Up From the Dust is an ongoing chronicle of Zack's experiences running a Dungeons & Dragons 4e game set in the world of Dark Sun. Part campaign diary, part DM's log, it collects his thoughts as he ushers his players from level 1 to 30.

While he spends the next few weeks discussing table dynamics, Zack is taking a look at all the elements that go into running a game session. Up this week: Music.

Up From the Dust is an ongoing chronicle of Zack's experiences running a Dungeons & Dragons 4e game set in the world of Dark Sun. Part campaign diary, part DM's log, it collects his thoughts as he ushers his players from level 1 to 30.

Zack turns his attention to table dynamics for a few weeks. Up first is the perennial RPG boogeyman: metagaming.

Up From the Dust is an ongoing chronicle of Zack's experiences running a Dungeons & Dragons 4e game set in the world of Dark Sun. Part campaign diary, part DM's log, it collects his thoughts as he ushers his players from level 1 to 30.

Zack continues last week’s discussion of overwhelming encounters as he tackles setting his players up for failure. The trick is getting them to lose the fight without losing interest in the game.

Up From the Dust is an ongoing chronicle of Zack's experiences running a Dungeons & Dragons 4e game set in the world of Dark Sun. Part campaign diary, part DM's log, it collects his thoughts as he ushers his players from level 1 to 30.

As his game moves into paragon tier play, Zack wrestles with pitting his players against the setting’s heavyweights. Can he avoid shattering their puny spines with his NPCs’ epic pile drivers?

Up From the Dust is an ongoing chronicle of Zack's experiences running a Dungeons & Dragons 4e game set in the world of Dark Sun. Part campaign diary, part DM's log, it collects his thoughts as he ushers his players from level 1 to 30.

Zack’s game is still on hiatus, but he returns to it to mull over mechanics. Join him this week as he offers up possible solutions to the most-discussed problem with Fourth Edition.

Up From the Dust is an ongoing chronicle of Zack's experiences running a Dungeons & Dragons 4e game set in the world of Dark Sun. Part campaign diary, part DM's log, it collects his thoughts as he ushers his players from level 1 to 30.

Your characters may have to endure the grind, but your group doesn’t. Zack follows up on last week’s article by suggesting ways to keep your game from feeling like a chore for DMs or players.

Up From the Dust is an ongoing chronicle of Zack's experiences running a Dungeons & Dragons 4e game set in the world of Dark Sun. Part campaign diary, part DM's log, it collects his thoughts as he ushers his players from level 1 to 30.

Railroading is often treated as a dirty word in gaming circles, but going off the rails can make for an unsatisfying night, too. Unless it doesn’t. Zack offers insight on getting off track after the jump.

Up From the Dust is an ongoing chronicle of Zack's experiences running a Dungeons & Dragons 4e game set in the world of Dark Sun. Part campaign diary, part DM's log, it collects his thoughts as he ushers his players from level 1 to 30.

Magic items are on Zack's mind this week. He discusses their place in D&D and what that means for Dark Sun after the jump.

Up From the Dust is an ongoing chronicle of Zack's experiences running a Dungeons & Dragons 4e game set in the world of Dark Sun. Part campaign diary, part DM's log, it collects his thoughts as he ushers his players from level 1 to 30.

Zack delivers some disappointing news this week, but keeps hope alive by suggesting a hack for running heists in D&D.

Up From the Dust is an ongoing chronicle of Zack's experiences running a Dungeons & Dragons 4e game set in the world of Dark Sun. Part campaign diary, part DM's log, it collects his thoughts as he ushers his players from level 1 to 30.

In this week's column, Zack takes advice from another DMing blog and sets his players up for failure in the upcoming paragon tier.

Up From the Dust is an ongoing chronicle of Zack's experiences running a Dungeons & Dragons 4e game set in the world of Dark Sun. Part campaign diary, part DM's log, it collects his thoughts as he ushers his players from level 1 to 30.

In this week's column, Zack continues to discuss the transition to the paragon tier and reveals how his group is starting to take control of their own story.

Time to ring in the new year and the paragon tier! This week Zack talks about his plans for the second phase of Up From the Dust.

Zack serves up another plate of adventure cookies straight from his brain oven. Is that as gross as it sounds? Find out after the jump.

The Gambler's Fallacy may be mathematically untrue, but that doesn't stop it from ruining game sessions with terrible rolls. Zack discusses how to combat this and catches us up on his game after the jump.

Because you've been so good these past months, Santa Zack is coming early to deliver a heaping sack of four Dark Sun adventures straight to your covetous little hands. Unwrap your early gifts after the jump.

Join Zack as he and his Dark Sun group get back into the swing of regular sessions. Check out the session recap after the jump.

This week's D&D article, Zack talks about meeting players expectations and shares the wisdom of Joe Dirt. Yes, Joe Dirt.

This week Zack responds to another writer's prompt and dissects his session planning process in full public view. Come make roleplaying sausage with me.

In this week's article, Zack dives into the social machinations of Dark Sun. The cities of Athas offer protection from many monsters, but they can be just as treacherous as any tomb out in the desert.

Zack reviews Psionic Power, the latest D&D power source supplement and comes away from it of two minds. That must be some book if it split his mind!

As Zack's ongoing D&D game moves into its second stage, he shifts his focus to dungeons and hordes of weaker monsters. Check out how his players shatter these dreams too...

In this week's article, Zack admits a weakness for the undead, lays out his plan for the next chapter of the campaign and offers his players even more control over the narrative.

Mangled and bruised, Zack returns from battle with his players, clutching a report of how his planned gladiator bouts went. In a word: Interesting.

After last week's mechanics-heavy article, Zack focuses this week on storytelling and player collaboration. Step inside to find out why you should always say "Yes" to your players.

This week Zack dives back into encounter design with a series of deadly gladiator bouts. Watch as he walks the fine line between a harrowing player experience and a "TPK".

Running short of horrible monsters in your D&D game? Maybe the murderous freaks of the Dark Sun Creature Catalog can provide a challenge.

Join Zack as our resident Dark Sun fanatic takes a look at a book of Weirdos and Horrors.

D&D 4E runs like a dream, but it can still benefit from some after-market additions. Check out some of the house rules Zack uses in his Dark Sun game and share some of your own. Tweaks and hacks after the jump.

In this weeks edition of Up From the Dust, Zack takes a look at story planning, both before and during a game session. He also discusses the proper way to enslave player characters -- yes, there is a 'proper way'.

Join Zack as he gets this week's D&D fix talking about how he builds challenging encounters for his players. It's not hard when undead minions do all the heavy lifting.

In the second article in his ongoing series, Zack introduces his characters and offers advice on keeping players interested.

Spoiler Alert: Make it all about them.

This is the first article in a new series by Zack Walters that lets readers ride shotgun as he plans and runs a D&D game set in the Dark Sun campaign setting. If you are a DM yourself or even a player looking for a different perspective of planning an adventure, you should enjoy this series.

More after the jump.

The Dark Sun Campaign Setting offers up a litany of horrors and brutal challenges your party will be lucky to survive. And that’s why we’re so happy to have it back.

More after the jump!

It's not all about Lovecraft this week - take a tour of the new character options available in Martial Power 2, the latest in the power source series of supplements for Dungeons & Dragons.