Try Collaborative DMing for a Unique D&D Experience

Running a D&D game with two dungeon masters

There are more players than there are dungeon masters. Therefore, very few of us will ever get the opportunity to run a game of Dungeons & Dragons with two DMs. If you get a chance at collaborative DMing, however, give it a shot. It provides a unique game mastering experience, distinct from the usual solitude that the DM screen creates. Being able to amplify our creativity with another DM’s brain can shake things up at the gaming table for both DMs and players. Here are some tips for preparing and running a game with two DMs.

Bounce ideas off one another in prep

The most obvious benefit to collaborative DMing comes in game preparation. When we are preparing our games alone, we can get caught in a creative rut. With a second dungeon master, these situations get minimized. Often, when we run out of productive ideas, the other DM will jump in with something fresh and exciting. As collaborative DMs we can function as early warning systems for when one of us gets stuck during preparation. We can shift the focus, provide a new perspective, and call out bad ideas before too much time and effort is sunk into them.

Often, another mind during prep can be incredibly inspiring for us. Usually we rely only on ourselves for the elusive sparks of creativity that are the magic ingredient of game prep. With another DM, we practically double the chances for these moments.

Trust each other

When we run a game collaboratively, we need to trust each other as co-DMs. Ideally, we have played at the same table before our first co-DM’ed session. Either way, it is important to establish common ideals before we jump into game. Simply talking about some of our personal DMing philosophy can help establish that trust.

Then, in preparation for the game, we should agree on the broad strokes of the adventure we are planning to run. Note down some of the cornerstones of the session. This could be central scenes, important secrets and clues, or core NPCs, monsters and treasure. We should agree on those aspects of the adventure, which we absolutely want to include in the game. Setting up this minimum viable content, while establishing a basis of trust, allows us to improvise during the game.

Usually, it is just us, as the lone DM, improvising in a session. In collaborative DMing, we must be ready to accept and react to the improvised storytelling of our co-DM. When we agree on the cornerstone content before the game, and trust in a shared vision for the game, we are ready to run a flexible, reactive game together

Run with each other’s ideas in play

After preparation, we enter the area of Dungeons & Dragons where the difference between one DM and two DMs is most noticeable. The game is designed with a single individual as the DM in mind. One person who narrates the environment, portrays NPCs and monsters, and adjudicates player actions. Putting two individuals in this position at the same time creates challenges for collaborative DMing. However, the same benefit that we can expect in preparation, also applies in play. We have another DM’s brain to amplify our creativity.

In the best case, we can play off of this other DM’s ideas and embrace them during the game. Often, a spontaneous description during exploration or combat, or an improvised roleplaying moment by our co-DM will inspire us to add some detail or an unexpected twist to the scene. Our co-DM might describe the strange spongy texture of a wall as an quirky atmospheric aside in a horror game. This might inspire us to have a mutated minion of the villain to phase out of the “fleshy” wall and attack the nearest character. These situations can come up with a single DM as well, but again, we double the opportunities for spontaneous inspiration when we run the game with another DM at the table.

Collaborative DMing: The perfect opportunity to split the party

Usually, it is solid advice not to split the party. But most of the drawbacks of a split party revolve around the fact that there is only one DM. In our standard D&D game, we shouldn’t split the party, because we can’t split the table. With two DMs, however, we can.

Splitting the party: Set the ground rules before the game

When the logistics of our gaming space allow for it, we can split the players, along with their characters. Each DM then takes one half of the party to a separate table, a separate room or a separate channel in an online environment. When we split the group in this way, it is important that the special table rules and the likes have been discussed beforehand. We should agree among us co-DMs about house rules and variant rules, such as flanking, before the game. Then, in a session zero, or a similar context, share the specifics of these rules with the players. That way, both groups can expect at least similar rulings from their respective DMs.

Splitting the party: Keep communicating between co-DMs

In addition, we need to keep communicating with our co-DM during the split-party scenario. We can do this via text, during short breaks, or in a separate discord channel. This is especially critical if we are running a dungeon adventure. Both DMs need to be aware of the location of the other party and what kind of activity they are engaged in at each moment. That way, we can realistically communicate to one half of the group when their characters would be able to notice the other half of the party nearby. If one half of the party approaches a room in which the other half is fighting a horde of orcs, we should describe the sounds of battle coming from that direction. For this to work seamlessly, we need to keep communicating with our co-DM.

Keep an eye on the clock (both in reality and in the fiction)

Communication between co-DMs is also important to manage time in our game. This is true for actual real-world time, and in-game time. Both DMs should have an eye on the clock, and strive for a similar flow of the game. If we set an end time for our session or our one-shot, it becomes even more important that both co-DMs keep their separate groups on track to meet those time constraints.

Regarding in-game time, rests are an obvious issue. When one half of the party takes a short rest, and the other doesn’t, temporal continuity can fall apart. To remedy this, both DMs should try and deplete the resources of their respective groups at a similar pace. That way, all players are likely to decide to take short rests in similar intervals. If that is not the case, we can handwave the inconsistencies and put fun above verisimilitude. Or we come up with an in-fiction explanation for the flailing continuity. Maybe the strange magic of the dungeon bends time in unforeseeable ways. We can describe how the characters feel like they’ve aged years after they took a short rest. They will likely not question the logic of time in the adventure again.

Use the opportunity for unique modes of play

If done carefully, two DMs allow our players to experience unique split-party scenarios. In the smaller groups, quiet players get a chance to shine. Especially if we have a lot of players, the split groups allow for more screen time for each player. We can also create unexpected twists and turns with this method. The moment when the two groups reunite after exploring the dungeon on their own, can be a rewarding and otherwise impossible play experience. We should strive to make the best use of the unique opportunities that a split party, run by two DMs, can create.

Split Collaborative DMing responsibilities

Players are used to having a single person be the interface between them and the game world. Running a game with two DMs at the same table runs the risk of interrupting the flow of the game. We can alleviate that risk by setting up distinct DM roles with separate responsibilities in play.

We can determine one “Player-facing DM” and one “Monster and NPC DM.” The former co-DM is responsible for handling everything non-sentient the player characters interact with in the game. They set scenes, provide descriptions, and adjudicate player actions. The latter co-DM runs everything sentient in the game world, meaning monsters and NPCs. This can speed up combat as the monster DM can figure out the antagonists’ turns while the other runs initiative and facilitates the players’ actions. In roleplaying moments, the monster and NPC DM can fully immerse themselves in the characters they are portraying without having to break character to answer player questions, or call for ability checks. Splitting DMing responsibilities along the lines of sentient and non-sentient elements of the world sets up clear DM roles that are intuitive to both, players and DMs.

Use the doubled DM bandwidth to engage players

As a single DM, we have a lot on our plate. We are juggling NPCs, secrets and clues, fantastical descriptions and our players’ imaginative plans. When we play with two co-DMs, we effectively double our attention bandwidth. We can use this opportunity to enhance everyone’s gaming experience. In play, there will be periods of downtime for either co-DM. Instead of relaxing in these moments, we can look for opportunities to engage our players.

We can keep an eye on the mood of the table and of individual players. When someone seems distracted or even bored, we can throw something at their character to engage them in the scene. Sometimes we literally have something thrown at the character in the game, but there are many other ways to engage characters. We can ask them for a perception check to see if they notice a detail in the environment. We can pull on their character’s background to point them towards relevant connections they might have missed. That way we use the double DMing bandwidth to keep everyone engaged without interrupting the flow of the game.

After a while, players will pick up on this, either consciously or subconsciously. Their attention to the game and therefore their engagement will rise. In a benign version of the effect of a teacher calling on students that hadn’t raised their hand, player characters could be asked to take the spotlight at any moment. However, we must use this technique carefully. Sometimes it is perfectly fine for a player to sit back and watch the rest of the group take center stage in a scene. Often, we will not use this technique in order to avoid interrupting an ongoing interaction with our spontaneous player engagement. Nonetheless, we should take advantage of the doubled DM bandwidth to engage everyone at the table.

Collaborative DMing: A unique way to run and play the game

Running a game with more than one DM is a unique experience. One that might never come up but if it does, try it out. The experience of preparing for a game with another DM brain in the mix can be wonderfully enriching. During the game, co-DMs can run with each others’ ideas to multiply the creative chaos that is at the heart of game mastering. If we take the time to structure the flow of the game with two DMs, the doubled bandwidth can create a uniquely engaging experience for both, our players, and us as co-DMs.