Synopses & Reviews
Want to be a Dungeon Master? Get started or ramp up your skills with this fun and easy guide!
Whether you've already run a few Dungeons & Dragons® games or you've decided to try Dungeon Mastering, this book's for you. Here are all the basics of managing a game in the new 4th Edition plus everything that will take your skills to the next level: how to build a good story, design a great dungeon, craft a campaign, and so much more.
Keep it moving learn to build challenging encounters, make reasonable rulings, and manage disagreements
Play in style find your personal style and develop a game that plays to your strengths
Be adventurous understand the parts of an adventure, how to create maps, and how to run monsters and villains
Risks and rewards learn to keep the game in balance with level-appropriate rewards (experience points, treasure, and magic items)
Campaign build a campaign with exciting themes, memorable villains, and plots that keep players entranced
Open the book and find:
A sample adventure
How to improve your narration
How to tailor adventures for various types of players
Tips for running published adventures
Advice on building a continuing storyline
How to draw dungeon maps and use D&D Dungeon Tiles
How to create a campaign world
How to keep adventures challenging through the paragon and epic tiers
Synopsis
- Everything you need to know to run your very first campaign, from shaping storylines and writing your own adventures to dealing with unruly players and characters.
- Fully updated to reflect the changes to Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition, which is due out in Spring 2008. Includes new information on running a game online, as well as two new sample dungeons.
- Includes useful 6-page gatefold cheat sheet with the most commonly used tables, codes and spells the Dungeon Master needs for easy reference at the gaming table.
- Also includes a new 8-page color signature with vibrant photos of D&D characters and dungeons.
Synopsis
Design your own fantasy epic and engage in adventurous exploits with others all from the comfort of your living roomIf you're a Dungeons & Dragons fan, you've surely thought of becoming a Dungeon Master. Learning to be a DM isn't as hard as you might think, especially if you have
Dungeon Master 4th Edition For Dummies tucked into your bag of tricks
From organizing your first D&D game to dealing with difficult players, this book covers everything a DM needs to know. Written for the newest edition of D&D by the experts at Wizards of the Coast, creators of the game, it shows you how to:
- Build challenging encounters, make reasonable rulings, and manage disagreements
- Recognize all the common codes, tables, and spells
- Understand the parts of a D&D adventure and how to create dungeon maps and craft monsters
- Shape storylines and write your own adventures
- Find your style as a DM and develop a game style that plays to your strengths
- Script an encounter, vary the terrain and challenges, and establish rewards (experience points and treasure)
- Decide whether to use published adventures
- Use and follow the official Dungeon Master's Guide
- Develop a campaign with exciting themes, memorable villains, and plots that keep players entranced
If you're getting the urge to lead the charge in a D&D game of your own, Dungeon Master 4th Edition For Dummies will introduce you to the DM's many jobs. With the information you need to start your own game, craft exciting stories, and set up epic adventures, you'll be on your way
Synopsis
Design your own fantasy D&D epic filled with adventurous exploits, cloaked characters, and mysterious monsters
If you're a Dungeons & Dragons fan, you've surely thought of becoming a Dungeon Master. Learning to be a DM isn't as hard as you might think, especially if you have Dungeon Master For Dummies tucked into your bag of tricks
Whether you've assumed the role of Dungeon Master before or not, this illustrated reference can help you run a D&D game, either online or in person. From organizing your first D&D game to dealing with difficult players, this book covers everything a DM needs to know. Written for the newest edition of D&D by the experts at Wizards of the Coast, the game's creators, it shows you how to:
Run your very first campaign, from shaping storylines and writing your own adventures to dealing with unruly players and characters
Build challenging encounters, make reasonable rulings, and manage disagreements
Recognize all the common codes, tables, and spells
Understand the parts of a D&D adventure and how to create dungeon maps and craft monsters
Shape storylines and write your own adventures
Find your style as a DM and develop a game style that plays to your strengths
Script an encounter, vary the terrain and challenges, and establish rewards (experience points and treasure)
Decide whether to use published adventures
Use and follow the official Dungeon Master's Guide
Develop a campaign with exciting themes, memorable villains, and plots to entrance players
If you're getting the urge to lead the charge in a D&D game of your own, Dungeon Master For Dummies provides the information you need to start your own game, craft exciting stories, and set up epic adventures. Grab your copy today, and you'll be on your way
Synopsis
Now updated--the insider's guide that shows Dungeons &Dragons enthusiasts how to run their own D&D games
More than 4.6 million North Americans currently play Dungeons &Dragons, the granddaddy of all fantasy roleplaying games. For every D&D game, there's a Dungeon Master--the person who directs the storyline and acts as a referee. Written by high-level insiders at Wizards of the Coast, the company behind D&D, and updated to cover the new Fourth Edition of the game as well as new online game-play options, this fun and easy guide shows current and aspiring Dungeon Masters exactly what it takes to orchestrate successful D&D adventures and campaigns. It comes complete with two new sample dungeons, color illustrations, and an indispensable gatefold Cheat Sheet.
James Wyatt (Renton, WA) is the Lead Story Designer for D&D, one of the lead designers of D&D 4th Edition, and the main author of the 4th Edition update of Dungeon Master's Guide (978-0-7869-4880-2). For Bill Slavicsek and Richard Baker's biographies, please see above.
Synopsis
If you’re a Dungeons & Dragons fan, you’ve surely thought of becoming a Dungeon Master. Learning to be a DM isn’t as hard as you might think, especially if you have
Dungeon Master 4th Edition For Dummies tucked into your bag of tricks!
From organizing your first D&D game to dealing with difficult players, this book covers everything a DM needs to know. Written for the newest edition of D&D by the experts at Wizards of the Coast, creators of the game, it shows you how to:
- Build challenging encounters, make reasonable rulings, and manage disagreements
- Recognize all the common codes, tables, and spells
- Understand the parts of a D&D adventure and how to create dungeon maps and craft monsters
- Shape storylines and write your own adventures
- Find your style as a DM and develop a game style that plays to your strengths
- Script an encounter, vary the terrain and challenges, and establish rewards (experience points and treasure)
- Decide whether to use published adventures
- Use and follow the official Dungeon Master’s Guide
- Develop a campaign with exciting themes, memorable villains, and plots that keep players entranced
If you’re getting the urge to lead the charge in a D&D game of your own, Dungeon Master 4th Edition For Dummies will introduce you to the DM’s many jobs. With the information you need to start your own game, craft exciting stories, and set up epic adventures, you’ll be on your way!
About the Author
James Wyatt is Design Manager for D&D and a lead designer of D&D 4th Edition. Bill Slavicsek is Director of Roleplaying and Miniatures Game Design. Richard Baker is a senior game designer and bestselling author of Forgotten Realms novels. All are associates of Wizards of the Coast, publisher of the Dungeons & Dragons® game. Bill and Richard are coauthors of Dungeons & Dragons® For Dummies.
Table of Contents
Foreword.Introduction.
Part I: Running a Great Game.
Chapter 1: The Role of the Dungeon Master.
Chapter 2: Preparing for Play.
Chapter 3: Running the Game.
Chapter 4: Narrating the Adventure.
Chapter 5: Dealing with Players.
Chapter 6: Teaching the Game.
Chapter 7: Your First Adventure: Kobold Hall.
Part II: Advanced Dungeon Mastering.
Chapter 8: Running an Ongoing Game.
Chapter 9: Choosing Your Game Style.
Chapter 10: Creating Excitement at the Game Table.
Chapter 11: Growing Your Game.
Chapter 12: Using Every Available Resource.
Part III: Creating Adventures.
Chapter 13: Tools of the Trade.
Chapter 14: The Dungeon Adventure.
Chapter 15: The Wilderness Adventure.
Chapter 16: The Event-Based Adventure.
Chapter 17: The Randomly Generated Adventure.
Chapter 18: Paragon and Epic Adventures.
Chapter 19: Sample Dungeon: The Necromancer’s Apprentice.
Part IV: Building a Campaign.
Chapter 20: Building a Continuous Story.
Chapter 21: Creating Memorable Villains.
Chapter 22: Bringing the World to Life.
Part V: The Part of Tens.
Chapter 23: Ten Heroic Encounters.
Chapter 24: Ten Paragon Encounters.
Chapter 25: Ten Things to Avoid When DMing.
Chapter 26: Ten Things to Do All the Time When DMing.
Index.