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Soliciting: DM Advice Questions! (Patreon)

Published:
2023-06-19 02:15:44
Imported:
2026-06
Tags:

Content

Greetings naddpoles! 

This week's "Behind the Screens" episode will be DM advice!

Looking to try your hand at DMing? Seeking spicier combat or more interesting puzzles? Trying to figure out how much to prep ahead of time? Or how far in advance you need to know who the bbeg is?  In need of advice on rolling with unexpected nat 20's? Regretting giving out too many magic items? 

WHATEVER your burning queries be, the two crew will do our best to answer them and help you have more fun at the table! 

Please submit your questions below!

<3,

The Two Crew

Comments

Mason McCauley

How do you run quick combats? Right now random encounters, or just smaller combats really drag on and slow down the pace, what is some advice you have to speed it all up? (Also this is a 6 person party)

THEJordonBrown

Is there anything you can do to prep for a player as chaotic and powerful as Emily?

Annie the Feywild therapist

What are your thoughts on planning everything to a T versus a short outline with room for winging it? I’m a relatively new DM and I’m a big planner but I don’t want to railroad my players with my ideas. Thank you!

Maya Soh-Brown

How to effectively handle when PCs disagree? I find that my party often spends time bickering and putting it to a vote often leaves one side disgruntled at best and uninterested at worst. Important to note that I DM for children as part of my job so obviously they won’t be as socially aware or mature as adults.

James Mckinnon

Aside from the DMG, what is the most important resource for a DM and why?

ptak_sobie

I'm DMing my second campaign, and I've got six players-- I'm finding it really hard to give everyone's character a cool arc and attention while still having there be a big main conflict and storyline. Any tips?

Colee

How do you tie together random ideas to create a cohesive world? I’m working on DMing my first homebrew campaign and I feel like I’ve got a some interesting ideas for the world/story but I don’t know how to tie them all together in a way that will make an overall compelling story. Right now it feels like I’ve got some good bits and a lot of mush in the middle and want to keep players engaged.

Lemon Moon

How do you come up with combats that aren’t just about killing the other team? I always head the advice to have an objective like stopping a ritual or something, but it just never comes to mind in my prep to do anything like that.

Trey

I would love to know what you literally have behind the screen and how you keep track of all the strings in the story you make! I love everything you guys have built together! Thank you guys!

Connor Sims

How do you accommodate your players going off the rails and still doing what needs to be done without railroading them?

Michael

Not too sound like a cop but how do you deal with players who drink/smoke a little too much during a session?

Camden

As a DM, how do you handle multiple crits on your players? Sometimes my dice are rolling hot and I recall a session where I rolled 3-4 Nat 20s against my players while running Curse of Strahd and I felt the morale dip WAY down. How do you honor the dice and your players?

Erick Fuentes

How to include puzzles into combat? Most time I feel my players are tired of bonks and fireballs.

Reese Page

How do you deal with players that can't make it to the table all the time? Do you let them be plothooks, hp sponge and using help actions, or forget about them for the time being?

Kinzie

How do you balance player and combat, for example I have a 6 person party and I always struggle to find the appropriate balance for enemies

Cooper Kwiatkowski

I’m planning a murder mystery sub campaign and trying to figure out how to get around all the magic stuff that can spoil it. Any recommendations to keep the players active and involved?

Mica K

How do you keep the balance of intrigue and information when playing a mystery? I am doing a murder mystery campaign, and I’m worried my players may not suspect the actual killer.

Ian Hirschler

How do you fairly determine what NPCs are doing or what major events are happening off screen without making it seem like it’s always a “gotcha!” to the players when it ultimately catches up to them?

Katherine Clarke

How do you keep everyone happy in a campaign where players constantly split the party?

Brooke Chilson

How do you go about organizing your homebrew world/story? I'm an experienced dm looking to create my first homebrew campaign and need advice on how/where to start, it's all a bit overwhelming right now. Thank you!!

Jackson Cross

Any advice for running a campaign heavy on story and rp rather than grindy rpg stuff without railroading too much? My players definitely want to focus more on plot and rp but sometimes it's hard to figure out where the story needs to go from there.

Jake's embezzlement attorney

How do you know when to bring a session to a satisfying close? Are there things you look for or is it more like just getting to a specific point?

Cas Marie

How the hell do you balance combats?? CR ratings and xp seem to be inconsistent and I always make my combats too easy even when dnd beyond says it’s a deadly encounter. I want to challenge my players, but not nearly kill them every fights!

FlanMan

I'm a first time DM for a longer campaign, and I'm about to introduce a character who I want to inevitably betray my players. Do you have any advice how I could make this NPC especially lovable so it shatters then even harder? Thanks!!

Phoenix Vizva’i

How would you approach a one-shot with new friends? ☺️💗 it’s inviting but harder to pull off than a session 1!!

Daoloth

How do you make combat encounters more dynamic and less of a slug fest?

Jonathan Gagnon

Between players putting out tons of damage and my own cursed rolls, I am getting absolutely whomped every combat. Any tips for better balancing encounters in ways that aren’t just throwing more enemies at my players?

Grimma Lynx

Very real question: How do you deal with DM burnout? Ive recently concluded a multi-year campaign that I was super proud of. After a few weeks of prep and planning, I started up a new one, much smaller in scope. But I feel like my spark is gone and Im struggling to find motivation to work on it and to keep the game itself interesting. Have any of our resident DMs felt this, and if so, how did you break outta the funk?

Waddle Bawddle

I would love to know, how I should handle DC’s for things that aren’t from monsters. i.e. athletic checks to climb up a mountain or something. Should I take into account the actual stats of my players or should I just base it off their levels? Thanks y’all! Love you all

garett144

What are your recommendations for pulling punches/ending encounters prematurely if you see an inevitable player death halfway through an encounter

Phillip Englehart

Hahaha dude, I had Izek down two PCs on a nat 20 (cleave rules work both ways) the other day! CoS can be brutal!

Eric Keller

How do you deal with the pressure?

Contender in the making

Im about to start a campaign based in Camelot and thought it would be a fun twist to make a hero like arthur or merlin a big bad My plan was to have a series of moments throughout the arc that would allow my PC's to discover the betrayal before the reveal but only if they got nat 20's i was planning for 8 moments and the need for 2 of those moments to be nat 20s Is that too hard ? I wanna have a fun twist but also wanna give my players the chance to discover the betrayal so it feels fair and not cheap

nandrusin

How do I incite my players to talk amongst themselves more in character? They said they like doing it but I am afraid I am talking too much during the session.

Shel B Kennas fav SG is welly’s number one felly

I’m doing a mini campaign as a first time DM that’s centered in a Reality Live Show called “The Amazing Quest” which is based off the Amazing race and go from quest to quest, pulling from different competition shows like survivor, drag race, and Hell’s Kitchen. The players have the opportunity to either compete against each other or make alliances. Almost like a multi layered temple and each new floor is a new type of combat. The players aren’t super into brutal combat and murph did a great job with the elemental champions from Campaign 1 plus the thinking cap arc. Any advice on puzzle/challenge building that is dynamic and really runs the gamut of checking their abilities and challenging the group?

Mixfitz

As a brand new dm how do I handle making mistakes do I just recon everything or is there a way to not change the story every time I make a minor mistake

Josh Dunstan

My next session is the BBEG fight to end a 4 year campaign. Leading up to this fight should I include puzzles/ smaller encounters etc or is it best for the party to get up that day, head to the battlefield and fight my bad guy?

Robby Boyd

I often find myself completely flying by the seat of my pants when I dm. What are some ways I or others like me may try and structure their sessions better: OR what are some resources to turn to for balancing encounters, spicing up travel, and overall creating well rounded and interesting NPCs that may spark good role playing opportunities? Thanks! Love the show

Carly Collette

How do you dole out cursed items without feeling like a jackwagon? They’re fun and interesting story wise, but of course it can seem like handing them to a PC is less than a gift. Do you discuss it before hand or hope goes (somewhat) well?

Mythic_Robyn

How would you handle revealing to your players that your magical fantasy realm is actually post apocalypse Earth? One of my locations is Toronto but I want to throw some hints in early.

Grace Buckley-Crist

What are some tips for running interesting combats in theater of the mind? I’ve been DMing my first party for several months now(thanks you guys for inspiring me) and I’m worried that without the visual prompts for distance etc, my encounters are dull hit point attrition slogs. Thanks!

Elana

This might be too vague but do you have any tips to help the party engage with and be excited about the plot, I have a campaign that's been going on for a little over 2 years yet the players don't seem to care much about the plot or story at all

Jarod W

I DM a group with 6 players. When scaling a pre-written module up from 4 player balanced combat to 6 players, do you think it is better to add more enemies or make the enemies stronger? A mix of both? I'd appreciate any insight.

Sam Ross

What are some best practices for managing a multi-DM online Westmarches-style campaign? I'm helping run a Twilight Imperium RPG Westmarches, and am struggling with how to handle downtime activities, recruiting new GMs, how to integrate play-by-post sessions into the overarching plotline, etc.

G.X. Barnett

In the Shadowfell Saga, how did Murph decide that Emily’s Nat 20 investigation check in the Montgomery house would yield so much platinum?

Taylor B (The vengeful, one-winged angel)

How do you help your characters feel like they’re “super heroes” or saviors of the realm without playing into the “chosen ones” trope? I want my players to naturally feel a sense of duty and importance, but not that they were chosen by a higher power or prophecy.

Jason Kurtti

How do you handle your ego as a storyteller and not let it get in the way of your players having fun? For context, I dm for two great groups of folks but I find that I get really frustrated when I’m trying to narrate a cool scene or action in battle and they’re making jokes about it or doing bits. I ultimately want to facilitate a situation where my friends have fun but I get worried that if nothing is serious they won’t stay engaged. Appreciate any advice!

Jess A

My friends and I will be playing our first D&D game after seeing the upcoming live show in Sac! Since it will be the first time that any of us play D&D, any tips for newbies? Any recommendations on beginner friendly D&D campaigns?

Corbin Layer

I have very little experience dming and I was just wondering how you organize your notes and where do you start when lord bulding for your world?

Camden

Woof. Fr though. Those encounters can be ROUGH.

KoboldB0i

Oh great Duncle, when the Trinyvale triplets say and do terrible things to a beloved NPC of yours, is it hard to not take it personally like you want to defend them? Also, how do you guys sleep at night

Go_Jeronimo

New DM here running my first real campaign. My ultimate BBEG is a demon lord, Gra'zzt. The main quest-giver for my party is secretly a warlock with Gra'zzt as his patron. Any tips on seeding that into the campaign?

Nicole

What are some ways to include non-combat initiative encounters, such as (minor spoiler for Trinyvale) the cooking competition at Mawmaw’s Maw?

Martin Benson

I have been playing for almost three years now, but have watched/listened to shows for nearly ten. I haven't ever been a DM, but would like to try and DM a game that has a story already made. What are the steps to going from player to DM? Do you just read the narrative out of a source book and set up your scenes on Roll20/DnD Beyond?

Zac White

I'm getting ready to start a new campain with 4 players. First time really world building. So I'm wondering how much planning goes into the cities and governments?

Blubread00

Hi Daddy Murphy, Duncle Caldwell, and Wormy Axford. I come with a problem at our table. I currently DM for 2 of my friends and our story telling is fantastic but I struggle when it comes to combat encounters my 2 man crew either curb stomps the enemies that I throw at them or get TPKed and I’m struggling to understand how the CR system works within DnD any advice that you could give this obsequious Dungeon Master who gives himself wholly to the teaching of my dungeon docents

Frankenjam

Hey Youth of the Naddshun, I apologise if you have covered this before but my problem is thus. I have purchased many a black and red spine, have a jar with dice all the colours of the feybow, have a Google keep document filled with hundreds of paragraphs on storyline ideas/ npc names / dramatic environment descriptions/ barebone encounter pitches... But I have absolutely no idea how to get started on formulating all of this captured consciousness into a playable start to a campaign. How do you actually structure or layout the writing? Do you use flowcharts or a super special writing tool that only comedy writers have the keys to? I look forward to you teaching me how to do your job. Signed Frankenjam (you can use my screename but don't use my actual name if its linked on this post somehow)

Haybale

I'm a hopeful first time DM planning a one shot for my party after our main campaign finishes. I have everything planned except for one crucial element... the combat. I was wondering what do you take into consideration when balancing an encounter? And how much of that balancing is planned out before hand vs done on the fly? Thanks in advance!

Darkrisky

I’ve been practicing DMing by doing one shots, which I’m getting more comfortable with, but I run everything passed my fiancé who has been DMing for years to make sure it’s balanced. He then is one of the players of my one shots and does a good job not metagaming the game, but I know he’s losing a lot of fun by already knowing everything. What is a good way to figure out if combat is balanced so that I don’t have to spoil all the fun, but still get practice? Also, is DMing a campaign as much work as it seems? I write down the basics for my one shots and try to model my DMing style after Murph (because he’s the best) yet I still find the idea of running a full campaign overwhelming and get exhausted just thinking about it. Is there a better way to ease into a mini campaign than practicing with one shots? Should I just jump right in? I love you guys! You’re my faves and I met you all in Boston and you’re all so nice. Can’t wait til you come back. ❤️

Big Green

How do you walk back on, or just deal with, giving your players OP items or abilities? I've DMed before where I've been overly generous with items and homebrew, resulting in my womping. We've all had fun, but I feel I've cheapened my players' victories by handing it to them.

Kay

I just listened to all of the Hot Boy Summer episodes, and I was wondering how Emily comes up with such personalized and unique encounters (like the Winnebago drive-by or the chute slides)?

Nicole

What are some ways you would get roleplay-hesitant players to get invested in the story? I have a game going with my husband, brother, sister in law, best friend and her husband. My best friend doesn’t have a backstory and doesn’t engage in much role play (mostly because she’s a bit shy). All she has to her character is she’s a centaur barbarian trying to make money to send back to her family. How can I get her to get invested in the story without railroading her or making a backstory for her?

Adam Carter

My group of friends has been playing together for years, but we all have very different styles. We have 2 that are all about the silly rediculous stuff, 2 that are super serious, and 2 in the middle. We rotate as DM, but usually people just DM their own style. How would you suggest incorporating such differnt styles into a single campaign?

Oge Anugwom

I want to start DMing, but I also haven’t played dnd before. Is there a pre written campaign you would recommend or would you suggest to make an original one instead?

Zed

Hey! I'm starting a dnd podcast with some comedians in New Zealand. Wondering what challenges you face DMing performatively, that have helped improve your home games?

FusRohNahSon

Daddy Master please give me your DM Tip(s) What are some team building scenarios or encounters that might be built toward the goal of having a more bonded party?

Patrick Ferris

I have been playing with the same group for over two years now. Most of my players were new when they started but even now I still find myself helping them with basic things like leveling up, picking spells, and even recently what their modifier is to hit an enemy. If you had any tips to help me train them I would humbly accept. Alternatively, if you had any suggestions as to how I viciously reprimand them for their vacuous playing, I will apply said punishment with due diligence. Yours truly, Patrick.

Rebe’s Art

TWO QUERIES FOR YE: Do you have any remedies for Dungeon Master imposter syndrome? I'm itching to try my hand at DMing again, much to the encouragement of my previous players but it's been hard to shake off my insecurities as a creator / DM. Any advice for throwing off the anxieties of "my players aren't having fun"?

3 Minions in a trench coat

How much decision making is ok in regards to PC backgrounds? I have plans for some reveals of information regarding the parents of one PC, and the missing memories of another (unrelated to the parents - not a Maury situation) but I worry the players may not enjoy the direction it could take their PC. Should I discuss it privately ahead of time, or is it fine to reveal it at the table and deal with the consequences later?

Amderod

Do you have any advise for how to handle an unconscious pc when they're the only one playing? (I'm dming a game for my brother and a nat 20 downed their paladin down in the second round of a fight. I panicked and kept playing the fight with other npcs while they were still there. I felt bad about playing this battle without them, but I was not creative enough in the moment to figure out a way to get them back in/ healed).

Trevor Nicholson

Last night I DM’d the first session in a campaign I’m planning for just one PC. Do you have any advice on how to keep a campaign interesting for just one person? I feel like I want to lean further away from combat but just an endless amount of dungeon crawls also doesn’t seem super interesting.

Tocayo

Probably a weird question to answer but does the Two Crew have any ideas on creating/running a campaign for bilingual players? I’m planning to run a game for family and I’m having a hard time conceptualizing a campaign where the fact that we all speak two languages plays into the game itself. Maybe the ingame languages could be expanded upon somehow? I humbly ask for your guidance

Jay Warner

I've attempted to run a couple of campaigns, but none have lasted more then a couple of sessions because of the self imposed pressure of having an awesome campaign and my desire to try new settings and genres. I just spent a couple months working on a cool sea faring campaign but scrapped it after the 2nd session. I like the idea of swapping styles throughout one campaign, but I have no idea where to start.

Excelsidorks!

Boy do I have a good one! I'm DM'ing for the first time and I've taken some pretty "big bites". The bite I'd like to have some advice on is how to DM for a group of 7. After two sessions I'm happy to say it's going well, but I'd love to have some tips on how to keep pacing in mind. Much love NADDPOD/POLES

Tj Rincon

Hello there benevolent judge's and the turtle, I started dm'ing for my mom, girlfriend, and my sister plus her wife. I want to make a story/plot that relates to them but im a dude and so have a different perspective on life. Are there any stories or plots that most/all people relate too? What are things I should be mindful of?

silentlamb

How far in advance and with how much detail do you plan the story? (I’m writing my homebrew like an open world videogame with a few key “faction leader” NPCs to either side with or oppose for multiple endings… but just an outline. not sure what the right balance is.)

jared Blewett

What is your process when populating a new location with NPC's? I always feel like my players either miss NPC's I have planned or end up talking to everyone they can, and I have the dreaded "what's your name" question that all DM's fear.

IVthatGuy

Where do you even start when building your world's? I just just gotten into dnd 5e and I already want to try my hand in being a DM. What would be the first set to take when starting it all.

Big Jazz Band

How do you come up with such inventive encounters? Like the different lair actions and enemy abilities and scenarios. I struggle to come up with encounters that feel like more than my players and enemies just standing around hitting each other

Alanna Breton

What tips/tricks do you have for handling movement, range, etc in theatre of mind combat? I find it hard to be consistent and keep track of locations as a DM trying to narrate theatre of mind combat

Connor Dub

Greetings and all that good shit. One of my weekly Tuesday sessions is about to come to an end and I was thinking of running curse of strahd for some of our players. I've never DMed before and I'm not too wildly creative so I think a module would be best. My question though, I was thinking having the players submit a lvl 1 character they want to start with and then I'd build a lvl 10 character for them to open session 1 with. I feel like it could be a fun way to show them some possibilities of the class they've chosen and when they finish the opening dungeon (death house), they'd walk out into Barovia as lvl 3 PCs. Is that a good idea or should they just start as lvl 1 from scratch?

Goobersteen

Having abit of trouble with player engagement/reasons to keep the party together after a mission Just wondering if there is anything easy i could do to keep them rowdy kids together

ReynSedai

Hey I would love to hear your thoughts and advice on making dynamic NPCs that feel like real people and not 2d cutouts, please.

Terrence Peugh

What sorts of methods do you use to plan for future events in your campaign without fully rail roading the party to only doing what you are wanting to do.

Justin Escopete

I’ve been wanting to run one shots for the longest time, but my biggest problem has been trying to fit the story hooks I’m planning into the time frames that I set, DM help me!

Victor T (Balnor's Boy)

I need some help with trying to do something to surprise my players. My players are mostly veteran DMs. They aren't surprised by any plot twists whatsoever and any encounter is dealt with easily. They aren't bored but... I want to wow them. I did it once but essentially introducing an actual gambling game (for magic items) and they managed to lose an artifact level weapon. But that was a cheap win for me. How can I legitimately give them an "oh my God" moment?

J

As a DM in other campaigns, how do you play a PC without falling back into DM habits? I'm thinking about trying to DM but don't want to loose my sense of shenanigans.

Atlantis Thermostat

Before a game, what information do you get from your players- or even as a DM that you give to your players- to help create characters that actually feel like they are part of the world and not just moving through it? What is that DM/PC ratio?

Andrew

I’ve been DMing for a couple years and typically run straight from a module, while adjusting some stuff here or there. However the idea of a fully homebrewed adventure is appealing, what advice would you have for transitioning from a Module DM to a Homebrew DM?

Zach Z

Hello one and all! I'd love to get some advice on world building and where you start as far as forming the playground you play in. Do you start with the landscape itself, or do you focus on the history and build from there? Love you guys and your incredible work!

Peter Duffy

Are there any source books or any other materials you would suggest for a first time DM who really doesn’t have time to world build. I want to start a campaign with some friends as my other group fizzled out and really want to play again. However I just don’t have a ton of time to world build and things like that. Any suggestions on where to look/start would be super helpful.

WitchKingofAngmar

Do you have any plans to run a pathfinder 2e one shot any time soon? Listening to you all play 5e really helped me learn a lot so it would be interesting to hear you play it out in that system. I’m itching to see some shenanigans with the characters you created.

TallishCard643

TO THE RESPECTED DMS OF NADDPOD. I am a long time forever dm who currently runs 4 campaigns on and off. I have run these four of these campaigns, each anywhere from 2-5 years long, set in a homebrew high fantasy setting with encroaching eldritch threats. I have each party at different continents and set to handle various invading threats from the outer planes. I will however be having a number of these individuals over this summer for my graduation celebration of sorts (undergrad). Should I/how would you suggest bringing them together to play a cannon one-shot of sorts? Considering that all of them are of varying levels, age groups(in and out of game) , and experience levels. I await any wisdom and guidance you may provide. PS - Love all your guys' work and you have been inspirational in how I craft stories and host games!! Lots of love! An Avid listener and loyal fan, Myles

JigMink

What do you do when your party members turn on each other? Like when the Paladin and Rogue start to fight?

Scott

How do you account for challenge ratings in battles when other factors are involved? Ie. Magical items, spicing up enemies with different abilites, adding external challenges to a battle, and so on. Much love for the amazing work you all do.

Claire the Resin Alchemist

I’m my group’s backup DM, meaning I just run a game whenever our primary DM is burnt out and needs a break. So far I’ve only run random, unrelated oneshots, but I’m interested in running something closer to a campaign. The problem is that I only DM about once every three months, so I’m worried it’ll be difficult to build a story with continuity when I’m at the helm so infrequently. Any ideas for how to run a quarterly side campaign? What would you do differently compared to a campaign with more regular sessions? For what it’s worth, our sessions are usually at least 8 hours.

Allie

How do I make my game world feel real for my players? They will often say things like "I wonder what she wants us to do here" when I lay down a challenge for them. I don't "want" them to do anything in particular! I just want them to feel immersed in the world, not like there's one correct answer to any given situation.

Jean

First time DM to be here, I wanted to start with a full campaign integrating player backstories and stuff like that, Is it too much? Should I start with modules? Love you guy's show, hugs from Brazil!!

Zane R

Sup, 2 Crew! I’m really wanting to dm a homebrew campaign for my friends. We’ve played on and off for a few years, but haven’t played in a while and we’ve all been itching to play again, so I want to step up and dm to get the gang back together. My main hold up is I feel like I’m a bad improviser, and my fumbling with what to say next might kill the vibe. What do you recommend to new DMs looking to improve role-playing interesting NPC’s, etc? (Other than not comparing themselves to professional funny people on the best actual play podcast 😉)

Ben Kodet

Hi, Two Crew. I am always so impressed with Naddpod encounters. Beyond putting “twists” on standard combat like cool lair actions and Kobald press shenanigans, what are the most important things for a GM to do to keep combat feeling special? Also, what do the players like to do to keep each combat unique?

Samson

Hey guys, first time long time. How should I make late stage combat encounters more engaging? I’ve run all sorts of encounters over the course of my long running campaign like chases, horde encounters, stealth missions, etc. that went over rather well. However, I noticed in the final boss fight of my campaign, where my PCs fought against an eldritch god inhabiting a giant robot and a Solar, that the combat was dragging and became tedious near the end. For future reference how can I make my encounters stronger, especially as the fight drags on? Thank you for all you do.

Josh

How do you come up with interesting mechanics to spice up fights! I feel like naddpod has such cinematic fight scenes and i was wondering if we could get a walkthrough of the creation of some! (Mt forge collapsing, Durretar’s lair etc)

DOOFINIUS

How do you make and role play memorable engaging npcs. I think my biggest struggle as dm is the memorable npc the goofy the engaging the memorable. I always pkan for shopkeepers and your necessary quest npcs, i just struggle with spicing that up and feel i could have a better more memorable world for them to enjoy. Also how do i do bad guy npcs im very much a kind soul who wants the best for people and so it is hard for me to be in the evil mindset. Sidenote ive been told my dm style has potential to grow into Caldwell dm style, so im interested for sure in his opinion as that would be a high honor and compliment to be the wacky zany memorable dm.

Mike

What is your process for designing the world for your adventure?

Hunter.osty

Seems like a pretty easy straight forward question but me and my fellow DMing friends still STRUGGLE to find out Challenge Rating for monsters at varying party lvls and sizes! What does master Murph do behind the screen?

David Moore

What steps do you take to create and introduce believable factions when players visit a new location?

Nick Hortie

Hey gang! Big fan of Murphs dming style and im sure you’ve answered this before but i just wanted to know how do you go about designing an encounter for theater of mind to make it more interesting? im having a really hard time trying to not make encounters feel like a slog fest for my players

Grimmie

I'd like to run a module but what if you only have one PC? Any advice on how to tailor things to be manageable in that situation? Considering having a DM-PC and giving my player the option to have a Sidekick (from Tasha's) but I'm still nervous about the balance, and not letting the DM-PC spill any DM secrets. Any advice on how to balance that?

The-Good-Ending

Hello gang, i was thinking about making a court submission for this but it’s more of a base question about DMing that comes with a story: when should the dm say no to home brew? I’ll keep the story short but my first time DMing I was open to home brew as long as they asked me first. My group had been playing together for a bit with a different dm who basically let everything slide. Naturally a player asked for a pretty wacky homebrew. A class where he had the ability to change classes every long rest and subclasses every short rest. He told me he was not trying to cheese the game and he just had a plot he wanted to play out plus it would be fun to play with. I was going to say no but he came to me with a pretty deep and fun backstory he was clearly excited about. I was still very nervous about DMing and I told him no. He got pretty mad and did not talk to me for a few days. He thankfully got over it and created a pretty fun monk character he loved but it still haunts me. He just wanted to have some fun and I felt like I stopped that fun from happening. I justified saying no as it would be hard to prepare for a character who could just rest and choose a class who gets around a problem. But looking back I play fast and lose enough with my games that it probably would not have mattered that much. My question is how much control should a dm have over a players fun? Thanks! (Note: that was years ago and I have found a different group to dm who is more my speed, but I feel a bit haunted by the issue)

Jade Finch

Not to toot his horn but I think Murph has the most interesting and dynamic encounters in the actual play space. how on earth does he continue to come up with such unique and interesting encounters, with surprising mechanics and multiple potential outcomes campaign after campaign?

Dippity_Dip

I’ve been wanting to try my hand at DMing, but I’m afraid to go into a whole campaign right off the bat. How do you create an immersive and creative one-shot experience without making it too simple?

thiswayjose

What are some of your favorite High CR monsters to bring out?

Mackenzie DeMello

The big question: Any advice on how to make a maze fun? What I tried to do, that wasn't very fun: A while ago, I had attempted to do an enchanted corn maze with a neat mechanic where cutting through the hedges put you in a different maze, and the players would have to bounce back and forth to navigate to the center. I thought this would be fun, until I had to try and describe the maze verbally without showing them the whole thing. This ended up being very frustrating for everyone involved, and I eventually just gave them the printed mazes, which they solved in seconds, and we called the session early. I ended up salvaging the cool mechanic for a battle the next session, where I had two battle maps they had to move between using the corn hedges, but I'm still a little bummed because of the frustration and difficulty that came from the maze. I'd love to do a different maze or labyrinth at some point but I'm not sure how to without it being so easy it doesn't have any weight or so tedious it's just not fun for anyone. So yeah, any thoughts or pieces of advice for how I could've improved my corn maze, or any on mazes in general would be much appreciated!

Kyle M Harris

Hey Two Crew! For several reasons I need to prematurely end a remote campaign (Ragnarok setting) Mainly because I now have a child. What would be your best way to end it? Ghost them? Have an adult conversation? Or send in the Blue Eyes White Dragon?

Lia

I've been building a world and slowly a group to mix into the middle of it. I plan to run a more social focused campaign (think Court of Fey and Flowers). From your viewpoints, what do you enjoy about social encounters, factions, twists, and such how much should I prep vs letting players build. Any good resources for mechanic integration?

thedragonllama

Hey gang, I have only DM'd a hand full of times but want to try it again this year to finish a long overdue ending to a mini arc I ran, but I am the kind of person that just stresses until it is all over. Is there any advice you have to cool it, and also in just dealing with the moments of "OMG I forgot how every aspect of this game works and it is too quiet rn?" Thx fam!

Sherry YR

Completely new dm with completely new players, playing through the starter campaign which I'm hoping will progress into something more. How to I get my plays to role play more? A lot of them don't use character names when addressing each other and will often need to be reminded that maybe their characters wouldn't do certain things. I also don't want to make them feel uncomfortable role playing.

Abagayle Witzgall

Oh my goodness please for the love of goodness sake explain CR and how to balance encounters to make things fun for the players. I either over do it or combat is done in like 2 turns and no one gets to fight.

SoupLightning

Oh wise and capable DMs Emily, Duncle and their lowly sidekick Pebblepot Marty, i am curious about managing players feelings. DnD to me is free choices with consequences, and it can be hard for me to hold my players accountable when they make ill advised (wink wink dont do this) decisions or simply bite off more than they can chew, but then want a respawn button instead of player death. I try to be accomodating and allow them to play the game they want but as yall have said as a DM im part of the game too and having no stakes and unlimited get out off jail free cards gets anticlimactic for me. Please advise.

Abagayle Witzgall

And by CR I mean challenge rating. Not Critical Role lol

bees

i’ve been running a campaign for two friends, and the first few sessions were great because i had all this worldbuilding and prep that i had done when i first had the idea and the creative juice was flowing. now, though, i’ve run out of ideas and creative energy, and keep putting off sessions because i don’t know what to do even though i still am really excited about the campaign and want to keep running it. how do you continue the story when you’re having a creative block? and what do you do to unblock the juice?

Ghostedflakes

I've dmed a couple one shots before and am now gearing up to run a full campaign so my question is this: how do you make combat feel fast paced and exciting? In the past I've felt pressure to slash a creatures health because the fight drags, especially since we have a fairly large party and it takes forever to even get through a single round. Any advice is much appreciated!

Jay V

Heyo! Recently I've been struggling with how to managed increased stakes that don't make the campaign feel too heavy or tedious. My main party, now at 7th (nearly 8th) level, are approaching the end-game for their campaign, where there's a few different plot lines to pull at and unravel. In the most recent session, they fast-tracked their way to the celestial plane, giving them front row seats to a massive scale inter-planar war they didn't know about before now. And well, now I'm trying to redirect them towards the rest of the campaign with these increased stakes over their heads and I'm not sure how to keep things flowing effectively now that there's been this sudden increase in the stakes of the matter.

Jeremy

My husband and I alternate DMing different campaigns. I’m a player in his, and he’s a player in mine. We try to be mindful of each other’s feelings, but sometimes one of us may say something or do something in game that really irks the other. Not allowing someone to roll with advantage or use their passive perception isn’t a big deal, until you live with the DM calling the shots and you argue about it and it becomes a larger fight and you risk going to bed angry. We’ve since issued a “card system” just between the two of us. Signaling that this is an in-game ruling and we need to leave emotions at the table. It’s worked pretty well, but was curious since Emily and Murph play so often together in different scenarios, if you have any other advice on keeping both your marriage and campaigns in good standing! P.S. Most of our arguments end on a good note, and strong communication has definitely helped us become better DMs, players, and even better husbands! Though there have absolutely been some heated exchanges that started over “misused” spells or “erroneous” ability checks.

Ethan Link

Hey everybody! Been listening religiously for the last 4 years, so excited to see y’all live in Madison this fall! So, I’ve never played DnD, but I’ve been curious about it for years. I recently met a dude I get along great with, who has also been interested in playing DnD and wants to put together a campaign with him, his friends, and our girlfriends, but he has 0 experience with DnD, and doesn’t know how the game operates at all. I mentioned that I have listened to this podcast for years, and said I think I have a decent grip on the rules and flow, so he suggested I DM for the group. I’m not totally against it, but I also tend to get stage fright, and am worried that I will be too nervous trying to “perform” and be an interesting DM for a group of basically strangers. Any recommendations on what to do/how to deal with stage fright at the table?

Lucy Rose Jessep

Hello! I love the different creative encounters that you guys run. What is the way that you guys come up with encounters - do you think of the kind of mechanics you want and then develop the plot, or think of the encounter the plot calls for and then develop mechanics around that?

Oliver F.

Just need some etiquette advice for keeping the PCs focused on the main plot when time is short? We play every other week, if that, so I try to keep the story moving. But SOME players get distracted when I seed little details through exposition and description. What I intend to be a quick interaction with a leather tanner to send the players on their next quest will devolve into a discussion on whether or not purple dye exists because the dye comes from ocean snails and we're landlocked. But, DM, didn't you mention two months ago that there's a port town that's a week's travel away? Theoretically it wouldn't take much time or resources... I don't want to stomp on their enthusiasm for realism and emersion several times a session by just saying "it doesn't matter, let's move on," but I still want to be respectful of all the players' time at the table and let them play their characters. How can I tactfully get my tangential players back on track?

Carl Anderson

In a Pathfinder game I started with some buddies, I led up front by requesting that they all play generally good characters, due to the story that I wanted to tell (basically they are going to found a nation and I want them to be good since they will be up against some pretty evil things later). They all agreed to do so. However, by the time we got to actually play, it has become pretty clear that they did not necessarily take that to heart (in fact, they make memes during session that they send in our discord about how they are *not* good). Should I change the story to reflect their decision? Any general advice for this situation? Thanks in advance!

Bethany

I have a group of friends that are all interested in doing a campaign. As a new DM myself how do I help my players build their characters and backstories and a cohesive adventuring party to fit into a campaign without telling all the fun secrets and plots.

regretful midnight milk chug

Hello dungeon ministers! I’m dming my first ever big campaign this coming Friday (aaaah), and am struggling with understanding how to pace the introduction of the characters, the npcs, and the small tangle of mysteries that will eventually lead to the bigger mystery in the first couple of episodes. I would love any beginning-pacing advice!! 🪱🍗❤️‍🔥🎈

Pimpshark99

I feel like I'm pretty good at Roleplay (not the kinky kind) but have a hard time developing interesting combat encounters that aren't just stand in front of the bad guy and hit them. How do you develop interesting and dynamic encounters?

lizznotliz

For Murph specifically: as a fellow DM cursed by Dice Christ, do you ever worry about - or account for - a badass antagonist or a cool ally NPC not being as intimidating or helpful as you hope because of rolls? Getting whomped can be fun, but I sometimes worry encounters aren’t challenging or scary enough for my players when the rolls consistently aren’t in my favor.

Av

How much should I start with for a first session? I feel like I always make too much more for campaigns that r never finished (people end up being too busy to play L) I just wanna not commit too hard if my players aren’t sure they wanna do something long

Mike Walsh

They're trolling you. Just message one of them individually and say that you assume they're just fucking with you but you just want to check if they actually want you to change the story you've built.

Bryce Amos

Proudly I'm my groups forever DM. My issue lies in that recently I've been gifted with the honor of actually getting to be a PC but I find myself Having issues disconnecting myself from the DM screen. I feel like i'm constantly interrupting Or taking away from other players replay time Because I'm used to always talking during sessions. Do you have any advice to help me distance myself from the DM screen?

han!!!!

Hello! I've been DMing for a while, my party is getting up in levels, and one thing I'm always trying to figure out in regards to encounter balance is-- how often should I be knocking people unconscious? I feel like knocking players out makes encounters feel more urgent and can lead to some really cool character moments, but I also don't want to constantly be playing wack-a-mole and demoralize my party by constantly having someone down, or take the stakes away from someone being at 0/making death saves.

Izzy R

I run a campaign for a couple kids I lived with when I was in college (7 and 11) and at first I was simplifying the mechanics a bit (because they were 6 and 10 when we started) but now they seem like they have a good grip on the basics and are eager to try more complicated stuff. The next session we play they’re going to be doing a prison break as they play two orphan thieves who are also a Medusa gorgon and a half Phoenix person. How can I make a fun prison break game that’s still kinda difficult without killing the children? Thanks! 🐍🔥🥷

Shannon Pender

Hello, wise and debonair dungeon masters! I am seeking advice about the fallout of a CLASSIC rookie mistake as a first time DM: my lore and world is too big. It has gotten impossible to manage, with my characters now so involved with the large-scale plot that I have to play political chess with myself every session! And the players are only level 5! I have been running this game for about two years and am blessed with a group of players who are deeply invested in the lore and eager to play - but we now haven’t played since January since I got burnt out of how much work it was taking to run sessions! Do you have any advice on how to scale back my sessions so they still feel important to the larger plot, but don’t require me to solve a political logic puzzle to craft compelling sessions?

Michaela McNaughton

My campaign is transitioning to a new arc, where the players will travel from their city across the continent to defeat the Demon Lord threatening their home. The problem is that as it stands, they are bringing the level 18 wizard NPC ally with them (she also has a pretty solid story reason for going so her saying "no" isn't an option). As Iffy said in the last Dungeon Court - badass NPCs are only there to die. I designed an extremely deadly encounter and plan to get rid of the NPC by having her sacrifice herself, but I am worried that my players will somehow prevent this (there are 6 level 10 PCs, they have whomped me before). How do I ensure this NPC's demise without removing the player's agency? Should I run it like a cutscene, or leave it entirely to the dice?

Lukas Carlson

Hello masters of the dungeon dip spit. I know Murphs answered the exciting combat encounter question multiple times, but I’m hoping he could walk through an example of an encounter he has designed. I’ve been trying to build more dynamic encounters but get stuck in the design process. I also wonder how you account for the lair accounts and environmental changes as it pertains to balancing the total encounter. Thanks for everything you all do can’t wait to see y’all in Wisconsin!

Ben Wilcox

As a player, and also a basic dm tip, how do I get a good hook for my player. I feel like there's no motivation for my character and I want to work in something in my backstop to have some directive. Any tips on good ways to motivate players?

Sproutthetree

Do you have any advice on how to voice act male character well for women? I want to learn because I'd like to sound better playing male presenting characters an I like learning new things I can do with my vocals. Hope this wasn't too weird of a question, thanks for reading.

Quinn Campagna

I gave my Druid an item that lets him concentrate on a second spell, with the cost that once the spell ends (either naturally or by breaking concentration), he takes a number of exhaustion levels equal to the spell level cast. The problem is he is very good at keeping concentration, and often summons 16 wolves using conjure animals and absolutely womps everything I can throw at them. What are some creative ways to get around his summons without cheapening the item or just directing every attack against him?

Bocks Cliphton

Do you have any tips for running 1-on-1 DnD? My wife bought us a one-shot for 2 players as a gift, but she's never played and I've never DMed. I really want her to get hooked on it, and I worry that my marriage depends on the session going well.

Orangeleader398

Hey Two Crew, I’m a relatively newish DM but only because my party struggles with a major issue… the issue of finding a time that works together that we can all sit down at our computers and play. We’ve been trying to start a new campaign but can’t get everyone together for the start. I’ve had a few players (the mostly available 1-2 of the 4) day let’s just do 3 and start but I feel like session one is a special occasion that should have everyone. How can I solve finding time to play and do I start without someone? Any advice is welcomed, even if it’s razzing or constructive criticism. Thanks y’all are amazing!

Brandon Carroll

Murph, I love the way that you create stories/hooks around player backstories and their pasts. My PC group is larger (5) and I'm worried that if I do a backstory centric story around 1 players' motivation/focus the others may feel left out. How do make sure everyone feels involved, EVEN when the primary focus is on one player?

AmberDextrous!

Dear Masters of Dungeon: I DM over discord and I recently found out that my players have been googling the monsters I put in encounters and then strategizing in a private group message where I can't see. While I like that they're working together as a team, I hate that they're googling and I hate that the planning is being done in secret. I know the answer to keep them from googling is homebrewing, but I've never done it before and I'm worried about making things too weak or too OP, but I'm sure there's another homebrew question being asked by someone else. My concern is what would normally be table talk that would be in character and more fun and engaging is being done in secret. Is there anything I can do about these surreptitious scheming sessions, or should I just accept this way of gameplay?

Dame Beeks

Hello incredible 2 crew! I’ve been running a game for over a year now with some incredible players. Due to life circumstances several of the players have had to drop out/can only join from time to time. I have my core three that I play with weekly and we have a blast but I am trying to also make it make sense for the other characters to pop in and out as suits the players schedule. Do you have any advice to do this without disrupting or changing the weekly campaign?

just us chickens (edited)

Comment edits

2026-09-05 07:00 Hello revered DMs and Joseph! My first DMing experience was kind of a wreck, but thankfully, a la Murph, I got new friends and my current DMing is fun and not weird and uncomfortable. My partner and I are in a GREAT D&amp;D group where we are both players. His work friend and HIS partner really wanted to learn how to play D&amp;D, and they knew my partner and I had been playing for about a year with another group of friends. I had never DM'd before but knew the game pretty well at this point and agreed to run a one-shot for the four of us. We had been hanging out with them a lot in the last 6 months and for along well so we had high hopes for this hang. I was nervous for my first time, but I was like, "hey, what's the worst that can happen?" It started out really fun (the gal is an English teacher so she had a wonderfully interesting backstory) but within about a half hour, the guy, let's call him Derek, and his partner, let's call her Jessie, were getting pretty toasted. Derek was playing a dragonborn fighter, and he reeaaallyyy started fixating on how big his dragon dick was. Now, I'm entertained by this kind of humor (I passed the dragon pussy test in C1E1, after all!!), but he then started like.. flirting/HARASSING Jessie's character about his giant dragon cock. And like... it very quickly turned into every time I was giving a description, answering a question, or roleplaying and NPC, Derek would somehow make it about his mad dragon hog. This was their very first D&amp;D experience, and I wanted them to love it, so at first I just lightly laughed and moved on when he did this, but it PERSISTED and ESCALATED. Eventually NPCs were not he helpful to him as a result, I was a real Ernie to him, and tried my best to scooch the session along, and my partner was trying HIS best to help me scoot the story along. Soon Jessie was rolling around on the floor with her dog (honestly jealous) and hysterically laughing at Derek's antics. My boyfriend and I just ended up sort of staring at each other like "literally wtf" every 15 seconds as Derek only talked about his character's dick the whole time. Not only did this make it hard to play the game, but I'm a chick, and I was getting pretty uncomfortable with him drunkenly yell at all my NPCs about his schlong, because it was turning into like thinly veiled details about his and Jessie actual sex life??(!)? Anyway WHAT WOULD YOU DO in the moment? How do you say "this is the WRONG VIBE" without totally being a fun-killer? It was a grueling evening. We never played with them again, and truth be told, we also never hung out with them again either. Derek was really trying to get us to go golfing together and then play another D&amp;D session the next weekend and we were just like.. nah. Yours truly, Doomed by Dragon Dicks
2023-06-19 03:51 Hello revered DMs and Joseph! My first DMing experience was kind of a wreck, but thankfully, a la Murph, I got new friends and my current DMing is fun and not weird and uncomfortable. My partner and I are in a GREAT DnD group where we are both players. His work friend and HIS partner really wanted to learn how to play DnD and they knew my partner and I had been playing for about a year with another group of friends. I had never DM'd before but knew the game pretty well at this point and agreed to run a one-shot for the four of us. We had been hanging out with them a lot in the last 6 months and got along well so we had high hopes for this hang. I was nervous for my first time, but I was like, "hey, what's the worst that can happen?" It started out really fun (the gal is an English teacher so she had a wonderfully interesting backstory) but within about a half hour, the guy, let's call him Derek, and his partner, let's call her Jessie, were getting pretty toasted. Derek was playing a dragonborn fighter, and he reeaaallyyy started fixating on how big his dragon dick was. Now, I'm entertained by this kind of humor (I passed the dragon pussy test in C1E1, after all!!), but he then started like.. flirting/HARASSING Jessie's character about his giant dragon cock. And like... it very quickly turned into every time I was giving a description, answering a question, or roleplaying and NPC, Derek would somehow make it about his mad dragon hog. This was their very first DnD experience, and I wanted them to love it, so at first I just lightly laughed and moved on when he did this, but it PERSISTED and ESCALATED. Eventually NPCs were not he helpful to him as a result, I was a real Ernie to him, and tried my best to scooch the session along, and my partner was trying HIS best to help me scoot the story along. Soon Jessie was rolling around on the floor with her dog (honestly jealous) and hysterically laughing at Derek's antics. My boyfriend and I just ended up sort of staring at each other like "literally wtf" every 15 seconds as Derek only talked about his character's dick the whole time. Not only did this make it hard to play the game, but I'm a chick, and I was getting pretty uncomfortable with him drunkenly yell at all my NPCs about his schlong, because it was turning into like thinly veiled details about his and Jessie actual sex life??(!)? Anyway WHAT WOULD YOU DO in the moment? How do you say "this is the WRONG VIBE" without totally being a fun-killer? It was a grueling evening. We never played with them again, and truth be told, we also never hung out with them again either. Derek was really trying to get us to go golfing together and then play another DnD session the next weekend and we were just like.. nah. Yours truly, Doomed by Dragon Dicks

Hello revered DMs and Joseph! My first DMing experience was kind of a wreck, but thankfully, a la Murph, I got new friends and my current DMing is fun and not weird and uncomfortable. My partner and I are in a GREAT DnD group where we are both players. His work friend and HIS partner really wanted to learn how to play DnD and they knew my partner and I had been playing for about a year with another group of friends. I had never DM'd before but knew the game pretty well at this point and agreed to run a one-shot for the four of us. We had been hanging out with them a lot in the last 6 months and got along well so we had high hopes for this hang. I was nervous for my first time, but I was like, "hey, what's the worst that can happen?" It started out really fun (the gal is an English teacher so she had a wonderfully interesting backstory) but within about a half hour, the guy, let's call him Derek, and his partner, let's call her Jessie, were getting pretty toasted. Derek was playing a dragonborn fighter, and he reeaaallyyy started fixating on how big his dragon dick was. Now, I'm entertained by this kind of humor (I passed the dragon pussy test in C1E1, after all!!), but he then started like.. flirting/HARASSING Jessie's character about his giant dragon cock. And like... it very quickly turned into every time I was giving a description, answering a question, or roleplaying and NPC, Derek would somehow make it about his mad dragon hog. This was their very first DnD experience, and I wanted them to love it, so at first I just lightly laughed and moved on when he did this, but it PERSISTED and ESCALATED. Eventually NPCs were not he helpful to him as a result, I was a real Ernie to him, and tried my best to scooch the session along, and my partner was trying HIS best to help me scoot the story along. Soon Jessie was rolling around on the floor with her dog (honestly jealous) and hysterically laughing at Derek's antics. My boyfriend and I just ended up sort of staring at each other like "literally wtf" every 15 seconds as Derek only talked about his character's dick the whole time. Not only did this make it hard to play the game, but I'm a chick, and I was getting pretty uncomfortable with him drunkenly yell at all my NPCs about his schlong, because it was turning into like thinly veiled details about his and Jessie actual sex life??(!)? Anyway WHAT WOULD YOU DO in the moment? How do you say "this is the WRONG VIBE" without totally being a fun-killer? It was a grueling evening. We never played with them again, and truth be told, we also never hung out with them again either. Derek was really trying to get us to go golfing together and then play another DnD session the next weekend and we were just like.. nah. Yours truly, Doomed by Dragon Dicks

Anonymous

Two of the players in my current game are the friends that initially turned me on to NADDPOD. They just started Campaign 3, so I think it would be amazing if they heard my question in a few months a few months and realized it was about their campaign.

Cameron Kennedy

Oh great DMs on high, I beseech you how do you deal with a party without any healers. I have the rapid quaffing rules that allow potions as a bonus action but three of my party are very bonus action heavy (a rogue, ranger, and two weapon fighter) and the other is a fairy warlock who fights from at least 100ft away if they can. I don't want to seem like I'm making a dm pc by forcing a healer on them or hold back with my combats as I briefed them in the session 0 that it was a tough world and suggested a full caster healer but they made their choices anyway. I am especially worried as they are nearly at 5th level where they'll start to get some real battles and monsters. What would you do?

Critney Spears (Oops I did it again)

Hey 2 crew, I'm a relatively new DM, and what I love about being the DM is all the cool scene-setting I get to do and NPCs I get embody. I've always found Murph's tendency to make his bad guys say stupid funny shit hilarious and genius😂 it makes what could be a boring combat, lively in a way that doesn't need complex mechanics. Any advice on how to engage the Players in a fun way without erasing the stakes and the tension of the combat? Thank you, I love you all♥️♥️♥️

Finn Cunninghm

What are some tips you have on setting up encounters specifically combat encounters and being able to navigate the fine line between too easy and TPK. I’m a relatively new DM and I am trying to get a better balance in my encounters so that I can make the stakes clear but not have to change the HP of the 5 knights that ambushed my 4 level 4 PCs (granted they have some home brew items so not necessarily only level 4)

Cameron McEwan

Dear Dungeon Grand Masters: How do you manage prep burnout? I love the campaign I’ve built, my players and the story we’re telling together. The yet to be revealed lore and what the future holds excite me but for some reason when it comes to actually putting my thoughts down on paper, it feels like I’m trudging through a quagmire. Any advice to get me more motivated to do the boring behind the scenes part of dming?

Dylan C

How can you encourage players to be invested with the game? I am running my first game and I've have conversation with players about what they want for their characters and I incorporate back story stuff from time to time but I still have some players who don't seem to care as much. Is their some way to avoid an awkward conversation or do I just have to bite the bullet and actually talk to my friends about my feelings? Thanks for the help

Fabrizio Moreno

(Intro free 2023) How do you plan how many sessions will you play in a campaing? Do you plan everything from the beginning including the amount of sessions? Do you set a limit and a minimum? O do you just go with the flow of the campaign and just take things one session at the time?

Floofknight

Oh wielders of dice and fate. I come to you with a simple problem. I have an issue of my players not noticing plot hooks left in front of them. They will, however, fabricate hooks from meaningless throw away comments I make, causing me to scramble to follow this new plot instead of one I have prepared. Should I stay on my toes and roll with it or try to have a heavier hand in plot hooks?

Renee Wild

Dear Dearest DMs - do you have any advice on pacing? Both for long term and shorter campaigns. How many sessions should there be between each big story beat? How do you plan filler that still feels relevant and related to the campaign? I'm running two games right now: a long fantasy epic that will be around 100 sessions, and a murder mystery that will be much shorter and I'm trying to figure out some of the long term planning. Thanks so much, Two Crew!!

Vi

I am a new DM who listens to a lot of DND but hadn’t played much before now, and I’m really loving it. NADDPOD is my favorite DND podcast and so I have been playing theater of the mind style, but I just watched A Crown of Candy and the mini minis used in the war scenes really seemed fun. For my next session I was thinking of using these as the party attempts to navigate the trenches of a now finished war, but I’m concerned that switching from not using them at all to using them seems like it could be challenging. Any tips for getting into using minis and making battle maps for the first time? Thanks a ton!

Fandom Encounters

What’s the best setting to start a new campaign? Big city with lots of options to avoid railroading, small microcosm like Moonstone, or small town with a few problems as a prologue to the main story? Some other sweet spot? Help.

Jennifer

Do you have any tips for balancing difficulty of encounters for a party that likes different challenge levels? I have players who like hard, punishing encounters, and some who want easy, low risk encounters, and some in the middle.

Sam Deniz

Trying to plan a one shot but have only ever run published campaigns. What info do you plan ahead of time for a one shot? How do you organize it for easy reference?

Nicolas P.

Hey sweeties. I have a bbeg in my sci fi campaign that the party knows personally and I want him to be menacing and a threat without starting the final fight early and whomping them. How can I flaunt my cool bad guy without starting a very one-sided fight with them? Thanks and love the show :)

Tyson Cecka (edited)

Comment edits

2026-09-05 07:00 I'm a new DM running a table for my girlfriend's family where one of the people is not able to make it close to half of the time. We have just been canceling whenever there isn't all four of us able to play but I'm considering running something separate with just two out of the three players instead on those times when they can't make it. Do you have advice whether to attempt something in the same world but in a separate locale / time period or to run some totally different small campaign or even game system? I don't want the third player to feel like they are at a disadvantage or something from not experiencing more of the lore from the world but I also think it would be fun to jump into the feywild with different characters
2023-06-19 04:25 I'm a new DM running a table for my girlfriend's family (one 12yr old and two adults) where one of the adults is not able to make it close to half of the time. We have just been canceling whenever there isn't all four of us able to play but I'm considering running something separate with just two out of the three players instead on those times when they can't make it. Do you have advice whether to attempt something in the same world but in a separate locale / time period or to run some totally different campaign setting or even game system? I don't want the third player to feel like they are at a disadvantage or something from not experiencing more lore from the world but I also think it would be fun to jump into the feywild with different characters for example. I think I remember you guys doing this for a bit during season 2? Thanks!

I'm a new DM running a table for my girlfriend's family (one 12yr old and two adults) where one of the adults is not able to make it close to half of the time. We have just been canceling whenever there isn't all four of us able to play but I'm considering running something separate with just two out of the three players instead on those times when they can't make it. Do you have advice whether to attempt something in the same world but in a separate locale / time period or to run some totally different campaign setting or even game system? I don't want the third player to feel like they are at a disadvantage or something from not experiencing more lore from the world but I also think it would be fun to jump into the feywild with different characters for example. I think I remember you guys doing this for a bit during season 2? Thanks!

trevor passage

Dungeon Master, Duncle, and Daunt; How do you balance critters that you give your PCs? I am running Wild Beyond the Witchlight, and I gave my party Secret of Mana-esque little sprites, and I am at an impasse to balance them. Making them lil creatures that would assist was too strong, but I am worried that treating them like wonderous items with a passive buff might be too boring. Any assitance would be greatly appreciated. Cordially, Trev

James Blanchard

To everyone's favorite mother of feisty felines, Do you ever design a moment in a campaign first through music? I've begun the process of creating a dark fantasy campaign and am finding that designing through creating a playlist or creating locations inspired by specific instrumentation has been really helpful for my process! Do you, Jake, Caldwell, or Murph have any tips on designing your D&D world through sounds or other senses aside from visuals? Thanks in advance! Yours in one big bed, James

Sam Ninegar

What are your favorite parts of DMing? Anywhere from in-game specifics to prepping sessions, to building worlds. What brings you the most fulfillment while you're being a DM?

Johny Dude-Kay

This question is for everyone. I run a pirate themed campaign and have recently introduced an NPC that has become part of their crew. This NPC is the childhood best friend of one of the party members. They fell out years before hand over differences in morals, but now, having reconnect, the NPC seems to think its all water under the bridge. The thing is though, the NPC is effectively a Barbarian, rage and all, and is actually still mad at the player character for abandoning them, so the idea is that they are almost guaranteed to class at some point. So i guess my question is, Do you have any advice for running a good heel turn/betrayal? How do I make sure I don't OVER hint at the NPCs darkside? I always try to include big reveals and emotional stakes for my players and want this to hit right.

Rykon Provost The Drake Warden Of Moon Stone

Murph as the holy direct messenger I come in search of help. I have been enraped in the stories of grand you are able to weave in podcast form. I got into dming originally because of the story telling aspect. However, I feel I'm having trouble getting my players to get invested. So I bow down in need of assistance, how do I invest player's into my worlds story? PS: Thank you all for helping me through 2020, can't wait for Caulder to return!

Katy Howells

Are there any adventure play books you recommend that are a good starter for building puzzles and/or combats within a session? I thank you for your services.. come back to Crittsburgh! Love yinz!

Mason McCauley

Dear Daddy, Duncle, and Docent (a.k.a. the best triple D since Guy Fieri), I am currently in between campaigns due to some scheduling conflicts. I’d love to keep working on session prep but I have found myself in a creative block. I’m finding it difficult to work on anything since I don’t know the next time I’ll be able to share it with my group. My question for y’all is; do you have ways that you deal with writer’s block? Or are there any exercises or ways you go about session prepping that make ideas flow better?

Galen Graham, Local Talent

Hi Direct Messenger and owner of other valued titles! I'm working on my first REAL in-depth and detailed campaign world (a desert region of a distant continent, where magic is mystical and spiritual!), and I'm having a little trouble balancing my ideas and inspirations with how I feel the story may actually end up going. In your experience in new world building, do you find yourself leading with with how you want the world to FEEL, like motifs, themes and atmosphere? Or do you prefer to engage more with the plot hooks, character throughlines and narrative development, then apply the atmosphere to these narrative specifics? As a very explicit example, in my world I'm really in love with the nature vs. chaos of desert dwellers building large cities in the wasteland, and the back and forth of traditional nomads vs. new urban life-- but I find as I develop my in-world characters that I tend to shift *away* from those themes and focus more on ideological themes like nationalism and spirituality. How do I reconcile these two leads? TLDR: I am having trouble aligning my ideas for the world's themes with the motivations of my characters, good and evil-- how do I unite the two different plot points into one? Or is it better for me to follow each differently? I hope this makes sense!

Girls Who Don't DnD

We don't get to play very often, so sometimes we find ourselves in a position where I know our characters would know something, but our players have forgotten because of the time between games. Sometimes this can be fun. Has this occurred to you? Do you have any engaging ways to fill in gaps without getting too far out of the game itself?

Jay Yoder

Do y’all have any advice on giving personality to NPC’s? Often times my villains and other NPC’s feel flat.

Katrina

How do you keep encounters balanced and engaging for everyone when you have one min-maxer at the table? I have one player statted to absolutely wreck my shit every time, and I love that for him. But my other 4 players are more typical builds, so I struggle with how to keep him from one-shotting my baddies, without making them so difficult the other players feel ineffective, or just focusing all my fire on that one player. How do I keep my battles from ending with a sarcastic "and we all contributed equally" from my other players?

Caitlyn Mills

I want to DM for my DM as a present. Is that a terrible idea, or will he love getting to play as an NPC? How do you best engage a longtime DM? Thanks! Love y’all!

Tim Price

Hiya! I'm coming to the end of a 3 year campaign. As a DM, how did you go about setting up a satisfying narrative arc when all possible outcomes are possible? And as players, what were some things that Murph did that you appreciated as you said goodbye to your characters and the world? Lots of love, Ya boy Tim

Starblaze Burnbright

Hi! I’m a first time DM and have homebrewed my campaign; it is an intertwining of Greek and Egyptian mythologies. What is your process for creating such cool puzzles in your campaigns? I’ve done a few basic ones, and adapted a “Cloister of Trials” (FFX) type puzzle for my players to enter the Temple of Anubis; but I would love some advice. Thank you!

Mr BirdClaw

I’ve heard the advice that you can sometimes play NPCs like wrestling personas, are there any wrestling arcs or characters you recommend a DM look at?

ThatOneMotherFucker

Intro free 2023! Recently my normal group that I play with, of which I have recently taken up the DM position, has temporarily shrunk down to two players due to scheduling and wedding planning. Of course this happens directly after I get ambitious and change my intended two-shot thin excuse to run a dragon wryrmling into a planear adventure in Acheron, the Infinite Battlefield. I decided to go through with it because I was excited about it and so were the players. However Acheron is mostly larger scale battles against squads of soldiers, leaving my players constantly outnumbered. I created a encounter that will let them create a sidekick from several animal skeletons, Frankenstein style, giving them a fake third member, but I worry about my party dying before the others can rejoin. Any advice would be awesome, especially from my favorite DM. Thanks and love the show!!

Salbert aka MILTTRPG

I've set up a women's D&D group to introduce women to the game in a 'safe' setting. We're 6 games into our campaign and one of my PCs seems keen to flirt/ start a relationship with one of my NPCs. I'm very happy for this apart from one problem- I have no idea how flirt! I've been with my husband for 18 years (since we were teens) and we started off as friends. I have no game- ZERO. I'm so happy my players feel comfortable enough to roll play and make themselves vulnerable like this, how do I not mess it up? Thank you

Dicky Special

🐺I’ve just started DMing for the first time. The entire party are newbies too. Our first session went really well, bulky wigs were murdered and a plot was discovered. I’ve created the first few sessions as sort of prologues to the main campaign so that everyone has a chance to learn the rules and have quick fun before they go into full character creation for the main campaign. This weekend they’ll all be playing lvl 2 casters doing an apprenticeship initiation to an adventurers guild, like a college hazing for frat boys, I’m slowly building the world around them based on the characters they make each time we play and stuff they say and do. Which brings me to my question - Werewolves… I want em in the game and I’m trying to work out a good way of doing it. Assuming your PCs are up for some werewolf action, how would you implement it? A loving and thankful awooooooo, rickytickets x

Kamardikan

Hi, I am DMing for the first time this week. Most of the players are new as well, and I only knew one of them before we had our session 0. We are playing a one shot, but plan to continue if we will like the game. When discussing characters, one player decided to play a wild magic sorcerer who was outcasted from his family and village for his magic (Fia vibes). This has made him hate people and a bit evil. I am worried this might ruin the game for other people involved, especially if the game turns into a full campaign. Do you have any advice to deal with such characters.

Newtgent

Hey there centaurs! I’ve DMed 4 sessions for a group of 7 new players and I have yet to drop a single player. My players feel invincible and I am tired of being whomped - what can I do to ensure my encounters have stakes?

Colin (edited)

Comment edits

2026-09-05 07:00 Hi - I was wondering if you had advice on how to apply “classical” improv training to this format? I feel like a lot of the improv classes I’ve been too rely on a bit of structure or others “playing the game” but obviously in D&amp;D that’s not the case. So wondering how best to apply it? Or what skills are most applicable?
2023-06-19 06:13 Hi - I was wondering if you had advice on how to apply “classical” improv training to this format? I feel like a lot of the improv classes I’ve been too rely on a bit of structure or others “playing the game” but obviously in D&D that’s not the case. So wondering how best to apply it? Or what skills are most applicable?

Hi - I was wondering if you had advice on how to apply “classical” improv training to this format? I feel like a lot of the improv classes I’ve been too rely on a bit of structure or others “playing the game” but obviously in D&D that’s not the case. So wondering how best to apply it? Or what skills are most applicable?

oh_neens

What are your best tips for DMing familiars?? Do you tend to take the lead on their level of involvement or is that something you leave up to the players?

Deenaa (edited)

Comment edits

2026-09-05 07:00 Hi guys - how do you handled mismatched energy at the table? Right now I'm running a game where I have a player who keeps telling me they want a fun plot for the character but simply won't invest any time in D&amp;D outside of the session day. As a result, they often forget about important details unless reminded by me or the party, even if it's something as special as a custom spell I designed just for them. To be honest, it's become a little disheartening. My other players are fantastic, and this player is great when I don't invest much time in their character, but then I feel like a jerk for prioritising the others who spend time planning with me in the off week. How do you balance being fair at the table when your players won't meet you halfway?
2023-06-19 06:26 Hi guys - how do you handled mismatched energy at the table? Right now I'm running a game where I have a player who keeps telling me they want a fun plot for the character but simply won't invest any time in D&D outside of the session day. As a result, they often forget about important details unless reminded by me or the party, even if it's something as special as a custom spell I designed just for them. To be honest, it's become a little disheartening. My other players are fantastic, and this player is great when I don't invest much time in their character, but then I feel like a jerk for prioritising the others who spend time planning with me in the off week. How do you balance being fair at the table when your players won't meet you halfway?

Hi guys - how do you handled mismatched energy at the table? Right now I'm running a game where I have a player who keeps telling me they want a fun plot for the character but simply won't invest any time in D&D outside of the session day. As a result, they often forget about important details unless reminded by me or the party, even if it's something as special as a custom spell I designed just for them. To be honest, it's become a little disheartening. My other players are fantastic, and this player is great when I don't invest much time in their character, but then I feel like a jerk for prioritising the others who spend time planning with me in the off week. How do you balance being fair at the table when your players won't meet you halfway?

Claire GM

How do I make my NPCs feel more like individual people? Whenever I come up with NPCs on the spot that don't have big story relevancy or Some Bit that makes them memorable/funny they just end up being some guy. And in the end I have herds of just some guys in my world that even I get mixed up.

Matteo Cina

Hey DMs, and guest Ify, how do you deal with insecurities about stealing plots from other shows/media for inspiration?

Anton deGroot

Hi! I’m curious to follow up on something Ify mentioned in the last Dungeon Court Episode: that he plans the circumstances of the local, global, and universal moment for any given game. This has already changed how I’m looking at big-picture planning, so I am wondering: for all of you DMs here: how do you approach the broader goings-on of your overarching world planning for Bahumia, Evermourn, or Trinyvale? How do you personally tie in what is happening further afield of the players to the immediate circumstances of the sessions you run, and how much do you bring chance (dice rolls) into moments that are happening outside of the perspective of the characters? Thank you so much!

Jacob Peterson

What's a good way to make combat more interesting than just roll vs roll? Murph uses a lot of really interesting environment mechanics and I'm curious as to the process of crafting the rule sets and balancing of something like that.

Horny advocate for Welly's carnal audiobook

If it's not too serious a game, you can at least partially address this with a running gag of very similar related people who pop up everywhere, or even one guy who gets around a lot.

Horny advocate for Welly's carnal audiobook

I couldn't find a D&D group to play with, so I've been GMing which has been great, but all the advice suggested 1 or 2 people wouldn't vibe, or would get bored or flake out or something and leave the group eventually, but everyone always plays and now it's been 2 years, it's great fun, but I have a group of 5 players who even at level 7 can kill almost anything. I did give out some toys, but none of them are massively OP and they're all good character and story elements I wouldn't want to nerf. Even with a 3-person party the band of boobs were hard for Murph to challenge at higher levels, but with 5 PCs it's really difficult really early. I've been attacking them at night when they're just in their pants, and trying to provide 1 bad-guy per-PC in encounters, but it's difficult to pilot encounters with so many NPCs and takes time away from the players. Any advice on how to beef up an encounter with just 1 or 2 bad guys? I could add a hostage for added jeopardy once maybe... but is there a repeat-able re-useable difficulty increase I can use?

Bryony

Like in Eldermourne, I have a homebrew campaign with only a few gods in the Pantheon. How do you make Clerics and Paladins fit into this while still keeping the subclass flavour alive?

Matt Klay

Hi 2Crew, I've been using some of the sessions I run with a couple of friends to not only discover the world and the backstory of the characters. I've been adding in some life coaching as well (with their consent, of course). This means all of the PCs have some kind of experience or habit that they struggle with. These are taken directly from the players - it's something they'd like to learn more about, or deal with as well, such as wanting to be more assertive, feel more confident, or wanting to try out leadership skills. As the DM, I write encounters in which the PCs are either confronted with what they struggle with, or get to practice with new skills they want to learn. During those encounters we can at any time introduce a time-out and step out of the game, or stop with the encounter. Likewise, we can rewind time in-game a bit, so the players can retry the encounter. Listening to your episodes, I got the feeling all y'all aren't the biggest fan of life coaches, but I was interested in your thoughts. I feel like the fantasy setting creates an ideal safe environment for people to play around with new behavior. So, what do you all think?

Jack Mehoff

How do you go about convincing someone else they should DM? For my various friend groups I have been the forever DM. In one campaign we are playing a modified curse of strahd campaign. In between sessions one player will often message me with detailed notes and suggestions about how to expand the world and the lore. I think they might enjoy DM-ing a campaign of their own for this friend group. Selfishly, I really want to finally play as a PC, and managing two campaigns is hard. How can I go about convincing this player they would be a great DM?

Annabella P.

Dear Advice Mice (or Dice, for the theme) TLDR: How do you handle a split party that INSISTS on staying split? I run a homebrew game for 4 friends of mine (we weren't all close before we started, but have created a really solid party so far). A few sessions ago the party split four ways, with three of them arrested by the military and one trying to recruit the local gang to help the rest escape. However, what this means is that for the past three sessions, I've been having to run individual vignettes for each player as they've ignored the others and attempted to escape on their own, pursuing the personal threads I've left to keep each player interested, even when I've given them several opportunities to come back together. It seems that they have been enjoying it so far (I get compliments after every session and other players seem engaged even when it's not their scene) and seem to have no interest in trying to return to a full party. It's great they're having fun, but for me this means 4 times the planning and 4 times the writing. So I ask: how do I keep making sure the party has a good time while also secretly bringing them back together so I don't have to keep over exerting myself? I await your advice!

masterofmerc .

Greetings oh wise and powerful Lore Lords and amazing guest. 3 years ago I got a crew of friends together to play a 5E home brew campaign which i was DM for. We had a blast with all of the crew telling me they were loving the game. After 2 years I finished up my story and one of the PCs says they want to DM next. At first I was excited to get to play a PC but that didn't last long. He insisted on staying in the world and story I created but 100 years into the future, taking the lore i had set up and drasticly changing it. NPCs have no voices, he never changes from his normal day to day voice and when encouraged to do voices just says yeah im working on it. Im having trouble getting into the campaign because he says things like "I'm an amazing story teller" while destroying the lore I spent 2 years building. The NPCs are one dimensional and obvious. No one but the current DM is a wrestling fan but we have spent litterly session fighting Hulk Hogan, Rey Mystero and Kevin Nash, not NPCs based off them LITTERLY THEM!! How can I encourage my new DM to do voices, tell a compelling story, or just plain stop throwing real life wrestlers into a high fantasy setting I spent years crafting?

Cindy Koch

Hello oh wise ones. My husband and I want to play but every time we get a group started it falls through. So we decided I will dm a game for him . Amy ideas how to make it fun and satisfying for both of us?

Mikkel Voigt

Ohh Wise Murph, I have found that my combat encounters quickly become quite dull, and it can be hard to make something that feels thrilling to my players. Because og some spirit guardians and ansestrial baberian stuff, my bad Guys cant do to much. What can i do to Spice things up without killing my players?

Maia Costea

Salutations, Poles of the Nadd! My party insists on giving a whole life make-over to any NPC who has the smallest of struggles, from fixing roofs to healing all possible ailments, painting fences, cooking and cleaning, mending their relationships etc. This is sometimes very cute and wholesome, other times it derails so much that it consumes the whole evening, it seems like they want to save the world one individual at a time. It all comes from a good place, but I find myself making indestructable well-balanced badasses just to progress the story and move on from dialogue without "opening the sidequest of fixing their problems". How would you deal with this situation? I like my friends and their PCs attitude of wanting to help, I just need a solution to streamline quest giving / information gathering.

Katheroony

I DM for my sister and brother-in-law who are both massive role players, meaning that sessions can go way off in new directions that I didn’t expect (e.g. they once performed Shakespeare for a bunch of Kobolds, and excelled on their performance checks). What is your advice for having to pivot on the fly, and react to these wacky roleplay sessions I couldn’t have possibly prepared for?

Claire GM

Haha yeah, that's kind of what I've been going with. Maybe it's time to introduce a cloning subplot, lol.

pief

Greetings! I'm fairly new to dm'ing - I've been running a homebrew campaign for some friends and want the party to start fighting some cooler bosses. I know that lair actions and legendary actions/resistances will be necessary, but I have no idea how to balance them in conjunction with the bosses' primary actions. How do you know if it's too much or not enough? Thanks!

M

Good day cuckolds! I am a brand new DM (literally zero DMing experience, but it’s the only way to convert people into playing the game), I was wondering what magical items you recommended for first time players & DM’s? Mainly funny but with some utility would be perfect! Thank you in advance my loves! P.S. come back to London!

Thomas Hegarty

Hey Murph, I’ve used your mechanics to create interesting encounters at my table. I ran a sniper encounter using your purple worm rules of attacking people at their initiative and I was wondering. Do you have a kind of formula for creating fun encounters? Like do you try and balance them around your players skills? Do you have specific features you want each encounter to hit? I think my favorite part of Naddpod is how creative all of you are with scenarios. Emily’s finale to hot boy summer and Caldwell’s cooking shows were really interesting as well. Would love to hear everyone’s take on modifying the standard DND encounter system. Thanks y’all for making such a fun show, Tom

Paul Laverty

Hello wife worms and Y-agony Y-aunts. Long-time listener, relatively new player. My DM has recently expressed that he only DMs so that he can play (no one else wants to DM) but misses being a PC. I want to try my hand at a few one shots but have no idea how to make a town or settlement feel real and “lived in” without overplanning and creating dozens of background NPCs. Any advice would be appreciated!

woodsorrel

Could you go into some detail into how you personally prepare campaigns and individual sessions? How do you organize things?

Parker

How do I elevate my descriptions??? I constantly feel like I have absolutely no detail for my setting or for combat

Choc DISCO

Hello Naddrones, I come with a question of lost spirit: How do I regain a grasp on a campaign I’m DMing? I have been DMing for a couple years now, and am currently DMing a sequel campaign to one that has ended last summer. A lot of the plot / lore has to do with the OG campaign, but there was some drama within the friend group that caused 4 of the players to leave, leaving 2 behind. I did take Murph’s advice though, and found some new friends, but they don’t understand the quests and significance of name drops as much, and i’ve almost lost my spirit to DM the campaign. What should I do?

Jack Dineen

Do you have any advice for improvising a huge area on the fly? My players recently tried to go completely off the rails and infiltrate a heavily guarded mansion that I had slipped into the description of an area just to flesh out a city (in hindsight, probably my own fault for noting that it was heavily guarded). I managed to steer them back towards the actual quest, but I'm sure that something similar will happen again.

Magnus Seines

I have been DM'ing multiple campaigns over the years where they tend to live for about 8-12 months before falling apart. I play with a group of people who are very engaged and creative and enjoy messing with me or their fellow players. Think big Caldwell energy. My problem is that i enjoy their goofs, and consider myself good enough at improv to roll with the punches. Short term this is hilarious and a really good time, but it tends to wreck havoc on any sort of consistency and seriousness of the worlds we play in. Session by session slowly and surely whittling away at the fabric of our world until its all Ruby Tuesdays. Any advice for keeping the world intact? For oneshots or short modules this is not a problem, but for longer sessions it falls apart once the goofs and world melds together and players no longer get the same enjoyment anymore since the world they want to break is already broken.

Skootsby

What do you think are some common new DM traps? Did you happen to get into any yourselves when you first started DMing?

Ace the Librarian

Hi! I started DMing my first campaign, a blend of Lost Mines of Phandelver and Tyranny of Dragons back in 2020. My three players are now about to level up to level 12 and are getting close to the endgame. My rookie DM mistake started at the beginning of the campaign when the players came upon three wolves chained up and starved by the bad guys. I let the players roll animal handling checks and after some truly absurd nat20s, I allowed them to keep the wolves and spend their downtime training them. It's ruined my action economy and made my fights difficult to plan ever since, though I have tried adapting with monsters that fly or can't be knocked prone. In the future I will just be like "Great. A nat20 means these starving wolves don't eat your faces and instead run off into the woods," but that obviously doesn't solve my current problem! The players ADORE these wolves. They even paid to get them armor to protect them, and in battles will beg their NPC healer to heal the wolves over themselves. Now we're gearing up for the last few fights. The players will be going up against adult dragons and even more dangerous bad guys than before, which means the wolves might die. My players have half-joked about making their NPC healer use Revivfy on the wolves, but I think they're a bit sincere too. How should I approach this? Just be straight with them that if they bring their wolves to a dragon fight, their wolves might not make it? What do I do if I DO kill one of the wolves and the players want it revived?

Shambles

What advice would you give someone playing through a pre-written campaign for their first time as a DM? I'm taking my players through Storm King's Thunder right now and absolutely flying by the seat of my pants 😅

SaltyDalty

How do you approach World building without having every single detail fleshed out? How do you like to incorporate your players thoughts and ideas into the process?

NLane

Hey 2 Crew, What do you use to plan/organize your campaign. Do you have a go-to program or are you all pen and paper? I'm always curious to know what other DMs use.

Jesse

Did you all participate in TTRPGs as players before trying your hand at DMing? Do you think, in an ideal situation, all DMs would be able to be players before being DMs? Or are the skillsets so wholly different that it really is up to the individuals' interests and passions?

Shane C (edited)

Comment edits

2026-09-05 07:00 How do you get your friends to be willing to try D&amp;D? I’d love to start DMing but I never know how to “sell” it to my friends and get them interested in playing.
2023-06-19 12:29 How do you get your friends to be willing to try D&D? I’d love to start DMing but I never know how to “sell” it to my friends and get them interested in playing.

How do you get your friends to be willing to try D&D? I’d love to start DMing but I never know how to “sell” it to my friends and get them interested in playing.

Vincent Ashford

Hello wise crew of 2. I am a somewhat new DM (off and on for 2 years) and I find my encounters are too easy or people come close or actually die in game. How to make the encounters memorable, fun, but difficult. Not all the time but for a bit of challenge

The Narcoleptic Penguin

Hello to the 2/choo choo/blue? Crew Long time dm with a long time question. How do you incorporate spell component. I love what you guys do on the show and only use it for big spells, but my players are gluttons for punishment. They want to stop at stores and forrige in the woods for things like, spiderweb silk, and stop at every shop keep for a consumable pearl. I'm not used to it, and honestly have a hard time preparing and trying to keep track of everything. Any advice would be much appreciated.

EN1GMA (edited)

Comment edits

2026-09-05 07:00 Hello, to the sages of NADDPOD and their ring leader Murph. I am a relatively new DM and I am trying to provide experiences for my players' characters to grow, but I am worried about turning my players against me. The best (and most recent) example is that the party recently beat up an NPC because his stutter was fixed, and this NPC is supposed to be providing them with their rewards from a previous quest. My gut reaction is to tell them, this NPC doesn't trust them with these more powerful weapons, because what else are they gonna do to normal people doing nothing wrong? But yanking their new shiny toys away might be sending them off with a more than bitter warning. I lay my DM skills at your feet, so I may grow and get better. PS, I actually started playing D&amp;D and became a DM because of C1, and this is my first campaign, so y'all are amazing.
2023-06-19 12:50 Hello, to the sages of NADDPOD and their ring leader Murph. I am a relatively new DM and I am trying to provide experiences for my players' characters to grow, but I am worried about turning my players against me. The best (and most recent) example is that the party recently beat up an NPC because his stutter was fixed, and this NPC is supposed to be providing them with their rewards from a previous quest. My gut reaction is to tell them, this NPC doesn't trust them with these more powerful weapons, because what else are they gonna do to normal people doing nothing wrong? But yanking their new shiny toys away might be sending them off with a more than bitter warning. I lay my DM skills at your feet, so I may grow and get better. PS, I actually started playing D&D and became a DM because of C1, and this is my first campaign, so y'all are amazing.

Hello, to the sages of NADDPOD and their ring leader Murph. I am a relatively new DM and I am trying to provide experiences for my players' characters to grow, but I am worried about turning my players against me. The best (and most recent) example is that the party recently beat up an NPC because his stutter was fixed, and this NPC is supposed to be providing them with their rewards from a previous quest. My gut reaction is to tell them, this NPC doesn't trust them with these more powerful weapons, because what else are they gonna do to normal people doing nothing wrong? But yanking their new shiny toys away might be sending them off with a more than bitter warning. I lay my DM skills at your feet, so I may grow and get better. PS, I actually started playing D&D and became a DM because of C1, and this is my first campaign, so y'all are amazing.

Kyle Conrad

I've got a dragon's hoard of questions and I'm hoping you can answer at least one of them! (Listing in order of desire to get an answer) 1. How much of the world do you build before session 0 or 1? Is it easier for newer players to have a broader fleshed out world that they can create characters from, or does it make more sense to build communities around things that come up in their backstories? 2. How does the possession of magical items affect encounter building? (Example, if you have 3 level 15s with +2 weapons, how does that affect an encounter classified as Hard?) 3. What are some good resources for building puzzles and traps? 4. How much backstory should be incorporated into a campaign for each respective character? Are these choices based on conversations with the players about exploring backstories, or is it better to surprise them?

Tralan

How do you get in the mindset of RPing during or right out of combat? I find myself not inclined to speak at all when I'm running combat because Im helping players, calculating what the most reasonable move would be etc etc. When a player cracks a joke, it's hard to move myself out of Excell spreadsheet mode into joke mode.

Miles Barette-Duckworth

Hi you omnificent DMs, and a wave to the absentee player jacques (whom I hope is having a great time in Fatherhood) I have found myself a few times in a situation where various players try to hog the spotlight, and have repeated character moments. While I am all for everyone getting their moments in the sun, I'm curious to recieve your thoughts on how to diffuse the spotlight when a player repeatedly pulls the light in their direction?

Sammy

How do you balance different play styles in your group? I’m a first time DM with all first time players and we have a mix of people wanting to play serious fantasy and some who want to be really silly. Do we just need to split up into separate campaigns? 😂

Sam

How do you make sure you balance encounters? Also how do I get both myself and party more comfortable with role-playing the characters?

Connor K

Hey Murph! Question about back stories and emotional stakes. The main stories of NADDPod are always so intertwined with the player characters and the emotional beats are so rewarding. Do you have a framework or advice of how you combine players backstories into the campaign-sized conflicts you have set out?

h moon

Hi! I’ve been DMing for a little while (I actually started DMing having never played dnd because of Murph on adventuring academy saying if you’ve watched so many hours of actual plays you know the rules) and I’m struggling to keep up with making things challenging as my players level up. I don’t want to permakill my characters because of the type of campaign we’re playing. It doesn’t really fit the tone. Do you have any advice on how to make combat more challenging and engaging? Thank you!

evans-endeavors

I've been DMing for a few years now, and through all of this time I still feel like I struggle with balancing encounters. It never feels like combat in NADDPod is too easy, so I was wondering if you had tips for making combat challenging/balanced that isn't cheap like dealing insane damage in one turn. Every time I feel like I've made a hard or balanced encounter my players tear through my monsters/bosses basically trivializing many fights. Would love some advice on how to make consistently balanced combat 🙏

Schafe

I've learned a lot from just borrowing liberally from the cool shit you've done on the show so thanks for that resource. I am super anxious at the moment because for the recent times my table has been great at responding to inciting incidents and following up on rumours NPCs have thrown at which has kept things on the rails but now they're reaching the capital city I am thinking of giving them some prolonged quasi-downtime to do what they want and explore whatever before things kick off again (I am giving the players a fictional calendar next session and I know how many weeks in the future the next thing I have planned happens but I dunno how many sessions of play that'll take). How can I communicate this new freedom to players and handle prodding them with adventure hooks that aren't "the children have been kidnapped" or "evil wizard is summoning an ancient evil"?

Suzanna DePeri

Hello hello! Please pretend I’ve included an insult or a compliment to Jake based on the current vibe — seems to be bleeding over from Dungeon Court into other stuff. I have been struggling with npcs! I feel like I don’t have enough of them to make my world full but don’t really know where to start adding more in. I feel like all of y’alls worlds are really fleshed out with NPCs. Where do you start when you create npcs?

Squinch

Greetings to ye Masters of Dungeons! I'm a very long time DM with two campaigns that are taking place simultaneously in a homebrew setting. My question is relatively straightforward but seems difficult to answer: how do you get to the point of actually finishing a campaign? I feel really good about the story we've been telling so far, but I've been struggling with ratcheting up the pressure and the pace as we near the end. How do I narrow the scope and focus, and make the last act of this story one that my players will remember? Many thanks!

Jeff Mcguire

Hello! I'm running my first campaign and have been working to include some interesting arcs for characters throughout the campaign. I talked to the players individually about what they thought would fit their character and the bard of the party said he'd be down for anything I'd like and would love for it to be funny in some way. And that's how I decided he would have a life long rival and that rival would be Criss Angel. However I've had trouble trying to figure how to build a "mind freak" class. My general thoughts thus far have been they were freinds growing up and the mind freak became very powerful and arrogant suddenly which lead me to lean towards a warlock, allowing me to make him craven and arrogant while still being formidable. But I am having trouble finding a good existing template stat block that really makes me feel MIND FREAK! So in short how would you build a Criss Angel mind freak npc/villain? (Just an fyi I'm not attached to any back story and really just want to hear y'alls thoughts). Thanks!

Charlie

From one Dungeon Daddy to another, Do you have any advice for DM’ing for kids? I have an 8 year old that I would love to introduce to D&D. I’ve only DM’d for adults once. Any advice would be helpful. Thanks! Ps. Can’t wait to see y’all in Orlando! Thanks for coming to Florida!!

Eric Weinzettle

Hey Murph! I am DMing the Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragonqueen module and am having some trouble. There is a section of the story where the players go out on missions but it really feels like go on mission, do combat, come back. Rinse and repeat. What is your best advice to spice up combat and encounters besides just including more monsters or higher CR monsters? Trying to make it a challenge and engaging but not accidentally wipe them on a side quest.

Stephen B

Murph: Do you have any advice for spicy combat mechanics to keep it interesting? Sometimes combat in 5e seems like swinging at bags of hit points, and I love the mechanics you put into your fights, so any suggestions for resources to look into or inspiration you use would be greatly appreciated!

Ben Moore (edited)

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2026-09-05 07:00 How do you determine how long your adventures will take in terms of number of sessions? Im running a homebrew spelljammer campaign using the original D&amp;D rules and the first adventure had my party crash landing on an unknown planet, forced to find a way off. It was supposed to be a one shot but took twelve session, hoping for brevity in the next adventure.
2023-06-19 14:59 How do you determine how long your adventures will take in terms of number of sessions? Im running a homebrew spelljammer campaign using the original D&D rules and the first adventure had my party crash landing on an unknown planet, forced to find a way off. It was supposed to be a one shot but took twelve session, hoping for brevity in the next adventure.

How do you determine how long your adventures will take in terms of number of sessions? Im running a homebrew spelljammer campaign using the original D&D rules and the first adventure had my party crash landing on an unknown planet, forced to find a way off. It was supposed to be a one shot but took twelve session, hoping for brevity in the next adventure.

Sam Hunter

Hey Murph, you always create really interesting and engaging non-combat encounters and I wondered if you had advice on this. I'm running Curse of Strahd and my players are about to have a session where they are being chased through a town by Vampire Spawn, but two of them are slower than the enemy. How could I make this fun and give them ways to escape without them just immediately catching them.

Anyssa (edited)

Comment edits

2026-09-05 07:00 hello! I love D&amp;D but am also excited to explore other gaming systems. Do you have any advice for shifting between them or running multiple campaigns at once?
2023-06-19 15:34 hello! I love D&D but am also excited to explore other gaming systems. Do you have any advice for shifting between them or running multiple campaigns at once?

hello! I love D&D but am also excited to explore other gaming systems. Do you have any advice for shifting between them or running multiple campaigns at once?

Bocks Cliphton

In your opinion(s), what is the "better" campaign structure for casual play: having a singularly focused end-goal with set-pieces that advance the story akin to NADDPOD, or an episodic monster-of-the-week story that you'll maybe ret-con an over-arching plot onto later?

Kass

Hello hullo, nervous not-yet dm here! I have a story that has been percolating in my brain for years now and I'm eager to explore it with my core dnd group. The trouble is that I have ideas for the big plot beats, but no clue about how to start the dang thing or run unassuming sessions without glaring "Look At This Plot Hook" moments. Do you have any advice on how to focus in to play rather than plot?

Ian

How do I get my players to take more initiative in the game? Lately I've been trying to design more open ended games for my players that emphasize their freedom over linear adventuring, but I've hit a snag in that they often need a lot more of a push then I thought they would. I offer them something like the classic dnd puzzle of a normal locked door and there will be a moment of pure silence followed by a wave of anxious waffling and proposing things that could happen without anyone ever stepping up and saying "I do the thing" or even agreeing that a thing needs to be done at all. This extends to other areas as well, from choosing travel destinations, what they want to do in town, what quest they want to take, I want them to take big swings but outside of exerting too much control over their actions I'm not sure how to do that, so from one of the more chaotic groups I've seen how do I encourage them to aim higher

BrethrenBlev

What’s a good way to come up with interesting friendly npcs? I’m good at the evil and grey morality characters but a flat out good characters always fall flat in my games

Haybail

I'd like to have a more or less open world where players are free to pursue what they want, but I am cursed with diligent and receptive players that will leap headlong into the first story hook I throw at them. I love them for it, but it does lead to more linear play. How do I encourage more player decision points and agency at the table?

Grayson's Practice

Oh great Owlbears, I have traversed far and wide seeking your wisdom. I have been a DM for a few years now, and lately I've been trying to cater more NPCs to have specific traits that my party will enjoy. What are some tips for gaging which character traits my players will be most excited to engage with?

Hannah G.

How do you keep track of NPC’s motivations, fears, et cetera? I usually have to do what is probably too much prep in order to feel like I can have good roleplay conversations as any given NPC with my players. How can I feel more prepared without spending an entire day off prepping for the next session?

Dench Judy

May it please, please the Baliff! I am running a 5e actual play podcast with a 2 person party, a fighter and a sorcerer. I have given them a lil DMNPC peace cleric to help balance out encounters a bit, but I fear I’m always underestimating what they can do, and find myself running all the enemies and effectively a PC on my own. Any tips on how I can make balanced/tough encounters for them and keep it entertaining for an audience? P.S. Emily you were fantastic on critical role! When you going on Murph? 👀

Garrett Myers

How do you strike the balance between a linear-ish story progression (I.e. your main written arc) and open-world exploration? I find that sometimes I’m only giving player choice in the form of “how do you solve this problem” instead of “what do you do next?” Love you Brian, you’re my shadow DM-papa!

Emma

Oh wise ones! I've been dming for almost 2 years for my group, all of whom are my very close friends and even my sister, but I still feel very shy when it comes to playing NPCs, and I always revert back to silliness, even if I was hoping for a more serious character. How can I build up my confidence when it comes to the roleplay aspect of dming? Also, do you have any tips for creating more human-seeming characters (Jolene the Green and Bev's dad come to mind especially)?

Jamison Wolsborn

May it please the honorable two crew and displease whomever is currently being taken to the raspberry patch. This question is for specifically Duncle: Caldwell Tanner. I run a campaign with some of my most favorite friends and have yet to not get whomped. As my players romp through the whomp fields I am left in a graceful panic floundering for a way to have my baddies pose a threat. I am not here to ask how to not get whomped, but how can I, an aspiring Duncle, romp through the whomp fields alongside my players? My loneliness as the whompee has left a dark stain on my heart and I pray to Dice Christ every night for solution. Please guide me Duncle: Awokened Whomped One.

Cheatcode

How do you manage running a game for 2-3 players, i run one for my family and it’s really difficult balancing encounters to be thematically good (like epic in a sense) but also fair,

Manuku Duvi

Hey Murph! I’m a DM for a few friends, I’m wondering when you make places for your players to visit, how deep do you go for making a cities or countries culture and the vibe they generally give. You’re cities feel vibrant and unique but I have a hard time describing them to my players so it would feel more lived in. Thank you!

Rin Hoyt

Oh almighty two crew! I humbly ask your advice. I have been DMing for a few years now but am starting a new campaign with some players who have never played D&D before. How the hell do I create plot hooks for low-level and unknowledgeable players? I’m worried they won’t want to work together unless given a little nudge.

UravityFalls

How do you keep new players interested? I am a new dm, and none of my players have played before. Of my 4 players, only 2 were actively trying to get together to play. One of those players didn't mesh well with the others and we had to pull a Murph and get new friends. Thanks in advance for any advice.

Chandler harmeson

How do you help your player make choices in combat? I have a player, good at rollplay, vibes with the party, all good. Except he never knows what to do during combat. I've considered like making a flow chart for him even but I thought that might come across as rude and also seems like a ton of work to make something comprehensive

Rob Shelton

Our DM (my daughter) is moving to Canada to pursue her PhD, so she will be a bit busy for the coming years. She got us hooked on DND while in lockdown, and I am intimidated by the DM role. Any tips for beginning DMs? Web research is one thing, but I would love your advice since your approaches to DMing are the models I would like to follow. Thanks for any advice you may have.

Jade

Where do you start when creating a campaign?

Shelby

Do you have tips on avoiding main characters? I have a player that has contributed a lot of ideas for their home and backstory that has influenced the world (similar to Emily and the crick). One of my players, who plays an orphan with no knowledge of their early life, expressed that they feel the other player’s PC is the main character. Do you have any tips on how to balance characters feeling like the main character when some players have given you more inspiration/collaborate more than other party members? I have told my players that the more they give me, the more I can work with, but some players engage with that more than others. Thank you!!

Rebecca

What are some good prompts to give players when they are creating PCs to help them create richer characters that can interact in interesting ways.

Charles Q Lowe

What do you decide to write out during prep, in terms of dialogue, exposition, etc? How much is improv? I find myself having trouble doing more than jotting down short notes about what characters know, or a general idea of a location.

Ryan Van Geffen

How do you deal with power gaming players without limiting their options, I don’t have a huge issue with players wanting to feel strong but when they are impossible to hit and can all dish out high damage it’s hard to balance things

Brock

Question about interesting encounters and combat. I am a big fan of the encounters where the typical rules of combat are a little different, such as the Eldermourne fight with the big worm in front of Lord Scythe. The worm could attack an entire quadrant and movement was from one quadrant to the other. However whenever I try to run something similar, where something like what individual space you are standing on isn't that important, my players immediately try and break it or argue that the encounter shouldn't work that way. Sometimes they have creative ways to deal with the situation and gain unforseen bonuses and advantages but other times the game comes to a standstill as my players try to find ways to completely negate the encounter as I set it up. If they are escaping a rock slide (similar to the one beneath iron deep in campaign 3) they might argue by holding a shield over their head they shouldn't take damage from falling rocks. Overall they are great players but they are constantly looking for ways to completely negate any damage or negative effect from encounters and me giving them small bonuses like disadvantage to hit them or resistance to the damage isn't seen as enough. I love the creativity they show, but I think there are some situations they can't completely negate, or solutions that don't really work as well as they think they should, and it can be a bit frustrating to have every new encounter I set up come to a stop because the players look for the exact way to break it. How can I get my players to adapt and engage with new encounters without them feeling like I'm taking away their creativity or them completely trying to negate the encounter I've set up?

Fearne Pérez (edited)

Comment edits

2026-09-05 07:00 Hail and well met, fellow adventurers! I'm dming my first campaign after all my players from a one shot voted to play longterm (which is a high I don't think I'll ever stop riding), but now I'm starting to come up against all the mistakes I made in my first round of enthusiasm when I planned the one shot. The biggest issue I'm having is I basically generated an open-world city with dozens of plot-hooks, pages and pages of npcs, hidden locations, grudges, and gossip, and drama, etc, and then I, an ADHD dm, set my three ADHD players loose. The good news is they keep asking to play more often and really seem to enjoy exploring theatre-of-the-mind-Skyrim, so they're definitely not bored or annoyed (yet). To try and narrow the focus, I introduced a bullshit countdown to force them to go finish the one shot and give me time to figure out what I'm doing with the rest of everything else, but even then, I ultimately had to break character and ask them to finish the one-shot before trying to overthrow the city's power structures for fun. So, given that I already fucked up by throwing way too much at them at once, how can I start to narrow down the field and start creating space for emotional depth and not just fantasy fun time overload? Also, how make plot out of shiny details? Thanks so much, I love having y'all in my week &lt;3
2023-06-19 18:40 Hail and well met, fellow adventurers! I'm dming my first campaign after all my players from a one shot voted to play longterm (which is a high I don't think I'll ever stop riding), but now I'm starting to come up against all the mistakes I made in my first round of enthusiasm when I planned the one shot. The biggest issue I'm having is I basically generated an open-world city with dozens of plot-hooks, pages and pages of npcs, hidden locations, grudges, and gossip, and drama, etc, and then I, an ADHD dm, set my three ADHD players loose. The good news is they keep asking to play more often and really seem to enjoy exploring theatre-of-the-mind-Skyrim, so they're definitely not bored or annoyed (yet). To try and narrow the focus, I introduced a bullshit countdown to force them to go finish the one shot and give me time to figure out what I'm doing with the rest of everything else, but even then, I ultimately had to break character and ask them to finish the one-shot before trying to overthrow the city's power structures for fun. So, given that I already fucked up by throwing way too much at them at once, how can I start to narrow down the field and start creating space for emotional depth and not just fantasy fun time overload? Also, how make plot out of shiny details? Thanks so much, I love having y'all in my week <3

Hail and well met, fellow adventurers! I'm dming my first campaign after all my players from a one shot voted to play longterm (which is a high I don't think I'll ever stop riding), but now I'm starting to come up against all the mistakes I made in my first round of enthusiasm when I planned the one shot. The biggest issue I'm having is I basically generated an open-world city with dozens of plot-hooks, pages and pages of npcs, hidden locations, grudges, and gossip, and drama, etc, and then I, an ADHD dm, set my three ADHD players loose. The good news is they keep asking to play more often and really seem to enjoy exploring theatre-of-the-mind-Skyrim, so they're definitely not bored or annoyed (yet). To try and narrow the focus, I introduced a bullshit countdown to force them to go finish the one shot and give me time to figure out what I'm doing with the rest of everything else, but even then, I ultimately had to break character and ask them to finish the one-shot before trying to overthrow the city's power structures for fun. So, given that I already fucked up by throwing way too much at them at once, how can I start to narrow down the field and start creating space for emotional depth and not just fantasy fun time overload? Also, how make plot out of shiny details? Thanks so much, I love having y'all in my week <3

Vera

Hoe do you balance encounters around the player's various classes? I am unsure if I should be just making an encounter based off of their level or thinking about what they're able to do specifically. Mostly I want to avoid not allowing them to whomp me with class abilities and have the fight to just be "you hit the enemy with your weapon/cantrip and deal x amount of damage" and then move on to next in initiative but in the same vein i don't want to have a combat negated entirely because i didn't account for something like a monk's stunning strike. I love the way Murph designs his combat encounters because of their variation and aim to match that style.

Matt Kowalski (edited)

Comment edits

2026-09-05 07:00 Hello wise tribunal. I'm a new DM (also first time playing D&amp;D - yikes) running the 5e starter set for a group of friends. We're keeping it casual, but everyone created really cool characters so I'm attempting to weave in pieces of each character's chosen backstories to improve connection to the campaign (and to satisfy my own desire for worldbuilding). Everything's going pretty well, but one thing I could use some advice on is - how can I make my players less horny for every NPC without making the NPCs dumb or terrible? So far they've all got the hots for the aging knight, the cleric of Tymora, even the less important of 2 shopkeepers in town who now is going to meet them for a drink at a tavern where I'm planning ambushing them with some baddies. It's very fun and funny but I also have to play some of the NPCs as realistically offput by my party's very obvious and awkward flirting, resulting in some NPCs are getting too skeeved out to share crucial information before peacing out of the convo. What should I do? Pull up uglier drawings of each NPC on the screen when introducing them? Make every NPC too nice to shut my party down (making them bad with boundaries and self-esteem)? Just keep treating my party realistically until they learn some manners? I await your wisdom.
2023-06-19 19:37 Hello wise tribunal. I'm a new DM (also first time playing D&D - yikes) running the 5e starter set for a group of friends. We're keeping it casual, but everyone created really cool characters so I'm attempting to weave in pieces of each character's chosen backstories to improve connection to the campaign (and to satisfy my own desire for worldbuilding). Everything's going pretty well, but one thing I could use some advice on is - how can I make my players less horny for every NPC without making the NPCs dumb or terrible? So far they've all got the hots for the aging knight, the cleric of Tymora, even the less important of 2 shopkeepers in town who now is going to meet them for a drink at a tavern where I'm planning ambushing them with some baddies. It's very fun and funny but I also have to play some of the NPCs as realistically offput by my party's very obvious and awkward flirting, resulting in some NPCs are getting too skeeved out to share crucial information before peacing out of the convo. What should I do? Pull up uglier drawings of each NPC on the screen when introducing them? Make every NPC too nice to shut my party down (making them bad with boundaries and self-esteem)? Just keep treating my party realistically until they learn some manners? I await your wisdom.

Hello wise tribunal. I'm a new DM (also first time playing D&D - yikes) running the 5e starter set for a group of friends. We're keeping it casual, but everyone created really cool characters so I'm attempting to weave in pieces of each character's chosen backstories to improve connection to the campaign (and to satisfy my own desire for worldbuilding). Everything's going pretty well, but one thing I could use some advice on is - how can I make my players less horny for every NPC without making the NPCs dumb or terrible? So far they've all got the hots for the aging knight, the cleric of Tymora, even the less important of 2 shopkeepers in town who now is going to meet them for a drink at a tavern where I'm planning ambushing them with some baddies. It's very fun and funny but I also have to play some of the NPCs as realistically offput by my party's very obvious and awkward flirting, resulting in some NPCs are getting too skeeved out to share crucial information before peacing out of the convo. What should I do? Pull up uglier drawings of each NPC on the screen when introducing them? Make every NPC too nice to shut my party down (making them bad with boundaries and self-esteem)? Just keep treating my party realistically until they learn some manners? I await your wisdom.

Holton Hester

I am in the process of DMing a campaign for a podcast called Reality Check (not released yet). I’ve been DMing for about 5 or 6 years now, but I’m sure DMing for something meant for consumption by an audience is different. Do you have any advice for running a campaign meant to be listened to by others?

Snapdragon

Hello! How do you create intro scenes, or the very beginning sequences when the players are interacting as their characters for the first time? Or for the start of a new 'arc'? I keep running mini-campaigns and I have struggled every time.

Daniel Oz

What's your advice or preferred methods for handling a party that likes to split up? I DM for a party of 3, and they split up all the time! I don't want to discourage them from doing their own thing, because it's often a very fun way for the players to develop their characters. But I don't know how to best keep everyone engaged. Do I give each person a certain amount of time and rotate between them? Go all the way through one person's mini-story before moving on? I don't have time to do one-on-one mini-sessions with each player so they can have my entire focus, but I'm not sure what else to try.

Aiden

am i (Male 19) the asshole for threatening to kill myself whenever my party isnt paying attention. (p.s. it does work)

David Silva

Hey gang! I've been DMing for a few years now and really started to hit my stride thanks to this show in particular. You guys showed me how important and satisfying it is when the players take the reigns and how to build a world that reacts to that. Since Murph has been doing a great job with combat encounters, especially this season, I was wondering if you had advice for how much information you should give to your players when building complex encounters. How much can happen behind the scenes and how much should be explicitly stated? Like if there's a big boss monster who spawns little guys that can escape the battlefield to harm NPCs, how much of that mechanic is overtly stated? I find things like time limits, multiple part traps and threatened allies outside of combat are hard to nail down in terms of what is fun to know and what is fun to find out after. Any advice is appreciated. Love you guys and everything you do, dipspit included.

Brooke Cruz

I’m starting my first campaign soon! I have an overview on how I want the first session to go, but i’m nervous about being too restrictive on the players- how can i balance making players have plenty of agency while not getting thrown off by curveballs?

Clemming

Murph is fantastic at running familiars and companion NPC's, how do you juggle having multiple NPC's in a scene to have them feel engaged with what is happening without stealing the PC's spotlight?

Chewy Noodles

How do you map out and track overlapping quests/goals especially at the start. In C1 the intro was so packed, barbarians, bullywogs, kobolds. In your prep are these nodes on a mental map? Does each faction have lots of detail or just rough outlines. To me that density is one of the things that makes your world feel really alive, and I’m eager but intimidated to emulate it.

Andrew

I was a first time DM and homebrewed a monster to be the final boss of the one shot I was running. Since I’ve never done that before the encounter ended up being much less dramatic/intense than I was planning. The payers still enjoyed it, but I feel like I could have done better. What are some good ways to make monsters stronger on the fly that isn’t just giving them extra hp?

Wetsamich

Hey gang! First time DM here, just wondering how to make cool and badass npc’s without overshadowing the PC’s!

S

Hello Gang -1 Jake, When you are entering a new room or setting is there a framework you use to set the scene / describe the space (e.g., always describe visual space, sounds, smells, then characters)?

Shakespearmint (edited)

Comment edits

2026-09-05 07:00 Howdy, to some of my favorite souls on the planet! Got to see y'all in Nashville last December and it was the highlight of my year(except for the birth of my niece).
2023-06-19 23:07 Howdy, to some of my favorite souls on the planet! Got to see y'all in Nashville last December and it was the highlight of my year(except for the birth of my niece). My party, the Goo Crew, has the rarest of issues at the table-too many people who love eachother unconditionally and are committed to playing at the same time each week. What advice do you have for virtually DMing a group of 6-10 players? We've discussed splitting into two smaller groups, but everyone genuinely wants to play with everyone else so we are trying to make it work. I am a cinematic, narrative-driven DM and want to give each player their "moment". I think I'm doing a decent job weaving their personal stories into the main plot and they all seem engaged, but combat is a brutal, multi-hour thing, every time. We've even had to end sessions mid-battle. Specifically Murph, how would you approach combat for so many players? I really admire your style of multiple moving pieces to keep it high stakes and immersive, but is that overwhelming with so many turns per round? Thanks! Kayla, aka Shakespearmint

Howdy, to some of my favorite souls on the planet! Got to see y'all in Nashville last December and it was the highlight of my year(except for the birth of my niece). My party, the Goo Crew, has the rarest of issues at the table-too many people who love eachother unconditionally and are committed to playing at the same time each week. What advice do you have for virtually DMing a group of 6-10 players? We've discussed splitting into two smaller groups, but everyone genuinely wants to play with everyone else so we are trying to make it work. I am a cinematic, narrative-driven DM and want to give each player their "moment". I think I'm doing a decent job weaving their personal stories into the main plot and they all seem engaged, but combat is a brutal, multi-hour thing, every time. We've even had to end sessions mid-battle. Specifically Murph, how would you approach combat for so many players? I really admire your style of multiple moving pieces to keep it high stakes and immersive, but is that overwhelming with so many turns per round? Thanks! Kayla, aka Shakespearmint

Wreck-It-Rosie

I’m prepping a high level one shot heavily inspired by the Whimsydale area in Diablo 3. I’m hoping for a casual, goofy, chaotic energy. Any advice on how to bring that energy to the table?

Kiera Walshe-Urbancic

Hey guys, I'm DMing for my partner and two other couples and I want the world to feel really open like they can do whatever they want to get them to play creatively, but sometimes this leads to extremely long discussions about the best way to sneak into a building and I can see some players getting bored. What's the best way to keep everyone engaged and reel in these conversations without making the players feel rushed or like they haven't had time to consider all possibilities?

Gabriella Pilarski

Almighty DMs, I am trying to write a five-shot for some friends to get my DM feet wet. In addition to combat, I want to make some fun non-combat or game style encounters like Murph does. For example a jousting tournament where you have to hit the opponents AC to hit them, then they have to make a dex save to stay on their horse. I'm worried about setting those ACs and DCs. How do you balance non-combat encounters?

Bailey Telfer

Hey 2 Crew. I’m a reasonably new DM for a table of reasonably new Players. I am trying to help them create memorable characters by making them the forefront of the story. My main issue is I am unsure how much give and take there is when it comes to character arcs (like Moonshine and the family stuff in the Crick) I want to keep things a mystery and throw them into it for some RP and off the cuff choice making but I also don’t want to take too much liberties with a character that isn’t mine. I humbly await your advice.

Frank K

Hiya gang, I've been DM'ing for about 6 years, and BBEG's are a huge problem for me. I try to avoid deciding that sort of thing before we start the campaign, because who knows where they story can go. I have a general idea, and as the story goes I flesh it out more, but when I finally "figured it out" in this campaign, it felt...shallow and random. How do you balance not overcommitting to your BBEG too early so they aren't out of touch with the story, with having them establish enough of a presence that they seem grounded and justified in the world? I feel creatively unsatisfied, as the more I flesh this villain out the less I like them. I feel like I have this problem in every campaign. I have a problem making satisfying bad guys. Not everyone can be a mustache twirling evil type, you know?

MannyBanny

Hi guys, all my campaigns so far have been centered around an idea such as an inescapable tower or a forgotten prison and growing the campaign naturally from there based on PC interactions with the world with a little bit of extra planning in the background. Lately I’ve been writing a sort of timeline for a world with different character interactions along the way leaving things open for major events if they were to happen. The plan would be to drop PCs somewhere in the world at the beginning of the timeline and letting them explore and interact as they want while still having a general plot move the world forward only revealing to them things their characters would interact with. The hesitation I have is the potential dreaded “railroading” accusation that could happen if they’re not focusing on the plot. I don’t think the players I play with would think that way but it’s such a change of pace. What are your thoughts on something writing plot like this and how do you feel when playing in a campaign where the DM moves important behind the scenes plot forward without you knowing. Or is this just normal and I’m way overthinking it…. Thank you for your time and love listening to the show.

bibibirdy

I’m a new DM running a game of Strixhaven with a group of 9 players who have either never played or only played once before. Character creation was a little confusing with the special rules in Strixhaven, so at 1st Level, most of my players are overpowered, especially the spellcasters. Is there anything I can do to mitigate this or should I just accept that my players are going to womp me in every session.

MacKenzie Tobias (edited)

Comment edits

2026-09-05 07:00 I’m new to playing D&amp;D and ended up being the DM in our group bc the only reason they’re playing is bc I begged them to play with me 😅 My group is comprised of my husband, my brother and his wife, and my sister. I actually have really enjoyed scheming up some plot points to go with the characters they came up with. I’m excited to play more, but we’ve only played twice and now it’s been 3 months and everyone has been busy in spite of me asking for availability and trying to set dates. I’m concerned they don’t actually want to play because I accidentally rushed some of the story/pushed an NPC into a situation to solve a problem (broke them out of jail in the first 10 minutes🤦🏻‍♀️) because I was so anxious they’d get bored and not want to play anymore. :( I know for sure that was the wrong move, but what’s done is done. How do you keep from rushing through stuff? And how do you find confidence in the story you’re collectively telling if it seems like the interest isn’t 100% there from everyone else at the table?
2023-06-20 08:15 I’m new to playing D&D and ended up being the DM in our group bc the only reason they’re playing is bc I begged them to play with me 😅 My group is comprised of my husband, my brother and his wife, and my sister. I actually have really enjoyed scheming up some plot points to go with the characters they came up with. I’m excited to play more, but we’ve only played twice and now it’s been 3 months and everyone has been busy in spite of me asking for availability and trying to set dates. I’m concerned they don’t actually want to play because I accidentally rushed some of the story/pushed an NPC into a situation to solve a problem (broke them out of jail in the first 10 minutes🤦🏻‍♀️) because I was so anxious they’d get bored and not want to play anymore. :( I know for sure that was the wrong move, but what’s done is done. How do you keep from rushing through stuff? And how do you find confidence in the story you’re collectively telling if it seems like the interest isn’t 100% there from everyone else at the table?

I’m new to playing D&D and ended up being the DM in our group bc the only reason they’re playing is bc I begged them to play with me 😅 My group is comprised of my husband, my brother and his wife, and my sister. I actually have really enjoyed scheming up some plot points to go with the characters they came up with. I’m excited to play more, but we’ve only played twice and now it’s been 3 months and everyone has been busy in spite of me asking for availability and trying to set dates. I’m concerned they don’t actually want to play because I accidentally rushed some of the story/pushed an NPC into a situation to solve a problem (broke them out of jail in the first 10 minutes🤦🏻‍♀️) because I was so anxious they’d get bored and not want to play anymore. :( I know for sure that was the wrong move, but what’s done is done. How do you keep from rushing through stuff? And how do you find confidence in the story you’re collectively telling if it seems like the interest isn’t 100% there from everyone else at the table?

Tysen Myers

Greeting masterful and experienced DMs, also Jake. I was wondering how often you use the given stats of creatures either as the specific creature or reflavored into something similar to match your idea. How often do you change the hp, damage, or traits to match your vision better for a creature, npc’s as well?

Glam

Hey Murph! Was wondering how do I keep my players engaged with the content I’m describing?

Crudelise

Hi duncle, direct messenger, dungeon docent and also jake... I am always a little unsure how much I should plan for any sesh so as not to overplan (and lean to railroading) and also not underplan and have to improvise to much (which will lead to illogical choices...) So my question is how much have you planned out?

Ashley Clifton

Hey Two Crew! I seek advice as a player and occasional one-shot DM. I play in a campaign with my closest friends over discord and it’s going really well. We typically play pre-written adventures that end up including dungeon crawls and generally more wargame-like gameplay. This works well with our group, however, I also enjoy roleplaying and end up initiating it most of the time. I think, generally, the other players are not as naturally outgoing or maybe I’m just way too into character building and improv. There aren’t any problems with our group and I don’t think my friends get annoyed, but I sometimes I can’t help but fear that I come off as having main character syndrome. Do you have any advice for allowing for more organic roleplay with players who like to play video games more than improv?

Jmp098

Greetings two crew and the city pigeon. I’m want to run a one shot with my family and I want to make a cool world for them. But I’m not that experienced with dming so I was wondering if you have any advice on how to start off

Liam Tait

My party consists of mostly casters with our Ranger having the highest hit dice in our party of six. I don't mind being a little unbalanced but do you have any advice on making interesting encounters for a mostly caster focused party? Thanks!

Jolly Bee Happy

Hi NAdDPOD Team and occasional guest star Jake. I am a first time DM for a group of close friends. We recently started a magical university themed campaign with the players part assigned to Greek god themed houses. A lot of our sessions involve role playing parties, courting NPCs and getting up to various campus related shenanigans. My players love this, but I sometimes feel left out of their fun as I have to manage the chaos of their flirting and relationships without a character of my own. Any recommendations on how to make a DM feel more involved in these role playing heavy sessions? Thanks as always for all you guys do!

Katie P.

Hello and greetings! This is question about too many dungeons and bad naming habits. I'm a fairly new DM and I've DMed during a very busy time in my life (just finished Grad School) I started my campaign with a loose idea of where to go, but because of school I lost my thread and just kept putting dungeons under established cities in my game. There are now 5 big cities with 5 big dungeons directly underneath them. This is not including the monsters I've made that are also dungeons (Vah Medoh style). I'm not quite sure what to do with all these dungeons or how to stop putting dungeons under my cities. As an aside, whenever I flounder in naming things or people, I keep defaulting to villains in the Silmarillion and my party is a group of Tolkien nerds. I keep spamming the name Annatar. I need help.

Michael Beck

So this is a definite first world problem but how do people deal with too many people wanting to play? I DM for 3 groups already of my friends and my dad is in one of them and he keeps inviting more people/family. Two of these groups are also 6 people and it's a nightmare to handle that many, when it comes to game balance and making sure everyone is available at all times. I'm just trying to play with all my friends but I'm getting burnt out as DM

Neil henderson

Not a question but a plea. Murphy, please write a book and or manual on how you like to set up fights. The CR method never really works for me and my players almost always end up womping me. I know you've talked about it in the past but it would be nice to have something physical to reference.

Carter W

I have a hard time coming up with motives for my villains, especially BBEGs, because I want them to have valid reasons behind their evil decisions. Do you have any advice on how to make a villain feel corrupt but still make sense why they believe their actions are justified?

hey!

Hi there Murphs and Murphettes, just a simple easy one. How do you give players downtime that feels sufficient while still keeping the stakes high? Especially with the addition of artificer downtime in many games i’ve played + watched always seems to go overlooked in favor of fast paced story telling and plot points. Surely that is part of podcasting and actual plays but what about at home? Thanks for your help!

Axle

Do you have advice on balancing letting your players do what’s fun, and giving them a meaningful challenge with tense stakes? A game where it’s impossible to convince a king to change his mind because “in real life it takes a long time for people to change” isn’t very fun, but also a game where it’s possible to roll up to a king and convince him to give you all his money with a silly dance isn’t very fun either. Do you have tips for finding that middle ground?

TJ

Hi (insert snazzy group name here of your choice), I've been running a feywild campaign for about 10 sessions or so now with a group found online (but we meet in person), and there is a serious lack of party trust. Everyone's characters are keeping several secrets that's making it hard to advance the plot in a way that makes sense. How do you recommend trying to increase party cohesion/unity and move the plot along in a way that keeps true to the PC's agency of keeping their secrets?

Duncan Espenshade

My fiance and I have been hosting a new campaign with some friends (running Waterdeep). We've cooked food for the first couple of sessions, and got pizza for the last one. However, the costs of feeding everyone is starting to add up. How should I push for my friends to start bringing snacks and drinks, without jeopordizing a new campaign? I was thinking of just making worse/cheaper food every week until they break, but my partner thinks we should just swallow the costs.

Jaden Pettway

Hello! I recently started a new campaign set in the world of Calorum. The party consists of nobles and peasants but they’ve all met on a caravan heading to Comida. My problem is that I’m unsure how to give them all a shared goal. I think they’ll travel together no matter what because they know you don’t split the party but how do you usually come up with reasons for a party to stick together?

Reina Kim

Greetings Daddy, Duncle, and Docent! Also hi to Tucker and congrats on the baby. As I’ve gained more experience DM’ing, I’ve gotten much more comfortable with the mechanics of the game and making on-the-fly decisions. However, one thing that keeps bogging down the pace of my sessions, and somewhat spoiling the energy, is that spellcaster PCs take a really long time when it comes to their turn. It’s not for a lack of trying, I just find that people get choice paralysis when playing casters, and they spend a long time deliberating over the most optimal decisions. I don’t want to say “hey, you’ve got 60 seconds to make a decision” and be rude and rush them, but I also don’t want my fighter player to wait 30 minutes between taking attacks. Help?

Melissa Shilale

Do y’all ever panic mid-session while DMing?

Mooncrest

This is funny, I had a dream about Murph DMing for a lucky "select few fans" that turned into a party of 28. I was along for the ride but cautiously optimistic as that would be at least a 4 hr session with everyone just introducing their character

Dylan Meyer

Dear Magnificent and Wise counsels Murph Emily and Caldwell, I've done some DMing of modules, specifically Candlekeep and Descent into Avernus, but would like to start creating my own campaign. What would you consider the most important ideas to keep in mind while doing this to create a fun and engaging world? I must admit I'll write down an idea for industry or a character or a quest line in the one town I thought of, but the big picture stuff eludes me. How much and what should I have prepared before pitching it to my party? Thank you for the help

Melissa Deverell

Hi Two Crew! I'm a baby DM (just did my third session) and I'm having trouble with balancing encounters. So far even against fairly high level baddies they aren't taking many hits and I don't want them to get bored or worse...try to take over the world. Thank you for everything you do and all the inspiration over the years!

Lorelei and Kyra Newly Weds

I play a campaign online and my wife wants to spend a session "under the table". Any advice on how to go about this?

Cub

Hey, Ya'll, I recently started a new campaign with my long time player group. The setting is within the same world as the previous campaign, but set on a different continent. What would be some helpful tips for making things to feel connected on a global scale while having the smaller scale setting feel different enough? I worry that there'll be too much overlap in the two settings tonally.

Scramble Ma’am

Hola Two Crew! I solicit your advice on timing with my players in our Groundhogs Day style campaign. This party takes a really long time to decide what to do, they do anything for the goof, and often forget the larger threads of the arc. We always have fun but it is hard for me to figure out when to nudge, tell them they have to decide now or let them goof and join a roller derby. Thanks for your podcast! Looking forward to the Denver show!

Andrew W

Hey Two Crew! I'm the DM of a long running game (3 years) that is just coming back from a break where my friend ran his own game for a bit (1.5 years). The five PCs are at level 10 and they just got and airship which they've spent the first few session rennovating and getting a crew together for! The issue is there are a lot of NPCs that my players are having to re-remember since it's been so long since we've played. Between all of the NPC allies helping them and running the new airship crew everything's gotten really bogged down during our sessions and it seems like I'm losing interest with some of my players! What can I do to simplify things or otherwise to make my game exciting again for all of my players? I humbly await your DM and player insights!

MacKenzie Tobias

I would 100% buy this book!!! Would also love to see the magic items and maybe some encounters or battle maps if you’re feeling extra crazy generous! Some of the creatures/opponents/machines you’ve adapted and changed from other sources? Different puzzles? How to create and run non-combat encounters (or not-fight-to-the-death). All gold! I would pay like, $60+ for that book. I already try to keep notes when I listen to the podcast (especially the short rests), but this would be incredible!!!!

Jacob Revilla

Hello two crew! I'd like to ask of your opinion on a home brew mechanic for Critical successes on attacks. We double the dice rolles for a crit with the exception being one of the Die is automatically set to MAX value of the die. The rest of the die all rolled like normal, and then we add any additional modifiers after the fact. We've been using this in our group campaign a it has been well received so far. Let me know what y'all think! Thx.

Brian Jones

I'm looking for a great way to introduce puzzle mechanics into my game. Overall, I've seen some puzzles just get blanks stared and some solved instantly. It feels like another type of combat and was looking for some advice on how to effectively add in a puzzle or two into a dungeon but not go all tomb of horrors. Thanks Two Crew!

Victoria Beck

How as a DM do you solve pacing problems when they come up? (Seen home games grind to a hlt with this, usually bogged down with a lot of little "well this needs to happen first..." and everyone feeling a bit stifled, and the shakeup to improve pacing isn't obvious)

Alex Watts

I'm currently running a homebrew with a group of friends. They've all kept their backstories fairly vague so I can incorporate a character arc within the overall story for each player. Everyone loves to roleplay...except one gnomish artificer who looks as if he'd rather peel his own skin off than roleplay with the rest of the group. My question is how do I give this gnomish fellow a satisfying storyline without making him roleplay extensively? Is it possible or am I doomed to just watch his character remain stagnant and never progress outside of stats?

Jake Jarrell

Good day band of boobs! I am DMing my first campaign and my players made two mistakes, I informed them about one and let them ret-con a long rest before a fight. they had forgotten they lost a lot of spell slots and hp before fighting because our sessions were weeks apart. the second mistake was weeks ago they fought and won a battle to stop the bad guys from taking a magic item they need to protect. however, they promptly left it exposed and moved to find the next item they needed to protect in THIS WEEKS session. should i let the BBEG take advantage of their forgetfulness? about 9 hours have passed in game since they left this item unattended. thank you! awaiting your flawless advice.

lonnie

I am starting a home brew campaign next week for a few of my coworkers and it is my first time ever DMing. I’m a little worried that I don’t have a solid enough plot to make a whole campaign - I have a lot of world lore but I’ve left a lot of the story open to see what makes sense for the characters and their personal arcs. I don’t want to railroad too much but they are all brand new players so I want to give them enough structure to get started and so the campaign doesn’t fall apart story-wise. How do I make a campaign with a consistent and engaging story without railroading my players too much, especially for a whole group of first timers?

Dom & Holly

Hey Ryan Turphy, I have been DM’ing for a couple of years and I get stressed whenever session time comes around. Do you have any tips for breaking the pre-session butt-clenching, anxiety to prevent the grey hairs from growing in faster?

Nomi Ross

Dear DM’s Extraordinaire, Last fall I started a campaign for my son (12) and a few of his friends. Long time player, it was my first time DMing. The English teacher at the school caught wind, and asked if I would be willing to start an after school DnD club for about 10 kids, staring next school year. I suggested instead of me DMing such a large group, I would coach several of the kids while they DM for smaller groups of their peers. I’ve settled on using a “mercenary guild” scenario, which offers a lot of flexibility, and I can have the kids help come up with some of the ideas, but from there I’m concerned I’ve gone a little wild. The potential is to have a new “episode” every couple sessions with the opportunity for players to swap out characters (essentially playing other members of the same guild), rotate the players between the two or three dms to change up the groups, but have each group playing through the same scenario. This seems like a lot to ask of new DM’s, but sounds like a lot of fun and I’m not sure which part to reign in. Help! I’m still kind of a beginner dm myself, am I crazy to even attempt this? What would you do?

Kyle Cote

Dear Dungeon Master, Docent, Dunkle, and Jack who will maybe give it a shot one day, I often have the problem where my players only adore NPCs that don't matter to the story, are clearly villains, or are made up on the spot, which is fine and can lead to some really fun roleplaying, but when I introduce an NPC that is plot relevant or explicitly wants to help them, my players become extremely suspicious, lead them carelessly to their death, or are outright rude to the NPCs. For example: last campaign they pursued a cult of escaping warforged after the warforged performed a public execution. Not to bring them to justice of course, but to help them escape and join their murderous cause against living beings. But when the Druid NPC who's helped them twice before is trying to protect her people from a massive sentient ooze while they escape from being trapped in the underdark, 4/5 of my players agreed they "wanted to push their way through the crowd of people so that they can escape first, Costanza style." The kind Druid who had came to their aid was then left behind to die underground, even though two PCs had healing magic and could have easily saved her. So I ask, how do you design plot-relevant NPCs that the party will actually like and want to keep around? Or on the opposite end, villains that the party hates and strive to defeat?

Hannah G.

I was in a group like this that was split into two parties, with two DMs. We were in the same world and would occasionally meet up and work together on a mission (with two different rounds of combat going on at the same time)