• ✏️ Mistake 1: New DMs often make the mistake of planning an epic game with grand plots and expectations. It's recommended to start with more modest plots and expectations, focusing on basic elements and getting comfortable with the rules and mechanics.
• 📚 Mistake 2: Using pre-published modules is a great option for new DMs. They provide guidance on writing descriptions, creating stat blocks, pacing, and balancing encounters. Modules like the Starter Set's "Lost Mines of Phandelver" and Goodman Games' "Into the Borderlands" are highly recommended.
• 🏰 Mistake 3: Dungeons are recommended for new DMs because they provide a closed circuit and limit player options. Wilderness settings can be overwhelming as players have more freedom to do anything.
• ⚔️ Mistake 4: Starting with first-level characters is advised for new DMs. Beginning at a higher level with powerful spells and abilities can be overwhelming. It's important to ease into the game and learn the mechanics before handling more complex elements.
• 📺 Mistake 5: Planning a mini-series of four or five sessions is preferable to planning a long campaign. Most D&D campaigns end before reaching high levels, so it's better to have a concise and satisfying conclusion within a shorter time frame. The DM can decide whether to continue the series based on the players' feedback.
• 📜 Mistake 6: New DMs often struggle with understanding story construction. The two essential elements are characters (brought by players) and conflict (brought by the DM). A conflict consists of an objective and a time limit for achieving it, which creates a narrative drive and engages players.
• 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Mistake 7: Having too many players can be challenging for a new DM. It's recommended to restrict the number of participants, with three players being the ideal number. This allows for a cohesive group dynamic and quick turns, preventing long waits between player actions.
• 📖 Mistake 8: New DMs often attempt to use all the optional rules in D&D 5th Edition. It's advised to stick to the basic rules, especially for beginner DMs, to simplify the game and reduce decision overload.
• 🎭 Mistake 9: Avoid comparing oneself to famous celebrity DMs like Matt Mercer or Chris Perkins. Each DM has their own style, and it's important to focus on having fun and enjoying the game. Playing with new players who have no expectations can be a great experience.

• 😄 Make every combat unique and special by creating interesting situations and timers.
• 🎥 Take inspiration from film director Francis Ford Coppola and aim to create memorable and unique combat encounters.
• 🗝️ Design rooms and encounters that stand out from the typical expectations, adding elements like scorpion fights, hostages, or unique environmental features.
• ⏱️ Incorporate timers and time limits into combat encounters to increase tension and create memorable moments.
• 🎮 Learn from board games like Terraforming Mars and Dead of Winter that use time limits and resource management to enhance excitement and pacing.
• 💥 Consider adding time limits to boss encounters or introducing time-sensitive elements to regular combat to make them more engaging.
• 🤔 Reflect on hit points as both a measure of health and a timer, and consider reducinghit points to increase tension and make combat more exciting.
• 🌉 Utilize environmental features like narrow bridges, sinking ships, or burning rooms to create dynamic combat situations.
• 🔀 Grids are optional, and using zone terrain instead can provide a more fluid combat experience.
• ⏰ Group initiative can work well for larger groups, where players declare their actions before rolling for resolution, creating a more realistic and chaotic feel.
• 🎲 Combat tactics can be influenced by the chosen initiative method, and different approaches can be valid depending on personal preferences and playstyle.
• 💡 Thinking of combat in terms of situations and imposing time limits can make combat exciting regardless of the game system, level, or genre.
• 📚 There are additional resources available in the description of the video, including a Dungeon Craft Facebook group and Patreon page.

"You're attacked by a group of goblins, they are gouging your eyes, biting your ears and dropping scorpions down your plate mail"

• 🎲 A game master is not just a storyteller; they are conflict designers in tabletop role-playing games.
• 🎲 In tabletop role-playing games, the game master designs the conflicts, players decide how to approach them, and dice determine the outcomes.
• 🎲 Railroading, or forcing players down a preconceived path, should be avoided in favor of allowing player autonomy and choices.
• 🎲 Dice rolls ultimately determine success or failure in tabletop role-playing games, and respecting the randomness of the dice is important.
• 🎲 Game masters can't plan too far in advance because they don't know if the players will live or die, so they focus on designing the next session.
• 🎲 The veiled society campaign is based on the classic module "The Veiled Society" by Zeb Cook, set in a city with warring merchant families and a murder mystery.
• 🎲 The campaign is designed to have lots of conflicts between factions, and the player characters interject themselves into these conflicts.
• 🎲 The professor uses a random urban scenario generator to create conflict for each session, providing object, antagonist, location, time limit, and reward.
• 🎲 The professor presents players with two potential missions and they choose which one to pursue, giving the campaign a sandbox feel.
• 🎲 The professor focuses on designing unique encounters and locations, not worrying too much about what will happen in future sessions.
• 🎲 The scenarios may have similarities to other stories (e.g., Batman movies or Star Wars), but the players' approach and decisions make them compelling.
• 🎲 The amount of prep time doesn't necessarily correlate with the level of fun the players will have; sometimes, quick scenarios turn out to be the most enjoyable.
• 🎲 The professor encourages viewers to roll out scenarios using the random urban scenario generator and share their experiences.
• 🎲 Links are provided to the Dungeoncraft Facebook group, Patreon, extended video version, and the professor's module "Macdet."

• 🎭 Let the audience know what's at stake in the story from the start to create tension.
• ⏰ Use a ticking clock or time limits to add urgency and restrict resources in the game.
• 🏞️ Incorporate the environment to create obstacles and challenges for the players.
• ⏱️ Utilize timers and complications to increase tension during encounters.
• 📝 Prepare concise notes and cheat sheets to avoid interruptions and maintain momentum in the game.

I love this!

• 😎 The video discusses the four critical elements for successful adventure design in tabletop role-playing games (RPGs).
• 📝 The four key elements are: objective, location, time limit, and villain.
• 🎯 The objective is what the player characters must accomplish within the game, and it should be made clear to them within the first 10 minutes.
• 🗺️ Locations in the game serve as closed matrices where players can make choices, but ultimately lead to encounters.
• ⏳ Time limits create suspense, urgency, and motivation for the players. They enhance the gaming experience and reduce the use of mechanics like short rests.
• 👿 Villains add tension and create a sense of conflict by having their own objectives, time limits, and motivations.
• 🔀 Originality in adventure design is not as important as having engaging gameplay elements and enjoyable experiences for the players.
• ✅ Having these four key elements does not guarantee a perfect session, but they greatly increase the chances of a successful adventure.
• 🎲 The video encourages viewers to share it with their favorite game masters and bookmark it for future reference.

It's 8...The number is 8. Basically, before bonuses from your main stat, you have to roll an 8, no matter what the level. Because bonuses get higher with level advancement. So basically, the percentage of success remains the same (the chance of rolling an 8).

• 🎲 The difficulty class (DC) in D&D is crucial for setting the right level of challenge.
• 📚 The perfectly balanced DC in 5th edition is around 13, resulting in a 65% chance of success.
• 💪 Character bonuses in 5th edition compensate for the higher DCs compared to previous editions.
• 🧠 Bonuses on character sheets are illusions to make players feel powerful and the game fair.
• 📝 Difficulty classes are determined by the designers and should reflect the expertise of the characters.
• 🎭 The game is inherently arbitrary, so trusting the designers' decisions on DCs is no different.
• ➕ The proficiency bonus and ability scores contribute to determining the target number.
• 🎯 The most common target number in D&D is 8, representing a satisfying 65% success rate.
• 🔢 DCs in D&D typically fall into three bands: 7-8 for experts, 9-11 for skilled, and 13-14 for non-skilled.
• 🛠 Adjustments to DCs can be made based on high armor classes or challenging traps.
• 🗒 The "hard and easy" mechanic in Index Card RPG suggests adjusting DCs by ±3 for simplicity.
• 🎲 Dungeon Masters can rely on gut instincts and make quick calculations for setting DCs.
• ❓ The video encourages viewers to share their thoughts and provides links to additional content and games.

Is your RPG slooooow? Professor Dungeon Master's "Rule of RPG Granularity" explains why. Required viewing for all GMs and aspiring game designers!

Revise damage metaphor with a timer. It's timer for how long your PC can last beating on or be beaten by a monster.

Use d20 roll to determine damage
2 no or little damage
16,17,18 significant damage