Episode 199 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Greyhawk’s Peoples and Story! The 2024 DMG will include the setting of Greyhawk. Shawn and Teos examine how the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer describes species, culture, and history. And, hey, how detailed should a setting be? News: New WotC VP John Hight, Hiring D&D Architect, Free Shadowdark Solo, and mo…

Episode 198 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: The Living Greyhawk Campaign! The 2024 DMG will include the setting of Greyhawk. Shawn and Teos examine the start of the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer and reminisce on the impacts of the Living Greyhawk organized play campaign. News: Dan Rawson’s Expanded Role, D&D Stamps and Conventions, Moonbeam, and mor…

Episode 197 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: The Origins of Greyhawk! The 2024 DMG will include the setting of Greyhawk. Shawn and Teos examine Greyhawk’s history and characteristics and why it makes a great choice for a core setting. News: Kyle Brink Departs WotC, ENnies Nominations, Physical vs Digital, and more! Contents 00:00 Ever Been to a G…

Episode 196 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Setting Expectations for your TTRPG Projects! Wrel (Michael Henderson) joins Shawn Merwin to discuss how to set the right expectations for your TTRPG projects. Topics include setting goals, knowing who you are designing for, finding an audience, and assessing your capabilities. News: New D&D VP, PH and…

Episode 195 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Daggerheart’s Adversaries and Environments! Our final episode covering Daggerheart. Adversaries are critical to an RPG, creating excitement and engagement. Let's learn from how Daggerheart works to streamline stat blocks and encourage open play! News: Hasbro CEO Take 2, Vecna on DDB Doesn’t Match Book,…

Episode 194 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Running a Daggerheart Campaign! Daggerheart tells us each session should be built fresh, based on the previous session. And the world is a map populated by the players. Let’s see the benefits and challenges of this approach! News: Roll20 Acquires Demiplane, D&D Movie’s Surprises, Hiring at Avantis MCDM…

Episode 193 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Running a Daggerheart Session! Daggerheart provides advice on how to create a session based on the heroes. But is it actionable advice? Is Shawn raging while Teos remains positive? Find out the shocking truth! News: WotC Hiring AI, Paramount Cancels D&D, Foundry Launches RPG, and more! Contents 00:00 S…

Episode 192 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Daggerheart GM Moves and Mechanics! Daggerheart lets a GM act at any time, yet encourages moves that push the narrative and create fun for players. Let’s take a look! News: Andy Collins Returns to WotC, Chaosium Hires, Gamehole News, and more! Contents 00:00 Back in Black 01:47 Know Other RPGs to Desig…

Episode 191 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: 13th Age 2E Design with Rob Heinsoo! The much admired 13th Age RPG has a second edition on kickstarter! Designer Rob Heinsoo discusses the game’s innovations and takes a look back at leading 4E design, the OGL as seen by WotC, and much more! News: Greyhawk in the DMG, Homebrew vs Prewritten, D&D Worlds…

Episode 190 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Daggerheart Review – GM Advice! We found the heart of Critical Role, and it’s in the GM advice section. Shawn and Teos dig into this advice, fantastic for any game but tailor-made for Daggerheart’s play. News: Critical Role Launches Beacon, MCDM on D&D Beyond, 2024 PH Art Reveal, and more! Contents 00:…

Episode 189 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Daggerheart Review – Domains and Actions! Cards in an RPG? Find out how Daggerheart keeps characters and gameplay interesting with Domains and the Action Tracker! News: Hasbro $1M Investment, D&D Beyond Changes Marketplace, Monster Symmetry, and more! Contents 00:00 Alien Sun 03:03 HP Increase Design? …

Episode 188 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Daggerheart Review – Character Creation! A nine-step process provides a robust mix of crunch and narrative options. See what this blend tells us about this and other RPGs. News: Hasbro’s Q1 Results, WotC Completing the PH, Roll20 Discord Integration, and more! Contents 00:00 Far Out 02:26 Vecna Prequel…

Episode 187 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Daggerheart Review – Core Rules! Hope, Fear, Stress, and so much more! We take a look at Daggerheart’s design and how it encourages narrative and tactical gameplay. News: WotC President Departs, Colville on Adventure Length, DriveThru Sales Data, and more! Contents 00:00 Deck of Campaign Derailments 02…

Episode 186 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: How to Keep Your New Campaign Healthy and Strong! If the average campaign lasts only 3-5 sessions, how do we avoid that fate and maintain a healthy long-term campaign? News: Hasbro CEO Interview Reimagined, Vecna is Coming, Fallout TV Sells RPG, and more! Contents 00:00 Kids are Alright 01:39 The Black…

Episode 185 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Designing Player-Facing Options for New Campaigns! How do you create or leverage player-facing rules that will intrigue them and ground them in your new world and your new campaign? How do you give them meaningful, informed choices early in the campaign? News: Prep vs Improv? Dimension 20 in the Garden…

Episode 184 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Design an RPG Starting Encounter! Continuing the discussion of designing a first adventure in our world, how do we design the first adventure? We look at creating an encounter that utilizes our setting, hooks, and plays off of the PCs! News: Core Book Prices, Free Tsojcanth and LEGO Adventures, D&D Sal…

Episode 183 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Designing an RPG Starting Adventure! Continuing the discussion of worldbuilding and village design, how do we start an adventure? We provide an approach to get the most out of your campaign and adventure starts! News: GaryCon Review, Remembering Jim Ward, Daggerheart Review! Contents 00:00 March Madnes…

Episode 182 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Designing an RPG Starting Village! Continuing the discussion of worldbuilding, a great place to start is a village. What must a starting village contain and what isn’t needed? How do we make it relevant and interesting? We dig into the design and examples that have and haven’t worked for us. News: Crit…

Episode 181 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Shadowdark GM Tips, Monsters, and Treasure! The finale of our Shadowdark series! We take a look the excellent advice, plus how the game provides monsters and treasure. News: Reviewing The Fallbacks, Adv League to Beyond, NASA RPG and Challenge, and more! Contents 00:00 Teos Has Seen Things 02:45 Emeral…

Episode 180 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Building and Changing Rules to Fit Your RPG World! Dan Dillon and Jason Ward join Shawn to discuss how to pick the best rules, or change them, when designing an RPG world. News: Dan Dillon and Jason Ward, Daggerheart Playtesting, Discworld RPG, and more! Contents 00:00 Dan and Jason! 02:11 Defining Suc…

Episode 179 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Worldbuilding Tips and Tricks! How do we create worlds that reflect the RPGs used to play them? How do we serve our readers, GMs, and players? Let’s talk worldbuilding! News: Surviving Strangehollow,| No D&D in Portuguese, D&D Off-Broadway, and more! Contents 00:00 Dark Weekend 01:01 Running Factions? …

Episode 178 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Shadowdark RPG’s Combat, Travel, and Downtime! Teos shares the exploits in a recent Shadowdark game, adding context as Shawn and Teos review Shadowdark’s rules for combat, travel, and downtime. News: Hasbro’s D&D Finances and Strategy, 2024 Release Info, Humblewood on Beyond, and more! Contents 00:00 M…

Episode 177 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Shadowdark RPG – Gameplay (MD 177) From initiative and darkness to checks and luck tokens, Shawn and Teos examine the rules that distinguish the game. News: D&D Thanks You, Manganiello Speaks, Pelgrane Blog Rocks, and more! Contents 00:00:00 Winter Fantasy for One 00:01:35 Shadowdark Balance? 00:10:50 …

Episode 176 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: News with Graham! With Shawn fighting off a cold, Graham joins us to take a look at the news. Back to Shadowdark next week! News: Foundry Gets 2024 5E, Kickstarter Growth, Adventures that Teach, and more! Contents 00:00:00 Graham Ward! 00:02:55 Player-DM Trust 00:10:20 D&D Stewardship 00:23:00 2024 Gli…

Episode 175 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Shadowdark RPG – Characters and Magic With Shadowdark’s simplicity, how do ancestries, classes, and class features distinguish themselves? Shawn and Teos examine the classes, alignment, and magic systems to see how this game manages to be so good. News: D&D Turned 40, D&D in VR, a Real Fortress Dungeon…

Episode 174 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Shadowdark RPG – Reviewing the Basics Shawn and Teos delve into Shadowdark. While their torchlight holds, they examine the first chapters of this tome. Learn the basics of Shadowdark’s design and what sets it apart from other similar RPGs. News: New D&D from Random House, How to Have Fun, Fighting AI, …

Episode 173 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Blade Runner Starter Set – Electric Dreams Adventure Review Mike Shea joins Shawn while Teos hunkers down without power. In the main segment, Shawn and Teos take a look at the adventure included in the Blade Runner starter set by Free League. We review the amazing value and how it provides for open pla…

Episode 172 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Blade Runner Starter Set – Rules Review Shawn and Teos take a look at the packed contents of the Blade Runner starter set by Free League. We review the amazing value and provide an overview of the rules. News: MCDM Raises $4.6M, Golden Ages, Winter Fantasy Signups, and more! Contents 00:00 Renewed 01:1…

Episode 171 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: 2023 Review and 2024 RPG Outlook Shawn and Teos look back at the rollercoaster year of 2023 and what excites us about the coming year. News: Drakkenheim on DDB, LotR Stars Play BG3, Valiant Adventures, and more! Contents 00:00 Renown 01:12 Setting Customizations? 14:21 Affordable Expectations? 29:22 Lo…

Episode 170 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Planescape’s Adventure: The Conclusion! The final two chapters of Turn of Fortune’s Wheel! We look back on how DMs can make the most of the adventure. News: Understanding WotC Layoffs, Netflix Talks BG3, Greatest RPG Adventures, and more! Contents 00:00 Rollercoaster 2023 02:19 Resource Management? 10:…

Episode 169 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Planescape’s Adventure: Outlands and Spire! We expect big payoffs as the adventure reveals it's biggest secrets. Is the payoff worth it? Find out how the answer isn’t yes, as we review Chapters 12 and 13 Turn of Fortune’s Wheel. News: MCDM Breaks Records, Roll20 Overhaul, GaryCon Epic, and more! Conten…

Episode 168 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Planescape’s Adventure: Gate Towns! Seven gate towns must be visited! How well does the 4-page format work, and what would we change? Find out as we look at Chapters 5-11 of Turn of Fortune’s Wheel. News: Ghostfire and Dungeon Dudes on DDB, D&D 50th Anniversary Products, D&D Stamps, and more! Contents …

Episode 167 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Turn of Fortune’s Wheel: Casino and Outlands! Casino games are more fun when player goals align. This and the villain present challenges for the DM, if not the players. We venture into the Outlands and experience a castle out of a Miyazaki film. News: D&D Move Sequel, Peril Design, Gygax Shoes, PAX U E…

Episode 166 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Turn of Fortune’s Wheel! A tale of two chapters! A spoiler-filled discussion reviews the key twists to the adventure and finds a great disparity between the play experience in the first two chapters! News: Free D&D for Teachers, Maps Adds Features, Running Towns, and more! Contents 00:00 No Grandparent…

Episode 165 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Monsters in Morte’s Planar Parade! We take a look at Planescape’s monster book. We get traits to add to monsters, faction agents, and creatures from across the planes. Hear what we like and what we would change. News: Free Inspiration Deck, VTT at PAXU, GameHole Panels, and more! Contents 00:00 Explore…

Episode 164 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: The Outlands! Outside of Sigil are the Outlands, marked by fantastic and intense gate towns reflecting the plane beyond. Find out why we would change these up and how! News: D&D TV Launches, Chains of Asmoeus, Biggest Crowdfunders, and more! Contents 00:00 Scary Candy 01:58 Span the Ages? 07:23 Reduce …

Episode 163 of Mastering Dungeons! This week's main topic: Planescape: Sigil’s Factions and Wards! The City of Sigil’s factions can be hard to grasp, but they play a critical role and shape the city itself, turning the city’s neighborhoods into reflections of their philosophies. News: WotC Recalls Many Things, Rough Hasbro Q3, D&D Anthology, and mo…

Episode 162 of Mastering Dungeons! This week's main topic: Live at Gamehole 2023 – Setting Products! We discuss settings with our live audience! What do you want from a setting? Paper or digital? And is it Sigil or Sijil? Contents 00:00 Live at GameHole! 00:47 Sigil or Sijil? 05:09 What Do We Want from Settings? 06:23 Adventure Atlas: the Mortuary …

Episode 161 of Mastering Dungeons! This week's main topic: Planescape: City of Sigil! The City of Sigil is a sci-fi conundrum. Let’s learn what makes the city so intriguing and how a DM can make the most of it. News: WotC hiring, Baldman at PAXU, Unforgettable Villains, and more! Contents 00:00 D&D Tutor 03:16 Class Sales? 08:33 Bigger Books? 10:28…

Episode 160 of Mastering Dungeons! This week's main topic: Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse! 5E finally has Planescape! We take a look at Sigill and the Outlands, the first book introducing the setting and offering character options. News: The End of Everything, D&D Adds Bastions, WotC Drops Penguin, and more! Contents 00:00 Alex Kammer! 01…

Episode 159 of Mastering Dungeons! This week's main topic: Modiphius 2D20 RPGs! We take a look at the Modiphius 2D20 RPG system, including a close look at Star Trek Adventures and Dune: Adventures in the Imperium. News: Evil Genius Sues Netflix, Planescape Previews and Downloads, Free Lightning Keep, and more! Contents 00:00 Boosted 01:42 Modules? …

Episode 158 of Mastering Dungeons! This week's main topic: DMG Conclusion: Creating Monsters, Spells, Magic Items. Appendices! The 2014 DMG ends with teaching DMs how to create rules and tries to inspire DMs. We then look back on the whole of the DMG and what 2024 might bring. News: What the D&D Community Update Forgot, New Eldraine Monsters, Maps …

Episode 157 of Mastering Dungeons! This week's main topic: DMG Chapter 9 part 2: Firearms, Plot Points, Initiative and Action Variants! The 2014 DMG provides many optional rules. Which ones would we use, and what should the 2024 DMG bring forward or change? News: Latest Playtest Backtracks, Prison Wish Lists, D&D Upcoming Release News, and more! Co…

Episode 156 of Mastering Dungeons! This week's main topic: DMG Chapter 9: Dungeon Master’s Workshop! The 2014 DMG provides many optional rules. Which ones would we use, and what should the 2024 DMG bring forward or change? News: Latest Playtest Backtracks, Prison Wish Lists, D&D Upcoming Release News, and more! Contents 00:00 Dark 03:51 Poisoner? 1…

Episode 155 of Mastering Dungeons! This week's main topic: DMG Running the Game part 3! How well does the DMG help us track initiative, improvise damage, run chases, fire siege weapons, and give out XP? Shawn and Teos have some good laughs as they investigate the 2018 DMG. News: Demiplane 5E Surprise, Phandelver Previews, Hiring and Pay, and more! …

Episode 154 of Mastering Dungeons! This week's main topic: The 2014 DMG Chapter 8 – Running the Game, part 2! Shawn and Teos continue examining Chapter 8 of the 2014 DMG. From optional ways to handle close die rolls, to social interactions, to exploration, we look at fascinating topics. News: D&D Movie Really Losing Money? Free Gazetteer, BG3 Revie…

Episode 153 of Mastering Dungeons! This week's main topic: Shadow of the Weird Wizard with Rob Schwalb! Rob Schwalb talks about his fantastic Kickstarter for Weird Wizard, his days at Wizards and insights into 5E’s creation, and what makes for a fantastic RPG. News: Tal’Dorei Reborn is the first 3rd party product on D&D Beyond, WotC Playtest Experi…

Episode 152 of Mastering Dungeons! This week's main topic: The 2014 DMG Chapter 8 – Running the Game! Seven chapters later, the DM finally is told how to run the game! Was the wait worth it? Shawn and Teos review which parts hit the mark and which fall short. News: Hasbro’s Rough Q2, Gen Con Breaks Records, Crawford on Settings, 2024 More Like 2014…

Episode 151 of Mastering Dungeons! This week's main topic: The 2014 DMG Chapter 6 – Treasure! Shawn and Teos ponder treasure. How much to give out, and how often? What is the role of treasure and its implications? From attunement to sentient items, we dig into the 2014 5E DMG and what we might want to see in 2024. News: A giant problem for D&D, Fre…

Episode 150 of Mastering Dungeons! This week's main topic: The 2014 DMG Chapter 6 – Downtime! Shawn and Teos are huge fans of Downtime, introduced in the 2014 5E DMG. However, the material in Chapter 6 has been changed greatly by Xanathar’s and Acquisitions Incorporated. What would Shawn and Teos want from the 2024 DMG? News: Translated SRD, Sales …