So You Wanna Be a Dungeon Master

This week we’re going over some House rules! Over the course of the last 30 episodes, we’ve gone over ALL kinds of rules that are worked into the D&D system itself. And along the ride, we’ve casually mentioned some house rules that we enjoy. But what is a house rule? It’s a rule that is implemented for a specific table, setting, or the like! This is how we tweak the game to invoke a certain vi...

This week, we go over all the basics of Multiclassing! We cover everything you might need to know when thinking about multi-classing. As a DM, it's important to know these things because a lot of players like this option in D&D! And for new DMs and Players, it can be a little complicated at first! We hope that by the end of this episode, it won't be complicated at all!  What is YOUR favorite M...

Episode 4 of Sphinx, our D&D Actual Play set in a modern and magical metropolis is another Combat Episode! Jastor and Uland track down Belkor in an abandoned subway station. But what's this?! They've been set up and it's an ambush! They're level 4 now and have some new abilities that help them take on some corrupt crooks and a ghost train! Check it out! If you catch the streams LIVE, you'll al...

This week, we're talking FEATS... with an 'A' in there, don't worry! Feats is short for Features. They're the abilities you can get throughout your time as a Player Character, but we also talk about how a Dungeon Master might use them. In this episode, we go over all the feats in the Player's Handbook!  What feat is YOUR favorite?? We go over our favorites on the Patreon! Check it out! And remembe...

Episode 3 of Sphinx City, our D&D Actual Play! Sphinx City is a modern and magical metropolis. Our 3 secret agents must follow the clues to take back their home from the evil and corrupt 1%! In this episode, Belkor is away at the General Hospital. So it's up to Jastor and Uland to follow some leads and figure out just how deep this goes! We meet a cagey hacker named Emmis Dos, have a meal with...

Episode 2 of Sphinx City, our D&D Actual Play! Sphinx City is a modern and magical metropolis. Our 3 secret agents must follow the clues to take back their home from the evil and corrupt 1%! In this episode, the party has infiltrated an underground laboratory underneath the Middling Park Zoo! What will they find? And what happens when your second Death Saving Throw is a Nat 1?! Listen to find...

This week, we write another one-shot for someone who donated to a great cause! BUT... this one is a bit EVIL!! The Joester requested a oneshot for a party of evil adventurers. So we discuss evil PCs and come up with a bunch of interesting ways that characters with questionable moral compasses could interact with the world. And great news, it's ambiguous enough that it could fit inside any setting...

Gang! Did you know we're on Twitch now streaming Actual Plays!? In June and July 2024, every Thursday at 7pm EST, we're on there playing D&D in a homebrewed modern and magical setting called Sphinx City! If you missed it, don't worry - there's going to be videos of the stream on our YouTube and Patreon! And we've decided to release audio versions here as well!  As this recap will explain, we u...

This week, we are talking all about Common Mistakes that New Dungeon Masters make! Remember, they're common and happen all the time. We've probably still do these every once in a while! It doesn't make you a bad DM and some might even be a preference. We just bring up a couple problems that newer DMs run into and different ways one could go about them!  Did we forget any? Let's talk about it! And...

This week we’re covering all of the basics when it comes to NPCs! How do you come up with them and how can you use them? What’s a DM-insert NPC and what makes them special? When do NPCs need stat blocks? We’re going to go over it all so that you can try your hand at making your own NPCs! They can help your players, your story, and your world building! So let’s start talking about NPCs! Tell us YOU...

This week we’re covering the quintessential caster, the book loving magician, the studied savant of spells, the Wizard! Characters of this class get their use of magic through hard work and study. They’ve hit the books so they can hit their allies and enemies with a huge variety of spells! So push those glasses up your nose, break out your pencils and paper, and get ready for our last installment...

Gang, we've got a deal for you! Well, technically we're talking all about deals because this episode is about the Warlock! What they lack in spell slots, they more than make up for it with customization, character, and some of the most unique vibes in the game! It's no wonder Warlock mains make it their whole personality! This is our penultimate class episode and then we get back into primarily DM...

This week we’re covering the no-books, silver spoon, nepo baby the sorcerer! These casters get their magic just by being! They are magical in their bones, in their blood! And that deep connection to magic gives them the ability to twist and warp magic in some really interesting ways.  Do you think Sorcerers are Nepo Babies? What other ways have YOU described the Sorcerer getting their magic? -----...

This week we’re talking about the footstep trackin, the half casting, half martialin’, nature lovin’ sonuvagun, The Ranger! This class gets a lot of grief from parts of the D&D community. But we’re about to head to class! We’re talking base class Ranger today and the subclasses from the Player’s Handbook. This episode won’t cover the optional rules from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, but we’l...

This week, Class is on break! We are writing another one-shot in real time! This one comes from a mutual friend who redeemed this by donating to a great cause back in January 2024! They gave us a simple prompt of a town being plagued by a dragon, but that the dragon wasn't real! So we put our heads together to interpret that and come up with a really fun one-shot!  And remember to give us 5 Stars...

This week, sneaky secrets aside, we're talking all about the sneak attackin' Rogue! Class in still in session, gang! So max out that perception skill because these slippery little sneaks are experts in some skills, masters of stealth, and champions of exploiting their enemies’ weaknesses! So let’s talk all about the Rogue Class.  And remember to give us 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ AND a positive revie...

This week in Class, we're talking Paladins! Some may say the Paladin is just a knight in shining armor, a medieval cop, the lawful good kill-joy... but not here! Because we think the Paladin is just someone with convictions that turn into smite damage! So take an Oath of Listening, and check out some of these INSANE Paladin abilities!  And remember to give us 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ AND a positive...

This week we’re covering the martial arts expert, The Monk! Want to play the kung fu, karate, taekwondo master… MONK! Want to be able to catch arrows, fall from great heights, and run on water… MONK! Want to be a former detective played by Tony Shaloub… MONK! This class is jam packed with abilities throughout its entire base class! And as always, we'll be going over the subclasses from the Player'...

This week, we get back to class as we cover the Fighter base class and the Player's Handbook subclasses. Some may scoff at the Fighter, they may say it's boring or repetitive. Well, we say that with some elbow grease, the Fighter has what it takes to be just as exciting and interesting as any class! In this episode, we're just going over the basics and already we reveal so many possibilities for c...

This week we are going to come up with a one-shot and discuss what it would take to run. That means we are going to take worldbuilding and focus it to what we need. We’re going to create an adventure for the players to go on, including the relevant villains, monsters, NPCs, and whatever else it requires. Running a one-shot is one of the best ways to dip your lil toesies into the deep, dark ocean t...

This week, class continues with our champion of nature, the Druid! We talk wild shapes, versatility, and cover a bunch of the Druid's spell list! While covering the base class and the two subclasses of the Player's Handbook, we discuss how to maximize the fun of this tree-hugging, bird-watching, nature enthusiast! Druids may seem complicated for new players or DMs but it doesn't have to be! We're...

This week, thank the gods we're covering the Cleric! Taylor gets to fanboy about his favorite class in 5e! We'll be covering the base class, and 3 of the domains in detail! We'll also discuss all the other subclasses in the Player's Handbook. We cover some top notch spells, powerful abilities, and our thoughts on how one could play a cleric. Have YOU played one? Which subclass did you go with? Ema...

This week, we're working BARD, we're playing BARD! Our first full caster, the Rizz master, the magical secret blaster! Bards are more than just musical magic, gang! Get ready for class again as we explore the base Bard and subclasses available in The Player's Handbook! This episode is extra inspiring!  And remember to give us 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ AND a positive review! This helps us so much! Te...

Class is in session! Get it? Because they're called "Classes" as in Character Classes... Okay, ignore that... We are starting a little series here where we go over the basics of every Player Class available as well as the subclasses from the Player's Handbook! And we're kicking it off with our raging warrior, the Barbarian!  And before you ask... YES, this is useful for Dungeon Masters! You should...

In this episode, we display our improvisation skills by playing a Make Some Noise style game! Each of us gives the other a prompt they've never seen before and they have to, on the spot, act it out! This episode is a lot of laughs, but it illustrates how improv doesn't have to be a nerve-wracking thing, it can be a fun skill to practice! And there's 3 mini games throughout the episode that you can...