Care about what your players are doing, and you'll never forget to give them the opportunity to do it. ENnie Award-winning RPG designer Justin Alexander reveals the simple technique for descriptions that drive the action forward in your RPG campaign. Players love this one simple trick!
0:00 Fearing the Silence 2:20 Freeze-Framed Boxed Text 4:00 Bottomless Improv 5:00 The Reaction Point 9:07 Descriptions in Practice 12:15 Practice Makes Perfect 13:37 The Big Solution
Care about what your players are doing, and you'll never forget to give them the opportunity to do it. ENnie Award-winning RPG designer Justin Alexander reveals the simple technique for descriptions that drive the action forward in your RPG campaign. Players love this one simple trick!
0:00 Fearing the Silence 2:20 Freeze-Framed Boxed Text 4:00 Bottomless Improv 5:00 The Reaction Point 9:07 Descriptions in Practice 12:15 Practice Makes Perfect 13:37 The Big SolutionGoblin, a solo RPG about little green menAlexandrian2025-09-29 | Goblin! is a solo RPG from Hexy Studio and the first installment in the Misbehave series of solo RPG experiences. ENNIE Award-winning game designer Justin Alexander goes on the adventure of a lifetime as the Goblin Who Will Soon Be Known as Ghost-Tooth. Can Ghost-Tooth triumph, reunite the goblin crown, and lead his people to victory against the tyrannical gnomes?
0:00 Introduction 9:10 First Expedition 33:50 The Witch's Hut! 44:00 Swamp! 1:08:45 Mischief Managed 1:32:00 Getting Teeth 1:51:15 Dungeon Delving 2:16:00 The Wizard's TowerRoll Initiative Last! - with Seth Skorkowsky, Baron de Ropp, Bob World Builder, Dave ThaumavoreAlexandrian2025-09-24 | SO YOU WANT TO BE A GAME MASTER thealexandrian.net/so-you-want-to-be-a-game-master
Want to supercharge your D&D combat? Roll initiative last!
Thanks to all my Youtube gaming buddies! Check out their channels for even more awesome RPG and GMing tips.
Baron de Ropp - @DungeonMasterpiece Bob World Builder - @BobWorldBuilder Dave Thaumavore - @DaveThaumavore Seth Skorkowsky - @SSkorkowsky
Twitter: @hexcrawl Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/alexandrian.bsky.social Mastodon: https://dice.camp/@hexcrawlD&D: The Speed of Leveling | Advanced GamemasteryAlexandrian2025-09-12 | DSCRYB dscryb.com/thealexandrian Coupon code: THEALEXANDRIAN
How often do you level up your PCs? Too often! USA Today Bestselling Author and ENnie Award-winning RPG designer Justin Alexander will help you give your players the time they need to Learn, Experiment, and Master their characters.
0:00 Leveling in D&D 3:27 Level Mastery 4:32 The Problem 5:42 The Solution 9:20 Character Time4 Ways to Fix Your D&D Adventure | Advanced GamemasteryAlexandrian2025-09-03 | DSCRYB dscryb.com/thealexandrian Coupon code: THEALEXANDRIAN
'tis the Halloween season! The perfect time for a little horror gaming! But how can you scare your players when you don't have a camera, a composer, a symphony orchestra, a foley artist, and professional actors? Join ENNIE Award-winning game designer Justin Alexander for a peek inside RPG jump scares.
0:00 The Laboratory 1:23 Jump Scares 4:13 MistakesThe Secret to Faster D&D Combat! with the K-Pop Demon Hunters #dnd #rpg #ttrpg #kpopdemonhuntersAlexandrian2025-08-23 | Do you want to speed up your D&D and RPG combat? The secret is to start describing the action as the dice are rolled! Join award-winning game designer Justin Alexander the K-Pop Demon Hunters for some quick tips that will instantly improve your game!
Twitter: @hexcrawl Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/alexandrian.bsky.social Mastodon: https://dice.camp/@hexcrawlWe BROKE the Dungeon Master! #shorts #dnd #ttrpg #funnyAlexandrian2025-06-20 | If you’re using a published adventure for D&D or other RPGs, you want to watch out for booby traps!
Are your dungeons missing something? Whether you're running D&D or Cyberpunk RED, it's time to bring the liminal spaces of your world to life! USA Today Bestselling Author and ENnie Award-winning RPG designer Justin Alexander will help your level up your dungeons and other location crawl adventures!
0:00 Dungeons 1:33 Corridor Themes 4:13 Using ThemesWATCH OUT! Published Adventures are Booby Trapped! - GM Advice #shorts #dnd #ttrpgAlexandrian2025-05-17 | If you’re using a published adventure for D&D or other RPGs, you want to watch out for booby traps!
SO YOU WANT TO BE A DUNGEON MASTER thealexandrian.net/so-you-want-to-be-a-game-masterAdversary Rosters | 5-Star DungeonsAlexandrian2025-05-01 | Are your dungeons boring? Are you ready to take the next step in your journey to becoming an advanced Game Master? USA Today Bestselling Author and ENnie Award-winning RPG designer Justin Alexander will help you bring your dungeons to life by revealing the hidden secrets of dynamic dungeons!
0:00 Broke the Game Master 1:20 Dynamic Dungeons 3:25 Adversary Rosters 6:15 Action Groups 9:28 Restocking Rosters 10:35 Tracking Groups 13:10 Roleplaying Action Groups 15:17 Dynamic Encounter DesignBest Kept Secret for a D&D Dungeon MasterAlexandrian2024-11-05 | Everyone's talking about Wizards of the Coast screwing everything up...Beholders, Monster Manuals, and D&D - Oh My!Alexandrian2024-10-22 | I have a theory about D&D's beholders...
0:00 Introduction 1:06 Regular Scheduling 2:45 Ad Hoc Scheduling 6:57 Open Table Scheduling 9:13 Mandatory Attendance 11:10 Minimum Threshold Attendance 12:15 Putting It All TogetherUnboxing MothershipAlexandrian2024-08-31 | MOTHERSHIP is the sci-fi horror RPG you've been waiting for! I've been waiting years to get my hands on this bad boy, and I'm excited to have you join me
On Friday night, So You Want to Be a Game Master won the Gold ENNIE for Best RPG Related Product and the Alexandrian won a Gold ENNIE for Best Online Content. This is now an ENNIE Award-winning Youtube channel! The bad news is that there's yet another Hasbro / Wizards of the Coast scandal.
Robert Louis Stevenson would have been a great game master! USA Today Bestselling Author and ENnie Award-winning RPG designer Justin Alexander joins the author of Treasure Island to explore the adventures found in any map!
0:00 Treasure Island 2:40 Creating Adventures from Maps 4:27 Starting from the MapSpray Your Bullets | Advanced GamemasteryAlexandrian2024-07-29 | DSCRYB dscryb.com/thealexandrian Coupon code: THEALEXANDRIAN
The name of the game is collateral damage! USA Today Bestselling Author and ENnie Award-winning RPG designer Justin Alexander shows you how to get a little sloppier with your aim: Don't just hit the PCs. Start hitting stuff all around them. Their friends, their allies, innocent bystanders, even their enemies.
0:00 Taking Aim 1:55 Spray Your Bullets 3:35 Picking Your TargetsTrick Your Players Into RoleplayingAlexandrian2024-07-20 | Thank you to everyone who voted for the Alexandrian for Best Online Content and So You Want To Be a Game Master for Best RPG Related Product! The final awards will be announced Friday, August 2nd, 2024 at Gen Con!
Have you ever been sitting at a game table and the players start talking to each other about what they want to do next? But they aren’t really talking in character. They’re just kind of chatting with each other as players. Here’s what you can do!
Should the PCs be able to buy magic items? Should your fantasy cities have magic item markets? It's not just how common magic is, it's how common different TYPES of magic are. The answers you choose can utterly transform your D&D, Pathfinder, or other fantasy RPG campaign.
0:00 Destroying Your Campaign 3:35 Common Magic Items 5:02 Local Magic Market 7:39 Buying Magic Items 11:42 Using Magic Item MarketsUnboxing - Slay the Dragon!Alexandrian2024-05-01 | Slay the Dragon! is an upcoming fantasy RPG from Hexy Studios. The boxed sets are designed to introduce new players and GMs to roleplaying games, while also setting a more fun and fanciful tone at the gaming table. I'm going to crack open the boxes for the first time so that we can all take a sneak peek at what the game has to offer!
Originally published in Poland as Zabić Smoka!, Hexy Studios is now translating the game into English for an upcoming Kickstarter campaign.
This video is not sponsored by Hexy Studios, although they did provide the review copy of the game shown on camera.
0:00 Opening the Box 1:07 Slay the Dragon! 3:20 Monstrous Menagerie 5:36 My Little DungeonRolling for Riddles! - Advanced GamemasteryAlexandrian2024-03-31 | DSCRYB dscryb.com/thealexandrian Coupon code: THEALEXANDRIAN
The riddle of running riddles is a riddle you can't unriddle by rolling a riddle roll. (Say that three times fast!) USA Today Bestselling Author and ENnie Award-winning RPG designer Justin Alexander unravels the trick for having player character solve puzzles and conundrums at the gaming table by way of the Paul Czege Principle and Gandalf the Grey.
0:00 Czege's Principle 2:26 Non-Essential Riddles 3:57 Rolling for Clues 6:30 Searching for CluesUniversal Roleplaying Template | Advanced GamemasteryAlexandrian2024-03-19 | THE TOMB OF GYZAENGAXX gooeycube.com/alexandrian
The world of your RPG campaign is filled with a legion of characters, and the key to every great RPG -- whether you're playing D&D or Daggerheart -- is bringing this vast cast of characters to vivid life. USA Today Bestselling Author and ENnie Award-winning RPG designer Justin Alexander shares his secret weapon for mastering every character.
0:00 Intro 0:58 Briefing Sheets 2:04 Illustrations & Handouts 4:20 Back to Briefing Sheets 5:24 Universal Roleplaying TemplateDungeon Clues | 5-Star DungeonsAlexandrian2024-03-15 | THE TOMB OF GYZAENGAXX gooeycube.com/alexandrian
Are you dungeons boring? Are you ready to take the next step in your journey to become a true Game Master? USA Today Bestselling Author and ENnie Award-winning RPG designer Justin Alexander will help you bring your dungeons to life by revealing the hidden secrets of dungeon clues!
0:00 Advanced Dungeons 2:10 Dungeon Clues 4:22 Advanced PlayersBoxed Text: Everything You Need to Know - Advanced GamemasteryAlexandrian2024-02-28 | THE TOMB OF GYZAENGAXX gooeycube.com/alexandrian
Tired of just reading from a script? USA Today Bestselling Author and ENnie Award-winning RPG designer Justin Alexander will help your reinvent your boxed text and bring your RPG adventures to life! Whether you're using scripted boxed text, bullet points, or highlighters, learn how to describe an entire world!
We love fantastical settings, and the way we bring those settings to life in an RPG - whether D&D, Eclipse Phase, Numenera, Call of Cthulhu, or Pendragon - is by including magical set dressing. USA Today Bestselling Author and ENnie Award-winning RPG designer Justin Alexander shows you how to think outside the treasure chest!
0:00 Introduction 3:15 Fantastical Set DressingWhen a Character Dies | Advanced GamemasteryAlexandrian2024-02-17 | THE TOMB OF GYZAENGAXX gooeycube.com/alexandrian
Death is a powerful part of life. It’s also a powerful part of the stories that we tell. And it’s an important part of the roleplaying games that we play. And now your character is dead. No take-backs. USA Today Bestselling Author and ENnie Award-winning RPG designer Justin Alexander takes you beyond the final frontier!
0:00 On the Death of a PC 0:58 Script Immunity 2:22 Player Elimination 3:38 Replacement Characters 5:00 Backup Characters 6:44 Before You Die 9:32 Total Party Kills 10:11 Swapping CharactersWhen the PCs Hate Each Other | Advanced GamemasteryAlexandrian2024-02-09 | DSCRYB dscryb.com/thealexandrian Coupon code: THEALEXANDRIAN
Do the PCs need to stay together because the players want to stay together? Whether dealing with troublemakers or just irreconcilable differences, is your game doomed to an ignominious end? Whether you're hunting vampires in Graveoak or dragons in the Cerulean Alps, USA Today Bestselling Author and ENnie Award-winning RPG designer Justin Alexander will show you how to save your campaign!
0:00 Irreconcilable Differences 1:27 Unexamined Axioms 2:54 Saving Your Campaign 4:52 Creating New Characters 5:39 Splitting the CampaignAlways Split the Party! | Advanced GamemasteryAlexandrian2024-01-31 | SO YOU WANT TO BE A GAME MASTER thealexandrian.net/so-you-want-to-be-a-game-master
Never split the party is what new players do to stay safe. But once you get a little bit of experience under your belts, you should ALWAYS split the party. USA Today Bestselling Author and ENnie Award-winning RPG designer Justin Alexander reveals the secrets for GMing on Easy Mode™.
0:00 Intro 1:50 Splitting the Party 3:45 GMing on Easy Mode 6:31 Cliffhangers 7:38 Splitting CombatLets Read 1974 D&D: Giants & Undead & Orcs, oh my!Alexandrian2023-09-29 | Award-winning GM and game designer Justin Alexander takes you on a deep dive into the original 1974 edition of Dungeons & Dragons by Dave Arneson and Gary Gygax. How did D&D transform our understanding of fantasy? What were the original three Tiers of play in D&D? Why do cloud giants have a keen sense of smell? And why are Gygax and Arneson directly responsible for Stephanie Meyers' Twilight series?
0:00 Overview of Volume 2 3:54 Monster Reference Table 18:20 Men & Mermen 31:21 Goblins & Orcs 44:49 Giants 47:10 UndeadAdvanced Gamemastery: BluebookingAlexandrian2023-09-14 | PREORDER: SO YOU WANT TO BE A GAME MASTER thealexandrian.net/so-you-want-to-be-a-game-master
Wish you could keep roleplaying forever? The forgotten techniques of bluebooking will let you keep playing anywhere and anytime. You'll be able to explore your character and the campaign in completely new ways, adding depth and creativity to every adventure. ENnie Award-winning RPG designer Justin Alexander gives you the simple tip and tricks you need.
A procedural adventure is a guarantee for success: The GM will know exactly what to prep and the players will know exactly what to do. But it can also feel hollow. ENnie Award-winning RPG designer Justin Alexander reveals the simple trick for aligning character to campaign, whether your PCs are street rats or demigods. Your games will never be the same.
Every new RPG unlocks new and exciting experiences! ENnie Award-winning RPG designer Justin Alexander guides you through the step-by-step process he uses to quickly master a new game so that you can start playing it ASAP!
0:00 Intro 0:46 Read the Rulebook 1:12 Make a Cheat Sheet 2:43 Run a One-Shot 3:45 Co-Opt Expertise 4:36 Highlight Sessions 5:39 Prep Mastery 6:31 Look-Up Time LimitsDescribe the World! | Advanced GamemasteryAlexandrian2023-08-12 | DSCRYB dscryb.com/thealexandrian Coupon code: THEALEXANDRIAN
The GM’s words are the players’ window into the game world. ENnie Award-winning RPG designer Justin Alexander reveals the simple techniques you can use to improvise descriptions and immerse your players in your game.
0:00 Intro 0:49 Dungeon Descriptions 2:20 NPC Descriptions 3:19 Monster Descriptions 5:37 Making Your Own Formulas 7:07 Persistent Descriptions 10:12 Customizing MonstersCreating Campaign Characters | Advanced GamemasteryAlexandrian2023-07-23 | PREORDER: SO YOU WANT TO BE A GAME MASTER thealexandrian.net/so-you-want-to-be-a-game-master
Whether your TTRPG campaign is D&D, GURPS, Blades in the Dark, Infinity, or Call of Cthulhu, you're going to be playing these characters for weeks, months, or possibly even years. Shouldn't you take the time to get it right? ENnie Award-winning RPG designer Justin Alexander shows you how he gets all of his campaigns off on the right foot.
0:00 Session 0 1:45 Campaign Premise 4:23 Character Concepts 5:50 Public Integration 8:23 Private Integration 9:26 Bring the Party TogetherSo You Want To Be a Game Master - Cover Reveal #shortsAlexandrian2023-07-20 | You can find more information about SO YOU WANT TO BE A GAME MASTER? plus preorder links here:
Whether you're looking to run Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, Vampire: The Masquerade, Cyberpunk RED, Star Wars, The Witcher, or any one of the countless other roleplaying games that let you go on adventures with your friends while playing characters of your own creation, this is the book you need to unlock the limitless vistas of your imagination.
Learning how to be a better Game Master or Dungeon Master, whether for D&D or any other game, is something anyone can do. You just have to take it one step at a time. ENnie Award-winning RPG designer Justin Alexander walks you through the simple techniques he uses to improve his own GMing.
0:00 Intro 1:00 Run Roleplaying Games 1:31 Practice Points 3:09 ExercisesSo You Want To Be a Game Master? - COVER REVEAL!Alexandrian2023-07-12 | You can find more information about SO YOU WANT TO BE A GAME MASTER? plus preorder links here:
Whether you're looking to run Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, Vampire: The Masquerade, Cyberpunk RED, Star Wars, The Witcher, or any one of the countless other roleplaying games that let you go on adventures with your friends while playing characters of your own creation, this is the book you need to unlock the limitless vistas of your imagination.
Force your D&D players to immediately start thinking about your scenario and making meaningful choices! ENnie Award-winning RPG designer Justin Alexander reveals the secret technique of using dilemma hooks in your adventures.
0:00 Intro 1:58 Dilemma HooksYour Best Adventuring Group | Advanced GamemasteryAlexandrian2023-06-18 | The very best roleplaying campaigns aren't about plot. They're about characters. So don't leave your group up to random chance: ENnie Award-winning RPG designer Justin Alexander gives you not one, not two, but THREE different techniques, ranging from quick to indepth, for creating your best adventuring group.
0:00 Boo! 1:02 Relationship Circle 2:23 Adventure Legacy 5:00 Drama Map 13:08 ConclusionCandela Obscura | Quick ReviewAlexandrian2023-05-31 | Has the Candela Obscura Quickstart convinced me to run the game? And will it convince you? Should you take the time to check out this new roleplaying game from Critical Role and Darrington Press? Why is Candela Obscura a game afraid of its own shadow? ENnie Award-winning designer Justin Alexander dives into the controversy.
0:00 Three Key Facts 0:39 Magick 1:56 Fairelands 3:14 Candela Obscura 4:12 The Rules 6:10 Damage & Scars 7:08 The Quickstart's Promise 9:45 The Candle's Shadow 12:45 ConclusionsBetter Scenario Hooks | Advanced GamemasteryAlexandrian2023-05-24 | Scenario hooks in published adventures are often underwhelming. That's because the designers have no way of knowing what's happening in your campaign. But you do! ENnie Award-winning RPG designer Justin Alexander reveals the secrets of weaving your adventures together by planning and retrofitting your hooks.
0:00 Intro 1:34 Long-Term Scenario Hooks 3:02 Journeys Through the Radiant CitadelSo You Want to Be a Game Master?Alexandrian2023-05-12 | You can find more information about SO YOU WANT TO BE A GAME MASTER? plus preorder links here:
Whether you're looking to run Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, Vampire: The Masquerade, Cyberpunk RED, Star Wars, The Witcher, or any one of the countless other roleplaying games that let you go on adventures with your friends while playing characters of your own creation, this is the book you need to unlock the limitless vistas of your imagination.
0:00 Intro 0:35 The Nature of Portals 2:14 One-Way Portals 2:41 Portal Metaphysics 5:12 Through the Portal 7:14 TroubleshootingVillain Monologues | Advanced GamemasteryAlexandrian2023-05-03 | This is it! The villain’s denouement! But the players don’t want to hear it. They just want to shoot the bad guy in the head. Find the big, dramatic moments with ENnie Award-winning RPG designer Justin Alexander.
0:00 Intro 2:00 Call for Initiative 3:27 Remote Dialogue 4:00 Fighting Monologue 4:54 Don't MonologueWhy Your GM Should Cheat (Sheet) | Quick GM TipsAlexandrian2023-02-26 | RPG cheat sheets are the shortcut to being a better GM! Quick GM Tips from ENnie Award-winner Justin Alexander get right to the point with practical advice to improve your RPG sessions.
Check out the Advanced Gamemastery series to take your game even further: bit.ly/3DnI8aw
#shorts
Editor: Sarah Holmberg
Twitter: @hexcrawl Patreon: patreon.com/justinalexander Twitch: twitch.tv/thealexandrian Website: thealexandrian.netMissing is Awesome! | Quick GM Tips #shorts #dndAlexandrian2023-02-19 | Make your RPG combat awesome! Quick GM Tips from ENnie Award-winner Justin Alexander get right to the point with practical advice to improve your RPG sessions.
Check out the Advanced Gamemastery series to take your game even further: bit.ly/3DnI8aw
#shorts
Editor: Sarah Holmberg
Twitter: @hexcrawl Patreon: patreon.com/justinalexander Twitch: twitch.tv/thealexandrian Website: thealexandrian.netSee You Next Week! Ending Your D&D Session | Advanced GamemasteryAlexandrian2023-02-08 | Finding the perfect ending for your RPG session is hard. ENnie Award-winning RPG designer Justin Alexander gives you the secret sauce for making your players beg for more with cliffhangers & conclusions.
0:00 Cliffhangers 4:05 Conclusions 8:20 Ending Windows3 Why Worldbuilding | Quick GM Tips #shortsAlexandrian2023-02-05 | Make your world better with in 3 easy steps! Quick GM Tips from ENnie Award-winner Justin Alexander get right to the point with practical advice to improve your RPG sessions.
Check out the Advanced Gamemastery series to take your game even further: bit.ly/3DnI8aw
#shorts
Editor: Sarah Holmberg
Twitter: @hexcrawl Patreon: patreon.com/justinalexander Twitch: twitch.tv/thealexandrian Website: thealexandrian.netDead Ends in RPGs | Advanced GamemasteryAlexandrian2023-01-31 | Your PCs are heading in the wrong direction. They think they've had a brilliant idea, but you know they've made a big mistake. ENnie Award-winning RPG designer Justin Alexander shows you how to get your game back on track.
0:00 Intro 1:40 Roll With It 3:47 Drive Past It 6:15 Declaration Judo 7:04 Use a Skill Check 8:52 Escaping a Dead EndQuick GM Tip: Stunt Advantage #shortsAlexandrian2023-01-27 | Do more stunts! Invite your players do be awesome! Quick GM Tips from ENnie Award-winner Justin Alexander get right to the point with practical advice to improve your RPG sessions.
Check out the Advanced Gamemastery series to take your game even further: bit.ly/3DnI8aw