The A to Z of Dungeon Mastering

So Dungeon Master, be It for Dungeons and Dragons, 13th Age, Pathfinder or for that matter any Role Playing game (RPG). You want to take charge, be the creator of your own game and possibly your own world.

You have your Players (PCs). You have your Dice. You have your Ideas. This Is just a small part of what goes on behind and In front of the GM’s screen.

Take a look through my Short A to Z of Dungeon Mastering…

A is for Adventures.

You are nothing without that story to take your players on.

B is for Battlefield.

A battle is needed in most all games. Be it a full scale war to a fight with sewer rats.

C is for Combat.

A combat need not be a fight every time. A combat of words maybe. The lords or the lands meet and your players need  to talk them out of war.

D is for Detail.

Don’t forget a good game can come down to the details.  Expect a great deal from your players if you give them the details.

E is for Environments.

Location,  Location and yet more Locations. Castles,   Keeps. Dry bone Deserts. Other worldly vistas. Let your players roam the worlds.

F is For Fire.

A randomly moving element that as a GM you have full control.  Use it to your greatest advantage. It can cage your players or free your players. Kill or even heal.

G is For Grandeur.

You want your players to feel importance in everything they do. Your Game will revolve around them. Make them the most important part.

H is for Hidden.

The world your players are in is a hidden one. Only you know what is happening. Don’t you forget that the game is moving even when your PCs are not there to effect it.

I is for I intrigue

Not all games are powering towards a fight or even a monster. Subterfuge is an ingredient that is an infrequent addition yet can add so much more to your games.

J is for Journey.

Try to give your games time. Time of movement. If the PCs need to travel then make it take time. Days or even weeks. If lost in a mine, be lost for days not hours.

K is for Kingdoms.

This is simple but creative use of Kingdoms brings depths of cultural differences and language barriers.

L is for Life.

Life should be everywhere.  Not everything is dangerous though. Tell the players that birds are singing or insects are chirping. Create a world your players can relate to.

M is for Mapping.

Keep track of where your game is going. World building to caving. All need some form of tracking.  You never know when your players will want to return.

N is for NO.

Don’t let anyone tell you that you can NOT say No to players. This is not a democracy. If you have to say No then say it. It won’t hurt your game.

O is for Overlooking.

The players around you will notice if you miss something.  Make an oversight become your advantage. You didn’t overlook, it was neant to happen like that.

P is for Preparation.

This over time will come to you easier. Preparation is your friend.  Put more into your game and the more comfortable you will be when the game starts.

Q is for Quality.

Characters, be they the villainous assertiveness or the Monsters in the tunnels of doom. You have to breath life into them. Your game will shine if you put in the effort.

R is for Resourcefulness.

you are the creative director of this game. If you use props like miniature figurines and maps. Make your own props. Handouts and pictures to show your players adds a little more depth.

S is for secret.

Don’t give it all away in the first game.  We know you are excited for your players to know what’s going on or who is the bad guy. Hold some back. Make them work for it. Your players will thank you in the end.

T is for Time.

Give yourself time. Don’t rush a game if you are not ready. It will only upset your players and do harm to your confidence.  Time management,  be it length of game or how events play out. These in the end are down to you.

U is for Unbelievable.

You have to have a little truth to your games. Keeping believability keeps your players investment in the game and the world they are playing in.

V is for Visionary.

These are your games, the players are your characters. Take them on the most amazing adventure possible. Every game will just get better. You will learn from mistakes and grow as a GM.

So relax and have fun.

W is for Weapons.

Not just  a sword but a long blade of Dragonborn steel. Not  just a crossbow bolt but a crossbow bolt of dark energy slamming hard into the dwarven plate mail. Sending your hero heavily to the ground.

Weapons can be more than an item that kills.

X is for Xenophobic.

Remember the world you create is inhabited by so many useful monsters. Make use of as many as possible. Colour your world. Surprising your players as much as you can and as often as you can.

Y is for You.

You are part of this game.  You have to enjoy it as much as your players.  If this isnt happening you need to take time out or even time away from the table. Let someone else take over for a while.

Z is for Zion.

This is your City. This is your Kingdom.  This is your world. This is your Zion.

I think as Time goes on I shall Add to these make them more of a read. Enjoy what I have .