D&D Video Recap: New Dungeon Master's Guide Deep Dive

Here follow my notes about the “New Dungeon Master’s Guide Deep Dive” video that Wizards of the Coast released in April 2023.

For more context and my Standard Disclaimer, check out the introduction to this series.

They’re looking to produce a “cooler”, “more user-friendly” DMG. “Everything is on the table” in terms of better presentation and new things that can be added. Making the early parts of the book the basics. Understand how the game and the group social dynamic works before campaign creation. Regroup all the info in a more natural way.

The chapters will be:

  1. The basics
  2. Common things that happen during play
  3. Alphabetized rules compendium
  4. Adventure building
  5. Campaign building
  6. Cosmology
  7. Magic items
  8. SURPRISE ?!
  9. Appendices: with maps, lore, and a poster map (of what? Also a surprise!)

Various DM advice. Advice for rolling with player shenanigans/surprises. How to let players contribute but also still get to the campaign plot. Incorporating material from Xanathar & Tasha that is now considered integral, like Session Zero. Also incorporating and expanding the common magic items material from Xanathar.

The most common 2014 DMG feedback: “Oh, I didn’t know that was in there.” Second most common: “I know it’s there but I can’t find it.”

All the “stray bits” of rules are being collected into the rules glossary/cyclopedia.

In the adventure building material, they’re planning specific examples to do more “show don’t tell”. Want to make it easy for DMs to put something together quickly that can be one or more sessions of material, hoping that this helps address the shortage of DMs.

Lore glossary defines, in alphabetical order, historically significant characters, locations, etc. to provide a quick reference for newer DMs who might not know all the history/significance.

Increasingly common for DMs to learn from watching other DMs. “I can do that, but I don’t think I can do that as well” is a source of DM anxiety. New DMG emphasizes that every DM is different, has their own style, embrace what makes you & your group unique.

The next section of the video riffs on what’s exciting and fun about DMing. Not going to recap this since I’m sure most of us are already keyed into this from our own experiences, but it was enjoyable viewing.

Discussion about new DMs/players from the D&D movie. Reminiscing about “my first DMG”. New DMG won’t have 8pt type, lol.

Reiterating that it’s still “fifth edition”, just “better”.

2014 missteps? Small team, releasing a lot at the same time, ambitious timeline, tight budgetary resources. Most effort focused on PHB and MM. DMG “had to wait in line”. Immediately after shipping it to the printer they started talking about how to do it better next time. Wish they could’ve added more (reusable) maps — one of many wishes.

Monster Manual info! More monsters will be added — new ones to fill gaps, particularly at higher CRs. Reorg to make it easier to find things. Breaking up the families so that Gelatinous Cube is under “G”. Keeping CRs as they are but fine-tuning them all to actually meet the CRs correctly. Trying to support higher level play. Lots of new art across all 2024 books (PHB, DMG, MM), including art for many more monsters in the MM than in the 2014 edition. Biggest MM ever?