Story structure is a tried and tested ancient formula for engaging people in a tale. Without it, we would simply be watching people going about their lives, making tea, vacuuming the house, answering the doorbell and popping to the shops because they ran out of milk.

Why 4 hours is the perfect length for a game of Dungeons and Dragons.

RPGs bring people together and that should include everyone. Lives are changed for the better when people accept others for who they are and invite them into the fun.

If unlike me you’re able to multitask without killing anything within a 5ft radius, online soundboards are amazing! They take a bit of getting used to, especially if you’re rolling dice, thinking about the next plot point, getting royally annoyed that your players keep investigating barrels… every….. single…… one……

Virtual tabletops are also amazing tools for Dungeon Masters and Game Masters, offering them all sorts of interesting ways to world build and see their creative visions come to life.

Dungeon master prep done wrong can be a right time drainer. If you’re the sort of DM that has tons of notebooks for every one of the million campaigns you’ve been running over the last six months, then you are going about your prep so extremely wrong that yes, you deserve to not find that one special note about the nexus gate in the hidden fortress that leads to…. err…… to err…… Dammit!

We are a long way off a UK version of this excellent service, but if you can wait 60 or so days for your orders to arrive, Hero Forge is a great miniature provider. Each design is totally custom with a nearly endless amount of choices to bring your characters to life.

Most players, don’t have a plan, and to be fair this is one of the best ways to have the most fun. But, if you want to get the most out of your D&D Character, you do need to plan them out correctly. Let’s say you have a Ranger. Now Rangers have been getting a lot of stick in recent years as not many players understand or appreciate what they can do for a party. All you really have to do is look at Darl from the Walking Dead Series and you’ll quickly discover a character that can offer so much to a group of players.

Unlike Dungeons & Dragons, the Star Trek RPG offering published by Modpihus uses a completely different set of rules. Make no mistake, this is a lush game with plenty of action, suspense and gritty space battles to get involved in. But making the leap from one RPG system to another can be super tricky to get your head around especially if there’s no clear guidance online on how to do that as smoothly as possible.

Entering a Mind Flayer’s lair, darkness envelopes the party. Hands rest upon weapons as fear

permeates the chasm of jagged stone. No one moves, afraid of what lies in the shadows.

When you are a Dungeon Master, you’re not punishing your players; you’re giving them cool things to do to escape the consequences of their actions. You’re THREATENING them with punishment.

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!