Thinking Critically: A D&D Discussion

Once again I welcome Lucas Zellers, a.k.a @SparkOtter , as we continue our theme from the Monster episode. We discuss a critical topic as Lucas takes us through his new project: Book of Extinction . The book gives game statistics and lore for D&D 5e, alongside real-world history for some of the world’s most famous extinct animals. The project comes at a critical time as earth’s sixth mass...

I'm once again joined by Bart Wynants (a.k.a. @critographer ), this time to talk about how to write TTRPGs. As with many tasks, mind set and habit formation is of upmost importance for success. Bart suggests embodying different 'roles' when writing TTRPG content: The "Architect" for big picture, macro level structure. The "Builder" for content creation and putting meat on the bones. And finally, t...

This episode I'm joined by Andrew & Vesna Gronosky from Shewstone Publishing, who leverage their extensive knowledge to discuss the implications of having a "history" in your TTRPG setting. The different lifespans of races can have a profound impact in their culture and what they consider important enough to record; what happened "a long time ago" to a human can be relatively "yesterday" to an...

This episode features Eli Royall from the We Play RPGs podcast family! We discuss how to establish canon in your setting, and the implications of having a standardised fiction. The second problem is how to communicate this to players and bridge that player/character divide; when a character has lived in the world for 50 years, how can the setting and DM effectively translate that into something pl...

This spicy episode I'm joined by Fruits from The Homebakery to talk all about flavouring our D&D campaigns. A large portion of the show is spent discussing the different classes and their subclass options, and how their baggage inherently affects the flavour of player characters. We then move on to introducing food and drink into your campaign, and how it's perhaps an often overlooked vehicle...

Once again I am joined by long time friends of the show and the inimitable hosts of Tabletop Journeys : Josh, Lewanika, and Glen. Their enthusiasm for TTRPGs is infectious and it's such a delight to provide a platform for their passion and talents. This episode about is what galvanises and moves us, as characters, players, and storytellers. It's interesting that PC motivation is not pre-baked in t...

Welcome back! Season 4 opens with a self-indulgent, naval gazing look at the new player experience through the eyes of one my players: Matt Street. Matt joined my homebrew campaign in session 0 way back at the beginning of 2019 with his Tortle sorcerer A'Therin Trolldoor. Since then, over six chapters we've lost two players, four PCs and several NPCs. Matt shares his experiences learning D&D 5...

For the season final I'm joined by Ramji, DM of The 4th Culture , an Asia-based TTRPG show which focuses on global voices and set in an Asian-influence homebrew world. We discuss global mythology and it's impact on TTRPGs, such as it's inherent euro-centricity and how this has affected published settings and games around the world. At it's core, D&D is collaborative storytelling, so it's more...

This episode features Hope of the eponymous HopeForTTRPGs who shares with me how to build and maintain an active and safe community. She goes through some personal pitfalls and anecdotes of that growth, and the unique challenges it possesses. One thing to remember during it all is to look after, care for, and improve yourself, as nothing is worth getting burned out for. This episode also features...

Once again I'm joined by Ian a.k.a TheFoolishSwarmi , this time to talk about the different kind of dynamics in D&D. Most of the episode is focused on the discussion of how D&D is inherently a human experience, and how realising this and efforts to make the game more humane can drastically improve the experience for all at the table, in a safe way. TTRPGs operate in a shared space, and jus...

This episode stars Michael Kesavan, a.k.a. Dead Aussie Gamer, to talk about assembling the best game. Turns out, diversity and versatility are key, both in-universe and out of game. The types of players you have, and the characters they share, creates a unique social biome where we seek acceptance. DAG also takes us through some tips on starting a campaign, and why the negative perception of...

This episode I host Jarrod Jahoda and Matt Morris of Mid-Level Adventurers to talk all about maintaining continuity in your TTRPGs. We share many tips DMs can use to maintain internal consistency within their campaigns, as to ensure that verisimilitude and to support your players in suspending their disbelief. However, "no plan survives contact with the enemy" and as such, DMs must find ways to en...

Minor Spider-Man: No Way Home spoilers in this episode! I'm joined by Sam Bradley from Starter Set Studios to talk all how to tell, or be told, a good story. We dissect a couple of common storytelling tools such as 'show, don't tell', and how these translate to running a TTRPG. The implementation of these tools varies system to system, table to table, and requires additional overhead on the GM. I...

This episode I'm joined by Rev from The CritShow , the Powered by the Apocalypse podcast, to talk about the consequences of our actions. We agree that any consequence, positive or negative, must fit the the scale and scope of the inciting activity. This can be achieved by a sliding scale; it doesn't always have to be The Worst Possible Outcome for any given misstep. An element of PbtA games is how...

Once again I'm joined by professional marketer and crowdfund-whisperer Zack Applewhite, of Applewhite Games , who shares his expertise in producing successful Kickstarters. 01:34 - Reframing Crowdfunding 12:29 - How To Get Started 20:22 - Pricing & Collaboration 32:55 - Promoting an Idea 39:26 - Spend Money to Make Money, and Other Contrived Platitudes 51:37 - Goals and how to Stretch Them 59:...

This full house episode I'm joined by the cast of The Fourth Leg podcast: Joe, Hunter, & Kelci. And we talk all about motion, momentum, and movement in your TTRPGs. One way you can keep the game moving as both a GM and player, is to engage with those "B" and "C" plots, which often come in the form of backstories. That being said, don't be afraid from abstaining from action, as this can still r...

Once more I'm joined by Scott, a.k.a. Optional Rule! This time we discuss the hot topic of alignment in Dungeons & Dragons. Scott takes us through the history of alignment, and how it impacted and shaped the earliest editions of the game - I'm willing to bet you never knew how the cold war affects your player character! Despite all the (arguably justified) negativity around alignment, it still...

This melodic episode I'm joined by Stuart, a.k.a. Thisisbardcore , to talk about music and ambience in your TTRPG games. We break down the three primary ways games can be played and how they change what options are available to you as a GM, such as forced diegetic sounds courtesy of your local FLGS! I discuss my failed attempted at merging K-Pop and D&D, along with my several wasted hour curat...

This episode I'm joined by Hunter Royall from the " A Sundered World " podcast to talk about all the different relationship vectors in TTRPGs. The first being that between player and character, and how it's not always affection that's garnered - often resentment or animosity can take hold when the PC isn't effective or ends up different than what the player originally imagined. Hunter takes us thr...

This episode I'm joined by Mike from Games Played Badly , to chat about story hooks in your TTRPGs! Ultimately, hooks are the main way to keep players engaged, with the GM acting as a kind of circus master; organised chaos. Hooks can take many forms, from critical pieces of information reigniting interest, to fun and goofy NPCs that the players get attached to - there are many methods of putt...

This episode I'm joined by the GM of the Negative Modifier podcast, Charley, to discuss horror in our TTRGPs. Horror is variable and subjective, and so has unique challenges when attempting to introduce it into your setting. The first being the age old problem of having to play with other people! As everyone is different, it's impossible to know what another player might find uncomfortable, and ev...

This episode features David Weinberger from the Shonen Flop podcast to talk all about introducing magical items into your Dungeons & Dragons campaign. It becomes apparent quickly that David and I run very different games when it comes to dishing out loot, which leads to some interesting discussions! Some DMs, myself included, can display a preciousness towards their campaign; a concern magic i...

This episode I had the pleasure of hosting the founder of Paladin Roleplaying, Neil, to discuss running a TTRPG business. We talk about how the grassroots explosion has impacted the hobby, and what the future might now hold; will it go the same way as F2P, microtransaction-laden video games? Neil shares with several pearls of wisdom gained from running a business and four separate Kickstarters - w...

For this episode I'm joined by Sam Cheung, known online as the Educational DM , who takes us through his years of experience in the educational and pastoral applications of Dungeons & Dragons. We discuss the various ways players can learn through D&D, for students and new players alike. Although the obvious challenges are arithmetic and creativity, Sam and I investigate the deeper ways pla...

For this mixed up episode I'm joined by Jeff Greiner, the DM of potentially the longest running actual play podcast, The Tome Show . Jeff & I talk about mashups not only within our favourite TTRPG, but within the hobby at large, covering several methods for effectively smushing together your favourite features! Jeff takes us through the ways and means he's brought together often disparate publ...