Mastering Dungeons

Episode 139 of Mastering Dungeons!  This week's main topic: The 2014 DMG Chapter 2 – The Multiverse! Shawn and Teos revisit the 2014 5E DMG. We look at Creating a Multiverse and whether it even belongs in Chapter 2. If it does, what should it look like in the 2024 DMG?  News: Unearthed Barbarians, New Hasbro eOne Streaming Channel, Critical Role Launches New Stream and RPG, and more! Contents 00:0...

Episode 138 of Mastering Dungeons!  This week's main topic: Looking Back at the 2014 DMG – Chapter 1! Shawn and Teos revisit the 2014 5E DMG. How well does it help DMs and what would we change for 2024? News: Weapon Mastery analysis, Keith Baker closes KB Presents, Diana Jones awards, Crowdfunding Spotlight, and more! Contents 00:00 Kids Am I Right? 01:52 Valiant Resistance? 06:07 Polymorph Woes? ...

Episode 137 of Mastering Dungeons!  This week's main topic: Roll20 on VTT Updates Morgan Buck and Andrew Searles visit Shawn and Teos to discuss the history of Roll20, upcoming improvements, the company’s role in the industry, international growth, and much more! News: New UA, Class as Content, Acquisitions Inc in Libraries, Strong Hasbro Q1, and more! Contents 00:00 Smile Like You Mean It 01:09 A...

Episode 136 of Mastering Dungeons!  This week's main topic: Looking Back at the 2014 DMG - Intro! Shawn and Teos revisit the 2014 5E DMG. How well does it help DMs and what would we change for 2024? News: Critical Role RPGs, World Record D&D, Into the Motherland Green Ronin, Gloomhaven RPG, Ghostfire on Beyond, and more! Contents 00:00 High School Redux 03:24 Half-Mechanics? 10:57 Home vs Publishe...

Episode 135 of Mastering Dungeons!  This week's main topic: Dungeon World and Powered by the Apocalypse! Shawn and Teos move to examine Dungeon World and the Powered by the Apocalypse games. We compare the design to D&D and share what we love most about these innovative story-focused RPGs. News: Big Bad Con Online, Diana Jones, Ampersand Boxers, Design Dash, and more! Contents 00:00 Boys Are Back...

Episode 134 of Mastering Dungeons!  This week's main topic: Kevin Kulp and the many GUMSHOE RPGs! Designer Kevin Kulp joins us as we discuss how TimeWatch, Night’s Black Agents, Swords of the Serpentine, and many other amazing games all build on the excellent GUMSHOE system. We compare the design to D&D and share what we love most about these innovative RPGs. News: D&D Summit, PH in the Top 100, S...

Episode 133 of Mastering Dungeons!  This week's main topic: Themes and Genres in RPGs! What is meant by an RPG’s theme? What impact does it have, and why are some games better for a particular theme than others? Shawn Merwin and Ben Byrne discuss themes and genres and present examples in RPGs. News: D&D Direct, Movie Success, VTT Preview, Hobby Grows, and more! Contents 00:00 Ben Byrne! 02:11 Play...

Episode 132 of Mastering Dungeons!  Support the Forge of Foes: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/slyflourish/the-lazy-dms-forge-of-foes-for-5e?ref=e2zf6e  This week's main topic: Rich Lescouflair and the Esper Genesis RPG! Rich Lescouflair joins Shawn to discuss the latest D&D news and Esper Genesis - his amazing sci-fi version of 5E D&D. News: D&D Community Update, Choose-a-path Before the Sto...

Episode 131 of Mastering Dungeons!  Support the Forge of Foes: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/slyflourish/the-lazy-dms-forge-of-foes-for-5e?ref=e2zf6e  This week's main topic: The 13th Age RPG! We take a look at 13th Age, an RPG inspired by the 3rd and 4th editions of D&D. Rob Heinsoo and Jonathan Tweet encourage greater storytelling and even a bit of chaos. Learn about these innovations and...

Episode 130 of Mastering Dungeons!  We both have Kickstarters: Grim Hollow - Vallikan Clans: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/977277590/grim-hollow-valikan-clans   Forge of Foes: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/slyflourish/the-lazy-dms-forge-of-foes-for-5e?ref=e2zf6e  This week's main topic: Fate campaigns with Mike Olson! Mike has worked on many Fate projects, so he helps us look into Fa...

Episode 129 of Mastering Dungeons!  We both have Kickstarters: Grim Hollow - Vallikan Clans: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/977277590/grim-hollow-valikan-clans   Forge of Foes: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/slyflourish/the-lazy-dms-forge-of-foes-for-5e?ref=e2zf6e  This week's main topic: The Fate RPG! We take a look at Fate's RPG and how different it is from D&D. News: D&D movie direc...

Episode 128 of Mastering Dungeons!  Teos celebrates the launch of the Forge of Foes Kickstarter, which you can back and preview here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/slyflourish/the-lazy-dms-forge-of-foes-for-5e?ref=e2zf6e This week's main topic: To Be or Not to Be a Villain, with James Introcaso and Rudy Baso! We take a look at other RPGs and compare them to D&D, this time an adventure based...

Episode 127 of Mastering Dungeons!  This week's main topic: Shadow of the Demon Lord! We take a look at other RPGs and compare them to D&D, starting with Shadow of the Demon Lord. An incredibly well-designed game, Rob Schwalb delivers a death-metal RPG with excellent innovations.   News: Speak with Dead D&D Trailer, Hasbro Q4 and Monetization, Mangianello TV show, Latin America WotC firings, SRD i...

Episode 126 of Mastering Dungeons!  Main Topic: We interview Greg Marks, one of the administrators for the D&D organized play program, Adventurers League. We discuss his amazing introduction to gaming, organized play, conventions, and much more.   News: Kyle Brink OGL Interviews, D&D Super Bowl Ad, Free Keys to the Vault Preview, Baldman Games Awards, Andrews McMeel shuts down RPGs, and more!   Co...

Episode 125 of Mastering Dungeons!  Main Topic: Teos speaks with Kyle Brink, the Executive Producer for D&D. We discuss the OGL, how the D&D Studio works, what WotC has learned, and much more!   No news this week due to the interview length.   Interview Topics  00:00 How Kyle Started in D&D 04:21 Kyle and the D&D Studio 19:18 OGL 23:59 Royalties 26:58 Content Standards 31:12 Share-Alike 33:18 OGL...

Episode 124 of Mastering Dungeons!  The show now will release on Wednesdays! Same content, shorter timeframe, thanks to our Patreon support!  This week we are heading to Winter Fantasy, so our "Main" segment comes first with a meaty section of Listener Questions and then our news is in the usual News segment.    Main: Listener Questions!   News: OGL Resolution, D&D Movie Trailer, Critical Role Emp...

Episode 123 of Mastering Dungeons!  Main Topic: We look back at the 2014 5E Player's Handbook. What do the Appendices tell us about 5E’s design, and how does it differ from previous editions?   News: Listener Perspectives, OGL 1.2 Review, What Makes D&D, Bent Goblin, and we ask you what Mastering Dungeons should cover next!   News Segment and Listener Questions  00:00 Mere Mortals 01:22 Perspectiv...

Episode 122 of Mastering Dungeons!  Main Topic: We look back at the 2014 5E Player's Handbook. How have spells changed across the editions, and what would we change about 5E’s design?   News: Listener OGL Listener Questions, OGL Updates, D&D TV Show, Zelda and D&D, and the Best Sellers on Roll20!   News Segment and Listener Questions  00:00 Electric Triangle 01:04 Weak Heals? 08:04 OGL Discourse?...

Episode 121 of Mastering Dungeons!  Main Topic: We look back at the Spellcasting chapter of the 2014 5E Player's Handbook. What have we learned, what would we change, and what might the next edition of D&D hold?   News: The OGL Leaks, WotC Cancels Video Games, LEGO, Winter Fantasy, and an MMO Flumph!   News Segment and Listener Questions  00:00 Newly Minted 01:19 Unconscious Design? 17:26 OGL Leak...

Episode 120 of Mastering Dungeons!  We look back at the Combat chapter of the 2014 5E Player's Handbook. What have we learned, what would we change, and what might the next edition of D&D hold? In our News segment we discuss Dungeon23, the OGL for One D&D, AL updates, Core20 RPG, Winter Fantasy, and how you can vote to rate Mastering Dungeons the best podcast in 2022!     News Segment and Listener...

Episode 119 of Mastering Dungeons!  This week's main topic: 5E Revisited - Chapter 9 Combat! We look back at the 2014 5E Player's Handbook. What have we learned, what would we change, and what might the next edition of D&D hold? In our News segment we remember Kim Mohan and review news about the DMs Guild and Roll20 integration in February, a comic of the D&D cartoon, Arcadia in Print, and the Swi...

Episode 118 of Mastering Dungeons!  This week's main topic: We finish our look at the Cleric playtest. We take a look at epic feats and changes to the rule glossary! In our News segment we look at WotC hiring a Creative Lead, Hasbro fireside chat, Baldur's Gate 3, and more. News Segment and Listener Questions  00:00 Werewolf Soccer 01:31 Designers Play? 11:33 Spell Schools? 16:28 WotC Creative Lea...

Episode 117 of Mastering Dungeons!  This week's main topic: A shiny new playtest packet features a revised cleric class, three species, and a rule glossary! In our News segment we look at free Dragonlance monsters, new D&D Movie Trailer, Race retired as a term, the end of Acq Inc, and more. News Segment and Listener Questions  00:00 Snow Time 01:24 Community Split? 12:15 AL Storylines? 22:07 Spell...

Episode 116 of Mastering Dungeons!  This week's main topic: 5E Revisited - Chapter 8 Adventuring! We look back at the 2014 5E Player's Handbook. What have we learned, what would we change, and what might the next edition of D&D hold? In our News segment we look at WotC's OGL Response, LEGO and Trivial Pursuit, Mongoose Innovation, and more! Listeners ask us about Compatibility and Settings, the Ch...

RPG veterans and game designers Teos Abadía and Shawn Merwin look at the game and the hobby of D&D from a variety of viewpoints: reporting the news, understanding the business, reviewing the products, and illuminating the design.  Each show typically has three segments: - Listener Questions - Industry News - Main Segment (review, interview, or focused topic) Each episode is one podcast on your pod...