ALL the D&D Rules EVERY Dungeon Master NEEDS to Know!

It turns out, you don't have to memorize every spell, every racial trait, every subclass ability, every detail about exploration...

Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
01:31 - Advantage and Disadvantage
02:00 - Specific Beats General
02:23 - Round Down
02:36 - Rules You Don't Need to Remember
04:08 - Weapon Range
04:44 - More Rules You Don't Need to Remember
06:32 - Saving Throws
07:27 - Dim Light
07:48 - Short Rests and Long Rests
08:10 - Combat (various rules)
09:05 - Death and Death Saving Throws
10:05 - Spellcasting Basics
10:47 - Even More Rules You Don't Need to Remember
12:25 - Hit Points for Monsters
13:24 - Legendary Actions and Resistances
15:10 - Somehow, Even More Rules You Don't Need to Remember
18:39 - Final Thoughts

Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License

____________________________________

Address for Packages:
Mike Christensen
100 W. High St., #1326
Moorpark, CA 93021
- PLEASE don't address things to "SupergeekMike"; I need to show I.D. when I pick up packages, and that isn't the name on my driver's license

Address for Letters:
Mike Christensen
P.O. Box 1326
Moorpark, CA 93020

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[lkriticos]

I would add one rule that I think DMs should know: How skill checks work. Personally I just couldn't run a game without that. Combat sure, but not a game.

[MorningDusk]

Having spent quite a bit of time considering what to put on my DM screen (I made my own last winter, with polycarbonate inserts and custom paper reference sheets), Here's what I have on my 4 panels:
Panel 1
-Food, Drink, Lodging Costs. It's nice to just have something for consistency.
-Rules for 1/2, 3/4, and full cover. It will come up and I don't want to search for it.
-Light sources, their ranges, and durations. Easier than asking the players, who definitely didn't write it down. Also noted the dim light=disadvantage rule.
-List of my homebrew pantheon's symbols, main domains, and other significant facts. Having this means I can throw in details without digging for them, ruining conversation flow.


Panel 2:
-Healing Potion price and healing amount
-Leveled improvised damage. Someday someone is going to get hurt in a way I have no clue how to rule, and I will be prepared.
-Improvised object AC and HP. If they want to break a barrel, I need to know that it will have an AC of 15 and 18-20 HP.
- Jumping and Falling rules.
- Audible Distance. I know most people ignore this, but if someone asks, "couldn't we hear them coming?" I would be able to say nope!

Panel 3:
-Rules for what breaks Concentration. I just don't know them off the top of my head.
- List of things you can do in a turn. By writing it out, I can check off each time to make sure they aren't using double bonus actions.
-Possible Actions in combat. If someone can't attack, they tend to freeze up on what they can do and having this means I can list some options.
- Skills and their associated ability. It's nice to have.

Panel 4:
-reserved for player stats. A list of each character and their class, race, notable proficiencies, languages, hometown/nation, resistances/immunities/disadvantages/vulnerabilities, best skill, passive perception, and anything else I may need to remember about them. I may also find a way to mark conditions so I can better track that.

It's a WiP, but I'm happy with it, and being behind polycarbonate means I can use dry erase markers to note things without messing up the paper. I don't have conditions listed on mine because I got the Deck of Many's condition cards, those work just fine for me, plus I think taking up an entire panel with what each condition does is a waste of valuable space.

[rpgfluency]

I'm having flashbacks to all the General trainings I did in the military "don't need to memorize this; this isn't important; you could just look this up; we'll talk about this one in the future maybe.."

[TheTabby]

Oh man. This helped with my anxiety over becoming a DM SO MUCH. I've been an on again/off again player for several years, but just recently started actually getting into D&D as a main hobby. Now I'm going to be DMing for a group of family members and have been having a lot of anxiety about knowing the rules and how to implement them and what I should know vs what I don't have to know.... This video really put a lot of things at ease for me. I don't feel quit so anxious, knowing that I don't have to have EVERYTHING memorized for my players. And putting some of the memorization on them (when it comes to their characters and how to play them) is nice to know. For some reason I had it in my head that I had to know every single detail about my Player's characters, but I'm glad that's not the case. It lessens some of the stress of being a DM for me. I know my family will have a blast and won't think badly of me if I have to look up a rule or whatever, this was only a fear in my mind. Lol. Thank you for all the amazingly helpful videos. I've been devouring your content (and a few other channels as well) trying to learn how to be a good DM.

D&D has brought out a creativity in me that I never knew I had and it has become such a fun and fulfilling experience for me, as a Player. I want to bring that sort of Adventure and Love to my Players as well, and your videos help a lot, Mike. Thank you very much. <3

[Deadlyspark]

Thought Id get a lot more out of this cause I'm new and I'm not sure of a few things that come up, but I didn't realize how much I've internalised these most important rules just by watching critical role, and even other less necessary rules

I'll feel more confident going into sessions to DM knowing I've basically got the most important stuff down already.

[hammrshark]

This is a terrific video to create a DM cheat sheet!
I do think that "Concentration" is one that needs to be memorized; the spellcasting basics don't quite cover it, and it comes up all the time.
Great stuff! I will be back to take some notes when the time comes to create my own screen/cheat sheet! :)

[scallamander]

I think many experienced DMs forget what it’s like to learn this stuff as a newbie. Thanks for making it so clear.

[gcvrsa]

I would argue that the "core rules" are "three full books", but even less than what is contained in the free "Basic Rules" PDF or the d20 System Reference Document. Much of what is considered by many people to be part of the core rules is actually more accurately described as "setting-dependent supplementary reference material". If my setting doesn't have elves and dwarves—or even humans, for that matter—it's still D&D. If my setting features completely different spells and monsters, it's still D&D.

[scallamander]

Best D&D video I’ve ever seen, no exaggeration. Really appreciate this simple explanation.

[bencarter]

Great topic - the only way more people get to try the game is if DMing can be less scary.

I like the idea that the players should be working to understand their own PC's rules as much as the DM, it's good manners after all to know how your stuff works. BUT when you're trying to enthuse a new group and make it easy to fall in love with the game, there's still some expectation that you'll know how all their stuff works 😂.

Applaud the idea of getting your player to read out their rule though, so you can both learn it.

[marywockenfuss-thecraftypl]

This is going to be a HUGE help for me when I finally DM my family's games. Thank you so much.

[SerKerrek]

Thinking of taking a turn DMing for my group of dnd friends, and this video is SUPER helpful! Thank you!!

[Oldhead]

A huge tip for newer DMs.

After your session 0, write down all the most commonly used spells and cantrips cast by the party.

Learn how they are cast. Is it a saving throw (learn as much as you can about saving throws too) is it a hit dice?

I hadn’t played DnD before nor DM’d, and these two really stumped me as a new DM

[garrettmckinnon]

I'm finding myself hyped whenever I see a New video upload here!!! :)))

[jasonabroussard]

i love watching these videos as a new DM and thinking... "oh. im actually doing things better than i give myself credit for."

[Kaiser]

It's also amazing how many rules that without going out of your way to memorize you can just realize you picked up from repetition

[HQ_Default]

As someone who has played many campaigns but is preparing to DM for the first time, this has made for an excellent "Stop overthinking it" video. Because 90% of the stuff that landed in the "need to have memorized" category is all stuff I have memorized from just playing the game as a player character.

[brothertaddeus]

All you really need to memorize is what the bookmark you place in the Index at the back of each book looks like.

[GreyfauxxGaming]

Passive perception is something almost every new DM messes up. And its ok, to deviate from it, but good to discuss that with your players.

What people get wrong about passive perception and any passive skill, like if you take the Observant feat. Is that your passive score is the lowest you can possibly roll.
When you make a check, if you roll lower than your passive, per RAW, you are supposed to use your passive score.

[nw]

Hey, thanks for this video! I’ve been a gamer (and GM) for quite a while, but I haven’t really played D&D since 2e. My nephew has recently become interested in D&D and I’d like to run a game for him, so this video is a SUPER helpful quickstart! I suspect you’ve saved me a ton of time, THANK YOU. You’ve got another subscriber.