Behind the Screen Release Info!

Become the Dungeon Master You Want to Be

Behind the Screen: A Dungeon Master’s Guide to Crafting Campaigns
By Chris Vicari

For one reason or another, Dungeons and Dragons is on your mind.

Maybe you’ve watched a live play, show, or stream where D&D was featured. Maybe you’ve heard other people enthusiastically talk about the game and a powerful emotional moment. Maybe you’ve played before. Regardless, you have a desire to be a Dungeon Master and run a game for your friends and loved ones. So you buy the books and get the supplies you think you’d need; the dice, the tokens, the maps, etc. After all, it’s what everyone else seems to use.

With an idea of a story in mind, you sit down to begin worldbuilding and prepping for your first session. But then it all feels so overwhelming.

Where do you start? How much do you need to write? What happens if your players don’t find the breadcrumbs you placed for them? What if they do something unexpectedly and you have to improv? Before you know it, you’ve spent hours prepping and still don’t feel ready.

I know that feeling all too well. That nervousness and feeling of uncertainty is very challenging to navigate. And after years of working through it, I wrote Behind the Screen to help you find a way too.

This is a practical guide to preparing and running D&D campaigns, written for the DM who wants to spend less time overthinking, and more time enjoying the game with their friends.

A Course on Being a Dungeon Master

I wrote Behind the Screen to feel like a workbook you’d find in a classroom, but with a warm and conversational tone, rather than an authoritative one. I’ve read so many books that just assume the reader is confident in what they are supposed to do.

In doing so, the book combines what I’ve learned over my 10+ year teaching career, with my experience running games professionally. I made sure to also incorporate my own mistakes, the curse of overprepping, and the moments when I had to figure out a better method that avoided burnout.

The included guidance, examples, and hands-on assignments intend on guiding you to put each DM process into practice. I very much wanted a “build it as you progress” structure. As you read the chapters and complete the included worksheets, you’ll be building your own campaign! Or you can skip around and only focus on what you need. It’s up to you!

What’s Inside?

Across 15 chapters and over 250 pages, Behind the Screen explores the process of creating, preparing, and running a D&D campaign. You’ll find guidance on:

Starting your campaign: Turn your ideas into a foundation you can build on.
Worldbuilding with purpose: Create what you need for the game and let your world grow as your players explore it.
Preparing sessions: Write useful notes, organize your ideas, and focus on what matters at the table.
Creating characters and encounters: Bring your world to life with NPCs, locations, challenges, and situations for your players to navigate.
Running the game: Build strong starts, manage encounters, and find your own approach behind the screen.
Taking care of yourself: Recognize the habits that lead to overthinking and find a prep process that works for you.

Throughout the book, you’ll find examples, assignments, and more to help you apply what you’re learning.

Take a Look Inside

Behind the Screen is meant to be written on. Here’s a brief look at the many tools and examples you’ll find inside.

Hands-On Assignments

Knowing how to prep is one thing but being able to practice is another.

Behind the Screen contains seventeen guided assignments that are designed to take what you’ve learned and apply it to your own campaign. Each worksheet breaks a larger task into manageable steps, with prompts and examples to help get you started. As someone who struggles with staring at a blank page, I wanted these assignments to help curb overthinking.

These embedded assignments will help you practice DMing skills like:

Summarizing information so you can find what you need during a session.
Establishing your story’s tone by identifying its themes and atmosphere.
Creating a session story that connects to your larger campaign.
Building a strong start that brings your players into the action.
And much, much more!

The worksheets are large enough to write in directly, or you can scan and copy them to use again as you prep for more sessions.

Prep with Ease!

See how campaign ideas and source material can become notes you can use at the table. The image below offers two ways to prep the same session opening: (a) a written description or (b) a set of key details in bullet points. Find the approach that works for you, so you can spend less time prepping and more time DMing.

Who Is This Book For?

This book is for you if:

You want to run your first game but feel overwhelmed on how to begin.
You’re a DM already but prepping for sessions takes more time and energy than you’d prefer.
You have ideas about the kinds of sessions and worlds you want to run but struggle to turn them into something playable.
You are seeking practical ways to organize your prep via a method you prefer.
You want to try and feel more comfortable when running sessions.

Whether you’re prepping for your first session, or looking for a more efficient way to prep your hundredth, my hope is that this book helps you find more confidence and joy in the process.

Behind the Screen Releases on
Dec. 7th, 2026 on Lulu and beyond!

Reserve your Special Edition Today!

For a limited time, you can reserve a special edition of Behind the Screen directly from me leading up to the book's official release. Each bundle includes:

A signed physical copy of the book with a special message you'd like in it!
A bookmark!
A Behind the Screen sticker
A random set of D&D dice!

Price: $27.99, plus tax and shipping (US only!)
Reservations close: Sunday, December 7, 2026

No payment is required to reserve. Once purchasing becomes available, you'll receive an email from me with a link to complete your order and how to purchase.

These bundles are limited so reserve yours today!

Thank you for supporting the book and being part of the journey. I can’t wait to share it with you.

FAQ

Is this a self-published book?

Nope! Behind the Screen is published by Play Story Press and professionally edited by Courtney Mifsud Intreglia, who has edited the TIME magazine special edition of D&D and many other special issues! All internal art is illustrated by Alivia Chinsio (with the diagrams and assignments created by me), and the cover is created by Fuyu Dust.

Do I have to be an experienced DM to get use from this book?

No! The book is designed to help you build confidence as you learn. If you already run games, you can still use its examples and assignments to rethink your prep process.

Do I have to buy the three core D&D rulebooks before I read this?

No, though having the core rulebooks nearby can be helpful. You can enjoy most of Behind the Screen without them, but some familiarity with the rules of D&D 5e or 5.5e will help.

Is the book in color?

The print edition has a black-and-white interior. The upcoming ebook edition is in full color.

What is the book's official release date and where can I find it?

Behind the Screen is planned for digital and physical release on December 7, 2026 around the globe! You’ll be able to find copies via Lulu and other retail distributors like Amazon and Barnes & Noble. I’ll add links as they become available.

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