Dungeon Master of None

We finally get to the really good stuff, the Dungeon Master sections of Tasha's Cauldron of Everything: how to use Group Patrons, Tasha's magic items and artifacts, and a delightful section of supernatural manifest zones. Then, DM Matt and Rob force themselves to discuss the puzzle section at the end of the book and how to create better puzzles that won't make your players hate you.

DM Rob and Matt continue deep diving into the new player options for Dungeons and Dragons presented in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything. Monks, Sorcerers, Rangers, Rogues, Paladins, Wizards, Warlocks, feats, and spells!  Links: ThinkDM - "Blade Cantrip Changes" Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice; Mott the Hoople & David Bowie - All the Young Dudes.

DM Matt and Rob are back and diving deep into each tasty bit of the newest Dungeons and Dragons supplement: Tasha's Cauldron of Everything.  Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice; Thurston Harris and the Sharps - Little Bitty Pretty One; David Bowie - Oh! You Pretty Things.

DM Rob is England and DM Matt's school is fighting a COVID outbreak, so here is our first ever replay of one of our favorite episodes, "82 - Anyone Can DM." There is a lot we can all learn from the basics and some good Dungeon Master thinking here. We hope to bring you more of these types of episodes in the near future. See you next week!  Episode 82 - Anyone Can DM DMs Matt and Rob discuss the basics of what a Dungeon Master is and what a Dungeon Master does. Today, we review the DM advice presented in the 5e D&D Essentials Kit. But first, a game of "Weal or Woe," in which, Rob has to guess whether the RPG product is real or fake!  Matt and Rob discuss the roles presented in the Essentials Kit: referee, storyteller, and role-player. They break down the core mechanics and goals of any Dungeon Master. Conclusion: Anyone can DM!   Letters: Dalton asks: "Do I need a wizard in my party?" Adam writes: "Aren't there times when it is good to hide your DM dice rolls?"  Alexander writes: "Where are my half-feats?"   Links: Matt's Homebrew Half-Feat Rules   Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice; BTS (featuring Hasley) - Boy with Luv; Weezer - In the Garage .

Special OSR Correspondent Andy explains the joy of hexcrawls in Dungeons & Dragons! Learn how to build a sandbox exploration game, one hex at a time.  Links: Hex TML Hexographer US GIS Maps Swordfish Islands, a system neutral hexcrawl Arcana of the Ancients X1 The Isle of Dread Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice; Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Maps. 

It's the return of the classic Dungeons Master of None reading series as we go back, back to the future, to 1984 and read one of the most bizarre articles ever published in Dragon Magazine. Then, your hosts head to into the 9th Layer of #DnD TikTok Hell.  Here are the accompanying equations and tables you will need to master to play D&D: Links: https://thealexandrian.net/  https://slyflourish.com/index.html  https://thinkdm.org/  https://writingexcuses.com/  http://oneshotpodcast.com/  http://oneshotpodcast.com/interview-discussion/asians-represent/  https://systemmasterypodcast.com/  Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice; Tina Turner - What's Love Got to Do with It?

DM Matt and Special Legal Correspondent Brent discuss Dragonlance authors Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman's lawsuit against Wizards of the Coast.  Links:  Margaret Weis, LLC and Tracy Hickman v. Wizards of The Coast LLC Brent's Twitter Story first reported by Cecilia D'Anastasio of Wired Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice; Belle and Sebastian - Legal Man. 

Dungeon Master advice served hot and fresh, plus our rule of three wish list. Questions: Do I need to make my party roll some healers? Can I design my own monster for the Shadowfell? Why do the geeks love fascism so much? Is offline one-to-one communication with players a good thing? Is my worldbuilding idea too much for my players to handle? Will you review Against the Giants? What is your advice for getting back into D&D?  Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice; Nickel Creek - In the House of Tom Bombadil; Grandmaster Flash - Apache. 

Rob reviews the newest edition of Shadowrun, Sixth World, a book that was definitely not rushed out unfinished by a bunch of amoral grifters!

It's 2 Frost, 2 Maidens as DMs Rob and Matt return to Icewind Dale for the second part of the newest Dungeons and Dragons adventure module.