Dragon Mind - Mindful TTRPGs

In this episode, John and Ian follow up on the topic of Lens 13, Meaningful Quest Design, with a discussion on how structuring your quests' stories help organize your thoughts to be more digestible for your players. For Ian's YouTube video on Structuring Great Quests, you can head to: https://youtu.be/1eL8O6R0frM (Structuring Great Quests) For more information on the Triple Goddess and the dangers...

In this episode, John and Ian discuss player agency and how having more choices doesn't necessarily mean your players will have more meaningful TTRPG experiences. For our video on Complexity vs Depth in game design, head to: https://youtu.be/72Y8dNvHqmY Dragon Mind is a TTRPG discussion podcast where we look through the infinite lenses of TTRPGs to discover our best selves through gaming. If liste...

In today’s episode, we discuss the book Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott and how it helped Stephanie shape and connect to her favorite D&D character, Mizonouta. If you're interested in checking out the book for yourself, you can purchase it with the link below: https://www.amazon.com/Bird-Some-Instructions-Writing-Life/dp/0385480016/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2X8D0I70G5C...

After six years of publishing episodes, the hit audio drama Advantage is now ready for Arc 3! To learn more about the cast and the world of the Cusp, head to advantagednd.com  And, be sure to check out the Darkmore Podcast Community Discord at https://discord.gg/3eAzTw9J 

In this episode, John and Joe sit down again to discuss Character Discovery, the unique comprehensive process that the cast of Advantage goes through in order to create the fleshed out, dynamic characters you listen to in each episode. You can check out Baheer's questionnaire over at https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iV28S8FB5bdHBiOagzOkhtiDznNDdEz-hI6Ne1shJ2M/edit?usp=sharing To get the whole A...

Apologies for the lack of a formal intro. I've lost my voice and couldn't record one. Anyways... In this episode, John and Joe, the DM for the D&D audio drama Advantage , talk shop about Fifth Edition's accessibility to new players of all ages, the value of structuring our imagination with game rules, and the impact of selecting particular players for particular campaigns. To get the whole Adv...

Well...it's time. Time to talk about the OGL and our future with D&D. Resource Links: Wizards of the Coast's statement on Updating the OGL: https://www.dndbeyond.com/posts/1423-an-update-on-the-open-game-license-ogl  Roll for Combat's Interview with Ryan Dancey: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Vz9ogq7JTg  Dragon Mind is a TTRPG discussion podcast where we look through the infinite l...

Want an inside look at the life of a Professional Game Master? Well do we have the episode for you! In this episode, John and Jaxn (from the channel Truesight on YouTube) talk about the world of professional game mastering, the psychological benefits of TTRPGs, and how DMing is largely about knowing how to take a step back.  To check out Jaxn's work, head to his YouTube channel at youtube.com/...

This is audio of Ian and John's first YouTube livestream, A Year in Review, over at the Incendium D&D YouTube channel, which you can find at https://www.youtube.com/@IncendiumDnD  Dragon Mind is a TTRPG discussion podcast where we look through the infinite lenses of TTRPGs to discover our best selves through gaming. If listening to this episode sparks any insights or questions, post them...

In this episode, John and Ian discuss prepping for combat in 5th Edition D&D, how combat reinforces a story's themes, and keeping in mind how you want your players to feel while experiencing combat. For a more in depth look at 4th Edition Monster Roles, you can check out our video on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTcgrdGFXAs&t=5s  Dragon Mind is a TTRPG discussion podcas...

"If you solve all your problems to the benefit of others, nothing will be denied you in this lifetime." ~John Fritz In today’s episode, we discuss how embracing metagaming can improve your life, as well as experiment with a fun way to envision who you want to be in 2023 :) In this segment of the Dragon Mind TTRPG Podcast, John and Stephanie borrow brilliance from our world's most insightful minds...

In this episode, John and Ian discuss session prep, how much is too much or too little, and how prep is a constant process of iteration and reiteration. Once again, we reference the podcast Running off the Rails , particularly an episode about pacing. Check it out at: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1OzDGpRgXaWaNauoVexGMf?si=1d4cca14e0904429 Dragon Mind is a TTRPG discussion podcast where we look...

The alternate title for this episode is "The Great Ardling Argument". In this One D&D Bonus episode, John, Ian, Stephanie, and Michael discuss their thoughts and speculations about the newest One D&D Unearthed Arcana, Cleric and Revised Species , which presents the new playtest design of the Cleric and Goliath, as well as reworked designs for Ardlings and Dragonborn. Check out the new Play...

In this episode, John interviews his martial arts mentor of almost 25 years, Ken Caputo, about the personal growth and development skills learned in Five Animal Kung Fu, as well as why this podcast has the name "Dragon Mind". If you have any questions about the Five Animals or the Life Spiral Project, you can contact Ken at ken@momentumlearning.info Dragon Mind is a TTRPG discussion podcast where...

In today’s episode, we discuss your table's relationship with metagaming, both it's drawbacks and its hidden benefits, and how, in a way, you're always metagaming. In this segment of the Dragon Mind TTRPG Podcast, John and Stephanie borrow brilliance from our world's most insightful minds to become better game masters, players, and people. This podcast is brought to you by Incendium D&D. For m...

In this episode, John and Ian discuss one of the most contentious topics in TTRPGs, Splitting the Party, both its benefits and drawbacks, and how storytelling tools mesh with your table’s culture. Throughout this episode, we reference a podcast episode by Running off the Rails also about splitting the party, which makes a great companion listen to the content we present here. You can find their ep...

In today’s episode, we discuss the book Start with Why by Simon Sinek, and the power of designing campaigns and homebrew by first understanding your game's core purpose. In this segment of the Dragon Mind TTRPG Podcast, John and Stephanie borrow brilliance from our world's most insightful minds to become better game masters, players, and people. To check out the book Start with Why for yourself: h...

In this special bonus episode, John and Ian discuss their thoughts on One D&D's Expert Classes after playtesting them in a one shot. Check out the new Playtest for yourself at: https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/one-dnd Dragon Mind is a TTRPG discussion podcast where we look through the infinite lenses of TTRPGs to discover our best selves through gaming. This podcast is a proud member of the D...

In this episode, John and Ian discuss one of the most iconic elements of Dungeons and Dragons , dungeon crawling, the cultural shifts in the D&D community, and discovering your table’s preferred balance between Narrative and Simulationist experiences. Throughout this episode, we mention a few videos we posted on our YouTube channel, Incendium D&D. You can check them out with the links belo...

Today’s episode is a follow up on our previous discuss of the book Fire Child Water Child by Dr. Stephen Scott Cowan, which connects behaviors of adolescent ADHD with the Five Elements of Chinese medicine. This time, we dive in to how to use various D&D classes to cultivate the different elemental energies within yourself through gameplay at the table. Borrowing Brilliance is a new segment of...

With new play test material comes another One D&D Panel! In this special bonus episode, John, Ian, Stephanie, and their DM friend Michael discuss their thoughts and speculations about the newest One D&D play test material, Expert Classes, which includes reworked mechanics for Bards, Rangers, and Rogues, as well as reworked feats and new additions to the Rules Glossary. Check out the new Pl...

In this episode, John and Ian discuss how to create and use rules to support the aesthetic of your custom setting. Dragon Mind is a TTRPG discussion podcast where we look through the infinite lenses of TTRPGs to discover our best selves through gaming. This podcast is a proud member of the Darkmore Podcast Network. To discover more content from its members, visit darkmorepodcasts.com To join our c...

In this episode, John and Ian discuss the value of starting your DM journey by learning and ruling with the Rules as Written, if nothing else so that if you do plan on homebrewing, you'll be more educated on the kinds of decisions you'll be making and the effect it'll have on the system. In this episode, we shout out our friend Adamus from Adamus Drake Productions, whose website is linked below: h...

In this episode, John and Ian discuss the effect that your game’s peripheral structure has on your session’s success. Some examples include session length, online vs in person gaming, and dialogue through speaking vs typing Dragon Mind is a TTRPG discussion podcast where we look through the infinite lenses of TTRPGs to discover our best selves through gaming. This podcast is a proud member of the...

In this special bonus episode, John, Ian, and Stephanie discuss their thoughts and speculations about One D&D, the codename for the "next iteration" of D&D being released in 2024. Dragon Mind is a TTRPG discussion podcast where we look through the infinite lenses of TTRPGs to discover our best selves through gaming. This podcast is a proud member of the Darkmore Podcast Network. To discove...