Becoming a DM: How to be a Dungeon Game Master; World Building DnD Dungeons and Dragons

***Prerequisite Note: 
Learners need to have a basic knowledge of D&D or some game experience as we will NOT be covering the basic rules of playing D&D in this class. We strongly recommend you attend the Intro to D&D first and/or a few D&D games before taking this class.

In this 12-week course, learners will learn how to DM / GM or lead their own games and learn the basics of building their own worlds or homebrews. Learners will get to test out their own game and get feedback on their GM/DMing. 

Mission Statement: This is a cooperative RPG and class. Success is not determined by an individual feat but rather the party group as a whole.

* Week 1 - Basic Storytelling:
- Understanding your audience
- Stating Objectives 
- Picking a Game
- Tone
- Genre
- Story & Character Goals
- Story or System-Led Creation
- World-building Basics → Six Paths of Magic, 
- World-building Basics → Top 4 Genres:
1. Fantasy: Anything with mainly fictional elements like "Avatar", "Spirited Away", or "Lord of the Rings" 
2. Sci-Fi: Core is speculative fiction applying changes of capabilities of human life like "Star Wars" or "Dune"
3. Horror: Usually in familiar setting with either monsters, conspiracies, or crime scenes like "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children"
4. X-Punk: Often dystopian worlds like "Ready Player One"
- 	Homework Assignment: World Building

* Week 2 - Session Zero
- Preparing to Prepare
- Share Homework Assignment, Class Discussion, and Teacher Feedback
- Self-awareness
- Safety First
- Understanding Text
- Presentation and Interpretation
- Atmosphere → Explicit vs Implicit Reality
- Atmosphere → Focus and Perspective
- Make Choices Important
- Make Choices Important → The Importance of "No"
- Make Choices Important → What is "Yes"
- Make Choices Important → Listening Skills
- Role Play Different Situations with Live Feedback and Class Discussions
- Creating Agreement
- Pacing and Story beats
- Pacing → Six Basic Scene Types
- Pacing → Spotlight
- Role-Play Spotlight
- Pacing → Giving & Taking Focus
- Engagement → Vulnerability & Enthusiasm
- Engagement → Voices
- Voice Exercises
- Engagement → Lorekeeping
- Engagement → Side Stories
- 	Homework Assignment: Edit World Building Assignment & Voice Exercises

* Week 3 - Advanced Playing Techniques
- Improvisation & Preparation
- Improvisation Exercise and Class Discussion
- Living World vs Living Narrative
- Mechanics Driven vs Story Driven
- GMing with Intent
- Schrodinger's Goblins Thought Exercise 
- Honoring Choices
- Themes → What is Your Theme?
- Themes → Spontaneous Narrative
- Themes →  Approaching Mechanically: Plot, World, Character, Genre
- How To Create Imagery
- Playing to Change → The Classic Hero
- Playing to Change → The Iconic Hero
- Playing to Change → Dynamic Play
- Role-Play & Analysis Different Challenges for Characters 
- Playing Protectively
- Looking for Trouble
- Creating Agreement → Communication and Establishing Boundaries Techniques
- Delegating Creativity → PCs and Collaborative Building
- 	Homework Assignment: Imagery 

*Week 4 - Playing for Experience
Finding a Voice
Limiting Choices and Imagine Solutions
Building the Group Mind
Pacing Scorecard
Side Scenes
Theater of the Mind exercises → Building rooms, setting the scene, conflict, rest, revelation
Coffee Shop alternate universe challenge
Homework Assignment: Build a room for your one-shot campaign

*Week 5 - Writing Your Beginning to Your Adventure
Share your homework and get live feedback 
Writing the beginning of your adventure → your adventure’s elevator pitch
Write in class and share your pitch to get feedback for editing needs
Having more than one path ready
Writing character-driven stories
Keeping the end in sight
Tools of a DM
Reskinning → Save hours of rewriting
Treasure and experience
Between adventures
Using prophecies
Using red flags
Homework Assignment: Write a few different paths to take and a prophecy 

*Week 6 - Improving Improvisation
Trust
“Yes and … “
Humor
What drives you forward?
5 room dungeon format
Example of a 5 room dungeon and classroom discussion of the steps
In-Class Practice Time
Running the Game Q&A
Homework Assignment: Write a 5 room dungeon

*Week 7 - 1st Learner DM
DM learner #1 will share their one-shot campaign with the group, having everyone, including the Teacher DM to play through their story. 
Allowing the Teacher DM to give live feedback throughout the game and at the end. 
Players get the unique experience of having a peer lead the game.

*Week 8 - 2nd Learner DM
DM learner #2 will share their one-shot campaign with the group, having everyone, including the Teacher DM, play through their story. 
Allowing the Teacher DM to give live feedback throughout the game and at the end. 
Players get the unique experience of having a peer lead the game.

*Week 9 - 3rd Learner DM
DM learner #3 will share their one-shot campaign with the group, having everyone, including the Teacher DM to play through their story. 
Allowing the Teacher DM to give live feedback throughout the game and at the end. 
Players get the unique experience of having a peer lead the game.

*Week 10 - 4th Learner DM
DM learner #4 will share their one-shot campaign with the group, having everyone, including the Teacher DM to play through their story. 
Allowing the Teacher DM to give live feedback throughout the game and at the end. 
Players get the unique experience of having a peer lead the game.

*Week 11 - 5th Learner DM
DM learner #5 will share their one-shot campaign with the group, having everyone, including the Teacher DM to play through their story. 
Allowing the Teacher DM to give live feedback throughout the game and at the end. 
Players get the unique experience of having a peer lead the game.

*Week 12 - 6th Learner DM
DM learner #6 will share their one-shot campaign with the group, having everyone, including the Teacher DM to play through their story. 
Allowing the Teacher DM to give live feedback throughout the game and at the end. 
Players get the unique experience of having a peer lead the game.