How to Be a Better Dungeon Master

Running a D&D game is one of the most rewarding things you can do at the table—and one of the most challenging. No matter how long you’ve been a Dungeon Master, there’s always something new to learn, and always ways to make the game more fun for everyone involved.

One of the best places to start, especially if you’re newer to DMing, is to run a published adventure. These modules—like Lost Mine of Phandelver or Curse of Strahd—are put together by professional designers who’ve thought through everything: pacing, story hooks, encounter balance, and even the little details like treasure and map design. Even if you’re more interested in homebrewing your own worlds, reading through these adventures can give you great insights and show you how the pros handle structure and flow.

But no matter how well-prepared you are, sometimes the game just goes in unexpected directions. That’s where it’s important to get comfortable changing things on the fly. If an encounter turns out to be too easy, you can introduce an unexpected complication—like an environmental hazard or an extra enemy that makes things a bit more tense. If the fight is too hard and the players are struggling, there’s nothing wrong with tweaking the enemy’s armor class or hit points to make sure it stays challenging without wiping out the party.

At the same time, there’s an art to knowing when not to change everything. If the players come up with a clever idea or an unexpected twist that you didn’t plan for, it’s okay to say, “That’s a great idea, but I’ll need some time to make it work.” Players respect that kind of honesty, and it helps them feel like they’re part of the story you’re all building together. That balance—between preparation and improvisation—is at the heart of running a great game.

If you’re curious about how I approach these ideas and how I try to keep that balance at my own table, check out the video above. I talk about some of my favorite strategies for making sure the game feels smooth and collaborative, no matter what surprises come up.

Cheers,
Brian