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

You know the trope: the DM who builds an unwinnable encounter, or a puzzle so clever it’s basically unsolvable — not because the story needed it, but because somewhere underneath, they needed to feel untouchable.

In this episode, Justin unpacks the inner work behind that trope: a concept he calls “okness,” the diamond-level self-security that keeps insecurity, jealousy, and thin skin from leaking into your games. You’ll get four practical exercises — the Negative Feedback Loop, the Gratitude Journal, the Worst Case Scenario, and Subtraction — to build the kind of okness that lets you take criticism, welcome chaos at the table, and run better games because of it, not in spite of it.

Thanks for listening to today’s show. If you like our stuff and want to support us, here are some sponsor links and links to our other stuff:

• Worldsmith: http://session0studios.com/worldsmith
• Hire a Professional Dungeon Master: https://session0studios.com/dungeon-master-for-hire/
• Discord: http://session0studios.com/discord
• Patreon:https://session0studios.com/patreon
• Dungeon Master Level Up Guide: https://session0studios.com/newsletter

Welcome back to Creative Contraband, dear Dungeon Masters! Today Danny Barrett tells us about Your Last Day on Earth, a free contemplative solo NanoRPG.

We then use that as a pivot to discuss the role of TTRPGs in therapy, and how we can apply some of that knowledge at our tables, while staying safe and caring.

Creative Contraband is a segment designed and hosted with love by Danny Barrett for How to Be a Better DM.

Find Danny at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/gamemaster.hof⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Find Heltung Storytelling's work at: https://heltung-storytelling.itch.io/your-last-day-on-earth

If you want more content for Dungeon Masters and Game Masters alike, you can find related projects and sponsored links here:

Worldsmith: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://session0studios.com/worldsmith⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Roll and Play Press: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://session0studios.com/rollandplay⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Phantasm Studios: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://session0studios.com/fantasms⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Monument Studios: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠session0studios.com/monumentstudios⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Discord: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://session0studios.com/discord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://session0studios.com/patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Dungeon Master Level Up Guide: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://session0studios.com/newsletter

Do you ALSO feel the crushing need to homebrew if you want to be a good DM? Well you're not alone! While one of the best aspects of D&D is the capacity to create a world, an adventure, or even classes and spells out of pure imagination, it's also a LOT of work... but is the adventure better in the end for it? That's what Tanner discusses in this episode.

Welcome back, Dungeon Masters and Game Masters! Today Danny Barrett talks about the importance of being present and focusing on our players.

We discuss different kinds of performance art, and the differences in replicability between paintings, music, improvisation, TTRPGs and others.

Creative Contraband is a segment designed and hosted with love by Danny Barrett for How to Be a Better DM.

Find Danny at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/gamemaster.hof⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

If you want more content for Dungeon Masters and Game Masters alike, you can find related projects and sponsored links here:

Worldsmith: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://session0studios.com/worldsmith⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Roll and Play Press: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://session0studios.com/rollandplay⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Phantasm Studios: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://session0studios.com/fantasms⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Monument Studios: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠session0studios.com/monumentstudios⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Discord: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://session0studios.com/discord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://session0studios.com/patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Dungeon Master Level Up Guide: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://session0studios.com/newsletter

Welcome back, dear Dungeon Masters and Game Masters! Today Danny Barrett tells us how the order of the information influences the conclusions we draw.

We discuss examples from TV shows, and you will be able to learn how to use the Kuleshov Effect to help (or not) your players.

Creative Contraband is a segment designed and hosted with love by Danny Barrett for How to Be a Better DM.

Find Danny at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/gamemaster.hof⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

If you want more content for Dungeon Masters and Game Masters alike, you can find related projects and sponsored links here:

Worldsmith: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://session0studios.com/worldsmith⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Roll and Play Press: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://session0studios.com/rollandplay⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Phantasm Studios: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://session0studios.com/fantasms⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Monument Studios: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠session0studios.com/monumentstudios⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Discord: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://session0studios.com/discord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://session0studios.com/patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Dungeon Master Level Up Guide: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://session0studios.com/newsletter

Scheduling conflicts aren’t really about calendars — they’re about priorities. Justin shares the story of nearly losing three close friendships (and Session 0 Studios’ own actual play show, The Pact and Boon) before realizing that every scheduling conflict falls into one of two categories: Capabilities Problems (miscommunication, logistics, missed texts) or Priorities Problems (misaligned commitment levels). The first is easy to fix. The second is the one nobody talks about — and the one actually killing most campaigns.

In this episode:

• The Pact and Boon story: how misaligned commitment nearly cost three friendships

• The two categories every scheduling issue falls into — and why only one of them is a “logistics” problem

• Three steps to get your group’s priorities aligned before it becomes a crisis

• A rundown of scheduling tools (Google Calendar, When2Meet, Doodle, the “everyone marks unavailable days” method) — and why none of them matter if priorities aren’t aligned first

Thanks for listening to today’s show. If you like our stuff and want to support us, here are some sponsor links and links to our other stuff:

Worldsmith: http://session0studios.com/worldsmith

Hire a Professional Dungeon Master: https://session0studios.com/dungeon-master-for-hire/

Discord: http://session0studios.com/discord

Patreon:https://session0studios.com/patreon

Dungeon Master Level Up Guide: https://session0studios.com/newsletter

Welcome, dear Dungeon Masters and Game Masters! Today Danny Barrett shows us how reskinning can optimize effort and enhance success at the table.

Do you have some more examples we missed?

Creative Contraband is a segment designed and hosted with love by Danny Barrett for How to Be a Better DM.

Find Danny at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/gamemaster.hof⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

If you want more content for Dungeon Masters and Game Masters alike, you can find related projects and sponsored links here:

Worldsmith: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://session0studios.com/worldsmith⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Roll and Play Press: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://session0studios.com/rollandplay⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Phantasm Studios: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://session0studios.com/fantasms⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Monument Studios: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠session0studios.com/monumentstudios⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Discord: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://session0studios.com/discord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://session0studios.com/patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Dungeon Master Level Up Guide: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://session0studios.com/newsletter

Your party just walked into a magic item shop — and at least one of them is already casing the room for guards, cameras, and an exit route. Are you ready?

This episode breaks down how to run magic item shops that actually hold up under player scrutiny: how to protect items players will try to steal, how to stock a shop so it feels earned rather than random (crafters, trade routes, and discovery), and why you should always price higher than your gut tells you to — especially if you’re letting players haggle.

Thanks for listening to today’s show. If you like our stuff and want to support us, here are some sponsor links and links to our other stuff:

Worldsmith: http://session0studios.com/worldsmith

Hire a Professional Dungeon Master: https://session0studios.com/dungeon-master-for-hire/

Discord: http://session0studios.com/discord

Patreon:https://session0studios.com/patreon

Dungeon Master Level Up Guide: https://session0studios.com/newsletter

Welcome once again, dear Dungeon Masters and Game Masters! Today we talk about how the Lord of the Rings trilogy can be described mostly as DnD checks and situations.

In this episode you will learn how to take a movie and analyze it in DnD terms, maybe even translating some situations into the table.

Creative Contraband is a segment designed and hosted with love by Danny Barrett for How to Be a Better DM.

Find Danny at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/gamemaster.hof⁠⁠⁠⁠

If you want more content for Dungeon Masters and Game Masters alike, you can find related projects and sponsored links here:

Worldsmith: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://session0studios.com/worldsmith⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Roll and Play Press: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://session0studios.com/rollandplay⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Phantasm Studios: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://session0studios.com/fantasms⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Monument Studios: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠session0studios.com/monumentstudios⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Discord: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://session0studios.com/discord⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://session0studios.com/patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Dungeon Master Level Up Guide: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://session0studios.com/newsletter

Railroading has a bad reputation in the TTRPG world — but is it actually the villain DMs think it is? In this live panel from FanX 2025, Justin Lewis, Tanner Weyland, and Cayden Ottley dig into what railroading really means, why every DM does it whether they realize it or not, and where the line sits between guiding a story and steamrolling player agency. Expect real talk on good railroading vs. bad railroading, how to course-correct when you've leaned too hard on the tracks, and how player perception shapes whether a table even feels railroaded at all.

Thanks for listening to today's show. If you like our stuff and want to support us, here are some sponsor links and links to our other stuff:
Worldsmith: http://session0studios.com/worldsmith
Hire a Professional Dungeon Master: https://session0studios.com/dungeon-master-for-hire/
Discord: http://session0studios.com/discord
Patreon:https://session0studios.com/patreon
Dungeon Master Level Up Guide: https://session0studios.com/newsletter