Taking 20 Podcast

Dive into the eerie world of mind flayers, the octopus-headed villains of gaming! Discover their horrifying psionic abilities that can literally fry your mind. Learn about their chilling biology, predatory behaviors, and unique hive mind structure. Explore how these alien predators can enhance your campaign and add depth to your narrative. Perfect for any gamer looking to incorporate spooky, memorable monsters!

Let's flip the screen.  What should players do to get ready for Session 0 and how can they help make the session a success?  I'm glad you asked, voice in my head.  Here are some tips!

Dive into the essential role of Session 0 in tabletop RPGs, where expectations are set and collaboration thrives. Discover key steps to prepare for a productive planning session, covering player preferences and house rules. Learn how to navigate disagreements, manage character creation, and address sensitive topics to create a positive environment. Plus, explore ways to enhance the experience with character secrets and narrative contributions, ensuring an engaging kickoff for the campaign.

You're a DM and you have a story you'd like to tell but the darn Player Characters won't follow the story.  What do you do?  How do you handle the campaign that's not going as planned?  Jeremy pulls a major piece of advice from a song from 1980s band 38 Special.

A lot of people dismiss D&D 4th Edition as a mistake but there were a lot of good aspects to that version of the game.  One of them was minions which were simplified monsters used in tandem with bosses and boss fights.  In this episode Jeremy suggests that bringing the concept back can spice up combat encounters.

It's almost Halloween in the U.S. and maybe you'd like to run a scary One Shot or Adventure.  How do you bring scary elements into your game?  What types of horror are there?  Jeremy waxes poetic about one of his favorite adventure types.

Want a Roc that can teleport giant rocks to drop on the players?  How about an alien with acid for blood found on a crash landed ship.  That's completely unique and no one else has ever thought of it.  In this episode Jeremy gives some tips for customizing monsters and mostly encourages you to be creative with your creatures!

In the finale of the 3-part interview, Johnn and Jeremy discuss garnering emotional responses from your players and a weird question about the Stone to Flesh spell.

Johnn Four, a role-playing game expert and contributor to RoleplayingTips.com, joins the conversation to share valuable insights. He discusses the art of treasure distribution, emphasizing alignment with player behavior for maximum impact. The dialogue delves into crafting compelling cultures, using relatable elements like dwarven society to enhance immersion. Johnn also highlights the importance of balancing loot with engaging gameplay, advocating for rich, believable cultural frameworks. Prepare for a deeper understanding of RPG dynamics!

Johnn Four, an expert in dungeon mastering and author at Roleplaying Tips, joins to tackle listener questions. He shares effective note-taking strategies to organize game sessions, enhancing engagement for both GMs and players. Johnn discusses methods for captivating casual players during long breaks, emphasizing cliffhangers and session recaps. He also highlights the importance of maintaining narrative mystery by withholding antagonist motives and setting clear adventure goals, ensuring players remain invested in the story.