
|
Driving Character Development and Conflict as a DM with Rob Wells
|
Mar 30, 2023 |
|
What to Do About Dungeon Master Boredom
|
Mar 23, 2023 |
|
Why You Need to Start Borrowing Story Ideas in D&D
|
Mar 16, 2023 |
|
How to Avoid DM Burnout Continued
|
Mar 09, 2023 |
|
How to Create a Compelling Villain for Your D&D Campaign
|
Mar 02, 2023 |
|
5 Tips to Spice Up Your Dungeons and Dragons Combat Encounter
|
Feb 23, 2023 |
|
How to Stay Excited About Being a Dungeon Master (Avoiding DM Burnout)
|
Feb 16, 2023 |
|
8 Tips for Player Management in Dungeons and Dragons
|
Feb 09, 2023 |
|
10 Reasons to Do One-Shots as a Dungeon Master
|
Feb 02, 2023 |
|
Family: Isn't it about... D&D? Family Relationships in D&D
|
Jan 26, 2023 |
|
Wizards of the Coast's OGL 1.1 (Or at Least Our Thoughts On What We Think We Know So Far)
|
Jan 19, 2023 |
|
Improve Your Roleplaying Game Immersion with Alex Aries
|
Jan 12, 2023 |
|
6 NPC Questions to Help Stimulate Roleplaying at Your Table
|
Jan 05, 2023 |
|
End of 2022 & What 2023 Holds for How to Be a Better DM
|
Dec 29, 2022 |
|
5 Tips to Make Your Dungeons and Dragons Game Christmas Themed
|
Dec 22, 2022 |
|
Catching Up With Your Players Between Sessions
|
Dec 15, 2022 |
|
Tips to Improve Your Writing Part 2
|
Dec 08, 2022 |
|
Dungeon Master Critique: Dissecting Justin's September One-Shot Part 2
|
Dec 01, 2022 |
|
Giving Thanks to your D&D Players
|
Nov 24, 2022 |
|
What is the Ruling on House Rules in D&D?
|
Nov 17, 2022 |
|
Dungeon Master Critique: Dissecting Justin's September One-Shot
|
Nov 10, 2022 |
|
Christmas Gifts for the Dungeon Master In Your Life (or for You)
|
Nov 03, 2022 |
|
Unearthed Arcana Part 2: Expert Classes
|
Oct 27, 2022 |
|
Level Up Your D&D Game with a Soundboard
|
Oct 20, 2022 |
|
Unearthed Arcana Part 1: Character Origins
|
Oct 13, 2022 |
|
5 Tips to Improve your Writing
|
Oct 06, 2022 |
|
How to Engage Unengaged D&D Players
|
Sep 29, 2022 |
|
Starting a Homebrew D&D Project with Gaming Brew
|
Sep 22, 2022 |
|
D&D Etiquette To Make Your Mother Proud
|
Sep 15, 2022 |
|
Wizards Presents & OneD&D: Updates in the World of D&D
|
Sep 08, 2022 |
|
5 Questions to Write a Better Backstory for Your D&D Character
|
Sep 01, 2022 |
|
D&D Session Prep with This Dungeon Is Occupied
|
Aug 25, 2022 |
|
An Argument For Handouts in D&D
|
Aug 18, 2022 |
|
D&D Tips for New Players and DM's
|
Aug 11, 2022 |
|
8 D&D Soundboard Tools DM’s Can Use While DMIng
|
Aug 04, 2022 |
|
The D&D Character Creation Process Explained Simply + Some Tools
|
Jul 28, 2022 |
|
Planning a D&D Campaign
|
Jul 21, 2022 |
|
Dungeon Master Essentials: 7 Tools Every DM Should have in their Dungeon
|
Jul 14, 2022 |
|
How to Make D&D More Fun
|
Jul 07, 2022 |
|
5 Common Annoying D&D Player Types and How to Deal with Them
|
Jun 30, 2022 |
|
How to Make Life-Like NPC's with Robert from Dungeons, Dragons & Psychology
|
Jun 23, 2022 |
|
Homemade D&D Props
|
Jun 16, 2022 |
|
Essential Sections of the D&D Dungeon Master's Guide
|
Jun 09, 2022 |
|
How to Make D&D More Immersive
|
Jun 02, 2022 |
|
How to Make a Dynamic Campaign with Garrett from Two25 Games
|
May 26, 2022 |
|
Ideas for Campaign First Sessions
|
May 19, 2022 |
|
Preparing for Your First D&D Session
|
May 12, 2022 |
|
How to Find Your D&D Group
|
May 05, 2022 |
|
Our Favorite Dungeon Master Enemies (For Now)
|
Apr 28, 2022 |
|
How To Deal With "That One Player"
|
Apr 21, 2022 |
|
Our Preferred Dungeon Master Setup
|
Apr 14, 2022 |
|
Tips on Describing Combat in D&D
|
Apr 07, 2022 |
|
What I Learned from a One-Shot Online and Technical Difficulties
|
Mar 31, 2022 |
|
What is a Session 0
|
Mar 17, 2022 |
|
Why Authors Should Play D&D
|
Mar 10, 2022 |
|
The Best and Worst Things about Being a Dungeon Master
|
Mar 03, 2022 |
|
What Makes a Good D&D Session
|
Feb 24, 2022 |
|
Are You Ready to Try Being a DM
|
Feb 17, 2022 |
|
How Much to Plan for One D&D Session
|
Feb 10, 2022 |
|
What do You Need for a D&D Session Online
|
Feb 03, 2022 |
|
How to Help Your Players During Character Creation
|
Feb 01, 2022 |
|
How to Prepare Your Players for a D&D Session
|
Jan 28, 2022 |
|
A Simple D&D Session Structure to Help Prepare Your Sessions
|
Jan 20, 2022 |
|
What Makes a Perfect DM
|
Jan 18, 2022 |
|
The Benefits of a Session 0
|
Jan 13, 2022 |
|
Who SHOULD Play as a Barbarian
|
Jan 06, 2022 |
|
Who Should NOT Play as a Barbarian
|
Dec 30, 2021 |
|
2 Christmas Themed One-Shots
|
Dec 23, 2021 |
|
Can You Play D&D with 2 Players
|
Dec 16, 2021 |
|
Questions to Ask Before Creating an NPC
|
Dec 09, 2021 |
|
Non-D&D DM Resources For Creating Better Stories
|
Dec 02, 2021 |
|
Who Should Play As a Rogue
|
Nov 25, 2021 |
|
Who Shouldn't Play As a Rogue
|
Nov 18, 2021 |
|
7 Campaign Ideas for Beginners
|
Nov 11, 2021 |
|
6 Tips to Make Better Non-Player Characters
|
Nov 04, 2021 |
|
5 Places to Get D&D Resources Other Than Sourcebooks
|
Oct 28, 2021 |
|
Which D&D Books to Buy
|
Oct 21, 2021 |
|
4 Tips to Help improve Narrative Skills
|
Oct 14, 2021 |
|
6 Signs of a Bad Dungeon Master
|
Sep 30, 2021 |
|
2 Simple One-Shots to Try
|
Sep 23, 2021 |
|
Mistakes I've Made As a Dungeon Master
|
Sep 16, 2021 |
|
What to Do if You’re a Nervous First Time DM
|
Sep 09, 2021 |
|
The Pros and Cons of Using Minis in Your Dungeons and Dragons Games
|
Sep 02, 2021 |
|
7 Tips to Help Keep Your Energy Up as a DM
|
Aug 26, 2021 |
|
My Method for Planning the Next Session of Dungeons and Dragons
|
Aug 19, 2021 |
|
5 Tips to Help You Plan Your First Dungeon
|
Aug 12, 2021 |
|
How to Deal with Shy Players
|
Aug 04, 2021 |
|
All You Truly Need to Play D&D
|
Jul 28, 2021 |
|
How to Find Players for your Sessions
|
Jul 21, 2021 |
|
5 Things Every Dungeon Master Should Remember
|
Jul 15, 2021 |
|
8 Tips for Dungeon Mastering Amazing One-Shots
|
Jul 07, 2021 |