Tag Archives: What I Learned

What I Learned from White Plume Mountain

In my group’s monthly sessions this summer, I’ve been running White Plume Mountain. It can be found in the recent premium hardcover adventure compilation Dungeons of Dread and also in Tales from the Yawning Portal. Back in the day, I was mainly … Continue reading

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What I Learned from the D&D Next Playtest

Early last month, our group got together for a session with the D&D Next Playtest material. I was thrilled to be able to get some time in with the new rules, and the players were excited to be beta-testers, if … Continue reading

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What I Learned from Adding New Players to the Group

Last month, we added two new players to our group. I was quite nervous about doing this, as the campaign has been going so well, I didn’t want to mess it up. After thinking it through, I decided to take … Continue reading

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A Year of Learning

It is difficult for me to believe that today marks the first birthday of this blog. One year ago, at the tail end of March 2011, I wrote two posts; the first of these was an introduction, and the second … Continue reading

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What I Learned from Making an Epic Tier Dragon

As I discussed in a recent post, my group had a one-time “flash forward” session where they played as 25th level versions of themselves. Overall, the experience went very well; my players had fun, and I certainly did as well. … Continue reading

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What I Learned from “LOST”: The Flash Forward Encounter

“Lost” is one of my favorite TV shows from the past decade.  A narrative device used in every episode of that show was the flashback sequence, where we learned more about each individual character, showcasing important events from their life … Continue reading

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What I Learned from Using Poker Chips

A good DM should always be on the lookout for new additions to his or her bag of tricks.  One of the simplest and yet most useful such tricks, in my experience, is picking up a set or two of … Continue reading

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How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Battle Maps

As of two Monday nights ago, I am officially running a 4E D&D campaign again.  After more than two months, all the members of my regular group, save one who moved several hours away, got back together for a session. … Continue reading

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How I Learned to Stay Organized: The D&D Box

One of the first things I learned about being a better Dungeon Master is the importance of preparation.  Your game will run smoother if you get your minis and maps ready ahead of time.  But there’s more to it than … Continue reading

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What I Learned from Watching CSI

I realize the title of this post comes out of left field; what does a modern television show about high-tech crime scene investigators have to do with being a better DM?  Once you get past the obvious differences, TV shows … Continue reading

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