Thinking Critically: A D&D Discussion

This week I'm joined by Aaron Saltzman ( @five2lif ), host of Feats & Fantasies actual-play podcasts Cataclysm Rising and Trivium of Time, to discuss everything about dice. We start by talking about how the requirement of random dice rolls fundamentally changes the nature of the "game" from what might be considered a "pure" role-playing experience. Despite my hypocrisy, Aaron and I share stori...

This episode is all about "Planning" campaigns, chapters, sessions, calendars, and characters. I'm joined by Jeff Nabors, the DM for the Reroll Expectations actual-play podcast and media director for Chasing XP . We discuss our various methods for planning our campaigns from the micro of moment-to-moment improv, to the macro of embedding meaningful character development into grand campaign arcs. T...

For this whirlwind tour I'm joined by Colin Anderson, a.k.a. Family Fantasy RPG , and we take you through what it means to find a family through TTPRGs. Colin has a wealth of experience in the family-friendly homebrew and TTRPG space, and he shares his insight and experience gained from designing child-focused role-playing games. One thread which is universal, however, is that D&D is an evergr...

I am joined once more by Karim, a.k.a. FeverDreamStudios , and we talk about the environments we create, play in, and maintain. Again, a surprisingly broad topic with varied interpretations and connotations. We begin with the mechanical, discussing how to design dynamic combat environments to encourage and empower PCs and NPCs alike. One major benefit this has is making "non-attack actions" useful...

This episode I'm joined by Kyle, a.k.a. @Kibidiko , and we talk all things tactical. Broadly, the episode is split down between tactics for PCs and NPCs. To start, we talk about how PCs can work together, and by using little known options and combinations, can increase their chances of survival. D&D sometimes exists in this dissonant state of combat being extremely tactical, yet the PCs don't...

This episode I am joined by Heath, a.k.a Dag of Dahgda's Cauldron , and we discuss the surprisingly vast topic of "Disaster". With we start with how, much like conflict , it's an essential part of any adventure whether it's small-scale or apocalyptic. We they go on to compare the merits of setting a campaign either before, or after, a disaster, and how that flavours and shapes the experience. Of c...

Welcome to the season 2 opener! We are flying out of the gate with a super interesting discussion all about lore with Steven from The Travel Log . This episode will be useful for both DMs and players looking to flesh out their creations using published work, lightening the creative load. I start by quizzing Steven on a few places I've heard of , but have no idea where they are or what they're like...

Well, here we are, 25 episodes later and a whole lot wiser! This is the wrap up and retrospective for season 1 and boy, what a journey it has been. This episode doesn't feature a guest, but instead you can humour me for an hour as I take a look back at the past six months and what it's meant to me as a player, DM, and human being. But first, the show would be nothing without the listeners and gues...

CW: In-game, player-character death, injury, harm, sexual identity, allusions to suicide and euthanasia. Player mental health & disorders and physical exhaustion. For this season finale, I'm joined by Cal a.k.a The Baron to talk all about "Health", an important subject both in and out of the game. We start off by talking about the understandable misconception of "HP" as one-dimensional indicat...

This episode is (unfortunately?) not about the delicious sugary treat, but instead the DM tool of "fudging dice"; changing the outcome of a roll behind the screen. For this discussion, I'm joined by Bart Wynants, a.k.a @critographer , author, historian, and all-round inspiration machine. Off the back of Bart's extensive, seven-part Twitter thread , we discuss the finer points of this particular in...

For this insightful episode I am joined by Scott, a.k.a @optionalrule , and we talk about the incredibly important topic of agency. It's a term that gets bandied around a lot, carrying with it an awful lot of weight. In this hour, Scott and I begin to unpack some of that weight and how it can drastically and dramatically impact the gameplay experience. Starting by clarifying some common misconcept...

Oh dear, hopefully we don't make any enemies with this episode all about the rules! Andrew Block and I discuss a range of topics interspersed with luke-warm takes and personal opinions. If that doesn't sell it, I don't know what will! We open with a discussion around the 'Rule of Cool' (RoC) and how it often belies the tricky nuances around modifying rules on the fly; there's often a wider impact...

This meaty episode is all about encounters within your TTRPG game. I'm joined by @XhangoGames and somehow we manage to squeeze an awful lot into a little over an hour! We sandwich mechanical examples for spicing up encounters alongside ways to reframe interactions with NPCs; turn "misses" into misfortune! Xhango opens the episode up with the elegant definition that all encounters should be a "dram...

For this special [natural] twentieth episode, it's my pleasure to welcome Ben, Darrel, Vicky, Grace, and David from No Small Rolls ( @nosmallrolls ), the amazing actual-play podcast where there are no small rolls ! It's a laugh a minute as they take me through their experiences in producing NSR, and how they've approached portraying a character based on a sheet full of numbers. It was interesting...

This episode I'm joined by Daniel, a.k.a @eos_rakonto , and we talk about the fine art of improvisation. Starting with the frankly embarrassing realisation on my part that almost everything that happens in a given game is improvised, we move on to discuss a number of tips for DMs on how to deal with the dynamic nature of play, and role playing on the fly. We end on ways to improve your own charact...

A bumper landmark episode, as for the first time I'm joined by two guests! Two-thirds of Tabletop Journeys , Josh and Lewanika, join me to talk all about space within D&D 5e. They share their extensive experience of role playing, not only table top but also live action. Starting with the nitty gritty of combat, we discuss how well the framework emulates the real world, and ways to enhance your...

For this archetypical chat, I'm joined by Adam Gumbert, a.k.a AdamGumby , where we go through a bunch of different stereotypes and styles of play. Even though some archetypes have negative connotations, when managed and viewed effectively, they can always serve the story. We realise that what matters more than the "edgy rogue" or "adversarial DM", is communication , a topic we've heard time and ti...

In this useful episode I'm joined by Phill, a.k.a Blue Munchkinite , to discuss all the different utilities DMs and players use to help them play and generally increase the quality of their experience. Everything from maps, music, and VoIP is covered in this episode, and all the utilities we use are linked below in the references. Despite the potentially dry sounding topic, Phill deftly ties his y...

This episode I am joined by the creator of the My Sound Delve mobile app, Christian Borchert, and we talk about all the tricks, tools, and talents used to enhance your gameplay experience. Although we have different approaches and preferences to our TTRPG experience, some things never change and it's always about the camaraderie and social experience. This episode is split pretty cleanly between d...

I'm joined once again by my DM confidant and close friend of 20 years, Jamie Mitchell, where we talk all about "Progression". We spend a lot of time talking about the age-old discussion of milestone versus XP. Despite the pros and cons of both, ultimately there is only one clear choice. Once we get out of the mire of mechanically progressing characters, we move on to trickier concepts such as play...

In this meta-episode we find ourselves discussing "Podcasts". I'm joined by Mike Hibbert ( @MikeHDnD ), who has been in the TTRPG and board game space for 40 years, and had 1000 listeners on his first podcast 15 years ago. We approach the topic from both general and D&D perspectives, discussing them as a creative medium alongside the gotchas of producing actual-plays and the responsibility of...

This episode is all about homebrew, and once again we manage to squeeze a surprising amount into a single hour. I'm joined by Kyle Wagner-Totty ( @MrBakudan ), a DMs Guild author with seven published products! If you've ever had any questions about homebrewing for D&D 5e then this is the episode for you. From balance to publishing, you're bound to find something in here. Kyle is kind enough to...

Back on home turf with Tim Hill who plays Ulrik in our actual-play podcast Dungeons, Dice, and Dudes . In this episode we discuss not only the mechanical impact of time in-universe on topics such as split parties, but also all the way up to the metaphysical ramifications of our endless march towards entropy. Hey, bet you never thought you'd get that from a D&D podcast! 06:24 - Time: the rubber...

The first European episode! Despite the relatively benign sounding topic of "Structure", Ian ( @thefoolishswamidm ) and I discuss many thoughtful and deep topics, such as empathy, care, and responsibility. In this episode you can learn how to structure both your one shots and longer-form campaigns, how to set player expectations both "in-universe" and at the table, and how both those approaches se...

This episode I talk about all the big things with Nathan Briggs, my DM from our Dungeons, Dice, and Dudes actual-play podcast. We discuss how Dungeons & Dragons has changed over the years, from "nerds in the basement" to prime-time, multimillion dollar productions, and what that means for the hobby. The second half is all about prepping and planning at a high level, away from all the muck of c...