Mark Reynolds
Dungeon Master & TTRPG Writer
Mark Reynolds started running D&D when third edition came out and has not really stopped since. Over 20 years of campaigns later, he has run everything from dungeon crawls that lasted one session to sprawling homebrew worlds that outlasted three different friend groups, two cities, and one divorce.
D&D is his home base, but he has spent enough time behind the screen in Call of Cthulhu to know what real dread feels like at a table, and he is currently eyeing Pathfinder 2e and Vampire: the Masquerade as his next excuses to cancel plans. The more systems he runs, the more convinced he is that good GMing principles transfer across all of them, even if the dice do not.
His writing follows what he calls the Lazy DM philosophy, which is not actually about being lazy. It is about putting your prep time where it pays off at the table and cutting everything else. Every guide he writes is for the DM who has a full-time job and still wants to run a campaign worth showing up for on a Tuesday night.
Mark currently runs a weekly D&D 5e campaign and a monthly Call of Cthulhu one-shot series. He uses Saga20 for both, mostly because he got tired of texting himself session notes.
What Mark writes about
His articles focus on the problems real Dungeon Masters hit every week: prepping a session in under an hour, keeping a campaign alive when a player cancels, ending sessions on a beat that actually sticks, and remembering what happened three months ago when a player asks about an NPC you forgot you invented. He writes from the table, not from theory.
If you run a weekly game, hold down a job, and still want the campaign to feel like it matters, his guides are written for you.
Articles by Mark Reynolds
How to Run a West Marches Campaign (Without It Collapsing by Month Three)
West Marches campaigns rarely die because of the map or the rules. They die because nobody can remember what happened. Here is how to set one up so it survives past the honeymoon.
D&D Discord Server Setup: The Channel Template That Survives Past Session 4
Most D&D Discord server templates hand you thirty channels you will never use. Here is the smaller structure that actually holds up, which channels always go quiet, and how to keep the important one alive.
D&D NPC Tracker: Free Sheet + What to Update Each Session
Use this free D&D NPC tracker to record motives, party relationships, last appearances, and session changes. Copy the sheet and start tracking.
D&D Campaign Manager: What It Should Do After Every Session
See what a D&D campaign manager should update after every game, how to judge the upkeep, and when your group needs more than a shared document.
D&D Campaign Journal: Free Template + What to Track
Build a D&D campaign journal that tracks quests, mysteries, NPCs, and session history. Use the free template and keep your story straight.
How to Use Obsidian for D&D: A Dungeon Master's Setup Guide
A practical guide to setting up Obsidian for D&D: vault structure, wikilinks, the graph view, the plugins that matter, and the one thing it will never do for you.
How to Transcribe a D&D Session (Turn Your Audio Into Notes)
You recorded your D&D session. Now what? Here is how to turn hours of table audio into a clean, searchable transcript and usable notes, without listening to the whole thing again.
D&D Downtime Activities 5e: What to Do Between Adventures (2026)
A practical guide to D&D downtime activities 5e: what players can do between adventures, how long downtime should take, and how to make quiet weeks change the campaign.
D&D Character Ideas: 20 Original Concepts Worth Playing (2026)
Twenty original D&D character ideas built around a want, a contradiction, and a hook, so your concept still lands in session forty. Plus how to come up with your own and the mistakes that make a character fall flat.
D&D Riddles and Puzzles: 20 Ready-to-Run Brain Teasers (With Answers)
A DM toolkit of original D&D riddles with answers, dungeon puzzle blueprints you can drop in tonight, and the one rule that keeps a puzzle from stalling your whole session.
How to Run a D&D Campaign in 2026: A DM's Guide to the Long Game
Starting a campaign is the easy part. Keeping one alive past session 8 is where most DMs get stuck. Here is the weekly system a 20-year Dungeon Master uses to run a campaign that lasts, without burning out.
D&D Campaign Ideas: 20 Original Premises That Run for Years (2026)
Twenty original D&D campaign ideas built to last past session ten, with the hook, the long arc, and the renewable conflict that keeps each one running. Plus how to turn any premise into a campaign your players stay for.
D&D 5e Starting Gold: How Much Your Character Starts With (by Class and Level)
Roll for gold or take the equipment pack? Here is exactly how much starting gold each D&D 5e class begins with, what changed in the 2024 rules, and how to set starting wealth when a campaign opens above level 1.
D&D 5e Magic Item Prices: A Complete Cost-by-Rarity Guide (2024 + 2014)
What should a magic item actually cost? The official D&D 5e rules give you vague ranges. Here are the real prices by rarity, the Sane Magical Prices system, and how to price the loot your players want to sell.
The D&D Session Zero Checklist: Everything to Cover Before Session 1 (2026)
A complete, DM-tested session zero checklist: the topics to cover, the questions to ask, and the safety and scheduling agreements that keep a campaign alive past session 8.
How to Write a D&D Character Backstory Your DM Will Actually Use (2026)
Most D&D backstory guides treat your character like a novel. They are wrong. Here is what your DM actually wants on the page, written by a DM who has read more than 200 of them.
D&D World Building: A Practical Guide That Survives Session 1 (2026)
Most D&D world building advice treats your campaign like a novel. It is not. Here is how to build just enough world for play to begin, and let the table do the rest, written by a DM with 20+ years behind the screen.
Where D&D DMs Find New Tools and Communities in 2026
A practical guide to the forums, wikis, streams, directories, and discovery platforms where Dungeon Masters actually surface new D&D tools.
10 D&D One-Shot Ideas Your Players Will Talk About For Years (2026)
Ten genuinely original D&D one-shots with full hooks, twists, and the prep notes that made them work at my actual table. Plus what separates a one-shot players remember from one they politely forget.
How to Start a D&D Campaign in 2026: A Dungeon Master's Step-by-Step Guide
A practical 7-step guide to starting your first D&D campaign without overprepping, burning out, or forgetting what happened two sessions ago. Written by a DM with 20+ years behind the screen.
What Is a Campaign Wiki? (And Why Every DM Needs One)
A campaign wiki is a structured, interlinked reference for everything in your TTRPG world. Here is what goes in one, why it matters, and how to start yours today.
Roll20 vs Foundry VTT in 2026: Which Virtual Tabletop Is Right for Your Table?
A side-by-side look at Roll20 and Foundry VTT for DMs running D&D, Pathfinder, and other TTRPGs. Pricing, features, setup, and who each one is best for.
D&D Note-Taking Apps Compared: Find the Best One for Your Table
Notion, Obsidian, Kanka, Saga20, and more. An honest comparison of D&D note-taking apps with pricing, pros, and cons for each one.
Best D&D Tools for Players and DMs (2026)
Stop drowning in apps you don't need. Here are the digital tools that actually speed up your D&D game instead of slowing it down.
The Best D&D Session Note Methods in 2026 (One of Them Is Just Hitting Record)
Notebooks, Notion, Obsidian, recording apps. Every real method for tracking your D&D sessions in 2026, honestly reviewed by a DM who has tried them all.
How to Keep Track of Your D&D Campaign (Without Using 5 Different Apps)
Most DMs juggle Notion, a map tool, a spreadsheet, and a notes app to run one campaign. Here's why that falls apart -- and what we built to fix it.
How to End Your D&D Session So Players Can't Stop Thinking About It
Most DMs obsess over how to START a session. The real skill is learning how to END one. Here is the cliffhanger playbook that keeps your players counting the days until next week.
The 30-Minute D&D Session Prep: A System for DMs Who Hate Homework
You do not need 4 hours to prep a great D&D session. You need 30 minutes and a system. Here is the exact framework I use every single week.
The 'Previously On...' Problem: How Automated Transcripts Let New Players Binge Your Campaign
Bringing a new player into a Level 10 campaign is a nightmare of lore dumps. Here is how to let them 'binge' your story instead of studying it.
Don't Cancel Your D&D Session Just Because One Player is Missing
The 'Scheduling Boss' is the hardest monster in D&D. Defeat it with the 'Absent Player Protocol' and keep your campaign alive.
The Art of Campaign Continuity: How to Keep Your Story Straight Without Burnout
Stop asking 'Wait, what was that NPC's name?' Maintain campaign continuity with these lazy DM tips and automated tools.
Session Notes vs. Audio Recording: Which Is Better for DMs?
Stop frantically scribbling and start actually playing. Here is why switching from notes to audio recording (and Campaign Continuity) is the best upgrade for your D&D table.
The Cure for NPC Amnesia: How to Make Your Players Remember Your Villains
Stop the "Wait, who is this guy?" moments. Here is how to use distinct voices, smart prep, and campaign continuity tools to make your NPCs unforgettable.
How to Master the "Session Recap" (And Why You Shouldn't Write It Yourself)
Writing session recaps is a chore that most DMs dread. Discover how to automate the history of your world so you can focus on the future.
Stop Taking Notes: The Lazy Dungeon Master's Guide to Session Tracking
Stop breaking immersion to write down initiative. Discover how audio-first campaign tracking lets you focus on the game, not the paperwork.