The Dungeon Master is the alpha nerd.

They command the table, have the best grasp of the rules and roleplay better than James McAvoy’s Split personalities.

Though spotting a bad Dungeon Master might be difficult, especially if the one within your circle of friends is a reluctant Dungeon Master.

Sure they have a simple grasp of the rules and enjoy playing a dragon from time to time… but most don’t actually want to do the job, and here are 3 tips on how to spot a terrible Dungeon Master.

1 – Zero to no prep

The players build the story, but without some degree of railroading set out from the Dungeon Master, the story will struggle to land. A Dungeon Master should spend the same amount of planning as they intend for the session to run. If it is a campaign spread several sessions they should agree upon a time frame…4, 6 or 8 hrs of gameplay and once that session is over, they go back to their prep and update all of it. Players will go off-piste and the Dungeon Master, will need to be prepared to support them and the story.

2 – They don’t invest in you

Every Dungeon Master must know their players, or at least have some level of understanding what they each want from a game. Some Dnders can get loud and dominate the table, leaving the less confident players to sit back and just watch the story unfold. A great Dungeon Master will test this player to see where they’re most comfortable, and involve them in the game at the level they wish to participate. Not everyone wants to put on a silly voice, and nobody enjoys being put on the spot to describe actions from their imagination. A great Dungeon Master gives it at least two sessions to work out the above, and then plays the game from there.

3- They constantly read and hide behind their notes

Making notes is super important for a Dungeon Master for a whole host of reasons. Through if your Dungeon Master sits behind their notes and reads them off like some ancient priest, then I’m afraid your Dungeon Master is terrible. They need to be storytellers. Experts in the plot they have written and know the story inside out enough to describe the action, and play out the plot in a dramatic and compelling way.

This is why Rolldark only has actors on our books, because the best Dungeon Masters are performers in their own right. And this makes them able to deliver an immersive experience for all of our clients.