Picked by On Writing and Worldbuilding fans

Here are 4 books that On Writing and Worldbuilding fans have personally recommended once you finish the On Writing and Worldbuilding series. Book DNA is a community of authors and super-readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

Book cover of Sly Flourish's Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master

Megan A. Connell Author Of Tabletop Role-Playing Therapy: A Guide for the Clinician Game Master

From my list on learning and running tabletop role-playing games.

Why am I passionate about this?

TTRPGs are such a powerful medium for storytelling, and a tool that can be used by therapists to help their clients. Learning how to run games can seem daunting, these books have all helped me with learning how to run games more effectively. From thinking about stories, to exploring tropes, using storytelling techniques, and sharing the narrative with players this collection of books will help you on your journey of building worlds and telling stories. 

Megan's book list on learning and running tabletop role-playing games

Megan A. Connell Why Megan loves this book

When I first started GMing I had pages and pages of notes that took hours to prepare.

It was unsustainable and I knew there had to be a better way. The Lazy Dungeon Master technique of session and campaign planning helps to ensure that while you are prepared for your sessions you are not wasting time planning too much.

Using the methods in this book, my session preparation time went from several hours to around an hour and I think my sessions improved as a result. 

Book cover of Kobold Guide to Plots & Campaigns

Megan A. Connell Author Of Tabletop Role-Playing Therapy: A Guide for the Clinician Game Master

From my list on learning and running tabletop role-playing games.

Why am I passionate about this?

TTRPGs are such a powerful medium for storytelling, and a tool that can be used by therapists to help their clients. Learning how to run games can seem daunting, these books have all helped me with learning how to run games more effectively. From thinking about stories, to exploring tropes, using storytelling techniques, and sharing the narrative with players this collection of books will help you on your journey of building worlds and telling stories. 

Megan's book list on learning and running tabletop role-playing games

Megan A. Connell Why Megan loves this book

This book is a series of essays from some of the most well-known writers and creators in tabletop gaming.

This book is filled with tips and tricks to help you build your world and create a compelling plot that your players will want to engage in. This book will help you learn how to use different storytelling devices effectively in an RPG as it is slightly different than how you would use such devices in a written novel.

This book really helped me to start wrapping my mind around how shared narrative stories can work and how as a GM I can steer the story without taking away the agency of my players. This is a great quick read for new and experienced GMs alike! 

By Michele Carter (editor) , Wolfgang Baur , Clinton J Boomer , Zeb Cook , Jeff Grubb , James Jacobs , Kevin Kulp , Richard Pett , Robert J. Schwalb , Margaret Weis , Steven Winter

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Kobold Guide to Plots & Campaigns as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The Best Role in Roleplaying

Whether you’re a new gamemaster or a seasoned vet looking for a new angle to shake up your game, these 19 essays by 13 expert gamemasters demonstrate ways to construct your campaign from the ground up and keep your players engaged until the dramatic conclusion.

Within this volume, masters of the art show you how to begin a new campaign, use published adventures or loot them for the best ideas, build toward cliffhangers, and design a game that can enthrall your players for month or even years. Want to run an evil campaign, or hurl…


Book cover of The Ultimate RPG Gameplay Guide: Role-Play the Best Campaign Ever-No Matter the Game!

Megan A. Connell Author Of Tabletop Role-Playing Therapy: A Guide for the Clinician Game Master

From my list on learning and running tabletop role-playing games.

Why am I passionate about this?

TTRPGs are such a powerful medium for storytelling, and a tool that can be used by therapists to help their clients. Learning how to run games can seem daunting, these books have all helped me with learning how to run games more effectively. From thinking about stories, to exploring tropes, using storytelling techniques, and sharing the narrative with players this collection of books will help you on your journey of building worlds and telling stories. 

Megan's book list on learning and running tabletop role-playing games

Megan A. Connell Why Megan loves this book

Sometimes you might find you have a great idea for a campaign, or know what theme you want to explore but are struggling to understand how to bring those ideas together.

D’Amato takes you through building your campaign through both a discussion of storytelling devices as well as pointed questions you can use to help flesh out your ideas and turn them into a full campaign. This book also helps GMs learn how to make their world feel lived in through descriptions and building history.

This is the book you want to use to build a small idea into a full campaign! 

By James D'Amato ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Ultimate RPG Gameplay Guide as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Improve your RPG campaign with this comprehensive and interactive guide to making the most out of your gaming experience.

Whatever RPG game you play, from D&D to Call of Cthulu to licensed games like Star Wars, every detail is important. From setting the scene to choosing the right music or even adjusting the lighting to create the right atmosphere, every choice helps maximize your gaming experience.

The Ultimate RPG Gameplay Guide provides practical advice for everything from pre-game preparations and in-game improvisation to working out a plan of attack with your teammates to learning how to lean into the setting…


Book cover of The Monsters Know What They're Doing: Combat Tactics for Dungeon Masters

Megan A. Connell Author Of Tabletop Role-Playing Therapy: A Guide for the Clinician Game Master

From my list on learning and running tabletop role-playing games.

Why am I passionate about this?

TTRPGs are such a powerful medium for storytelling, and a tool that can be used by therapists to help their clients. Learning how to run games can seem daunting, these books have all helped me with learning how to run games more effectively. From thinking about stories, to exploring tropes, using storytelling techniques, and sharing the narrative with players this collection of books will help you on your journey of building worlds and telling stories. 

Megan's book list on learning and running tabletop role-playing games

Megan A. Connell Why Megan loves this book

For many Game Masters it can be difficult to understand how the monsters and adversaries in their worlds would act.

In his book, and its sequel, Ammann helps to provide guidance for how different adversaries might act towards the group of heroes. This book helps GMs think critically about the monsters in the world and can help with teaching how to provide a more dynamic and consequential experience for players.

Ammann also helps readers think in terms of a world with magic and how those living in such a world might think and approach problems differently than we do in our magic-free world.

By Keith Ammann ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Monsters Know What They're Doing as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In the course of a Dungeons & Dragons game, a Dungeon Master has to make one decision after another in response to player behaviour-and the better the players, the more unpredictable their behaviour! It's easy for even an experienced DM to get bogged down in on-the-spot decision-making or to let combat devolve into a boring slugfest, with enemies running directly at the player characters and biting, bashing, and slashing away.

In The Monsters Know What They're Doing, Keith Ammann lightens the DM's burden by helping you understand your monsters' abilities and develop battle plans before your fifth edition D&D game…