Taking 20 Podcast

Sometimes the hardest monster to defeat in RPGs is the calendar.  It’s hard to schedule games when the real world gets in the way.  In this episode I give you some tips and some decisions you can make ahead of time to make it more likely that you’ll get to the gaming table   #pf2e #Pathfinder #gmtips #dmtips #dnd #scheduling   Resources: Reddit post from 2018 from /u/iamnotasloth:  https://www.red...

Villains can be simple and driven by basic desires like power or money but I believe villains are better when they have understandable motivations and backstory.  In this episode I talk about some examples of villains and why they became what they are.   #pf2e #Pathfinder #gmtips #dmtips #dnd #villains

Our characters are good at certain things:  probably stabbing stuff, identifying magic items, discerning which berries are safe to eat and which ones will make you obliterate your large intestine.  Meanwhile our players are probably good at making characters, wiping out a bowl of popcorn and making fart jokes.  In this episode I encourage DMs to remember the difference between players and characte...

The Pathfinder 2e Player Core 2 book released August 1st.  There’s a lot of information  contained within these 322 pages but, is the information useful?  Should you go out and buy it?  Tune in to find out.   #pf2e #Pathfinder #gmtips #PlayerCore2   Resources: The Rules Lawyer:  https://www.youtube.com/@TheRulesLawyerRPG Bad Luck Gamer:  https://www.youtube.com/@theebadluckgamer  

How can you continue an adventure after the printed material ends?  The players want to keep going but you’re out of adventure to give them.  The story has to end, right?  Not so fast, my friend.  In this episode we talk about tips and tricks to continue the story out to the horizon.   #pf2e #dnd #dmtips #gmtips #aftertheend   Resources: Dragon of Icespire Peak - https://marketplace.dndbeyond.com/...

There are similarities between delivering a performance at a theater and running a game whether online or in person.  In this episode I’ll tell you what lessons I learned on and behind the stage that can be applied to your tabletop game.   #pf2e #dnd #dmtips #gmtips #AdventurePrep

There are similarities between delivering a performance at a theater and running a game whether online or in person.  In this episode I’ll tell you what lessons I learned on and behind the stage that can be applied to your tabletop game.   #pf2e #dnd #dmtips #gmtips   Resources: Episode 187 - Imposter Syndrome - https://taking20.podbean.com/e/ep-187-short-imposter-syndrome/ Episode 26 - Basics of...

Wandering monsters have been around since the very earliest days of D&D.  Their usage has waxed and waned through the years as the editions have come out but they still could have a strong purpose in your game as long as you use them correctly.   #dnd #5e #pf2e #dmtips #gmtips #WanderingMonsters   Resources: Wandering Monsters Suck:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNgn3rxLPP0

We GMs have to generate a lot about the world from the grand multiverse and pantheons of gods to what Typhon the baker looks like and their foibles.  Sometimes players will have great ideas about their character, the world they live in and maybe even larger topics like names of towns and nations.  In this episode I encourage my DMs to listen to player ideas about the game and how it’s played and i...

DMs, whether we realize it or not manipulate our players sometimes multiple times a session.  What does that mean, though to manipulate the players?  Is it a good thing?  Tune in to find out. #dnd #5e #pf2e #dmtips #gmtips #manipulation Resources: Bonus Action - Hacks DMs Use to Manipulate Players - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bokYGJPyKlI

There’s nothing wrong with an adventuring party full of humans, gnomes, dwarves, and the like.  But sometimes the campaign calls for or the player wants to play something a little different like a hobgoblin, merfolk, or even a troll.  How do you handle these situations?  In this episode I give you some tips as well as briefly review the new Paizo book Howl of the Wild.   Resources: Rules Lawyer Ho...

Lore can be doled out in small measures any number of ways at your table from dreams to treasure, holidays to PC backstories.  I hope the last two weeks have made you think about how you use lore in your worlds.   #dmtips #gmtips #dnd #pf2e #5e #lore   Resources: Matt Colville - Lore Delivery Systems - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tBXnD9g0XY   Sly Flourish - Bathe Your World in Lore - https://...

Lore, like so many other aspects to our game can be as present or absent as you would like it to be.  Lore makes your world richer and deeper but how do you reveal it to your players?  Tune in and find out.   #dnd #pf2e #dmtips #gmtips #lore Resources: Matt Colville - Lore Delivery Systems - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tBXnD9g0XY   Sly Flourish - Bathe Your World in Lore - https://slyflourish...

Aboleths and Algholthu are amphibious creatures who feel they are gods whose domains have been wrongfully stolen from them by those who they feel should be their slaves.  They are extremely savvy fighters who remember eons of combats and use those lessons when the PCs show up to try to kill them.  In this episode we talk about these huge aberrations and how to use them in your game.   #dnd #5e #pf...

One sure way to put a period (or even a question mark) on the end of your campaign or adventure is by using one or more epilogue scenes.  In this episode we talk about tips and tricks for creating those wrap-up scenes at the very end.   #dnd #5e #pf2e #dmtips #gmtips #Epilogues Resources: Ginny Di - Give your D&D Campaign the epilogue it deserves - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jamWxX3kC4  

Sometimes we want a break from the rules heavy games and want to play something light and easy.  Sometimes people we know are interested in playing RPGs but we don’t want to throw them into the deep end of a complicated RPG with 1,000 pages of rules.  Rules Light RPGs can be a nice break from the usual routine and can introduce some people we know to the hobby that we love. #dnd #5e #pf2e #RulesLi...

Sometimes a break is inevitable.  Your campaign needs to go on hiatus for one reason or another.  If you know it’s coming, what can you do to prepare your game for a leave of absence?  Tune in this week and find out.    #dnd5e #pf2e #dnd #dmtips #gmtips #TakeABreak

Some DMs treat new character abilities as puzzles to solve or speedbumps on the path to kill the PCs.  As characters level up, they will get all kinds of abilities, some of which are carefully selected and crafted by the players.  In this episode, I give DMs some practical advice for embracing these new character abilities.   Resources: None

within the game.  The way we describe encounters, how we interact with our players, and whether or not to offer advice can make a game session fun and engaging, combative, miserable, or boring.  In this episode I offer some tips for choosing your words carefully while running a game and helping to ensure players get the information they need without losing agency over their characters.   Resources...

A listener wrote in asking for more details about dragons and I’m happy to oblige.  They are complex creatures that have a lot of abilities and long lifespans for good reason.  In this episode I talk about more draconic features and briefly review the Pathfinder 2e Monster Core Rulebook recently released by Paizo   Resources: Archives of Nethys - https://2e.aonprd.com/   Pathfinder 2e Monster Core...

Some groups keep combat conversations barebones, only allowing brief phrases to be exchanged during combat.  In this episode, I’ll give some pros and cons about allowing players to talk during combat and provide some tips for DMs who are unsure whether they’d allow this. #dmtips #gmtips #dnd #pf2e Resources: https://www.reddit.com/r/DnD/comments/13f4yva/dms_do_you_allow_your_players_to_talk_to_eac...

Some players want a hard game.  They’ve been there, done that and got the scars to prove it.  They want something more difficult and more punishing.  In this episode I float some ideas on how you can give your game some teeth and make it a little or a lot more difficult for your PCs.   #dmtips #gmtips #dnd #5e #pf2e #GameDifficulty

Sometimes you as the DM want to make the game a little easier for the players.  Maybe the players are new or just want a game where they feel like gods among men.  There are a myriad of ways to make a game easier.  In this episode, I discuss a few of them.   #dmtips #gmtips #houserules #dnd5e #pf2e

Player Agency describes the power of players to make choices for their characters.  There is an unspoken social contract around every RPG table that the DM won’t take these choices away and players won’t use these choices to ruin the fun of the DM.  In this episode, I talk about how critical it is that both sides of the screen respect the agency of others.   #dmtips #gmtips #dnd #5e #pf2e #playera...

In this episode I talk about ways you can make your characters and NPCs distinct from one another.  I do encourage you to try to use an accent, even if you don't feel comfortable doing it.  However, there are other ways to make them distinct:  with language descriptors and body language.   #dmtips #gmtips #dnd #pf2e #NPC Resources: 5 Ways to Make NPC Dialogue Better With No Accent https://youtu.be...