40_783307 bindex.qxp 3/16/06 8:51 PM Page 371 Index populating, 200–201 • A • premises, 194–197 ability checks, running the game, 34 protect premises, 50 AC (Armor Class), 84 published, 20, 25–27 action Queen of the Demonweb Pits, 321 scenes, exciting game techniques, 165 Rana Mor, 326 starting sessions with, 368 Ravenloft, 321 themes, continuous story building, 297 Red Hand of Doom, 26, 330 action movie director DM, 140 rescue premises, 50 adventures resources for, 180–181, 184 The Age of Worms Adventure Path, 323–324 Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil, 328 Assault of the Aerie of the Slave Lords, 320 RPGA tournament-style, 27 Blackrazor, 320 search premises, 50 capture premises, 49 Secret of the Slavers’ Stockade, 320 City of the Spider Queen, 330 The Shackled City Adventure Path, 324 creating from scratch, 27 Shadows of the Last War, 26, 327 defined, 4 Shrine of the Kuo-Toa, 320 Descent into the Depths of the Earth, 320 Slave Pits of the Undercity, 320 Desert of Desolation, 321 Sons of Gruumsh, 26, 328 directing, 50–51 The Speaker in Dreams, 330 discover premises, 49 Steading of the Hill Giant Chief, 320 escape premises, 50 The Styes, 324 Fantastic Locations product series, 26, 52 The Sunless Citadel, 327 Forge of Fury, 327–328 Tammeraut’s Fate, 325 general knowledge of, 86–87 Tears of Twilight Hollow, 325 The Glacial Rift of the Frost Giant Jarl, 320 The Temple of Elemental Evil, 322 Hall of the Fire Giant King, 320 Tomb of Horrors, 319 The Harrowing, 326 Vault of the Drow, 320 The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan, 321 The Village of Hommlet, 322 In the Dungeons of the Slave Lords, 320 Whispers of the Vampire’s Blade, 328 The Lick-Queen’s BelovedCOPYRIGHTED, 325 White MATERIAL Plume Mountain, 320 lifelike, 55–59 Wizards of the Coast products, 26 linking, 114–116 The Age of Worms Adventure Path Lord of the Iron Fortress, 330 adventure, 323–324 Lost Tomb of Martek, 321 agents, minor villains, 306 Mad God’s Key, 324 aiding the character, 92 Manure Castle, 325 air elemental, Elemental Fundamentals Oasis of the White Palm, 321 encounter, 357 Pharaoh, 321 alignment, characters, 43 40_783307 bindex.qxp 3/16/06 8:51 PM Page 372 372 Dungeon Master For Dummies allies, narration, 54–55 anticipation scenes, exciting game • C • techniques, 165 campaigns apathetic players, dealing with, 137–138 continuing, 111–112 arbiter, DM as, 144 defined, 4 Armor Class (AC), 84 one-shot, 110 assassin, minor villains, 306 shared DM duties, 74–75 Assault on the Aerie of the Slave Lords Candlekeep Web site, 190 adventure, 320 cap systems, 173–174 attack gaps, high-level adventures, 251–252 capricious rules, 154 attention grabbers, high-level adventures, capture adventure premises, 49 259–260 cast of thousands, DM as, 14–15 authority figures, home base NPCs, 118 castles, as site of interest, 313 avengers, master villains, 305 challenge encounters defined, 197 • B • running the game, 42–43 Challenge Ratings (CRs), 201 background design challenges design considerations, 175–176 for players, 59 premises, 195–196 presenting, DM responsibilities, 367 base of operations, world building refined, high-level adventures, 254–256 techniques, 309 character actor players, 131 Basic Game, 24, 80 character classes, growing your game, basic game rules 172–173 Player’s Handbook, 4, 6 character sheets teaching the game, 78–79 obtaining extra, 11 battles, intense description, 56–59 recording keeping, 113–114 benchmark encounters, high-level teaching the game, 83–84 adventures, 260 characters beverages and snacks advancement, pacing, 117–118 first game session, 25 aiding, 92 gaming etiquette, 30 alignment, 43 binders, recording keeping, 113–114 broken, 134 Blackrazor adventure, 320 changes to, 176–177 blindness spells, 283 class and levels, 84, 168 blogging, growing your game, 178 creation, at the game, 38 Bluff checks, 74 creation, before the game, 38 bottle maps, exciting game techniques, 158 creation, teaching how, 79 breathing water, mobility magic, 250 descriptions, teaching the game, 83 broken characters, 134 disruptive, 134 burning hands traps, 333 flying, high-level adventures, 256 burnt othur fume traps, 335 killing off, 150, 363–364 by the book versus fast and loose game of missing players, no-shows, 69–70 play, 146 multiple, managing, 68–69 new choices and options, 169–170 40_783307 bindex.qxp 3/16/06 8:51 PM Page 373 Index 373 pregenerated, 24, 38–39 context, continuous story building, 292–293 resources for, 184 continual flame magic, 276, 345 resurrecting, 150 continuing campaign, ongoing game play, spellcasting, 171–172 111–112 Cheat Sheet, 3 continuous story building cheating action themes, 297 DM cheating, 17, 149 adventure themes, 297 gaming etiquette, 32 comedy themes, 297 City of the Spider Queen adventure, 330 context, 292–293 class and levels, character, 84 espionage themes, 297 classical music, mood enhancement, 156 exploration themes, 298 cliffhanger technique, exciting game horror themes, 298 techniques, 164 inspiration sources, 295–296 climactic encounters, 198 mystery themes, 298 climate type considerations, world overview, 291 building techniques, 311 past events, 294 cocked dice rolls, 71 player inspiration, 300 cold climates, 311 revenge themes, 298–299 combat encounters theme selection, 296 complications, 58 world building techniques, 292 goals, 59 conventions, finding players at, 23 location considerations, 58 core mechanics, teaching the game, 82–83 narration, 58–59 Corridor of Webs encounter, 343–344 opponents, 58 corruptors running the game, 42, 44 master villains, 305 comedy themes, continuous story minor villains, 306 building, 297 creativity. See growing your game comfortable environments, running the creator, DM as, 19–20 game, 37 CRs (Challenge Ratings), 201 ComicCon Web site, 23 cut-away scenes, exciting game common sense rules, 147–148 techniques, 164 competition, player interaction, 64 Complete Arcane player resource book, 181 Complete Warrior player resource book, 181 • D • complicated encounters, problem darkness spells, 344 situations, 365 dart traps, 336 complications, combat encounters, 58 DC (Difficulty Class), 253–254 computer/laptops, as reference material, 72 D&D (DUNGEONS & DRAGONS) conditional requirements, site-based discussed, 1 adventures, 212 game rule guides, 4, 6 connector DM, 142–143 imaginative location elements, 56 conquerors, master villains, 305 items need to play, 11–12 consistency as storytelling experience, 45–47 DM responsibilities, 369 terminology, 3–4 player interaction, 63 training manuals, 2–3 40_783307 bindex.qxp 3/16/06 8:51 PM Page 374 374 Dungeon Master For Dummies deafness spells, 283 discover adventure premises, 49 debating rules, 72 disruptive characters, 134 deep-immersion storytelling game style, 65 distractions, gaming etiquette, 31 defensive plan considerations, site-based divination magic, 253 adventures, 211 DM cheating, 17, 149 delivery techniques, problem DM (Dungeon Master) situations, 366 accepting authority of, 31 Descent into the Depths of the Earth as action movie director, 140 adventure, 320 as arbiter, 144 Desert of Desolation adventure, 321 as cast of thousands, 14–15 deserts challenges, presenting, 367 wilderness adventures, 214 comparing with players, 62–63 world building techniques, 312 connector, 142–143 destroyers, master villains, 305 consistency roles, 369 development. See growing your game as creator, 19–20 The Devil in Iron (Howard), 187 defined, 1, 4 dice fun quotient responsibilities, 370 cocked, 71 goal of, 20 described, 4 group forming responsibilities, 18 d4 (four-sided dice), 11 impartial roles, 370 d8 (eight-sided dice), 11 mistakes, dealing with, 73–75 d6 (six-sided dice), 11 as narrator, 13–14, 144 d10 (ten-sided dice), 11 on-task, 144 d12 (twelve-sided dice), 11 as player, 16–18 d20 (twenty-sided dice), 11, 27 player-paced, 145 extra sets, 11 preparedness, 367 letting the dice decide technique, 147 puzzle master, 142 open rolls, 17 responsiveness, 369 personal ownership, 70–71 roles of, 9 rolls, randomly generated adventures, 248 as rules moderator, 12–13 secret rolls, 17, 74 shared duties, 74–75 difficult players, dealing with as social director, 18–19 apathetic players, 137–138 storyteller, 141 problem characters, 133–134 world builder, 141 reasoning techniques, 136 DM fiat, 17, 147 rules lawyering, 135–136 DM screen, game play items needed, 12 slow players, 136–137 dominate person spells, 253 Difficulty Class (DC), 253–254 Draconomicon DM resource book, 181 difficulty levels Dragon’s Den encounter, 349–351 EL (Encounter Level), 202 dramatic tension, exciting game Rat Lord’s Lair adventure example, 104 techniques, 163 Diplomacy checks, 74 d6 (six-sided dice), 11 dire rats, Rat Lord’s Lair adventure d8 (eight-sided dice), 11 example, 94–97 d10 (ten-sided dice), 11 disbelief, exciting game techniques, 154–155 d12 (twelve-sided dice), 11 40_783307 bindex.qxp 3/16/06 8:51 PM Page 375 Index 375 d20 (twenty-sided dice), 11, 27 complicated, problem situations, 365 dungeon crawls. See site-based adventures Corridor of Webs, 343–344 Dungeon Magazine, 26 Dragon’s Den, 349–351 dungeon maps. See maps dynamic, 211 Dungeon Master. See DM Grimlock Hunters, 353–355 Dungeon Master’s Guide interaction, 197–198 character advancement, pacing, 117 Minotaur Maze, 352–353 D&D game rules, 4, 6 Mummy Crypt, 345–347 as good resource, 179 Rain of Arrows, Rain of Fire, 347–348 new rules elements, 168 roleplaying, 42, 59–60, 197–198 randomly generated adventures, 227, 242 running the game, 42–43 trap techniques, 331 Shrine of Evil, 359–361 treasure assignment guidelines, 204 site-based