Mastering Dungeons

Mastering Dungeons
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Nov 19, 2025 • 1h 48min

Does 1 Player Really Work with Dragon Delves? (MD 267)

Episode 267 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Does 1 Player Really Work with Dragon Delves? Shawn runs Teos through Dragon Delves and they find out whether the adventure’s rules for one player work. Spoiler: no, listener, they do not work! News: Mighty Nein on Amazon, D&D Challenging for Netflix, Draw Steel Codex, 5E on Demiplane, and more! Contents 00:00 FR Goodness 01:03 DnD Bologna Contestants - Die Egg Cup 02:32 DnD Press-On Nails 03:54 People Mag and DnD Wedding Cakes 06:17 What Should WotC Design? 18:01 Demiplane 5E Support 23:14 Mighty Nein on Amazon Prime 25:27 D&D on Netflix is Challenging 30:45 Draw Steel Codex 32:51 Codex Draw Steel Marketplace 33:32 Crack the Sun! 35:54 Amazon Warhammer 40k Shows 38:03 Baldur's Gate Adventure Jam Released 39:38 D&D Municipal Ethics Adventure 40:56 Beast RPG 43:55 Alpha Star Magazine 44:33 Darrington Press Seeks Creators 45:38 Dungeons of Drakkenheim for Daggerheart 46:20 DM and Player Gaming 50:06 Story So Far 52:00 Forest and Candy Trail 56:10 Investigating the Outside 01:07:05 Exploring the Interior 01:10:01 Taffy and Bugbears 01:14:22 Discussing 1 Player Combat 01:17:57 Secret Passage 01:22:10 Critical Hit! 01:33:57 Reflecting on 1-on-1 Combat 01:35:27 Saving Asger 01:39:23 Additional Thoughts Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon. Show Search Engine: https://mdsearch.alphastream.org/  Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.
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Nov 12, 2025 • 1h 34min

Solo Actual Play with Dragon Delves! (MD 266)

Episode 266 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Solo Actual Play with Dragon Delves! Can solo play work? Shawn runs Teos through Dragon Delves. See their ridiculous antics and what they think about the design! News: Daggerheart’s New Bloodhunter, Moonbeam Shuts Down, WotC Restores Educator Resources, HeroForge and Daggerheart Dilemma, and more! Contents 00:00 Playing All the Games 04:08 Reasons Why PCs Have New Features? 12:18 Lost Art of Dungeon Design? 22:47 Favorite Community Program? 27:54 Moonbeam Shutting Down 30:01 Organize Play Adds FR Options 32:58 DnD EU and AP Release Dates 34:26 WotC Restores Educator Resources 35:51 Daggerheart Playtests Blood Hunter 37:37 HeroForge and Daggerheart Dilemma 41:21 Solo Play with Dragon Delves 42:55 Using Maps VTT 45:58 Solo Play Rules in Dragon Delves 50:27 Adventure Starts with Fire 57:01 Saving the Halfling 01:01:41 Investigating the Fire 01:09:58 Golden Lizards 01:14:21 Mischief at the Bakery 01:28:41 Behind the DM Curtain 01:30:08 Shout Outs 01:33:38 What Are We Gonna Do? Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon. Show Search Engine: https://mdsearch.alphastream.org/  Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.
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Nov 5, 2025 • 1h 50min

Shannon Appelcline and Designers & Dragons Origins! (MD 265)

Episode 265 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Shannon Appelcline and Designers & Dragons Origins! Renowned RPG historian Shannon Appelcline joins Teos and Shawn to discuss his new 4-book series capturing the amazing stories behind every D&D product from OD&D, AD&D, and Basic! News: New Daggerheart folio, Tales of Woodcreek starts with a bang, Free FR preview, and more! Contents 00:00 Thankful for community 03:44 Draw Steel allows roleplay? 06:38 Get players to make stuff up? 19:32 Netflix and Hasbro KPop Demon Hunting 20:48 Hasbro Q3 report 22:54 WotC Q3 results 24:07 Videogame costs 26:49 Hasbro's 45-50 shows and movies 29:34 WotC explains D&D well, actually 35:34 How big is D&D? 42:13 Are we getting a Dragonlance show? 45:15 Sigil will be no more 52:06 Daggerheart on class design 54:41 PAX Unplugged BIPOC demo days 55:37 Drakkenheart 57:07 Draw Steel recoveries and respites 57:52 Ending combat 01:03:02 Balancing adventuring days 01:06:23 Recoveries 01:08:12 Resting and victories 01:11:23 Respites and downtime 01:21:52 Project roll 01:23:34 Project events 01:28:13 Rewards and downtime 01:32:52 Shout-outs 01:37:19 What are we gonna do? Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon. Show Search Engine: https://mdsearch.alphastream.org/  Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.
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Oct 29, 2025 • 1h 38min

Draw Steel – Resting and Downtime! (MD 264)

Dive into the fascinating world of Draw Steel, where resting isn't just recuperation, but a strategic element intertwined with character goals. Discover how roleplay enhances gameplay and learn tips for encouraging player improvisation. Unpack the implications of Hasbro's recent K-pop demon partnership with Netflix, and delve into the financial performance of Wizards of the Coast. Plus, get insights into the latest projects, including a potential Dragonlance show and the retirement of the Sigil tabletop, all while exploring innovative downtime mechanics!
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Oct 22, 2025 • 51min

Live from Gamehole Con - Complexity in RPGs! (MD 263)

Episode 263 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Live from Gamehole Con -  Complexity in RPGs! We discuss complexity with our live audience! News: Asmodee Controls Lord of the Rings, Circle Magic, Biggest Industry Surprise, New Kobold Hires, and more! Contents 00:00 Live with pants 01:13 Gamehole games so far 03:53 Modularity of RPG for GM? 06:16 Odds of Dark Sun 5E? 09:06 What do I do this week? 10:05 Biggest surprise in the industry? 12:28 Survivability of games with financial changes? 16:22 Financial shift to premium products? 17:08 Asmodee controls Lord of the Rings 19:00 Circle Magic and New Spells 26:31 New Kobold Press hires 27:23 Your Creator Corner 29:05 Complexity in RPGs 29:46 Character complexity 40:29 RPG rule complexity 50:21 Thank you! Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon. Show Search Engine: https://mdsearch.alphastream.org/  Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.
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Oct 15, 2025 • 1h 16min

Draw Steel Combat Encounters! (MD 262)

Episode 262 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Draw Steel Combat Encounters! Teos and Shawn examine how the Draw Steel RPG handles player turns, including forced movement, damage, and dying! News: D&D Hellfire at Target, Free Daggerheart Roll20 Quickstart, Drakkenheim for Daggeheart, Our Approach to Learn New RPGs, and more! Contents 00:00 Gamehole Peak Prep 02:11 Remembering Rob Weiland 04:29 Our Daggerheart and Draw Steel Games 09:12 Our Process to Learn an RPG? 16:30 Hellfire Club Released 20:03 Daggerheart Quickstart on Roll20 and Demiplane 22:07 Hellfire in Target 23:09 Hasbro's SORRY Mobile Game 24:05 Licensing D&D and MtG 25:21 Drakkenheim for Daggerheart 29:43 How Much Magazine Stuff 31:05 Designers & Dragons Origins Preview 34:29 Keith Ammann on Writing About Dragons 35:22 Allies & Enemies for Shadowdark 36:18 Jerry Garcia's Cosmic Journey 36:56 Fred Armisen's 100 Sound Effects 38:46 Draw Steel Combat Encounters 39:42 Three Action Types 45:47 Tactical Details 48:09 Forced Movement 53:10 Critical Hits 59:49 Damage and Stamina 01:04:54 Daggerheart Damage Comparison 01:10:17 Shout-Outs 01:15:39 See you at Gamehole Con! Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon. Show Search Engine: https://mdsearch.alphastream.org/  Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.
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Oct 8, 2025 • 1h 37min

Draw Steel Combat Basics! (MD 261)

Episode 261 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Draw Steel Combat Basics! Teos and Shawn examine how Draw Steel creates tactical, cinematic, and heroic play with its combat system! News: New D&D Video Game Studio, Demogorgon Crunch, Kickstarter’s Union, and more! Contents 00:00 Miles of Games 03:08 Designing for Someone's IP? 15:05 D&D New Video Game Studio 19:38 D&D Hiring a Game Designer 22:27 Revised Psion UA 25:23 Designing to Guarantee Effects 30:31 Kim Mohan in Hall of Fame 32:33 Acq Inc Pirate Borg! 34:20 Demogorgon Crunch 35:30 Kickstarter's Union Wants Protections 36:29 How Much Setting Stuff Is There? 41:55 Designers & Dragons Origins 43:51 Draw Steel Combat Basics 44:36 Beastheart Playtest News 45:25 Power Rolls in Draw Steel 46:44 Tiered Outcomes 49:03 Power Rolls and Gameplay 54:32 Potency 56:29 Gating Outcomes 59:02 Draw Steel and Daggerheart Similarities 01:02:00 Example Actions 01:04:12 Edges and Banes 01:08:52 Hero Tokens 01:11:39 The Map 01:20:11 Initiative, sort of 01:32:29 Shout Outs 01:36:16 What Are We Gonna Do? Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon. Show Search Engine: https://mdsearch.alphastream.org/  Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.
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Oct 1, 2025 • 1h 31min

Draw Steel - Kits and Complications! (MD 260)

Episode 260 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Draw Steel Kits and Complications! (MD 260) Teos and Shawn finish creating their characters, reviewing the cool rules for Kits, how Complications wildly spice up a game, and Perks! News: Salvatore May Retire Drizzt, Lorwyn Digital-Only D&D Setting, Cosmere New Releases, and more! Contents 00:00:00 War torn 00:02:36 Do elaborate mechanics create narrative? 00:21:44 Lorwyn is a Digital-Only D&D Setting 00:25:15 DDB adds Maps and Party Inventory 00:26:02 Heroes of the Borderlands tutorials 00:26:30 Stranger Things product info 00:27:44 WizKids smaller dragon Trophy 00:30:29 MtG enters Federation Space! 00:32:32 Salvatore may retire Drizzt 00:35:34 Cosmere New Releases 00:37:18 The Last Caravan - Westward Bound 00:38:11 What's My Foundation? 00:39:08 Our Draw Steal Character Creation 00:40:19 Step 6 - Kits 00:54:56 Perks 00:56:55 Step 7 - Add Free Strikes 00:59:49 Step 8 - Complications 01:12:11 Step 9 - Details 01:13:05 Step 10 - Connections 01:17:10 Thoughts on Advancement Speed 01:24:49 Shout-Outs 01:30:24 What Are We Gonna Do? Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon. Show Search Engine: https://mdsearch.alphastream.org/  Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.
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Sep 24, 2025 • 1h 39min

Draw Steel Character Classes, Careers, and Cultures! (MD 259)

Episode 259 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Draw Steel Character Classes, Careers, and Cultures! Teos and Shawn create two characters, reviewing how Draw Steel creates engagement through complex classes, careers, and create-your-own cultures! News: Daggerheart Void Update, Diamond Selling Disputed Stock, Baldur’s Gate Jam, and more! Contents 00:00 Pirates and Cowpokes 02:57 Should Serving Your Deity Matter? 16:51 What Would We Create? 23:40 DM Retcons Okay? 29:39 Unearthed Arcana - Arcane Subclasses 31:15 Update on Diamond Selling Disputed Stock 36:32 New D&D Educator Resources Location 38:39 DMsGuild Baldur's Gate Jam 40:19 Demiplane is Hiring 41:29 Daggerheart Playtests Adversaries and Environments 41:53 How Much D&D Stuff Is There? 47:04 Cypher Revised Final Days! 48:07 Draw Steel Character Creation 50:37 Creating Our Cultures 55:32 Career Background 01:01:20 Draw Steel Classes 01:05:17 Tactician and Troubadour Classes 01:06:49 Class Basics 01:10:04 1st Level Class Features 01:16:45 Kits and Other Class Features 01:32:49 We Really Liked This! 01:34:34 Shout-Outs 01:38:41 What Are We Gonna Do? Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon. Show Search Engine: https://mdsearch.alphastream.org/  Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.
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Sep 17, 2025 • 1h 10min

Inside Heroes of the Borderlands: Justice Arman on creating D&D’s new starter set! (MD 258)

Episode 258 of Mastering Dungeons! No News Segment this week! Main topic: Inside Heroes of the Borderlands: Justice Arman on creating D&D’s new starter set! Justice led the project to create a new Starter Set updating the famed module B2, The Keep on the Borderlands! Justice joins Teos and Shawn to share what it was like creating the set. Contents 00:00 Justice Arman! 01:35 Settings with Limited Options? 10:04 Justice's Path as a Creator 14:28 Teos Likes this Set 15:56 Creating a New Starter Set 19:28 Starter Set Goals 22:08 Design Challenges 29:40 Keep on the Borderlands Revisions 35:14 Fun Innovations 42:23 Future Class Boards? 44:17 Advice on Running the Adventures 47:23 How it was Playtested 51:44 Board Game Entryway 01:02:17 Wisdom from Justice 01:04:04 Providing Feedback 01:04:57 Find Justice! 01:05:47 Shout-Outs 01:09:10 What Are We Gonna Do? Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon. Show Search Engine: https://mdsearch.alphastream.org/  Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.

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