gh-saharcarmel-candlekeep-plugins-dnd-dm/skills/dnd-dm/dm-guide.md

Dungeon Master Guide for Published Adventures

This guide covers best practices for running published D&D adventures effectively, with focus on using CandleKeep to reference adventure content.

Table of Contents

1. Campaign Preparation
2. Session Structure
3. Running Encounters
4. NPC Management
5. Improvisation
6. Rule Adjudication
7. Pacing and Engagement

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Campaign Preparation

Before the First Session

1. Read the adventure overview

   • Query the introduction and first few chapters
   • Understand the main villain, plot, and setting
   • Note major NPCs and locations

2. Prepare the hook

   • How do the PCs get involved?
   • What's their motivation?
   • Create compelling opening scene

3. Know your players

   • Character classes and abilities
   • Player experience level
   • Preferred play style (combat/roleplay/exploration)

Before Each Session

1. Review last session notes

   • Where did we leave off?
   • What hooks are active?
   • Which NPCs did they meet?

2. Read ahead 2-3 encounters

   • Know what's coming next
   • Prepare NPC voices and personalities
   • Understand monster tactics

3. Prepare handouts

   • Maps, letters, clues
   • Query relevant pages from CandleKeep

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Session Structure

Opening (5-10 minutes)

Recap last session:

• "Last time, you defeated the goblins..."
• "You're currently in the Cragmaw Hideout..."
• "Your quest is to find Gundren Rockseeker..."

Set the scene:

• Where are they now?
• What time of day?
• What's the immediate situation?

Get player input:

• "What's your first action?"
• "Who's taking point?"

Middle (Main Gameplay)

Alternate between:

• Combat: Tactical battles with stakes
• Exploration: Discovering locations, solving puzzles
• Roleplay: NPC interactions, party dynamics

Keep momentum:

• Cut boring travel: "After 3 hours, you arrive..."
• Move between scenes: "As you leave the inn..."
• Use cliffhangers: "You hear footsteps behind you..."

Closing (5-10 minutes)

Natural stopping point:

• After a major encounter
• Arriving at a new location
• Before a big decision

Wrap-up:

• "Great session! Here's where we are..."
• "Next time, you'll explore the castle..."
• "Any questions or things I should know?"

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Running Encounters

Combat Encounters

Before initiative:

1. Query monster stat blocks from adventure book
2. Describe the scene: terrain, lighting, enemies
3. Roll initiative for monsters (or use average)

During combat:

1. Narrate actions: "The goblin lunges!" not "He rolled 15"
2. Track HP and status: Keep notes on damage and conditions
3. Use monster tactics: Smart enemies use cover, focus fire
4. Describe hits/misses: Make combat cinematic

Example:

DM: "The goblin archer (AC 13, 7 HP) looses an arrow at you.
     That's a 16 to hit - does it hit your AC?"
Player: "Yes, I'm AC 14."
DM: "The arrow strikes your shoulder for 5 piercing damage.
     The goblin cackles and ducks behind the rock."

After combat:

• Describe aftermath
• Allow looting and healing
• XP/milestone advancement

Social Encounters

Prepare NPC personality:

• What do they want?
• What's their attitude toward the party?
• What information can they provide?

Play the NPC:

• Use distinct voice/mannerisms
• Have goals and motivations
• Don't just exposit - make them interactive

Example:

DM: "Sildar Hallwinter is grateful you rescued him. He's a
     human warrior in his 50s, gruff but honorable. 'You have
     my thanks, friends. Those goblins were taking me to their
     boss - some bugbear named Klarg.'"

Exploration Encounters

Describe environment:

• What do they see/hear/smell?
• Any obvious features or dangers?
• What can they interact with?

Ask for actions:

• "What do you do?"
• "Who's checking for traps?"
• "Do you open the door?"

Reward investigation:

• Perception checks reveal details
• Investigation finds clues
• Creative thinking gets bonus info

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NPC Management

Creating Memorable NPCs

Quick personality formula:

• Voice/accent: Gruff, high-pitched, formal, slang
• Mannerism: Fidgets, intense eye contact, laughs nervously
• Goal: What do they want from the PCs?
• Secret: What aren't they saying?

Example NPCs:

• Gundren Rockseeker: Enthusiastic dwarf, talks fast, obsessed with his mine
• Sildar Hallwinter: Serious warrior, protective, speaks formally
• Halia Thornton: Smooth merchant, knows everyone's business, always has an angle

NPC Knowledge

What NPCs know:

• Query adventure book for NPC stat blocks
• Review their background and motivations
• Note what information they can share

What they don't know:

• Avoid omniscient NPCs
• Make players work for information
• NPCs can be wrong or misinformed

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Improvisation

When Players Go Off-Script

Stay calm:

• This is good! Players are engaged
• You don't need to know everything
• Make a ruling and move on

Improvisation techniques:

1. Ask questions:

   • "What does that look like?"
   • "How do you do that?"
   • "What are you hoping to achieve?"

2. Use the adventure structure:

   • Redirect to main quest hooks
   • "You hear rumors about Phandalin..."
   • Make their detour lead back to the story

3. Roll with it:

   • Their creative solution works? Awesome!
   • They avoid an encounter? That's smart!
   • They create a new subplot? Develop it!

4. When you don't know:

   • "Let me check the book..." (query CandleKeep)
   • "That's a great question - I'll rule X for now"
   • "What do you think would happen?"

Making Up Content

When you need to improvise:

• NPCs: Use simple personality (greedy, helpful, suspicious)
• Locations: Describe 2-3 sensory details
• Encounters: Use stat blocks from similar creatures
• Lore: Keep it vague, add details later

Example:

Player: "I want to talk to the blacksmith."
DM (thinking: There's no blacksmith in this section...):
    "Sure! You find the smithy near the center of town. The
    blacksmith is a dwarf woman named Thora. She's hammering
    a horseshoe and barely looks up. 'Need something?'"

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Rule Adjudication

Core Principles

1. Keep the game moving: Don't pause for 10 minutes to look up rules
2. Be consistent: Apply the same ruling each time
3. Rule in favor of fun: When in doubt, let cool things happen
4. Defer complex lookups: "I'll check between sessions"

Common Rulings

Advantage/Disadvantage:

• Grant advantage for good ideas or clever approaches
• Impose disadvantage for difficult circumstances
• Don't stack - it's either advantage, disadvantage, or neither

Ability Checks:

• DC 10: Easy
• DC 15: Medium
• DC 20: Hard
• DC 25: Very Hard

Rule of Cool:

• If a player has a creative idea that's mechanically questionable but awesome, let it work (this once)
• "You want to swing from the chandelier and dropkick the goblin? Roll Athletics... 18? You do it!"

When to Say No

Safety and comfort:

• Respect player boundaries
• No PvP without consent
• Skip uncomfortable content

Game balance:

• Don't let one rule break the game
• "That's too powerful for 1st level"
• Offer alternative approaches

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Pacing and Engagement

Keep the Game Moving

Cut the boring parts:

• ❌ "You walk for 8 hours..."
• ✅ "After a day's travel, you reach..."

Use montages:

• ❌ Detailed shopping for every item
• ✅ "You stock up on supplies and head out"

Time pressure:

• Add urgency to decisions
• "The room is filling with water..."
• "The goblins will return soon..."

Vary the Tempo

Fast-paced:

• Combat
• Chases
• Timed challenges
• "What do you do?!"

Medium-paced:

• Exploration
• Standard roleplay
• Investigation
• "You can look around..."

Slow-paced:

• Character moments
• Major decisions
• Planning
• "Take your time..."

Player Engagement

Spotlight rotation:

• Give each player moments to shine
• Ask quieter players directly: "What is [character] doing?"
• Let different skills matter

Build tension:

• Describe danger before it strikes
• Use dramatic pauses
• Make consequences matter

Reward creativity:

• "That's a great idea!"
• Grant advantage or lower DC
• Let unusual approaches work

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Common Pitfalls

Avoid These

❌ Over-preparing: You can't predict everything ✅ Flexible prep: Know the story, improvise details

❌ Railroading: Forcing players down one path ✅ Multiple paths: Let players find their own way

❌ Adversarial DMing: DM vs. Players ✅ Collaborative story: You're on the same team

❌ Ignoring the book: Making up everything ✅ Use the book: It's there to help you

❌ Perfectionism: Getting every rule right ✅ Good enough: Keep the game fun and moving

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Quick Reference Checklist

Every session:

• Review last session notes
• Read ahead 2-3 encounters
• Prepare NPC personalities
• Query key content from CandleKeep
• Have monster stat blocks ready

During session:

• Recap previous session
• Set the scene vividly
• Ask "What do you do?"
• Narrate actions cinematically
• Take notes on key events

After session:

• Update session notes
• Update campaign summary
• Note any rulings made
• Prep for next session

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Remember: The best DM is a prepared, flexible storyteller who puts player fun first.