How to Be a Better DM: Dungeon Master Tips for the DM Newbie, the Hobbyist and the Forever DM

In this episode, I’m breaking down the three levers every DM has to fix frustrating table behavior without turning into the bad guy: structural changes to your game, direct asks you’re probably avoiding, and the mindset shifts that matter more than either one. If you’ve ever resented your players without knowing how to say so, this one’s for you.

Thanks for listening to today’s show. If you like our stuff and want to support us, here are some sponsor links and links to our other stuff:

Worldsmith: http://session0studios.com/worldsmith
Hire a Professional Dungeon Master: https://session0studios.com/dungeon-master-for-hire/
Discord: http://session0studios.com/discord
Patreon: https://session0studios.com/patreon
Dungeon Master Level Up Guide: https://session0studios.com/newsletter

Is it possible to build a combat encounter quickly while also making it interesting? After all, most quickly-planned encounters end up just being a bunch of random enemies thrown at the players. But that's not as interesting as an encounter that has a concept, unique terrains, and monsters to match (which is the formula Tanner will be exploring in today's episode). Let's roll initiative!

Welcome to the Season Finale of Creative Contraband! Today Danny Barrett helps us deal with slow sessions or stuck campaigns.
With these 4 different techniques, you will be able to make things move again whether you are a Dungeon Master or a Game Master.

Creative Contraband is a segment designed and hosted with love by Danny Barrett for How to Be a Better DM.
Find Danny at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/gamemaster.hof⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

If you want more content for Dungeon Masters and Game Masters alike, you can find related projects and sponsored links here:
Worldsmith: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://session0studios.com/worldsmith⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Roll and Play Press: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://session0studios.com/rollandplay⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Phantasm Studios: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://session0studios.com/fantasms⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Monument Studios: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠session0studios.com/monumentstudios⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Discord: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://session0studios.com/discord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://session0studios.com/patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Dungeon Master Level Up Guide: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://session0studios.com/newsletter

In the third and last interview of the season, we join the very productive DM Neal, and talk about everything from Mimics and subverting expectation, to IT work and business practices.
Grab a pen, open a beer and enjoy this talk filled with useful information!

Creative Contraband is a segment designed and hosted with love by Danny Barrett for How to Be a Better DM.
Find Danny at: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/gamemaster.hof⁠⁠
Listen to DMs Block here: https://dungeonmasterblock.podbean.com/
Listen to me on DMs Block here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6208_OKMKk
Listen to Whelmed: The Young Justice Files here: https://open.spotify.com/show/7bReOYZSSmJQBXkm8A2FjF
Read From LP to RP here: https://www.thestruggleisneal.com/

If you want more content for Dungeon Masters and Game Masters alike, you can find related projects and sponsored links here:
Worldsmith: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://session0studios.com/worldsmith⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Roll and Play Press: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://session0studios.com/rollandplay⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Phantasm Studios: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://session0studios.com/fantasms⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Monument Studios: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠session0studios.com/monumentstudios⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Discord: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://session0studios.com/discord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://session0studios.com/patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
Dungeon Master Level Up Guide: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://session0studios.com/newsletter

You know the trope: the DM who builds an unwinnable encounter, or a puzzle so clever it’s basically unsolvable — not because the story needed it, but because somewhere underneath, they needed to feel untouchable.
In this episode, Justin unpacks the inner work behind that trope: a concept he calls “okness,” the diamond-level self-security that keeps insecurity, jealousy, and thin skin from leaking into your games. You’ll get four practical exercises — the Negative Feedback Loop, the Gratitude Journal, the Worst Case Scenario, and Subtraction — to build the kind of okness that lets you take criticism, welcome chaos at the table, and run better games because of it, not in spite of it.

Thanks for listening to today’s show. If you like our stuff and want to support us, here are some sponsor links and links to our other stuff:
Worldsmith: http://session0studios.com/worldsmith
Hire a Professional Dungeon Master: https://session0studios.com/dungeon-master-for-hire/
Discord: http://session0studios.com/discord
Patreon:https://session0studios.com/patreon
Dungeon Master Level Up Guide: https://session0studios.com/newsletter