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The SECRET Every DM Need to Know 2025 Edition (Extended) (Patreon)

Published:
2025-05-31 19:43:26
Imported:
2026-06
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Videos

Content

A re-imagining of three of my earlier videos with new tips. Extra bonus content includes my spoiler-free review of Mission: Impossible The Final Reckoning.

Files

Previews only

The SECRET 2025

Comments

Bagel-Man

Excited to watch!

Agile Monk

Loving it, good sir!

madcurry

An excellent distillation of your best advice. I already know who I’m sending this to when it drops on YouTube.

Scott

A good revision of good advice. I want to see a buddy adventurer skit with Deathbringer and Jack the NPC!

Trouqe

Glad you combined those secrets

Troy Alleman

Loved the "chica chica chica BOOM" with the dice :D

Elvis Ramone

Au contraire, mon frère. You can give the players a bonus in percentile games, give a 10-25% to hit bonus on the fly as well. After all the d20 +1 is just a 5% increment. It can be dished out for the same reasons, the boss is getting worn down, the gods bless you, they become distracted as the police sirens arrive and the sounds of a SWAT team arrive. No system is unhackable. Just avoid direct fiat or deus ex machina, players do like it, not realizing the boss is not the one with an enrage timer, it's them.

Tuska

I love these DIY type vids!

Brenden Smith

Great video, but you might regret not wearing your +1 vest of protection

Scott Spears

Nice update. I like the mantra of keep it simple and keep it moving.

Don't Die

Yippe! More Adhesive Tom! Also, wondering how many vets are Patrons? And yes. Runequest fights can really drag out.

MrGunn

These are secrets man was not meant to know, posting this on Youtube could rouse the great Cthulthu.

GenX Jedi

I saw the new MI movie as well. I agree with your assessment. I gave the expository and flashback stuff a buy since this is probably Tom's last MI movie and it brought all the movies together. As a DM, I have been using this advice for a while. I do mostly one-shots with pre-generated characters so I know their stats pretty well.

Flash Gorgon

The problem with giving monsters more hit points is that it eventually feels like you are chopping down trees instead of an interesting combat. Frankly, scrapping hit points entirely is feeling more and more like the way to go.

Justin Watson

Too many families actively discourage their kids from serving, and it's really a shame. Hope your son is having a great experience in Korea.

Justin Watson

I homebrewed a single-roll system, where even a crap roll does a little bit of damage, unless it's a 1, but that cuts both ways. ISTR you had video where you pointed out that HP is also a timer, and the players should feel like their time is running out. I have embraced that.

Evil Chad

Boom "Meatballs" Boom Thanks again PDM

Kevin Richmeier

Not making it to GenCon this year, but hope to see you at MythicCon. I saw you from a distance last year, but you disappeared before I could make it over to you.

Andyjagger

I’ve seen the latest mi film it was fairly enjoyable, my favourite will always be the very 1st one as it’s got a perfect run time imo

Jay

PDM, this video is exceptionally useful in addition to combining some of your best advice into a comprehensive bit of solid DM information. I still remember watching your first few videos to include the Secrets Every Dungeon Master Needs to Know and have remained a subscriber ever since. Side bar, I’m greatly anticipating your updated version of Deathbringer. That being stated, I wanted to mention that of the over 200 Kickstarter/Crowdfunding projects I’ve supported, Nimble 5E is definitely among my top 5. I highly recommend viewing the videos “How to Play Nimble TTRPG” and “How to Make a Hero in Nimble TTRPG” on Evan@Nimble Co. YouTube Channel. Both videos are between 7-9 Minutes each. They demonstrate the core concepts of game design you have covered in the past by streamlining the speed of the game coupled with simplifying the rules. As you have also stated in the past, you gain a bit of insight into how a game plays by looking at the Character Sheet. Nimble uses only a half page for the Character Sheet with only what is necessary without sacrificing anything players want or need and is even shorter than Scotty’s EZD6 Character Sheet (EZD6 also in my top 5). Nimble's version of Character Classes are amazing. I’ve never played a Rogue, yet Nimble's version makes players really want to play one as they are far more exciting than the current D&D version. Anyway, I hope you check these videos out as they may inspire many spinoff ideas or original concepts in the Deathbringer game. Lastly, thanks for all you do and as always looking forward to more content.

Jay
>>175861498

Nah, the way I heard it, Cthulhu is in a deep sleep in far off Menzober blah blah.

Bryan Stephens

Pathfinder 2e has the progression locked in. Having played it, as a player, you never feel more powerful. Monsters just scale in lockstep.

Nick Morphew

I literally took a screen shot of your table of dcs (for highly skilled, skilled, Unskilled etc.) Invaluable!!!! Cheers for the top tier insights.