Welcome to Dungeon Mastering 101, my Dungeon Mastering course based on over 30 years of experience. In this series I will share my failures and successes and the lessons learned along the way. In this episode, I will cover Core Foundations: The Five Pillars of Running the Table.

Welcome to another DragonLance Saga, Dungeon Mastering 101 episode! It is Palast, Newkolt the 12th, my name is Adam, and today I am continuing my Dragonlance Gaming series all about Dungeon Mastering. Most new Dungeon Masters think a good session comes down to one thing: combat. But if every session is only a fight, players burn out.  If there’s no tension, the world feels flat. And if characters don’t grow, the story doesn’t stick. Running a great game isn’t about doing one thing well — it’s about balancing multiple forms of engagement. Today we’re breaking down the Five Pillars of Running the Table, and how understanding them can transform the way you run your game. Welcome to Dungeon Mastering 101.

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Before we talk about the pillars themselves, we need to reset expectations. A D&D session is not a sequence of encounters.  It is a dynamic system made up of:

The Five Pillars are not rigid categories — they are lenses. They help you diagnose what a session needs right now. A balanced table feels alive because it shifts focus naturally.

Combat is not just about tactics and damage. At its best, combat provides:

For new DMs:

Combat is the pressure cooker of the game — use it intentionally.

Exploration is about giving players the freedom to investigate the world. This includes:

Exploration works when:

For new DMs:

Exploration feeds player agency.

Social interaction is where players test who their characters are. This pillar includes:

Key points for new DMs:

Social scenes turn the world from a backdrop into a relationship.

Downtime is often overlooked — and that’s a mistake. Downtime allows:

For new DMs:

Without downtime, the game becomes exhausting.

Character arcs are the emotional backbone of the campaign. They answer:

For new DMs:

When characters grow, players stay invested.

You do not need all five pillars in every session. Instead:

Examples:

Balance is about awareness, not math.

Here’s the mindset shift that ties everything together: You are not delivering content —
you are curating experiences. The Five Pillars exist to serve:

Your role is to notice what the table needs and provide the right pillar at the right time.

Combat excites. Exploration invites. Social interaction connects. Downtime sustains. Character arcs endure. A great Dungeon Master doesn’t master one pillar — they learn to balance all five.

Once you understand these pillars, you stop asking, “What should happen next?”…and start asking, “What does this table need right now?” That is the heart of Dungeon Mastering 101.

And that’s it for this episode of Dungeon Mastering 101, Core Foundations: The Five Pillars of Running the Table! Do you have any tips or tricks based on your experience as a player or Dungeon Master? Was I off base on any of my suggestions? Feel free to email me at [email protected] or leave a comment below. 

Thank you for tuning in. Don’t forget to like and subscribe to this channel, ring the bell, and you can support this channel by becoming a Patron on Patreon, a Member of this YouTube channel, and you can pick up Dragonlance Gaming materials, using my affiliate link. All links are in the description below. Thank you Creator Patron Aaron Hardy and Developer Patron Chris Androu!

This channel is all about celebrating the wonderful world of the Dragonlance Saga, and I hope you will join me in the celebration. Thank you for watching, this has been Adam with DragonLance Saga and until next time Slàinte mhath (slan-ge-var).