So You Want To Be A Game Master: Everything You Need to Start Your Tabletop Adventure for Dungeons and Dragons, Pathfinder, and Other Systems Paperback – November 21, 2023

This book was written by none other than The Alexandrian. Period. Go read it.Oh, you want a more detailed review? Alright, let’s dive in.The Alexandrian, aka Justin Alexander, is a legendary Dungeon Master and an exceptional game designer. His online content has rightfully earned a Gold ENnie Award, and if you haven’t already, take some time to explore his treasure trove of RPG wisdom at https://thealexandrian.net/. It’s packed with invaluable insights into D&D and a wide variety of other RPG systems.Now, for my impressions of the book:I’ve been playing roleplaying games since 1985 and running tables as a DM since 1987. With nearly four decades of experience under my belt, I’ve read and run countless adventures and campaigns. And let me tell you—this book is a goldmine of knowledge. If it had existed back in the '80s, it would’ve saved me years of trial and error. My campaigns would have been vastly better, much sooner.As a guide for building dungeons, campaigns, hex crawls, or city crawls, So You Want to Be a Game Master is practically flawless. It provides nearly everything you need to design your own modules and adventures while crafting memorable NPCs and immersive worlds. It also introduces numerous invaluable GM tools and techniques, such as:• Designing the main villain - the one who escaped and can reappear to heighten the drama. Which might not be the one you thought of as the main villain.• "Xandering the Dungeon" (a.k.a. Jacquaying), to create dynamic and engaging exploration.• The "Three Clues Rule" for crafting compelling mysteries.• Giving NPCs distinctive traits or gestures to make them unforgettable.• Adding 2–3 descriptive elements to each area for vivid storytelling.• The "5 + 5 Dungeon" approach: a mix of descriptive rooms and rooms with encounters or puzzles.• Using multiple senses in your descriptions to bring places and characters to life.The book is also wonderfully structured with a clear didactic purpose, including exercises and even "homework" to help you apply what you’ve learned. Its intent is to teach readers how to design and run dungeons, mysteries, heists, urban adventures, wilderness exploration, and more.However, it’s important to note what this book isn’t. It’s not a general GM guide. As the author explicitly states, the book assumes you already understand the rules of the game you intend to run—whether it’s D&D, Pathfinder, or another system. This means you’re expected to have read both the Player’s Handbook and the DM Guide of your chosen game.Some caveats; much of the advice is clearly tailored to D&D or Pathfinder making them less relevant for other systems, or demanding some extra effort for the DM.You won’t find advice here on how to run a table, handle difficult players, distribute XP or loot, or consult massive DM tables (although the book does discuss how to create your own). Instead, this book focuses on elevating your craft as a Game Master, helping you design better campaigns, richer worlds, and more engaging gameplay.Here’s the bottom line:• If you’re running a strategic-focused game where the GM prepares adventures in advance (especially D&D 5E), this book is an absolute must-have. Its advice will dramatically improve the quality of your adventures.• If you’re looking for a comprehensive GMing guide covering all aspects of running a table, this isn’t it. Consider this book as an advanced manual for adventure design rather than a beginner-friendly how-to DM.Justin Alexander’s work is undeniably insightful, and So You Want to Be a Game Master stands as a definitive resource for GMs focused on strategic campaign design. Just don’t mistake it for the be-all, end-all of GMing advice.

One of the most useful books on game mastering I've ever read. This is the true Dungeon Master's Guide.

Even if you feel like you consistently run good games already, this book is invaluable.It is thankfully not just another fashionable thinkpiece written by reddit-tier pseuds intended to bolster your flimsy game mastering confidence with vague niceties ("just have fun, rules don't matter, everything is everything, man..."). This is a book of practical, actionable game running theories and procedures that anybody who gives a damn about running RPGs will get a lot out of, no matter where they are on that journey.Many times while reading it I caught myself thinking, "Funny, I've been fiddling with this particular technique/method/process for years but never knew there was a term for it or that anybody else had ever thought to do it. And I certainly never wrote it down in a clear, concise way to help my future self." If you spend any amount time thinking about how you run your games and how to enhance your craft, this book can - at the very least - untangle many of your best ideas and instincts and shape them into best practices that you can reliably fall back on without having to reinvent the wheel or try to remember how exactly you pulled off that killer game last year.In short, Justin Alexander puts art into the science of creating games, and science into the art of running games.This book also serves as an oblique introduction to oldskool D&D for anybody who's only ever played modern editions (3rd - 5E). Things like actual dungeons, group turn procedures, wilderness hexcrawls, the concept of exploration, narrative resolution, etc. all feature prominently. It also plugs plenty of modern storycrafting meta-games like Numenera and BitD when emphasizing the collaborative social aspect of gameplay. Mr. Alexander is mostly definitely a well-rounded game enjoyer, and if you heed his advice, that enjoyment can be yours.

I finally had a long couple flights and took the time to sit down and read this book cover to cover, and boy was it worth it.I've been DMing for about 2 years now, after watching dozens of Critical Role episodes and being familiar with multiple D&D systems, I thought this was the time to try. I have a group that meets regularly, and it's been going pretty well. I've watched hundreds of hours of Youtube content from Matt Colville to Ginny D and Sly Flourish and more. They're all great, and I'll continue to watch them.The difference is, this book lays out practical step-by-step tips on how to run so many different game types, and goes from simple to complex, it's very, very useful. I found myself constantly having to reread a page after I would daydream about how to implement that with my current campaign, before snapping back to reality. Dungeon running I'd say I have down, but once I got to the chapters on running mysteries and raids or heists, I was floored by how useful it was and how it opened my eyes to new game modes.If you're a new DM, this book is for you. If you've been DMing for a while but want to branch out, this book is REALLY for you. I can't recommend it enough. I plan on referencing it constantly from now on, and I can't wait to plan my next session.