How to Be a Better DM: Dungeon Master Tips for the DM Newbie, the Hobbyist and the Forever DM

Railroading has a bad reputation in the TTRPG world — but is it actually the villain DMs think it is? In this live panel from FanX 2025, Justin Lewis, Tanner Weyland, and Cayden Ottley dig into what railroading really means, why every DM does it whether they realize it or not, and where the line sits between guiding a story and steamrolling player agency. Expect real talk on good railroading vs. b...

Welcome once again, dear Dungeon Masters and Game Masters! Today we talk about suspense and surprise from Alfred Hitchcock's movies and Game of Thrones. In this episode you will learn how to make the most impact by managing the knowledge your players have about each situation. Creative Contraband is a segment designed and hosted with love by Danny Barrett for How to Be a Better DM. Find Danny...

Players (and DMs) have many unchecked assumptions for what they want out of a D&D adventure: they want "powerful loot," easy NPC interactions, and a cinematic, epic story for them to experience... right? Or is that just the surface level? Do they actually crave something more integral to D&D, like collaboration, creativity, and real consequences? Tanner discusses 5 hidden wishes...

In our second interview episode, we sit down with Sacred, and talk about Solo TTRPGs, intention, immersion and getting to know yourself. Sit back and enjoy this light-hearted talk about all things tabletop! Creative Contraband is a segment designed and hosted with love by Danny Barrett for How to Be a Better DM. Find Danny at: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/gamemaster.hof⁠ Find Sacred on YouTube: ⁠htt...

What happens when a group of Dungeon Masters get on a panel at FanX and start riffing about improv? Exactly what you’d expect — a lively, unscripted conversation about the skill every DM needs but almost nobody practices on purpose. In this live panel episode, Justin sits down with three fellow DMs to talk about improv at the table — what it looks like, why it’s hard, and how to get better at it w...

(Thanks to Zach for letting me know about the audio issues!) Welcome once again, dear Dungeon Masters and Game Masters! Today we steal from rappers and producers: How do they take good ideas and make them theirs? In this episode you will learn how to get the best of your favourite Dungeon Masters while staying authentic! Creative Contraband is a segment designed and hosted with love by Danny Barre...

Ever feel like one shots get off the rails, out of control, and become a wild beast for you to wrangle back into some semblance of a story in the limited time you have? These 5 guidelines will help you avoid overstretching, overthinking, and overstaying a one shot's welcome!

Welcome once again, dear Dungeon Masters and Game Masters! Here is a little bit about what is going in my life and an apology for missing a week of content, plus some reflexions about getting inspired. Creative Contraband is a segment designed and hosted with love by Danny Barrett for How to Be a Better DM. Find Danny at: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/gamemaster.hof⁠ Find Dr. Ben on YouTube: ⁠https:/...

What happens when you hand a live audience the keys to a D&D session and tell them to cause as much chaos as possible? You get this episode. Recorded live at FanX 2025, this one is unlike anything we've done before. No script. No safety net. Just four people at a table, a room full of audience members armed with prompts, and a whole lot of trust in the dice gods. Here's how it worked:...

In this short run of episodes, Tanner discusses various aspects about one-shots and how to plan them—and today, the topic is one-shot character creation! Sure, you could just have your players create them, but maybe they take too long, or the players are new to making characters and you don't want to add more work onto your plate. Thankfully, there are multiple ways to make character creation...

In our first-ever interview episode, we sit down with Dr. Ben, whose work and studies span storytelling, game design, philosophy, and many other disciplines. Together, we distill practical insights on authority at the table, both within the fiction and beyond it. Creative Contraband is a segment designed and hosted with love by Danny Barrett for How to Be a Better DM. Find Danny at: https://www.in...

Every Dungeon Master hits a wall eventually. The prep feels like a chore. The session you used to look forward to is now the thing you're dreading. The spark that made you fall in love with running games has gone quiet. In this special live panel recorded at FanX 2025, Justin, Tanner, and Cayden sit down in front of a live audience to tackle one of the most real and rarely talked-about challen...

Now with guests you might know from Youtube, we bring you more and better thoughts regarding Dungeon Mastering and other aspects of our beloved hobby. Danny Barrett gives us a glimpse of what is to come for the next 3 months! Creative Contraband is a segment designed and hosted with love by Danny Barrett for How to Be a Better DM. If you want more content for Dungeon Masters and Game Masters alike...

Every Dungeon Master has sat down at the table and thought, "Am I actually good enough to do this?" Whether you're brand new to the screen or you've been running campaigns for years, confidence is something every DM wrestles with — and almost nobody talks about it honestly. In this special panel episode, Justin Lewis is joined by Tanner Weyland and Cayden Ottley for a candid, pra...

Episode Description Live from FanX Salt Lake 2025, this is one of six panels we recorded at the convention — and it might be the most relatable one we've done. If you've ever had a player blow up your carefully crafted plot, chase a side quest for three sessions, or demand a demonic arm mid-campaign, this panel is for you. Justin and Tanner are joined by Ian Hawkes and Cameron Cardoza from...

The back and forth. The planned and cancelled sessions. The frustration when you finally schedule a time to meet and one player can't make it... all of this will be extremely familiar for the common DM. But it doesn't HAVE to be a reoccurring, frustrating nightmare! In today's episode, Tanner shares 5 tips to avoid scheduling frustration with your D&D party.

In Part 2 of this series, we finish breaking down the Performance Pillar of Dungeon Mastering—this time focusing on the two senses most DMs rely on… but rarely master: Sight and Sound. These are the tools that bring your world to life—but if you’re not intentional with them, they can fall flat or feel repetitive. In this episode, we dive into: * Sight – from ambience to battle maps, from minis to...

Are your players falling into a bit of a complacent rut? Are they playing the game almost on autopilot because it's playing out like so many adventures before? Well, it sounds like there isn't enough chaos in your game! A plot twist, a surprise combat addition, maybe even a literal rug pull in a dungeon that sends them to somewhere else entirely... whatever it is, make it purposeful, and m...

In this episode of How to Be a Better DM , we sit down with special guest Esteban Senzig to explore creativity, collaboration, and what it actually takes to turn big ideas into something real. We kick things off with our signature segment, Make Your Monster (sponsored by Worldsmith - http://session0studios.com/worldsmith ), where Esteban creates the unforgettable Operatic Pretender —a CR 20 creatu...

Are you a perfectionist when it comes to D&D props, and you spend all your time wishing that your DM table looked just as fabulous as the tabletops you see in all the professional D&D streams and setups? Does this unrealistic expectation even keep you from TRYING to create your own special experience and props? If you are in that boat, you aren't alone! You'll never be free from th...

What goodbye advice would you give to your loved ones if you were Gandalf? In the last Creative Contraband episode, I give you mine. Thanks for listening to today’s show. If you like our stuff and want to support us, here are some sponsor links and links to our other stuff: Worldsmith: ⁠⁠http://session0studios.com/worldsmith⁠⁠ Roll and Play Press: ⁠⁠http://session0studios.com/rollandplay⁠⁠ Phantas...

In this episode, we break down one of the most important—and most overlooked—skills in Dungeon Mastering: performance. But instead of keeping it vague, we make it practical. I introduce a simple framework built around the five senses to help you understand how to improve your performance at the table—and just as importantly, figure out what you’re naturally good at and what you actually enjoy. In...

Welcome to the ninth episode of Creative Contraband! Danny Barrett dives into very popular TV shows to enlighten us about the art of “eliminating” characters (or not). Today you’ll learn valuable lessons about resurrection, character arcs, keeping stakes high, and much more. Thanks for listening to today’s show. If you like our stuff and want to support us, here are some sponsor links and links to...

Have you ever sat around your table while you and your party are in a combat encounter and thought, "This should be going more smoothly..." Well, you aren't alone! Fixing the stutters, the pauses, the minutes and hours spent on someone figuring out what they want to do often comes down to one word: expectations. So Tanner shares a few combat expectations that can really smooth out th...

In today's episode, we explore the potential teachings of Solo Roleplaying, guided by our usual host, Danny Barrett. Learn how to identify your strengths as a Dungeon Master with minimal effort, and while having fun.   Thanks for listening to today’s show. If you like our stuff and want to support us, here are some sponsor links and links to our other stuff: Worldsmith: http://session0studios....