Create descriptive text for your Dungeons & Dragons game.

To be a DM in Dungeons and Dragons you don’t need to be an expert on the things your players encounter. For example, when a rogue disarms a trap it is the perfect time to paint a mental picture for the players. This doesn’t mean you need to be an engineer to explain what the rogue has just done. All you have to do is use descriptive words that help the player to envision what the have just accomplished.

Instead of “you have disarmed the trap”, which leaves nothing for the player to envision, you could say “By tracing along the outside of the plate and removing the loaded springs you deftly disarm the trap, deactivating the pressure plate with use of your nimble hands and trusty thieve’s tools.” This brings the little things to life and makes your game that much more fun and engaging. I’m sure it makes no sense from an engineering point of view, but that doesn’t matter. Straining credulity is the name of the game.

It is no different from painting the picture of the player’s surroundings.

“The dark caverns have the unmistakable stench of a dirty wet animal pelt and rotten meat. The only source of light being the glowing moss above. The sound of dripping water echos in all directions.”

“You enter the tavern exhausted and hungry. It’s a lively place filled with loud cheers, drinks being shared, stories being told – getting louder as they reach the climax, and the warm sensation of a great burning hearth inviting you in.”

These are meant to give the players a sense of their surroundings by providing ambiance. In the case of disarming a trap, or as another example, performing some sort of athletic feat, it gives a little detail to help the player envision his character in that action. These are some of the DMs greatest tools and they really aren’t hard to create. When creating a non-combat encounter, first picture how you want it to “feel” and write from there. It’s the same when you have to wing it.

As a dungeon master you do need to have a firm grasp on the rules, usually being able to answer core questions without having to look anything up. In that sense you need to be in a technical frame of mind. But, when it comes to creating the setting, surroundings and tempo for role playing elements, you need to be like a fiction writer.