

Taking 20 Podcast
Taking 20 Podcast
Short, bite-sized RPG advice, tips, and tricks for DMs and players of tabletop role playing games (TTRPG)
Episodes
Mentioned books

Feb 12, 2023 • 24min
Ep 162 - Deities
GMs, are the gods in your game worlds present or absent? Big and powerful or quiet and reserved? In this episode we talk about ways you can use deities in your game and Jeremy talks way too long about the comic book series Spawn.
#pathfinder #dnd #dungeonsanddragons #deities
Resources:
Resigned: How to Know When It’s Time to Go:
https://gnomestew.com/making-the-gods-matter-in-fantasy-rpgs/

Feb 5, 2023 • 19min
Ep 161 - Player Indecision
Left or right at the intersection? Fight or flee? Sell the potion or keep it for later? Players sometimes find it hard to make a decision and that can drive DMs up a wall. In this episode, we look at possible causes for indecision and repeatedly urge players to make a choice...ANY choice. Please, we DMs are begging you...for the love of Iomedae.
Resources:
Resigned: How to Know When It’s Time to Go:
https://www.theguardian.com/games/2022/dec/13/first-time-as-a-d-and-d-dungeon-master-dungeons-and-dragons

Jan 29, 2023 • 26min
Ep 160 - Wizards of the Coast Capitulation and Good Dungeon Maps
Good dungeon maps give players choices, have a good theme, and contents that support the theme and purpose of your dungeon. But...how do you create dungeons like this? Give this episode a listen and find out.
Also, hopefully we've heard the last of Wizards of the Coast trying to get rid of the OGL 1.0a.
#dnd #opendnd #ogl #pathfinder #paizo #orc
Resources:
Wizards of the Coast announcement: https://www.dndbeyond.com/posts/1439-ogl-1-0a-creative-commons
What it means to “Jaquay a dungeon”: https://thealexandrian.net/wordpress/13085/roleplaying-games/jaquaying-the-dungeon
Great interview of Jennell.Jaquays by The Wandering DM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kd1wrdSSc60

Jan 22, 2023 • 20min
Ep 159-OGL 1.2 and Intelligent Magic Items
The One Ring in Lord of the Rings, The Singing Sword in Bugs Bunny, The Luggage in the Rimworld novels by Terry Pratchett. We've seen intelligent magic items in media and you'd like to bring one into your game world. What's the best way to do that? Are there any tips? Does an animated bear rug poop in the woods?
Seriously...do they? I have no idea.
#OpenDnd #OpenRPG #Pathfinder #OGL #DnD #DungeonsandDragons
Resources:
Dungeon Dudes: How to Homebrew Sentient Magic Items. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1H5oK_GGmI

Jan 15, 2023 • 25min
Ep 158 -Wizards of the Coast OGL 1.1 and the Time of Troubles
In this episode I weigh in on the Wizards of the Coast OGL 1.1 fiasco and talk about a period in Faerun's history called the Time of Troubles, when gods were mortal and walked the planet with mortals.
The common theme is a powerful entity doing something insanely stupid and causing upheval and calamity. Give it a listen and comment below!
#DnD #DungeonsandDragons #Paizo #Pathfinder #Wotc #OGL
Resources:
Resigned: How to Know When It’s Time to Go:
The Avatar Series - a 5-book series about the Time of Troubles

Jan 8, 2023 • 20min
Ep 157 - Special Materials in Your World
In this episode suggested by a donor over at ko-fi.com/taking20podcast we give some tips to DMs about those rare materials like mithril, cold iron, silver, and...peachwood? What if you want to make your own special materials? Are there any downsides to using them? Tune in and find out.
#dnd #dungeonsanddragons #dmtips #pathfinder

Jan 1, 2023 • 49sec
Ceci N’est Pas Un Episode
This is not an episode. Jeremy's passed out right now.

Dec 25, 2022 • 23min
Ep 156 - Holidays in Your World
Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!
If your game world has any history at all and any culture, whether it's a single-minded autonomous collective or a rich melting pot of cultures blended together and living in close proximity, there will likely be holidays of some sort. Why do holidays exist? What do you need to create holidays in your world? Tune in this week to find out!
#DnD #DungeonsandDragons #Pathfinder #Paizo #Holidays
Resources:
Resigned: How to Know When It's Time to Go

Dec 18, 2022 • 26min
Ep 155 - Scaling Monsters
In this heaver-than-usual rules episode, we take a look at some of the rules in Pathfinder 2e and D&D 5e for making monsters more or less powerful. We also talk about some game-system-agnostic ways to scale your monsters up or down.
#DungeonsandDragons #DnD #Pathfinder #DMTips
Resources:
Resigned: How to Know When It’s Time to Go: https://www.amazon.com/Resigned-Know-Truths-Stigma-Quitting-ebook/dp/B0BLP2LCQJ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1AO4TAC6LM4AO&keywords=resigned
D&D Dungeon Master’s Guide
Pathfinder 2e Core Rulebook
Pathfinder 2e Bestiary

Dec 11, 2022 • 32min
Ep 154 - Monster Series - Giants
Giants. They're all tall and they have reach. Prep work done for an adventure, right? Hold your throwing stone, my DM friend. The different species of giants have very different tactics, capabilities, and motivations. This week Jeremy talks all about the differences and what makes them tick.
#DnD #DungeonsandDragons #Pathfinder #DMTips
Resources:
Resigned: How to Know When It’s Time to Go: https://www.amazon.com/Resigned-Know-Truths-Stigma-Quitting-ebook/dp/B0BLP2LCQJ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1AO4TAC6LM4AO&keywords=resigned
The Monsters Know What They’re Doing: https://www.themonstersknow.com/giant-tactics/
Extra Credits: The Viking Expansion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxItyrp55g8&list=PLhyKYa0YJ_5D16-gw3aGKjuC_iW7R16mF