DND Dungeon Master Course
$10.00
Please note each unit purchased represents a reservation for one person coming for the session
5-session GM training course. Learn the frameworks professional DMs use to prep in 30 minutes, run dynamic sessions, and create games players can’t stop talking about. $10/session. Max 6 students. April-May 2026.
Who Is This For?
You’ve Never DMed Before
You’ve been a player, maybe watched Critical Role. You want to try running a game but have no idea where to start. This course takes you from zero to confident.
You DM But You’re Struggling
You’re over-prepping. Your sessions feel flat. Your players check their phones. You know something’s off but can’t name it. This course gives you frameworks that fix the problem.
You Want to DM at GuildHall
You want to join our roster of GMs and run sessions for the community. This course is the pathway. Graduates get priority for GuildHall DM slots.
After This Course, You Will:
Prep a complete session in 30 minutes — using Sly Flourish’s 8-step framework.
Open every session with a scene that grabs players in 30 seconds — using the Strong Starts formula.
Design encounters that feel dangerous and dynamic — not math exercises or random combat.
Create NPCs your players remember weeks later — using the OGAS framework and voice techniques.
Handle unexpected player choices without panic — using the improv toolkit and fail-forward mechanics.
Run a live trial game with real feedback — from an experienced DM who runs sessions for a living.
What Our Community Says
“I went from terrified of DMing to running weekly sessions. The frameworks actually work.”
— [Placeholder Name], GuildHall Player
“The prep method alone was worth it. I used to spend 3 hours prepping. Now it’s 30 minutes.”
— [Placeholder Name], New DM
“Gerry’s course gave me the confidence to run my first one-shot. My players loved it.”
— [Placeholder Name], DM Course Graduate
500+ Players at GuildHall | 4+ Years Running Professional Sessions | Multiple DMs Trained & Now Running Games
The 5-Session Curriculum
Each session is 2-3 hours: structured teaching + hands-on exercises. You don’t just learn theory — you practice it.
Session 1: The GM’s Role & Fundamentals
What a Game Master actually is: conflict designer, not storyteller.
The Three Pillars: Facilitator, Storyteller, Referee.
Design for Feelings framework: Feel, Achieve, Understand, Decide.
Player archetypes and how to run for each type.
Session Zero: safety tools, social contract, campaign pitching.
Exercise: Design a campaign pitch and run a mock Session Zero.
Session 2: Running Games
Sly Flourish’s 8 Steps of Lazy DM Prep: prep in 30 minutes.
Abstract secrets: write WHAT players discover, not WHERE.
Strong starts: Scene Intro → Character Intro → Situation Intro.
Momentum tools: resource pressure, consequences, pacing.
Fail Forward: failure opens doors, doesn’t close them.
Exercise: Rapid prep a one-shot in 15 minutes using the framework.
Session 3: Story Design & Adventure Architecture
Node-based scenario design: not linear plots.
The 5-Act Adventure Structure and pacing mechanics.
The Five-Room Dungeon framework for spatial design.
The Three Clue Rule for mystery design.
Campaign pitch documents and graphic equalizers.
Exercise: Outline a complete 5-act adventure.
Session 4: Encounter Design & Mechanics
The Three Ts: Timers, Threats, Treats.
Action-Oriented Boss design with Villain Actions.
The Lazy Encounter Benchmark (replacing Challenge Rating).
Compound encounters: combat + puzzles, combat + social.
Social Combat mechanics for political encounters.
Exercise: Design an encounter room and run 2 rounds of combat.
Session 5: NPCs, Improvisation & Live Practicum
NPC creation: OGAS, Two-Adjective Method, Anchor/Drive/Loop.
Voice techniques: speed, cadence, physicality (not accents).
Villain design: evil in deed, not in purpose.
The improv toolkit: buying time, player speculation as fuel.
LIVE PRACTICUM: You run a 60-90 minute trial game with real players. Gerry observes and gives feedback.
How Each Session Works
Teaching Block
60-90 minutes of structured frameworks with real examples. The Three Clue Rule. Action-Oriented bosses. Every concept has a name and a structure.
Hands-On Exercise
30-60 minutes where you design an encounter, improvise an NPC, or build a villain. Gerry gives feedback in the moment.
Live Practicum
Session 5: You run a complete trial session while Gerry observes. Then you get collective feedback from real players.
Your Instructor
Gerry Ong | Founder, GuildHall Singapore
4+ years running professional D&D sessions. Creator of the Ankarae living world. Trained multiple DMs who now run regular sessions at GuildHall.
“Every framework in this course has been tested with real players, real sessions, real consequences. The eight-step prep method? I use it every week. The Three Clue Rule? It’s how I design encounters that feel fair. The NPC voice techniques? That’s what makes NPCs memorable. This is what it means to learn from someone in the field, not someone selling a certification.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Still On The Fence?
Not sure if this is for you? Attend Session 1 for $10. If the approach doesn’t click, you’re out $10 and a few hours — but you’ll still walk away with the Design for Feelings framework and the Three Pillars model, which are worth more than most GMing books.
Questions? Reach out via WhatsApp: +65 8238 3819
