Wandering DMs Season 06

This Mother’s Day, Paul and Dan discuss the role of mothers in D&D and mythology. From troll wives to Grendel’s mother to the spawn of all monsters, Tiamat herself, moms make an impact in our lives! Throughout history, mothers have been depicted in a variety of art works, including paintings, sculptures and written texts, that have helped define the cultural meaning of ‘mothe...

Dan and Paul discuss how to play a character in an RPG with a dramatic secret. How can we include the rest of the players in the fun without giving away too much? When do we reveal the secret to create the most satisfying dramatic moment? Humans attempt to consciously conceal aspects of themselves from others due to shame, or from fear of violence, rejection, harassment, loss of acceptance, or los...

Paul and Dan get to bring back OSR guru Matt Finch to talk about his new Swords & Wizardry: Expansions, Monsters, and More!, currently on Kickstarter. What new things has Matt cooked up? And what updates has he finally made to the revered Quick Primer for Old School Gaming? Swords & Wizardry is the longest-standing retro-clone of Original D&D, first published in 2008, and now there&#82...

Dan and Paul are thrilled to chat live with the master of fantasy, Michael Moorcock. What are his current thoughts on the legacy of his writing Elric, the Eternal Champion, critiques of Tolkien, and so much more? Michael John Moorcock (born 18 December 1939) is an English–American writer, particularly of science fiction and fantasy, who has published a number of well-received literary novels as we...

Dan and Paul reflect on what we think are the biggest mistakes and errors in the first publication of original D&D in 1974. What are the biggest blemishes that troubled the game for decades afterward? What are some of our top house rules to correct the largest problems? The original Dungeons & Dragons boxed set was the first published role-playing game, a fantasy game system modeled on med...

Paul and Dan check in on their annual D&D mini-convention with friends in a house on the Massachusetts shore, now in its 15th year. What went well, what could go better, what lessons will feed into our future gaming?

This St. Patrick’s Day, Paul and Dan discuss the rich history of Irish myths, legends, and stories in the D&D game. From Druids and Bards to the Banshees and Firbolg, what are some of the best ways to spice up your game with inspirations from the Emerald Isle? Irish mythology is the body of myths indigenous to the island of Ireland. It was originally passed down orally in the prehistoric...

How does one run a successful dungeons and dragons one shot game? Dan and Paul discuss how to condense the D&D experience to a single night of fun. They’ll share techniques they’ve developed over the years behind the DM screen, discuss which scenarios fit the one-shot format best, and advise would-be DMs on the best road to one-shot success.

Dan & Paul discuss tips for embodying a character in body and voice when playing D&D at the table. When we compare ourselves to well-known D&D performers, what are simple simple tricks anyone can use, even if we aren’t trained actors? Acting involves a broad range of skills, including a well-developed imagination, emotional facility, physical expressivity, vocal projection, clari...

For Valentine’s Day, Dan and Paul take a look at how romantic love is portrayed in Dungeons and Dragons. From NPCs with love-based plot lines to the infamous philter of love, we’ll cover ever instance we can think of in D&D in which love plays a part. Love is considered to be both positive and negative, with its virtue representing human kindness, compassion, and affection—”t...

Paul & Dan celebrate the Year of the Dragon in New Year’s 2024! In this 50th anniversary year for original D&D, we’ll look back to our best uses for dragons, new discoveries we’ve made, and how best to use unusual dragon types in your fantasy RPG. The Dragon, also known as Loong, (simplified Chinese: 龙; traditional Chinese: 龍; pinyin: lóng; Jyutping: lung4; Cantonese Ya...

Dan & Paul analyze the — sometimes surprising! — list of recommended equipment in Original D&D. Sure, you should have dice, paper, and pencils. But is the 3-ring notebook and drafting equipment really needed for the referee and each player? How about the multiple other games you need, Chainmail and Outdoor Survival? And what does say about using miniature figures? The original...

The Wandering DMs dig into the concept of anachronisms in D&D settings. They will explore the historic roots of D&D campaign settings, and where modern objects, events, or ideas have leaked in. Does the existence of anachronism break immersion, or is the very nature of the fantasy genre open to all forms of content? Where and how do we draw the line? An anachronism is a chronological incon...

Paul & Dan dig into the buried fossils of original D&D — like the hidden encounter table for Ice Age adventures in the original boxed set. Where else can you get to use Cave Bears, Woolly Mammoths, and Saber-Toothed Tigers in your fantasy RPG? Pour a cup of hot cocoa and bundle up for this one. In the Late Pleistocene, both marine and continental faunas were essentially modern but wi...

Dan & Paul take a look back at published adventures for D&D in the 70’s — at the time, a revolutionary and controversial idea! And also take a look back at the pioneering contributions of Jennell Jaquays (creator of Dark Tower, Caverns of Thracia, and many more), and our other favorite early adventures. The first published Dungeons & Dragons scenario was “Temple of th...

Paul & Dan kick of season 6 with an examination of the physical shape of RPG books. How does the choice of number of books, size, binding, and layout impact the overall design of the game? How did the three book format of D&D come to be, and why is it the one design aspect that has persisted throughout every edition? The layout and binding of a role-playing game are integral aspects that s...