I want to give special thanks to Michael Mallen, the Id DM on Twitter and author of the excellent Id DM blog for offering his guidance on the survey and editing this article.

Weekly 4e DM game preparation results

The following table represents the responses of 198 dungeon masters who primarily play 4th edition Dungeons and Dragons and run games weekly or more often. This gives us a clean sample of DMs who play the same edition of D&D and run games at roughly the same frequency.

Here are the summarized results:

I ordered the results roughly by the topics with the most amount of time spent. These questions aren't perfect. Some of the questions, like adventure planning, can be interpreted differently by different DMs. Still, I believe the results give us some interesting insights into the preparation times of D&D 4e DMs. Below, I present some of the results that I found most interesting.

Total game preparation

Of surveyed DMs, 69% spend less than three hours preparing their game each week. Only 8% spend more than six hours. That sounds about right to me and isn't too surprising a result.

Where we spend most of our time: combat encounters

It is also unsurprising that DMs who run weekly 4e games spend most of their time on combat encounter design. It is one of the few components of 4e that we can't simply design at the table. We need to have some idea where our PCs will fight monsters and some design ideas to keep those encounters new and different. Some 4e best practices, such as the Combat Out and the multi-staged encounter require time to prepare. There is an opening here for some better encounter design tools to help DMs build encounters faster and easier — something I plan to address in future articles.

Time wasters: monster design and world building

It's interesting to see a wide spread of time spent on world building and monster design, two activities I think offer little improvement to an actual game. Of the surveyed DMs, 22% spend no time on world building while 17% spend more than an hour a week on it. Of the surveyed DMs, 28% spend no time on monster design while 32% spend 30 minutes a week or more designing monsters.

Why do I consider these time-wasters? In my experience, world building can take a significant amount of time preparing material that never actually sees action at the table. Worse, it can lead a DM to railroad their group down pre-defined paths. With thousands of prepared monsters already available, there is little need for a DM to spend any time designing their own monsters. The excellent monster books Monster Vault, the Monster Manual 3 and the Monster Vault 2: Threats to the Nentir Vale can help us re-skin and re-level monsters to suit just about any encounter we build.

But I like doing that stuff!

Who the hell am I to tell DMs they shouldn't build fantastic worlds and powerful monsters? Obviously, we all do this for fun and should all spend time where we enjoy spending it. Sometimes, however, we think certain activities, like monster design and world building, give us the (perhaps false) impression that we're actually helping our game. Some activities, like statting out monsters, is mechanically simpler than the dangerous and scary act of raw creation needed for things like really good NPC design.

Spend your time where you enjoy it, but have a clear and realistic view of how much use it actually is during the game.

Three tips towards easier 4e game preparation

With the results above in mind, here are a few tips for spending your time on the most effective elements of good D&D 4e dungeon mastering:

• Build re-usable tools for encounter design. Build and keep a random list of encounter-wide effects on hand. Keep the Dungeon Master's Kit's list of fantastic terrain handy and re-skin and re-level it to suit your encounter. Build a portfolio of poster maps to make encounter and map preparation time short.
• Talk to your players about what they most enjoy in your game. Focus your time and energy on the elements you and they most enjoy and those of the greatest impact on the game. Examples might include a short weekly adventure outline, story seeds, encounter locations, and NPC development.
• Use the DM cheat sheet, random loot charts, and re-skinned material from the
  Monster Vault, Monster Vault 2: Threats to the Nentir Vale, and Monster Manual 3 instead of building out everything yourself.

By embracing the principals of the lazy dungeon master, we can spend our game preparation time where it has the greatest impact and keep our game flexible enough to grow into a unique and interesting story driven by everyone at the table.

If you enjoyed this article, please take a look at Sly Flourish's Dungeon Master Tips and Running Epic Tier D&D Games.

Choose a single campaign goal

A limited campaign helps us focus our story much more than a large multi-year campaign. We know we have a limited space in which to build our story. Keeping the story as small and straight forward as possible will help build this mini-campaign into a nice tight story. To do this, we start with a nice simple campaign goal. Here are some example campaign goals:

• The party will kill or dethrone Prince Rolan of Gloomwrought.
• The party must stop the last templar of Kalak from resurrecting the sorcerer king.
• The party must rebuild or destroy the Deck of Many Things.

A good campaign goal can often center around a particular villain. This way the villain's own plots move forward as the PCs head towards the goal.

Choose a thematic campaign location

As described in Building a Modular 4e Game, a good mini-campaign can be built around a specific campaign setting. Neverwinter, Dark Sun, Gloomwrought and Gardmore Abbey might all make for a nice, select environment that offers a great deal of flavor.

One main advantage of a mini-campaign is that you can build it around a heavily thematic world, like Dark Sun or Gloomwrought, without worrying about the burn-out that comes from adventuring in such dark lands. These places are nice to visit, but you don't have to live there.

Keep the campaign focused around a specific location rather than a whole world. Neverwinter, Gloomwrought, and Gardmore are all focused on specific locations. A Dark Sun campaign might work best focused around Tyr. An Eberron campaign might be best focused around Xen'drik. Like your campaign goal, stay small and focused in your location.

Add mechanical variants for flavor

With a world and location chosen, add in some world-specific mechanical variants for flavor. The gloom deck in the Shadowfell boxed set and the Deck of Many Things in Gardmore Abbey are both great examples of a physical mechanical aid that reinforces the theme of the mini-campaign.

Selecting specific sets of classes, races, and themes that reinforce the feeling of the campaign world will reinforce that feeling in your players.

A return to an older story

After finishing up a mini-campaign you might find your players hungry for more. Leave them hungry. Run a different mini-campaign out and then, when the time is right, run a small session of "return to" games. In these small adventures you rejoin the PCs at the end of the previous mini-campaign for a few sessions of an even smaller focused plot.

Alternating your mini-campaigns like this lets your mind chew on ideas in the background while you focus your energy on the campaign in front of you. When the time is right, you'll draw a nice rich story forward to run as your next mini-campaign even if its in a world you have already previously visited.

For this reason, consider an open-ended ending in your mini-campaign. While you want a clear conclusion to the mini-campaign, you might leave some open threads.

For example, after the PCs have dethroned Prince Rolan, they find out that the Tenebrous Cabal, a band of dark druids led by a vampire, has information they greatly desire. In Tyr, though the PCs have defeated the last templar of Kalak, they find they have been manipulated into moving forward the campaign of Nibenay who now seeks to take over Tyr. These loose strings give you plenty of potential ways to return to a previous mini-campaign when the time is right.

Start as close to the end as possible

In the immortal words of Kurt Vonnegut, start as close to the end as possible. A mini-campaign helps you focus on a single campaign goal with a rich set of flavor and mechanics to give your players the full experience of a campaign without fizzling out. Give it a try.

If you enjoyed this article, please take a look at Sly Flourish's Dungeon Master Tips and Running Epic Tier D&D Games. Good mini-campaigns need good poster maps. Check out the map packs at Troll and Toad, an official Sly Flourish sponsor.

#dnd tip: A good piece of 250 to 500 word flash fiction in an email can keep your game tied together between games.

When people ask me how to get published, I tend to ask why they haven't bothered publishing themselves. Why ask permission?

Need proof? Talk to @newbiedm and @DreadGazeebo. They didn't ask permission, they went out there and did it themselves.

@milambus @DaveTheGame me too. No more skill challenges for me. Just scenes involving skill use, puzzles, roleplaying, and encounters.

#dnd Troll and Toad Tuesday mini, the Elf Wizard! Great for PCs and NPCs alike and only two bucks: http://t.co/Dm3t8bIj

#dnd tip: Be wary of complicated dungeon crawls. Stacked on long combats, they can be a big slog.

Had the Shattered Keeps Map Pack been previously announced? https://t.co/WLQM58j5 I absolutely love these map packs. #dnd

I also don't recall seeing this Urban Underdark dungeon tile set: http://t.co/H6i44M5Y I think I'm done with dungeon tiles though. #dnd

July looks like a big month for #dnd products: Dungeon Command miniatures, Underdark maps, and 1e reprints: http://t.co/QVEwwHnK

.@TheAngryDM BTW, I'm not a fan of the vinyl mat. I dig the laminated Paizo ones: https://t.co/UnkWGvlM #dnd

If the Random Dungeon Generator Kickstarter receives $20k, $17 pledges get my epic adv, Valley of the Crypt Things #dnd http://t.co/afaqB8wR

#dnd tip: Keep a white-board on your wall to write up important all-visible notes like monster defenses.

Ran our second session of Gardmore Abbey. Had fun but blew a chance for good harpy roleplaying.
http://t.co/i0Oir9oS

This might be totally egotistical but I love listening to "Behind the DM Screen" with @squach, @deadorcs, and I: http://t.co/M3A0nH1a #dnd

#dnd tip: Write large 5x8 cards with monster defenses on them to post on your game-room white board when the time comes.

Gamemastery Flip Mats like this Forest map seem like a much better purchase than dungeon tiles forest set: https://t.co/cLNupOoL #dnd

@cliffymatic There are a lot of ways to change up a single map. Maybe that's a future article I should write.

.@brunoscheele I think; through variety, flavor, environmental effects, and orientation; you can get a lot of re-use out of poster maps.

RT @asmodeuslore: #dnd first view inside the box of dungeon command from #pax http://t.co/ocTvkROw

Looks like some good PC minis in this Dungeon Command box. Minis are back in force! Thanks @asmodeuslore! http://t.co/sjQCNNP5 #dnd

RT @wizards_dnd: (Jon) epic Lolth statue at #PAXEast. Come get your photo taken with her! #dndpax http://t.co/ZI8CV8nz

RT @combatadvantage: #dnd #dungeoncommand at #PAXEast! Great new sculpts and awesome repaints! http://t.co/Rh2SJbI7

The tile map thing in Dungeon Command also looks good for smaller encounters. Is it two-sided? #dnd http://t.co/Ja1P5NGK

#dnd tip: Remember to be patient and build a game session that won't make you or your players feel rushed.

Here's @rjschwalb on Themes and Backgrounds on #dndnext: http://t.co/s7pQgjpA

Apparently a freelancer's best investment is in marrying a great editor =) /hug @RosaMoonshadow

Hey DMs, what do you guys see as the major compinents of #dnd game preparation? Things like encounter design, NPC des., story & worldbldg.

#dnd tip: Be like Perkins (and Stephen King) and use "What If" as your motivator for adventures instead of long plots: http://t.co/RbJO7emr

Question of the day: Why is your villain doing what he or she is doing? What is his or her motivation and actions? #dnd

For those that ran White Plume Mountain, what is the evil wizards's motivation? #dnd

#dnd Troll and Toad Tuesday miniature, the Zombie Brute. A great universal undead beast or golem at all tiers: http://t.co/dIRCw1a8

"Screw epic characters. You can quote me." - @ChrisSSims, best developer ever... #dnd

You'll all have to wait until you see just HOW we plan to screw epic characters. It should be fun for the whole family.

#dnd tip: Use the Gloom deck from the Shadowfell boxed set as failure conditions to skill challenges or traps: http://t.co/1idlCFWq

This is the sort of stuff @ChrisSSims has to deal with. They don't pay him enough
http://t.co/gD7KdY7H

Came up with 20 Fiasco-style PC interconnections for my upcoming White Plume Mountain game: http://t.co/9rH9NT8A #dnd

Great discussion of traps in this #dnd #ddi article by @sernett: http://t.co/UcRXxAcq

#dnd tip: Think about where you spend your time prepping your game. Is that where you SHOULD be?

#dnd tip: writing good flavor text helps you stick to just the descriptions crucial to trigger the inner eyes of your players.

Bunch of free dungeon inspiration in this #dnd dungeon contest: http://t.co/quhHwSSo

Now this is one sweet page full of Dwarven Forge awesome: http://t.co/nPzUDLgz #dnd

#dnd tip: Use a small notebook to capture unexpected changes in the story during your game. http://t.co/2qYrs5Kd

Excellent look at building a Poster Map Portfolio by @theshedm: http://t.co/3y6ar5bf #dnd

.@theshedm The #dnd Map Packs come in a nice protective folio. http://t.co/JoEvKqNl

Check out @bensrpgpile flyover of his Shrine of Vecna encounter setup. http://t.co/ghKKl2po #dnd

Steve Townshend on Adventure Design http://t.co/rvacYe06 #dnd

#dnd tip: Build adventures around the personal quests of the PCs.

#dnd @trollandtoad Tuesday miniature: the Ogre from Pathfinder minis. A great boss for your orcish hordes: http://t.co/ezUeEwY3

#dnd tip: Reward meaningful personal quests with wish-list items.

Some great sandbox tips from @hellcowkeith: http://t.co/147u7s86 #dnd

The Complexity of Creating Compelling Campaign Conclusions | @TheIdDM
http://t.co/h7Qb4gw5

@IanPlakias Great tip! I'll queue that up for a DM tip in a month. https://t.co/mxzXAO1e

@newbiedm I really think most of the complaints about 4e come down to the length of time of combat encounters.

It's rare and refreshing to hear the inside gory details of the #dnd product production process: http://t.co/TAhFZKJh Thanks @Sernett!

I disagree on his assessment of good and bad endings, but @TheTownshend's article on endings is excellent: http://t.co/S1o5WB1n #dnd

@newbiedm I've also never found a good fix. Combat Outs help; mods to monsters can help; but nothing worked real well.

@newbiedm It's also interesting that I noted the problem after playing my very first 4e game four years ago: http://t.co/hqENLvPv

@profounddark @newbiedm I want the option to decide how long a battle should take. Big climactic battles can take time, sure.

#dnd tip: Don't over think a short rest. Sometimes it is just a reinvigoration between the parts of a two-part battle.

Ran my last epic tier game for a while. I'm ready to spend a lot more time at the low heroic tier. #dnd

#dnd tip: your players will always assume traveling NPCs will betray them. Surprise them.

I might be flogged for this but I wish the Undermountain book had a full battle map instead of the dungeon floor map.

I can't show it to players and it isn't playable. It could simply be reprinted in the book. How exactly am I supposed to use it?

Check out the Undermountain maps on my Map Index: https://t.co/6Jmuge4s #dnd

@newbiedm Running White Plume Mountain, I used a Gamemastery blank flip mat and an acrylic sheet for the whole thing. Worked great.

@newbiedm Yep. I'm getting lazier and lazier. My Dwarven Forge gathers dust while I use dry-erase on Paizo maps.

@newbiedm The acrylic sheet is worth it, though. It makes those maps so much nicer to use: https://t.co/1svOzMhw

@newbiedm Acrylic sheet over a poster map with wet-erase markers: https://t.co/jsokTEpQ

@newbiedm I tried using dungeon tiles for Gardmore Abbey and I've given up. I'll just draw the stupid dungeon rooms.

@ArcaneSpringbrd @newbiedm I gave most of my tiles to a DM friend of mine. He likes them much more than I do.

#dnd tip: add seasons and holidays in your game world.

@PennyArcadeFeed: News Post: A Matter Of Scale http://t.co/qjmjRPKb

It's too bad Undermountain doesn't exist underneath Neverwinter. The two books would have gone great together. #dnd

I may run a Neverwinter / Undermountain mashup after I finish Gardmore. #dnd

#dnd tip: Mark the wise words of Steve Townshend. What are your "three things" for your next game? http://t.co/Gr3oz5o0

#dnd Troll and Toad mini: The Pathfinder Gargoyle. An excellent dungeon dressing or multi-tier monster: http://t.co/QBzXYQRz

#dnd tip: Spend your valuable time considering the personalities and motivations of your NPCs instead of building monster stat blocks.

The great thing about that picture of me is that I'm wearing my wife's sweatshirt.
http://t.co/9eDLzRrT

#dnd tip: Use the acrylic sheet over your hand-drawn poster maps so your ink doesn't smear.

Sad to hear about @MonteJCook leaving the #dndnext team. He ran a great game for me at DDXP. Glad the playtest comes out soon.

Excellent article by @theiddm on the Theory and Practice of Dungeon Mastering: http://t.co/TUEoNfKN #dnd

#dnd tip: Think about what each of your players hopes for when they come to your game. How will you give it to them?

Of 172 4e #dnd DMs who run games weekly or more, 65.7% of them spend 1 to 3 hours on game prep. http://t.co/hKHsZ4wW

Here's some more detail into 4e #dnd weekly DM activities from 172 DMs:
http://t.co/FdJtqDxu

By the way, bar-charts are for sissies, and don't even get me started on pie-charts.

Clearer chart; The prep times of 172 4e #dnd weekly DMs: http://t.co/WtxlUpuv

#dnd tip: What big decisions will your players have to choose in your next adventure? Don't fall in love with any choice - they can tell.

A good DM probably negotiates a set of races and classes that make sense for the world the whole group wants to play in. #dnd

.@FaustoReluctant @sarahdarkmagic Sir Nerfington's Tiny Tome of Adequateness is my favorite sourcebook! Gain +1 to your fourth death save.

#dnd tip: "removed from play until beginning of next turn" is a great nasty epic status effect that doesn't screw PCs too badly.

For the afternoon crowd: My epic-tier #dnd article, Far Realm Fiends, over on D&D Insider (subscription required): http://t.co/6Baf97Rv

If you enjoyed these tips, take a look at Sly Flourish’s Dungeon Master Tips book or Sly Flourish’s Running Epic Tier D&D Games. You can also use these links to purchase the Heroes of the Fallen Lands, the Dungeon Master’s Kit, or the Monster Vault or bookmark this link to buy anything from Amazon.

Need some battle maps? Pick up some Gamemastery Flip-Maps from Troll and Toad, an official Sly Flourish sponsor.

Portable, rugged, cheap

The folio itself is a simple durable plastic file folder, usually running $5 to $15. I've used these Smead Campus folders for smaller campaigns, pictured above for my White Plume Mountain game. The single-pocket Smead poly wallet with a single large pocket is a better choice for larger campaigns, like my Gardmore campaign also pictured above. A single pocket folder ensures you won't waste time trying to organize things into separate areas — time better spent on your game itself. The whole point of a folio like this is to build structure around our campaign but give us the freedom to throw whatever we want into it, without spending time organizing.

A single place to stash everything related to your campaign

The beauty of Twyla Tharp's banker box is that it is both structured and unstructured. This concept works just as well with our campaign folio. Because our folio focuses on a single campaign, it has structure. If we happen to be running multiple campaigns, we can have multiple colored folios, one for each campaign. If its in the folio, it's for our campaign. If something is for our campaign, it goes in the folio.

But that's where the structure ends. ANYTHING can go in that folio. Maybe it's a picture cut out from an art book. Maybe it's a set of applicable Gamemastery Face Cards. Standard gaming supplies like the all-powerful flip mat and a zip-loc bag of monster tokens are obvious choices. But puzzle sheets or character profiles from your favorite one hour drama can also find a place in this folder.

Tools to help the lazy dungeon master

There's a good standard set of tools you may want to stash in your campaign folio to make preparing and running your game easier. Here are a few:

• The DM Cheat Sheet
• A Gamemastery flip mat and some wet-erase pens.
• A print-out of random names
• Some mazes to simulate lock-picking
• Some Mastermind puzzles to simulate arcane traps and puzzles
• A random treasure sheet

Page protectors work well to protect the sheets above as well as character sheets for your PCs.

Structure for a world of creativity

Sometimes the boundlessness of D&D can overwhelm us. Using some simple structure, like the campaign folio, can help us get our hands around our campaign, define some boundaries, and lets us explore our campaigns in the most useful and productive way possible. A campaign folio gives us a place to stash every little scrap of paper that helps make our games easy to prepare, easy to run, and fun to play.

If you enjoyed this article, please take a look at Sly Flourish's Dungeon Master Tips and Running Epic Tier D&D Games.

Begin by downloading the two work-sheets for the Mastermind puzzle (48k PDF)

(The Mastermind Mastermind by Jay Wojciechowski, used with permission)

How to use this puzzle

This puzzle's concept is a relatively simple bit of code breaking. We will start with the simpler three-column, three-symbol version of the puzzle. As it begins, the DM chooses a secret code of three characters made from the three symbols at the top of the sheet. The DM should write the code on a 3x5 card and keep it hidden. The DM may use any of the symbols for each character even if he or she has already used it. For example, if we call the symbols H, V, and O, the DM might have OOV as the secret code.

On a turn, a player who is attempting the puzzle may put down a code attempt in one of the rows. The DM then identifies whether the attempted code had the right character in the wrong slot, the right character in the right slot, or no right character at all with the following identifications:

Each correct character in the RIGHT spot results in a circle in one of the DM check cells on the right.

Every correct character in a WRONG spot results in a dot in one of the DM check cells on the right.

The DM leaves a cell blank if the player chose a symbol that is not used at all.

The DM should mix up the dots and circles as the DM check cells do NOT correlate to the attempted code columns. A symbol can only count once, so if you have one symbol in your key and the challenge puts two of that symbol in their attempt, you only mark it as correct once. If it was in the right spot for one of these guesses, you mark it as being in the right spot.

Using deduction, the PCs can try again with a new row, each time better identifying right and wrong.

If you're still confused, take a look at these instructions for Mastermind.

Increasing difficulty and complexity

The three symbol, three column puzzle is the much simpler version of the puzzle. Players should be able to get the correct code after two or three attempts if they're smart about it. This sort of puzzle works well for a short puzzle or a puzzle for a single player in the middle of a battle. The four column four symbol challenge is a bit more difficult and requires more attempts to deduce the answer. It is roughly the equivalent of a level 3 skill challenge.

Incorporating the puzzle to your game

This puzzle can represent a number of in-game challenges. Most of the time, it fits well with simple arcane codes for things like magical locks, magically protected treasure chests, rune traps, or encounter terrain effects. The more simple of the two might be a simple code that a wizard has used to lock his door. The three column code might be used on a pair of lightning pillars in a battle. The code must be unlocked to disable the lighting pillar. As a minor action, a character adjacent to the pillar can attempt a code once per round.

An option along with skill checks

Puzzles like this are a nice option to offer players along with a skill challenge or set of skill checks. For example, if a PC has to disable an arcane pillar to remove the evil wizard's fire shield, the player might have a choice of either disabling it by manipulating the strange runes on the pillar (the Mastermind puzzle) or simply pouring his own arcane energy into the pillar to disrupt it (skill checks). This gives players the option to either try out the puzzle or bypass it and just go for skill checks. It lets players choose the option that is the most fun, or least annoying, to them.

If you enjoyed this article, please take a look at Sly Flourish's Dungeon Master Tips and Running Epic Tier D&D Games. For some more traditional but well designed traps, take a look at the Dungeon Master's Kit or the Book of Vile Darkness. Need some good hero miniatures? Take a look at the Pathfinder Hero miniatures at Troll and Toad, an official Sly Flourish sponsor.

You can listen to the entire adventure design talk in mp3 (67 minutes, 69 mb). You can hear a bunch more podcasts like this at the Critical Hits Podcast archive.

Steve has some excellent practical tips for designing great adventures. Here were his top three:

1. Build adventures based on the backstory of the PCs.
2. Build great NPCs to motivate the PCs and build out the story.
3. When planning an adventure, ask three questions: Where should it end? Where does it begin? Finally, what moves the group between these spots?

Steve discusses his concept for making three things happen on his blog.

Other topics in this recording include building lovable NPCs, how to build an ending for a sandbox adventure, how to draw more of a story out of tactical players, the definitions of a campaign, acting tips for DMs, and a lot more.

If you enjoyed this recording, please take a look at Sly Flourish's Dungeon Master Tips and Running Epic Tier D&D Games. You can also pick up some great D&D Miniatures from Troll and Toad, an official Sly Flourish sponsor.

Today is a glorious day to run D&D games. Long gone are the days of yellowed graph paper as the only option for encounter maps. Now we have options beyond counting, ranging from simple wet-erase poster maps to complex dungeon tile systems. We have systems light enough to carry in an envelope or heavy enough to require a U-Haul. Good encounter maps can be as cheap as a Starbucks coffee or expensive as a used car. Today we compare and contrast the most popular options for your Dungeons and Dragons battle maps.

Dry-erase Maps (Recommended Product)

By far the most economical option for quality maps, the Paizo dry-erase poster map is my favorite multi-use battle map. It's high quality, durable, flexible, light-weight, easy to pack, and cost-effective. It accepts wet or dry erase markers and the two sides, one light brown and one light stone, work well for either overland or dungeon encounters. This is the best single option for drawing your own maps. This option, however, sacrifices immersion for flexibility. A hand-drawn map doesn't have the artistic detail of a pre-printed map or the immersion of 3d terrain. At $11 for such a flexible system, they are the best single option available. Every good DM should have one of these.

Wizards of the Coast D&D Poster Maps (Recommended Product)

Published poster maps by Wizards of the coast are my favorite option for immersion and ease of use. Each large two-sided poster map has excellent artwork and detail, drawing your players into the environment.

Recently released map packs include three double-sided poster maps for $12. A great deal for some quality maps. The D&D Starter Set, Dungeon Master's Kit, Monster Vault, Monster Vault 2, and Gardmore Abbey adventure also include some excellent maps if you happen to purchase the products.

Older poster maps aren't always easy to buy. Some come in out-of-print Fantastic Location map packs while others come in published adventures. For these out-of-print maps, you might have to pay up to $10 a map, which is a bit expensive.

You might think that these pre-printed poster maps have a limited number of uses but changes to the flavor of your encounter, changes to the environmental effects of the map's features, and even a simple re-orientation of the map gives them a lot of utility. You might even take the advice of Dave "The Game" Chalker and build your adventure around the maps you have on-hand.

Poster maps also save you considerable time. Instead of monkeying around with Dungeon Tiles or printing your own custom maps (ink costs alone make this an untenable option), you can spend your time on more useful endeavors like your game's NPCs, and the seeds that drive your player characters.

Building a portfolio of poster maps will run you between $2 to $6 a map, a good bargain for such detailed and useful maps.

Sidenote: The Acrylic Sheet (Recommended Product)

For all of these poster maps, I highly recommend the large acrylic sheet. This large sheet sits right over your poster maps, protecting them from wear and leaving a perfectly smooth surface for your miniatures. You can also draw areas of effect, monster defenses, or anything else right on the map without worry. You can often pick these up at Home Depot or other home improvement stores.

Gamemastery Flip Mats (Recommended Product)

Though more expensive than the WOTC poster maps, the Paizo Gamemastery Flip Mats have a wide variety of choices. Unlike the paper maps, you can write right on them with a wet or dry erase marker. They offer the same great level of immersion as the printed poster maps but with a higher durability and higher cost. Each double-sided map runs about $12.

Wet Erase Maps

Designed by a few different companies and running about $20, the wet-erase battle mat has been a staple in tabletop RPG games for years. They offer a flatter surface than fold-up dry-erase mats but require the use of wet-erase pens. Any other marker will permanently stain the mat. Like the blank flip maps, these offer a great deal of flexibility but lack immersion. For some great tips on using a wet-erase map, read Chris Perkins's Map Fu. Personally, I prefer the Paizo blank flip map since, when folded, it fits nicer into a small folio than a roll-up tube and it doesn't matter what sort of marker you use on it.

Dungeon Tiles

For over six years, Wizards of the Coast has published punch-out cardboard Dungeon Tiles. Most recently, they have published three Dungeon Tile Master Sets including the Dungeon, City, and Wilderness sets.

Though I've tried using dungeon tiles for years, I never had a lot of luck with them. Because they're two-sided, it's hard to see all the potential tiles in front of you all at once. If you're looking for a particular tile, you have to flip them all over. Many sets lack large pieces so you end up messing around with a thousand small pieces instead.

While a sheet of black poster board and some poster putty can help you set up layouts ahead of time, they still take significant time to set up. That's time you could instead spend building better encounters, enriching NPCs, or developing your story. They also don't have the same level of flexibility as a free-form blank poster map or the ease of use of a pre-printed poster map.

For these reasons, I don't recommend dungeon tiles. If you find yourself using them, consider my dungeon tile tips.

Dwarven Forge

Dwarven Forge dungeon terrain is, by far, build out the most immersive battle maps you can make. They are also likely the most expensive. Made from high-quality resin, each piece of a Dwarven Forge dungeon is highly detailed. You can build out some of the most beautiful multi-level battle maps you can imagine. There is nothing else like it. There's a lot of problems with it, though. First and foremost is the cost. For the price of a single set of Dwarven Forge, you can usually buy about twenty to forty poster maps. A full portfolio of pre-printed poster maps costs about the same as just one of many potential sets of Dwarven Forge.

You also need at least three sets of any type of Dwarven Forge to really build out a nice area. Really nice areas probably need five. For more details, read my Dwarven Forge Buyer's Guide.

Setup time is another big problem. Unlike poster maps, which you can whip out and place down in a few seconds, setting up a good Dwarven Forge battle area takes about 30 minutes to an hour. Tearing it back down again also takes time. This inflexibility in setup means you're going to railroad your players to ensure they hit the areas you built out. This makes it particularly hard to use Dwarven Forge in sandbox games.

Dwarven Forge accessories are also heavy, making them difficult to store and move around. I've heard of people needing a trailer to haul all their Dwarven Forge to a convention.

Dwarven Forge accessories are the nicest dungeon accessories you can buy but their cost, setup time, size and weight mean I cannot recommend them over blank and pre-printed poster maps.

Other Options

Numerous other solutions exist for battle maps. Hirst art molds for a do-it-yourself Dwarven Forge setup is a popular choice. A lot of alternative wet and dry erase map solutions also exist including Gaming Paper. Worldworks games produces a 3d cardboard system called Terraclips. Personally, I've never tried these solutions so I cannot offer an informed opinion of them.

Final Recommendations

There is a clear balance in price, immersion, setup time, and flexibility when it comes to poster maps. After years of trying out all of these products, I'm confident in the following choices. A Paizo blank flip map offers excellent flexibility for any encounter you can imagine. A portfolio of WOTC pre-printed poster maps and Gamemastery Flip Maps gives you beautiful immersive maps when the situation fits it. Adding in an acrylic sheet will protect your maps and give you a great surface on which to play.

For their difficulty in setup, I don't recommend Dungeon Tiles. Though they are the most beautiful and immersive accessories you can buy, I cannot recommend Dwarven Forge due to their high cost, difficult storage, and time to set up.

If you enjoyed this article, please take a look at Sly Flourish's Dungeon Master Tips and Running Epic Tier D&D Games. You can also pick up some excellent poster maps at Troll and Toad, an official Sly Flourish sponsor.

Fascinated by this excellent analysis of damage per level and what it SHOULD be: http://t.co/ZAJ2INKR #dnd

Problem is, a damage expression of (25+5 per level) *.34 isn't exactly easy to figure out. #dnd

At level 1, a monster drops a PC by 1/3 its hps in a successful hit. Why does this not happen at level 25? #dnd http://t.co/ZAJ2INKR

Here's an easy brutal damage chart. Just convert the numbers to appropriate dice. #dnd http://t.co/YQnL7lcj

Level 25 monster should do about 4d8+30 or 4d10+26 damage on a hit. #dnd Brutal!

By the way, special thanks to @cstevenross for that great look at "proper" #dnd damage expressions. http://t.co/ZAJ2INKR

Dice games from @DaveTheGame in this month's Dragon! I can't wait!! http://t.co/MGlZ9Ish I love having mini-games in my #dnd.

Here's a quick #dnd damage chart for "mean damage" when you're feeling mad. http://t.co/P1sztAac

#dnd tip: Keep NPC portraits handy on your laptop or iPad and save yourself the cost of all that ink.

Some cool #dnd epic-tier genies posted recently to #ddi: http://t.co/3QfjtsAe from Doug Hyatt (twitter?)

I've turned over ten #dnd articles so far and still had no idea exactly how the process worked until now: http://t.co/0Pd2vXJV

Awesome #dnd DM advice from Chris Perkins: http://t.co/nNj6wjr9

Now THIS is a #dnd setup!! http://t.co/MqFswa05

#dnd tip: Use a single mini like the rat swarm or kobold to represent a pack of minions on your battle map.

From @TheHydraDM: A level 30 fighter has 65 options compared to the 15 he or she has at level 1. http://t.co/jd2113c3 #dnd

So, using science, we learned that level 30 PCs are 4x more complicated than at level 1 and take 2/3 of the damage they should. #dnd

"Whats important are the decisions you make, not whether something is right or wrong." Good advice for any game: http://t.co/tztoii64

#dnd Troll and Toad Tuesday minature, the Half-Orc Barbarian. An excellent PC, orc chief, or even a feral vampire miniature....

RT @wotc_rodney: In Rule of Three this week, I get a little long winded. http://t.co/L98gJIPR

How about an actual link for that #dnd Troll and Toad Tuesday Half Orc Barbarian mini. http://t.co/xDV81mqa

#dnd tip: Consider layered traps. Maybe the pit trap has a falling pot of pitch trap right on the other side.

#dnd tip: Use minis like the kobold or rat swarm to represent a number of small or tiny minions on your battle map.

"Bioware hasnt told a story with the Mass Effect trilogy ... it has allowed you to create one" A key to a good game: http://t.co/yX4kNrnV

Very interesting results from the survey in today's #dndnext article on character death: http://t.co/o4BNM0mO

Looking back over old articles, I still love my demilich rebuild on #ddi: http://t.co/0TfxhNC9 #dnd

#dnd tip: Use a handful of D6s to determine which player hordes of monsters might attack.

More on Stephen King and how he helps you DM #dnd from Chris Perkins: http://t.co/I4muNAry

Some great thoughts on Save or Die by @TheAngryDM : http://t.co/y0LvlN42 #dndnext

Random 1d12 weird shit http://t.co/8T5F0bpX Thanks @MonteJCook #dnd

#dnd tip: Write up a seating chart on a note card in front of you to remember character names associated with each player oriented by seat.

Built a prototype 4e #dnd damage dice calculator. Give it a try and let me know what you think: http://t.co/ok1k2Grg

Check out @sarahdarkmagic's latest "Joining the Party on DDI. http://t.co/uPzokx8r Thanks for the link, Tracy! #dnd

#dnd tip: A quick and easy way to add flavor to an NPC is to associate them with a character in a movie or TV show you like.

Excellent article on thieves' cant. Print it out and keep it in your back of DM tools: http://t.co/nicDXhdn #dnd

I wonder how many people at WOTC use dungeon tiles themselves. Chris Perkins was all about the erasable maps. http://t.co/J93JbKgA #dnd

I find the time spent constantly flipping tiles to find the right one would be better spent on NPC development and encounter design. #dnd

Really digging the looks of the new set of #dnd Pathfinder minis: http://t.co/cXpXxlHV

#dnd tip: don't fight the knowledge your players bring to the game. Incorporate their knowledge into their PCs.

#dnd tip: Always keep your game moving. If players can't decide what to do, call a vote on two or three options.

#dnd Troll and Toad Tuesday miniature: The Gnoll Claw Fighter. A great gnoll mini that works well as a werewolf! http://t.co/N5LX3cqX

#dnd tip: Don't save up that good idea for later, use it as soon as you're able. From Perkins: http://t.co/LtSLf4E3

Though I haven't run it yet, I think Gardmore Abbey is the best designed #dnd 4e adventure I've seen. http://t.co/9eYzwSy2

#dnd tip: Keep an idea journal around for those adventure or story ideas you aren't quite able to use yet: http://t.co/LtSLf4E3

#dnd tip: When developing your story, consider the wise words of Kurt Vonnegut and start close to the end: http://t.co/3lwsa2em

#dnd tip: Go crazy at the dollar store for some gaming props and terrain: http://t.co/ljtGbUp4 from @markmeredith

Great article by Perkins on your less than great nights: http://t.co/GwCjYYW8

I'm 100% behind the design tenants @mikemearls writes about in today's Legends and Lore: http://t.co/qFiaPEDM #dnd

My only worry is that players will feel they have too few options and too little impact in combat compared to 4e. http://t.co/qFiaPEDM

#dnd tip: Mark and remember the map drawing tips of Chris Perkins. http://t.co/kGYg2EJo

"The types of things that players want are bad for the game". Interesting hypothesis by @StvWinter: http://t.co/tKFzhNv1 #dnd

Reminds me of Borderlands testing - players wanted a custom gun but if they got it, the game would be over. http://t.co/vIEQXXcI

One thing I disagree with in @StvWinter's article: The most broken 4e elements were in the Players Handbook, not supplements. #dnd

Troll and Tuesday mini: the Fiendish Snake - http://t.co/apwh2mcd - A great useful miniature for many situations and cheap at $2. #dnd

#dnd tip: Use flashbacks, maybe even a flashback encounter, to share a richer and deeper story.

This cartoon resonated with me. When you start thinking like a designer, it's hard to stop: http://t.co/hEd7kmLA #dnd

Pretty good list of the Twitter people to follow in the #dnd community: https://t.co/6KooqbNP

Fun with javascript: the top #dnd tweets geolocated on google maps: http://t.co/StTpwa8U

For those who missed it, the #dnd board game, Lords of Waterdeep, came out yesterday. It's a lot of fun. https://t.co/atePI4wb

Also fascinating to hear about the Lords of Waterdeep prototyping: http://t.co/l4CQRCyA #dnd

#dnd tip: When building or running a monster, ensure your players get the true feeling of what makes that monster different.

A member of my group is running the playtest of an article I wrote. Very humbling to hear my words. #dnd http://t.co/yqw8lqvT

#dnd tip: The Cathedral of Chaos tile set includes a sheet of tokens for conjurations, walls, and other useful things. http://t.co/G0eL40ul

I dig the assassin in Black Blade of Raam. http://t.co/KuReVVVk Interesting to see new ways to deal with status effects. #dnd

I would love to write a whole adventure around the Black Blade of Raam. #dnd http://t.co/KuReVVVk

#dnd tip: For your heavy tactical gamer players, incorporate roleplaying as a part of combat.

#dnd freelancer Steve Townshend (@thetownshend) is on Twitter. Listen to the talk we recently had: http://t.co/OezFQ417

Another fantastic article by @TheIdDM on Save or Die. http://t.co/sN4oVZ7h

Check out @loganbonner's fantastic fresh look in published adventures with "Blood Money" on DDI: http://t.co/8XB8DVUK #dnd

My "open a door" skill workflow. Who knew it was this hard. http://t.co/AGUvftSR

My biggest hope for #dndnext is that it goes through extensive mechanics testing. The most annoying 4e stuff is in the original PHB.

If you haven't seen it, Paul at http://t.co/uzneSl0c has an excellent Random Dungeon Generator Kickstarter: http://t.co/s7sV4B6t #dnd

If they hit $20k, my adventure, "Valley of the Crypt Things" will go out to all $17+ pledges: http://t.co/s7sV4B6t #dnd

#dnd tip: Learn to be comfortable with changes in your story based on the decisions of your players, the actions of the PCs, and the dice.

Some great #dnd tips in this article on Story Games. http://t.co/kx1hsOg0

Congratulations to @sarahdarkmagic on her accomplishments over the past three years! http://t.co/JDi1byej #dnd

#dnd Troll and Toad Tuesday. Need some good cheap Gamma World minis? Check out these Star Wars minis: http://t.co/KtkKlnrJ

#dnd tip: Really ask yourself if you need to do all that monster tweaking. Just play from the Monster Vault and have fun.

#dnd tip: When things slow down at the table, fall into character of the villains and bring things back to life with some flavor.

Understanding Self and Other | The Id DM http://t.co/JVEjsXeI

Not sure I agree with the idea of reducing monster hit points but there is some very interesting analysis here: http://t.co/NNzmyZ8t #dnd

@Reg06 it's a great analysis. A very interesting article.

If the Random Dungeon Generator Kickstarter receives $20k, $17 pledges get my epic adv, Valley of the Crypt Things #dnd http://t.co/yCirYZUk

#dnd tip: Spend your time planning for a dynamic world instead of a static story.

#dnd tip: Reinforce the aspects of your game world that tie closely to its theme. Buildings should hate the PCs in Gloomwrought.

Flame, the Demilich Dragon is freaking awesome. Great job, @shawnmerwin! #dnd http://t.co/3HI7Lq7F

If you enjoyed these tips, take a look at Sly Flourish’s Dungeon Master Tips book or Sly Flourish’s Running Epic Tier D&D Games. You can also use these links to purchase the Heroes of the Fallen Lands, the Dungeon Master’s Kit, or the Monster Vault or bookmark this link to buy anything from Amazon.

Need some battle maps? Pick up some Gamemastery Flip-Maps from Troll and Toad, an official Sly Flourish sponsor.

On the other side we have games like Skyrim, Mass Effect, and Dragon Age; games that give us the freedom and the choices to tell our own story. Sure, the three-choice mechanics of most Bioware games still routes you down one storyline or another, but in every conversation I've had with another player of Mass Effect, we've all played completely different games.

When you sit down to build your D&D campaign, are you planning to tell a story or are you building an environment in which the players get to tell their own? Are you simply stringing battles between cut-scenes? This is something I've done many times, I admit. Do you give them three meaningful choices at the end of an adventure? Do you use the five-by-five method to build a webwork of potential adventure paths? Do you run a completely open sandbox game?

Don't take this the wrong way. People love them some Final Fantasy and Metal Gear Solid. Sometimes your players might like a game with just enough story to string together some fights. Sometimes they might want a little help with the structure by having some clear choices and directions. Sometimes they want an open world they can fully explore as you hash it out block by block on an erasable battle mat.

What can you do to build an environment instead of force-feed a story? Here are a few tips discussed here before:

• Focus on your NPCs. Who are they? What do they want? What are they up to right now? See the world through their eyes and their actions, not some story you want to tell.
• Build a setting and environment instead of a story and a plot.
• Use random themes and Fiasco-style relationships to tie the PCs to the story.
• Use the 5x5 method to line up story threads your players can navigate instead of a single rich story.
• Watch the body language of your players to see if they're bored or actually interested in the story that's developing.
• Build an environment for ad-hoc DMing and embrace spontaneous group storytelling.

These are just a few tips for building a good story. If you enjoyed it, take a look at Sly Flourish's Dungeon Master Tips and Running Epic Tier D&D Games. You can also read some great tips for group storytelling in the Dungeon Master's Guide 2. Need some great maps to keep on hand for spontaneous events at the table? Take a look at the Gamemastery Flip Maps at Troll and Toad, an official Sly Flourish sponsor.

I'm not a particularly patient man and I wish I was. I can get frustrated at our game table, sniping at players who take too long to calculate damage or spend too much time pontificating the strategy of their move. These mini-tantrums don't serve anyone. They don't make our game more fun. They don't ease my stress level. They alienate members of our group. They hurt my relationships with my friends.

To dig into this question a bit more, I contacted Michael Mallon of the Id DM, a professional psychologist and fellow D&D enthusiast. Michael and I recently recorded a podcast on the psychology of D&D and I thought he would be the perfect guy to talk about patience.

Here are the responses he gave me to the three questions I asked. Note, the emphasis of certain phrases below is my own as these concepts in particular resonated with me.

1. What are three things willing DMs can do to improve their patience?

The primary goal should be to identify the things that are causing you to be frustrated and annoyed. That may sound like a silly place to start, but we often find ourselves irritated without knowing exactly why we're feeling that way. As a DM, think about the moments that cause your pulse to speed up and increase your desire to scream. Perhaps it's the length of player actions during combat or players interrupting the flow of the game with distractions (e.g., side conversations, cell phone use). Whatever the cause may be for the irritation, gain a clear understanding and awareness of the situation. That is the first step.

The second thing DMs can do to improve patience is to determine how much control exists in the situation. To take one of the examples above, the DM might get quite frustrated with over-analysis in combat. The DM has to determine how much control they have to change this dynamic during the game. If the DM feels empowered to make changes to speed up player actions, then set up a plan to do so. Our groups actually have a small service bell for when the group needs to get back on track; it's rarely used, but everyone knows that when it's rung, the DM needs everyone to focus on the game. If the situation can be changed, then take action.

However, if the DM does not feel empowered - the options are pretty clear. Either accept that player over-analysis is going to happen in combat (increase patience) or continue to get annoyed by it (beat your head against the wall!). As with all things that are beyond our control, we can either change our expectations and accept the outcome or continue to maintain the same unrealistic expectations. It relates to the saying by Einstein labeling insanity as "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

A final piece is to lower our stress level overall. I can only speak for myself, but I'm a bundle of nerves when preparing for my time as a DM. Plus, our group meets on Friday nights so I've just finished a (usually) long week at work and now I have to turn around and run a game. Walking into the game, my stress is already high so of course my patience is going to be affected by that. Before sessions, I now strive for a calmness so I'm not feeling stressed out. I use the drive to our game, which takes about 20 minutes, to listen to music or just take a series of long, deep breaths in silence. Walking into a session already feeling somewhat surly and angry is not a good idea if you want to increase your ability to let irritations at the table "roll off" your shoulders. Work to head off the problem before it starts!

2. What can DMs do to build an environment at their table that promotes patience?

I am a strong advocate for communication around the table. The DM has a good deal of authority to model behavior for the table. If the DM shows signs of irritation at small things, then players will learn that it is acceptable behavior to show frustration toward others. The DM has a unique role to not only model but shape behavior. I think the host also has a strong role to play in this area. The host (who may not be the DM in many groups) can assert herself or himself by saying, "This is my home, and I really don't want any _ here. Can we please avoid that from happening?"

Returning to the example above once again, a DM who is frustrated by the length of combat should speak openly about it with the players in and out of the gaming sessions. Inquire if others in the group are feeling the same way. Find out the players' expectations for the game. Perhaps speak with players as a group and also individually to see if there is a difference in the type of feedback you receive. And I cannot stress this enough - be open to feedback yourself. If you are unwilling to hear feedback or quickly shutdown player suggestions, then you are modeling impatience for your players.

3. What is the REAL cause of impatient DMs?

I think that gets back to my first point earlier, each DM has to figure out what is causing them to be annoyed. Perhaps they really don't want to DM in the first place, but it's the only way they can play because no one else wants to perform those duties. I cannot imagine a resentful DM is a happy DM.

Another possible factor is personal issues between players. One or more players may rub the DM the wrong way, especially if the group is comprised of people that don't know each other all that well. If the DM and Player X don't seem to get along in real life, then it's not a mystery why those people would get on each other's nerves during gameplay.

Last, a DM should think about what they are bringing into the session. Work-related stress? Stress from raising children? Relationship issues in their own life? That stress doesn't magically disappear because dice are being rolled! (If only we were so lucky)

My thanks to Michael Mallon for his detailed and insightful advice on the topic. You can see all of Michael's excellent D&D related articles at his site, the Id DM, follow him on Twitter, or listen to he and I discussing the psychology of D&D at Critical Hits.

If you enjoyed this article, please take a look at Sly Flourish's Dungeon Master Tips and Running Epic Tier D&D Games. You can find more great DM advice in the Dungeon Master's Guide 2 and the Dungeon Master's Kit. Need some good maps for your table? Check out the Gamemastery Flip Maps at Troll and Toad, an official Sly Flourish sponsor.

Being able to select the dice you want led me to build the 4e damage dice calculator. This small mobile-friendly tool lets you pick the level, the modifier, and the type of die you want. In return, it gives you a nice normalized damage expression that follows the updated DMG damage per level rules.

On multipliers

How do you choose the correct multiplier? This depends mostly on your feel as a DM. However, here are a few guidelines for selecting lower or higher multipliers. Each of the multipliers changes the base amount of average damage per level (level + 8).

Minion: Obviously, this damage multiplier works well for minions. It also works well for a larger number of single-use traps or simple harassment damage. It takes a lot of these hits to kill a PC.

Low: This can be used for at-will attacks or continually damaging traps or hazards that hit more than one target. It can also be used for secondary at-will attacks against a single target.

Medium: The default amount of damage that represents an at-will standard action attack against a single target. It can also be used for a limited attack against multiple targets or an at-will attack against multiple targets from a high-damage source like a brute.

High: This represents a limited-use attack against a single target or a single use attack against multiple targets. It might also represent a brute's at-will strike against a single target.

Limited High: This represents a single target single use attack or a limited attack from a high-damage source against a group. The damage is starting to get really high here.

Brute Limited High: This is the most damage at any given level allowed by the rules as written. It represents a single-target one-use attack by a brute.

Hardcore Limited High: This is an amount of damage outside of the rules as written. It can be used for severe damage from a powerful trap.

On dice types

The decision you come to on choosing a die comes from two questions: how swingy do you want the attack and which die tells the right story.

Since the tool averages the damage anyway, a larger die does not imply higher damage. It only represents the potential range of damage. The smaller the die, the closer to the average the damage will be. The larger the die, the wider the damage range. Some describe this as how swingy an attack is. The bigger the die, the wider range the result and the more swingy it will feel.

The type of die you use can also tell the right story. d6s represent lighter weapons or attacks. d8s speak to longswords, hammers, maces, and medium-sized weapons. d10s feel right for larger attacks such as greatswords or powerful blows. d12s represent huge all-or-nothing blows with axes or the snapping jaws of a huge beast.

The point of this tool is to let you choose the right die type for the story you're trying to tell.

If you enjoyed this article, please take a look at Sly Flourish's Dungeon Master Tips and Running Epic Tier D&D Games. You can also pick up these two great 4e monster books, the Monster Manual 3 and the Monster Vault. Need some great miniatures? Check out the Pathfinder Miniatures at Troll and Toad, an official Sly Flourish sponsor.

Knowing how to move the game continually forward is one of the best tips a DM can pick up to keep their players entertained and keep their game fun. Today we're going to talk about the importance of moving the action forward and provide a few tips to use in your own game.

(Artwork by Jay Wojciechowski, used with permission)

When the game stalls

A game can stall for any number of reasons. Perhaps a particular scene became too detailed, whether it be the description of a trap, an introspective look at the history of the world, or an interaction with an NPC. Such an interaction may be very interesting to a DM and the player having the conversation but the rest may quickly be reaching for their cell phones to call up Twitter.

Indecision can also stall a game. Maybe the players don't quite know where to go. Maybe the choices call for a great deal of debate. Maybe the tactics of combat have delved too far into the minutia and it's time to just roll. Maybe a skill challenge just appears to be dragging on and in without any real feeling.

Many things can stall a game and, as a DM, it's important to read the body language of your group to see if they're all interested in what's going on or they're becoming bored. If they're bored, move things forward.

Move on

If you sense the players' interest is beginning to wane, it's time to move things on. Whether it's a round of combat, a skill challenge, or a bit of narrative; always have a way to move things forward. If a player seems to take too long to make a decision, push them towards a particular action they want to take. If the group is spending too much time discussing options, push them to make a choice using in-game motivators like poisonous clouds, a soon-to-be-sacrificed virgin, or an angry noble lord. It's important to give players the opportunity to weigh options, so don't be too quick to cut them off. However, make sure these investigations are providing useful fruit instead of simple circular debate.

Call for a vote

If the group seems stuck in indecision, call for a vote. Whether it's figuring out how to disable a trap, deciding on a path through a dungeon, or making a game-wide decision about the next course of action; let them have a good conversation and then ask them to vote when you feel like all the choices are on the table. Let the majority decide which course of action to take. Calling for a vote takes indecision and turns it into a binary choice — either you do something or you don't. Either you choose one path or you choose another. The quick vote is a powerful tool to keep things moving.

Speed up combat

A million articles have already covered combat speed so I'll just reference a few. Including a combat out always helps move combat forward. Reduce table transactions to keep the pace of battle fast. Add in some fast combat powers to your monsters. If a player takes a long time to make a decision, warn them that an adjacent enemy is about to take their indecision as an opportunity to attack and then follow through if they still can't decide.

Take ownership of your material

If you're running a pre-written adventure, remember that you are ultimately responsible for joy of the game — not the module. Never run something you know won't go over well with the group. Skip things, cut things down. Run things differently to match your own enjoyment and for the fun of the group. Skill challenges, for example, may be cut down to a simple series of skill checks, each one leading to a new path. Forget the whole X successes before X failure mechanic - unless that happens to be something the group enjoys.

Don't drop out of the game when making these choices, however. Nothing breaks the experience like saying "there's a whole skill challenge here but we're going to skip it" or "this battle's basically over so we'll just call it here". Always have a way to move things forward without breaking the chain of the narrative.

A holistic view of pacing in your game

Many elements interact to set the pace of your game. Whether it's preparation time by you or the players, actually getting the game started, curbing out-of-game conversations, improving combat speed, helping players choose a course of action; all of these factors result in the overall pace of the game. Only by taking a holistic view of your game can you continually keep the action moving forward and ensure that you and your players are having a great time.

If you enjoyed this article, take a look at Sly Flourish's Dungeon Master Tips and Running Epic Tier D&D Games. The Dungeon Master's Kit and Dungeon Master's Guide 2 both include great advice for keeping your game on track. Looking for some good minis? Check out the D&D Miniatures from Troll and Toad, an official Sly Flourish sponsor.

This is a topic discussed often at Sly Flourish and I wanted to take the time to look back on some previous articles that discuss building your D&D game from the actions of characters instead of plots and story lines. Let's take a look:

Build Worlds Not Stories: Probably the prime Sly Flourish article on developing stories based on the actions of characters. Includes my favorite night-time saying "what is my villain doing right now?" For me, it's like counting sheep.

Three Acting Tips for D&D: Three tips on building stories from the point of view of the characters.

Fiasco Style Relationships: Here's a list of random relationships your can roll for. The results can end up building the story for you rather than you developing one yourself.

The 5x5 Method for Antagonists: A way to use Dave Chalker's 5x5 method to help you figure out what the bad guys are doing. Much better than simply plotting out a story.

Three D&D Tips from Breaking Bad: A look at how you can let your story develop based on the actions of characters like those in one of the best shows on television.

Quests for Villains: A look at how to develop quests for your villains so they're not simply sitting on a throne waiting for the PCs to show up and kill them.

Four Tips for Character Development: A look at developing characters based on archetypes, motivations, and secrets.

Three Motivations for your Villains: A look at three potential drivers for your villains, giving them reason for their actions.

You can find other ideas for building character-driven games in my books Sly Flourish's Dungeon Master Tips and Running Epic Tier D&D Games. Focus on the mind of your NPCs and leave the stats to excellent monster books like the Monster Vault, Monster Vault 2, and Monster Manual 3. Good NPCs need great miniatures. Take a look at the D&D Miniatures from Troll and Toad, an official Sly Flourish sponsor.

#dnd tip: Remember that being a DM is being a showman. Work on your dynamic voice and performance to keep the pace of the game right.

After my #dnd game last night, I'm pondering the importance of detail balanced with the importance of moving things forward.

Check out @theweem's excellent remastered Caves of Chaos maps: http://t.co/2Rp6300c #dnd

#dnd tip: For a good personality template, think of a movie character and watch a film of theirs on Netflix to get the personality right.

@Wizards_DnD I pick a character archetype from fiction, decide what their goals are, come up with some interesting seeds for PCs.

How about certain ground rules for narrative play (non-map). Cover is easy to get, superior cover is hard. CA requires skill checks,etc #dnd

.@DaveTheGame makes some awesome suggestions for using themes as a driver in a sandbox #dnd game: http://t.co/hc9dzoeh

#dnd tip: Follow the advice of @theiddm and always keep an eye on the body-language of your players and yourself. Get into "the arena"!

Your Friday morning read from yours-truly: Initial Impressions of the New D&D: http://t.co/gCm21Do4 #dndnext

Pretty epic pic of me with @MonteJCook and @geeksdreamgirl at #ddxp playing #dndnext. What a great opportunity. http://t.co/qyTpxY4j

#dnd tip: Boss rooms should often contain some sort of damage resistance penetration so your boss's elemental damage isn't nullified.

After running my game sans Dwarven Forge, people in and outside my game are beginning to complain. That will stop this Wednesday. #dnd

"I have done a thousand dreadful things as willingly as one would kill a fly and nothing grieves me, but that I cannot do ten thousand more"

Your villainous quote of this Friday eve, given to you from Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus. Use it as the seed of your villain.

"If one good deed in my life I did, I do repent it from my very soul". - Aaron; Titus Andronicus.

Another benefit of playing tons of #dnd. I can properly spell "mausoleum" without needing a spell checker.

I think inherent bonuses should always be on. I see no reason not to run with it all the time. #dnd

I can't wait to run this #dnd battle: https://t.co/4dosSfzl

Looks like the character builder still doesn't properly calculate masterwork armor with inherent bonuses. Have to add magic armor. #dnd

Dungeon tiles with a toolbox liner and an acrylic sheet. #dnd http://t.co/PXOKnnjn

Thanks very much to @DelayedSession for his review of Running Epic Tier #dnd Games: http://t.co/xQ1vTRzM

Some excellent #dnd accessory ideas on the cheap from @theweem: http://t.co/wfIbFkjk

Still your best source for the latest #dndnext info: http://t.co/8WIcQxgb well maintained by @Morrus

Getting my next #dnd game ready. The Heroes of Shadow head into the Gloomwrought graveyard to battle the Charnal Fangs!

The more I look at them, the more I think 4e #dnd is defined by the two Essential Hero books and the Monster Vault. I love those books.

Your @trollandtoad mini of the week: The Lich! Though a tad expensive, everyone needs a good lich: http://t.co/KdARZXwZ #dnd

#dnd tip: Think through the eyes of your NPCs instead of plotting out your story.

My latest #dnd Insider article just got published - two of the most powerful epic-tier monsters published I believe:http://t.co/Wx8VCs2D

I think "epic recovery" may rub some the wrong way but these ARE Elemental Princes after all. http://t.co/L17NIVUn #dnd

#dnd tip: Use simple puzzles as potential mini-games instead of just rolling skill checks. http://t.co/RsAeG8WY

@SarahDarkmagic I've never wanted to kill PCs, but I definitely want to hang the threat of it out for challenging encounters at any level.

Excellent #dnd map tricks from Chris Perkins: http://t.co/phAgHd8l

#dnd tip: Don't be afraid to talk about your hobby with your coworkers. You never know who used to play and dreams of playing again.

Great and powerful epic ghost dragon from @theiddm: http://t.co/JF5Uvrif #dnd

My group destroyed the Charnel Fangs last night. Next week they face Feria, Prince Rolan's consort, in her own Dreams! #dnd

Look whose arm and Moleskine made it into the pic for this article on #dndnext: http://t.co/RhGhHcw2

Awesome list of medieval occupations: http://t.co/t1VMhsPI Thanks @theshedm! #dnd

#dnd tip: Always ask for honest feedback on your game after it's done. Force them to come up with one thing you can make better.

Excellent article touching on the exploration aspect of #dnd by @shawnmerwin: http://t.co/lAoXf8Ur

Some new #dnd photos from my Gloomwrought game: http://t.co/jUZkbmcn - http://t.co/ARuij3XA - full gallery: http://t.co/3SOfQ7nr

Made some big changes to http://t.co/wG75bpnD It now displays the top 100 tweets and doesn't parse links anymore. #dnd

I definitely need to get better at #dnd exploration as discussed in @shawnmerwin's article: http://t.co/8ziDEIxR

#dnd tip: Feedback from your players can tell you a lot about your game. Body language can tell you a lot more. Watch them both.

Apologies to @loganbonner for not mentioning Dragon Slayers in my Fiasco Relationships #dnd article. It's remedied: http://t.co/9rH9NT8A

#dnd Troll and Toad Tuesday Mini: The Gargoyle. Great for statues as well as beasts. A couple will go a long way. http://t.co/mH6rfsSI

David Jaffe says games shouldn't focus on telling the creator's story, instead letting players create their own: http://t.co/Dr9ufZgl #dnd

#dnd tip: Romance in a game can be weird or fun. Keep it light hearted and funny most of time time and powerful once or twice.

Updated my Fiasco Relationships article to reference @loganbonner's excellent Dragon Slayers for Fiasco. http://t.co/4Ss5bW0T #dnd

Most excellent use of the portal prop for an adventure called Keep on the Nine Hells. #dnd http://t.co/y1n8eR8A

#dnd tip: Just because things got more complicated doesn't mean they have to. A single skill check or single-use trap is a fine way to go.

Tonight the Heroes of Shadow fall, inception style, into the dreams of Feria, consort of Prince Rolan, in Gloomwrought. #dnd

In my #dnd game last night, the Heroes of Shadow spent 2d6 years lost in the dreamscape of Feria.

#dnd tip: Consider running 6 to 8 session mini-campaigns focused on a particular theme and source material.

#dnd tip: When limiting source material, have players build their characters using the physical books and then put it in the CB after.

Hey @TheIdDM and others, what are the top five most important skills and attributes for a good #dnd DM?

Some potential good #dnd DM traits: Storytelling, judgement, patience, organization, empathy. I suck at patience.

There is much gloom and quite a bit of wrought in my Gloomwrought mini-campaign. Feria, consort of Rolan, just killed herself. #dnd

I'm definitely going to write a future Sly Flourish article on the importance of patience for DMing #dnd. It comes up a lot.

Wonderful to watch the creation of Penny Arcades erotically charged sexventure: http://t.co/089XlOWh #dnd

Might try four-hit minions at my next #dnd game. First hit - yellow ring, second - red, third - both rings, last hit - dead. Thoughts?

.@loganbonner exactly! They count as a normal monster but simpler and easier to run. #dnd

Example #dnd: Deathless Guard, lvl 13, 4 hits, AC 28, Def 25; +18 vs AC; 21 dam. Simple and easy.

A two-hit minion or three-hit minion might work better on second thought. #dnd

Pretty awesome Pathfinder Rise of the Runelords minis: http://t.co/cXpXxlHV #dnd Great to have a good new source of preprinted minis.

Not sure I agree with @MonteJCook on high-level play. It breaks down when I can't challenge PCs without cheating: http://t.co/ZpuWFlnb #dnd

#dnd tip: Pay special attention to environmental effects in your encounters. They are often the thing that makes encounters unique.

Sounds like many agee that we love high-level play but feel the mechanics broke down in 3.5 and 4e. #dnd Hope @MonteJCook is listening!

This week's #dnd Troll and Toad mini, the Zhent Soldier, a great generic bad-guy soldier mini: http://t.co/7ENHGGLX

#dnd tip: Players spending a lot of time on cellphones? What can you do to draw their interest back to the game?

can't decide if I want to run the Deathless Watch out of the book or run them completely differently using the Cheat Sheet. #dnd

Considering using an ultra-simple stat block: Lvl 14 Deathless Knight: AC 29, Def 27, HP 140, +19 vs. AC; 2d10+11 dam; defender aura. #dnd

To Dedrek Harskell: "Hide the women, hide the kids. Shit is going down in Gloomwrought tonight." - the Heroes of Shadow #dnd

#dnd tip: Don't assume your players care as much for the story as you do. Your high nterest is probably why you're the DM.

@gregbilsland I think epic-level danger should at least be as dangerous as it is at low levels. 4e epic is much less threatening. #dnd

@gregbilsland I agree with your criteria completely. High level play shouldn't simply get slower and longer to run. Nor easier.

@BruceCordell @trevor_wotc @montejcook My desire is for a game that runs fast and keeps a consistent challenge at all levels.

@BruceCordell @trevor_wotc @montejcook right now, in 4e, PCs are much less challenged at high levels and battles take longer to run.

@SarahDarkmagic I think the fundamentals of #dnd should play the same from low to high. I don't want it turning into Risk

BTW, on #dnd epic ranting; I still loved every one of the 60+ epic games I've run. It has warts but its better than any previous system.

The Heroes of Shadow killed Prince Rolan and established a new council of noble houses before joining the Tenebrous Cabal. #dnd

Photos from my Gloomwrought #dnd game last night: http://t.co/gsbLy8zX - http://t.co/PDN9Ltuq and my #dnd photo archive:...

#dnd tip: Delegate things like initiative and monster damage tracking to other players when you get overwhelmed.

The top #dnd search feature on Twitter is actually very useful. More useful than my own stupid twitter parsing site: https://t.co/Ro2m5Rtf

Preparing to run the #dnd Tile Trek: Knight in Shadowghast Manor this weekend: http://t.co/PpSYF1gt

I always forget the wealth of great #dnd 4e adventures from LFR: http://t.co/ouA2FGyE Thanks @bandofmisfits

#dnd tip: Up and down-level monsters by adding a -X level sticky note in your monster book to remind you to do the math.

Really enjoying watching this elemental is sorcerer in action at my #dnd game today http://t.co/PLfbIsKm

One-line #dnd monsters by @ObsidianCrane: http://t.co/ZbevteA8 Great idea and one I used in my Gloomwrought game.

In response to @MonteJCook's article; I'm fine with vancian magic as long as it doesn't result in 40 page character sheets like #dnd 3.5.

For the lunch crowd, is it me or is the Elementalist's two-target 1d12+1d10+1d6+12 vs. two targets at level 6 pretty high damage? #dnd

Here's stats for the 6th level #dnd Elementalist that hits for 1d12+1d10+1d6+13 vs. two targets twice per battle. http://t.co/zvZwPXU9

#dnd tip: Keep solos and elites simple and powerful by letting them ignore daze, stuns, and dominates during their turns.

#dnd tip: Keep elites and solos simple and powerful by letting them ignore daze, stuns, and dominates during their turn.

Can't decide if I want to run Twisting Halls > Harkenhold > Winter King > Gardmore Abbey or just go straight to Gardmore. #dnd

@matt_james_rpg @newbiedm I'm fine with marks as long as the penalty doesn't increase over the level-span. Why would it be worse later?

This week's Troll and Toad Tuesday mini, the Huge Fire Elemental! Great as both a monster and a set-piece: http://t.co/Tg1zv4sR

My big question: How will #dndnext deal with the huge amount of battlefield control 4e PCs had without making PCs feel much weaker?

Example: 4e fighter marks did all sorts of controller-style things. Remove them and fighters turn back into just blade swingers. #dndnext

#dnd tip: Want an old-school feel with your existing 4e game? Try playing low level games with just Heroes of the Fallen Lands.

#dnd 4e suffers from a great deal of status-effect glut but remove them and everything just feels like damage. How should that be handled?

@ve4grm I'm fine with a -2 to attack mark. Not fine with all sorts of weakens, knock prone, slide 3, teleport, free heals, and extra damage.

#dnd tip: Want the feeling of a simple old-school #dnd game? Try running low level adventures with just Heroes of the Fallen Lands.

@gregbilsland I agree. I love drop to 0 effects as a shock-and-awe effect without true slaying.

The problem with marks is that they tended to escalate in range, power, effectiveness which scales too well against monsters. #dndnext

Sometimes I felt like 4e #dnd evolved into PCs dancing around and hitting inanimate blobs of inanimate hit points we called "monsters".

I don't know how you take that sort of control away from players and have them still feel good about their PCs. #dndnext

Tomorrow the Shieldbashers, mutated (Essentialized) by the Far Realm, returns to the Demonweb Pits to recover the Shard of the Abyss! #dnd

#dnd tip: Keep your game ultra simple by only using the DM Cheat Sheet and coming up with everything on the fly: http://t.co/Y7tIe0qb

If you enjoyed these tips, take a look at Sly Flourish’s Dungeon Master Tips book or Sly Flourish’s Running Epic Tier D&D Games. You can also use these links to purchase the Heroes of the Fallen Lands, the Dungeon Master’s Kit, or the Monster Vault or bookmark this link to buy anything from Amazon.

Need some battle maps? Pick up some Gamemastery Flip-Maps from Troll and Toad, an official Sly Flourish sponsor.