Being a D&D Dungeon Master is not as hard as many make it out to be. It can be challenging at times, but everyone can do it.
The dungeon master is an essential role in the game and I believe every player should try it at least a few times.
Don’t worry you do not have to be Matt Mercer or anyone except yourself.
All You Need to Be a Dungeon Master
All a person needs to be a dungeon master list:
- The will
- The willingness to be fair
- Some familiarity with D&D
- A few story situation ideas.
Yes, that’s it. You do not need to spend hours in preparation. You do not need to be a rules master. Just know the game a bit, be fair, and have some situation ideas.
The Will to Be a D&D DM
First things first, before practical tips. A person should want to be the DM. If a person is forced to be the DM or lacks the heart to play that role, then it will be extremely difficult. If you want to be the dungeon master, then more than half the job is already done.
Dungeon Masters Do Not Need to Know Many Rules
You don’t need to know the rules of D&D backward and forward. If fact, you can run sessions without knowing many rules at all.
Yes, you can. It will be okay. If you’ve played D&D once, you know enough rules to be the DM. What if you don’t know a rule? No worries. Ask your players, look it up, or make up your own rule on the spot.
The main thing regarding rules is determining difficulty numbers. Determining fair difficulty numbers can be tricky when you first start DMing, but it is not hard. There’s always a balance between what is challenging for the characters and what is too easy.
After a couple of sessions, you will really get a feel for coming up with the proper difficulty numbers. Just use trial and error and you’ll get it.
Making Judgment Calls as a DM
This is where being fair comes in. Dungeon Masters have to make judgment calls about the rules or the story all the time. Be fair, but be sure the game is challenging.
Just think about what makes sense and seems plausible, and you will be good.
Situation Ideas for D&D Sessions
Contrary to popular belief dungeon masters do not need grand plots that rival the Lord of the Rings, especially the first time you run a session.
What you need are situations you can throw at your players They will react to them then you react to your players. A bar fight, a kidnapping, an ambush anything like these situations to get things going.
Here’s a classic that your players will enjoy. Tell them they have been hired to guard a caravan through the forest. Describe the scene then have goblins attack the party. Once the goblins are defeated, the party will search the goblins. Throw in some old items like an iron ring with an “M” on it or a map to a nearby ruin.
Your players will also ask questions. Why did the goblins attack? Where’s their den? These questions and a few clues will lead you into more situations and just roll with them.
Too simple? Too cliche? This example will serve the first-time DM better than some published adventures.
There’s Got to Be More Than That?
There’s got to be more to being a dungeon master than that? Of course, there is. However, when you first start these are the main things you should concern yourself with.
Understand that possibly the hardest thing you will do as a DM is to be a referee. Being a referee means you will need to make some tough calls, but just be fair. Then be firm. Make the call and move on.
There are always ways to make D&D sessions more engaging or exciting. Let those come in the future. Cut your teeth on some simple scenarios and gain experience.
D&D Dungeon Master Resources
If you want more help, random tables are a DM’s best friend. Here’s a huge list of my random table books. You can also check my quick guide to running D&D sessions with little or no prep. It’s called The Prep Gamemaster.
Further reading? Here’s my list of D&D recommended reading.