How to Be a Better DM

Justin Lewis, Cayden Ottley, and Tanner Weyland put out new episodes every Thursday with a straightforward goal: help dungeon masters get better at running games. The title is honest, and so is the format. How to Be a Better DM covers the full spectrum of DM experience levels, from someone running their very first session to the forever DM who's been at it for twenty years and still wants to sharpen their craft. The topics are practical and specific. Instead of vague advice like "be creative," you get episodes about how to build realistic NPCs that players actually care about, how to structure a session zero so everyone leaves on the same page, how to keep energy levels consistent throughout a four-hour session, and how to use improv techniques without derailing your plot. One episode breaks down the Rule of Intent, Yes AND principles, spark lists, and the value of deliberate pauses — all from a DM's perspective rather than an acting coach's. The three-host setup creates a nice back-and-forth where different experience levels and play styles get represented. Justin tends to anchor the discussions while Cayden and Tanner jump in with counterpoints or examples from their own tables. Episodes drop weekly and usually stick to a focused topic, which makes them easy to pick through when you need help with something specific. The show doesn't try to be everything — it's not a news show or an actual play or a lore deep-dive. It's DM advice, done well, released consistently. Sometimes that's exactly what you need.