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  • Dungeon Master Tips

Dungeon Master Tips

  • How to Play a Devil like a Lawyer from Hell
    Sep 18, 2019 by James Haeck

    Devils rejoice in spreading evil throughout the Material Plane with their malicious contracts and deceptive deals. Even in Avernus, where the Blood War rages eternal, mortals must keep their wits about them.

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  • The True Master of Dungeons
    Sep 13, 2019 by DungeonCommandr

    You may be the Dungeon Master, but how can you actually become a masterful DM, the kind that runs legendary games of D&D? 

    Read More
  • Adapting Other Genres to D&D
    Aug 28, 2019 by James Haeck

    Curse of Strahd adapted the thrills and chills of Gothic Horror to D&D, and the upcoming Eberron hardcover is giving D&D a realm of post-war arcane noir. How can you adapt your favorite fiction genre to the fantasy stylings of D&D?

    Read More
  • Reimagining Racial Ability Scores
    Aug 14, 2019 by James Haeck

    How do you improve D&D’s races? Here’s one way for you to try at home: cut out the restrictive ability score modifiers and put them somewhere else!

    Read More
  • The Best Maps of Fifth Edition D&D
    Jul 17, 2019 by James Haeck

    What are your favorite maps of D&D? Also, did you know? If you own Ghosts of Saltmarsh on D&D Beyond, you have access to high-res, printer-quality maps that you can print out at your local print store.

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  • Play One-on-One (or Party Style!) with the D&D Essentials Kit
    Jun 26, 2019 by James Haeck

    The D&D Essentials Kit contains rules for playing D&D one-on-one with your DM by supplementing your party with sidekicks and followers. Are you up for the challenge?

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  • Not Half-Bad: Playing Mixed-Race Characters
    Jun 19, 2019 by Backthatelfup

    Half-orc? Half-elf? What do you do about other mixed-race D&D characters, and how do you represent characters that come from different racial backgrounds in a world filled with non-human peoples?

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  • What's the Best Part of Acquisitions Incorporated?
    Jun 18, 2019 by James Haeck

    What's the best part of the new Acquisitions Incorporated book? Well, it's...

    Read More
  • Spell Spotlight: Grease
    Jun 5, 2019 by James Haeck

    Learn about D&D’s slipperiest spell, and how to use it as a player or adjudicate it as a Dungeon Master.

    Read More
  • Live from The Descent: Welcome to Avernus!
    May 18, 2019 by James Haeck

    D&D is traveling to the first layer of the Nine Hells in its latest adventure. Here’s what you can expect in the blasted wasteland of Avernus.

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  • How to Play a Sahuagin like a Sea Devil
    May 1, 2019 by James Haeck

    Sahuagin are masters of sharks and the sea, and their frenzied attacks and powers of telepathy make them truly formidable foes. How do you build an encounter that makes full use of these fearsome foes?

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  • Roleplaying 101: Building a Backstory
    Apr 24, 2019 by James Haeck

    Previous installments of Roleplaying 101 have talked a lot about improvisation and going into games with low-prep characters, but what about the other side of the coin? How do you build a backstory that helps you play a character that’s fun for you and your entire group?

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  • Roleplaying 101: Improvising Your Way to Victory
    Mar 27, 2019 by James Haeck

    Want to have more fun playing your character? Want to get deep into your character’s head and lose yourself in the story? Want to form meaningful relationships with your fellow party members? Look no further. We’re going to build you into a better roleplayer. 

    Read More
  • How to Play a Werewolf Like an Apex Predator
    Mar 6, 2019 by James Haeck

    The How to Play series returns with this tactical spotlight on werewolves—with a brief diversion into other lycanthropes, including neutral good werebears and true neutral weretigers.

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  • Welcome to Saltmarsh: An Introduction to D&D’s Saltiest City
    Feb 27, 2019 by James Haeck

    Saltmarsh has come a long way since it was first created by British D&D authors in the '70s. If you plan on running the upcoming anthology adventure Ghosts of Saltmarsh, you would do well to learn about this sleepy port's sinister history.

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  • How to Remix Waterdeep: Dragon Heist to Play it Again and Again
    Feb 6, 2019 by James Haeck

    Can you play Waterdeep: Dragon Heist again with the same group of players and still make it feel new? I say it can be done! Let’s break down how you can make Waterdeep: Dragon Heist feel new again. 

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  • Critical Role Spotlight: Episode 50
    Feb 1, 2019 by James Haeck

    Critical Role Spotlight is a series of DM and player tips based on the events of this week's episode of Critical Role! Learn from the glowing successes and hilarious mistakes of the Mighty Nein and their illustrious Dungeon Master. This week, we shine a spotlight on guest players, and how the DM, the guest player, and the regular players can help integrate their guest into the party.

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  • Dungeon Mastering Tips from the 4th Edition Dungeon Master’s Guide
    Jan 30, 2019 by James Haeck

    Modern Dungeons & Dragons is pretty different from its older cousin, the controversial 4th Edition of D&D. But love or hate the game, its Dungeon Master’s Guide had great advice for DMs playing any edition of D&D!

    Read More
  • Critical Role Spotlight: Episode 49
    Jan 25, 2019 by James Haeck

    Critical Role Spotlight is a series of DM and player tips based on the events of this week's episode of Critical Role! Learn from the glowing successes and hilarious mistakes of the Mighty Nein and their illustrious Dungeon Master. This week, we shine a spotlight on the reincarnate spell, with an alternative table that includes all current playable races.

    Read More
  • Failing Forward: Losing Without Ending the Campaign
    Jan 24, 2019 by James Haeck

    So the party screwed up. Bad. For players and DMs, this seems like a nightmare scenario. How can the campaign go on after a devastating loss? Here's what to do.

    Read More
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