Nerdarchy on DM Tips: This Doesn’t Make You a Bad Dungeon Master
In this 16-minute video on Nerdarchy the YouTube channel Nerdarchists Dave and Ted explore the idea of taking an intermission while being the Dungeon Master of a game of D&D.
The conversation begins with Dave and Ted sharing the inspiration for this video. Game designer Anthony Joyce-Rivera posted on social media the notion to, “Normalize allowing DMs to take a 15-30 minute break at the gaming table if the players do something that derails their planned session. DMs can experience stage fright and freeze up if they don’t feel like they can pause, plan, and recover from a derailed session.” Lots of people experience DM anxiety before and during a game and the video signal boosts the idea that it’s perfectly reasonable for a DM to call for a short break when a game session throws them for a loop.
In the video Dave and Ted illustrate some scenarios where a DM intermission makes sense. In general these situations arise when players do unexpected things. In a lot of ways this is par for the course when it comes to RPGs but there are times when the characters take a story or adventure in such a wildly different direction than a DM feels prepared to handle. These are the times an intermission helps the most, to provide a moment for collecting thoughts and considering what to do next. Improvisation goes a long way but sometimes the well simply runs dry — and that’s okay.
The conversation then segues into tips, insights and resources to make transitioning into an intermission smooth. Some examples shared in the video are creating a cliffhanger moment using a random roll chart, easy access to prepared encounters and keeping a database of drag and drop material.
How do you handle the break when you need it as the Dungeon Master? Is your DM style that of a planner or a plotter? Have you ever run D&D for a single player or are you interested in exploring the concept? Share your methods in the comments here or at Nerdarchy the YouTube channel or with the community over at Facebook and until next time, stay nerdy!
Featured image — Dungeon Master from the 1980s D&D cartoon knows all about taking breaks. He disappeared for most of the group’s adventures!
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