What is Earthmote?

Mid-session, your players’ actions take you down an unexpected tangent. You need to recall a key piece of information, but you’ve forgotten where you stored it. Did you remember to capture it at all? What exactly were the details? We’ve all been there. Having our preparation and notes fail us at the critical moments of running a game. It doesn’t have to be that way. We can be more organized with our information and run games that are memorable for ages to come. Welcome to Earthmote! A place where we talk about organizing, structuring and preparing for our Dungeons and Dragons games. I focus on organization and efficiency that sets us up to run memorable games. We’ll talk about everything from session preparation, adventure design, worldbuilding and organization systems. that set you up for success.

About Earthmote

As a teenager I had my first foray into D&D with 3rd edition. But we didn’t know what we were doing, nor did any of our campaigns last for very long. Despite that, I always enjoyed the game. I tried 4th edition briefly before finally taking the DM seat on a longer term basis with 5th edition. I’ve been dungeon mastering, campaign designing and worldbuilding for over four years now.
 
One thing that I struggled with early on was finding the optimal way to prepare for my games. I wanted to feel confident and battle-ready with my prep, but I also didn’t want to over complicate things. I was looking for that sweet spot of optimal preparation and commitment to running a great game. To do that, I realized that I needed a system. A system that kept my preparation on track and focusing on actionable material. I found that these components are what drive my game forward with memorable moments.
 
As a new DM I also looked for tools that would make my life easier. I wanted something that kept my content organized and readily available for running games. In this digital age, there is no shortage of options to keep your thoughts and notes organized. As I tried out different tools, I realized the tool was only the manner in which my game information was stored. The underlying systems that you use within your tools are what keeps your content ready for action. If you find yourself as a new DM or a DM in need of some organization, I hope you find some of the information helpful!

What to Expect

In future articles on the Earthmote, you can expect material that helps you build your own systems for being a successful DM. I’ll focus on areas of being a dungeon master that help you feel prepared by focusing on action-oriented content in your games. I love worldbuilding and crafting details that make my fantasy worlds come to life. But as a game master and worldbuilder, we need to realize what we do for ourselves and what we do for our games. If you feel like you are short on time, or your prep takes too long, examining what you are prepping is a good place to start. That’s not to say world building is a wasted activity. As a dungeon master, I run my own homebrew world. So, I will talk about worldbuilding areas that offer you the most impact and drive your game forward.
 
I’ll share some of the tools, templates and software I’ve found useful over my time running D&D. I’ll talk about tools I like, which have worked for me in implementing my systems, and why. At Earthmote, I practice continuous self-improvement and learning. So as this site grows, you can expect the ideas and information to adapt, refine and grow as well!

Here to Help

Whether you have run games for decades or you are getting started, I hope you find the ideas on this website helpful in making you a great dungeon master. Anyone can be a great dungeon master. Your preparation should work for you, giving you what you need, when you need it. With a bit of work and the right systems in place, you’ll be confident to lead your group through memorable adventures. So again, Welcome to Earthmote! Now, why don’t we get started?

Be sure to check out the blog for the latest posts.

Use the contact page if you want to send me and questions or comments.