Last week we talked about consequences, and how to make them not suck for your players. Building on not sucking (I know, I’m not great at segues) let’s talk about bad guys, and how to build them for Dungeons and Dragons.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of running D&D games is seeing players develop a distinct play style for their character. Since her first session, Molly has used her character Naeris (High Elven Kensei Monk) as a ranged striker: she vaults up to the rooftops, dropping arrow after arrow into helpless opponents, before closing in to finish off weakened stragglers with a flurry of blows. This would be infuriating was I not loving every minute of it (being a DM is largely about learning to lose with grace).

Oak has been a star player in two Rolldark teen games (JC’s Secrets of the Darkstar and Nayomie’s The Private Eyestalkers) and always brings energy, eagerness, and expertise. His infectious enthusiasm, profound knowledge of the game and its systems, and his passion for each adventure is great, but it’s Oak’s teamwork, patience, and leadership that really make him a stand-out player. Factor in his creativity, kindness, and his roleplaying abilities, and you have a person who has the qualities of a great Dungeon Master (and perhaps even a future Rolldark GM in the making!). Thanks to Oak for always helping keep the team on the right track, and for being an all-around pleasure to have at any gaming table.

Now, let's be honest; half the reason people want to sit in the Dungeon Master's chair is that they want to get to build a world from scratch. It can be absolutely intoxicating; every character, every town, every culture - ALL OF IT is yours to create and control.

We have all been there. Sitting at the gaming table waiting for our fellow players to finish buffing up their character to simply fire an arrow that does all manner of crazy, mental, and wildly over the top actions. Fellow players begin looking at their phones, handbooks and disengage from the action.

Do you often struggle to make up encounters on the fly? One of our most celebrated Rolldark Game Masters Jacob Warr has kindly shared an encounter table for you to steal, enjoy and punish your players with!

Matt Mercer does it all the time, and he’s definitely not the first. It’s a nice way to develop detail in your world and further invest your players at the same time. Effective, simple, and not exactly rocket science, right?

When you finally get your group together and want to start fleshing out a campaign world, for any new DM this can be a rather challenging concept. Though it is also by far the most rewarding. Dungeons & Dragons comes into its own when you can start building worlds purely from your imagination. Are they going to be perfect rolling hills of lushness that have an underbelly of dark and twisted truths hidden for eons? No, unless of course, you’re creating Yorkshire!

Video game RPG’s would not exist had it not been for Dungeons & Dragons. No D&D, no Zelda, no Monkey Island, and no Tomb Raider. Today, Dungeons & Dragons is difficult to ignore. The game has practically woven itself into popular culture, with shows like Stranger Things, where the main cast are practically a D&D party of adventurers, to the countless streaming shows like Critical Role that draw in millions of viewers. One way or another, you have encountered (like what I did there) Dungeons & Dragons in your everyday life.

Finding the best value for money gaming tables in the UK is no easy feat. There still isn’t that man y options. Of course, your folk’s dining table is certainly a good place to start. But nothing beats the full customisation of an expertly crafted gaming table.

It truly depends on the particular session and the party's aims for that day! If we're expecting a lengthy combat encounter or a lot of RP at a single tavern, then prep might only take an hour in order to sort a few stat blocks and design the environment.

This week we caught up with Rolldark Professional Game Master Nayomie Jade and discussed what she loves about being a professional DM.

Robert, the founder of Rolldark Game Master Agency’s obsession with D&D has taken a turn for the rather odd. His girlfriend Charlotte Baker attempts to investigate and hopefully find a cure…

Struggling with a rather flat and boring Dungeons and Dragons Character, Robert Bradley the Founder of Rolldark Game Master Agency, went about his own personal quest to discover how he can bring his D&D Character Rolldark Thane to life…

What is Dungeons and Dragons? this question drove the founder of Rolldark Game Master Agency into the world of obsession.

Kids looking up to their parents is the base separation of power that every Dungeon Master must yield to their advantage.

Any writer worth their salt knows, that to be a good writer you have to write… But to be a great writer you have to read!