D&D 5E Delight 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide touches

[Hatmatter]

I am still reading through the Dungeon Master's Guide a little at a time and I am finding neat ideas unobtrusively threaded throughout it.

For instance, the section on Death (page 62-63) has a brilliant little idea of extending role-playing to the experience of dying itself and has a recommendation for how a player's Death Save roll can translate into either a positive or negative experience of dying, with either encouraging memories from one's life flashing through one's fading consciousness or a character experiencing shame or grief as they are slipping away.

I like creative ways to extend the role-playing experience and I thought this was a nice touch. There are other such moments as well. They seem to come and go quickly in the text because the book is concise and one section is always followed by another one with good ideas, so it is easy as a reader to look ahead to the next entry.

 

[Stormonu]

That could prove a bit interesting to set up a series of Traveller-like charts to roll on after making a death save to narrate what the downed character is going through - it at least gives a player something to do as the rest of the group engages in combat.

I haven't sat down with the new DMG too much, but I faintly remember several bits in the Greyhawk section giving me some ideas for plots and such. Can't remember the specifics at the moment, though.

 

[aco175]

I thought of this song when I read the title.

 

[CacklinSlayers]

Turning death saves into a roleplay / share-your-backstory prompt works like a charm in my home game! I even made a 20-card deck filled with fun RP prompts for it. Instead of just skipping their turn while the rest of the party is having all the fun, my downed players actually look forward to drawing a card and having a bittersweet moment in the spotlight.

I didn’t realize this approach made it into the new Dungeon Master's Guide. Cool to know the DMG writing team and I are on the same wavelength

 

[jgsugden]

The DMG, in every edition, provides a lot more value than people realize. It is usually the least utilized book in the game.

To that end, I think there is a missed opportunity for someone to turn it into DMU - Dungeon Master University. Use the book as a textbook for a university style course on DMing.

 

[Swarmkeeper]

Can't. Resist. Temptation.