# Dungeon Master Tips **URL:** https://forums.hexed.press/c/hexed-press/dm-tips/15.md [Latest](https://forums.hexed.press/latest.md) · [Categories](https://forums.hexed.press/categories.md) · [Tags](https://forums.hexed.press/tags.md) --- ## [About the Dungeon Master Tips category](https://forums.hexed.press/t/about-the-dungeon-master-tips-category/25)
**Author:** [@Todd](https://forums.hexed.press/u/Todd)\ **Replies:** 0
--- ## [Shining a bit of light on foreshadowing](https://forums.hexed.press/t/shining-a-bit-of-light-on-foreshadowing/1036)
**Author:** [@Todd](https://forums.hexed.press/u/Todd)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [October 12, 2026, 7:34pm UTC](https://forums.hexed.press/t/shining-a-bit-of-light-on-foreshadowing/1036 "2026-10-12T19:34:59Z")
Foreshadowing-- what it is, what does it do, and how to use it within the other tools and procedures of OSR-style play. Become a patron to watch this video ad-free! --- ## [How I learned to stop worrying and love fixed challenge difficulty ratings](https://forums.hexed.press/t/how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-love-fixed-challenge-difficulty-ratings/1008)
**Author:** [@Todd](https://forums.hexed.press/u/Todd)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [April 5, 2026, 3:54pm UTC](https://forums.hexed.press/t/how-i-learned-to-stop-worrying-and-love-fixed-challenge-difficulty-ratings/1008 "2026-04-05T15:54:20Z")
The One Ring has given me an appreciation for fixed challenge difficulty ratings and I had a bit of an epiphany. :backhand\_index\_pointing\_right: Support the channel by becoming a Patron --- ## [How Old School D&D Balanced Encounters](https://forums.hexed.press/t/how-old-school-d-d-balanced-encounters/998)
**Author:** [@Todd](https://forums.hexed.press/u/Todd)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [January 21, 2026, 2:45pm UTC](https://forums.hexed.press/t/how-old-school-d-d-balanced-encounters/998 "2026-01-21T14:45:51Z")
I keep seeing this myth perpetrated about OSR and the deliberate lack of encounter balancing. I take a look at the old school D&D editions from which the OSR sprung to poke a hole or two in this myth and s… --- ## [Learn from my mistakes of running Isle of Dread as a One-Shot](https://forums.hexed.press/t/learn-from-my-mistakes-of-running-isle-of-dread-as-a-one-shot/982)
**Author:** [@Todd](https://forums.hexed.press/u/Todd)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [November 19, 2025, 8:45pm UTC](https://forums.hexed.press/t/learn-from-my-mistakes-of-running-isle-of-dread-as-a-one-shot/982 "2025-11-19T20:45:18Z")
Don’t make the same mistakes I made when running a hexcrawl adventure as a one-shot! :backhand\_index\_pointing\_right: Support the channel by becoming a Patron! :open\_book: Read the transcript! --- ## [Are Hirelings OP?](https://forums.hexed.press/t/are-hirelings-op/981)
**Author:** [@Todd](https://forums.hexed.press/u/Todd)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [November 17, 2025, 3:26pm UTC](https://forums.hexed.press/t/are-hirelings-op/981 "2025-11-17T15:26:20Z")
Are hirelings and retainers OP in OSR D&D TTRPGs? :backhand\_index\_pointing\_right: Support the channel by becoming a Patron! :open\_book: Read the transcript. --- ## [Creating Narrative Campaigns in the OSR](https://forums.hexed.press/t/creating-narrative-campaigns-in-the-osr/975)
**Author:** [@Todd](https://forums.hexed.press/u/Todd)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [October 8, 2025, 12:54pm UTC](https://forums.hexed.press/t/creating-narrative-campaigns-in-the-osr/975 "2025-10-08T12:54:02Z")
Has somebody told you the OSR can’t do narrative campaigns? Think again! :backhand\_index\_pointing\_right: Support the channel by becoming a Patron: https://www.patreon.com/hexedpress :open\_book: Read the t… --- ## [Are irredeemably evil creatures necessary for D&D?](https://forums.hexed.press/t/are-irredeemably-evil-creatures-necessary-for-d-d/954)
**Author:** [@Todd](https://forums.hexed.press/u/Todd)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [July 17, 2025, 8:46pm UTC](https://forums.hexed.press/t/are-irredeemably-evil-creatures-necessary-for-d-d/954 "2025-07-17T20:46:54Z")
Do we need evil creatures as morally acceptable fodder for our TTRPG games? :open\_book: Read the Prismatic Wastelands blog post, “Killing Creatures”. Read the video transcript. --- ## [Ditch the dungeon in your next D&D game?](https://forums.hexed.press/t/ditch-the-dungeon-in-your-next-d-d-game/945)
**Author:** [@Todd](https://forums.hexed.press/u/Todd)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [June 20, 2025, 4:35pm UTC](https://forums.hexed.press/t/ditch-the-dungeon-in-your-next-d-d-game/945 "2025-06-20T16:35:42Z")
Can you ditch the dungeon and still play an old school D&D game? :backhand\_index\_pointing\_right: Support the channel by becoming a Patron Whether it’s OD&D, B/X, BECMI, or one of their clones, like Old Sc… --- ## [How I Prep to Run Games](https://forums.hexed.press/t/how-i-prep-to-run-games/941)
**Author:** [@Todd](https://forums.hexed.press/u/Todd)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [June 15, 2025, 11:10pm UTC](https://forums.hexed.press/t/how-i-prep-to-run-games/941 "2025-06-15T23:10:38Z")
Part One: Pre-Campaigning Part one of how I prep for TTRPGs, concerning pre-campaigns, and my Minimum Viable Play model of game prep. --- ## [Customize player character classes to worldbuild & share lore](https://forums.hexed.press/t/customize-player-character-classes-to-worldbuild-share-lore/930)
**Author:** [@Todd](https://forums.hexed.press/u/Todd)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [May 16, 2025, 1:14pm UTC](https://forums.hexed.press/t/customize-player-character-classes-to-worldbuild-share-lore/930 "2025-05-16T13:14:07Z")
For your OSR D&D game, customize the generic player character classes for your setting and campaign. :backhand\_index\_pointing\_right: Support the channel by becoming a Patron :open\_book: Read the transcri… --- ## [Does your OSR game suffer from class struggles?](https://forums.hexed.press/t/does-your-osr-game-suffer-from-class-struggles/929)
**Author:** [@Todd](https://forums.hexed.press/u/Todd)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [May 5, 2025, 1:46pm UTC](https://forums.hexed.press/t/does-your-osr-game-suffer-from-class-struggles/929 "2025-05-05T13:46:55Z")
This video has been a struggle! But I’ve finally got something that I THINK lays out what I want to say: think about classes and why you may or may not be open to expanding them. If you are not, why? … --- ## [Social caste, character back story, PC context](https://forums.hexed.press/t/social-caste-character-back-story-pc-context/735)
**Author:** [@Perkins](https://forums.hexed.press/u/Perkins)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [April 9, 2025, 8:43pm UTC](https://forums.hexed.press/t/social-caste-character-back-story-pc-context/735 "2025-04-09T20:43:36Z")
Anyone have suggestions, opinions, or comments on this topic? I am curious, if this has much value for other DMs. There are times when I have had players create a brief (one or two sentence) back story for their charact… --- ## [Mitigating Roll-Under Attribute Systems](https://forums.hexed.press/t/mitigating-roll-under-attribute-systems/923)
**Author:** [@Todd](https://forums.hexed.press/u/Todd)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [April 4, 2025, 3:40pm UTC](https://forums.hexed.press/t/mitigating-roll-under-attribute-systems/923 "2025-04-04T15:40:48Z")
It’s a blog post! :grinning\_face\_with\_smiling\_eyes: More than a few OSR and NSR games rely on a roll-under-attribute system to determine the success or failure of actions under pressure. This approach has the benefit… --- ## [Reward rescuing people with XP](https://forums.hexed.press/t/reward-rescuing-people-with-xp/912)
**Author:** [@Todd](https://forums.hexed.press/u/Todd)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [February 26, 2025, 10:15pm UTC](https://forums.hexed.press/t/reward-rescuing-people-with-xp/912 "2025-02-26T22:15:49Z")
Why can’t treasure be made out of people? Why, damn you, WHY!?! :point\_right: Support the channel by becoming a Patron --- ## [What’s the key to long D&D campaigns like Critical Role?](https://forums.hexed.press/t/what-s-the-key-to-long-d-d-campaigns-like-critical-role/909)
**Author:** [@Todd](https://forums.hexed.press/u/Todd)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [February 20, 2025, 2:10pm UTC](https://forums.hexed.press/t/what-s-the-key-to-long-d-d-campaigns-like-critical-role/909 "2025-02-20T14:10:39Z")
Critical Role can pull off multiple multi-year-long campaigns. Why can’t we? :point\_right: Support the channel by becoming a Patron --- ## [Don't fall for the realism trap!](https://forums.hexed.press/t/dont-fall-for-the-realism-trap/891)
**Author:** [@Todd](https://forums.hexed.press/u/Todd)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [January 23, 2025, 5:08pm UTC](https://forums.hexed.press/t/dont-fall-for-the-realism-trap/891 "2025-01-23T17:08:43Z")
Don’t settle for real, aspire for more than real! :point\_right: Support the channel by becoming a Patron --- ## [How to position wandering creatures in the dungeon](https://forums.hexed.press/t/how-to-position-wandering-creatures-in-the-dungeon/884)
**Author:** [@Todd](https://forums.hexed.press/u/Todd)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [December 27, 2024, 3:18pm UTC](https://forums.hexed.press/t/how-to-position-wandering-creatures-in-the-dungeon/884 "2024-12-27T15:18:36Z")
How do you position wandering creatures in relation to the party when they appear in the dungeon? --- ## [Build a stronger adventure](https://forums.hexed.press/t/build-a-stronger-adventure/875)
**Author:** [@Todd](https://forums.hexed.press/u/Todd)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [December 12, 2024, 6:34pm UTC](https://forums.hexed.press/t/build-a-stronger-adventure/875 "2024-12-12T18:34:09Z")
What makes a strong adventure? :point\_right: Support the channel by becoming a Patron --- ## [Add engraved gems to your treasure generators](https://forums.hexed.press/t/add-engraved-gems-to-your-treasure-generators/867)
**Author:** [@Todd](https://forums.hexed.press/u/Todd)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [November 27, 2024, 2:32pm UTC](https://forums.hexed.press/t/add-engraved-gems-to-your-treasure-generators/867 "2024-11-27T14:32:30Z")
Last Friday, I visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art, one of my favorite places in the world. This visit, I spent the majority of my time in the Greek and Roman halls. There I saw, for the first time it seemed, a dis… --- ## [Dungeon monsters by the numbers?](https://forums.hexed.press/t/dungeon-monsters-by-the-numbers/866)
**Author:** [@Todd](https://forums.hexed.press/u/Todd)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [November 26, 2024, 10:58pm UTC](https://forums.hexed.press/t/dungeon-monsters-by-the-numbers/866 "2024-11-26T22:58:41Z")
Stumbled into a convo about the distribution of monsters by hit dice in OSE entry level adventures… --- ## [One Rule to rule them all](https://forums.hexed.press/t/one-rule-to-rule-them-all/857)
**Author:** [@Todd](https://forums.hexed.press/u/Todd)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [November 11, 2024, 10:17pm UTC](https://forums.hexed.press/t/one-rule-to-rule-them-all/857 "2024-11-11T22:17:08Z")
What’s with all the manifestos for the OSR? Not that I don’t enjoy reading them. Muster, for example, was amazing. But why do we need them and can our games not survive without them? I think they can, provi… --- ## [Turn your sandbox/hexcrawl into adventures](https://forums.hexed.press/t/turn-your-sandbox-hexcrawl-into-adventures/855)
**Author:** [@Todd](https://forums.hexed.press/u/Todd)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [November 6, 2024, 6:53pm UTC](https://forums.hexed.press/t/turn-your-sandbox-hexcrawl-into-adventures/855 "2024-11-06T18:53:35Z")
Got a hexcrawl but don’t know what to do with it? :point\_right: Buy “The Realm of the Mountain King” at DTRPG :heart: Support the channel by becoming a Patron Sandbox settings can be daunting things but … --- ## [Discussing The Keep on the Borderlands](https://forums.hexed.press/t/discussing-the-keep-on-the-borderlands/846)
**Author:** [@The\_Bearded\_Belgian](https://forums.hexed.press/u/The_Bearded_Belgian)\ **Replies:** 6\ **Last updated:** [October 31, 2024, 12:26am UTC](https://forums.hexed.press/t/discussing-the-keep-on-the-borderlands/846 "2024-10-31T00:26:41Z")
So I’m prepping the borderlands to run it solo in another system, which means translating things and trying to expand things etc. This means I’m scrutinizing everything, and boy are some things strange. First off, I’m tr… --- ## [Six-sided dice are magic!](https://forums.hexed.press/t/six-sided-dice-are-magic/841)
**Author:** [@Todd](https://forums.hexed.press/u/Todd)\ **Replies:** 4\ **Last updated:** [October 24, 2024, 10:10pm UTC](https://forums.hexed.press/t/six-sided-dice-are-magic/841 "2024-10-24T22:10:57Z")
I love six-sided dice. Let me demonstrate some of their utility. :point\_right: Support the channel by becoming a Patron --- ## [Use the b/x halfling as hunter class?](https://forums.hexed.press/t/use-the-b-x-halfling-as-hunter-class/838)
**Author:** [@Todd](https://forums.hexed.press/u/Todd)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [October 23, 2024, 3:56pm UTC](https://forums.hexed.press/t/use-the-b-x-halfling-as-hunter-class/838 "2024-10-23T15:56:27Z")
--- ## [Steal these adventure ideas!](https://forums.hexed.press/t/steal-these-adventure-ideas/833)
**Author:** [@Todd](https://forums.hexed.press/u/Todd)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [October 17, 2024, 7:38pm UTC](https://forums.hexed.press/t/steal-these-adventure-ideas/833 "2024-10-17T19:38:50Z")
I’ve got three plot hooks for you to steal for your own TTRPG adventure! :point\_right: Support the channel by becoming a Patron --- ## [Tables for prep, tables for play](https://forums.hexed.press/t/tables-for-prep-tables-for-play/830)
**Author:** [@Todd](https://forums.hexed.press/u/Todd)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [October 14, 2024, 8:15pm UTC](https://forums.hexed.press/t/tables-for-prep-tables-for-play/830 "2024-10-14T20:15:29Z")
:new:Download my “Do Anything D6 Wilderness” on Itch --- ## [4 tips for improving your random encounters](https://forums.hexed.press/t/4-tips-for-improving-your-random-encounters/824)
**Author:** [@Todd](https://forums.hexed.press/u/Todd)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [October 7, 2024, 9:49pm UTC](https://forums.hexed.press/t/4-tips-for-improving-your-random-encounters/824 "2024-10-07T21:49:29Z")
Viewer neonGliiitch sent in a very long comment in which they referenced a video from Bob World Builder about random encounters. I gave it a watch and came away with some thoughts and some tips for improv… --- ## [Differently overloaded encounter dice?](https://forums.hexed.press/t/differently-overloaded-encounter-dice/823)
**Author:** [@Todd](https://forums.hexed.press/u/Todd)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [October 4, 2024, 4:18pm UTC](https://forums.hexed.press/t/differently-overloaded-encounter-dice/823 "2024-10-04T16:18:58Z")
I answer this question from azzaelulbrinter: About the overloaded dice, i have seen most people dont like the Depletion/Fatigue style effects as they always seems to go against any kind of preparation, th… [Next page](https://forums.hexed.press/c/hexed-press/dm-tips/15.md?page=1)