Dungeon Master of None

Lot going on here! Matt and Rob chat about the news of the week, talk elf phrenology, discuss the end of our recent campaign arcs, follow-up on a listener e-mail, and give some more unasked-for advice, addressing staying organized, homebrew content, and, of course, how to freedom. RPG Round-up 2:20 How to end a campaign arc and deal with players leaving 10:00 Follow-up letter 29:30 How to Stay Org...

Sure, D&D is fun, but have you ever severed an orc street sam's head with a monofilament whip, or confronted the eldritch horrors of the universe with nothing but your service revolver and a flashlight? Matt and Rob talk a little bit about the other systems that they've played and run, what makes them fun, and why you might want to branch out from D&D and 5e, and how to approach a different system...

This week's episode takes us into uncharted territory, with a sweeping discussion of TTRPGs, crafting unique worlds, and exploring themes within your games, featuring our first guest, Michelle Nickolaisen, DM and host of Serendipity City. Michelle talks to us about Powered by the Apocalypse and what you can draw from it, how to run a game that's going to be shared online, creating interesting and...

Your favorite DM duo finally get down to the business of published modules -- what good are they, how can you use them, when should you use them, and which ones are the best for new and experienced players? Matt and Rob use Paizo's signature AP, Kingmaker, as an instructive example as to what works, what doesn't, and how to make modifications of your own.

Matt and Rob get around to their month-log backlog of listener questions (sorry) and dispense some dubious, but explicitly wanted advice. (3:03) Gordon writes in asking about how to find a D&D group to play with. Matt and Rob have some suggestions, some of which might even be useful! (9:30) Adrian writes in about how to reduce prep time and for advice on being comfortable improvising. We wisely ad...

Matt and Rob set out to do a full episode with lots of moving parts but end up spending the whole time giving dubious advice. Listen to some of our general tips for DMing, hear some new unwanted advice, and hopefully come away enlightened about the process of becoming a good DM. And sorry about all the dick jokes.  

Let's homebrew some classes!  Wizards has set their sights on two iconic classes: the Mystic (aka the Psion) and the Artificer.  These classes are essential for running games in Dark Sun or Eberron. However, the playtest classes for the Mystic and the Artificer are not quite there yet.  We dig into why these proposed classes fall short and how we would fix them.  Our "crunchiest" episode yet! Link...

Matt and Rob put on their dueling gloves and throw down with a couple of games that claim to be historically accurate — but are in fact, nothing of the sort (also, uh, "historically accurate" isn't really a thing, but we'll get to that). Your fearless DMs get to the root of what people are REALLY talking about when they talk about authenticity and historical accuracy, and as you might imagine, it'...

In "Couatls Conquer Europe" Matt and Rob discuss the re-launch of the Dragons Conquer America Kickstarter .  Your DMs plunge headfirst into the jungle of, uh,  problems that arose during the kickstarter's initial failed run.  After tackling the basics of "How to Train Your Dragon to Conquer America," the DMs get into successes, challenges, and opportunities of setting a fantasy game during the Spa...

Matt talks about how to handle intra-party disputes by ending your sessions at the right time (00:30) and Rob shares tips on how to run games for a large number of players (05:00).   Then, the duo discusses campaign settings.  Specifically, why D&D's "default" setting in 5th edition, the Forgotten Realms, a.k.a. Faerun, is so frustrating and boring (14:00).  Matt and Rob break down the bad (and go...

Matt and Rob talk about the most recent D&D roundtable ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFbCxuvknWM ), featuring Mike Mearls, Matt Mercer, Matt Collville, and Adam Koebel. We discuss character death, performing for an audience, game design, and the future of Wizards of the Coast releases. Come for the keen analysis of D&D, stay for the incessant fanboying.

Breaking news: Paizo has announced a 2nd edition of Pathfinder!  Matt and Rob have a special headline news edition of Dungeon Master of None, full of hot takes, hopes, dreams, and predictions.  

We're starting a side-project, "Now This is Podcasting!" to complain about Luke Skywalker's new Jedi powers (this is totally not a joke).   Rob and Matt review the recent RPG kickstarter news (4:40).  Big daddy Matt Colville's new book " Strongholds and Followers " has more than 1 million dollars pledged.  Check it out!  There are only 5 days left!  Then, we make ourselves sad by remembering the "...

If you want to sell your adventure, campaign, or home-brew world to your potential players, you need a "Campaign Bible."  When TV writers and directors create a new series, they often have a "show bible" -- this document not only helps keep everyone on the same page, but serves as a sort of mission statement, establishing tone, theme, and the direction of the show, often serving as a selling point...

The Dynamic DM Duo chat about the new Matt Colville Kickstarter, "Strongholds and Followers" (2:23).  Then, on the main meat of the convo, how to start thinking about worldbuilding for an RPG (5:25).    Worldbuilding is hella important, even if you run a pre-written module or use a published campaign setting! If you don't want to go into the deep end of homebrewery, your options (at least in 5e D&...

Matt and Rob discuss the edition wars (bad) and gatekeeping (also bad). Learn why nerds were mad on the internet for nearly five straight years and how to avoid being a weird jerk to people when they come to play D&D for the first time. More people playing D&D is good people! It's good! Edition Wars (00:00:30) Gatekeeping in D&D (00:24:15) Link to Matt and Rob's data visualization of D&D player da...

There are new sub-classes out for 5th edition Dungeons and Dragons from the fine folks of Wizards of the Coast.  Matt and Rob review the [00:59]  Brute Fighter (good...maybe, too good), the [06:25]  Inventor Wizard (will some invent some better abilities?), and the [10:18]  Shroomancer (a.k.a. the Circle of Spores Druid).  Then, it's on to the most popular radio program in D&D history: Unwanted Ad...

It's our most important episode for new DMs yet!   How do you structure your the first session of a D&D campaign? Like writing the first page of a book, preparing the start of a campaign is intimidating.  If you're a new Dungeon Master, then this episode is a must-listen!  But first, Matt and Rob chat about WotC's awesome new hire-- Kate Welch --and correctly predict the next Dungeons and Dragons...

We all love Critical Role! But can you become a better Dungeon Master or a better player by watching the show?  Absolutely!  Learn why Matt Mercer is such an amazing Dungeon Master!  (Hint: it's NOT because of his voice acting.)  Can you play D&D as well as Ashley, Laura, Liam, Marisha, Sam, Taliesin, and Travis do?  Yes, you can!  Discover how to tap into your "RP-Generosity" and how to avoid the...

You've got D&D problems?  We've got D&D answers.  Dungeon Masters Rob and Matt are here to answer common tabletop questions and solve those sticky RPG situations that you have gotten yourself into.   (2:00) Problem Player in Poughkeepsie asks, "How do you deal with players who wander off on their own?  How do you recover when you make a rules mistake?" (9:44) Forever DM asks, "I'm always the DM.  ...

Matt and Rob get excited about Will Smith's orc cop movie and its influences, then talk about the second half of "Xanathar's Guide to Everything", which includes traps, monster tables, and all other kinds of DM goodies. Come for the nerd nonsense, stay for the deep dive into DM resources.

In part one of our review of Xanathar's Guide to Everything , we talk about balance, power creep, design space, and, true to our roots, give crushing letter grades to all of the classes. Listen to Rob rant about fighters, Matt reference Poochie, and both of us groan in dismay over a certain goofy-ass beholder.

Matt and Rob both bring nothing into the Drift (TM) to discuss the nerd news of the day before they help you master the fine art of character creation.   Breaking: Bad Boy Billionaire Bezos Buys Bilbo Baggins Biography!  Can Amazon actually make a good Lord of the Rings TV show?  Someone else always has to, like, carry on the story, we guess. Next, Matt and Rob talk about how to take your characte...

Matt and Rob talk Xanathar's, downtime activities, and perhaps the MOST important session your RPG group will ever have -- session zero.  Learn how to head off some of the most common game problems before you campaign even begins!  Help your players make the best characters they've ever made.  This one is a must listen if you are new DM or player and need help getting started! 

Kind of a news round-up, grab bag kind of episode, covering everything from racism to tech at the table and everything in between. Matt and Rob also hash out a magic item for you to steal, if that's your thing. I don't know man, just listen, it's a good one.   The DMs are aware that they said "swords" and then immediately talked about a dagger, don't @ us.   Link: T he Splitspace Blade