
Dungeon Master of None
A general interest podcast for fans of Dungeons and Dragons and RPGs
Latest episodes

Sep 5, 2018 • 58min
Episode 39: Monster Mash
DMs Matt and Rob talk building monsters, from inspiration and concept down to armor class and damage immunities. First, we take a look at Appalachia's version of Big Foot: the Mothman! Then, we fill out the ranks of any respectable wizard's staff with the Parchment Golem. Music: "Half Light" by Low with Tomandandy "Paper Planes" by M.I.A.

Aug 29, 2018 • 50min
Episode 38: Engineer Cantrips and Other Lost Tales
Matt and Rob answer your letters! Helping new players learn to role-play...hacking other systems into 5e DnD...balancing player goals...ditching random encounters...Chekhov's magic sword on the mantle...inclusivity in Pathfinder 2nd edition...Eurocentric humans in the Player's Handbook...the Broken Earth trilogy by N. K. Jemisin...getting "a head" with the Speak with Dead spell...Hellboy 1 is the best dungeon crawl...using science and the Move Earth cantrip to break the game...when is it okay to ask your DM to stop arguing about the rules...using the humanities to own your friends and make them sad...John McCain didn't like D&D. Music: Roll the Dice by Pac Div Riddles in the Dark by Chris Thile I Feel the Earth Move by Carole King

Aug 22, 2018 • 1h 9min
Episode 37: Mazes and Monsters!
We have done a crazy thing. Rob and Matt sat down and watched 1982's made-for-TV movie, Mazes and Monsters. We are now the Maze Controllers and have absolute authority! So grab your maps and get ready for a strange journey of 80s DnD panic, Tom Hanks, bad parenting, dungeon love, 9/11, and WASP angst. Your intrepid hosts deduce the rules-as-written of the Mazes and Monsters RPG, determine which character has the worst parents, and lust after the muggers with the coolest leather jackets in all of NYC. Please, whatever you do don't watch this movie.

Aug 7, 2018 • 1h 3min
Episode 36: Pathfinder 2e Playtest!
Matt and Rob dive into the good, the bad, and the tedious inside Paizo's new playtest for the 2nd edition of the Pathfinder Role-Playing Game. The rule book, bestiary, and short adventure path can all be found at the following link: http://paizo.com/pathfinderplaytest

Jul 30, 2018 • 60min
Episode 35 - Critical Role & Numenera w/ Natasha
Matt and Rob are joined by special guest Natasha, an amazing DM and co-host of the Metamashina Podcast, a show about genre fiction from the feminine perspective. WARNING: SPOILERS FOR EPISODE 26 OF CRITICAL ROLE BEGIN @ [03:40]. Your DMs discuss how to handle character death, the problems of custom class mechanics, and fan reaction to the episode. [Discussion ends 40:10] Matt, Rob and Natasha are briefly distracted by Hasbro's bizarre announcement about D&D becoming an e-sport. [40:15] Natasha shares her experience running games in Numenera, Monte Cook's far-future rpg centered around exploration and discovery. [45:50] If you plan on running any type of post-technology adventure or if you just want to improve your ability to create ancient mysteries for your players to solve, give Numenera a try. It's a great system and setting for growing as a Dungeon Master! You can check out the Metamashina Podcast (and we recommend that you do) by following this link: https://metamashina.com

Jul 25, 2018 • 1h 2min
Episode 34: Ravnica and Eberron - New 5e Campaign Settings!
Matt and Rob discuss WotC's surprise announcement of a Magic: The Gathering and Dungeons and Dragons crossover: The Guildmaster's Guide to Ravnica. While we are mostly disappointed and unenthused about this mixing of games, your hosts try to salvage some useful silver linings in the upcoming Ravnica release. Then, Matt gets way into MtG's "Color Wheel" for a few minutes. On to what we really love: Eberron! For $20, Matt and Rob wholeheartedly recommend the Wayfinder's Guide to Eberron. It's perfect for introducing your players to the campaign setting and for creating Eberron-specific characters in 5th edition DnD. The book has a great new set of rules for Changelings, Kalashtar, Shifters, Warforged, and Dragonmarked characters! Unfortunately, if you are DM, you will still need the 3rd edition Eberron Campaign Setting as well. Listen for our complete review of our precious first 5e Eberron book!

Jul 17, 2018 • 57min
Episode 33: Clan Brujah-ha & Unwanted Advice
Matt and Rob recap the controversy over the new 5th edition of Vampire: The Masquerade. [07:20] This is a chilling reminder that the alt-right and actual Nazis are using our hobby—specifically fake controversies like Gamer Gate and DnD Gate—to recruit people to their reactionary and racist ideology. On to Unwanted Advice, the segment where we answer the questions you didn't ask about RPGs: How do you deal with flying characters at low-levels? [22:30] What is the best level to start your campaign? [30:00] Help! My DM is stealing from Critical Role. What do I do? [34:00] What is the best way to continue Curse of Strahd? (Minor spoilers for CoS) [42:20] Can I give my Warlock (5e D&D) a Shield at-will ability? [47:00] Should rolling a "natural 1" have additional negative consequences? [50:05] If you have questions about RPGs, DMing, or anything else, send us them to us at dmofnone@gmail.com!

Jul 2, 2018 • 1h 2min
Episode 32: TFW No Goth GF (Curse of Stahd Review)
DMs Matt and Rob bite into the 5th edition campaign: the Curse of Strahd! We just finished the whole thing and would like to en-frighten you with our experience. If you are considering running this campaign, then this is a must listen episode for any would be horror Dungeon Masters. Even if Strahd isn't your cup of blood, you'll find tons of great tips for running horror games and lessons for structuring your own narratives. Links: Save World History! A cool history and gaming conference in Michigan (call for papers) The Original "Ravenloft" Module (1e) The Ravenloft Campaign Setting (2e) The Curse of Strahd (5e)

Jun 8, 2018 • 43min
Episode 31: Stealing Dragons, Urban Elites and the Golden Rule
Listen to a hungover Matt and Rob go over the news of the day, including the newly announced WotC module, an interesting Tweet from Adam Koebel, and more! Yeah, we're a little behind the curve, but tune in for a conversation about urban campaigns and GM fiat anyway.

May 29, 2018 • 1h 2min
Episode 30 - D&D One Shot, One Kill(er Adventure)
Matt and Rob write a Dungeons and Dragons one-shot adventure on-the-fly in under an hour! Writing adventures is not hard or scary. It's something that just takes practice. We hope our brainstorming and adventure planning will help inspire and encourage you to get those plots prepped. The adventure will be available for free on our homebrew page about a week after release. Feel free to download and playtest our one-shot!