# 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](#campaign-preparation)
2. [Session Structure](#session-structure)
3. [Running Encounters](#running-encounters)
4. [NPC Management](#npc-management)
5. [Improvisation](#improvisation)
6. [Rule Adjudication](#rule-adjudication)
7. [Pacing and Engagement](#pacing-and-engagement)

---

## 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

---

## 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?"

---

## 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

---

## 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

---

## 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?'"
```

---

## 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

---

## 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

---

## 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

---

## 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

---

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