Blog

Tips and tricks from a DM who loves to laugh.

Jessie Chipchase Martindale 8/11/21 Jessie Chipchase Martindale 8/11/21

Great DMing: Energy

Ever sat at the table for a game and played with a DM that was half asleep? Did nothing but read from a book and look at the table? Then you have been at a low-energy table, you poor unfortunate soul.

DMing is live entertainment and much like its 2nd cousin, theater, there is a common need to bring the energy! It is essential to keep players (and yourself) engaged.

Jessie Chipchase Martindale 8/4/21 Jessie Chipchase Martindale 8/4/21

Great DMing: Multitasking

Multitasking is not about doing all the things as the same time. Multitasking is about switching between all the things at high speed.

Jessie Chipchase Martindale 7/27/21 Jessie Chipchase Martindale 7/27/21

Great DMing: Improv

Improv is the art of making things up on the fly. Improv is not a lack of planning. Improv is the ability to change the plan without anyone noticing. But you have to have a plan to change.

Jessie Chipchase Martindale 7/21/21 Jessie Chipchase Martindale 7/21/21

Greating DMing: Acting

Much like the cavemen of old, you will need to bring to life an imaginary world for the enjoyment of everyone sitting around your table. And to do this you will need a bit of acting.

Jessie Chipchase Martindale 7/14/21 Jessie Chipchase Martindale 7/14/21

Great DMing: when and how to say no

Saying no is never easy. It can be particularly hard in certain circumstances. But it is crucial to establish boundaries for your game to work properly. Sometimes you need to shoot down a character idea/build because it is too powerful, or it didn’t make any sense. Sometimes you have to let a player fail. Sometimes you have to protect your other PCs from annoying or reckless behavior.

Jessie Chipchase Martindale 7/7/21 Jessie Chipchase Martindale 7/7/21

Great DMing: Leadership

If I had to guess, probably the number one thing that keeps people from jumping into the DMs seat is this: all the preparation, the rules, and scheduling ultimately are the responsibility of the DM running the game.

Jessie Chipchase Martindale 6/30/21 Jessie Chipchase Martindale 6/30/21

Great DMing: Storytelling

Once you understand how to play DnD, you can start running your own game. This is where the storytelling comes in. There are entire careers dedicated to how to tell a good story. And if you want to join the ranks of DM greatness, you’ll have to dedicate yourself to mastering storytelling as well.

Jessie Chipchase Martindale 6/23/21 Jessie Chipchase Martindale 6/23/21

Great DMing: Learn to play the game

And the answer? If you wanna be the next big star in the tabletop world hidden in your basement, you got to know how to play the game. So follow me, I’ll show you how to learn to play D&D and use that knowledge to become a great DM.