I’ve been playingDungeons & Dragonsfor years. Since I first got involved with Fifth Edition, I’ve always been bothered by everything missing for those of us who have found a way to get into the hobby but don’t have the resources to play the way they want to or have seen online. There’s so much you’re expected to know and understand when you have players sit down at the table looking at you, like there’s some secret club for Dungeon Masters where we all teach each other how to be a DM and how to be the right DM for our table.
There’s assumed knowledge that comes with the DM role, and it’s always been a struggle when 50 years of gameplay isn’t beginner-friendly. I’ve complained about how hard it is for someone getting into the role to understand Sigil, Greyhawk, or Ravenloft or how to spread shared DM history for newer players getting into the role. At long last, the 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide is addressing my concerns, and I’m finally excited to dig into playing with this resource at my side.
Addressing Player Complaints
Every complaint I’ve personally had seems to be addressed one way or another in this book, and the biggest boon is validation that what I’ve been doing is right. Plus there are tips that actually feel like they come from other experienced DMs, giving authority and weight to this version of the book.
Sometimes it’s small things like addressing the fact that alignment is fluid, and DMs can – and should – allow players to change it as the story progresses. There are bound to be times when the roleplay or story doesn’t align with the alignment made months or even years ago, creating awkward moments at the table between players and the DM, or conversations that stray too far from what your character should do. This simple note in the book allows for everyone to feel more comfortable at the table without being stuck in the rigid confines of a character you created at the start of the campaign. These types of little one-off additions truly make it apparent these concerns were addressed by people actively playing.
The same has been done with the 50-year history of D&D. Not everyone has time to delve through the origins and history of D&D in a huge textbook-style tome. The lore glossary finally addresses famous characters and locations sometimes lost to new DMs in the history of D&D.
This DMG gives players and DMs full reign of Greyhawk, for example, with maps and information to either run an established adventure or turn it into your own campaign in a classic D&D location. It’s a great way to get new players involved with an established setting but also prove that you’re not confined to rules as written. Run with Greyhawk in your own campaign for a quick setting you rename. you’re able to also discover and relive, or make new adventures in, an iconic setting.
Wizards has added a ton of magic items with rules on how characters can make them. You’ll love sifting through what your players can play with at the table.
Assumed knowledge is no longer, well, assumed. I can now see and read quick information on Bahamut, Vecna, Waterdeep, and The Raven Queen at my fingertips. The same goes for the cosmology of D&D, with its own chapter highlighting what you’ll need to understand about the subject.
If you notice prominent characters missing in the rules glossary (such as Asmodeus), it’s because they’re mentioned elsewhere in the DMG.
Back To Basics Works Wonders
Similar to the Player’s Handbook, this back-to-basics approach includes everything you need to know to play and run a game and is presented in a way that makes sense. It seems ridiculous to praise the Dungeon Master’s Guide for being a guide for dungeon masters, but the previous DMG lacked so much of what you’d assume are commonplace instructions. This is finally a sourcebook that I’d feel comfortable giving to a player who wants to try their hand at DMing and know that it’s not an overwhelming info dump, but a helpful tool to actually learn how to do the dungeon master role.
It takes into account every type of dungeon master, from those who prepare with notes to those who spend hours on prep time. There’s even a section for the One Hour Guideline, which provides examples of what might happen within an hour of play and encourages at least three of these options to be completed within that timespan.
For those new DMs, there are maps and built-in adventures they can access and play right out of the DMG.
These types of additions make this book worth the money. It truly encourages you to play your style and gives you the necessary information to know how. From paying attention to body language to acknowledging house rules and how to deal with a disruptive player or player conflict, there is a lot of good content here.
Not All That Glitters Is Dragon’s Gold
That doesn’t mean everything is good though. Bastions have been touted as an awesome new addition that’ll give players agency, but as it’s written, it feels like a bland distraction. These new structures are meant to give players agency by providing a stronghold they can build from the ground up. These strongholds, known as Bastions, are built by the players somewhere in the world, and they can take their own turns describing what they’d like to do to work on their personal stronghold. These structures grow over time with the party, allowing them to add everything from basic functionality to specific rooms and staff. While the book provides several options for what they can do and build, it feels like it will end up being more work for the DM or some forgotten distraction you’ll be forced to tack on to send the players back to from time to time.
There are tons of maps available, which is good, but you may not like the hand-drawn design of them. There are options for crafting that are slightly better than those given in the 2024 Player’s Handbook, but a lot of these don’t feel innovative or worth your time (similar to the Bastions).
Of course, only time will tell whether they’re great additions when groups get their hands on the Dungeon Master’s Guide. For now though, it’s got everything you could ask for in an easy to read and understand package. It’s about time.
