There are good reasons for aDungeons & Dragonscampaign to have more than one DM.

Faith is not for the fickle.

Whichever situation you find yourself in, sharing control over the game can bring up some new challenges.

An Ettin argues between its two heads while an lizardfolk adventurer watches.

Power of Persuasion by Brian Valeza

You’ll want to work closely with your co-DM both when planning out the game and running it.

When done well, these games can become a beloved shared world for DMs and players alike.

Complementary DMs

The two or more DMs draft an overarching narrative together and take turns running segments of it.

a cleric healing a wounded ranger after defeating a troll

Kagu-Svirfneblin, by Zezhou Chen

This isgreat if the DMs have different strengths.

Shared World

Both DMs might have campaign-length plotlines that happen at the same time in a shared setting.

This is great forchallenging campaigns with ticking clocks that stop the players from resting at will.

The Kagu-Svirfneblin (deep gnomes) mounted on lizards, from Dungeons & Dragons.

Kagu-Svirfneblin, by Zezhou Chen

The players will need to juggle time and resources while handling two sets of antagonists.

This is great forgames with complex scheduling or open tableswhere you could’t be sure of the same players appearing.

Share Notes Between Sessions

It’s important that all the DMs are on the same page.

Nafas telling a story, from Dungeons & Dragons.

The Genie Nafas, by Hazem Ameen

This applies both to the narrative and gameplay balance.

This becomes more problematic if it forces your co-DM to change their plans.

Combat is one of the main factors that change the time of a session.

A glittering silver dragon with arcing horns and long whiskers.

Ancient Time Dragon by John Tedrick

Don’trun a character-driven dramaif theother DM is running Always Sunny In Faerun.

Handling Shared NPCs

Some DMs can get attached to their NPCs and would prefer co-DMs not use them.

At the minimum, you should try toavoid killing an NPC they make without getting permissionfirst.

A Froghemoth Elder from Dungeons & Dragons sits, preparing to act.

Froghemoth, by Alexandre Honoré

Backseating

Invariably, you and your co-DM will approach certain situations and rulings differently.

The same also applies to metagaming.

Too many players in D&D means it takes forever to get anything done.

An adventuring party on the cover of the 2024 edition of the Dungeons & Dragons Player’s Handbook.

Too few means encounters are hard to balance.

What’s the perfect size for an adventuring party?

Tabletop

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