D&D General Have You Actually Read the DM's Guide?

[DEFCON 1]

I've never read any DMG cover-to-cover, because invariably there are sections that I know I do not need to worry about right now and will only bother reading them at some later point if the need arises. And usually for a number of sections... those needs never arise.

Like in the 5E DMG, I've never needed to read things like the Sanity rules... most of the descriptions for things like siege weapons... the tables and charts to create random dungeons, etc. etc. And in fact, I'd say I skip over most random tables in all the various DMGs because I don't ever really pre-build random stuff. I either use pre-made things like modules or else I wing it during play and don't want to slow things down by rolling stuff up while we're playing.

 

[Stormonu]

I've read B/X, 1E* and the 2E DMG cover to cover. I think I did so for the 3E, but I'm not 100% sure. Read a good bit of the 4E DMG. Only lately have I been going through the 5E DMG. This doesn't count the dozens of non-D&D GM sections/books I've read over some 40 years (not that I remember most of them these days...).

* The rules in the DMG & UE were so scattered I bought a notebook and rewrote the rules into it in an organized manner. I'd still have it if I hadn't accidentally spilled degreaser on it.

 

[jgsugden]

I've read every (content) page of all 5 DMGs. In each case, I did so within the first few days of owning the books - including when I read the AD&D DMG when I was 6 and a half (I think I did, at least...).

 

[Puddles]

I own the 5e DMG and have read good portions of it, but not all of it.

I don’t actually find it to be very useful as a DM, or at least large portions of it. Page 24 suggests you “start small” (good advice), but then the first thing it points you to do in Chapter 1 is decide on a Pantheon, and Chapter 2 is “Creating a Multiverse”... I’m six months into my current campaign and don’t have either even close to being figured out lol.

Part 1 is full of so much fluff, “Your world could be like a, on the other hand, it could be like b, or perhaps even c”, that if I were the lead designer, I would drop it from the book and begin instead with part 2 on how to design adventures and encounters, (and also how to structure a compelling gaming session, something sorely missing!)

The parts I do find myself using the most are the XP budgets for encounters, the magical items and the treasure tables. The tables of gemstones and art objects are particularly useful. I also liked the section on poisons, and the downtime section is good for a starting point (but I find the rules a bit too basic really). Thinking about it, I hardly use any of it in my games.

 

[Charlaquin]

I've never read any DMG cover-to-cover, because invariably there are sections that I know I do not need to worry about right now and will only bother reading them at some later point if the need arises. And usually for a number of sections... those needs never arise.

Like in the 5E DMG, I've never needed to read things like the Sanity rules... most of the descriptions for things like siege weapons... the tables and charts to create random dungeons, etc. etc. And in fact, I'd say I skip over most random tables in all the various DMGs because I don't ever really pre-build random stuff. I either use pre-made things like modules or else I wing it during play and don't want to slow things down by rolling stuff up while we're playing.

There are definitely sections like this that I skimmed over myself.

 

[Asisreo]

The 5e DMG is pretty solid, despite its criticisms. Calling it a core book is definitely not an overstatement. I crack it open every single prep session because it gives really good inspiration.

I've used Piety, Hero Points, Artifacts, Charms, Blessings, Trading Bars, Madness, Poison Extraction, Planar Travel, Traps, Improvised Damage, Downtime, NPC creation, Monster Creation, Spell Creation, Map Generation, Dungeon Generation, Waterborne Vehicles and Chases all in the same campaign.

Once I swallowed my pride and did things the way they said so, I was able to save myself from completely unnecessary headaches. If things weren't going well, I could easily make adjustments and a more complete experience rather than banging my head on the wall trying to reinvent training benefits. Its just too easy to add Blessing of Flying than to come up with a whole class feature shift to allow the Open Hand Monk to innately fly.

The inspiration is also incredibly good. I see Parcel of Land and I immediately know what the perfect reward for saving the Baron's daughter will be. I see River Ferry guides by a skeletal captain and I know where the River Styx passes through the material plane.

 

[Helldritch]

Same here. I do read it from time to time for inspiration. The dawn war pantheon was a good thing that gave me a lot of inspirations as well as their take on the elemental planes. Lots of good stuff.

 

[A. Joseph Campbell]

I tend to read the dmg of whatever version Im running before I start a campaign. Same for the PHB as a refresh. A good technique to get in the habit of is to post it note pages that have options you want to use or rulings you want to make in advance such that your campaign primer covers it for filks ahead of time.

 

[Jack Daniel]

"Sometimes"? No option for "always and forever, between the time when the oceans drank Atlantis and the rise of the sons of Aryas, for an age undreamed of"?

…Yes, I've read some DMGs cover-to-cover. The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd editions.

 

[Retreater]

I'm also practically an "always" DM. I can't say I've read any game related book "cover to cover" (since they're more reference books than novels), though I've likely read through most all of the contents.
To me, the 5E DMG is a fraction more useful than completely worthless. The DM advice is largely bad, the optional rules are ill conceived, mundane minutiae detail charts are stripped of fantasy and fun. Trap details are lacking, encounter guidelines are pointless. I might look at it for a description of a magic item now and then.
I think the hobby would be better served with practical advice about table management, how to adapt adventures, customizing campaign settings, tactical suggestions for encounters, as a small guide for beginning DMs - and not a tome given equal importance to the PHB.