# D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide



## Morrus

*D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

Product information... View for more details


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## Fabio Andrea Rossi

*4 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

Yes, I got it, I'm a lucky man. And here what I think: the 5th edition DMG is a masterpiece and keeps up the very good quality of the Player’s Handbook and Monster Manual. It goes on with the new edition philosophy of going back to the earlier spirit of D&D capitalizing on the experiences of its previous editions.The book offers high product value, it’s choke full of valuable advice on how to create and run campaigns and adventures, it has more magic items that you could hope and it includes lots of the promised “rules modules”. My only complaint about it is a certain overabundance of tables to determine…well, everything. While these are often quite useful, there are really lots of them, perhaps more than needed. I mean, with all that valuable content, I would have liked more modules and less tables.That said, with over 70 pages of illustrated magic items, tons of rules options an insight on how to build a full fledged campaign (including planar details) the new DMG really brings the old magic back to full circle. The king is back, all hail the king!


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## SharnDM

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

The DMG for 5th Edition is a masterpiece.  Coming in at 320 pages it just slightly beats out the PHB for girth but upon comparing it to previous edition's works you can see the sheer mass of this book at least contains more words than ever before.  I've never liked the DMG in any edition the most but this time around it wins the cup for me.  A real emphasis on training a new DM and enhancing the veteran was given here, and I'm pleased by the effort.  The largest chunk of the book is a 100 page arc on tangible treasure.  For those like me who lamented the loss of the "Magic" in magic items it is back in full.  I could drone away further here but I've already put nearly 3k words into my review on my blog.  Check it out and feel free to comment! http://melsmifgames.wordpress.com/2014/11/27/5es-dungeon-masters-guide-the-triad-is-complete/


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## Neuroglyph

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

As Dungeon Master’s Guides go, this new D&D 5th Edition one is a strong contender for the top spot. While it might be claimed that there are quite a few similarities between this new DMG and the older AD&D DMG, it would be hard to argue that the original penned by Mr. Gygax isn’t a darned good template for what a DMG should be in order to be successful at guiding Dungeon Masters in their trade.  The book looks and feels fantastic, and it certainly has some wonderful writing between the covers. And just as importantly, the new D&D Dungeon Master’s Guide presents a lot of good useful content that DMs will be able to go back and reference time and again as they lead their players into better and more developed worlds and adventures. It’s a worthy successor to the line of Dungeon Master’s Guides down through the editions, and well worth the price to have as a treasured resource for this new edition of Dungeons & Dragons.


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## talien

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

The final rulebook of the Dungeons & Dragons triumvirate that long-time gamers have come to expect from each edition of the fantasy role-playing game will be released in stores on December 9, 2014. Thanks to Wizards of the Coast sharing an advanced copy, this review is a sneak peak of what to expect. The short version: this incarnation of the Dungeon Master's Guide (DMG) builds on everything gamers have collectively learned about role-playing games. It's also has an unmistakable shift in tone from a simple rules compendium to an honest assessment of what made D&D what it is today -- and how unique it can be in each DM's hands.


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## Weird Dave

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

The prevailing idea behind the publication of the Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition game seems to be "tools for your toolbox," and in that regard the new Dungeon Master's Guide knocks it out of the park. Alternate rules for lingering injuries and healing, pages of magical items, guidance and advice on crafting monsters, NPCs, and adventures - there's enough stuff in here to keep DMs busy with their own campaigns for a long time, and I think that's the point. The advice is top notch, as you would expect from the company that's been making this game for a long time, and the random tables are enough to keep everyone interested. I don't know what more I could ask for in a Dungeon Master's Guide to be honest, except "more" - more of what's already in here.


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## Morrus

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

This book is utterly crammed with material. Even if you're not a D&D fan, it's one of the most comprehensive GMing guides to fantasy gaming I've seen in years, and for D&D DMs probably the best DMG in decades. I find it hard to overstate how much I love this book and how - for me - it's like adding together the 1E DMG, a book like Robin Law's highly acclaimed game mastery advice book, and a shedload of targeted inspiration. Most of all, though - it's a book designed to be read, not just referenced. The best of the 5E trilogy and a must-have for any fantasy gamer. Seriously - I know it's cool to be cynical, but this thing really is good.


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## Lwaxy

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

Not only does this book have a wealth of information, it also makes an interesting read and really brings back the idea of what it is to be fantasy gaming. Must have in my eyes, even if you do not intend to run this specific edition.


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## Rhenny

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

Usually when D&D core products are released, the DMG is the one that I least like to read even though I don the DM mantle most frequently.  This time around, the book is so chocked with goodies, and it is so nicely written, I think I'll spend more time reading it than any of the other books.   The amount of interesting charts, advice, options, ideas for consideration, shifts my mind into imagination overdrive.  Not only are there options, but the options themselves inspire me to create other options that would work in my own campaign.  I can only hope that others feel the same creative charge.While I was reading the section about world building, my son came over to check it out too.  The ideas and information contained within the book immediately captured his attention, not only for the creative possibilities, but also because it presented information about religious and governmental systems that really interest him (a young history buff).  When I was growing up, I remember reading 1e books, which to this day I believe helped me learn vocabulary and build my world knowledge.   This book seems to provide that same "education" for younger people who read it for the first time.  That's awesome.Great work WotC.


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## FitzTheRuke

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

They did it again.  All 3 core D&D 5th edition books have far, far more crammed between the pages than I ever expected.Amazing.


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## FreeXenon

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

Lots of great tables...


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## Tormyr

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

At last the 5e DMG has arrived, and it is fantastic.  Sections cover building your world, running your game, and tweaking the game.The most important part at the moment for me comes in the last chapter.  At last, there is a detailed method given to build your own creatures.  At my table, we are currently in chapter 4 of 12 of Age of Worms, a 3.5 adventure path.  While lots of the monsters and NPCs can be pulled directly or modified from the Monster Manual, There are still plenty of creatures that are not close to anything.  Now we have the resource to quickly put together a monster and get a good idea of its difficulty.Lots has been said by others about how good this book is, but this was the standout feature for me.


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## chibi graz'zt

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

And by waiting for I mean since 1e. This is not just a DM guide, this is probably one of the best reference books on the art of storytelling and dungeon mastering that has been published for a table-top RPG. Here you'll find lots, and I mean LOTS of reference tables that really open up the game like 1, 2, 3e never did. Variant rules and mods are provided to add different levels of game play. But being a visual guy, I have to say that this is one stunningly beautiful book. Art and layout alone this book will (I predict) win awards. Its a big book and covers alot of ground. I was able to get mine at my preferred seller FLGS and it was selling fast (they had 50 copies initially). This review is also my personal 'thank you' to Wizards of the Coast. Thank you for finally delivering the kind of DMG that Ive always wanted. Even if you dont plan on picking up 5th edition this book will be an invaluable resource and reference manual (I think that WotC designed it to be, which is very smart).


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## ccooke

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

I only meant to look up a few specific things... several hours later, I've read the whole book. It's engaging, it's useful but most of all just skimming the chapters I could see clear places where it would help me be a better DM. What more can you ask?


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## guachi

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

The 5e DMG puts the G in DMG. It's a Guide book not a Rule book. Filled with dozens of optional and variant rules and 174 random tables, the 5e DMG is full of ideas and inspirations. The art is excellent, the advice is excellent, the production values are excellent. The one minus is the magic items are listed alphabetically not by rarity or type.


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## Cadriel

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

I've perused all of the 5e Dungeon Master's Guide, and it is everything I hoped it would be and more. What jumps out about this book is that it is full of game-useful content. As an OSR gamer who loves the 1e Dungeon Master's Guide, this is a book that challenges it on the sheer number of tables for generating game detail on the fly, and comes out ahead. Fans of Gygax's masterpiece will be amused by things like the forms of government, the potion miscibility table, and the carousing table. Even when a section seems like it might be a bit rote, things like the tables for customizing magic items pop out at you. Any area of the game where you might need inspiration, this is a book that will have something. It is a tour de force, and a book that you will want at your side in every stage - from designing a world, to crafting an adventure, to running a game. The section on NPC design is only 9 pages long, but it's solid gold and easily the centerpiece of the DMG. For the first time since 1e, this is a Dungeon Master's Guide that you should have at your table even if you are running another edition, or another game entirely.


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## was

*4 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

It's a pretty good DMG, but much of it is a rehash or modification of previous DMGs.  It's good at offering DMs options, however, there are a few sections, like magic item pricing, that I found to be a bit too vague and disappointing.  Overall, it's still a pretty decent book and worth the cost.


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## Cam Banks

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

This book is packed with terrific things, so much so that it appears a lot had to be cut just to make it possible to release the thing. It's an essential part of the D&D5E triad, as expected.


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## aramis erak

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

The options chapter may seem short, but it's crammed full of goodies. It's a fun read. overall, and the monster creation isn't as simple as people have been suggesting; it appears robust and designed to allow for wildly off expectation, and give them a reasonable CR. And the art is gorgeous... more than I expected, and better than the MM or PHB art.


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## Critical Hits

*4 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

Is it the best Dungeon Master’s Guide I’ve ever read? Probably not. Its strengths in the variety of topics covered is also one of its weaknesses, where you’ll be left wanting in some areas. It will, however, cover tons of needs, including ones you didn’t know you had. It’s not quite a “hacker’s guide” of D&D that was hinted at in earlier previews, though there’s lots of that to get you started and plenty of advice to empower you to experiment with your campaign.


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## Stormrazor2000

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

I have all the books for every edition of D&D and Pathfinder, and even though I'm almost always the DM, I admit that I mostly just skimmed the DMG from other editions for the magic items and a table here or there. They by and large were dry reading and rarely inspired my imagination. The 5E DMG took me completely by surprise with how good it is. It's crammed full of ideas and springboards that set my imagination into overdrive, got my creative juices flowing and most of all got me excited to DM.

Lest you think it's all fluff and theory, this is probably the best collection of practical advice and tools, especially for a novice DM I have thus far read. As a toolbox it covers the basics of world and adventure building and even points out common pitfalls to look out for. It's like having a veteran DM by your side teaching you the ropes.  There are so many nuggets of wisdom in the book that I know I'll be happily plundering it's depths for quite some time. 

At the end of the day I think that is what a great DMG does. It nurtures more players to become great DMs and reinvigorates the grizzled vets, which will create more opportunities for games and bring more players into our grand hobby. Very highly recommended!


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## Ajarn

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

Nearly every paragraph of the new 5e DMG inspires me. There are clearly things that are directed towards the new edition, but I would recommend this DMG for DM/GMs of any fantasy TTRPG.


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## JesterOC

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

While obviously not able to contain everything I person would want in an DMs guide, this tome appears to be a highlight reel of information that will help beginner and veteran DMs a good guide on how to rule a game of D&D to the best of one's ability.

I enjoy how many options there are to the core rules that allow one to quickly run anything from a high fantasy to gritty sword and sorcerery game.Some of the things I am considering is passive checks on all skill rolls. While reading the options for initiative, I am considering some changes to the way I am doing thinks, and perhaps making a mod is a hybrid of their proficiency dice and their static Init rules. 

 As you can see the book adds many suggestions to your game which helps you see a problem you might not have noticed and provide a nice toolbox to craft your own rules. 

Only cons  I can think of are of the rules left out of the game (such as mass combat rules, which have been promised to eventually show up in a possible legends and lore article).


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## Yaztromo

*3 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

Sara' che sono cresciuto con BECMI, sara' che crescendo ho chiesto ai giochi di essere sempre piu' veloci da preparare e da giocare, lasciandomi il divertimento e qualche spazio alla fantasia, senza annoiarmi con regolamenti tediosissimi e tabelle, ma tutta la produzione di AD&D e delle versioni successive di D&D (incluso Pathfinder) mi hanno spinto con sempre maggior convinzione ad affidarmi ad altri regolamenti, se volevo divertirmi senza per forza perdere un monte di orre per preparare le partite, lanciare un milione di dadi (robe da tunnel carpale fulminante), fare un sacco di calcoli, consultare un sacco di tabelle.... e avere contestazioni continue da parte dei giocatori sull'interpretazione di questa o quella regola.Beh, devo dire che questa versione del regolamento e' un (mezzo) passo indietro in quella che (per me) e' la giusta direzione.Ma c'e' ancora parecchia strada da fare... questo regolamento e' comunque da ben 320 pagine!...


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## biotech66

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

Originally posted at www.throatpunchgames.com, a new idea everyday!   

*Product*-Dungeon Master's Guide
*System*- Dungeons and Dragons, 5th Edition
*Producer*- Wizards of the Coast
*Price*- ~$50 here http://www.amazon.com/Dungeon-Maste...7382314&sr=8-1&keywords=dungeon+masters+guide
*TL; DR*- Bands all together, let's rock! 98%

*Basics*- Let's get ready to roll!  The Dungeon Master's Guide is the final book of the core three for Dungeons and Dragons.  This book covers all the behind the Dungeon Master's screen aspects of the game.  It is roughly broken into three sections: creating a world/universe, creating adventures, and the math of the game/how to run Dungeons and Dragons.

*Mechanics or Crunch*- Ya' know what I HATE in a RPG designed for the Dungeon Master?  No random tables!  Yes, I know they are a crutch that bad GM's use when they don't prep for an adventure.  But, I don't want to have to figure out what I'm doing every second of the game, and sometimes the players will want to do something and having a random answer will really help make their choices happen at a moment's notice.  This book as random tables out the wazoo-from making a complete random dungeon to a random adventure and the encounters between!  Also, this book goes into great detail on how to make the adventures in a non-random thought out way.  From the math behind monsters to how to hand out items and treasure, the book does an excellent job at making your life as a DM as simple as it can explaining how to set up a game in a manner where it won't crash and fail from problems on the DM's side of the screen.  Also, found the missing monster by CR guide from the Monster Manual!  It's good to see it here, but it would be better to see it also in the Monster Manual. 5/5

*Theme or Fluff*-This book is full of content and absent of any content in the right ways.  The book goes into how to make a game work as a story and how to fill that story with people to meet and to kill while providing the default multiverse a bit of background too.  From the geography of the multiverse to how a circle of elders works in a feudal village, the game explains how to design a world and a story.  It's a little light on advice on how to handle players.  That's an experience thing, but some more sage wisdom on how to handle different kinds of people is always appreciated my new RPG fans.  The book does point to a reading list of books on how to GM, so that does cover kind of what I was hoping this book would have for the newer GM's out there.  Overall, it's got great story and tips on how to build your own story!  4.75/5

*Execution*- Just like the other two DnD 5e books, this one is well done!  There are enough words per page to inform, but not enough to bore.  There are lots of pictures to make the reader think of ideas to throw at their players, and almost all of them are new!  I used to play "spot the old art" in my DnD books, but I only saw one reused piece of art in this book which makes me extremely happy (along with the random tables!).  And, the new art is awesome!  If you want to learn how to make a book great from a layout, art, and design sense, then it's this and Paizo's books. 5/5

*Summary*- Look, if you're running DnD, you bought this on Black Friday like the rest of us.  It's that simple.  WotC spread out the core three books, and if you've bought the first two, then you bought this one too. If you're new to RPGs, then get this book as well as the Player's Handbook and Monster Manual.  This book has an awesome layout, great story ideas, and some randomness to help you get your players into the action as quickly as possible.  If you love Dungeons and Dragons, you need this book.  If you want to learn how to run Dungeons and Dragons 5th edition, this is an awesome book that will give you all the tools you need to build the games you want and have a blast doing it.  This is a great capstone for the basic trinity of 5th edition DnD.  98%


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## Scottius

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

Well the DMG is out (at least if you live near select stores) and it's a doozy. Every bit as nicely put together as the previous two core rulebooks and even more packed with information. Cover to cover this is one of the finest books for D&D and roleplaying in general in my estimation. Many times in my journey through it I was transported back to reading my 1st Ed AD&D DMG. I would recommend this for Gamemasters interested in running any kind of fantasy game even if it wasn't D&D and quite possibly to any starting GM period. It's filled with great art and even greater tables. This book rivals the tables of my personal favorite 3rd Edition 3rd Party book Toolbox which was just a giant book of tables. I don't have any dings to give this book. My one minor gripe isn't big enough to be a complaint more of a nitpick and that's the fact that I wish more of the old artifacts had appeared. I mean teasing us with a picture of Baba Yaga's hut but not including it is low Wizards. Seriously though if you're a Game/Dungeon Master you owe it to yourself to have this book in your library.


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## Nefzyflin

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

I have nothing to add that others haven't already said better than I could. I'm not an rpg blogger / reviewer. I have been DM'ing D&D on and off since 1984. But wait. Maybe I DO have a little something I can add after all. Once in a while, my players manage to SOMEHOW, get themselves into very difficult situations. Sometimes, for some very strange reason, they tend to blame ME for their misfortunes. Like I could POSSIBLY have anything to do with it. Over the years this has resulted in the odd d20 being thrown in the very direction that my nose just happens to be in. And so at 320 pages, the DMG is the perfect thickness and weight, so as to be very easy to grab off the table, and quickly get up to the area of my head,  efficiently shielding me from such non-magic missiles. And that's just one more reason I appreciate the DMG. Great job WotC. And thank you for making 5th Ed. so fun ( and safe ) to play.


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## The_Gneech

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

I've been reading this all weekend and I'm still only halfway through. But I've got to say, I'm very impressed! The DMG is usually my favorite book of any edition (even editions I didn't care for), and this one is easily as good as they come. What's best about it is that it is clearly written to be a tool for DM's to use, rather than a philosophical tome on the nature of gaming or simply another splatbook in disguise. The random adventure generation tables are a great spark to the DM needing to prep for a session, and the artwork inspires all sorts of neat ideas. I particularly liked the image of Baba Yaga's hut, a terrific callback to the mythic origins of fantasy literature as well as to some classic old-school moments.As I say, I'm still only halfway through, so I haven't had a chance to dig in to the mechanical aspects (such as gridded movement, monster creation, etc.), but certainly at a quick glance and from the previews I've seen they appear to be nice and solid. I was also impressed and pleased by the appendix of random useful maps, which is a great resource to grab when you're in a hurry.Great work all around!-The Gneech


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## Michael Long

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

I have to say, this book is well thought out and has so much meat to it, it is going to take forever to get through it all.  I LOVE IT


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## Gilwen

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

While the DMG didn't have all the tables I wanted there is a plethora of information that will help make your game awesome. Everything from the additional actions to how to make a race to the details of the magic items had me riveted to the book.


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## Spykes

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

This book is very well organized. I like the treatment of each chapter, giving each one a flavor of its own. The subjects are thoughtful and always in the interest of improving the story. A+


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## GeekDad

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

This 5e ruleset has completely won me back, and I’m so happy to be welcomed back to the game with what is an obvious labor of love by the crew at Wizards of the Coast. This is the Dungeons & Dragons I remember playing… with a few changes here and there. New classes. New races. Some changes in combat rules. And the 5e DMG has made me remember just how much fun I had running adventures. It’s given me a great platform from which to get started again, and boy do I plan on diving in deep.


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## boingboing

*4 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

I’ve got an advance copy myself and I’ve given it a quick look. While I’ve promised Wizards of the Coast not to divulge too much about its guts, I can tell you a few things. First, like the Player’s Handbook and Monster Manual, its design is gorgeous, and the art is evocative and painterly, without being cartoonish or trying to mimic video-game art. Like the other two volumes in the set, this one is also priced at $49.95, making part 3 a significant investment. At 320 pages, the DM’s Guide is a hefty read, but much better organized, more readable, less unwieldy, and not as crammed with random or little-used information, compared to that first edition.


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## dungeondude

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

Long time player (since the Red Box), just getting back into D&D after not playing any 4th Edition. The new DMG, just magnificent! Well laid out, easy to use, freaking awesome illustrations!!!


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## Jester David

*3 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

5th Edition is a strong contender for my favourite edition. The Players Handbook was decent, if just an expansion of the Basic rules. And the Monster Manual was simply fantastic. At the end of the Dungeon Master's Guide is an excellent book, but it also a somewhat flawed book. The DMG is a worthy addition to the edition, but not the best DMG ever and arguably the weakest book of the three core books. The advice and optional rules are excellent. But the book tries to do a lot and doesn't quite cover enough topics, and is not comprehensive enough on the topics it does discuss. But, as complaints go, wanting more is a not a bad complaint to have (but it is still a complaint). This is a book that leaves you wanting so much more - which makes it more of a shame we're unlikely to see more any time soon. For new Dungeon Masters, both new to the game or just new to DMing, the book should be more than adequate. It does a decent job of teaching the running of the game and managing of the table. It's an empowering book that fosters creativity as much as rules knowledge. It emphasises story and DM adjudication in all the right places, focusing on being the arbiter while also promoting fairness. I think, more than other DMGs, this product will help teach people to be good Dungeon Masters. There's are numerous examples of omitted content, like rules for critical fumbles, alternate xp and magic item tables, making house rules, and many other topics. The more you look at the book, the more you realize what isn't there. However, there's still a decent amount of optional rules, so the absences are less felt. While the idea of a DMG that is equal parts how-to-play guide, worldbuilding book, and hacker's guide is a nice idea, the amount of content requires makes fitting everything in a single book impossible. Which makes me sad, as I was such a supporter of the idea. Focusing on the main rules and essential optional rules while also planning an Unearthed Arcana or other dedicated book of customizations might have produced better results. Hindsight is 20/20 in that regard.


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## Wolfskin

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

D&D 5e's DMG is a top-notch work of art, both beautiful and useful to tailor your campaign according to your favorite playstyles. It may be not as packed of "optional modules" as some people expected, but to me this is one of the best DMG's for any edition of D&D- unlike the PHB and MM, it far exceeded my expectations.


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## Chimpy

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

Delighted with this book. It's everything I expect from a dungeon masters guide. It really sparks the imagination. The artwork is lovely. It's packed full with ideas for creation of your own adventures, settings, NPCs and even character races. The only thing is- I like it so much, I wish it was twice a long!


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## Azzibeel

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

This book is marvelous. It gave me the kick-start my imagination need to get the campaign world i have been working on that final boost.  So many wonderful new rules to experiment and play with.


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## TerraDave

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

The 5E DMG does not have everything it could. No long list of hirelings. No areas of sage knowledge. No detailed guidance on the workforce needed to build a custom castle. Practically no rules for fighting battles or managing domains. Only a few diseases, traps and artifacts. But don't be misled. It has a lot. Page after page filled with details on how to customize every element of your game. World building, cosmos building, customizing adventures and NPCs, rules options and guidance to make a more tactical game, a more story oriented game, or a more "challenge the player" type game. Honor, horror, sanity (or the lack thereof) can all be added in. Custom races, classes, backgrounds, and best spells are all covered, as are ways to make magic items unique. And of course it rules for explosives and ray guns. Did I mention magic items? Never better illustrated and clearly explained, these are powerful and distinctive items. Includes rules on sentient items and artifacts, and a few examples from each. Cursed items are back. Options are given for making, buying, selling and finding, but its very clear that this is all up to the DM.The DMG has been pronounced for optional for 5E games, but it would be a shame to DM without it. Much of it could also be applied directly to other versions of D&D.


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## mouselim

*3 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

PHB is a necessity to play D&D 5e. 
MM is packed from page to page, beginning to end information on monsters (duh) to play D&D 5e. 
DMG is packed with content and information but not all of it necessary to play D&D 5e. Too much fluff and generic information and only about less than 40% of the materials directly relevant to playing D&D 5e. 
On top of that, most of those are informative only in terms of general guidelines that could be read from other books providing greater depths (e.g. how to create a campaign world - there's a entire book by Kobold press on this).

Check out my full review here: http://www.rpggeek.com/article/17648103#17648103


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## Malikai2000

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

Wonderfully written and adds depth to the existing rules.


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## synthapse

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

This book is exactly what I'd hoped for: a DM's toolkit that still inspires a veteran gamemaster.


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## Hand of Evil

*4 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

One of the most beautiful books in the D&D line and it is a must have but found it missing some things I would have liked to see more of; such as more on Background creation, spell point system, then some parts seem vague or light with information.


----------



## io9

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

If this seems like a glowing review, well...yeah. I like the other two core 5E books, and my gaming group is collectively pretty excited about the edition too. But I love this book. There's just so much here, so many tools to use, levers to pull, switches to flip. At the same time it manages to accomplish something D&D desperately needs — it teaches you how to be a DM.


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## Psyga315

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

I enjoyed this book. It gave me the advice I always wanted (although it rehashes some of the advice from 4th Ed's DM Guide, nothing really big), but it also gave me things to work with, like poisons, chasing, making my own monsters... It's by far my favorite book of the three released.


----------



## Geordon

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

An amazing tome for both the experienced, and the newb DM.


----------



## Lidgar

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

Excellent balance between DM advice (fluff), DM options (crunch) and inspirational tables that get the creative juices flowing (gravy). Perfect ratio between nostalgia and utilitarian.


----------



## MadAxe

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

From the art to the advice to the variat rules, this book has inspired me in a way no DMG has yet. The random tables in the book are actually useful and can serve both lazy dungeon masters as well as those who like to really prepare. This book is my favorite of the three in a lot of ways and I can see myself keeping it open at the table every session.


----------



## bjmorga

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

I'm very impressed by this Dungeon Master's Guide. I started with 4e, but quickly went back and got the core books from the older editions. Comparatively speaking, this one takes the cake. There's lots of great tips, helpful charts, and cool information on just about every page of this manual. It's a great guide for dungeon master's who are new to the game or veterans of the brand. Everything about it clicks.


----------



## Agamon

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

Excellent art, great advice and interesting possibilities for a campaign.


----------



## Hygelak

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

As a fan of the 1e DMG I think this is a worthy successor. At first I was annoyed about so many pages devoted to the planes, but that chapter was so well written I found myself drawn in to the topic for the first time. The adventure and NPC creation tables and advice aren't exhaustive, but succinct and useful. The magic item section is a joy to read, and unlike some others I think the alphabetical organization was the right choice. Art is wonderful of course, and even in instances where it's not aesthetically "my thing" it's still very well done. Love the Appendix on dungeon creation and the included maps -- Between these and all the tables I can imagine improvising a session. If I have one complaint it's with a couple rules that are unclear to me, including a couple of the variants, but I'm accepting that this edition isn't about spelling everything out. Overall a great book, probably my favorite of the core.


----------



## Nekkroe

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

What do I want from a DMG?? 

 Inspiration and Creative motivation for unique and wondrous storytelling within a well defined RPG system.  

I now have an ass-load and I feel like a kid on crack again!


----------



## JTorres

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

As someone who stopped playing D&D during the 3/3.XX era and passed on the 4th, I'm glad the game has gone back to a more interpretative rules structure. While I know many players and DMs prefer a more codified rule set, I do enjoy the freedom of making the game entirely my own.  The DMG departs from the other two core books in that it allows for more complexity to be layered onto the simple foundation laid by the PHB.  One example of this that I immediately instituted into my game are the "Lingering Injuries" rules (page 272); I run a grittier game where the violence takes its toll on the players and I had already altered the healing rules on my own prior to the release of the DMG but the "Lingering Injuries" rules help round out the bloodier feel of my campaign.  Another example of this discretionary complexity that I want to use is the optional honor and sanity ability scores.  I will be introducing both ability scores into my campaign as way of furthering role-playing opportunities for my players: an honor ability score will allow a mechanical means for the paladin in my group to make use of the rigid way she plays her character and the sanity ability score is something I plan to use to further ratchet up the tension in my campaign by creating a mental impact on the players of the bloody violence in my game.  Without a doubt, there could be a person reading these examples that would never want to do anything of this sort in their game but therein lies the beauty of the DMG (and 5th edition as a whole): the system is just loose enough to allow me to play D&D this way and for someone else to play it their way.  These examples of optional rules aside, other personal high points in the DMG include the section on magic items.  While there is nothing new of particular note, this section is a "greatest hits" of the best magic items in the game's history which is similar to the approach taken in the MM.  I also very much like the copious amounts of random tables the DMG has and, while I'm experienced enough not to need tables like this, I appreciate the time-saving nature of these inclusions because frankly I just don't have the time to write elaborate adventures or design detailed dungeons as I did in my younger days.  Often just a cursory glance at a few tables has been enough to spark an adventure idea for me.  I could continue to offer up more examples of what I like in the DMG but I do want to point out the one disappointment I have: I would have liked to see the Dungeon Master's Workshop section be more robust.  Frankly, the DMG seems light on optional rule bits.  Apart from this one minor complaint, I very much like this edition of the DMG and I heartily recommend it to both new players and long-time players alike.


----------



## Argyle King

*3 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

I'll start by saying I was pretty anxious to pick up the 5th Edition DMG.  I already have the PHB and the MM, so this was the third book I needed for the "core set."  While there are a lot of great things inside the Dungeon Master's Guide, I somehow came away feeling less enthusiastic than other reviewers appear to feel.  It could certainly be possible that my expectations were too high; though, I also believe part of my feeling was some Deja Vu from how my experience with early 4th Edition went.  I'll touch upon that further down in the review.


The first impression of the 5th Edition DMG is that the book looks fantastic.  The artwork (as with most of 5E) is great.  Likewise, the text and tables are clearly featured and easy to read.  The only visual anomaly I found upon a quick browse was on page 15; there were some oddities concerning the words on the page having bled into the paper on the left side.  It's nothing major; it could very well be unique to my copy.  I only noticed because I once worked in a print shop, so I tend to notice such things.I felt that the discussions about playstyles and various other things at the beginning of the book were good, but a little shallow.  The information presented was great, it it's a nice primer to get someone started on thinking about such things when putting together a campaign, but I feel like there could have been a little more.  That being said, I understand there are only so many pages in a book.  I somewhat expect later products to expand upon the "Flavors of Fantasy" section; I imagine that some of the setting books will delve further into the flavors they tend to embody (Ravenloft for Dark Fantasy -as an example.)


Discussion of the planes was interesting.  I somewhat like the 5E approach of using a version of the Great Wheel which also keeps the Feywild and the Shadowfell.  I also like that the DMG gives a few options and inspiration for running a game which is more in tune with other editions or just other cosmological assumptions in general.  In the section on planes, but, then a few times later in the books as well, I noticed that the DMG sidebars and examples serve as a way to sneak a little more of 4th Edition back into the game.  In a way, I like that approach.  I like it because -attempting to put myself in the shoes of the designers- it seems like the best way they could have gone about including those options without getting backlash from parts of the customer base who might be opposed to them.  If you don't yet have the book, an example of what I mean is the inclusion of 4E-style Eladrin via the example given later in the book of how to design new races for your campaign.



Between the tables, discussions of playstyle, and various other things in the DMG, there is a lot of good information.  What I don't really gather from the DMG is a good idea about how the game actually works in play.  It's difficult for me to explain what I mean by that, but the basic feeling I have is that there's a lot of great information and tools given to me, but I still don't quite know what 5th Edition's identity is.  However, in spite of that, there are times when I come away feeling more shallow than I'd like.  That's where I start getting the Deja Vu feeling because I was extremely happy with the first three 4E books when I first picked them up, but then the game moved forward in a direction that I didn't care for; there are a few times during my reading of the DMG that I started to feel a worry that a similar thing may happen again with 5E.  Since this is a review, I wish I had something more substantial to point to and explain that feeling, but I honestly (at this point in time) don't. 



The main negative I can point to as I come away from the DMG is that I still don't know what identity 5th Edition has as a game, and -more importantly- as a roleplaying game; what identity will it have a year from now?  One area where this question is most prevalent for me is in encounter design.  Somehow, despite the fact that I have both a Monster Manual and a DMG with tons of tables and charts, I still do not really know what I am doing when it comes to designing encounters for 5th Edition.  I can look at and understand the numbers being shown, but I still do not have a good feel for how to produce the results I want in actual play.  I feel as though that's part of what a DMG is supposed to do; so, since I have the DMG and still do not feel confident when it comes to the aspect of running a game, I cannot help but to see that as a negative.  Though, to be fair, that may be due to the edition being so early in its life cycle; perhaps future books which are produced after the game is tested more will answer some of my questions.



By no means would I dare say the DMG is a bad book.  It isn't.  However, at the time of me writing this, I look at the 90-something percent rating given to it and am somewhat baffled by that.  There are many things about the book I really like.  However, it somehow feels shallow.  That is odd to say because there's a lot of information given in the DMG; it just somehow doesn't really give me what I thought the DMG would give me.  That is more of an idea about what kind of game 5th Edition is.  I almost come away feeling as though the DMG could have been a collection of Dungeon articles.  To be fair, the price of the book would be consistent with the Dungeon (and Dragon) compilations that were released in the past.  So, from that standpoint, I do not regret my purchase.  There's plenty of information here which is good; I'm just not so sure it's not information that I couldn't find in pretty much any other book about running a game, and I could very likely get more in depth treatment of the topics I want from those other sources.  The one thing I wanted from the DMG was more of an idea about what 5th Edition's identity is, and I don't think I got that.  A contrasting idea would be to say that the options presented allow me to make the identity of the game whatever I want, but the material -while very thorough- somehow feels shallow enough that I'm not so sure that is true; I won't know whether it's true or not until I see future products.


----------



## jcrog

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

The Dungeons and Dragons Fifth Edition (5e) Dungeon’s Master Guide is full of tips for running and creating campaigns and lots of optional rules. It is full of useful information no matter which RPG you are running.

http://www.play-board-games.com/dd-5e-dungeon-masters-guide-review/


----------



## Quickleaf

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

Great presentation and art, solid writing that hits that sweet spot between flowery and terse, more useful tables than you can shake a goblin at, and an excellent combination of both advice and hard rules. It's not perfect, but this is a terrific DMG! 4.5 out of 5 stars!

My top 4 favorite things are:

1. The attention to detail, particularly where teaching DMing & handling DMing logistics are concerned. Chapter 8: Running the Game does the best job covering the logistics of DMing than I've seen any core rulebook cover.
2. Chapter 7: Treasure chapter knocks it out of the park! Magic items have never looked so good, appeared in such great number, or felt so magic in any core book that I recall. Epic boons are icing on the cake.
3. The adventure and encounter creation guidelines are solid. I was pleasantly surprised at how well done the various tables were; despite being a veteran DM, I could actually see myself using these!
4. There are lots of little touches that are positively dripping with flavor and scream "use me in your campaign!" Madness tables, I'm looking at you.It's not all puppies and rainbows, however. 

My top 4 criticisms are:

1. In Running The Game there should be a guide to improvising conditions, or at least assigning a level or "deadliness" to various conditions. A condition track alternative would have been most welcome as well!
2. The DM's Toolkit chapter should explain how various rules options interact with each other. For example, proficiency dice work best when combined with automatic successes because it allows for more predictable skill check results while still allowing for a modest bit of randomness - d4, d6, d8, d10, or d12 rather than d20. This was actually an idea Mike Mearls floated in one of the Legends & Lore articles.
3. A quick n' dirty table/guidelines for estimating Challenge Rating (CR) of NPCs made using the PHB rules for PCs would go a long way. Sure, it's the sort of things us fans can hack, but really it belongs in the DMG.
4. There are only 8 traps and 3 diseases described (compare that to the copious number of magic items and random tables). Personally, I would have snipped out the dungeon dressing tables or a few magic items in order to add more traps and a few more diseases...or, better yet, curses! So, in effect my final criticism amounts to wanting more, which says a lot about the quality of the 5th edition DMG!


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## Patrick McGill

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

As far as the books are concerned, I think I would place them from favorite to least in this order: The Dungeon Master’s Guide, the Monster Manual, and the Player’s Handbook. Generally this is probably because of my focus in the RPG realm, but also because I feel like as volumes at the table (or between sessions), I feel like the DMG and MM are simply more powerful than the PHB. I really like the PHB, don’t get me wrong, but it is weighed down by some indexing issues and by the fact that it is very trim in comparison to the other two books in raw good stuff. If that makes sense?Obviously this has a good reason: the PHB needs to be straightforward and of single purpose in order to be easily used to create characters. I do hope at some point it’s worth is decreased even more by a robust digital toolset.


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## Grainger

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

The 5th-edition DMG is full of great ideas for DMs, provides vast numbers of magic items (which is a good thing, even for we DMs who are stingy about handing them out) and gorgeously illustrated. It's also very readable. Just about as good as it could be, really.


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## jadrax

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

A truly worthy product, that manages to cover a lot of ground in one book. While not indispensable, highly recommended.


----------



## Talmek

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

After reading the DMG side by side with it's 3.5 and 4e predecessors it feels as though this one was a home run. With enough tables to please Gygax himself but all of them useful to quickly build an encounter, a session or even a full campaign. This is exactly what I needed as a DM with little time to sit and prepare but plenty to improvise for my players I feel that this is the best one yet. Well done WotC - A+ in my book on this one!


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## Bergie

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

Been skimming through this book since I have gotten it, and it provides a lot of information.  My only critique of it is that it is too expensive for its length.  When compared to similar products of similar lengths, it is at least 25% more expensive than any other such book I personally have come across.  Much of this comes from the beautiful art that fills the book and the high quality of binding and pages, but I feel that a lot of it comes from the WotC logo on it and the D&D brand.  People will (and have) buy it, therefore why cost it competitively?


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## TrippyHippy

*4 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

It’s not necessarily the best book I’ve ever read for designing worlds and campaigns, but it’s a solid enough finale for the new core D&D rule books.


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## Zeitgeist

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

Okay I've spent some time now with the book and have gone through it.  There is a lot here and I simply only have to say it is the DMG that I've always wanted.  The book is the best of the three core books in my opinion and that is a lot to say, because I adore the Player's handbook (I bought three for our home) and the Monster Manual is nothing to knock.  The book is not only beautiful, but well played out, stays true to its intention, adds so much to my games, and frankly is just about perfect.  Thank you, thank you to all those who put this book and the whole set together.  This is the perfect cap to the basic rule books.  My children and I are having the time of our lives and making wonderful memories.  Thank you.


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## Ratskinner

*3 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

I'm not offended at having purchased it. It does include most/all of the things that I would have expected and a few that I didn't...  However, I'm not really all that stunned by the DMG in the same way that the PHB and MM floored me. Its fairly practical, so that's nice.


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## Tush Hog

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

May be the best DMG of all time!


----------



## GMforPowergamers

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

It has optional rules and a strong core. It is a great read for new DMs and a better then fair one for the experienced DM


----------



## Krypter

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

This is a superb product, with art that provokes the senses, rules explanations that are common sense and simple, plenty of rule options for people who like tweaking (and which DM doesn't?) and many extremely helpful tips that even experienced DMs will appreciate. The book is crammed full of great advice, inspiring ideas and useful tables, and the treasure section is, well, a treasure to behold. This book makes excellent use of D&D's 40 years of history and lore to make DMing seem fun again and not just an exercise in number-crunching. Highly recommended!


----------



## Erik42

*2 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

I had decided with the upcoming release of 5E to move away from 1E AD&D and play the new version of Dungeons and Dragons. I played the beta version; it seemed ok, a little simplistic. I purchased the PH when it came out and thought it was ok, as I did with the MM when it was released. As I had been working on a campaign setting for 5E, I was anxious for the release of the DMG. However, the actual product has been a big disappointment. Like all of the core rule books, it is over-priced at $49.99. Unlike the other 5E core books, the actual amount of valuable content was minimal. By and large the 5E DMG is likely to be useful only to inexperienced DMs. 90% of the book is cookie cutter tips on campaign design. For my purposes, the 5E take on magic items was the only useful information. The tables were poorly organized - relative rarity being the method by which they were compiled. It makes no sense that there are no tables by item type, no swords table, ring table, wands table, etc. Compared to the original Dungeon Masters Guide, the current DMG is barely worthy of the name.


----------



## The Escapist

*4 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

The DMG's greatest strength is its greatest weakness - it covers so many useful topics that it has to do some of them a disservice. It's a must-buy book for 5e players, but I don t expect I had to tell you that. If you're still fence-sitting on this edition of D&D, leafing through this book will tell you whether you can twist it into something you want to play or not.


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## BrockBallingdark

*4 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

A lot of optional rules, big list of magic items and giving them history and quirks, love it!A little heavy on the Plane stuff and I could have done with less of that but it really covered world building very well.Great art and it brings back the old feeling of D&D back. Definitely a easy book to read and great for a new DM.


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## gweinel

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

I delayed in purpose to rate it because i wanted to test various aspects and rules that where inside. Although it is not perfect, it is probably the most easy to read and the infos that have helps you to run the game. You can make ad-hoc npcs-dungeons-stories. Also it is probably the most beautiful drawn of the three basic books. A final note and a plus. When my gf - a new player - skimed it wanted badly to create and run a game.


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## Bugbear70

*4 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

Awesome tome.  The only (minor) complaint is that many topics seem barely touched-upon, but I suppose the lack of depth was necessary in order to cover as much ground as the book manages to do.  This one is a keeper...


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## Fantasyfilmsman

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

From beginning to end the book is an excellent read. Lots of great modularity is put into the different sections. I'm not big on DMG guides but for what it is worth this is a must buy for the new D&D edition.


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## Ezequielramone

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

best dmg I ever read.


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## Oakfist

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

Great resource for running campaigns and world building!


----------



## Greenstone.Walker

*3 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

There is a lot of good stuff in this book, as well as a lot of stuff that really should have been in the PHB. It is hard to find, however, because it looks like the authors just threw all the topics into the air and stuck them in the book in whatever order they happened to fall on the ground. For example, chapter 8, "running the game" (which should have been chapter 1) has a nice section on chases, followed by siege engine statistics (not advice on running a siege - just a list of stats), followed by disease, poisons and madness. The sanity rules, however, are in chapter 9.The list of magic items is a mess. There are 64 pages of items, listed A to Z. They should have been listed by type: all the staves, all the rings, all the weapons, etc. If I want to, for example, reward a mage with a staff, there is no one place that lists all the staves - I have to go through 64 pages looking for them. Very poor.There is a section on random dungeons, something that was in this product decades ago. I fondly remember some really silly, but extremely fun, dungeons created by the dice!There are some standout sections in the book, but you have to stumble over them. For example, chapter 3, p85, explains what the point of random encounters is. Excellent. For example, appendix D, p316, a list of books to provide inspiration for a DM.There are many rules that should have been in the PHB. New downtime activities, for example. If you have read any of the D&D 5E book then you already know the quality of the artwork, the colours, the layout. The pictures are great, with a good mix of genders and races. The pictures of the magic items are well done -they will make player handouts look snazzy. There are some of Mike Schley's maps in the back, for no purpose other than to inspire you.One point I am very happy about is that the typeface used in the index is a lot bigger than that of the PHB. Good for my failing eyes.There is great information in this book but I'm marking it down for atrocious organisation and an inadequate table-of-contents. It is, however, pretty-much an essential buy for a DM, and I don't think your money will be wasted..


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## EthanSental

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

Another top product for 5e from WoTC. Weapon speed to initiative invokes old school D&D feel to me!


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## DiscerningDM

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

This book, like the other core books, is at the same time a functional, nearly exhaustive guide to its material, but also a love letter to D&D. It gives real, usable advice on players, player types, fantasy genres, and table management.Optional rules are presented with no fuss, and the high quality editing here is very clear, the ideas that make the cut are all interesting.I especially enjoyed the space dedicated to creating your own worlds and adventures. This part was well done and I think a lot of beginning and intermediate DMs will be able to put this to use in creating their first (or next) home-brew campaign.


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## JEB

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

An enjoyable read, packed with ideas for adventure and campaign design. The final section is invaluable for creating your own material for the game, especially the section on monster design.


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## RE Casper

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

Personally, I've forever been fascinated by D&D and even had some books as a kid, but only recently (at 30) have I had the time and opportunity to gather people to learn with me and delve into into our imaginations. This release has proven to be perfect for new players. Easy to follow, more simplified (in a good way) rulesets and artwork that is not only thought provoking, but jaw dropping. Just overall, a great guidebook. We first attempted to get started with 3.5 (D20), had no desire for 4E and eventually purchased the full trinity of 5E and we couldn't be happier.If I had to split hairs, I would have liked to seen more edge of page graphics, differentiating the chapters/sections. But thats wishing, not necessity.


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## PhD20

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

Worldbuilding considerations, creating adventures/NPCs, and a unique DM’s Toolbox make this book stand out.  Not to mention the HOARD of optional rules.  Once again, the artwork delivers on most fronts.  This book does what its name intends.  It “guides” DMs.  It doesn’t force you in any direction.  You want to make a class?  It guides you loosely on how to.  It does not present a clear-cut process but guides you with things to consider.  You’ll find this all over.  If you are a DM, get this book.  I was not disappointed.


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## slightlyprime

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

SPELL POINTS ARE AWESOME,  i love the various rules the dm can chose to implement to make it the game the group will enjoy, also the villain cretion options look super fun


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## thexar

*4 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

I hate the treasure tables. They are better than none (like 4th), but not as good as 3x.


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## delericho

*4 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

This is the best 'main' DMG of any edition of D&D to date. And, since that could be considered damning with faint praise, I'll also say: this is an extremely good DMG. (The previous best was the 1st Ed version, but the extremely flavoursome language sometimes impeded comprehension. The 2nd Ed version was almost devoid of worthwhile content beyond the magic items. The 3e version was okay, but did we _really_ need endless pages about doors and walls? The 3.5e took the same material and reorganised badly, and added the broken Epic rules. And the 4e version was long on triviality and painfully short where detail was needed. Not an impressive bunch.)

This DMG has 9 chapters and 4 Appendices. It opens with two chapters on being Master of Worlds: A World of Your Own and Creating a Multiverse. These reminded me, more than anything, of the 2nd Ed "Campaign Supplement and Catacomb Guide" - an extremely impressive book that in many ways is the missing half of the 2nd Ed DMG. Excellent stuff, and a good start.

Part Two is five chapters on being Master of Adventures. Unfortunately, this was where I hit my few caveats about the book. In both the discussion of Mystery adventures and also in creating NPCs, I found the book very good at stating the bleeding obvious, but painfully lacking on specifics. There are some hard-won lessons that veteran DMs pick up along the way, and that are ideal fodder for a DMG (allowing a new DM to skip the pain of learning them the hard way). For example, it reminds the DM to include lots of clues for a mystery (good), but could profitably have talked about the Three Clue Rule. (The TCR isn't holy writ, of course, but it's an extremely good rule of thumb... and exactly the sort of starting place a new DM would benefit from.)

My second caveat mostly concerns the placement of the magic items in the book - the items presented are pretty good, and there's a good range, but they'd have been much better placed at the back of the book, in a second appendix. This would allow a time-pressed DM to find them much more easily for later reference. A nitpick, perhaps, but something that bugged me.

Part Three is two chapters about being Master of Rules, and consists of two chapters. The first of these is additional applications and expansions of the existing rules, while the second is a grab-bag of optional rules and systems. The final chapter also guides the DM in developing new monsters, backgrounds, magic items, classes, and so forth. Really good stuff.

Finally, the Appendices detail Random Dungeons, give useful lists of monsters sorted in various ways (good, but should have been in the MM), a handful of maps, and a recommended reading list just for DMs. All good stuff, though sadly not matching the 1st Ed DMG appendices, which were far and away the highlights of that book.

One last caveat: the binding on my copy is already cracking, after just a read-through and no use in-game at all. A shame.

All in all, though, this is an excellent book, and highly recommended.


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## Brian Seligman

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

I find the new DMG to be very well put together and love the inclusion of things from the original game like random dungeons, firearms and explosives. I find the layout and index to be helpful and the content to be excellent.


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## marroon69

*3 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

I was pretty exciting about 5th ed when it came out. But after playing the game for a while it seems to be a glorified version of the D&D essentials to me, not that that is bad. Yes there are changes, some for the better and so for the worse. The book looks nice, the arts is ok nothing spectacular, the halfling art is down right weird.  Everyone seems point to going back to the roots, the old school feel but I do not seem to get that feel..it still feels very much like 4th ed to me. Not a bad game, but nothing pulling me...


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## Shagamemnon

*4 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

At first, I found the 5th edition DM's guide difficult to navigate and lacking in crunch for expanding my games. But as I have run a few campaigns in 5th edition and used it more and more, it has grown on me considerably. There are some great insights on the nature of roleplaying games, how and why we play and a lot of practical advice on how to make your game fun. This is a practical tool for gamers interested in running 5th edition games but it is also a great meditation on the nature of RPGs in general. Highly recommended.


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## TheSwartz

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

Lots in this book. If you are wanting to create your own campaign, adventures, and/or NPCs, you will find all the essential tips and info here. I see all of this information in various posts or books by bloggers; but I'm really not sure if they ever add much more than what you'll find in this one book. If you won't be creating your own stuff, then much of the book will not be helpful to you; there are some optional rules though which many of them are very interesting to most DMs I'd think. The real reason to get this book for EVERYONE will be the magic items section. And, in 5th edition fashion, it is an awesome list of very interesting items.


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## dracomilan

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

The 5th edition DMG is a clearly superior product when compared to the last three guides dedicated to GMs (4th edition, 3rd edition and 2nd edition). It packs a lot of alternate rules, but also advice that is vastly useful for novice and veteran DMs, and can also be applied to other game systems. The best product of the current edition triad.


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## timbannock

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

Dungeon Master’s Guides have to serve so many masters and cover so many topics that it’s almost a failing venture even before you’ve written the first word. That makes them hard to review, too, but in the case of 5th Edition’s entry onto the DMG scene, it’s actually been a pleasure. Taking the shortest path to cover every topic imaginable, this edition’s guide for running the game is chock full of functional advice, sleek mechanics, and an unreal number of random tables, optional rules, and variants that can inspire, inform, or redefine how you run a D&D game. It’s dead sexy to look at, too!

Rating: Content 5/5 and Form 4/5.

Read the full review at neuronphaser.com!


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## Onslaught

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

This book has a great section on planes, where they bring the Great Wheel back to life with some improvements from 4E Cosmolgy and a massive section on Magic Items.

The optional rules presented here are also interesting.

All in all, an excellent DMG for and excellent new edition.


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## CheezyRamen

*4 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

Definitely worth the purchase with the new edition but it isn't exactly ground breaking. A handy tool that all DMs will appreciate with 5th Edition.


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## Enrico Poli1

*5 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

The art and overall quality is masterwork. Best version of Gygax's book for the game master, ties with AD&D 1e.


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## Jesse David

*2 out of 5 rating for D&D 5th Edition Dungeon Master's Guide*

No where near the usability of the PHB or MM.  Very little in terms of actual DM guidance and at-the-table advice. If you have the PHB, the MM, and an internet connection, you have all a dungeon master needs.  Xannie's Guide is a far more useful book for both the DM and the players. Volo's Guide and Mordenkainen's are both more worthy of your dollars too.


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