The Dungeon Master's Handbook

The last episode of this podcast. I share some thoughts on why I'm ending the podcast. Thank you for listening! Credits Intro music - Dragonaut by Bradley The Buyer (⁠bit.ly/2ASpAlF⁠) / Outro music - Dream by Wild Shores (⁠bit.ly/2jbJehK⁠) / All music used with permission.

A quick year-end update, since I’ve been busy with holiday and hunting season activities. I want to wish all of you a very Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! If you celebrate, have yourself a Merry Christmas! I did finish my Dungeon23 project! Here’s the details: https://chgowiz-games.etinerra.com/wp/2023/12/16/finishing-dungeon23-i-did-it/ ----- Want to comment/ask questions? Leave a voice messag...

October was a much busier month than I anticipated, so these Q/A call-in answers are a bit late, my apologies! I answer questions/comments about OSR October, OD&D alignment, and module deconstruction from: Jason of Nerd’s RPG Varietycast podcast ( ) Bosman Bos of Tales from the Border Baronies ( https://borderbaronies.bearblog.dev/blog/ ) Menion/Rob of Wee Tim’rous Bushie podcast ( https://podcast...

In this episode, I go over how I deconstruct modules for my own use, whether in my campaign or as one-shots. This is how I get around the linear (and sometimes railroad) designs of many modules. I’m sorry I wasn’t able to get to call-ins, as this was recorded while I was attending GameHoleCon in mid October 2023. Full credit for the phrase “Chgowiz’s Infinite Barrel of Monkeys” goes to Menion/Rob...

I’m in the middle of a physical move from one side of Illinois to the other, so this is just a quick update and some thoughts on what I’ll talk about in October. Full credit for the phrase “Chgowiz’s Infinite Barrel of Monkeys” goes to Menion/Rob of the podcast “Confessions of a Wee Tim'rous Bushi” (https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/menion) ----- Want to comment/ask questions? Leave a voice...

This episode, I ask what YOU want to hear about in OSR October, and I discuss some great call-ins with more about Holmes Basic and OD&D. Help! I’d like to participate in OSR October, but I’m not sure what you’d like to hear about! If you have ideas, suggestions - please let me know by leaving a voice comment (see below). Thank you! ----- Call-in guests Jason of Nerd’s RPG Varietycast: https://podc...

This episode, I take a look at how I’ve used Holmes Basic with my OD&D (and AD&D) games, and a quick comparison of differences between the influential Basic set and the original game. Links mentioned: The Zenopus Archives - a fantastic resource of all things Holmes! https://sites.google.com/site/zenopusarchives/ ---- Want to comment/ask questions? Leave a voice message on Speakpipe: ⁠https://www.s...

I answer an email with questions about running my D&D campaign, with some thoughts on 3 hexes and classes. I also answer Chainmail callins! Call in guests: Jason of Nerds RPG Variety Cast, John of Red Dice Diaries, Daniel of Bandits Keep. Referenced resources Grognard - a “retroclone” of Chainmail, organizing the rules into a more coherent and modern layout. Effective for deciphering what a phrase...

In this episode, I talk about how I adapted the Classic Traveller chargen to my Battlestar Galactica universe. Mentions: Joe/Dekahedron Podcast - https://open.spotify.com/show/48PrG9H7mDbdzdxtET1sI6 ---- Want to comment/ask questions? Leave a voice message on Speakpipe: ⁠https://www.speakpipe.com/MichaelChgowiz⁠ Leave me an audio clip on Discord to user: chgowiz Email me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠chgowiz@gmail.c...

In this episode, I share how I do missile fire in my adaptation of Chainmail for OD&D. Plus, call-ins! Show Notes Old School RPG Planet: https://campaignwiki.org/osr/ Call in guests Daniel of Bandit's Keep podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/daniel-norton Jason of Nerds RPG Variety Cast: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jason376⁠⁠ ---- Want to comment/ask questions? Leave a...

I share four key resources that I think will help anyone who is trying to learn how to play along with the original three little brown books of Dungeons & Dragons as printed back in 1974. Plus, probably one of the most unusual call-ins from a fellow podcaster that you’ll hear! ---- OD&D Proboards Forum - https://odd74.proboards.com/ Philotomy’s Musings - https://www.grey-elf.com/philotomy.pdf Delt...

AD&D can be confusing on how to place treasures with creatures in the wilderness and dungeons, and what's up with all those letters for Treasure Types? In this episode, I go over how AD&D tries to lay this out, and what tips/tricks I use to make the process simple -- at least for me! Plus, I have a great call in from a new listener, Trevor! ---- Swords & Wizardry White Box, 3rd printing: https://d...

Third time's the charm! I finally was able to get this episode recorded! In this episode, rather than talking about how I use Chainmail, I give some thoughts on how Chainmail, in some way, expects you to mold it into what you want to do with it. The companion blog post to this episode goes into some specifics of how I use Chainmail in my OD&D games: https://chgowiz-games.etinerra.com/wp/2023/06/13...

This episode - I've recently started diving into the three 1977 Classic Traveler "little black books" and I'm finding some surprising similarities and philosophies to the earlier 1974 Original Dungeons & Dragons. I'll talk about those similarities and take some call-ins from folks with questions and comments! ---- My call-in guests: Daniel of Bandit's Keep podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/02...

In this episode, I answer a great question from Daniel Norton (Bandit's Keep podcast) about how I manage time and calendars across the three separate player groups and wargame campaigns I have within my AD&D world of Etinerra. ------ Bandit's Keep podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/02QTUpzgKCv2aT6sH6G5rk ------ Want to comment/ask questions? Leave a voice message on Speakpipe: ⁠https://www.spe...

In this episode, I talk about how good things come to an end… or at least an end of how they’ve been. This is all about an 8 year play by post AD&D campaign that just wrapped up a major story arc and could potentially be the end of the campaign itself, depending on what the players want to do. I also briefly touch on how Dungeon23 is going for me, as I’ve been plugging away steadily at it, and I j...

This episode, I’m going to talk about assumptions and expectations that we often have about the rules and the ways things should work - and I think that sometimes takes away from the experience of just being “in” the rules and the game and experiencing it for what it is. Then I’ll answer two call-ins. ----- Nerds RPG Variety Cast: ⁠https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/jason376⁠ Confessions of a...

Yay! I hit the big Five-Oh episode with a look back at where I've been, what I've learned and what might be coming next. Plus, call-ins from Jason of Nerd's RPG Variety Cast podcast, and Daniel of Bandit's Keep podcast. ----- Link to blogpost of the new Swords & Wizardry Treasure Generator: https://chgowiz-games.blogspot.com/2023/03/new-release-swords-wizardry-treasure.html Nerds RPG Variety Cast:...

I recently took up a project to convert my GM preparation tools to a web-based table generator system called Hex-Describe. What started as just taking spreadsheet tables to text tables ended up being a journey through the AD&D core books.  This episode, I share some of that journey and just some thoughts/blathering about AD&D and topics.  ----- Hex-Describe tool: https://campaignwiki.org/hex-descr...

There are some hidden directions and implications in OD&D and AD&D on XP and leveling beyond just killing things and taking their stuff. Not quest XP, exactly, but the implication of power and influence. I ramble on a bit about that and how I handle it in my OD&D and AD&D games. Also, Dungeon23 continues! Sorry for the road noise! Commuting episodes can be like that. ----- Want to comment/ask ques...

As folks are busy creating dungeons for Dungeon23, they're asking about what to do with empty rooms! This episode, I share some thoughts about how to embrace the art of empty rooms and how I approach them. ----- Want to comment/ask questions? Leave a voice message on Speakpipe: ⁠https://www.speakpipe.com/MichaelChgowiz⁠ Leave me an audio clip on Discord to user: chgowiz Email me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠chgowiz...

Merry Christmas! It's Christmas Eve and I have a few minutes  to answer some great call-ins. We continue the discussion and thoughts on DIY rules versus published rules. Thank you to Daniel Norton of Bandits Keep ( https://anchor.fm/daniel-norton ) and Jason of Nerd's RPG Variety Cast ( https://anchor.fm/jason376 ) for calling in! ----- Want to comment/ask questions? Leave a voice message on Speak...

It was The Way for Gary/David in 1974, hopefully it could still be considered for today's games? In this episode, I share my thoughts and opinions on houseruling and thinking outside the rules - how that has changed from early D&D versions to today's games. I also share progress on my Dungeon23 megadungeon! ----- Want to comment/ask questions? Leave a voice message on Speakpipe: ⁠https://www.speak...

An interesting project is taking shape in the social media-sphere of the TTRPG world - Dungeon23! The idea is to create a room a day, completing a level a month, so that at the end of the year, you'll have a megadungeon of 12 levels, roughly 30 rooms each level. Neat! In a "commute episode", with the expected audio quality (or lack-thereof), I talk about this new project, how it comes at an intere...

For many, miniatures on the gaming table is a special part of the experience. One of the original names in Dungeons & Dragons gaming (and wargaming!) is Ral Partha. This storied name and many of the figures are now owned by Jacob Fathbruckner. During the 'teens, he ran three Kickstarters which put many old and some new Ral Partha figures back in print.  Now he's back with another Kickstarter, feat...