becomingDM

Are your players tired of finding short sword after short sword?  Has it gotten to the point where gold doesn't even excite them anymore?  Then maybe you need to look at upping your treasure game.  In this episode of becomingDM, John and Felicia talk about treasure that your players can discover that isn't just weapons, gold, and armor!  Join us for this episode! If you've got comments for this ep...

In the latest release of our Dealing With series, we're talking all about Fighters!  Even though they have been a part of role playing games since pretty much the beginning, fighters can sometimes stump DMs when they start to blow through your carefully constructed combat scenarios.  Or sometimes DMs are looking for additional ways to integrate a fighter into their storyline or highlight their fig...

In this episode we continue our conversation with Malcolm about adding factions to your game!  We get further into faction creation in discussing how the factions are organized, creating methods by which players can attempt to join factions, and even touch on how to create storylines that rely on your factions.  Join us to hear the exciting conclusion of this two part series! We'd love to hear wha...

The players in your games don't have to be the only ones that bond together for a common cause!  Adding factions to you game allows you to create groups that can have goals that align with or counter to the goals of your party.  Whether it's a government, a criminal syndicate, a mages college, adding factions to your game can be a great way to add depth to your games and create a launching point f...

The first episode of becomingDM in 2021 features a listener requested topic of running published modules.  Join us as John and Felicia cover choosing the appropriate published module to run, what to do when you first get started, key things to look out for in your modules, and even how to deal with missing elements in the module.  Whether you're running a module for the first time, or you've run s...

Are you looking for that next monster to populate your dungeon with?  Maybe you need something to throw at your players as they are traveling across a wooded area.  In the latest episode of becomingDM we are continuing out series on My Favorite Monster where John and Felicia discuss many of the monsters they have found and used in their games.  In this episodes they will cover Shambling Mounds, Tr...

We've always said that preparation is one of the best ways to be able to pivot and improv when your game goes an unexpected direction.  But what happens if the players make such a radical decision that if feels they've left the map entirely and are forging a completely new way?  In this episode of becomingDM we're talking about tips, tricks, and strategies for improvising when your players forge a...

Whether you are starting a new game, expanding the group you currently play with, or replacing someone that has left, finding the right player for your game is critical to ensure it's continued fun and success.  In this episode of becomingDM, John and Felicia talk about things to consider when looking for new players as well as some tips on where you might look for them. If you have questions or c...

They're always sneaking up on the enemies and sneak attacking them!  How do you hide in the middle of combat?  What exactly does uncanny dodge do? If you have a rogue in your game, chances are that you may have said one of these things at this point.  In this episode of becomingDM, John and Felicia are talking about Rogues, their skills, and how to integrate and challenge them in your game.  We di...

If you run role-playing games long enough, you will eventually experience the death of one of the characters in the game.  Whether it's intentional when a player is leaving the game or the result of bad luck on rolls or just simple stupid mistakes, death always brings the question to your game of, "what's next?"  Understanding how to deal with character death and what the next step options are for...

Have you gotten tired of magic always coming to the rescue of your players?  Maybe you just want less magic in your campaign because Joe always tries to get a +5 battle axe of head severing.  Whatever the reason, running a low or no magic campaign can be a way to change up things from your average role playing game.  But there's a lot of stuff that could potentially disappear or change in your gam...

It's that time of year!  With Halloween right around the corner, a lot of DMs are thinking about running Halloween themed or horror games.  But where does an enterprising DM start?  Have no fear, in the first episode after returning from a break John and Felicia talk about the different kinds of games that you can run to get your table in the theme of the season as well as some tips and tricks to...

You've just wrapped up a session of you're favorite role playing game and you start feeling a sensation of dread. "Did the players have fun?  Was my story even interesting?  They probably thought that I don't know what I'm doing because I don't know the rules as well as some of the players".  If you're thinking thoughts like these, it could be that you're a victim to imposter syndrome!  In this ep...

Looking for new monsters to try out in your game?  Or maybe you've got that perfect monster and don't know quite the way to use it to make an interesting or challenging scenario for your players.  In the latest installment of our every-so-often series, My Favorite Monster, John and Felicia are talking a whole new set of monsters!  This time we're covering some all-time classics like mimics and dra...

Critical success and critical failures can make your favorite role playing game more exciting or nerve wracking, but what does it actually mean to have a critical success or critical failure.  In this episode of becomingDM, John and Felicia talk about rolling nat 20s and nat 1s, what the rules say about them as well as potential changes that some DMs make to their games.  Whether you're a purist f...

Do you know the difference between the acrobatics and athletics skills?  What about survival and nature?  How about bluff and diplomacy?  In this episode of becomingDM, John and Felicia talk about skills that may give DMs some trouble when trying to determine what's best to use in a given situation.  They will go over the nuances that make the skills different and make suggestions on when to use w...

Combat and exploration is a big part of running a tabletop role playing game, so carefully considering how you set the scene for those situations can determine how invested your players are in the game.  In this episode of becomingDM, John and Felicia talk about the four main options for setting the scene in your game as well as the pros and cons of using each.  Whether it's theater of the mind, u...

Whether you're running a game of political intrigue or an epic hack n slash campaign, sometimes traveling between points A and B can fall a bit flat.  Sure, everyone wants to keep the story going, but sometimes having the story broken up by unexpected trips during travel can make the game that enjoyable. In this episode of becomingDM, John and Felicia discuss ways to make your travel more than jus...

You've been waiting for years and you feel like the day is finally here.  Your kids have gotten old enough to actually play in your favorite tabletop role playing game!  But wait, how do you make sure that their first experience keeps them wanting to come back for more? This week on becomingDM, John and Felicia talk about things to be aware of and plan for when running games for kids.  Whether it'...

With all of the news about COVID-19 going around, it's easy to understand why so many in person games may have been cancelled in order to stay in line with social distancing and stay at home orders.  But don't fret! You don't have to push the pause button on your campaign!  In this episode, we cover moving your game to an online virtual tabletop and running the game with remote players.  John and...

We're starting a new "every so often" series here at becomingDM called "My Favorite Monster" where Felicia and John discuss some of their favorite monsters to throw against players at their tables.  Each new episode in the series will cover new monsters, talk about some specific traits that are important for them and how they like to use them in their campaign.  So join us for the first episode! ...

Puzzles can be a great addition to you game to get players more involved, unless they aren't.  In this episode of becomingDM, John and Felicia talk about a number of things to consider when integrating puzzles into your tabletop role playing game.  They will cover determining whether or not your players will even enjoy having puzzles in the game, different types of puzzles (including riddles and o...

Whether you are just starting out running games or you've been a DM for a quarter century there are probably skills that you could identify that you feel are important for running a quality game.  Is it the ability to smile during adversity?  Or maybe being able to fold origami swans that you can throw at your players.  Whatever it is, hopefully there is some overlap with what you and your players...

Even though role playing games are times when people come together to create a story together, sometimes it's not all harmony.  Some players actively destroy the balance of harmony and can make games take significantly longer, upset other players, and in the worst cases completely torpedo the game.  This week, John and Felicia talk about how to work and deal with problem players at your table.  Wh...

It's the last episode of the build your own series!  When it comes to building out a campaign, building a nemesis can be a big undertaking.  In addition to determining whether your characters will end up choosing their own nemesis because of their own actions, you have to concern yourself with a big personality, back story, and even potentially build out a full character.  Join us in this episode...