Mastering Dungeons

Episode 188 of Mastering Dungeons!  Main topic: Daggerheart Review – Character Creation! A nine-step process provides a robust mix of crunch and narrative options. See what this blend tells us about this and other RPGs. News: Hasbro’s Q1 Results, WotC Completing the PH, Roll20 Discord Integration, and more! Contents 00:00 Far Out 02:26 Vecna Prequel Review 04:12 Monster Hunter 06:05 Backgrounds Approach? 11:23 Age and Time? 19:53 BG3 for Other Stories? 26:23 D&D Fireside Chat 35:13 Hasbro Q1 43:04 Roll20 Discord Integration 44:32 Star Trek 2E Quickstart 45:57 D&D Beyond Seeks Writers 48:57 Hypersleep Terminated 50:39 Daggerheart Classes! 54:09 9-Step Character Creation 55:07 Step 1. Choose Class 01:00:26 Character Sheet 01:02:51 Step 2. Heritage 01:05:23 Step 3. Traits 01:10:15 Step 4. Evasion, HPs, Stress and Hope 01:13:34 Step 5. Equipment 01:15:17 Step 6. Background Questions 01:18:26 Step 7. Experiences 01:30:40 Step 8. Domain Cards 01:36:35 Step 9. Create Connections 01:43:39 Shout-Outs Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon. 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 187 of Mastering Dungeons!  Main topic: Daggerheart Review – Core Rules! Hope, Fear, Stress, and so much more! We take a look at Daggerheart’s design and how it encourages narrative and tactical gameplay. News: WotC President Departs, Colville on Adventure Length, DriveThru Sales Data, and more! Contents 00:00 Deck of Campaign Derailments 02:45 Reworking Design? 07:51 Best Adventure Format? 15:52 Fix D&D Like MTG? 19:02 Cynthia Williams Departs 26:20 D&D Maps Tips 27:39 Colville on Adventure Length 34:54 DriveThru Sales Data 38:13 Daggerheart and Demiplane 40:05 Daggerheart Playtest 43:07 Our Playtests 49:20 Core System - Hope and Fear 52:00 d12s v d20 58:00 Hope as a Fuel 59:44 Defenses and Health 01:03:06 Stress 01:05:10 Resting and Choices 01:07:48 Narrative vs Tactical 01:12:23 Character Sheet 01:16:48 Shout-Outs Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon. 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.

Explore how to keep your tabletop RPG campaign engaging and vibrant! Discover tips on choosing the right players, setting up effective session zeros, and maintaining a flexible schedule. Learn the importance of regular check-ins and having a strong start to avoid the common pitfall of short-lived campaigns. Delve into the evolution of beloved characters like Vecna and uncover the intersection of societal issues and gaming lore. Plus, get a glimpse into the exciting world of D&D-inspired fashion!

Episode 185 of Mastering Dungeons!  Main topic: Designing Player-Facing Options for New Campaigns! How do you create or leverage player-facing rules that will intrigue them and ground them in your new world and your new campaign? How do you give them meaningful, informed choices early in the campaign? News: Prep vs Improv? Dimension 20 in the Garden, Schwalb on 5E, and more! Contents 00:00 Path of Totality 01:16 Prep vs Improv? 08:57 Con for Crits? 20:22 D20 at the Garden 22:10 Schwalb on Taberna 26:54 Encounter Tables 32:47 Infestation at Devil's Glade 34:13 Fantasy AGE Quickstart 34:51 Oops all Hit Dice 37:40 Player-Facing Campaign Options 38:54 New Rules or Limitations 41:53 Communicate Changes 49:52 New Player-Facing Rules 54:52 Custom Backgrounds 59:24 Class Challenges 01:02:58 Subclasses 01:04:43 Feats 01:05:52 Subsystem 01:07:06 Involve Quickly 01:08:42 Dragonlance Example 01:11:32 Reinforce through Scenes 01:14:17 Subsystems Early 01:15:56 Shout-Outs Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon. 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.

The hosts explore the art of crafting compelling RPG starting encounters, discussing key elements like player agency and thematic consistency. They emphasize balancing information without overwhelming players, drawing from classic adventures and modern trends. The conversation dives into integrating character backgrounds and unique settings to enhance immersion. Flaws in player characters are examined, alongside the importance of maintaining fun and engagement. They even touch on a creative LEGO-themed adventure, showcasing innovation in gameplay.

The podcast discusses designing RPG starting adventures, covering topics like session zero, character connections, different approaches to starting adventures, creating excitement and intrigue, and providing adventure hooks to engage players.

Designing an RPG starting village in tabletop games, importance of worldbuilding, challenges in hobbies, Critical Role's Dagger Heart playtest, RPG terrain appreciation, crowdfunding projects, key elements to create engaging starting villages, balance in storytelling for player immersion

Episode 181 of Mastering Dungeons!  Main topic: Shadowdark GM Tips, Monsters, and Treasure! The finale of our Shadowdark series! We take a look the excellent advice, plus how the game provides monsters and treasure. News: Reviewing The Fallbacks, Adv League to Beyond, NASA RPG and Challenge, and more! Contents 00:00 Teos Has Seen Things 02:45 Emerald City Comic-Con 06:32 Adventure as User Guide? 15:16 Exhaustion Currency? 22:43 Modes of Play? 28:34 AL Moves to Beyond 31:33 Greasy Snitches 36:41 The Fallbacks review 41:08 NASA RPG 42:13 Steamforged and Kobold 43:33 SRD in Braille 45:00 Surviving Strangehollow 45:45 Shadowdark Finale 46:07 The Role of GM and Players 50:43 For Experienced GMs 54:29 Players not PCs 56:06 Core Ethos 01:00:09 Check DCs 01:05:15 Darkness and Modes of Play 01:08:30 Random Encounters 01:14:56 The Gauntlet 01:19:04 Awarding XP 01:22:35 Lots of Tables! 01:23:25 Monsters 01:25:06 Treasure 01:27:25 Final Thoughts 01:32:06 Shout-Outs Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon. 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 180 of Mastering Dungeons!  Main topic: Building and Changing Rules to Fit Your RPG World! Dan Dillon and Jason Ward join Shawn to discuss how to pick the best rules, or change them, when designing an RPG world. News: Dan Dillon and Jason Ward, Daggerheart Playtesting, Discworld RPG, and more! Contents 00:00 Dan and Jason! 02:11 Defining Success? 07:13 Worldbuilding Process? 12:35 Discworld RPG 18:54 Daggerheart 31:07 Beyond Dev Update 36:55 Surviving Strangehollow 39:08 Rules to Fit an RPG World 39:34 Existing Ruleset 40:48 The Real Thing 46:22 Build New Rules 52:44 Using 5E 57:08 Dark Sun 01:00:48 Settings 5E Does Well 01:03:25 Tearable RPG 01:18:06 Find Jason and Dan Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon. 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 179 of Mastering Dungeons!  Main topic: Worldbuilding Tips and Tricks! How do we create worlds that reflect the RPGs used to play them? How do we serve our readers, GMs, and players? Let’s talk worldbuilding! News: Surviving Strangehollow,| No D&D in Portuguese, D&D Off-Broadway, and more! Contents 00:00 Dark Weekend 01:01 Running Factions? 12:51 Mechanic Struggles? 21:51 Surviving Strangehollow 22:42 No D&D in Portuguese 26:01 Off-Broadway D&D 28:22 Star Trek 2E Announced 30:30 Emerging Designer Submissions 31:09 Weird Wizard Available 32:22 BX Inspired 5E 33:07 EN World Covers Evil Genius 35:36 Worldbuilding 35:48 Shawn's Worldbuilding 39:48 Build with Words 41:54 Show vs Tell 44:58 When to Get Detailed 47:10 Reality Matters 49:45 RPG-Based Fiction 55:55 Top-Down vs Bottom-Up 01:04:59 Microscope RPG 01:07:58 Surviving Strangehollow 01:15:32 Shout-Outs Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon. 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.