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

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.

Several years ago I picked up the Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition Starter Set and ran a game with some friends. We had fun, so decided to continue with some home-brewed material. I picked up the Dungeon Master's Guide, along with the rest of the core rulebooks, hoping it would teach me how to be a Dungeon Master. However, I found the information: dense, disorganized and difficult to reference quickly during a game session. I thought I must have been doing something wrong, so I did some online research to learn more. That's when I discovered Justin Alexander's site: thealexandrian.net.Discovering his site was a game changer for me, and after reading Game Mastery 101, I finally understood what I was missing. Learning the skill of Game Mastering comes in understanding game structures and procedures over memorizing systems or settings. That is what this book teaches. You can take the lessons in this book and use them in anything from Dungeons and Dragons to Call of Cthulhu.Justin Alexander has taken his vast knowledge and condensed it into this fantastic book, which teaches each type of game structure and the procedures for running them. In this book, he covers each type and how to run them: Dungeons, mysteries, heists, cities, and wilderness adventures. He even gives homework assignments so you can practice the skills he teaches you. There is even in-depth coverage of specific topics such as: creating megadungeons, running dynamic battles, and much more.TL;DR: This book is worth every penny, and is a must-have for any game master.

If you're a D&D player, consider this the official 5E Dungeon Master's Guide. This book is the superior guide for new and old DMs alike.The problem with D&D (and other RPGs) has always been that it's hard to explain to new players through books and text, particularly because RPG rules have so much leeway regarding how to interpret them. Traditional games, the ones we as young kids are introduced to, have clear, specific rules, and every possible action of what may happen in the game is accounted for. In an RPG, the DM is the referee of the game, and players can try to do anything they can think of. If you come from that "games have rules for everything" mindset, you will go mad trying to determine how to run a dungeon, let alone an entire campaign. Having streamed live-plays has helped immensely in allowing people to wrap their heads around the concept of an RPG, but if you're new to the hobby, it's still intimidating.This book clearly outlines how to be a DM, and makes it super easy and non-intimidating. It's easy to read, and lays things out in order from simple to complex. Concepts build on one another. The official 5E DMG has good tips and advice (albeit in a confusing layout), but completely seems to forget to explain one simple thing clearly: How to be a DM.The best RPG book I own.