Dungeon Master of None

Matt and Rob review the official Eberron hardcover source book for 5th edition Dungeons and Dragons, Eberron: Rising from the Last War.   Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice The Doors - The Changeling

From Iago to Ivan Drago, your campaign is only as good as its villain, so Matt and Rob talk about how to make one that doesn't suck. Please enjoy the digressions on ball-thwacking, dwarves, and the moon. Music: Billie Eilish -- Bad Guy Lion King -- Be Prepared Taylor Swift -- The Man Tears for Fears -- Everybody Wants to Rule the World Deltron 3030 -- Mastermind Bishop Briggs -- Jekyll & Hyde Shin...

DMs Rob and Matt dive into  Consent in Gaming from Monte Cook Games .   Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice Love - Alone Again Or 

DMs Matt and Rob discuss how to build your campaign world's history without writing a dissertation in the process. 

Matt and Rob review Descent Into Avernus (please ignore the fact that they call it "Descent TO Avernus" through the entire podcast). Rob gets really excited and says 'like' a lot, sorry, and Matt's internet connection goes out halfway through and we have to communicate via morse code, so sorry about that too. We also talk about the new UA and how much smarter we are than the professionals. Music:...

Rob and Matt are back to save your game. Plus, what is good for the goose is good for the gander, as we build a magic item using a Kushan relic. Here's the link! Image from the Seshat Databank.    Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice Metalocalypse - Impeach God David Bowie - Rebel, Rebel Travis Scott - goosebumps 

Matt and Rob talk about Feast of Legends, the Wendy's themed RPG. Recording this episode made our souls feel the way eating a Wendy's burger makes our bodies feel.   Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice Jimmy Buffet -- Cheeseburger in Paradise

Lord help us, DMs Matt and Rob are back on their BS. Your hosts review the worldbuilding in the new fantasy series,  Carnival Row. Letters: MP writes, "How do both of you organize your notes?"   Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice The Decemberists - The Perfect Crime #2

The dark and gritty Dungeon Master of None reboot, "DMoN 2000," is upon us. We talk subclasses: Bard and Paladin Sorcerer and Warlock Monk and Barbarian Letters: "Help me design a way to kill god!" "Can an RPG module be art?" Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice The Ventures - Walk, Don't Run Stone Temple Pilots - Dead & Bloated Talking Heads - Artists Only

It's part two of DM Matt's Actual Prep series. You can listen to part one, in which Matt designs an adventure "live," here. DM Matt reflects on how to use your few moments before a game session to prep, what to adjust on the fly, and how to reflect on your adventures critically.  Also, the adventure that Matt and Rob wrote based on these episodes is available for purchase on the DMsGuild!  Links:...

Fate has forced us into another desperate solo episode, so please enjoy Rob talking about GNS theory, and if you're mad about anything he said that's wrong, please e-mail Matt. You can read the original post about GNS yourself here: http://www.indie-rpgs.com/articles/1/ .  

Matt and Rob talk about how to fit a proper class analysis into your worldbuilding, though this time it's mostly about designing character classes for your RPG and not a materialist interpretation of fantasy worlds, we managed to hold off on the dialectics this time around. Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice Freedom Call - Warriors Aladdin - A Whole New World Sheb Wooley - Purple People Eater Sabaton...

Your favorite DMs discuss a topic they are ABSOLUTELY qualified to give advice on: running "solo" or "duet" campaigns. Listen for some useful tips on how to make a campaign for one person and to listen to Matt mispronounce "smorgasboard" and "gestalt". Letters at the end! Links: Actual Prep Episode Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice Celine Dion - All By Myself The Turtles - So Happy Together Marilyn M...

As part of our quest to steal advice from every RPG ever published, DMs Rob and Matt discuss Dungeon World by Sage LaTorra and Adam Koebel. Dungeon World has a great description of how RPGs work and some excellent tips you can use in games run in any system. Stay tuned for the mailbag and the return of "Real or Woe!"     Letters: Jason asks: "Can I get a preview copy of the Actual Prep adventure ?...

Remember Pathfinder? It's back, in pog form! DMs Matt and Rob review the brand new 2nd edition rules of the Pathfinder Role-Playing Game.    Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice Dua Lipa - New Rules Roxy Music - Editions of You 

Technology. What is it? Dungeon Masters Rob and Matt discuss how to think about and deploy technology in your own campaign worlds. Then, it's the firearms debate to end all firearms debates.    Letters: Gerard writes - "Are the DMoNs fans of Baldur's Gate?" John writes - "Here's a great way to present the confusing one-spell-a-round rule to new players!"   Don't forget to call in to the  DUNGEON M...

DMs Matt and Rob discuss the basics of what a Dungeon Master is and what a Dungeon Master does. Today, we review the DM advice presented in the 5e D&D Essentials Kit. But first, a game of "Weal or Woe," in which, Rob has to guess whether the RPG product is real or fake!  Matt and Rob discuss the roles presented in the Essentials Kit: referee, storyteller, and role-player. They break down the core...

Welcome to our first Dungeon Master Book Club ! DMs Matt and Rob discuss Marlon James'  Black Leopard, Red Wolf . Listen in for some great inspirational storytelling and ideas for monsters, NPCs, and fantastical magic!   Links: Black Leopard, Red Wolf  by Marlon James   Letters: Dan writes: You forgot about Earthsea's sexual peaches! Michael writes: I love the Genesys system. Do you have tips for...

Special guest Andy is back to talk about the first Dungeons and Dragons campaign setting: Greyhawk! We delve into the history of Greyhawk's design, discuss what makes Oerth unique, and share our favorite things for you to pilfer from Flanaess for your own campaign worlds.    Links: Anna B. Meyer's Greyhawk Cartography Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil by Monte Cook  David Howery's adventures...

DM Matt goes solo! He walks you through his process of writing an adventure in under an hour. Inspired by the image below and  Tremors , Matt creates a village and monster for you to steal! 

DMs Rob and Matt take a look at the Wizards of the Coast and Penny Arcade crossover hardcover for 5th edition Dungeons and Dragons. TL;DL Jerry Holkins is the Andy Borowitz of fantasy comedy writing.    Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice Lana Del Ray, Club Clique - Video Games (Remix)

It's a Mailbag of Holding! Send us your letters at dmofnone@gmail.com and voicemails at (774) 203-4629! Here we go!  Letters: Bryan writes: Earthsea is great! The Sword of Truth does not depict BDSM and it also sucks.  Rob writes: Gnomes in SPAAACE! Gnomes should be an evil GnomeCorp with a Blue/Orange morality! Evan writes: What is the rule that prevents you from casting more than one spell a tur...

Are there gnomes on the sun? DMs Matt and Rob discuss strategies for incorporating the standard Dungeons and Dragons species into your campaign worlds.   Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice Brad Neely - Cat People

Matt and Rob sit down and discuss the new nautical WotC adventure book, Ghosts of Saltmarsh! There's a lot of cool stuff here, so we only spend like a third of the episode griping about things we thought could be better. Spoiler-free until 21:55. Rob is sorry about his squeaky mouse wheel.

DMs Matt and Rob whip up some new monsters for you to steal for your campaign.  The Rokrubai , fey with a detachable heads Arcanomorphs , an  Aliens inspired soul-stealing aberration The Fisherman's Whale , a big friendly magical Cetacean  Monster Homebrew Link   Links: The Celestial Job  The Advanced Artificer The Hangover by Kurtis J. Wiebe and Owen Gieni Matt's Psimple Psionics   Letters : Mich...