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The ''Dungeon Master's Guide'' (''DMG'' or ''DM's Guide''; in some printings, the ''Dungeon Masters Guide'' or ''Dungeon Master Guide'') is a book of rules for the fantasy
role-playing game A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, or abbreviated as RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of player character, characters in a fictional Setting (narrative), setting. Players take responsibility for acting out ...
''
Dungeons & Dragons ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (commonly abbreviated as ''D&D'' or ''DnD'') is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) originally created and designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by TSR (company)#Tactical ...
''. The ''Dungeon Master's Guide'' contains rules concerning the arbitration and administration of a game, and is intended for use by the game's Dungeon Master. The ''Dungeon Master's Guide'' is a companion book to the ''
Player's Handbook The ''Player's Handbook'' (spelled ''Players Handbook'' in first edition ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' (''AD&D'')) is the name given to one of the core rulebooks in every edition of the fantasy role-playing game ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') ...
'', which contains all of the basic rules of gameplay, and the ''
Monster Manual The ''Monster Manual'' (''MM'') is the primary bestiary sourcebook for monsters in the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') fantasy role-playing game, first published in 1977 by TSR. The ''Monster Manual'' was the first hardcover ''D&D'' book and ...
'', which is a reference book of
statistics Statistics (from German language, German: ', "description of a State (polity), state, a country") is the discipline that concerns the collection, organization, analysis, interpretation, and presentation of data. In applying statistics to a s ...
for various
animal Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic organisms in the Biology, biological Kingdom (biology), kingdom Animalia (). With few exceptions, animals heterotroph, consume organic material, Cellular respiration#Aerobic respiration, breathe oxygen, ...
s and
monster A monster is a type of imaginary or fictional creature found in literature, folklore, mythology, fiction and religion. They are very often depicted as dangerous and aggressive, with a strange or grotesque appearance that causes Anxiety, terror ...
s. The ''
Player's Handbook The ''Player's Handbook'' (spelled ''Players Handbook'' in first edition ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' (''AD&D'')) is the name given to one of the core rulebooks in every edition of the fantasy role-playing game ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') ...
'', ''Dungeon Master's Guide'', and ''
Monster Manual The ''Monster Manual'' (''MM'') is the primary bestiary sourcebook for monsters in the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') fantasy role-playing game, first published in 1977 by TSR. The ''Monster Manual'' was the first hardcover ''D&D'' book and ...
'' are collectively referred to as the "core rules" of the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' game. Both the ''Dungeon Master's Guide'' and the ''Player's Handbook'' give advice, tips, and suggestions for various styles of play. While all players, including the Dungeon Master, are expected to have at their disposal a copy of the ''Player's Handbook'', only the Dungeon Master is expected to refer to the ''Dungeon Master's Guide'' or ''Monster Manual'' during gameplay.


''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons''

The original AD&D ''Dungeon Masters Guide'' (sic) was published by TSR in 1979. It was written by
Gary Gygax Ernest Gary Gygax ( ; July 27, 1938 – March 4, 2008) was an American game designer and author best known for co-creating the pioneering tabletop role-playing game ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') with Dave Arneson. In the 1960s, Gygax creat ...
and published as a 232-page hardcover with a cover by David C. Sutherland III. The book was intended to provide Dungeon Masters all the information and rules necessary to run a campaign for the ''D&D'' game. The 1983 printing featured a new cover by
Jeff Easley Jeff Easley (born 1954) is an oil painter who creates fantasy Work of art, artwork for role-playing games, comics, and magazines, as well as non-fantasy commercial art. Early life Easley was born in Nicholasville, Kentucky in 1954. He spent time ...
. Like other volumes of ''Dungeons & Dragons'' handbooks, the ''Dungeon Masters Guide'' has gone through several versions through the years. The original edition was written by
Gary Gygax Ernest Gary Gygax ( ; July 27, 1938 – March 4, 2008) was an American game designer and author best known for co-creating the pioneering tabletop role-playing game ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') with Dave Arneson. In the 1960s, Gygax creat ...
and edited by Mike Carr, who also wrote the foreword. The original cover art was by David C. Sutherland III, and interior illustrations were provided by Sutherland, D. A. Trampier,
Darlene Pekul Darlene Jean Pekul (born 1954, Wisconsin), now just known as Darlene (she legally dropped her surname in 1984), is an American artist and calligrapher whose artwork appeared in early ''Dungeons & Dragons'' works published by TSR. Her best-know ...
, Will McLean, David S. LaForce, and
Erol Otus Erol Otus is an American artist and video game designer, game designer, who contributed art to the fantasy role-playing game (RPG) genre, especially early in the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' franchise. He created art for the award winning ''Star Control ...
. The first edition ''Dungeon Masters Guide'' covered the essential game rules for the Dungeon Master: creating and managing both
player character A player character (also known as a playable character or PC) is a fictional Character (arts), character in a video game or tabletop role-playing game whose actions are controlled by a player rather than the rules of the game. The characters tha ...
s and
non-player character A non-player character (NPC) is a character in a game that is not controlled by a player. The term originated in traditional tabletop role-playing games where it applies to characters controlled by the gamemaster (or referee) rather than by a ...
s, directing combat, and handling adventures and campaigns that last multiple sessions. The book also included game statistics for
magic items Magic or magick most commonly refers to: * Magic (supernatural), beliefs and actions employed to influence supernatural beings and forces ** ''Magick'' (with ''-ck'') can specifically refer to ceremonial magic * Magic (illusion), also known as sta ...
and treasure, details how to use random monster encounters, and provides statistics for some of the basic monsters and creatures of the game. New magic items were introduced. The ''Dungeon Masters Guide'' contains scores of tables and charts for figuring damage and resolving encounters in a typical adventure, tables and rules for creating characters, and lists of the various abilities of the different classes of characters. One supplement to the ''Guide'' was the ''
Dungeon Masters Screen ''Dungeon Masters Screen'' (later called ''Dungeon Master's Screen'') is an accessory for the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy role-playing game. Publication history ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' The 1979 ''Dungeon Masters Screen'' was the origi ...
'': two heavy-duty tri-fold boards with the most frequently used tables printed on them for easy reference. The 1979 second edition of the screen describes its purpose as "useful for shielding maps and other game materials from the players when placed upright, and also provide instant reference to the charts and tables most commonly used during play." The ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' Second Edition screen came packaged with a brief
adventure An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme spo ...
; later editions of that screen, and screens produced for later editions, have instead included
character sheet A character sheet is a record of a player character in a role-playing game, including whatever details, notes, game statistics, and background information a player would need during a play session. Character sheets can be found in use in both ...
s and general reference
book A book is a structured presentation of recorded information, primarily verbal and graphical, through a medium. Originally physical, electronic books and audiobooks are now existent. Physical books are objects that contain printed material, ...
lets. A feature of the first edition ''Dungeon Masters Guide'' was the random dungeon generator. The generator allowed the Dungeon Master, by the rolling of
dice A die (: dice, sometimes also used as ) is a small, throwable object with marked sides that can rest in multiple positions. Dice are used for generating random values, commonly as part of tabletop games, including dice games, board games, ro ...
, to generate a dungeon adventure "on the fly". A dungeon complete with passageways,
rooms In a building or a ship, a room is any enclosed space within a number of walls to which entry is possible only via a door or other dividing structure. The entrance connects it to either a passageway, another room, or the outdoors. The space is t ...
,
treasure Treasure (from from Greek ''thēsauros'', "treasure store") is a concentration of wealth — often originating from ancient history — that is considered lost and/or forgotten until rediscovered. Some jurisdictions legally define what constit ...
, monsters, and other encounters could easily and randomly be constructed as the player progressed. It could be used with several people or a single player. The generator was not included in subsequent editions of the ''Dungeon Master's Guide'' but made a re-appearance in the fifth edition ''Dungeon Master's Guide''. In 1999, a
paperback A paperback (softcover, softback) book is one with a thick paper or paperboard cover, also known as wrappers, and often held together with adhesive, glue rather than stitch (textile arts), stitches or Staple (fastener), staples. In contrast, ...
reprint of the first edition was released. The first edition ''Dungeon Masters Guide'' was reproduced as a premium reprint on July 17, 2012.


Reception

The original ''Dungeon Masters Guide'' was reviewed by Don Turnbull in issue #16 of the magazine ''
White Dwarf A white dwarf is a Compact star, stellar core remnant composed mostly of electron-degenerate matter. A white dwarf is very density, dense: in an Earth sized volume, it packs a mass that is comparable to the Sun. No nuclear fusion takes place i ...
'' (December 1979/January 1980). Turnbull commented mostly on the size of the book, "I would say that only the most severe critic could point at a minor omission, let alone a serious one." Scott Taylor for '' Black Gate'' in 2014 listed both the 1st edition ''AD&D'' ''DMG'' re-cover and the 2nd Edition ''AD&D'' ''DMG'' both by
Jeff Easley Jeff Easley (born 1954) is an oil painter who creates fantasy Work of art, artwork for role-playing games, comics, and magazines, as well as non-fantasy commercial art. Early life Easley was born in Nicholasville, Kentucky in 1954. He spent time ...
as #10 in The Top 10 TSR Cover Paintings of All Time. Scott Taylor of '' Black Gate'' listed the ''Dungeon Master's Guide'' as #2 on the list of "Top 10 'Orange Spine' ''AD&D'' Hardcovers By Jeff Easley, saying "Not taking anything away from EVERYTHING THAT THE DM IS and how well Jeff represents it here, but I still believe when many folks think about an 'orange spine', they are going to remember #1 first, because at the end of the day, this sa re-cover, and half the folks out there are going to be about the Sutherland III edition." In his 2023 book ''Monsters, Aliens, and Holes in the Ground'', RPG historian Stu Horvath noted, "The ''Dungeon Master's Guide'' is strange and deeply idiosyncratic. Without a doubt, I believe it's also a masterpiece. Gygax expresses in it a singular vision that feels ''true'' in a way few other RPG books can ever hope to equal — it is an accidental portrait of the man's brain circa 1978."


''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' 2nd edition

The AD&D 2nd Edition ''Dungeon Master Guide'' was released in 1989. This 192-page hardcover book was designed by
David "Zeb" Cook David "Zeb" Cook is an American game designer, best known for his work at TSR, Inc., where he was employed for over fifteen years. Cook designed several games, wrote the '' Expert Set'' for ''Dungeons & Dragons'', worked as lead designer of the ...
, with cover art by
Jeff Easley Jeff Easley (born 1954) is an oil painter who creates fantasy Work of art, artwork for role-playing games, comics, and magazines, as well as non-fantasy commercial art. Early life Easley was born in Nicholasville, Kentucky in 1954. He spent time ...
. The book featured interior illustrations by Easley,
Clyde Caldwell Clyde Caldwell (born February 20, 1948) is an American artist. Self-described as a fantasy illustrator, he is best known for his portrayals of strong, sexy female characters. With his work at TSR in the 1980s, he is considered one of the artis ...
, John and Laura Lakey, David Dorman, Douglas Chaffee, and Jean E. Martin. This ''Dungeon Master's Guide'' featured revised second edition rules, reorganized and streamlined for the Dungeon Master. The book detailed options for character creation, handling the
alignment Alignment may refer to: Archaeology * Alignment (archaeology), a co-linear arrangement of features or structures with external landmarks * Stone alignment, a linear arrangement of upright, parallel megalithic standing stones Biology * Struc ...
rules, new rules for money and equipment, treasure and magical items, encounters, time and movement, and managing non-player characters. The book is indexed, and contains numerous full-page color illustrations. The second edition ''Dungeon Master Guide'' is an ORIGINS and Gamer's Choice award-winner. In his 1991 book ''Heroic Worlds'',
Lawrence Schick Lawrence Schick is a game designer and writer associated with role-playing games. Early life and education Schick attended Kent State University in Ohio. Career Schick, as the head of design and development at TSR, brought aboard Tom Moldvay ...
commented that this book contained "lots of excellent new advice on how to run ''AD&D''". A new version of the ''Dungeon Master Guide'', with new art and layout but the same text, was released in 1995, as part of TSR's 25th anniversary. The 2nd edition ''Dungeon Master Guide'' was reproduced as a premium reprint on May 21, 2013.


Reception

Stephan Wieck reviewed the 2nd Edition ''Dungeon Master's Guide'' in '' White Wolf'' #17 (1989) and stated that "There are no great changes to the DMG, except that it has become as much a guide of advice for Dungeon Masters as a manual of specific information."


''Dungeons & Dragons'' 3rd edition

The 3rd edition D&D ''Dungeon Master's Guide'' was published in September 2000.
Monte Cook Monte Cook (born January 29, 1968) is an American professional tabletop role-playing game designer and writer, best known for his work on ''Dungeons & Dragons''. Role-playing industry career Early years Cook has been a professional game d ...
,
Jonathan Tweet Jonathan Tweet (born 1965) is an American game designer who has been involved in the development of the role-playing games ''Ars Magica'', '' Everway'', '' Over the Edge'', ''Talislanta'', the third edition of ''Dungeons & Dragons'' and '' 13th A ...
, and
Skip Williams Ralph Williams, almost always referred to as Skip Williams, is an American game designer. He is married to Penny Williams, who is also involved with the games industry. He was the co-creator of ''Dungeons & Dragons'' 3rd Edition and the longtime au ...
all contributed to the 3rd edition ''
Player's Handbook The ''Player's Handbook'' (spelled ''Players Handbook'' in first edition ''Advanced Dungeons & Dragons'' (''AD&D'')) is the name given to one of the core rulebooks in every edition of the fantasy role-playing game ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') ...
'', ''Dungeon Master's Guide'', and ''
Monster Manual The ''Monster Manual'' (''MM'') is the primary bestiary sourcebook for monsters in the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (''D&D'') fantasy role-playing game, first published in 1977 by TSR. The ''Monster Manual'' was the first hardcover ''D&D'' book and ...
'', and then each designer wrote one of the books based on those contributions. Cook is credited with the book's design. Cover art is by Henry Higginbotham, with interior art by
Lars Grant-West Lars Grant-West is an American artist whose work has appeared in role-playing games. He currently teaches illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design. Early life and education Lars Grant-West was born in Brooklyn. He attended New York City ...
,
Scott Fischer Scott Eugene Fischer (December 24, 1955 – May 11, 1996) was an American mountaineer and mountain guide. He was renowned for ascending the world's highest mountains without supplemental oxygen. Fischer and Wally Berg were the first Americans ...
, John Foster,
Todd Lockwood Todd Wills Lockwood (born July 9, 1957) is an American artist specializing in fantasy and science fiction illustration. He is best known for his work on the role-playing game ''Dungeons & Dragons'', and for his covers for the books of R. A. Salv ...
, David Martin, Arnie Swekel, Kevin Walker,
Sam Wood Samuel Grosvenor Wood (July 10, 1883 – September 22, 1949) was an American film director and producer who is best known for having directed such Hollywood hits as ''A Night at the Opera (film), A Night at the Opera'', ''A Day at the Races (fi ...
, and
Wayne Reynolds Wayne Reynolds is a People of the United Kingdom, British artist whose work has appeared in comics and role-playing games. Early life and education Wayne Reynolds was born in Leeds, UK. He attended art college in Dewsbury and Middlesbrough. Gam ...
. ''Dungeon Master's Guide'' was republished in 2001 as a slightly revised edition, correcting a few errors in the first edition. In 2003, the ''Dungeon Master's Guide'' was revised for the 3.5 edition. David Noonan and Rich Redman are credited for the ''Dungeon Master's Guide'' 3.5 revision. Cover art is by Henry Higginbotham, with interior art by Matt Cavotta, Ed Cox,
Lars Grant-West Lars Grant-West is an American artist whose work has appeared in role-playing games. He currently teaches illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design. Early life and education Lars Grant-West was born in Brooklyn. He attended New York City ...
,
Scott Fischer Scott Eugene Fischer (December 24, 1955 – May 11, 1996) was an American mountaineer and mountain guide. He was renowned for ascending the world's highest mountains without supplemental oxygen. Fischer and Wally Berg were the first Americans ...
, John Foster, Jeremy Jarvis, John and Laura Lakey,
Todd Lockwood Todd Wills Lockwood (born July 9, 1957) is an American artist specializing in fantasy and science fiction illustration. He is best known for his work on the role-playing game ''Dungeons & Dragons'', and for his covers for the books of R. A. Salv ...
, David Martin,
Raven Mimura Raven Mimura is an artist whose work has appeared in role-playing games. Early life and education Raven received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration from Rhode Island School of Design. He spent a year teaching art and building his portfolio ...
,
Wayne Reynolds Wayne Reynolds is a People of the United Kingdom, British artist whose work has appeared in comics and role-playing games. Early life and education Wayne Reynolds was born in Leeds, UK. He attended art college in Dewsbury and Middlesbrough. Gam ...
, Scott Roller,
Brian Snoddy Brian Snoddy is an artist whose work has appeared in role-playing games. Career Brian Snoddy and his friend Matt Wilson formed Privateer Press with writer Matt Staroscik to publish their own d20 supplements. The interior and cover artwork for ...
, Arnie Swekel, and
Sam Wood Samuel Grosvenor Wood (July 10, 1883 – September 22, 1949) was an American film director and producer who is best known for having directed such Hollywood hits as ''A Night at the Opera (film), A Night at the Opera'', ''A Day at the Races (fi ...
. When asked about the changes from the previous ''Dungeon Master's Guide'', Rich Redman said: The D&D ''Dungeon Master's Guide'' (v3.5) was reproduced as a premium reprint on September 18, 2012.


''Dungeons & Dragons'' 4th edition

The 4th edition D&D ''Dungeon Master's Guide'' was released on June 6, 2008, at the same time as its companion volumes. It is a 224-page hardcover written by
James Wyatt James Wyatt (3 August 1746 – 4 September 1813) was an English architect, a rival of Robert Adam in the Neoclassicism, neoclassical and neo-Gothic styles. He was elected to the Royal Academy of Arts in 1785 and was its president from 1805 to ...
. The front cover illustration was by
Wayne Reynolds Wayne Reynolds is a People of the United Kingdom, British artist whose work has appeared in comics and role-playing games. Early life and education Wayne Reynolds was born in Leeds, UK. He attended art college in Dewsbury and Middlesbrough. Gam ...
and the back cover illustration is by
Brian Hagan Brian Hagan is an artist whose work has appeared in role-playing games. Education Brian Hagan graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design in 1994.
, with interior illustrations by Rob Alexander,
Steve Argyle Steve Argyle is an artist whose work has appeared in role-playing games, mainly ''Dungeons & Dragons''. Career Steve Argyle's ''Dungeons & Dragons'' work includes books such as ''Complete Champion'' (2007), the 4th edition ''Dungeon Master's G ...
,
Wayne England Wayne England (d. 9 February 2016) was an English artist whose work regularly appeared in role-playing games, wargaming rulebooks and magazines and was used on cards for collectible card games such as '' Magic: The Gathering''. He died on 9 Feb ...
, Jason Engle, David Griffith, Espen Grundetjern, Brian Hagan,
Ralph Horsley Ralph Horsley is an artist whose work has appeared in role-playing games. Career His ''Dungeons & Dragons'' work includes cover art for the adventure '' The Shattered Gates of Slaughtergarde'' (2006), and interior art for ''Monster Manual III'' ...
, Howard Lyon, Lee Moyer, William O'Connor,
Wayne Reynolds Wayne Reynolds is a People of the United Kingdom, British artist whose work has appeared in comics and role-playing games. Early life and education Wayne Reynolds was born in Leeds, UK. He attended art college in Dewsbury and Middlesbrough. Gam ...
, Dan Scott, Ron Spears, Chris Stevens, Anne Stokes, and Eva Widermann. In addition to a comprehensive look at how to DM a 4th Edition campaign or adventure, it contains information on building encounters, aquatic and mounted combat, skill challenges, traps and hazards, rewards, NPC creation, artifacts, monster creation, and template, along with a sample town and short adventure so that DMs can start running their first 4th Edition adventure right away. Although it does contain artifacts, it is the first ''Dungeon Master's Guide'' not to contain standard magic items, which were moved into the ''Player's Handbook'' for 4th Edition.
Shannon Appelcline use both this parameter and , birth_date to display the person's date of birth, date of death, and age at death) --> , death_place = , death_cause = , body_discovered = , resting_place = , resting_place_coordinates = ...
, author of ''Designers & Dragons'', highlighted that the book introduced mechanical changes such as a "new style for adventure encounters" and a "skill challenge system" which were part of the key design philosophies of 4th edition. Appelcline wrote "besides revamping philosophies ''and'' rules, D&D 4e also revamped the game's standard world model and its cosmology" and "Wizards also introduced a new world setting that has become most popularly known as 'Nentir Vale' (though that just designates a small part of the world)". In September 2009, the '' Dungeon Master's Guide 2'' was released. It was written by James Wyatt, with
Bill Slavicsek Bill Slavicsek (born October 6, 1971) is an American game designer and writer who served as the Director of Roleplaying Design and Development at Wizards of the Coast. He previously worked for West End Games and TSR, Inc., and designed products ...
,
Mike Mearls Michael Mearls is an American writer and designer of fantasy role-playing games (RPGs) and related fiction. Mearls worked for Wizards of the Coast from 2005 to 2023, holding various positions. He was the senior manager for the ''Dungeons & Drag ...
, and Robin D. Laws. Appelcline wrote "the original Dungeon Master's Guide had covered heroic adventuring (levels 1-10), so now the Dungeon Master's Guide 2 detailed paragon adventuring (levels 11-20). However, there is much more in the book too, including storytelling advice, skill challenge and monster customization, and the return of one of D&D's most beloved settings". The "fan-favorite setting of Sigil" was last revisited in depth in the '' Planescape Campaign Setting'' (1994) for the 2nd edition. As part of the ''Essentials'' line of products, which were intended as an easy entry point for new players, Wizards of the Coast released a '' Dungeon Master's Kit'' (2010) that included a digest-sized book for the Dungeon Master containing much of the same material as the 4th edition ''Dungeon Master's Guide'' along with a two-part adventure module and a set of cardboard tokens for monsters.


''Dungeons & Dragons'' 5th edition

The 5th edition ''Dungeons & Dragons'' ''Dungeon Master's Guide'' was released in 2014 as the last of three core rulebooks for the new edition. On the staggered release schedule,
Jeremy Crawford Jeremy Crawford is a game designer who has worked primarily on role-playing games. He worked for Wizards of the Coast from 2007 to 2025 on the tabletop role-playing game ''Dungeons & Dragons''. He was the Lead Rules Designer for the game's 4th ...
wrote "our small team couldn’t finish the books at the same time and also ensure their high quality. ..We could either stagger their releases, or we could sit on the books until all three were finished". Crawford and
Mike Mearls Michael Mearls is an American writer and designer of fantasy role-playing games (RPGs) and related fiction. Mearls worked for Wizards of the Coast from 2005 to 2023, holding various positions. He was the senior manager for the ''Dungeons & Drag ...
co-lead design for the Fifth Edition of ''Dungeons & Dragons''. ''
Polygon In geometry, a polygon () is a plane figure made up of line segments connected to form a closed polygonal chain. The segments of a closed polygonal chain are called its '' edges'' or ''sides''. The points where two edges meet are the polygon ...
'' reported that the book "is by far the densest of the rulebooks yet released, but shares the same cover price — $50 in the US". In an interview with ''
Escapist Magazine ''The Escapist'' (formerly known as ''Escapist Magazine'') is an American video game website and online magazine. First published as a weekly online magazine by Themis Media on July 12, 2005, ''The Escapist'' eventually pivoted to a traditiona ...
'', Mearls said:
''Basic D&D'' hits core fantasy, it's stereotypical fantasy adventuring. If you're the DM and you want to do something more exotic, you say "I want to add technology to my game" or "I want to have more detailed rules for a grim and grittier game, more of a horror game." That's where the ''DMG'' comes in, it's for really fine-tuning your campaign, and creating a different type of experience than your standard fantasy campaign. It's also for expanding the scope of the game. ..The ''DMG'' also has a lot of utilities in it, like for dungeon creation, adventure creation, creating monsters, creating spells, even if you wanted to create a character class. ..So it's really for getting under the hood of how the system works and building up your campaign.


Reception

The book won the 2015 ENnie "Best Supplement" Gold award and the 2015
Origins Origin(s) or The Origin may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Comics and manga * ''Origin'' (comics), a Wolverine comic book mini-series published by Marvel Comics in 2002 * ''The Origin'' (Buffy comic), a 1999 ''Buffy the Vampire Sl ...
"Best Role-Playing Game Supplement" and "Fan Favorite" awards. Henry Glasheen, for '' SLUG Magazine'', wrote "Fifth Edition, to my eyes, is the new gold standard for D20-based tabletop RPGs. It strips away the tedium of systems and statistics and replaces them with the true substance of role playing—deep, immersive stories. I’ve often found that the Dungeon Master’s Guide was the most vestigial of all the D&D manuals, but Fifth Edition has elevated this previously tertiary book into something far more important and useful". Jonathan Bolding, for ''Escapist Magazine'', wrote "however, on finishing the book it's clear that while many critics - myself included - thought that this system would hinge on the ''DMG'', the DMG just confirmed what we already knew ''D&D'' 5th Edition to be. This is a living history of ''D&D'', a collection of what the game has been so far. Perfection, not innovation. Options, not prescriptions". Chuck Francisco of mania.com commented: "Miles of treasure tables escort a wealth of random adventure tables to the ball, where they're resplendent in all of their easy session crafting majesty. The versatility of this tome is nowhere more obvious than amongst the flavor filled side panels, which further detail the lower magical level of the main setting, before explaining all of the variable options a DM has in bringing to life a world of their own." In a review of ''Dungeon Master's Guide'' in '' Black Gate'', Scott Taylor said "The 5E ''DMG'' devotes the first 127 pages to teaching a novice player how to ea Dungeon Master in this system. Where Gygax made the assumption that an aspiring DM needed to sit at a table as a player and learn the system from another, become inspired, and then extrapolate on what they'd learned firsthand, the folks tWizards of the Coast have gone in the opposite direction and believe anyone buying this book has never really played ''D&D'' before and needs instruction on how to DM the game."


References


External links


Full list of contents for the ''AD&D Dungeon Master's Guide''Review of the ''AD&D Dungeon Master's Guide''
from RPG.net {{D&D topics 1979 books 1989 books 2000 non-fiction books 2003 non-fiction books 2008 non-fiction books 2014 books Books by Gary Gygax Dungeons & Dragons sourcebooks Handbooks and manuals Role-playing game supplements introduced in 1979