Good Stories Make Good Memories

So you decided to be a Dungeon Master - craftsman of fate, god of the gods! Now you just need to start. The hardest part really. I love to create new worlds with their own people inside of them - characters that you crafted with their own goals, inspirations, and passions. 

World Building: 

It sounds like a lot, but contrary to popular belief you don't have to think out every small detail, the best place to start is to start broad. Think genre, do you want this to be pure fantasy, maybe some science fiction? 

It is entirely up to what you and your players enjoy. Want to go through Camelot with knights, kings, and arch mages? High fantasy is your best bet. Use these legends as a format (if it ain't broke don't fix it). 

The best genre is the ones you enjoy the most, and the one your players are going to like playing in. 

Don't worry about thinking out every significant detail, focus on what your players are going to do, the type of campaign they're going to go through. 

Whether they go through a traditional dungeon crawling experience, or a war campaign where your party is a part of a fire team - mix it up! Do things you may not totally have experienced before. 

Any story can be extraordinary with a little flair and passion on your end, even making your players simple farmers into reluctant adventurers with amazing feats of glory to their names.

This is all up to you and what you think your players are going to enjoy! Genre means a lot, but don't be totally bound by it. The main goal is to have fun, for both you and your players. 


Provide plot hooks - opportunities for your players to get a new quest or adventure. Think those through, and be ready for anything. Don't get angry when they completely avoid your plot hooks either (IT IS GOING TO HAPPEN! AND IT IS FRUSTRATING!) 

Stop yourself and check if everyone is having fun - if not you have to change things up. If so, why change at all? 

Be Flexible: 

The best DMs are flexible and can work on their feet. You're working with people - and that means it's going to be unpredictable. Like I said before, be ready for anything. 

Most of the time what you want to happen - won't - and that's okay. Why worry? 

As long as people are having fun, it's perfectly fine. You can think out every single detail, and it'll all go down the drain. Be ready for that. 

Personally, I was running a campaign (still am but that's not important) and I had this whole quest planned out, but it all fizzled away from my own simple mistake (and you WILL make mistakes). 

 A demon that my players weren't supposed to kill yet for some time, except they were able to do it. They slayed the beast and triumphed over a bloody battle between good and evil - now doesn't that sound more fun than the enemy getting away? (I'll give you a hint, it is!) 

Stephen King said "Kill your babies" when writing, and the same can be said with D&D, just be flexible and have fun! 

This is important to remember - let your players have fun. Don't be a railroad DM where they have no options, it's up to you for the story to be flexible. The most bloodthirsty soldiers can still have a laugh or two (it helps make deeper characters that way). 

Knowing the rules and understanding every possible action is important, but this is even more significant when implemented correctly. 

Well Hello Travelers...

Hello fellow players, Dungeon Masters, and fantasy aficionados. Welcome to Dungeons and Dragons and Dunderheads, my personal blog about Dungeons and Dragons! 

I LOVE D&D, and fantasy in general. Overtime it's become much bigger in the public eye, making a lot of new players, and first time Dungeon Masters scrambling to make a new story.  

D&D has gone from kids playing in their basements to a very large and fun pastime enjoyed by many a player and bystander alike. 

Personally, I've been on all sides of the spectrum. I saw people playing for the first time when I was only 12 and in that time I have been a part of many adventures with my friends. 

Being a Dungeon Master (DM), and running a campaign is much different than playing the game, but equally enjoyable. Running a game currently has been an eye opening experience, especially to how hard yet easy it is to come up with your own story that you can put your players through. 

D&D is a lot of fun to play, and there's a huge number of tips about being a good player, working out the best way to be a DM are amazing tips for someone to get started. 

Even seasoned veterans who can tell the difference between a Gelatinous Cube and a Black Pudding can always benefit from a few pointers. 

I hope to share my own personal experiences, both from my own campaign and campaigns I have run in the past. After all, everyone who has played the game knows there is nothing more exciting than hearing your DM say "ROLL INITIATIVE!" 

In the next few posts I will talk about the hardest parts of Dungeons and Dragons, running the game as a Dungeon Master. As a DM you need to create an effective and compelling story, which in itself has its challenges. 

Running a campaign requires good collaboration between your players and yourself, as they want to have a good time as much as much as you do! Finally there are many make or break moments that if gone through effectively can make a campaign memorable or leave a bad taste in everyone's mouth.