Uploaded December 2020 | Updated September 2026, 10 hours ago
Over the years I have had some successes as a Dungeon Master, but all of those successes were built off of some of the biggest failures I have ever made running a game of Dungeons & Dragons. Today I want to share my 10 biggest mistakes I made while DMing so that maybe you can succeed where I failed and learn from my mistakes, and be the great DM that I wasn't starting out.
Whether it is how to use your players' backstories to tell effective stories in D&D, using the right monsters for D&D encounters, or when to take notes while running the game at the table; all of my mistakes can lead you to success as a Dungeon Master.
Eberron Renewed Podcast:
Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eberron-renewed/id1211758313
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/3vcEzLCK4WXrfleB0kGzil
Come hang out on Twitch: twitch.tv/thegeekpantheon
Subscribe to the Channel: youtube.com/TheGeekPantheon?sub_confirmation=1
If you missed out Tasha's Cauldron of Everything Review you can take a look here: youtu.be/1ZoWieb4_gU
Timestamps:
0:00:00 - Introduction to the 10 Mistakes I Made As a DM
0:00:38 - Centering Your Campaign's Story Around the PCs Backgrounds
0:02:48 - Overplanning Your Campaign Sessions
0:05:15 - Finding the Perfect Monster for Surprise Encounters
0:07:36 - Being Afraid to "Under Deliver" for Your PCs Stories
0:10:49 - Creating "One-Way Road" Encounters
0:13:39 - Feeling Like You Must Be Original
0:15:57 - Waiting to Take Notes
0:17:59 - Fear of PC Death
0:20:08 - Rushing Stories and Reveals
0:22:33 - You Are THE Storyteller
Maile & Eric Vlog Channel ►► youtube.com/channel/UCxqj5gJJnuslBYfj1qhFubQ
Patreon ►► patreon.com/TheGeekPantheon
Twitch ►► twitch.tv/thegeekpantheon
Discord ►► discord.gg/np2nw7y
Facebook ►► facebook.com/groups/thegeekpantheon
Twitter ►► twitter.com/thegeekpantheon
Instagram ►► instagram.com/thegeekpantheon
Tasha's Cauldron of Everything is available on D&D Beyond: dndbeyond.com/sources/tcoe
Huge thank you to Taking20 and Web DM for helping me to grow as a Dungeon Master and content creator. And of course a huge shout out to Nerd Immersion and Dungeon Dudes for helping grow the community.
#dnd5e #tashascauldronofeverything #dnd
Over the years I have had some successes as a Dungeon Master, but all of those successes were built off of some of the biggest failures I have ever made running a game of Dungeons & Dragons. Today I want to share my 10 biggest mistakes I made while DMing so that maybe you can succeed where I failed and learn from my mistakes, and be the great DM that I wasn't starting out.
Whether it is how to use your players' backstories to tell effective stories in D&D, using the right monsters for D&D encounters, or when to take notes while running the game at the table; all of my mistakes can lead you to success as a Dungeon Master.
Eberron Renewed Podcast:
Apple: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/eberron-renewed/id1211758313
Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/3vcEzLCK4WXrfleB0kGzil
Come hang out on Twitch: twitch.tv/thegeekpantheon
Subscribe to the Channel: youtube.com/TheGeekPantheon?sub_confirmation=1
If you missed out Tasha's Cauldron of Everything Review you can take a look here: youtu.be/1ZoWieb4_gU
Timestamps:
0:00:00 - Introduction to the 10 Mistakes I Made As a DM
0:00:38 - Centering Your Campaign's Story Around the PCs Backgrounds
0:02:48 - Overplanning Your Campaign Sessions
0:05:15 - Finding the Perfect Monster for Surprise Encounters
0:07:36 - Being Afraid to "Under Deliver" for Your PCs Stories
0:10:49 - Creating "One-Way Road" Encounters
0:13:39 - Feeling Like You Must Be Original
0:15:57 - Waiting to Take Notes
0:17:59 - Fear of PC Death
0:20:08 - Rushing Stories and Reveals
0:22:33 - You Are THE Storyteller
Maile & Eric Vlog Channel ►► youtube.com/channel/UCxqj5gJJnuslBYfj1qhFubQ
Patreon ►► patreon.com/TheGeekPantheon
Twitch ►► twitch.tv/thegeekpantheon
Discord ►► discord.gg/np2nw7y
Facebook ►► facebook.com/groups/thegeekpantheon
Twitter ►► twitter.com/thegeekpantheon
Instagram ►► instagram.com/thegeekpantheon
Tasha's Cauldron of Everything is available on D&D Beyond: dndbeyond.com/sources/tcoe
Huge thank you to Taking20 and Web DM for helping me to grow as a Dungeon Master and content creator. And of course a huge shout out to Nerd Immersion and Dungeon Dudes for helping grow the community.
#dnd5e #tashascauldronofeverything #dnd
