How to Be a Better DM: Dungeon Master Tips for the DM Newbie, the Hobbyist and the Forever DM

By Justin LewisLeisure Hobbies

How to Be a Better DM: Dungeon Master Tips for the DM Newbie, the Hobbyist and the Forever DM episodes

October 31, 2024 DM Coaching: DMing for Kids and Tying Up Loose Ends with Aaron Singh
Welcome Back to How to Be a Better DM!
Today is a very special episode. Today is a Dungeon Master Coaching episode with our friend Aaron Singh.
Today we talk about Dungeon Mastering for kids and tying up loose ends in your campaign.
If you're interested in having your own dungeon master coaching session go to
https://session0studios.com/coaching. If you let us record the first episode, it's free.

Mentioned in this episode:
Try Worldsmith Today!
Give yourself access to infinite possibilities with Worldsmith!
It's the ultimate tool for Dungeon Masters to spark creativity or just save your bacon when you're in a bind.
You can generate infinite stories, traps or treasures.
Sign up at https://session0studios.com/worldsmith-podcast
Worldsmith
Give Us a Rating and Review
You obviously have really good taste, you’re listening to How to Be a Better DM after all. We thank you for your support. If you’ve ever gotten anything useful from our show, take a minute to give us a rating and a review. It goes a very long way to making it so How to Be a Better DM can help many more dungeon masters just like you. If you love our content, help others become better dungeon masters too.
Get The Swampberry Moonshine Jamboree For Free
Take a trip down to the bayou in The Swampberry Moonshine Jamboree.
We teamed up with Studio Fantasms to bring you a raucous one-shot adventure full of gatorfolk, catfishing, and a whole lotta moonshine.
We wrote the adventure, they designed the minis—it’s a sweet little bundle, and it’s totally free for the month of May.
Just head to https://session0studios.com/fantasms and sign up to grab it.
Don’t wait—May’s free, and once it’s gone, it’s gone.
Brought to you by Session 0 Studios
Visit session0studios.com for more information.
44 min
October 24, 2024 Oh No! Your party is in trouble! Deus Ex Machina, I guess??
Your party probably gets into a lot of sticky, unforeseeable moments, where death or a terrible consequence is on the table. At that moment, you might be tempted to utilize a Deus Ex Machina plot device, saving them from their own mistakes through some person or change that they never expected. But is that a crutch for you, or an opportunity? Let's talk about it!
Mentioned in this episode:
Brought to you by Session 0 Studios
Visit session0studios.com for more information.
Give Us a Rating and Review
You obviously have really good taste, you’re listening to How to Be a Better DM after all. We thank you for your support. If you’ve ever gotten anything useful from our show, take a minute to give us a rating and a review. It goes a very long way to making it so How to Be a Better DM can help many more dungeon masters just like you. If you love our content, help others become better dungeon masters too.
Add the Magic of Sound to Your Gameplay
When you set the scene you need to tap into the five senses. When it comes to sound one of the best ways to do that is with music, sound effects, and ambience. That’s why we’ve teamed up with Monument Studios.
Monument Studios provides an easy-to-use Soundboard perfect for Dungeon Mastering. If you want to see this in action, go to fantasy-plus.com and get 10% off of your first month of their Fantasy+ App by using the code BETTERDM at check out. Again that is fantasy-plus.com and BETTERDM at checkout.
Monument Studios
Join Our Discord
So a little bit of a spoiler alert. We’re building an army.
That’s right, we’re building an army of amazing dungeon masters who want to make the world of D&D a better place.
If you want to join our army and fight by our side against the evil forces of boredom and bad dming, join our Discord and lend your voice to the cause.
Go to Session0studios.com/discord and join for free today.
Discord
20 min
October 17, 2024How to Flesh Out Your Afterlife - Questions to Ask to Help Develop the Concepts of Afterlife in your Homebrew World
Welcome back to How to Be a Better DM.
Today we talk about the afterlife. Listen to episode 109 of our show to learn about death in D&D if you want more on this topic.
Here are some questions to help you flesh out the topic of the afterlife in you
Is there an afterlife?
How many types are there? With many different gods who rule over many different domains, you need to know how many afterlifes are there?
Are there any negative ones?
What is it like in any of those afterlifes? You need some sort of description of the experience a soul would have in that afterlife.
What interactions do souls have with their deity and with other souls?
What determines whether they end up in one afterlife versus another? Is it a pick and choose, or do actions determine the eternal resting place of a soul.
Is there a chance you end up where you don’t want to be?
Is it permanent? Once you’re in one type of afterlife, can you change to a different afterlife, even if you don’t want to?
Has anyone returned to life from the afterlife? If so, what do they remember?
Do people know or understand the afterlife?

Mentioned in this episode:
Brought to you by Session 0 Studios
Visit session0studios.com for more information.
Give Us a Rating and Review
You obviously have really good taste, you’re listening to How to Be a Better DM after all. We thank you for your support. If you’ve ever gotten anything useful from our show, take a minute to give us a rating and a review. It goes a very long way to making it so How to Be a Better DM can help many more dungeon masters just like you. If you love our content, help others become better dungeon masters too.
Add the Magic of Sound to Your Gameplay
When you set the scene you need to tap into the five senses. When it comes to sound one of the best ways to do that is with music, sound effects, and ambience. That’s why we’ve teamed up with Monument Studios.
Monument Studios provides an easy-to-use Soundboard perfect for Dungeon Mastering. If you want to see this in action, go to fantasy-plus.com and get 10% off of your first month of their Fantasy+ App by using the code BETTERDM at check out. Again that is fantasy-plus.com and BETTERDM at checkout.
Monument Studios
Join Our Discord
So a little bit of a spoiler alert. We’re building an army.
That’s right, we’re building an army of amazing dungeon masters who want to make the world of D&D a better place.
If you want to join our army and fight by our side against the evil forces of boredom and bad dming, join our Discord and lend your voice to the cause.
Go to Session0studios.com/discord and join for free today.
Discord
26 min
October 10, 2024 When Your D&D Group Loses Momentum
We’ve all been there: you’ve had a great run with all your players. Month after month, and maybe even week after week, you’ve been able to meet without any significant delays or gaps. And then, all of a sudden, it’s hard to meet. And if you do discuss meeting up, people don’t seem to prioritize it as much. And you’re worried that the campaign might not have much longer to live, so to speak. So, what do you do? Let's talk about it.
Mentioned in this episode:
Brought to you by Session 0 Studios
Visit session0studios.com for more information.
Why Listen to Ads?
Ugh, another ad break.
Let’s be real—ads are the worst. If you’re anything like my wife, you’d rather quit a show entirely than sit through another ad.
So why suffer? Just skip them.
Join our Patreon at patreon.com/betterdungeonmaster and enjoy ad-free episodes with exclusive patron-only content—all for just $5 a month.
Look at you, all fancy with your uninterrupted listening experience.
So stop wasting time on ads (like this one). Go to patreon.com/betterdungeonmaster and upgrade your listening today!
Patreon
Join Our Discord
So a little bit of a spoiler alert. We’re building an army.
That’s right, we’re building an army of amazing dungeon masters who want to make the world of D&D a better place.
If you want to join our army and fight by our side against the evil forces of boredom and bad dming, join our Discord and lend your voice to the cause.
Go to Session0studios.com/discord and join for free today.
Discord
Give Us a Rating and Review
You obviously have really good taste, you’re listening to How to Be a Better DM after all. We thank you for your support. If you’ve ever gotten anything useful from our show, take a minute to give us a rating and a review. It goes a very long way to making it so How to Be a Better DM can help many more dungeon masters just like you. If you love our content, help others become better dungeon masters too.
21 min
October 03, 20248 Tips for Begginner Dungeon Masters
Welcome back to today's Show.
Today, we talk about 8 tips for beginner dungeon masters.
Stop Waiting - For Finding Players listen to this episode: https://session0studios.com/captivate-podcast/how-to-find-your-dd-group/
Push Past the Learning Curve
Start where you are.
Focus on your Strengths or on Finding your Strengths
Don’t Stop - Be Consistent
Focus on Player Engagement
Do what feels fun and cool
Be Real with Your Players

Thanks for listening.
Mentioned in this episode:
Give Us a Rating and Review
You obviously have really good taste, you’re listening to How to Be a Better DM after all. We thank you for your support. If you’ve ever gotten anything useful from our show, take a minute to give us a rating and a review. It goes a very long way to making it so How to Be a Better DM can help many more dungeon masters just like you. If you love our content, help others become better dungeon masters too.
Why Listen to Ads?
Ugh, another ad break.
Let’s be real—ads are the worst. If you’re anything like my wife, you’d rather quit a show entirely than sit through another ad.
So why suffer? Just skip them.
Join our Patreon at patreon.com/betterdungeonmaster and enjoy ad-free episodes with exclusive patron-only content—all for just $5 a month.
Look at you, all fancy with your uninterrupted listening experience.
So stop wasting time on ads (like this one). Go to patreon.com/betterdungeonmaster and upgrade your listening today!
Patreon
Join Our Discord
So a little bit of a spoiler alert. We’re building an army.
That’s right, we’re building an army of amazing dungeon masters who want to make the world of D&D a better place.
If you want to join our army and fight by our side against the evil forces of boredom and bad dming, join our Discord and lend your voice to the cause.
Go to Session0studios.com/discord and join for free today.
Discord
Brought to you by Session 0 Studios
Visit session0studios.com for more information.
16 min
September 26, 2024Swole Initiative: Player Check-ins and Campaign Themes with Jay Foster
Welcome back to How to Be a Better DM
Today we have a special episode with Jay Foster from Swole Initiative (https://swoleinitiative.com/)
Today we talk about a lot of things including:
The importance of player check-ins
How to push boundaries without crossing lines or veils
Why and how to add theme to your game

And more.
If you liked today's episode and you want Jay to come back on the show, go onto Jay's social medias and tell him thanks for joining us and show him some love.
Mentioned in this episode:
Join Our Discord
So a little bit of a spoiler alert. We’re building an army.
That’s right, we’re building an army of amazing dungeon masters who want to make the world of D&D a better place.
If you want to join our army and fight by our side against the evil forces of boredom and bad dming, join our Discord and lend your voice to the cause.
Go to Session0studios.com/discord and join for free today.
Discord
Give Us a Rating and Review
You obviously have really good taste, you’re listening to How to Be a Better DM after all. We thank you for your support. If you’ve ever gotten anything useful from our show, take a minute to give us a rating and a review. It goes a very long way to making it so How to Be a Better DM can help many more dungeon masters just like you. If you love our content, help others become better dungeon masters too.
Why Listen to Ads?
Ugh, another ad break.
Let’s be real—ads are the worst. If you’re anything like my wife, you’d rather quit a show entirely than sit through another ad.
So why suffer? Just skip them.
Join our Patreon at patreon.com/betterdungeonmaster and enjoy ad-free episodes with exclusive patron-only content—all for just $5 a month.
Look at you, all fancy with your uninterrupted listening experience.
So stop wasting time on ads (like this one). Go to patreon.com/betterdungeonmaster and upgrade your listening today!
Patreon
Brought to you by Session 0 Studios
Visit session0studios.com for more information.
52 min
September 24, 2024What to Spend $50 on For Your D&D Hobby
Welcome back to How to Be a Better DM
This is another RAW episode, which means more personality and less polish.
I'm your host today, Justin Lewis.
Today we talk about what I would spend $50 on to improve my D&D hobby.
This is my list:
A dungeon master screen
A new Sourcebook
A large tablecloth and some pipe cleaner
A lot of Foam and some paint
A set piece
Some LED lights
A simple sound system
Minis I guess

Mentioned in this episode:
Brought to you by Session 0 Studios
Visit session0studios.com for more information.
Join Our Discord
So a little bit of a spoiler alert. We’re building an army.
That’s right, we’re building an army of amazing dungeon masters who want to make the world of D&D a better place.
If you want to join our army and fight by our side against the evil forces of boredom and bad dming, join our Discord and lend your voice to the cause.
Go to Session0studios.com/discord and join for free today.
Discord
Give Us a Rating and Review
You obviously have really good taste, you’re listening to How to Be a Better DM after all. We thank you for your support. If you’ve ever gotten anything useful from our show, take a minute to give us a rating and a review. It goes a very long way to making it so How to Be a Better DM can help many more dungeon masters just like you. If you love our content, help others become better dungeon masters too.
Why Listen to Ads?
Ugh, another ad break.
Let’s be real—ads are the worst. If you’re anything like my wife, you’d rather quit a show entirely than sit through another ad.
So why suffer? Just skip them.
Join our Patreon at patreon.com/betterdungeonmaster and enjoy ad-free episodes with exclusive patron-only content—all for just $5 a month.
Look at you, all fancy with your uninterrupted listening experience.
So stop wasting time on ads (like this one). Go to patreon.com/betterdungeonmaster and upgrade your listening today!
Patreon
20 min
September 19, 2024The Skills of the Dungeon Master
Welcome back to the show!
Today we talk about what skills you need to develop as a DM.
Mechanics

Understanding the basic gameplay of the game
Being able to make twists on the rules or invent new ones to suit your game
Player Management

Scheduling Management
Relationship Management
Story Writing

Being able to create beautiful settings
Being able to build amazingly real characters
Plot twists, turns and developments
Pacing
Roleplaying

Voice Acting
Personification of the different characters
Improvisation

Previous episode about improv: https://session0studios.com/captivate-podcast/improve-and-comedy/
Presentation

Online Game Technology Mastery
Minis and Maps
Lore

Full understanding of the lore of your world
Full understanding of available DnD Lore
Experience Planning

The extras
The Wow Factor
Combat

Speeding it up
Keeping it Interesting
Mentioned in this episode:
Brought to you by Session 0 Studios
Visit session0studios.com for more information.
Give Us a Rating and Review
You obviously have really good taste, you’re listening to How to Be a Better DM after all. We thank you for your support. If you’ve ever gotten anything useful from our show, take a minute to give us a rating and a review. It goes a very long way to making it so How to Be a Better DM can help many more dungeon masters just like you. If you love our content, help others become better dungeon masters too.
Do You Want to Earn some Money?
🎲 Want to Earn Some Extra Gold?
We’re offering a referral incentive for our professional Dungeon Mastering services! Here’s how it works:
1️⃣ Refer someone to session0studios.com/prodm
2️⃣ They sign up for a free consultation.
3️⃣ They mention they were referred by a podcast listener.
4️⃣ We DM an unforgettable session for them.
5️⃣ They get 10% off their booking.
6️⃣ You get 10% of what they paid—straight into your coin purse.
7️⃣ We celebrate with a virtual high-five. 🙌
We run games for private groups and corporate teams—whether it’s a one-shot or a long-term campaign.
💰 Want to earn some gold and help someone level up their game night?
Send them to session0studios.com/prodm and start earning today!
Why Listen to Ads?
Ugh, another ad break.
Let’s be real—ads are the worst. If you’re anything like my wife, you’d rather quit a show entirely than sit through another ad.
So why suffer? Just skip them.
Join our Patreon at patreon.com/betterdungeonmaster and enjoy ad-free episodes with exclusive patron-only content—all for just $5 a month.
Look at you, all fancy with your uninterrupted listening experience.
So stop wasting time on ads (like this one). Go to patreon.com/betterdungeonmaster and upgrade your listening today!
Patreon
31 min
September 17, 2024RAW: Voice Acting Tips from a Non-Voice Actor
Welcome back to today's RAW podcast episode.
This is a special episode where it is shorter and less edited and more real.
On today's show we talk about 8 voice acting tips from a non-voice actor.
They are:
Tip #1: Commit
Tip #2: Faster or Slower
Tip #3: Eye Contact
Tip #4: Loud or Quiet
Tip #5: Pauses or Breaks
Tip #6: Your Breath
Tip #7: Inflection and Emphasis
Tip #8: Accent

If you like today's episode reach out to us and let us know.
Mentioned in this episode:
Brought to you by Session 0 Studios
Visit session0studios.com for more information.
Do You Want to Earn some Money?
🎲 Want to Earn Some Extra Gold?
We’re offering a referral incentive for our professional Dungeon Mastering services! Here’s how it works:
1️⃣ Refer someone to session0studios.com/prodm
2️⃣ They sign up for a free consultation.
3️⃣ They mention they were referred by a podcast listener.
4️⃣ We DM an unforgettable session for them.
5️⃣ They get 10% off their booking.
6️⃣ You get 10% of what they paid—straight into your coin purse.
7️⃣ We celebrate with a virtual high-five. 🙌
We run games for private groups and corporate teams—whether it’s a one-shot or a long-term campaign.
💰 Want to earn some gold and help someone level up their game night?
Send them to session0studios.com/prodm and start earning today!
Why Listen to Ads?
Ugh, another ad break.
Let’s be real—ads are the worst. If you’re anything like my wife, you’d rather quit a show entirely than sit through another ad.
So why suffer? Just skip them.
Join our Patreon at patreon.com/betterdungeonmaster and enjoy ad-free episodes with exclusive patron-only content—all for just $5 a month.
Look at you, all fancy with your uninterrupted listening experience.
So stop wasting time on ads (like this one). Go to patreon.com/betterdungeonmaster and upgrade your listening today!
Patreon
Give Us a Rating and Review
You obviously have really good taste, you’re listening to How to Be a Better DM after all. We thank you for your support. If you’ve ever gotten anything useful from our show, take a minute to give us a rating and a review. It goes a very long way to making it so How to Be a Better DM can help many more dungeon masters just like you. If you love our content, help others become better dungeon masters too.
22 min
September 12, 2024 Focusing on Your Strengths: What Makes You a Great DM?
Sometimes, it feels like all of your efforts are focused on the things you DON'T feel good at as a DM: maybe you don't feel like you do voices well. Or you don't feel great at drawing maps. Or maybe you feel like combats drag a bit. Whatever it is, you definitely have spent too much time focusing on your weaknesses. Stop it! This episode is all about finding and focusing on your strengths as a DM. You've got them, and we're going to talk about them!
Mentioned in this episode:
Brought to you by Session 0 Studios
Visit session0studios.com for more information.
Give Us a Rating and Review
You obviously have really good taste, you’re listening to How to Be a Better DM after all. We thank you for your support. If you’ve ever gotten anything useful from our show, take a minute to give us a rating and a review. It goes a very long way to making it so How to Be a Better DM can help many more dungeon masters just like you. If you love our content, help others become better dungeon masters too.
Do You Want to Earn some Money?
🎲 Want to Earn Some Extra Gold?
We’re offering a referral incentive for our professional Dungeon Mastering services! Here’s how it works:
1️⃣ Refer someone to session0studios.com/prodm
2️⃣ They sign up for a free consultation.
3️⃣ They mention they were referred by a podcast listener.
4️⃣ We DM an unforgettable session for them.
5️⃣ They get 10% off their booking.
6️⃣ You get 10% of what they paid—straight into your coin purse.
7️⃣ We celebrate with a virtual high-five. 🙌
We run games for private groups and corporate teams—whether it’s a one-shot or a long-term campaign.
💰 Want to earn some gold and help someone level up their game night?
Send them to session0studios.com/prodm and start earning today!
Save time with Roll and Play Press
Save yourself some precious time with Roll and Play Press.
Go to https://session0studios.com/rollandplay and use code BETTERDM10 at checkout.
17 min