D&D General How to DM, best resource
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DinoInDisguise
A russian spy disguised as a t-rex.
As someone who’s completely self-taught, I started DMing after just a year of playing Pathfinder 1e. I jumped into DMing 5e with barely more than a years worth of playing experience —and I was terrible.
I’d watched one of the early actual plays online, and I remember that after the game, the DM asked their players for feedback. That stuck with me. The show has since been delisted, but that moment shaped how I taught myself: by asking for feedback and really listening to it. At times, I struggled with the same mistake over and over as I grasped for answers in a proverbial darkness.
If there’s a mistake a new DM can make, I’ve made it. I’ve been yelled at by players more times than I can count. I railroaded my first campaign into the ground. I once ran content that wasn’t appropriate for my group. I chased difficulty too hard and caused more than a few TPKs. I went years without being able to keep a stable group. But eventually things started to click.
These days, I do watch some YouTuber (many of the ones mentioned in this thread), but honestly, none of them taught me as much as doing it did. Advice without context is just noise. Even when I knew the basics from being a player, I still had to fail—often multiple times—before I understood how to DM well.
Now, seven years later, I run two full weekly campaigns and have a waiting list of players who want back in. But it wasn't a quick journey. I took several breaks during that time due to burning out for months, from being unable to solve a problem I was running into.
So my advice? Let them try it. And then let them try it again, when they fail.
They will screw up. That’s part of learning. But watching every tutorial and reading every guide won’t prepare someone like actually running the game will. DMing is hard—and in my experience, doing it is the only way to truly learn how to do it well. And it requires a lot of listening and humility.
I hope your 11 year old has the patience and desire to learn how. It really is incredibly rewarding to watch the enjoyment you can bring to so many through a game.
I’d watched one of the early actual plays online, and I remember that after the game, the DM asked their players for feedback. That stuck with me. The show has since been delisted, but that moment shaped how I taught myself: by asking for feedback and really listening to it. At times, I struggled with the same mistake over and over as I grasped for answers in a proverbial darkness.
If there’s a mistake a new DM can make, I’ve made it. I’ve been yelled at by players more times than I can count. I railroaded my first campaign into the ground. I once ran content that wasn’t appropriate for my group. I chased difficulty too hard and caused more than a few TPKs. I went years without being able to keep a stable group. But eventually things started to click.
These days, I do watch some YouTuber (many of the ones mentioned in this thread), but honestly, none of them taught me as much as doing it did. Advice without context is just noise. Even when I knew the basics from being a player, I still had to fail—often multiple times—before I understood how to DM well.
Now, seven years later, I run two full weekly campaigns and have a waiting list of players who want back in. But it wasn't a quick journey. I took several breaks during that time due to burning out for months, from being unable to solve a problem I was running into.
So my advice? Let them try it. And then let them try it again, when they fail.
They will screw up. That’s part of learning. But watching every tutorial and reading every guide won’t prepare someone like actually running the game will. DMing is hard—and in my experience, doing it is the only way to truly learn how to do it well. And it requires a lot of listening and humility.
I hope your 11 year old has the patience and desire to learn how. It really is incredibly rewarding to watch the enjoyment you can bring to so many through a game.
Brendan Byrd
Villager
I'll second the "World Builder's Guidebook".
Also consider the Dungeon Master's Design Kit (Adventure design)
Edit to add:
And for the pure joy of it: The Düngeonmeister Random Monster Generator.
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overgeeked
Open-World Sandbox
One book for an 11-year-old wanting to GM?
For me there's no question the best book is Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master by Sly Flourish, aka Mike Shea. The book takes a minimalist approach of only prepping what you need, understanding that you'll have to improvise so prepping to improvise, and modular prep so there's a minimum of wasted effort. It's easily the most practical and immediately useful how-to guide out there right now. Mike supports the book with regular YouTube videos and explainers if something doesn't make sense. He also does regular videos with GM advice. It's written in a very straightforward, matter of fact style that doesn't waste time or words.
A more advanced book in that same vein of practical how-to guides is Game Master's Handbook of Proactive Roleplaying by Jonah and Tristan Fishel. This one gives the prospective GM-reader all the tools they'll need to build a campaign around the PCs in a way that absolutely centers them and their choices at every step, drastically reducing both prep time and wasted prep.
For monsters, I'd suggest Sly Flourish's Forge of Foes. It's also a how-to guide that helps you design your own monsters and create encounters for your D&D games. There's a chart of quick stats in the back that you can just print out and use as your Monster Manual.
For me there's no question the best book is Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master by Sly Flourish, aka Mike Shea. The book takes a minimalist approach of only prepping what you need, understanding that you'll have to improvise so prepping to improvise, and modular prep so there's a minimum of wasted effort. It's easily the most practical and immediately useful how-to guide out there right now. Mike supports the book with regular YouTube videos and explainers if something doesn't make sense. He also does regular videos with GM advice. It's written in a very straightforward, matter of fact style that doesn't waste time or words.
A more advanced book in that same vein of practical how-to guides is Game Master's Handbook of Proactive Roleplaying by Jonah and Tristan Fishel. This one gives the prospective GM-reader all the tools they'll need to build a campaign around the PCs in a way that absolutely centers them and their choices at every step, drastically reducing both prep time and wasted prep.
For monsters, I'd suggest Sly Flourish's Forge of Foes. It's also a how-to guide that helps you design your own monsters and create encounters for your D&D games. There's a chart of quick stats in the back that you can just print out and use as your Monster Manual.
IMHO, really good books to start JUST mastering D&D are the basic boxes from the 80s. B/X or BECMI ones. They are tied on dungeon crawling, they are tied to the old rules but they are something, but they really explain how the DM "plays" the game. After this, and some time for building experience, it's time for some books.
You don't have asked for a system, so I will take for granted is D&D 5e
I really think the "So you want to be the Gamemaster" it's a book that explain "how to run a game". Is big, is clear, is usefull.
The Lazy DM series (Return of, 's Workbook, Companion) are more on "how to prepare a game", prepare and run upon those foundations.
The "Monster Knows what they are doing" are like how the Monster Manual should have add info on how to run monster. Usefull but not for the completely new DM. After some time, it will become indispensable. Beware, that book is for the 2014 version, it may not be 100% compatible with the 2024 version.
"Forge of foes" is something usefull after years of mastering/campaign, the base monsters in the MM (and MotM) can be used for a lot of times.
You don't have asked for a system, so I will take for granted is D&D 5e
I really think the "So you want to be the Gamemaster" it's a book that explain "how to run a game". Is big, is clear, is usefull.
The Lazy DM series (Return of, 's Workbook, Companion) are more on "how to prepare a game", prepare and run upon those foundations.
The "Monster Knows what they are doing" are like how the Monster Manual should have add info on how to run monster. Usefull but not for the completely new DM. After some time, it will become indispensable. Beware, that book is for the 2014 version, it may not be 100% compatible with the 2024 version.
"Forge of foes" is something usefull after years of mastering/campaign, the base monsters in the MM (and MotM) can be used for a lot of times.
MichaelSomething
Legend
What better resource could there be besides Enworld?!? Does this site have an age minumun???
Paul Farquhar
Legend
Best way to learn is by playing. When it comes to kids, learning with other kids the same age. If there is anyone older present, they should be the DM. The biggest obstacle to stating DMing is the fear of being bad. Here is a news flash: you will suck, big time. And it doesn't matter, you will be better the next time, having learned from your mistakes. When its kids playing with kids, they are unlikely to notice or care if the DM is bad, which makes it easier for them. Adult players can sometimes be very critical of DMs, irrespective of experience.
For an adult, the best thing to do is take a teacher training qualification, there are a lot of transferable skills.
And avoid the internet at all costs.
For an adult, the best thing to do is take a teacher training qualification, there are a lot of transferable skills.
And avoid the internet at all costs.
aco175
Legend
I first thought these two ideas myself.
How did I learn to DM? I played a few/several times and then saw some of the other kids being the DM and tried it myself. I'm sure most was terrible at first. Maybe another tip might be to play a few times, make a small dungeon with you there to help ask some guiding questions, then go have fun.
I recall being 11ish and not really going to read a book about playing a game. I think I read most of the PHB and looked at a lot of pictures in the MM, but never read the whole DMG to this day in any edition. Maybe aggregate over the years by reading lots of portions as I needed them, but not to just sit there for enjoyment.
My brothers and I started with the 83 Red Box and that had one of the best "learn to DM" tutorials out there. Solo adventure --> premade dungeon level --> you stock the next level --> you draw and stock the final level.
