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The Art of Foreshadowing: Planting Seeds for Big Reveals
Want to take your campaign from good to unforgettable? In this episode, we’re diving into the art of foreshadowing! Learn how to plant subtle clues, create epic payoffs, and keep your players hooked with those jaw-dropping "aha!" moments. Whether it’s a prophecy, a recurring symbol, or a suspicious NPC, foreshadowing is your secret weapon for immersive storytelling.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- What foreshadowing is and why it’s essential for a cohesive campaign.
- The difference between direct and subtle foreshadowing (and when to use each).
- How to plan your big reveals and drop hints that feel natural.
- Practical DM tips for layering clues, using red herrings, and tracking your foreshadowing efforts.
- Real-world examples you can adapt for your table.
Quick Highlights:
- Start with the reveal: What big moment are you building toward?
- Use NPC dialogue, environmental details, and symbols to plant your hints.
- Repeat clues and let them evolve, but avoid overwhelming players with too many.
- Encourage player speculation—sometimes their theories are better than your plans!
Resources Mentioned:
- Tips for managing clues and continuity in your campaign.
- How to balance foreshadowing with the flow of gameplay.
Connect With Us:
Did you use any of these tips in your campaign? Share your story!
- https://session0studios.com/
- https://www.instagram.com/howtobeabetterdmpodcast?igsh=YmU0b3Zsbms1anUw
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.
Brought to you by Session 0 Studios
Visit session0studios.com for more information.
Sign Up For Dungeon Master Coaching
Wouldn’t it be nice to have someone in your corner as a DM? Maybe having someone who can help you find solutions to your DMing problems and help you improve every aspect of your game.
Well, here at How to Be a Better DM we are trying an experiment. We are offering 5 free coaching sessions to listeners of the show.
During these coaching sessions, we’ll work with you through your strengths and weaknesses as a DM and help you generate a game plan to make both better.
You can either send in a recording of one of your games, or we’ll attend it live if able. If all else fails, we can still chat about your struggle and talk through any prep you’ve done for your upcoming games.
Just go to session0studios.com/coaching and sign up.
Dungeon Master Coaching
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
View all episodes
By Justin Lewis
4.7
3535 ratings
Want to take your campaign from good to unforgettable? In this episode, we’re diving into the art of foreshadowing! Learn how to plant subtle clues, create epic payoffs, and keep your players hooked with those jaw-dropping "aha!" moments. Whether it’s a prophecy, a recurring symbol, or a suspicious NPC, foreshadowing is your secret weapon for immersive storytelling.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- What foreshadowing is and why it’s essential for a cohesive campaign.
- The difference between direct and subtle foreshadowing (and when to use each).
- How to plan your big reveals and drop hints that feel natural.
- Practical DM tips for layering clues, using red herrings, and tracking your foreshadowing efforts.
- Real-world examples you can adapt for your table.
Quick Highlights:
- Start with the reveal: What big moment are you building toward?
- Use NPC dialogue, environmental details, and symbols to plant your hints.
- Repeat clues and let them evolve, but avoid overwhelming players with too many.
- Encourage player speculation—sometimes their theories are better than your plans!
Resources Mentioned:
- Tips for managing clues and continuity in your campaign.
- How to balance foreshadowing with the flow of gameplay.
Connect With Us:
Did you use any of these tips in your campaign? Share your story!
- https://session0studios.com/
- https://www.instagram.com/howtobeabetterdmpodcast?igsh=YmU0b3Zsbms1anUw
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.
Brought to you by Session 0 Studios
Visit session0studios.com for more information.
Sign Up For Dungeon Master Coaching
Wouldn’t it be nice to have someone in your corner as a DM? Maybe having someone who can help you find solutions to your DMing problems and help you improve every aspect of your game.
Well, here at How to Be a Better DM we are trying an experiment. We are offering 5 free coaching sessions to listeners of the show.
During these coaching sessions, we’ll work with you through your strengths and weaknesses as a DM and help you generate a game plan to make both better.
You can either send in a recording of one of your games, or we’ll attend it live if able. If all else fails, we can still chat about your struggle and talk through any prep you’ve done for your upcoming games.
Just go to session0studios.com/coaching and sign up.
Dungeon Master Coaching
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
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