
Thinking Critically: A D&D Discussion
A discussion show with different guests each episode. We take a single concept or idea and discuss what that means within the D&D framework to help you get the most out your sessions, whatever side of the screen you sit on. Consider it an NPR-style, variety bucket of thought-provoking analysis and humorous anecdotes!
All music by Kevin MacLeod.
Art by Béi: https://www.beiworkshop.com/
Latest episodes

Dec 3, 2021 • 1h 3min
Editing
For this extremely meta episode, I'm joined by producer and host of the Chafing Armor actual play podcast, Michael Corley. This one is light on actual D&D content, so please bare that in mind! Anyway, Michael and I discuss the finer points of the post-production process for Dungeons & Dragons podcasts, be they APs or chat shows. "Editing", for all it's connotations and bells & whistles, is often synonymous with "clarity", that is of both the quality and content. Despite all the mechanical baggage of audio editing (truncating silence, equalisers, noise reduction, etc.), a large part of it is uniquely human; a sixth sense. Know when to leave the filler sounds in, knowing when to leave a pregnant silence, knowing which bloopers actually add to the experience, these are things only a human can do, and no amount of automation or AI can craft the kind of audio experience you want to hear. The editor has, in some ways, more power than the DM: they can alter history, paint a character as a hero or villain, and completely change the emotion of a scene. With great power...
01:24 - The Quality Dichotomy
13:11 - Editing D&D Content
44:54 - Telltale Footprints
53:36 - The Power of the Editor
Find Michael (@chafingarmor) on:
Website: https://chafingarmor.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/chafingarmor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chafingarmor/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chafingarmor/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVp7JOI4jLSCSN5JYh3eUkA
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@chafingarmor
Find me on:
Website: https://www.thinkingcritically.co.uk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThinkCritDnD
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thinking_critically_dnd/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThinkingCriticallyDnD
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH_BSgazjwyshzo1jazHeaQ
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thinkingcritically
Ko-Fi: https://ko-fi.com/thinkingcritically
References:
Levelator (CNet download)
BBC Sound Effect Library
'Podcasts' episode of Thinking Critically
Patreons:
@mpstreet88
Intro Music: 'Local Forecast' by Kevin MacLeod
Intermission Music: 'Chill' by Kevin MacLeod
Outro Music: 'Local Forecast - Elevator' by Kevin MacLeod

Nov 26, 2021 • 1h 7min
Death
This episode features the "Bard Killer" Seven from the 7th Roll podcast, and we talk all about the concept of death in our Dungeons & Dragons campaigns. We coin the phrase "murderhobo DM"; a DM who is more than comfortable with putting the PCs through some rough and tumble situations where death is a possibility. This can sometimes be at odds with a preciousness found in players who are attached to their characters, but if everyone is on board, this push and pull can make for great role play moments! One classic cause of PC death is player knowledge, or lack thereof. The player doesn't know everything their character does, and vice versa. As a DM, where should you step in to ensure this doesn't result in any untimely deaths just because of the unglamorous reason of miscommunication; where is the line in the sand? Ultimately, every kind of death in a TTRPG, not limited to the PCs, can and should be used to motivate role play.
01:36 - The Cost of Dying
17:07 - Should Player Knowledge Lead to Character Death?
24:57 - The Heroism of Fifth Edition
34:55 - Anticlimactic and Unsatisfying Deaths
45:38 - Alternative Resurrection Rules
55:52 - TPKs
Find Seven (@7thRoll) on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/7thRoll
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3z_2iXa3yHWySDbhBu7DGQ
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/7throll
Find me on:
Website: https://www.thinkingcritically.co.uk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThinkCritDnD
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thinking_critically_dnd/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThinkingCriticallyDnD
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH_BSgazjwyshzo1jazHeaQ
References:
'Slient Knight' homebrew by High Level Games
Pathfinder: Kingmaker
Solasta: Crown of the Magister
Intro Music: 'Local Forecast' by Kevin MacLeod
Intermission Music: 'Chill' by Kevin MacLeod
Outro Music: 'Local Forecast - Elevator' by Kevin MacLeod

Nov 19, 2021 • 1h 5min
Inspiration
For this inspirational episode I'm joined by Russel E Welch III, owner of Lingering Shadows Productions and Dungeon Master for their Spawn of Chaos actual-play series. Inspiration is about bringing something exemplary, be that from yourself or your character, and being able to promote harness that inspiration is of critical importance. But before we get to the philosophical, we first talk mechanical. We've found players often hoard their re-rolls, for various reasons. This is perhaps a hangover from video game tropes, or due to confusion as to about what it allows you to do and when. Bardic Inspiration, Inspiration, and the Lucky feat are all similar but different in a few very specific areas, and it's a minefield for new players when trying to parse exactly what they're allowed to do. The flip side of that is coaching players through that learning process can make Game Masters almost feel like proud parents - it's an inspiration feedback loop where the players provide for the GM and the GM provides for the players. Much inspiration comes from within, and finding a safe and comfortable place to not only be creative, but share the fruits of those efforts is a difficult but worthwhile journey. One you never truly finish.
05:36 - Hoard Mentality
10:37 - Overlooked Rules to TTRPG Boons
29:19 - Inspiring Players
44:37 - Inspiring Yourself
Find Russel (@R_E_W_III) on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/R_E_W_III
Spawn of Chaos: https://www.chaosawaits.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spawnofchaosdnd/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpawnofChaos
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/spawnofchaos
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thespawnofchaos?lang=en
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/spawnofchaosdnd
Find me on:
Website: https://www.thinkingcritically.co.uk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThinkCritDnD
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thinking_critically_dnd/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThinkingCriticallyDnD
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH_BSgazjwyshzo1jazHeaQ
References:
'Agency' episode of Thinking Critically
'Growth' episode of Thinking Critically
Intro Music: 'Local Forecast' by Kevin MacLeod
Intermission Music: 'Chill' by Kevin MacLeod
Outro Music: 'Local Forecast - Elevator' by Kevin MacLeod

Nov 12, 2021 • 1h 13min
More Emotions
This episode I'm joined by Mike "The Birdman" Dodd from This Week in Geek to discuss all about how TTRPGs make us feel. Part of the Game Master's job is to elicit emotions from their players, so we discuss a few ways this can be achieved in your system of choice. Often this will take the form of some classic tropes such as "victory, but at a cost", however it really depends on what you want them to feel at that specific time. Sometimes it's excitement, others is shock or even horror. The tools you use, and when you use them, will have a huge impact on how your players feel. We move on to discussing how a critical component of engaging players is selling "the world", and one easy way to do this is through pop culture and established settings. It's much easier for players to feel immersed in Star Wars or Ghostbusters than it is "My Generic Fantasy Setting A". Ultimately, emotional response and immersion are correlated, so anything you can do to increase the latter only has a positive effect on the former.
03:55 - Eliciting Emotions
23:29 - Emotive Feedback Loop
40:06 - Benefits of Pop Culture in Campaign Setting
53:44 - Portraying Character Emotions
Find Mike 'The Birdman' on:
This Week In Geek: http://thisweekingeek.net/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BirdmanDodd
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/birdmandodd
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thisweekingeek/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/birdmandodd
Find me on:
Website: https://www.thinkingcritically.co.uk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThinkCritDnD
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thinking_critically_dnd/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThinkingCriticallyDnD
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH_BSgazjwyshzo1jazHeaQ
References:
'Emotions' episode of Thinking Critically
Terrible Warriors
'Alien The Roleplaying Game' by Free League Publishing
'Lore' episode of Thinking Critically
'Tales from the Loop' by Free League Publishing
'Cyberpunk RED' by R. Talsorian Games
'Stargate RPG' by Wyvern Gaming
Intro Music: 'Local Forecast' by Kevin MacLeod
Intermission Music: 'Chill' by Kevin MacLeod
Outro Music: 'Local Forecast - Elevator' by Kevin MacLeod

Nov 5, 2021 • 1h 3min
Monster
This week I am joined by Lucas Zellers, host of the 'Making a Monster' podcast to talk, unsurprisingly, about monsters! This episode is broadly split into two halves, the first focusing on mechanical minutia of running stat blocks, including various tips and tricks, such as "do your homework"! We also discuss the elegance of Matt Coville's Action Oriented Monster design approach and how it highlights shortcomings in the design of Dungeons & Dragons. Running higher level monsters RAW is essentially parsing a database; it might not appear like it at first glance, but communicating intent, theme, history, and philosophy in a way which is easy to understand is really an exercise in technical writing. The second half of the episode focuses on the historical weight and implication of monsters in the D&D-verse. Lucas shares his passion and knowledge of Dagon, using them as an example of the "iceberg" history all monsters have. Perhaps next time you haphazardly throw an encounter together (much in the way I do!), you'll spare a thought for the legacy of these creatures... which will likely open up interesting and unique ways to play!
01:18 - What Monster Design Reveals About the System
08:46 - "Monsterless" Games
21:57 - Planning & Running Monsters
43:41 - 'Named' Monsters & Historical Baggage
Find Lucas on:
Website: https://www.scintilla.studio
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sparkotter
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/otterspark
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP4DNJTVwQlC5U7ro6lrIMg
Making a Monster: https://scintilla.studio/monster/
The Book of Extinction: https://scintilla.studio/extinction
Find me on:
Website: https://www.thinkingcritically.co.uk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThinkCritDnD
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thinking_critically_dnd/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThinkingCriticallyDnD
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH_BSgazjwyshzo1jazHeaQ
References:
'Monster of the Week' by Evil Hat Productions
'Vaesen' by Free League Publishing
Action Oriented Monsters by Matthew Colville
'The Dresden Files' by Jim Butcher
'Ezmerelda's Encyclopedia of Evil' on DMs Guild
Intro Music: 'Local Forecast' by Kevin MacLeod
Intermission Music: 'Chill' by Kevin MacLeod
Outro Music: 'Local Forecast - Elevator' by Kevin MacLeod

Oct 29, 2021 • 1h 5min
Story
Jon from the 'Tale of the Manticore' (@ManticoreTale) actual-play podcast joins me to talk about creating stories in Dungeons and Dragons. We open by tackling the academic: the seven story archetypes and how to crack the "code" of a compelling narrative. However, this quickly breaks down as the collaborative nature of TTPRGs inherently sets them apart from traditional media; the eternal struggle of story versus agency. There can be pressure on DMs to "tell a good story", but how does this impact player agency? Depending on the players, those two elements can often pull in opposite directions. By reframing the role of the Dungeon Master as a "conflict provider", rather than story teller (or, indeed, narrator), we can start to nudge the immediate gameplay into the sweet spot of agency creating story. Finally, another aspect unique to TTRPGs is that the players have direct control over the actors, which brings with it some exceptional responsibility. With a fully fleshed out character, it's likely you'll have to sacrifice some of that vision and theme to further the story. This is, of course, much easier said than done.
03:51 - Applying Story Archetypes to TTRPGs
22:21 - Creating Tale of the Manticore
25:32 - Story Versus Agency
37:50 - Reactive Versus Proactive Storytelling
42:07 - Sacrificing Character Vision to the Story
52:04 - Producing Tale of the Manticore
Find Jon (@ManticoreTale) on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ManticoreTale
PodBean: https://taleofthemanticore.podbean.com/
Blogspot: https://taleofthemanticore.blogspot.com/
Find me on:
Website: https://www.thinkingcritically.co.uk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThinkCritDnD
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thinking_critically_dnd/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThinkingCriticallyDnD
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH_BSgazjwyshzo1jazHeaQ
References:
'Dungeon Craft' by Professor Dungeon Master
Intro Music: 'Local Forecast' by Kevin MacLeod
Intermission Music: 'Chill' by Kevin MacLeod
Outro Music: 'Local Forecast - Elevator' by Kevin MacLeod

Oct 15, 2021 • 1h 24min
Live
This very special episode was recorded on location at Geek Retreat Southampton! As such, it has a slightly different format to all my previous episodes. I was fortunate enough to have Simon, James, Anastazia, and Anri share with me their TTRPG experiences and what bought them to the store that night. We cover a broad range of topics including how playing "in public" affects the experience, the concept of a "co-DM", and what it's like to play with a pick-up-group of strangers. It was such a pleasure to have the opportunity to speak to such a talented and diverse group of people, each overflowing with excitement for Dungeons & Dragons.
This episode is not sponsored, supported, or endorsed by 'Geek Retreat' in any way.
00:56 - Simon
13:24 - James
24:38 - Anastazia
01:08:40 - Anri
Find Geek Retreat on:
Website (UK): https://geek-retreat.uk/
Twitter (UK): https://twitter.com/GeekRetreatUK
Instagram (UK): https://www.instagram.com/geekretreatuk/
Facebook (UK): https://www.facebook.com/GeekRetreatUK
Website (local branch): https://southampton.geek-retreat.com/
Instagram (local branch): https://www.instagram.com/geek_retreat_southampton/
Facebook (local branch): https://www.facebook.com/GeekRetreatSouthampton
Find me on:
Website: https://www.thinkingcritically.co.uk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThinkCritDnD
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thinking_critically_dnd/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThinkingCriticallyDnD
References:
"Happiness": Simon's episode of Thinking Critically
"Conflict": Episode of Thinking Critically
"Macro": Episode of Thinking Critically
Dungeons, Dice, and Dudes
The DM Lair
Intro Music: 'Local Forecast' by Kevin MacLeod
Outro Music: 'Local Forecast - Elevator' by Kevin MacLeod

Oct 8, 2021 • 56min
Growth
This episode I'm joined by Aaron Preuss (@Primus_Casts) to discuss growth within Dungeons & Dragons, and there's a lot to unpack here. Most people find their own character designs evolve and mature over time, and Aaron takes us through a couple of his own examples which can serve as inspiration and springboards for your own creations. Having genuine and believable flaws for your character is a fantastic thing, as it provides room for growth over the course of the adventure. More difficult, however, is figuring out how to make those flaws work effectively within a party, each struggling with their own issues. The second half of the episode focuses on how the gameplay dynamic shifts considerably at higher level play. How can you enjoyably roleplay a character which can be the embodiment of a god? How can the DM create engaging encounters and NPCs when the PCs are beyond mortal concerns?
04:32 - Player and Character Growth: Exploring your Personality
10:26 - Making Interesting Characters
31:32 - Higher Levels Campaigns: How to Entertain Doctor Manhattan
Find Aaron on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Primus_Casts
Find me on:
Website: https://www.thinkingcritically.co.uk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThinkCritDnD
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thinking_critically_dnd/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThinkingCriticallyDnD
References:
Dungeons and Randomness podcast
Not Another D&D Podcast
The Underground Oracle
Toys for Tots
Intro Music: 'Local Forecast' by Kevin MacLeod
Intermission Music: 'Chill' by Kevin MacLeod
Outro Music: 'Local Forecast - Elevator' by Kevin MacLeod

Oct 1, 2021 • 1h 3min
Humour
This episode I'm joined by table top game creator and narrative designer Geoffrey Golden to dissect humour, which we all know is everyone's favourite thing to do! I start by absolutely butchering Kevin MacLeod's surname and for that, I can never apologise enough. Once that horrible faux pas is left behind, we move on to the juicy topic how the mechanics of a TTRPG impact and guide humour within a particular setting, and ways you can use the mechanics to elicit emotion. Indeed, most games have something a stake, be it existential obliteration or a more personal plight, and DMs and players must remain flexible to ensure those stakes aren't undermined by goofs. There is often and underlying tug-of-war between immersion and humour, but it's more nuanced than that as humour can take many forms from in-universe tropes, through pop culture references, to meta table banter. Being aware of where the knot is on that rope is an exceptionally valuable skill for both players and DMs, to avoid tonal whiplash as one team slips up and the rope goes flying.
Full disclosure, the single moment of unprofessionalism in my entire career at 29:00 has been deliberately left in for historical and hilarity purposes. Please don't let me cease to be.
06:56 - Divining Humour from Mechanics
23:12 - Running a Humour Based Actual Play
29:54 - Tone Versus Immersion: The Eternal Seesaw
37:00 - Character Comedy
Find Geoffrey on:
Website: http://www.geoffreygolden.com
Target Run on DM's Guild: https://www.dmsguild.com/product/372247/Target-Run
Twitter: https://twitter.com/geoffreygolden
Find me on:
Website: https://www.thinkingcritically.co.uk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThinkCritDnD
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thinking_critically_dnd/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThinkingCriticallyDnD
References:
'Aesthetic' episode of Thinking Critically
'Trinity Continuum: Aberrant' by Onyx Path Publishing
'Straight to VHS' by Lost Cat Games
Intro Music: 'Local Forecast' by Kevin MacLeod
Intermission Music: 'Chill' by Kevin MacLeod
Outro Music: 'Local Forecast - Elevator' by Kevin MacLeod

Sep 24, 2021 • 1h 2min
Narrative
This episode I'm joined by Adam from Snyder's Return to debate the pros and cons of narrative focused TTRPG systems. Such an interesting topic overflowing with meaning, subjectivity, and design intent; this episode covers it all! Firstly, Adam and I set the scope of the show by defining the terms and systems, setting the foundation for next 55 minutes. We then go on to dissect how the relatively crunchy, mechanics-heavy D&D system inevitably impacts the narrative, and the steps you can take to either mitigate, or engage this direction. For example, having a character sheet full of numbers can suggest that bigger numbers are better, and therefore the pursuit of those bigger numbers should be the driving focus of your character. To quote, it's a form of mechanical coercion, where the systems encourage maths, rather than meaning. To round out the episode, Adam explains how the mindset of a GM needs to shift, be almost transient, when dealing with different systems and games. Although the mental overhead is the same between say, D&D and PbtA, the feeling and direction can be quite radically different.
02:17 - Different Flavours of Campaigns
07:44 - How System Impacts Narrative
21:11 - Considerations of a Narrative-Driven Campaign
34:39 - The GM Overhead of Running a Game
56:00 - What Makes Great Narrative
Find Adam (@ReturnSnyder) on:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ReturnSnyder
Website: https://snydersreturn.squarespace.com/
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/snydersreturn
Find me on:
Website: https://www.thinkingcritically.co.uk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ThinkCritDnD
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thinking_critically_dnd/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThinkingCriticallyDnD
References:
'Random' episode of Thinking Critically with Beholder to No One
Intro Music: 'Local Forecast' by Kevin MacLeod
Intermission Music: 'Chill' by Kevin MacLeod
Outro Music: 'Local Forecast - Elevator' by Kevin MacLeod