Taking 20 Podcast

Wizards of the Coast and Paizo have wisely removed some of the problematic depictions of ancestries and ethnicities, adding nuance to those previously portrayed as universally evil.  How does that change our games and what does it mean for DMs?    

Delve into the allure of evil campaigns in role-playing games, with tips for Game Masters and players to navigate the challenges. Analyze illogical villain actions in movies like Pirates of the Caribbean and Star Wars Episode 3. Explore the dynamics of playing evil characters in RPG campaigns, emphasizing the importance of consequences and believable character motivations.

This episode idea is courtesy of Daniel in Melbourne, Australia who wanted to know where I get my ideas for quests.  In this episode, I talk about the different types of quests that you can run, sources for quest ideas, the importance of flexibility when it comes to quest solutions, and finally best practices for the two categories that all quests should fall under.

There's been a lot of character optimization discussion online the past couple of months.  What is it?  Should players always optimize their characters?  On the flip side, DMs need to say yes to player choices, right?  Not always.  Jeremy discusses the situations when optimization may be necessary, encouragement for DMs to say yes to their choices when possible, and the powerful ability to say No when necessary.

Another worldbuilding episode where we discuss ways you can make your campaign world feel different than the mundane rock we currently live on.  Before you tackle making your first outlandish world, give this a listen!

We all remember our first time, nervously fumbling about.  Maybe it was with someone you know well, perhaps a stranger.  Maybe it was with a group of people you went to school with.  And if we do things the right way, maybe we can be there to support someone's first time having sex...er...tabletop gaming.  In this episode we talk about how we support these new players and new Game Masters at our tables.

You've been playing Skyrim and you'd like to test your players' wits by adding a clever puzzle to baffle them in their bonnets and worry them in their wigs.  How do you add puzzles without making them boring or too deadly?  How do you add puzzles that make sense?  Tune in to find out!  I'd love to hear your feedback or episode ideas to feedback@taking20podcast.com.

In the cold open, Jeremy responds to the "I'm Quitting Pathfinder 2e" video by Cody at the Youtube channel called "Taking 20" (not affiliated). Chances are you've watched or listened to a live let's play podcast as they used music, sound effects, and visual puzzles during an episode.  What are some tips for doing that in my home game?  Jeremy can help with that!

I wanted to address an aspect of Critical Role's success that's mentioned too often called the Matt Mercer effect.  Its most common manifestation is that every Tabletop RPG should be just like Critical Role and every DM should be just like Matthew Mercer.  In this episode, Jeremy breaks down why that's simply unfair to him and to your DM.

Traps - some DMs love them and others hate them.  PCs usually hate them so how do you use them effectively in your campaign?  How can they go wrong?  Why are Pixie farts brought up so often this week?