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Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master
Publisher: SlyFlourish
by Michael V. K. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 05/06/2022 13:51:57

Should be titled Return of the New Dungeon Master, although granted that wouldn't make much sense. Before you read further I must admit that after about 50 pages of reading my brain started shutting down and I started skimming the rest of the book.

Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master is a verbose book that details what every DM who has at least 1 years worth of experience knows to do and is most likely already doing.

Start your game night "In medias res!" like all good GM's should. Game night needs to start the blood pumping, players don't belly up to the table to be put to sleep, get their attention at the onset and they are hooked all night! This is advice that is 40 years old and anyone who has read a single RPG forum more than once has probably been told this ad nauseam.

Review your characters! Of course, you should do this as a GM before session zero even begins. Ask your players for any hooks you can tie into your campaigns, look for any possible campaign problems "Hey friends this is more of a strong intrigue campaign so the 7 intelligence barbarian may not fit." Fairly obvious and known information.

Outline potential scenes, sure because that should be your goal as a GM, without scenes are your players just going to look at you, while you look at them, like some high noon duel in the wild west waiting for someone to flinch? Of course not! You need something for the players to do/want.

I commend the good basic advise but basic common sense advise doesn't help you be a lazy dungeon master, it helps you do whatever you have been doing all along.

I applaud the writer for pulling together all the new GM advice into one place but lets call a spade a spade, this isn't going to do a damn thing for the DM on time constrained schedule, this is going to help the brand new DM who has never bellied up to the table before.

I'll save you beleagured, over worked, time starved GM's $10. If you want to be a lazy gm heres how you do it: Pick a final bad guy and decide what the heck they want to accomplish. Figure out what said bad guy needs to accomplish these goals. "The evil lich wants to build a nether gate!" Fine he needs metals, forced labor, a location, and some generals to enforce his will while he is "Busy doing his evil mustache twirls in the mirror" Write some loose encounters around this. Goblin raids on mining town to take it over. Undead attacking towns to kidnap people. Rumors of a famous blacksmith who mysteriously disappeared could start the whole campaign. Create 5 generic villages, just a map, 5 unique locations in the town, each with a unique NPC. Create 10 generic but unique taverns. Create 5 generic but unique smith shops. Create 3 generic but unique apothecaries/temples/places of healing. Do all that and you are ready for just about anything the PC's throw your way for the next 8-12 months.

Oh, and I just saved you $10.



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Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master
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