Mastering Dungeons

Episode 252 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: New Era of RPG Revolution? Huge Gen Con announcements and kickstarters have us asking… is this a new era of RPG Evolution? We look at why it is so hard to compete with D&D and why maybe companies should not want to compete at all! News: Daggerheart Makes Big Moves, Draw Steel Released, FR DLC, and more! Contents 00:00 Climb Gen Con Harder 01:36 Shawn on Tabletop Journeys 02:25 Gen Con Review 06:20 WotC Out of Adventure Ideas? 12:16 Forgotten Realms DLC 13:50 Netheril's Fate 15:27 Astarion's Book of Hungers 18:07 Draw Steel Released in PDF! 21:44 Daggerheart is Serious 24:50 How Many Demiplane PCs? 33:42 Cosmere Minis 34:29 ENNie Awards 36:36 Cypher Revised Announced 37:52 DeMinimis and Tarrifs 39:39 Era of RPG Revolution 40:55 2025 May Be Different 42:39 The History of D&D Challengers 44:38 D&D's Market and Brand Advantage 48:44 Licensing 49:51 Actually a Great Game 55:23 Economies of Scale 58:49 What Does Competition Look Like? 01:02:51 Ocean vs Pond 01:10:41 Competition Isn't the Only Endgame 01:18:22 Dan Ayoub and How WotC Evolves 01:23:19 A Rolling SRD 01:24:30 DDB Maps for All Subscribers 01:26:24 D&D Advisory Group 01:27:19 The Future We Envision 01:32:43 Shout-Outs 01:37:23 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.

Episode 251 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Listeners Have Their Way! It’s a Listener Corner extravaganza as we fill our regular segment with tough questions from our awesome listeners! News: Hasbro Disastrously Beats Q2 Expectations, Critical Role Expands Shows, and more! Contents 00:00 Transforming News 04:10 Teos Ghostfire Breaking News 04:55 Happy 251st Show! 05:44 Hasbro Q2 Disastrously Beats Expectations 08:48 WotC Q2 Results 12:38 D&D Q2 Revenue 14:16 Comparing 2024 to 2014 Revenues 15:04 Critical Role Expands Shows 17:01 Cover Reveals for FR Books 19:37 Cthulhu by Torchlight Exclusive DDB 22:15 Weapons of Legend for Draw Steel 22:59 Kobold Ancestry for Draw Steel 24:10 Listener Corner Extravaganza 25:32 Dragon Delves and Arora? 29:18 Resolving Player Conflict ? 36:22 Comparing Non-D&D RPGs to Each Other 46:27 Favorite RPGs and Adventures to Read? 55:42 What We Wish Designers Would Stop Doing? 01:00:38 Shout-Outs 01:05:52 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.

Episode 250 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Daggerheart Monsters and Adversaries! Does Daggerheart provide a compelling system of monsters for GMs? We take a look at the design and whether it might hook GMs into running Daggerheart for years to come! News: Stranger Things Boxed Set, D&D Staffing and Franchise News, Eberron Delay, and more! Contents 00:00 Grimhollow Transformed 03:54 D&D Stranger Things Boxed Set 07:22 Jess Lanzillo at White Wolf 08:36 Dan Ayoub Franchise VP 13:46 Cynthia Williams Departs Funko 15:27 Starter Set Higher Price 20:03 Eberron Delayed 23:20 PAX West DMs Wanted 24:56 Critical Role Video Game 27:26 Black Flag in CC 28:49 Daggerheart Adventure 29:34 Daggerheart Incredible Creatures 30:15 Six-Gun Doomsday 31:41 Daggerheart Monsters and Adversaries 32:37 Why Monsters Matter in an RPG 36:04 Daggerheart Stat Blocks 38:51 Creature Type 45:34 Experiences 48:33 Monster Features 54:45 The Adversary Types 01:00:56 Looking at the Overall System 01:16:11 Shout-Outs 01:20:03 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.

Episode 249 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Daggerheart Campaign Frames!Daggerheart provides an interesting structure for campaign settings. How well does this work? Let’s find out! News: What is Narrative-First, D&D Italian Translation Problems, Offset Printers, and more! Contents 00:00 Naprage Week 01:40 Daggerheart Adventure Differences? 09:57 What is Narrative-First? 22:52 Italian PH Problems 25:12 Wolfgang on Offset Printers 26:51 Quickplay Maps on Beyond 28:07 Daggerheart Campaign Frames 30:38 Campaign Frame Components 33:42 Lore Dump? 36:54 Frame Breakdown 37:53 Step 1: Pitch 41:50 Step 2: Foundations and 3: Characters 45:43 Step 4: Build the Map 48:42 Step 5: Session Zero and 6: Adventure 51:40 Age of Umbra Campaign Frame 01:04:34 Included Campaign Frames 01:06:52 Shout-Outs 01:09:55 What Are We Gonna Do Now? 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.

Episode 248 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Leveling Our Daggerheart Characters!We level up our Rogue and Warrior all the way to level 6 and share how the design enabled our concepts. News: Dragon Delves Pre-Release, Daggerheart New Classes, Cosmere Hiring, and more! Contents 00:00 MVP is Sleep 01:08 Leaving Blanks? 08:24 Daggerheart Demands Good GMs? 15:22 Dragon Delves Pre-Released 17:47 UA Arcane Subclasses 19:31 Gen Con Needs DMs 21:36 New Daggerheart Witch and Assassin 26:12 Demiplane adds Playtest Classes 26:37 Updated Daggerheart License 27:35 Origins Awards 28:18 Cosmere RPG is Hiring 34:13 Leveling Daggerheart Characters 36:51 Daggerheart's Tier Leveling System 37:39 Tier 2 Benefits 40:43 Level 2 Choices 48:19 Level 3 Options 52:56 Level 4 Options 58:31 Tier 3 Benefits and Multiclassing 01:09:35 Level Choices 01:12:42 Design Considerations 01:24:30 Gear and Leveling 01:27:33 Shout-Outs 01:30:45 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.

Episode 247 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Our Daggerheart Characters! What it is like to create Daggerheart Characters, with real examples of our Rogue and Warrior. News: WotC Layoffs, Dragon Delve Previews, Daggerheart Staff Changes, and more! Contents 00:00 Dual-Wield Chainsaws 02:02 Dungeon Crawls Gone? 12:39 Universal and Unique Lore? 16:38 Dragon Delves Previews 18:50 Wizards of the Coast Layoffs 20:07 Ivan Van Norman Departs Darrington 23:04 Diana Jones Finalists 25:30 Evil Hat Cancels Tomb Raider RPG 27:14 DarkHorse Brings Fallbacks 28:44 Treasures from the Dark 31:04 Our Daggerheart Characters 33:30 Getting Started Section 37:42 Class and Subclass 49:00 Subclass 52:14 Heritage - Ancestry and Community 59:11 Character Traits 01:03:17 Additional Info 01:05:57 Starting Equipment 01:15:44 Background 01:16:52 Experiences 01:19:47 Domain Cards 01:25:12 Connections 01:29:07 Shout-Outs 01:32:18 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.

Episode 246 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Daggerheart Initiative! What happens when a player of GM can take any number of turns in a row? We take a look at Daggerheart’s initiative and consider games that have similar approaches. News: Critical Role Hire Perkins and Crawford, Jess Lanzillo Departs WotC, Daggerheart Translations, and more! Contents 00:00 We Are Stunned 00:49 Will Daggerheart Stand the Test of Time? 01:21 Crawford and Perkins' New Jobs 15:55 Jess Lanzillo Departs WotC 24:54 Daggerheart Being Translated 25:55 Mearls on Character Maps and Psion 28:27 Kickstarter Pre-Launch vs Funding 32:02 Standing the Test of Time? 40:35 Daggerheart Initiative 41:16 Our Experiences 45:26 Game Flow 47:08 The Spotlight 51:20 Adapt Over Time? 52:06 On Your Turn 53:50 Duality Dice 56:26 GM Moves and Adversary Actions 58:52 How Rules Play 01:08:30 Optional 3-Token System 01:14:36 Shout-Outs 01:17:31 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.

Episode 245 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic:  2025 D&D Psion Subclasses! The new psion can blow minds with new Disciplines, spells, and Subclasses. News: Perkins and Crawford’s Jobs, We Play Daggerheart, Get Free Goblin Trouble, and more! Contents 00:00 Daggerborg Below 02:37 Mythic Fantasy Tips? 10:33 Transition to Another RPG? 19:14 Good RPGs for Drama and Participation? 23:49 Crawford and Perkins Jobs Open 28:47 Free Goblin Trouble Adventure 32:37 Shawn and Teos Play Daggerheart 43:30 Daggerheart Card Editor is Live 44:20 Staff Changes at Chaosium 45:32 Book Distributor Feedback 50:06 The Devoured Labyrinth 51:39 Save on Steve Conley's Irregulars 52:45 Bundle of Pride Games 53:34 Psionic Subclasses and Disciplines 55:17 Psionic Disciplines 58:12 Design Patterns 01:14:13 New and Revised Spells 01:19:14 Psion Subclasses 01:34:12 Shout-Outs 01:38:09 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.

Episode 244 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: The 2025 D&D Psion!! We look at the Psion from OD&D and across the editions, to the 2025 playtest Psion for how well it throws mind bullets. Does it have the power to move us? News: Draw Steel Covers, D&D International Day of Play, New D&D Video Game, and more! Contents 00:00 Intro 02:20 Building Large Cities? 09:04 Daggerheart Didn't Crowdfund? 14:03 2025 D&D Conversion Document 17:42 New D&D Video Game 18:57 Draw Steel Covers and Schedules 20:19 D&D International Day of Play 23:20 Free RPG Day June 21 25:13 SlyFlourish Leaves Blanks 29:38 KP on Small Press Printing 32:49 Avatar Legends Licensed Adventures 34:12 TileForge 35:17 2025 Psion Playtest 36:34 Psionics in OD&D and AD&D 42:17 Psionics in 2E 47:53 Psionics in 3E and 4E 52:24 Design Challenges 59:36 5E 2014 Mystic 01:02:13 The 2025 UA Psion 01:02:47 Why a Psion Class vs Subclass? 01:05:16 Core Psion Traits 01:07:15 Spellcasting 01:10:30 Psionic Energy Dice and Features 01:23:10 Psionic Disciplines and Higher Levels 01:26:36 Assessing at Level 5 01:33:30 Shout-Outs 01:37:50 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.

Episode 243 of Mastering Dungeons!  Main topic: Making Good Tactical Maps! Shawn and Teos discuss how to make great maps for home play or publications. From envisioning movement to avoiding symmetry, we share our tips and tricks. News: Daggerheart Released, Lee Gold’s A&E Legacy, Minecraft RPG, Digital Deck of Player Safety, and more! Contents 00:00 Reliving Introcaso 01:33 Detect Phantasmal Force? 15:24 Spoonfeeding Backstory? 29:34 Daggerheart Released 31:48 Daggerheart Card Maker 32:47 Daggerheart Community License 34:25 Lee Gold's A&E Legacy 39:11 DMs Wanted for Gencon and BMG 41:36 Digital Deck of Player Safety 44:08 Minecraft RPG 45:17 WizKids Apologize for BG3 Minis 48:19 Sand Marches for Dark Sun 48:48 5-Room Dungeon Jam 49:38 Making Good Tactical Maps 55:57 Envision Your Location 01:00:09 Fit the Overall Setting 01:02:19 Fit the Creatures 01:07:12 Think of Movement and Abilities 01:15:30 Details that Matter 01:17:52 Avoid Symmetry 01:20:47 Add Surprises 01:24:10 Shout-Outs 01:27:58 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.