387 lines
9.5 KiB
Markdown
387 lines
9.5 KiB
Markdown
# Dungeon Master Guide for Published Adventures
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This guide covers best practices for running published D&D adventures effectively, with focus on using CandleKeep to reference adventure content.
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## Table of Contents
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1. [Campaign Preparation](#campaign-preparation)
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2. [Session Structure](#session-structure)
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3. [Running Encounters](#running-encounters)
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4. [NPC Management](#npc-management)
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5. [Improvisation](#improvisation)
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6. [Rule Adjudication](#rule-adjudication)
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7. [Pacing and Engagement](#pacing-and-engagement)
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---
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## Campaign Preparation
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### Before the First Session
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1. **Read the adventure overview**
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- Query the introduction and first few chapters
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- Understand the main villain, plot, and setting
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- Note major NPCs and locations
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2. **Prepare the hook**
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- How do the PCs get involved?
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- What's their motivation?
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- Create compelling opening scene
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3. **Know your players**
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- Character classes and abilities
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- Player experience level
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- Preferred play style (combat/roleplay/exploration)
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### Before Each Session
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1. **Review last session notes**
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- Where did we leave off?
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- What hooks are active?
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- Which NPCs did they meet?
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2. **Read ahead 2-3 encounters**
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- Know what's coming next
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- Prepare NPC voices and personalities
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- Understand monster tactics
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3. **Prepare handouts**
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- Maps, letters, clues
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- Query relevant pages from CandleKeep
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---
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## Session Structure
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### Opening (5-10 minutes)
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**Recap last session**:
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- "Last time, you defeated the goblins..."
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- "You're currently in the Cragmaw Hideout..."
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- "Your quest is to find Gundren Rockseeker..."
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**Set the scene**:
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- Where are they now?
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- What time of day?
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- What's the immediate situation?
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**Get player input**:
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- "What's your first action?"
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- "Who's taking point?"
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### Middle (Main Gameplay)
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**Alternate between**:
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- **Combat**: Tactical battles with stakes
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- **Exploration**: Discovering locations, solving puzzles
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- **Roleplay**: NPC interactions, party dynamics
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**Keep momentum**:
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- Cut boring travel: "After 3 hours, you arrive..."
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- Move between scenes: "As you leave the inn..."
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- Use cliffhangers: "You hear footsteps behind you..."
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### Closing (5-10 minutes)
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**Natural stopping point**:
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- After a major encounter
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- Arriving at a new location
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- Before a big decision
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**Wrap-up**:
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- "Great session! Here's where we are..."
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- "Next time, you'll explore the castle..."
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- "Any questions or things I should know?"
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---
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## Running Encounters
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### Combat Encounters
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**Before initiative**:
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1. Query monster stat blocks from adventure book
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2. Describe the scene: terrain, lighting, enemies
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3. Roll initiative for monsters (or use average)
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**During combat**:
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1. **Narrate actions**: "The goblin lunges!" not "He rolled 15"
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2. **Track HP and status**: Keep notes on damage and conditions
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3. **Use monster tactics**: Smart enemies use cover, focus fire
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4. **Describe hits/misses**: Make combat cinematic
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**Example**:
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```
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DM: "The goblin archer (AC 13, 7 HP) looses an arrow at you.
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That's a 16 to hit - does it hit your AC?"
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Player: "Yes, I'm AC 14."
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DM: "The arrow strikes your shoulder for 5 piercing damage.
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The goblin cackles and ducks behind the rock."
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```
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**After combat**:
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- Describe aftermath
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- Allow looting and healing
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- XP/milestone advancement
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### Social Encounters
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**Prepare NPC personality**:
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- What do they want?
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- What's their attitude toward the party?
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- What information can they provide?
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**Play the NPC**:
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- Use distinct voice/mannerisms
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- Have goals and motivations
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- Don't just exposit - make them interactive
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**Example**:
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```
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DM: "Sildar Hallwinter is grateful you rescued him. He's a
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human warrior in his 50s, gruff but honorable. 'You have
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my thanks, friends. Those goblins were taking me to their
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boss - some bugbear named Klarg.'"
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```
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### Exploration Encounters
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**Describe environment**:
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- What do they see/hear/smell?
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- Any obvious features or dangers?
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- What can they interact with?
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**Ask for actions**:
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- "What do you do?"
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- "Who's checking for traps?"
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- "Do you open the door?"
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**Reward investigation**:
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- Perception checks reveal details
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- Investigation finds clues
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- Creative thinking gets bonus info
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---
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## NPC Management
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### Creating Memorable NPCs
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**Quick personality formula**:
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- **Voice/accent**: Gruff, high-pitched, formal, slang
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- **Mannerism**: Fidgets, intense eye contact, laughs nervously
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- **Goal**: What do they want from the PCs?
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- **Secret**: What aren't they saying?
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**Example NPCs**:
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- **Gundren Rockseeker**: Enthusiastic dwarf, talks fast, obsessed with his mine
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- **Sildar Hallwinter**: Serious warrior, protective, speaks formally
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- **Halia Thornton**: Smooth merchant, knows everyone's business, always has an angle
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### NPC Knowledge
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**What NPCs know**:
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- Query adventure book for NPC stat blocks
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- Review their background and motivations
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- Note what information they can share
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**What they don't know**:
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- Avoid omniscient NPCs
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- Make players work for information
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- NPCs can be wrong or misinformed
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---
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## Improvisation
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### When Players Go Off-Script
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**Stay calm**:
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- This is good! Players are engaged
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- You don't need to know everything
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- Make a ruling and move on
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**Improvisation techniques**:
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1. **Ask questions**:
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- "What does that look like?"
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- "How do you do that?"
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- "What are you hoping to achieve?"
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2. **Use the adventure structure**:
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- Redirect to main quest hooks
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- "You hear rumors about Phandalin..."
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- Make their detour lead back to the story
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3. **Roll with it**:
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- Their creative solution works? Awesome!
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- They avoid an encounter? That's smart!
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- They create a new subplot? Develop it!
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4. **When you don't know**:
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- "Let me check the book..." (query CandleKeep)
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- "That's a great question - I'll rule X for now"
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- "What do you think would happen?"
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### Making Up Content
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**When you need to improvise**:
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- **NPCs**: Use simple personality (greedy, helpful, suspicious)
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- **Locations**: Describe 2-3 sensory details
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- **Encounters**: Use stat blocks from similar creatures
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- **Lore**: Keep it vague, add details later
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**Example**:
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```
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Player: "I want to talk to the blacksmith."
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DM (thinking: There's no blacksmith in this section...):
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"Sure! You find the smithy near the center of town. The
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blacksmith is a dwarf woman named Thora. She's hammering
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a horseshoe and barely looks up. 'Need something?'"
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```
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---
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## Rule Adjudication
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### Core Principles
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1. **Keep the game moving**: Don't pause for 10 minutes to look up rules
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2. **Be consistent**: Apply the same ruling each time
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3. **Rule in favor of fun**: When in doubt, let cool things happen
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4. **Defer complex lookups**: "I'll check between sessions"
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### Common Rulings
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**Advantage/Disadvantage**:
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- Grant advantage for good ideas or clever approaches
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- Impose disadvantage for difficult circumstances
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- Don't stack - it's either advantage, disadvantage, or neither
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**Ability Checks**:
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- DC 10: Easy
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- DC 15: Medium
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- DC 20: Hard
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- DC 25: Very Hard
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**Rule of Cool**:
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- If a player has a creative idea that's mechanically questionable but awesome, let it work (this once)
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- "You want to swing from the chandelier and dropkick the goblin? Roll Athletics... 18? You do it!"
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### When to Say No
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**Safety and comfort**:
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- Respect player boundaries
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- No PvP without consent
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- Skip uncomfortable content
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**Game balance**:
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- Don't let one rule break the game
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- "That's too powerful for 1st level"
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- Offer alternative approaches
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---
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## Pacing and Engagement
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### Keep the Game Moving
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**Cut the boring parts**:
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- ❌ "You walk for 8 hours..."
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- ✅ "After a day's travel, you reach..."
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**Use montages**:
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- ❌ Detailed shopping for every item
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- ✅ "You stock up on supplies and head out"
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**Time pressure**:
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- Add urgency to decisions
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- "The room is filling with water..."
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- "The goblins will return soon..."
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### Vary the Tempo
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**Fast-paced**:
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- Combat
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- Chases
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- Timed challenges
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- "What do you do?!"
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**Medium-paced**:
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- Exploration
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- Standard roleplay
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- Investigation
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- "You can look around..."
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**Slow-paced**:
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- Character moments
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- Major decisions
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- Planning
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- "Take your time..."
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### Player Engagement
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**Spotlight rotation**:
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- Give each player moments to shine
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- Ask quieter players directly: "What is [character] doing?"
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- Let different skills matter
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**Build tension**:
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- Describe danger before it strikes
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- Use dramatic pauses
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- Make consequences matter
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**Reward creativity**:
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- "That's a great idea!"
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- Grant advantage or lower DC
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- Let unusual approaches work
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---
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## Common Pitfalls
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### Avoid These
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❌ **Over-preparing**: You can't predict everything
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✅ **Flexible prep**: Know the story, improvise details
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❌ **Railroading**: Forcing players down one path
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✅ **Multiple paths**: Let players find their own way
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❌ **Adversarial DMing**: DM vs. Players
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✅ **Collaborative story**: You're on the same team
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❌ **Ignoring the book**: Making up everything
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✅ **Use the book**: It's there to help you
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❌ **Perfectionism**: Getting every rule right
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✅ **Good enough**: Keep the game fun and moving
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---
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## Quick Reference Checklist
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**Every session**:
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- [ ] Review last session notes
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- [ ] Read ahead 2-3 encounters
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- [ ] Prepare NPC personalities
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- [ ] Query key content from CandleKeep
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- [ ] Have monster stat blocks ready
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**During session**:
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- [ ] Recap previous session
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- [ ] Set the scene vividly
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- [ ] Ask "What do you do?"
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- [ ] Narrate actions cinematically
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- [ ] Take notes on key events
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**After session**:
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- [ ] Update session notes
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- [ ] Update campaign summary
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- [ ] Note any rulings made
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- [ ] Prep for next session
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---
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Remember: **The best DM is a prepared, flexible storyteller who puts player fun first.**
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