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

Justin Lewis
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  • Updated Daily

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/

  1. 6d ago

    Episode 1 - Well… We’re in Hell. || The Pact & Boon

    Welcome to the World of Calignos. This is the first episode of The Pact and Boon, and we find our heroes in the Prison of Mentiri within the City of Dis in the 2 levels of the 9 hells... A great place to start. Mentiri is hot, the food is terrible and our heroes are a little less than heroic. Each of our characters, Joland, Wolfgang and Alon, find themselves in difficult circumstances, some, falling from great heights while others are protecting helpless innocents. Let's see if our adventurers can survive in the 9 hells.... Mentioned in this episode: Leave Us a 5 Star Rating Thanks for listening to our show! We are so grateful for your support. If you like listening to our shenanigans, tell the world about it. Leave us a rating and a review to help give our show some credibility. Even just a quick 5 star review helps. Leave a Rating Discord Brought to you by Session 0 Studios For more information, visit session0studios.com

  2. Oct 1

    Don’t Balance Encounters: The DICE Framework for Effective Encounter Design

    Stop balancing D&D encounters and start engineering them. This episode gives Dungeon Masters a simple four-part framework, DICE, for building unique encounters on demand, no math required. You'll learn the four parts of every encounter (Doing, Incentive, Conflict, Effect), see the math behind why you'll never run out of ideas, and watch a brand new encounter get built live from a random combination. Want more encounter design tools in your inbox? Grab the Dungeon Master Level Up Guide: https://session0studios.com/newsletter Topics covered in this episode: why encounter balance is overrated and often wastes prep time, what actually defines an encounter versus a non-event, the role of approach and avoidance motivation (a real psychological theory) in game design, and a full breakdown of the DICE framework for building D&D encounters: Doing (the verb, like Get, Avoid, Destroy, Preserve, Convince, or Build), Incentive (what's at stake, like a person, item, place, reputation, or piece of knowledge), Conflict (what's standing in the way), and Effect (the feel the encounter produces at the table, which falls directly out of the other three). You'll also hear the math behind just how many unique encounters this framework can generate, and watch a brand new encounter, called Out of Control, get built live and unscripted from a randomly generated combination. This episode is for Dungeon Masters and Game Masters looking for D&D encounter design tips, 5e encounter ideas beyond combat, TTRPG game design frameworks, social encounter ideas, chase and puzzle encounter design, and ways to build more varied, less combat-only encounters without spending hours balancing stat blocks. 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/worldsmithHire a Professional Dungeon Master: https://session0studios.com/dungeon-master-for-hire/Discord: http://session0studios.com/discordPatreon: https://session0studios.com/patreonDungeon Master Level Up Guide: https://session0studios.com/newsletter

  3. Sep 17

    Session 0 Isn’t Step 1: How to Prepare Your D&D Players Before Session Zero

    Most DMs treat session zero as step one. It's not — it's where prep pays off. Professional DM Justin Lewis breaks down five conversations to have with your D&D players before session zero ever starts. From setting expectations to building real excitement to a player brief people actually reread, this is a practical guide to getting your table ready before the dice hit the table. For more, grab the Dungeon Master Level Up Guide: https://session0studios.com/newsletter Covers: what session zero actually is, setting player expectations one-on-one, the DM/player promise, building excitement with new and experienced players, onboarding brand-new TTRPG players, writing a player brief, setting table norms and culture ahead of time, sending backstory and character questions before session zero, and a real story of a DM breaking his own promise mid-campaign in Out of the Abyss. Useful for D&D 5e groups, homebrew campaigns, and any tabletop RPG table looking to run a better session zero. 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 * Hire a Professional Dungeon Master: https://session0studios.com/dungeon-master-for-hire/ * Discord: http://session0studios.com/discord * Patreon: https://session0studios.com/patreon * Dungeon Master Level Up Guide: https://session0studios.com/newsletter

  4. Sep 3

    Stop Blaming Your Players. Start Coaching Your Table

    In this episode, I’m breaking down the three levers every DM has to fix frustrating table behavior without turning into the bad guy: structural changes to your game, direct asks you’re probably avoiding, and the mindset shifts that matter more than either one. If you’ve ever resented your players without knowing how to say so, this one’s for you. 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 Hire a Professional Dungeon Master: https://session0studios.com/dungeon-master-for-hire/ Discord: http://session0studios.com/discord Patreon: https://session0studios.com/patreon Dungeon Master Level Up Guide: https://session0studios.com/newsletter

  5. Aug 27

    How to Quickly Build an Interesting Combat Encounter

    Is it possible to build a combat encounter quickly while also making it interesting? After all, most quickly-planned encounters end up just being a bunch of random enemies thrown at the players. But that's not as interesting as an encounter that has a concept, unique terrains, and monsters to match (which is the formula Tanner will be exploring in today's episode). Let's roll initiative!

  6. Aug 25

    Stuck? How to Keep the Cogs of the World in Motion - C.C. S2E12

    Welcome to the Season Finale of Creative Contraband! Today Danny Barrett helps us deal with slow sessions or stuck campaigns. With these 4 different techniques, you will be able to make things move again whether you are a Dungeon Master or a Game Master. 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 If you want more content for Dungeon Masters and Game Masters alike, you can find related projects and sponsored links here: Worldsmith: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://session0studios.com/worldsmith⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Roll and Play Press: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://session0studios.com/rollandplay⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Phantasm Studios: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://session0studios.com/fantasms⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Monument Studios: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠session0studios.com/monumentstudios⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Discord: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://session0studios.com/discord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://session0studios.com/patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Dungeon Master Level Up Guide: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://session0studios.com/newsletter

    Stuck? How to Keep the Cogs of the World in Motion - C.C. S2E12

  7. Aug 18

    Mimics and Networking with DM Neal - C.C. S2E11

    In the third and last interview of the season, we join the very productive DM Neal, and talk about everything from Mimics and subverting expectation, to IT work and business practices. Grab a pen, open a beer and enjoy this talk filled with useful information! 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 Listen to DMs Block here: https://dungeonmasterblock.podbean.com/ Listen to me on DMs Block here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6208_OKMKk Listen to Whelmed: The Young Justice Files here: https://open.spotify.com/show/7bReOYZSSmJQBXkm8A2FjF Read From LP to RP here: https://www.thestruggleisneal.com/ If you want more content for Dungeon Masters and Game Masters alike, you can find related projects and sponsored links here: Worldsmith: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://session0studios.com/worldsmith⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Roll and Play Press: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://session0studios.com/rollandplay⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Phantasm Studios: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://session0studios.com/fantasms⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Monument Studios: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠session0studios.com/monumentstudios⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Discord: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://session0studios.com/discord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://session0studios.com/patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Dungeon Master Level Up Guide: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://session0studios.com/newsletter

    Mimics and Networking with DM Neal - C.C. S2E11

  8. Aug 13

    The Insecure DM Trope (And How Not to Become It)

    You know the trope: the DM who builds an unwinnable encounter, or a puzzle so clever it’s basically unsolvable — not because the story needed it, but because somewhere underneath, they needed to feel untouchable. In this episode, Justin unpacks the inner work behind that trope: a concept he calls “okness,” the diamond-level self-security that keeps insecurity, jealousy, and thin skin from leaking into your games. You’ll get four practical exercises — the Negative Feedback Loop, the Gratitude Journal, the Worst Case Scenario, and Subtraction — to build the kind of okness that lets you take criticism, welcome chaos at the table, and run better games because of it, not in spite of it. 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/worldsmithHire a Professional Dungeon Master: https://session0studios.com/dungeon-master-for-hire/Discord: http://session0studios.com/discordPatreon:https://session0studios.com/patreonDungeon Master Level Up Guide: https://session0studios.com/newsletter

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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/

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