Did you know that Dungeons and Dragons (DnD) is the most popular tabletop role-playing game of its kind? More and more people are looking for beginner DnD campaigns or starting a DnD campaign themselves.
If you’re interested in how to be a dungeon master for the best DnD campaign, keep reading.
Plan a Session Zero
A session zero is one of the best ways to gain insight into your group’s expectations and comfort levels. During this session, you can also lay down rules for your campaign. Some DMs ban features of the game for reasons of balance or setting.
Modifying rules or banning certain “game-breaking” features helps keep everyone on the same page. A common house rule among DMs is to outline what can and cannot be done as a bonus action.
Use the input from this session to build more of your campaign. Check-in with everyone from time to time and ask about what they’d like to see in a future session.
Have Copies of Your Players’ Character Sheets
As the Dungeon Master, you should have insight into the kinds of characters people are playing for your game. Knowing details such as race or class can help you build or modify adventure ideas. For example, if your players are mostly spellcasters, think of ways that their magic spells could hurt or help the gameplay.
The character sheets will also be informative about ability modifiers, armor class (AC), feats, and special abilities. Using that information, you can know when a player passes or fails a check or when the enemy lands a hit.
Ultimately, becoming familiar with your players’ characters will help you develop new and fun tasks.
Use a Computer Program to Keep Track of Everything
As a Dungeon Master, you will need to keep track of a lot of information. This includes the names, races, and classes of player players’ characters, costs of common items like rations or weapons, names for NPCs, initiative order, difficulty class ratings for ability checks and saving throws, and more. Additionally, if you are playing according to a pre-written adventure, you’ll need to reference it often.
This is where a computer program or website like Donjon really comes in handy. They include tools for random generators, NPCs, adventures, treasure, encounters, and so on. It helps to keep the narrative flow and combat going smoothly.
Bring an Extra Dice Set or Two
Those who are unfamiliar with DnD or similar tabletop role-playing games may not know what to bring to their first session. Your players should bring their character sheet and a set of 6 dice used in the game. These dice, referred to as D4s, D6s, D8s, D10s, D12s, and D20s, are necessary for different parts of gameplay.
Is it also a good idea to keep an extra set or two of dice with you in case someone needs to borrow an additional die or forgot their set. Check out these DnD dice collections made of natural stone.
Running the Best DnD Campaign Made Easy
By using thoughtful DnD planning, online trackers and generators, and bringing extra dice to every game, you’re well on your way to creating the best DnD campaign. Remember to check in with your players to make sure everyone is having fun.
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