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

On today's episode, Cayden talks about his experience in creating home-brew worlds and mechanics without knowing much about DND in the first place. For those of you who want to play but may not have a great basis in the game, this episode is for you! But Seasoned players, don't turn away just yet. You may learn a thing or two about getting creative and improvisation. Mentioned in this episode: Bro...

In this episode, we learn how to focus... not in general, but rather how to focus on a short list of problem areas rather than a multitude so you can see some real growth as a DM. We also share some announcements for what's happening with us, the podcast, and the closure of Monsters. Rent... But the rise of something you'll enjoy much more. Stay tuned. Session0Studios.com Mentioned in this episode...

Welcome to How to Be a Better DM! Your host, Tanner Weyland, along with guest host Cayden Ottley, explore an important question: How can you make player characters experience growth in an interesting and earned way when they often enter an adventure with highly experienced backstories? Can every hero have a zero-to-hero moment if they automatically come into an adventure as ex-master thieves, army...

Welcome back to How To Be a Better DM, the Official podcast of Monsters. Rent. I’m your Tour Guide today, Justin Lewis, and we have another special tour lined up today. First, before we get into today’s tour, we need to talk about our sponsors: you. Without you, we wouldn’t have this tour, so thank from the bottom of our hearts. 2nd, we do have a gift shop. You can visit it at the end of the tour,...

Tanner Weyland (00:01.046) Hello and welcome to How to be a Better DM, the official podcast of, wait, I should probably not say that anymore, shouldn't I? Justin Lewis (00:09.162) So as of this recording, you should still say, well. See, that's part of the logistics that I wanted to talk about tomorrow, but I'd say just say it until we decide on anything specific tomorrow with Kayden. Tanner Weyla...

Hello, and Welcome to How To Be A Better D, the official podcast of Monsters. Rent. My name is Tanner Weyland, and together we will learn about how to prepare the best adventures and environments for our players to enjoy.  Today my dear friends, we are going to talk about how you can help your players advocate for themselves. Also, this episode was sponsored by Magic Mind. Go to this website:...

Welcome to How to Be a Better DM ! Today, we're talking about how to invite silliness and funny business to your table, and why it can help your group enjoy the entire experience. Here is the episode transcript for anyone interested: Welcome back to How to Be a Better DM, the official podcast of Monsters. Rent. I'm Justin Lewis here with my friend Tanner Weyland. Hi. Yeah, that's all I got, sorry....

Welcome back to How to Be a Better DM, the official podcast of Monsters. Rent. Thank you for joining me, I’m Justin Lewis, and today, I will be your guide through the Shadowfell. We have a lot to cover, including me talking with a very special guest later in the show. Real quick if I can, I would like to say thank you to all of you who have joined The Guild. It’s been amazing seeing the collaborat...

Welcome back to How to Be a Better DM. Today, Tanner and Justin talk about the joys of 2023 and what to look forward to in 2024. The transcript is below. We also mention today's sponsor, Magic Mind. Get 1 month free off of a 3 month subscription by going to https://www.magicmind.com/JANbetterdm and using the code BETTERDM20 at checkout! Justin (00:03.449) Welcome back to How to be a Better DM, the...

Welcome to How to Be a Better DM! And Merry Christmas! Today, we are going to try and make our hearts grow three sizes by sharing our gifts as DMs! And we'll be having the ghosts of Christmas help us! This episode was sponsored by Magic Mind! Find out more info here: https://www.magicmind.com/betterdm Use our code, BETTERDM20 to get up to 50% off of a subscription! Mentioned in this episode: Do Yo...

Welcome back to today's show. Today we talk about tragedy. Here are some of the questions we talked about today on the show: Writing Tragedy into your Game What is tragedy in D&D and what are some examples? Why use tragedy? Environmental Tragedy Personal Tragedy What makes tragedy earned? What are some wrong ways to go about adding tragedy to a D&D campaign? Mentioned in this episode: Give...

What to Do When a Player Misses a Session Welcome back to How to Be a Better DM, the Official Podcast of Monsters. Rent, the only rental subscription service for D&D minis. I’m your host today, Justin Lewis, and today, you and I will talk about a topic that affects every gaming group at least once in their campaign. To be honest, it’s somewhat a thorn in my side as I personally hate when this...

Welcome back to How to Be a Better DM. Today, I sit down with Andre Clayton, founder of Foundry VTT to chat about VTTS, virtual D&D sessions, and AI. Thanks for listening. Mentioned in this episode: Do You Want to Earn some Money? 🎲 Want to Earn Some Extra Gold? We’re offering a referral incentive for our professional Dungeon Mastering services! Here’s how it works: 1️⃣ Refer someone to sessi...

In this week's episode, Tanner discusses the need to focus on the positive aspects of being a DM, as the negativity can lead to burnout . Happy Thanksgiving to all of our listeners! Mentioned in this episode: Add the Magic of Sound to Your Gameplay When you set the scene you need to tap into the five senses. When it comes to sound one of the best ways to do that is with music, sound effects, and a...

Tanner Weyland (00:04.783) Hello and welcome to How to be a Better DM, the official podcast of Monsters. Rent. I'm here with Justin Lewis. Say hi, Justin. Hi, Justin. We are here today to talk about a fun little topic, basically, Dungeons and Villages, when and how to use either. So I mean, this topic, I've always find it interesting, like the composition of a campaign, you know? Justin (00:13.631...

Welcome back to How to Be a Better DM, the Official Podcast of Monsters. Rent. If you are a podcast listener, I am currently waving at you because I am recording myself on video to add to our Youtube Channel, How to Be a Better DM. Today’s show is going to talk about one of the most common D&D tropes out there. It’s the place where all great adventures start, and usually where most adventurers...

Welcome to How to Be a Better DM, the official podcast of Monsters. Rent. Today, we have some self-reflection to do... Or rather, all DMs should be reflecting on how a session went right afterwards in order to maximize their improvement. Got your journal out? Well, that's the first step! Mentioned in this episode: Signup for Our Email Newsletter Do you love the show but can't always listen to it?...

Today we talk about inviting guests to join you in your D&D campaign. Here are some of the topics we talked about : Should you have guest players? Reasons For The guest has never played D&D. Allowing them to play with an established group would give them a better experience than just having them find a random group who may or may not have played before. Bringing in a guest might allow you...

Welcome to How to Be a Better DM, the official podcast of Monsters. Rent. I’m your host today, Justin Lewis, and together we are going to talk about how to improve your gameplay both from a mechanical and storytelling point of view. Today, I’m excited to talk about an aspect of the game that for me holds a lot of interest and for a lot of people can be a rich source of story elements and intrigue....

Welcome back to How to Be a Better DM, the official podcast of Monsters. Rent We have an awesome podcast today for you. We were able to sit down and chat with Andrew Ashby, owner of We Geek Together . We Geek Together is a store focused on Tabletop Gaming but themed after a tavern, and it's located in Provo Utah. Last April, Andrew hosted the Dead Wars, which was a 1000+ Player D&D game that b...

Tanner hosts this episode of the How to Be a Better DM Podcast, the official podcast of Monsters. Rent. He discusses how random encounters don't need to be simple filler, or poor storytelling tools for the overburdened DM. Rather, with some important tips, you can create a tool that saves you time but also adds fun in specific ways. Just remember to add pizzaz! Mentioned in this episode: Add the M...

Tanner Weyland: Hello and welcome to How to be a Better DM, the official podcast of Monsters. Rent. My name is Tanner Weyland and I'm here with Justin Lewis. Say hi. Justin: Hi there. Tanner Weyland: Well, everyone, we are so happy to be together. As you know, Justin with his new baby, we haven't had as much of a chance to record. How's it been, Justin? Justin: Honestly, having a baby is easier an...

Hello, and Welcome to How To Be A Better D, the official podcast of Monsters. Rent. My name is Tanner Weyland, and I am excited to talk with you about how to have a more creative and fun adventure by allowing your D&D players to be creative when they solve the obstacles and roadblocks you set up for them. Mentioned in this episode: Join Our Discord So a little bit of a spoiler alert. We’re bui...

Hello, and Welcome to How To Be A Better DM, the official podcast of Monsters. Rent. My name is Tanner Weyland, and together we will learn about how to prepare the best adventures and environments for our players to enjoy. I was sick last week, so Justin was able to make time from his paternal duties with the baby, and I am truly appreciative. I’m glad to be talking with you all today again, and I...

Welcome dungeon masters to How to Be a Better DM, the official podcast of Monsters. Rent. Today, I’m your host, Justin Lewis and together let’s discover how to make every session the best session of Dungeons and Dragons with you as the dungeon master. Today, like so many other episodes, I’ll be discussing some tips for how to deal with a particular problem that faces many dungeon masters. Unlike o...