Master the art of NPC backstories ... feel free to do these purchase scenarios out-of-character and save these tips for merchants who are plot-relevant. From the eyes of your merchant character ...

Someone looking to try out being a Dungeon Master can pick up one of these stories and take over the big chair for the night. They also work well if the group wants to try out a different game ...

This as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with Todd Carlstrom, a Dungeons & Dragons 'dungeon master ... to be — it's almost like being a low-key novelist.