Volunteering As A One-Shot Dungeon Master For Strangers, And Why I Love It
I have been a dungeon master for nearly a decade now, and only recently have I branched out from playing with my friends to volunteering to run games for strangers. You may be wondering how does someone volunteer as a dungeon master? There are many online clubs and communities that you can discover with a Google search of your area, check out sites like Roll20, or start your own and advertise it on a place like Instagram. I was fortunate to live close to a local fantasy book store, which will remain unnamed, which offered the chance to run an RPG game night. At this store/coffee shop, people can come in on specific nights, gather around a table and enjoy some one-shots with a volunteer DM. But why would anyone want to DM a crowd of random people? Well, let me explain my reasoning, how I run the game, and a couple of stories of games I have run.
Essential Tools For Playing With Strangers
"Don't worry, I always prepare revivify." - The Cleric.
For those of you looking for a short guide on how to run a successful game with strangers, we will start here and get into story time later. Most importantly, running the game is how you begin the night. As Dungeon Masters, it is up to us to run the game and keep a bird's eye view on all aspects of the table, including the following, which should be addressed before even beginning:
Safety Tools: Safety tools are essential for every D&D game or TTRPG, as without them, you will likely end up on r/rpghorrorstories, lose potential friends, and possibly ruin the game for someone for life. Lines should be drawn and not crossed. Always allow players to speak about what roleplay is unacceptable and respect their wishes. D&D is a collaborative game, and excluding someone by making them relieve trauma or engage with something they are uncomfortable with is a quick way to alienate them. Second, you should establish your group's veils. These topics can come up but should not be explored in great detail, often with a fade to black and left to the imagination. The following are the lines and veils that I draw in my games.
Example Lines: Child violence, sexual assault, slavery, violence and degradation of those with disabilities, and exclusion due to sexual or gender preferences.
Example Veils: Sexual intercourse, vivid descriptions of violence, trauma triggers, and harsh language directed toward players.
Introductions: After establishing your safety tools, allow any players who refuse to agree to the rules to depart the table; otherwise, move on to introductions. As the DM, I am running the game, and thus, I introduce myself first, setting the template and then opening up the floor for everyone else to say their piece. My general approach is to choose the player I know the best at the table or whoever strikes me as the most extroverted to go first, giving anyone who is shy or nervous a chance to collect their thoughts and follow our example. Introductions should include: your name, your character's name, what you are playing, yours and your character's preferred pronouns, and perhaps a fun fact about who you are.
Example: Hiya, I am the Brazen Bard, and I will be the DM tonight, playing the NPCs and judging dice outcomes. I go by he/him and have been playing D&D for a long time. I am looking forward to making a unique story with y'all tonight.
Chaotic Good, Not Chaotic Asshole: This section can be covered in safety tools but is often the last thing I address before the game begins. Once everyone has agreed to the social pact of playing together at the same table, I quote the warlock from my first-ever public game. "Here we play chaotic good, not a chaotic asshole." This quote sets the pace right from the get-go. While evil games can be fun to run with friends, they can be dangerous with strangers, and it's better to err on the side of safety rather than start pushing boundaries with strangers. Save the lawful evil game for when you are playing with people you know are up to it. Chaotic good implies players can have fun and sew a bit of chaos. However, staying away from being a chaotic asshole lets the entire table know that breaking the safety rules and being a general dickhead to the party will not be accepted. Finally, I allow swearing at my table and actively participate in it. But if the language offends you or anyone at your table, rephrase this section to "Chaotic good, not chaotic jerk."
My First Time
"Everyone remembers their first time." - The Bard.
My first experience DMing at my local bookstore was back in late 2022 on a cold winter's night, where the only thing keeping me warm was the anxiety forcing me to shake as I walked through the front door. If I were a wiser man, I would have visited the store ahead of time, learned about the owner, and explored the space I would be playing in. But, I did none of that and simply walked in after signing up to DM, seeing the store for the first time, and being amazed by the cozy vibes and friendly folks. I had prepared some minis and a map and had run this particular one shot before, but I nearly stormed right out after entering for fear of fucking everything up.
Upon entry to the bookstore, I was greeted by the store owner and spoke with them at length about how this was my first experience DMing for people who were 'nt my friends or close acquaintances of friends. They were incredibly kind about it, quieting the edge of my anxious thoughts and offering me a comfy chair to sit in, along with a free coffee. Then, I waited.
The time for the game came, and I had a whole whopping three players, no character sheets, and a bag of dice to share with the table. However, after a few minutes, more shuffled in, and my first-ever public game of D&D was underway with seven strangers, myself, and my girlfriend, who I had dragged along for moral support. As I would many others in the future, I started the game by introducing myself and allowing everyone to go around the table. We quickly cobbled together characters for those who hadn't brought their own.
Then...
It went splendidly! We had some laughs; I went twenty minutes longer than the store had allowed and wrapped up the night with hugs and high-fives from people that have returned to my table time and again. While I can't say this will be the case for everyone, I can say that I found the right place to play. Queer, nerd, and people-friendly, the store cultivates a vibe that is safe and fun for everyone. While I have experienced some toxicity and mildly negative players, being an experienced DM who improves after every game run, I have learned to curb that behavior. I would love to see my fellow DMs run public games, as it's been a great way to make friends and build relationships I'd never otherwise have had.
World Record Event
"We're basically gods." - The Druid.
On April 22, 2023, Dax Levine and the game store We Geek Together hosted a world record attempt at the Provo, UT mall for the largest single game of Dungeons and Dragons. Over 1200 players and nearly 200 dungeon masters played a fifth edition one-shot called "The Dead Wars." I was one of those dungeon masters and joined the world record attempt on a whim, having learned about it just 48 hours prior.
How did it work? Before the game began, the DMs who signed up were given an instructional packet, and the tables were broken up into several factions, each with particular missions in protecting a city in an assault of the classic D&D villain, Vecna. There were four separate adventures: The Defenders Of The Wall, Gatekeepers, City Watch, and Cavalry, where the players would all be a small part of a larger narrative run at a central table. My particular group was on the walls, and like the siege of Helm's Deep in Lord of the Rings, they defended the city from hordes of undead attempting to scale the wall and claim the final bastion of mortality on the Prime Material Plane.
I arrived several hours early, and having experience playing several public sessions, I was prepared with premade character sheets, a pre-drawn battle map, and two dozen miniatures for players to choose as their avatars. Upon entry, I was assigned my table on the second floor, which overlooked the central main stage where Dax Levine reigned as the main DM, directing the major consequences of what would happen depending upon the success or failure of the various assigned adventures. At my table, I had a set of metal d6s distributed to all my players and a minifigure of a shade of Vecna that would serve as the final boss of the adventure.
I won't get into details of the adventure, as it is a PDF you can purchase from the Dead Wars on Drive Thru RPG here, but needless to say, I tried to kill the players, roleplayed frightened townsfolk, and watched as a group of strangers, and I made TTRPG history. We had our names added to the Guinness Book of World Records, with each DM having their names immortalized in the store We Geek Together.
What I Enjoy About Public Games
"Joy is meaningless without strife." - The Warlock.
There is a lot to love about running a game with strangers:
The friends I have made in and out of the game. I have forged genuine friendships that could never have happened had I not stepped out of my comfort zone and met like-minded people.
It's excellent practice playing with a plethora of people. I cannot understate how necessary training is for a Dungeon Master; I've learned a dozen new playstyles and tabletop roleplaying games, and I have been able to hone my craft as a DM.
The confidence that it has given me. I am an introvert. I struggle to come out of my shell, but through running public games, I have found a new confidence in myself, not just as a DM, but in life. While I am not perfect, playing with strangers, watching the joy in their eyes, and having people who have never played a TTRPG say they will be starting their own home game has been the most inspiring thing that has driven me to do more, making this website included.
What I Dislike About Public Games
"Strife is meaningless without a promise of joy." - The Paladin.
There is only one thing I hate about playing with strangers, and that is the anxiety that comes along with it. When I sit down at a table and have faces I've never seen before joining me, I have no idea on the nature of their character, what they have planned, and if we will get along. However, I have learned to mitigate these anxieties by chatting with every player before the session and having the courage to shoo away those who I think won't have fun and aren't a good fit for a table with me as the DM.
How I Ensure Everyone Has A Good Time
"I have a spreadsheet for fun." - The Artificer.
To round out this already beastly long article, here are a few quick tips on what I have learned to prepare for playing with strangers:
Make premade characters; the more you have, the better. Not everyone is familiar with the game, and having a sheet for them that has all the details already laid out is a lot of prep work, but it can make the session much smoother and onboard new players with little issue.
Keep the session guide light and be ready to improvise. Often when playing at a con, in a bookstore, or even at a world record event, you will have a time limit. So keep the adventure simple and relatively bare bones, with plenty of room to improvise. This will keep a good narrative flow and allow you to tailor the story to your players, keeping them engaged and having a good time.
Take breaks! Everyone needs to go to the bathroom at some time, so plan a time to take a break, stretch, get a snack or drink, and enforce a time to return to the table. I usually run a break for about 15 minutes every two hours of play.
Read the first section of this article, as safety tools, introductions, and keeping the scope of character morality narrow are essential to running a game that everyone feels comfortable playing.
"Don't give up on yourself
Poetry is good for your health
Don't worry about the hand you've been dealt
Know it's okay to embrace what you've felt."
