Mastering Dungeons

Episode 164 of Mastering Dungeons!  Main topic: The Outlands! Outside of Sigil are the Outlands, marked by fantastic and intense gate towns reflecting the plane beyond. Find out why we would change these up and how! News: D&D TV Launches, Chains of Asmoeus, Biggest Crowdfunders, and more! Contents 00:00 Scary Candy 01:58 Span the Ages? 07:23 Reduce HPs? 14:01 Session Length? 21:13 Buck Stops H...

Episode 163 of Mastering Dungeons!  This week's main topic: Planescape: Sigil’s Factions and Wards! The City of Sigil’s factions can be hard to grasp, but they play a critical role and shape the city itself, turning the city’s neighborhoods into reflections of their philosophies. News: WotC Recalls Many Things, Rough Hasbro Q3, D&D Anthology, and more! Contents 00:00 Back from GameHole! 03:28...

Episode 162 of Mastering Dungeons!  This week's main topic: Live at Gamehole 2023 – Setting Products! We discuss settings with our live audience! What do you want from a setting? Paper or digital? And is it Sigil or Sijil? Contents 00:00 Live at GameHole! 00:47 Sigil or Sijil? 05:09 What Do We Want from Settings? 06:23 Adventure Atlas: the Mortuary 10:20 Another Mortuary? 13:11 Audience Interest 1...

Episode 161 of Mastering Dungeons!  This week's main topic: Planescape: City of Sigil! The City of Sigil is a sci-fi conundrum. Let’s learn what makes the city so intriguing and how a DM can make the most of it. News: WotC hiring, Baldman at PAXU, Unforgettable Villains, and more! Contents 00:00 D&D Tutor 03:16 Class Sales? 08:33 Bigger Books? 10:28 Reskinning? 15:50 Dungeon Tropes? 19:54 Bald...

Episode 160 of Mastering Dungeons!  This week's main topic: Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse! 5E finally has Planescape! We take a look at Sigill and the Outlands, the first book introducing the setting and offering character options. News: The End of Everything, D&D Adds Bastions, WotC Drops Penguin, and more! Contents 00:00 Alex Kammer! 01:15 What is Gamehole Con? 09:30 Our Gamehole...

Episode 159 of Mastering Dungeons!  This week's main topic: Modiphius 2D20 RPGs! We take a look at the Modiphius 2D20 RPG system, including a close look at Star Trek Adventures and Dune: Adventures in the Imperium. News: Evil Genius Sues Netflix, Planescape Previews and Downloads, Free Lightning Keep, and more! Contents 00:00 Boosted 01:42 Modules? 11:21 New or Modify? 17:09 Planescape Previews 28...

Episode 158 of Mastering Dungeons!  This week's main topic: DMG Conclusion: Creating Monsters, Spells, Magic Items. Appendices! The 2014 DMG ends with teaching DMs how to create rules and tries to inspire DMs. We then look back on the whole of the DMG and what 2024 might bring. News: What the D&D Community Update Forgot, New Eldraine Monsters, Maps VTT, and more! Contents 00:00 Lakeside 01:14...

Episode 157 of Mastering Dungeons!  This week's main topic: DMG Chapter 9 part 2: Firearms, Plot Points, Initiative and Action Variants! The 2014 DMG provides many optional rules. Which ones would we use, and what should the 2024 DMG bring forward or change? News: Latest Playtest Backtracks, Prison Wish Lists, D&D Upcoming Release News, and more! Contents 00:00 Chainsaw Runner 02:59 What’s Up...

Episode 156 of Mastering Dungeons!  This week's main topic: DMG Chapter 9: Dungeon Master’s Workshop! The 2014 DMG provides many optional rules. Which ones would we use, and what should the 2024 DMG bring forward or change? News: Latest Playtest Backtracks, Prison Wish Lists, D&D Upcoming Release News, and more! Contents 00:00 Dark 03:51 Poisoner? 12:52 2024 Adventure? 19:45 UA 7 Released 31:4...

Episode 155 of Mastering Dungeons!  This week's main topic: DMG Running the Game part 3! How well does the DMG help us track initiative, improvise damage, run chases, fire siege weapons, and give out XP? Shawn and Teos have some good laughs as they investigate the 2018 DMG. News: Demiplane 5E Surprise, Phandelver Previews, Hiring and Pay, and more! Contents 00:00 PAX 03:36 Too Many Products? 09:19...

Episode 154 of Mastering Dungeons!  This week's main topic: The 2014 DMG Chapter 8 – Running the Game, part 2! Shawn and Teos continue examining Chapter 8 of the 2014 DMG. From optional ways to handle close die rolls, to social interactions, to exploration, we look at fascinating topics. News: D&D Movie Really Losing Money? Free Gazetteer, BG3 Reviews, Phandelver Sneak Peeks, and more! Content...

Episode 153 of Mastering Dungeons!  This week's main topic: Shadow of the Weird Wizard with Rob Schwalb! Rob Schwalb talks about his fantastic Kickstarter for Weird Wizard, his days at Wizards and insights into 5E’s creation, and what makes for a fantastic RPG. News: Tal’Dorei Reborn is the first 3rd party product on D&D Beyond, WotC Playtest Experiments, New D&D Beyond Survey, and more! C...

Episode 152 of Mastering Dungeons!  This week's main topic: The 2014 DMG Chapter 8 – Running the Game! Seven chapters later, the DM finally is told how to run the game! Was the wait worth it? Shawn and Teos review which parts hit the mark and which fall short. News: Hasbro’s Rough Q2, Gen Con Breaks Records, Crawford on Settings, 2024 More Like 2014, and more! Contents 00:00 Gooooooool 02:02 Lite...

Episode 151 of Mastering Dungeons!  This week's main topic: The 2014 DMG Chapter 6 – Treasure! Shawn and Teos ponder treasure. How much to give out, and how often? What is the role of treasure and its implications? From attunement to sentient items, we dig into the 2014 5E DMG and what we might want to see in 2024. News: A giant problem for D&D, Free League rocks ENnies, Cthulhu Saved, and mor...

Episode 150 of Mastering Dungeons!  This week's main topic: The 2014 DMG Chapter 6 – Downtime! Shawn and Teos are huge fans of Downtime, introduced in the 2014 5E DMG. However, the material in Chapter 6 has been changed greatly by Xanathar’s and Acquisitions Incorporated. What would Shawn and Teos want from the 2024 DMG? News: Translated SRD, Sales Figures for D&D, D&D Movie Sequel, Top Cr...

Episode 149 of Mastering Dungeons!  This week's main topic: The 2014 DMG Chapter 5 – Urban and Unusual Environments! Shawn and Teos revisit the 2014 5E DMG by following Chapter 5. The rest of the chapter covers Urban and Unusual Environments, plus Traps. What would Shawn and Teos add to the 2024 DMG? News: WotC closes eOne in the UK, Paizo closes office, D&D Gen Con events sort of, and more! C...

Episode 148 of Mastering Dungeons!  This week's main topic: The 2014 DMG Chapter 5 – Urban and Unusual Environments! Shawn and Teos revisit the 2014 5E DMG by following Chapter 5. The rest of the chapter covers Urban and Unusual Environments, plus Traps. What would Shawn and Teos add to the 2024 DMG? News: Critical Role heads to London, Free HeroQuest, D&D at SDCC, and more! Contents 00:00 Ita...

Episode 147 of Mastering Dungeons This week's main topic: James Introcaso of MCDM joins Shawn to discuss the difference between writing a custom RPG vs creating for 5E! News: Owlbear Love, ENnies, Gen Con Online, and more! Contents 00:00 James Introcaso! 01:57 Creating for WotC 06:22 Success Failure Spectrum? 13:29 Character Arcs? 22:26 True Owlbears? 24:41 New Systems? 29:41 Ennies 35:16 Gen Con...

Episode 146 of Mastering Dungeons!  This week's main topic: Mike Shea joins Shawn to compare the benefits of Organized Play vs Home Games! News: D&D Playtest 6,  Baldur’s Gate Date, Final ORC License, and more! Contents 00:00 Swimming 01:07 5E Splinter? 10:24 Adventure Design? 27:45 Playtest Packet 6 30:26 Final Orcs 39:06 Beadle & Grimm’s 44:16 Baldur’s Gate Date 45:39 Savage Worlds 46:39 Aetheri...

Episode 145 of Mastering Dungeons!  This week's main topic: The 2014 DMG Chapter 5 – Wilderness and Settlements! Shawn and Teos revisit the 2014 5E DMG by following Chapter 5. Do they get lost in creating and traversing a wilderness? Do they find the worst settlement table ever? News: America is Neutral Good, Blood in Baldur’s Gate, Origins Awards, Diana Jones Finalists, and more! Contents 00:00 O...

Episode 144 of Mastering Dungeons!  This week's main topic: The 2014 DMG Chapter 5 – Adventure Environments! Shawn and Teos revisit the 2014 5E DMG by following Chapter 5 and rolling up a random dungeon. Is the result satisfying or does it fall apart? News: Reddit Woes, Renegade Oversteps, Freelancer Pay Survey, Gamehole Events, and more! Contents 00:00 Whole Enchilada 02:11 Memorable Campaign? 08...

Episode 143 of Mastering Dungeons!  This week's main topic: Celeste Conowitch on Designing Tales of the Valiant! What does it take to design a new variant of D&D? Hear the valiant tales of Celeste Conowitch, Senior Game Designer at Kobold Press!  News: Upper Deck Sues Ravensburger, 2024 Update, Final Rivals Stream, Creator Spotlight, and more! Contents 00:00 Shawn Issues 00:55 DM Fiat? 04:59 2024...

Episode 142 of Mastering Dungeons!  This week's main topic: The 2014 DMG Chapter 3 – Creating Nonplayer Characters! Shawn and Teos revisit the 2014 5E DMG. From ideals and bonds tables, to hirelings, to villain motives, does this tell a would-be-author how to craft a great NPC?  News: Candela Obscura, Valiant Kickstarter, Sharkadia, D&D Pride Gear, and more! Contents 00:00 Across the Masterverse 0...

Episode 141 of Mastering Dungeons!  This week's main topic: The 2014 DMG Chapter 3 – Creating Adventures, part 2! Shawn and Teos revisit the 2014 5E DMG. From event-based adventures to the encounter building rules, does this tell a would-be-author how to craft a great adventure?  News: D&D Marketing Summit, 2023 Product Reveals, Price Increases, Planescape Hopes, and more! Contents 00:00 Geeky Gua...

Episode 140 of Mastering Dungeons!  This week's main topic: The 2014 DMG Chapter 3 – Creating Adventures! Shawn and Teos revisit the 2014 5E DMG. We look at Creating Adventures. Does this tell a would-be-author how to craft a great adventure? News: UA Survey, D&D Producer Job, Russ Nicholson Remembered, Flummox, Dungeon Secrets, and more! Contents 00:00 Speaking of Geeks 02:19 Automating Complexit...