In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave sit down to respond to a listener question about their homebrewed idea of making magic work differently in different areas of their world. They ask how we might approach it in our ever-growing, crowdsourced Boomtown campaign setting.

1:35 Our listener question from The OMG Father, Wyman!

3:15 Simple ways to approach making magic change, altering Difficulty Classes and Damage output.

4:15 DM Chris harkens back to the Green Lantern Corps and leans into our use of Components as trackable resources.

6:05 How DM Dave altered magic in the world in our recent Dragonlance campaign.

8:05 Making the zones of magic random, and DM Chris’ concern of specifically targeting arcane casters.

10:25 Motivating players to adventure by seeking tech.

12:12 Employing more narratively focused elements by having the player and DM work together to create something new.

16:45 Leaning into the resource management for spellcasting.

21:45 Allowing the tech to be utilized by any character. A Gunslinger with a Staff of Healing? Why not?

25:25 Good stories come from the characters having to struggle. Always beating the monsters is fun in a one-shot, but makes for a really boring campaign.

26:35 DM Tony asks what the tech looks like in Boomtown?

31:10 Charging up mundane tech… the Battery of the planet Oa and bringing in a usable Craft Item skill.

35:50 Final Thoughts.

Having been playing through the Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game, we’ve experienced firsthand how alterations to the classes available for players really helps to lend a unique and immersive quality to the campaign setting – setting it apart from all others.

In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave sit down to discuss the class that is most effected by the inciting incident of Boomtown – namely, that arcane magic is derived from ancient technology being recovered in the Wastes. We take him from 1st to 3rd level and, along the way, discuss the changes that reflect our weird west setting. Make sure to Join the Conversation!

3:50 Naming our western Wizard.

5:55 Do we rename the Wizard class like we changed Clerics to Prophets?

7:55 We continue to nail down the idea that all classes receive Unarmored Defense.

13:30 The idea behind low hit points for Wizards.

16:05 Our customized Saving Throws.

17:20 The all-important stat rolls.

20:30 The changes to our Skill list.

23:00 What do we mean when the technology is “warping”

people?

25:00 The Component Pouch.

30:45 One last Frontier Pack and his starting equipment.

33:45 We delve into how spellcasting works and some changes to make the Wizard preparing spells.

45:30 Do Schools of Magic make sense in Boomtown? The idea of Wizards taking a Technology Path.

53:15 Our 3rd Level Engineer!

54:05 Final Thoughts.

Having been playing through the Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game, we’ve experienced firsthand how alterations to the classes available for players really helps to lend a unique and immersive quality to the campaign setting – setting it apart from all others.

In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave sit down to discuss Clerics in a world where all the magic that is known seems to be technologically-based. We take them from 1st to 3rd level and, along the way, discuss the changes that reflect our weird west setting. Make sure to Join the Conversation!

4:00 The Name! Always start with the name. Introducing Sister Mercy Cain.

5:30 Renaming the Cleric: The Prophet Class.

7:20 Rolling Mercy’s stats.

10:50 Customizing Saving Throws.

13:30 A short step back into Sneak Attack and finesse weapons in regards to Firearms.

16:50 No Plate Mail in the western setting - Unarmored Defense for all classes.

21:12 Skills and a discussion on a Preach skill instead of Religion.

28:00 Everyone gets a Frontier Pack! Building out equipment and weapons.

34:30 We begin to discuss spellcasting for the Prophet class – 3 separate ideas.

42:50 Leveling Sister Mercy to 2nd level and our discussion on Channel Divinity, Domains, and Deities.

53:00 Our 3rd Level Prophet!

53:30 Final Thoughts.

Having been playing through the Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game, we’ve experienced firsthand how alterations to the classes available for players really helps to lend a unique and immersive quality to the campaign setting – setting it apart from all others.

In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave sit down to discuss what a Rogue would look like in our Boomtown campaign setting.  We take him from 1st to 3rd level and, along the way, discuss the changes that reflect our weird west setting. Make sure to Join the Conversation!

3:03 What do we call the class? Rogue, Thief, Outlaw, Bandit?

3:55 Wait, what is this character’s name?

4:35 DM Tony comes up with an interesting change for Saving Throw proficiencies.

8:50 DM Chris comes through with John “Maverick” East!

9:45 John East’s stat roll out.

11:40 The idea of bringing in Unarmored Defense into the world for everyone.

14:30 What are his stats? A 6 in Wisdom?!?

20:25 We put our customizable Saving Throw proficiencies into play.

21:50 Maverick’s skills.

25:00 What equipment and weaponry does a Rogue start with in Boomtown?

26:00 DM Chris introduces the idea of the demolitions expert.

29:40 We begin discussing the Rogue Features as we level John East up.

33:25 The Rogue Superpower: Sneak Attack.

46:45 Rogue Archetypes.

50:51 Final Thoughts.

Having been playing through the Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game, we’ve experienced firsthand how alterations to the classes available for players really helps to lend a unique and immersive quality to the campaign setting – setting it apart from all others.

In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave sit down to build the most classic D&D class, the Fighter, in our Boomtown campaign setting.  We take him from 1st to 3rd level and, along the way, discuss the changes that reflect our weird west setting. Make sure to Join the Conversation!

3:28 1st level, first things first… what’s their name?

4:10 Rolling out Roland’s stats.

6:00 Saving Throws and Proficiencies.

8:20 Six-shooters and Leather Dusters… cowboys didn’t have full plate armor.

10:50 The Frontier Pack.

11:30 Assigning Roland’s attributes.

16:00 Two changes to the skills list in Boomtown.

26:45 Equipment and weapons.

29:45 Fighting Styles.

40:20 2nd Level… we add to Action Surge.

46:15 3rd Level… the Martial Archetypes of Boomtown.

54:10 Final Thoughts.

One of the best things you can build for your campaign to feel real and immersive is by creating factions. Groups and organizations that have their own motives and goals that are distinct from the players. This creates inciting incidents, backstory fodder, and moving parts that conflict with the characters and create impetus for adventure.

In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave finally begin discussing the biggest faction, and the inciting incident for the Boomtown setting, the shadowy conglomerate from the east coast of the world that is the driving force behind gathering the newly discovered ancient magical technology.  Make sure to Join the Conversation!

4:05 We begin with some possible ways this conglomerate might be formed and their motives.

6:45 It’s important to create the floor for the overall campaign setting.

10:00 The concept of the theocracy of the “Divine State” begins to take shape.

12:35 The main fulcrum of your campaign setting. DM Dave posits the struggle between religion and faith.

17:50 The beginning of the idea of the conglomerate as a “Triumvirate”: Religion, Commerce, and Military.

21:24 The need for a break in time in history: The Cataclysm, The Calamity, The Doom of Valyria, etc.

23:50 The internal struggles of the Triumvirate create more adventure hooks.

25:10 Factions that develop because of opposition to the Triumvirate.

35:45 Answering who these other factions are changes the campaign setting: Technological Magic vs Inherent Magic and Power.

40:25 The Triumvirate is human-centric. Boomtowns are plural societies.

6:35 Final Thoughts.

Science fiction writer, Arthur C. Clarke formulated three adages known as Clarke’s Laws that he expounded on in his writings. The third of these is the most famous, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”

In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave begin to unpack this idea of ancient technology being what makes magic in the ever-evolving, crowdsourced Boomtown Campaign Setting.  Make sure to Join the Conversation!

0:24 DM Dave’s audio homage to the famous “slapback” effect of Sam Philips’ Sun Studios.

4:33 The current state of technological advancement in Boomtown.

6:40 How much magic is discovered at 1st level? Where is the floor for magic in the campaign setting?

10:15 Magic is being used to build and power the world.

11:25 We love the idea of Masterwork and Weapons of Quality handling anything that is +1.

15:30 What can you find in a general Boomtown? How damaging are run-of-the-mill firearms?

16:30 Leaning into the idea of Misfires and Wild Magic. We also discuss adjusting Attunement.

33:00 Building and creating magic – giving agency to the players in rediscovering magic.

40:50 Flaws ands vulnerabilities in the characters and the world are what make the greatest stories.

41:45 Final Thoughts.

In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave return to the conversation started in Episode 174 and begin to build out the town that will be the start of most adventures in our Boomtown Campaign Setting.  Make sure to Join the Conversation!

1:55 Where are we now? We asked, you answered! Boomtown #1 is known as Gallow Springs!

3:40 What’s in our border town?

6:05 What’s NOT in the town? Religion and Churches, per our last episode.

9:35 Our archetype for Boomtown was Wyatt Earp’s Tombstone. So, what was actually there at the time?

12:15 Name the 110 saloons!

12:35 How small is a small town? Between Hommlet and Waterdeep.

16:10 The split between Uptown and Downtown and the Law.

19:55 The point of the Boomtowns: Recovering Tech – our “Gold Rush.”

22:06 Dueling and Gunfights: How Lawless is Gallow Springs?

29:30 The Haves and the Have Nots: The rich get richer!

31:00 Buying Magic in Gallow Springs?

38:50 Final Thoughts.

In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave finish out the discussion of how magic will work in our crowdsourced “Boomtown” campaign setting by asking “Where does divine magic come from?” Make sure to Join the Conversation!

1:40 “Where Are We Now”: the Boomtown campaign setting, as it currently stands.

5:20 Discovering the Lost Gods?

6:00 Will this be monotheistic or polytheistic? What about the Cleric Domains?

10:00 Could Divine Magic be just advanced forms of technology or Artificial Intelligence?

13:45 #FightForTheColonyShip

14:45 One God: Many Names.

16:50 What does this tech-based magic look like compared to the ordinary folk?

20:30 How does religion fit into this world?

29:45 The struggle between the Corporations, the Prophets, and the Boomtowns.

40:45 Final Thoughts.

In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave begin to ask the most basic question when building a town: why is the town there? In our D&D Tombstone idea, we realize the short answer is money. And what drives that money? Magic. Make sure to join the conversation as we build a Wonderful World with our 3WD community!

2:25 The “Elevator Pitch” for our new campaign setting.

4:05 Review our discussion of magic.

9:06 Our Sci-Fi, D&D Tombstone.

10:50 Why do towns exist? The short answer: money.

14:55 Economy, commerce, and the Gold Piece Problem.

17:40 Power, Influence, Money, and your Standard of Living

23:50 Magic is a memory. The adventure is in rediscovering it.

29:35 Leveling magic differently to play to the setting?

40:15 Final Thoughts.

In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave discuss how magic might work in this new world, how the environment helps to create the setting, and stumble into an idea for a setting that has us really excited. Make sure to join the conversation as we build a Wonderful World with our 3WD community!

2:20 We asked and you answered: A Brand New World!

6:40 A little context for this experiment: we really just want to see how we all might come together to build a new world and setting.

7:55: Magic: How it works and how we might make it special.

15:00 DM Dave really loves the idea of a colony ship…

17:55 Our first big change in this setting: we remove the Wizard class entirely.

19:55 What is the environment that we find in this new world and setting?

21:55 We drive down more to the area that the adventurer’s will encounter first.

26:15 The idea for our overall setting starts to take shape: D&D and Sci-Fi meet Tombstone!

34:20 Final Thoughts.

However, in this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave have decided to become a bit more involved with a new experiment that we cooked up.

Something that has never been done on 3WD before – we’re going to start building a new world live! In real time, we begin asking the questions that will shape our new creation.

As this is a show by DMs for DMs, we’re adding another aspect. YOU! We’re asking you to share in the brainstorm and offer ideas. So, tune in now as 3WD starts building a whole new world!

1:40 Introduction of our new experiment. Reach out to 3wisedms@gmail.com with your ideas and votes!

3:40 Low Fantasy? High Fantasy? Low Magic? High Magic? What do we mean by this.

7:40 Is our world completely new or a version of Earth (i.e. Middle Earth, The Dying Earth, Shannara)?

9:50 DM Tony’s idea of “High Magic” – a return to Greyhawk.

11:50 The concept of “starting small.”

13:35 What type of story does this world support? And can a world support ANY story?

16:35 Building a world that was our Earth (at some point) lends a sense of familiarity when you’re building your new world.

18:40 Towns? Cities? States? Kingdoms?

22:53 The archetypes and Tropes of stories. We ALL steal.

28:30 People will eventually congregate. The history of the world can’t always be “Mad Max”.

31:35 Looking to history.

36:00 Final Thoughts.

In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave sit down to answer a listener question from our “Co-DM” Dr. DM (Jason) where he asks the question “If faced with an abundance of ideas, how would each of you decide which things to insert and which to hold onto for later?”

4:05 What is your table like and what is your frequency of play?

5:15 Bring the ideas that have been really fleshed out that fit the campaign.

6:24 Bring the ideas that you would want to have at the table when YOU’RE playing.

8:20 Use the ideas that are player-centric first.

10:30 Write your ideas down and sit with them. If they still look good with time, use it.

12:45 Use ideas that fit your campaign setting and world.

13:50 The collaborative story you’re building will tell you what ideas will work best: The Sword of Power.

19:20 Just like Lore Tolerance, there is Idea Tolerance. Feed it through your players.

26:40 Our tangent into how 5e strength with lifting things can get unwieldy.

35:23 Final Thoughts.

0:25 Eben Brooks’ “Hey There, Cthulhu.”

2:33 The Keeper of Arcane Lore Herself, Elizabeth!

3:40 Hot take: This was the first time Elizabeth ran a game!

4:15 The “Seven Knives” Theory to gaming.

6:35 Making the players feel like their characters are a real part of the world.

10:55 “System, system, system!”

12:30 Running the game that you want to play in.

16:25 Spend prep time with what you think is important and what you like to do.

22:20 Having the players be both characters AND audience.

27:05 The challenges of playing normal people in modern times.

30:40 Placing a “plant” character in your game: pros and cons.

35:15 Giving secrets and clues (or Cthulhu Mythos) to your players before the game.

38:30 DM Tony had solved the mystery right at the top of the game… but we didn’t go with it.

41:40 Play to the source material: there can’t be a “good” ending in Call of Cthulhu.

42:20 Final Thoughts.

If you’ve ever asked yourself the question, “is there such a thing as too much character backstory?”, then this is the episode for you!

3:25 DM-Player communication: how much is the DM looking for and how much can you use in-game?

4:40 The context of this question really depends on this game being a one-shot, as opposed to a continuing campaign.

7:00 Will this level of prep increase the level of investment in the character?

9:00 No matter how much you develop the idea of the character… you have no idea how they will play until the game starts.

12:50 This question depends very much on the system that you’re playing (including DM Chris’ very old-school D&D way of creating his author, Thomas Albright.)

19:45 Will this level of character backstory and development allow a more immersive one-shot?

22:50 We might not do twenty questions… but maybe we could?

26:00 The level of immersion with teasers that the Keeper of Arcane Lore is creating for this one-shot.

30:05 Meeting your players where they are.

34:05 Final Thoughts.

So, with all your wisdom, all your experience, all your skills – how do you help the new DM along in the game so that they have a good

time and the table has a good time? So that they want to get back into the DM chair?

For all you Forever DMs, and all you Prospective DMs, this is the episode for you!

2:05 3WD drops their Birthday Game Challenge!

2:45 The Wizard Washburn gets run through his 70th Birthday Adventure by our own Chaos Engine, Little One, Hawk Morgan’s BFF, Bonnie!

5:50 The easiest way to help… be a resource (and DM Chris’ first question on the die roll for a Potion of Healing.)

7:55 The trepidation that a new DM has when running a game for experienced DMs.

10:00 Always allow the new DM the room to breathe and create their own game.

12:00 Let the new DM decide how much they do or don’t need your help – and how the way you play your character can be the biggest help.

13:45 “Take small bites.” And how running a game makes you a better player: DM Empathy.

15:40 “Investing in Loss.” Getting comfortable with being uncomfortable.

17:20 Two Forever Tips for a New DM: Use pre-gens and run a concise game.

19:00 Don’t make your DM dance when they’re new.

24:00 DM Dave sees DM Chris’ Death Sword and raises him the Dragon Slaying Longsword of +50 and our tangent into the Design Teams at WotC not talking to each other in Dragonlance and Curse of Strahd.

25:50 DM Dave relates a story that illustrates what we’re talking about.

29:15 DM Tony shares how he didn’t mentor DM Thorin well in one of his first games he ran for them.

32:50 Final Thoughts.

In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave sit down to discuss an issue that came up in DM Chris' Tales of the Yawning Portal campaign that he's running for 2 new players to the hobby and a run-in with a dwarven ghost.

1:45 DM Chris’ question that arose with Possession.

3:35 DM Tony’s initial thoughts.

4:35 The first time DM Dave makes the point that 2 players in a game can really change how the game flows.

9:40 The changes that have occurred with certain charm effects.

11:10 Roleplaying yourself out of these situations to reveal secrets and clues, plot points, etc.

13:55 Do your prep, know what’s coming up… or don’t!

16:10 How to use these types of effects to dial up the tension on players.

17:35 The problem with immediate alignment changes.

22:48 Realize how powerful these effects can be and use them judiciously.

24:30 How gaming has changes over the decades – the difference between Gauntlet and Final Fantasy – and how you can always fall forward into story.

26:20 DM Chris’ style of being a fan of his players.

30:50 How these types of events change with more than 2 players – the Banshees attack in Dragonlance!

35:25 Final Thoughts.

In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave sit down to review the system, and discuss what they liked and didn’t about playing as Agents of ICON. For anyone wanting to dip their toes into playing in worlds like James Bond and Mission: Impossible, this is the episode for you.

2:06 DM Tony’s quick overview of the system.

3:50 DM Chris’ high overview of how he approached running Top Secret.

6:05 DM Dave’s intro thoughts.

9:15 The realism inherent in playing ordinary people in extraordinary situations.

10:40 How DM Chris approached learning and then running and teaching the game in real time.

12:26 Even for experienced DMs and GMs, it can be confusing when running a brand new system.

15:54 A discussion on the intro adventure, The White Queen, that was included in Top Secret: New World Order.

19:25 The right system for the right game.

22:40 How the game fosters roleplaying that moves the story and mission forward.

28:00 Would DM Chris have done anything differently having now run the game?

32:08 Being Agents of ICON is the easiest way to hook the players into the adventure.

34:32 Final Thoughts.

In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave sit down to discuss how they’ve started implementing AI into their toolbox, mainly through getting into some good old-fashioned “lonely fun” in some solo-RPGing. For anyone who has thought how AI might effect your games or your DMing, this is the episode for you.

3:00 DM Chris gives the background for turning ChatGPT into a DM for a solo campaign from his previous article, and then he and Tony discuss their solo campaigns they’ve been playing in.

9:35 Just like any game, you know what your character has and does more than the DM – real or virtual.

11:45 The concept of “Lonely Fun.”

12:46 Our experiences with solo TTRPGs, like Mythic, and how tools like ChatGPT can enhance that experience.

16:30 AI as a tool to craft something you need quickly – DM Tony’s Inn.

18:00 Using AI to assist in being another “DM” to bounce ideas off of and to test your prototypes: DM Dave’s new campaign that mixes WEG Star Wars RPG and Firefly: The Board Game.

24:40 Our tangent into the missing Ninja class.

27:37 The difference between solo gaming and party gaming. In a solo campaign, you’re the star of the show.

32:00 Running a solo campaign is a great way to learn how a new system works.

35:25 Final Thoughts.

In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave sit down to revisit our discussion with The Wizard Washburn from Paper Terrain in Episode 112 about using and building terrain and minis but then also all the other ways to help you build the most immersive experience in your D&D game.

3:50 Scenery and terrain should be used as an assist. It doesn’t need to be extensive.

 5:45 Just like anything else, you have to find what YOUR style is.

7:30 Some of the examples of what we use, build, buy, and collect.

15:00 All these tools don’t run the game – you and the players do.

18:00 Reusability with these tools is key.

20:15 Something simple on the table helps to focus the players attention and provide more flavor.

23:45 Tools beyond terrain, maps, and minis to enhance immersion: bring more senses into play.

39:32 Final Thoughts.

In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave sit down to discuss how they utilize these proficiencies in games, and even if you should, or if you just pass over these proficiencies and get to killing orcs.

3:00 The finite resources that are proficiencies, do you want to use one to be a good leather worker?

6:35 Delving into the use of the orphaned proficiencies really depends on the type of game you’re running and who’s playing.

11:55 You need to allow the space for these types of skills and proficiencies to come into play – it can’t be a race against the ending of the world.

13:05 Approaching it in terms of Peter Parker and Spider-Man… you’ve gotta pay the rent!

14:40 The effectiveness of certain artisan and craft tools over others: would you prefer weavers’ tools or thieves’ tools?

16:55 5e, specifically, has a lot of mechanics to handle most things in game. But these types of proficiencies are more narrative-focused, so don’t be so slavish to the rules and mechanics.

19:40 The players invested some level of thought into these proficiencies… lean into them.

27:00 DM Chris develops the first Skateboarding Fighter.

28:00 To shine the light on these proficiencies, you have to put some thought into building it into the campaign.

32:45 It doesn’t matter how dexterous or intelligent I am… I can’t just play a guitar when I pick it up for the first time.

39:05 Final Thoughts.

In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave sit down to really delve deep into how frequency of play affects how you run the game, and even what type of game you run. Along the way, they offer their eight best tips and hacks to help whenever life alters your gaming schedule.

1:45 Our long-time listener (and now co-DM!) Dr. DM, catches us up on his seafaring campaign we discussed in episode 148, as well as his question.

5:56 Frequency of play is going to change how you might want to play with certain aspects of the game, like how long it took for DM Tony’s legendary Barbarian to read the Manual of Gainful Exercise.

7:45 Tip#1: If you’ve got the time between sessions, use it to focus on your players goals.

10:05 Tip #2: What is your usual frequency of play? If you start monthly, it won’t be as jarring if you’re used to playing weekly, and now it’s a month.

11:35 Tip #3: Try to end your session on a completed note. And, if you can’t, the beginning recap is your best friend.

12:35 Tip #4: Be big and bold with your secrets, clues, and rumors when weeks have passed since your last game – No Sublety!

14:15 We return to DM Tony’s Barbarian, Hawk, and his quest to forge the Sword of Power in a once-a-month “Race Against Time” type of game.

17:10 Tip #5: If you’re worried that the time between games is letting your DM skills get rusty, start another game to keep “riding the bike.”

19:35 Tip #6: Giving something like a quest to forge a legendary sword needs to be given its due, regardless of your frequency of play. Narrative side quests and LOTRs mechanic of “The Fellowship Phase” offer some options.

30:30 DM Dave’s tangent about a possible Star Wars campaign utilizing the West End d6 system.

31:35 Tip #7: Game flow and frequency of play is going to change depending on how new or experienced your players are.

33:25 Tip #8: How long should it take your players to accomplish things? As long as it needs to in your game and your frequency of

play. DM Tony shares the story of DM Dave’s dragonborn cleric, Bhim, trying to gain proficiency in the longsword.

37:50 Final Thoughts.

In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave sit down with the other three players to review a campaign that had several adjustments made over the course of it – refining it from a completely open-world sandbox-style campaign to a Monster-of-the-Week style.

DMs always have to be adjusting dials, so listen in as we discuss how DM Tony had to adjust for vastly different play types to still create a fun and engaging campaign. DM Chris stated it best: “TTRPGs aren’t reliant on lore, backstory, and epic narratives… sometimes its just about getting together and having fun as a group.”

2:25 Player and character introductions.

7:20 Setting the characters in the world: Origins and Viking Clans!

18:35 How much backstory is enough or is it even required?

19:45 The real time adjustment to how you run the game with various types of gamers.

27:30 Refining a multitude of adventures, political brinksmanship, and storylines down to a Monster-of-the-Week tour of the Nine Realms.

29:20 How new and inexperienced players can help us evolve our DM style.

36:00 The players experience between two completely separate campaigns: completely open world and Monster-of-the-Week within the same campaign.

41:40 Forest for the trees: Seeing a character’s story arc in the macro.

44:47 Final Thoughts.

In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave sit down to review and wrap-up our Journey to Ragnarok campaign. Along the way, we delve into the tips and tricks that DM Tony used to tie characters into the story, capture the essence of a Viking campaign, introduce new classes, abilities, and even a new addition to the leveling system of 5e!

3:12 DM Tony reveals the impetus behind running Journey to Ragnarok from Mana Project Studios as well as navigating the immense amount of lore in, not only the campaign setting, but in the breadth Norse Mythology.

6:55 Tying the six characters into the world and the adventure as well as the flavor of the backgrounds in this setting.

12:15 How restrictions in character creation (like being only human in the Viking lands) adds to the campaign and makes it special. Lean into them!

13:15 Some examples of the new subclasses in Journey to Ragnarok as well as the entirely new class.

18:00 The example from our finale of the ridiculously awesome and epic abilities of the Glima Monk!

21:15 An aside into the balance between the theme of the character and the mechanics of the character.

25:20 DM Tony’s introduction of the Farthak Die and Rune Casting into our campaign… even without the Rune Master class.

29:15 The introduction of “Icebreakers” during rests, etc. to encourage roleplay and character development.

33:00 DM Tony’s new additions to leveling – the concept of “Runic” levels.

38:40 Understanding what your players are understanding and what they aren’t – adjusting the sessions to work with the table you’re at.

45:28 Final Thoughts

In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave sit down to answer a listener question about the best ways to create and run all the non-combat encounters that the characters will become involved with and how to develop them beyond “roll me an x” situation.

1:15 DM Dave reminisces on the Time Life Rock ‘n Roll Era CD collection.

3:15 Listener question: a new DM asks about the best ways to lend gravitas to non-combat encounters without it just boiling down to a dice roll.

4:38 Tip #1: What do your players like?

5:30 Tip #2: Prepare ahead and let the players guide the movement forward.

6:50 Tip #3: Get comfortable with being uncomfortable.

11:15 Tip #4: Mini-games are an easy way to let the players roleplay while also rolling dice.

12:45 Tip #5: The evolution of the game reflects the evolution of DMing… give yourself some time to develop.

14:00 Tip #6: Lean on some resources that help newer DMs to understand how adventures can run between all the pillars of play.

15:11 Tip #7: What are the characters objectives/mission/quest? Let that guide you.

18:20 Tip #8: Story prompts and campfire tales… fuel for roleplay.

20:00 Tip #9: Go easy on yourself… you will screw up.

23:30 Tip #10: Rest times are a great time to spur talking amongst themselves.

24:40 Tip #11: The Lever NPC… use them to spur forward momentum.

25:50 Tip #12: What do your favorite movies, series, and books do to create “non-combat encounters.”

26:45 Tip #13: Narrative side quests.

29:50 Tip #14: Skill Challenges.

33:35 Tip #15: Create Open-Ended scenarios… developing inciting incidents.

37:15 Tip #16: “Sandbox” and “Railroad”: It’s not either/or… it’s always AND.

39:12 Final Thoughts.

In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave reveal the best tips they have for running a setting that you’re unfamiliar with while the players are steeped in it, whether it’s Krynn, Middle-Earth, or a Galaxy Far, Far Away.

1:45 Shout out to The Epic Beatles Tribute Band on DM Dave’s recent Norwegian Cruise.

2:50 Our listener question from Forever DM Larry.

5:05 First Tip: Hit the Broad Strokes.

8:25 Second Tip: Take a Cue from the Star Wars Stories.

10:55 Third Tip: Focus on the Fun of the Adventure First.

12:15 Fourth Tip: Set Expectations.

14:00 Fifth Tip: What Source Material are you Using? 190 novels exist in the world of Krynn.

16:15 Sixth Tip: Use Lore and NPCs as Easter Eggs, Let Your Unique Story Flourish.

20:40 Seventh Tip: Know What Notes You Need to Hit.

26:25 Eighth Tip: You’re Always Planning for the Next Session.

29:15 Ninth Tip: Pick the System That Leads to The Most Fun for the Whole Table.

40:15 Final Thoughts.

In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave welcome The Wizard Washburn, Monster Wrangler Matt, and our own Chaos Engine, Bonnie, to sit down and discuss the epic entirety of our Dragonlance campaign: what we enjoyed and what we didn’t in this campaign that clocked in at just under 2 years! For anyone wanting to run or play in Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen, this episode is for you.

1:50 Player Introductions:

Sir William de Grey – the Knight of Solamnia who makes a devil’s bargain with Sargonnas to gain power to defeat the Dragon Army, only to be redeemed by Chislev and fulfill his Anakin arc.

Rasgueado Vilhuela de Latigo – A whip-wielding Bard who was in search of The Great Song, as well as his Father – only to find that his Father was Lohezet of the Black Robes, High Wizard of the Dragon Army!

Adran Oakenheel – An orphaned Kagonesti Elf who was left with the Sanctuary of the First World; a monastic order dedicated to the Prophecy of the Ascendant Dragon.

Mikros – A Kender Rogue who was searching for her missing past but who was chosen by Lunitari to wield magic.

Dame Eeva Pyrope – An orphaned girl who squired for the Knights of Solamnia, wishing to one day become a full-fledged Knight… only to realize that she has been chosen to herald the return of the Gods!

7:45 Crafting backstories and character concepts that fit within the deep lore of Krynn and Dragonlance.

31:50 We discuss the implementation of the Warriors of Krynn strategy board game developed for the SotDQ adventure: what we liked, what we didn’t, and some changes we would make.

47:40 We discuss the extensive narrative stories that developed the character’s arcs well beyond what we could have achieved at the table.

52:40 The #1 Rule for DMs: Meet Your Players Where They Are.

57:10 Final Thoughts.

In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave review how we experienced running and playing it; what we enjoyed and what we didn’t in this campaign that clocked in at just under 2 years! For anyone wanting to run Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen, this episode is for you.

Stay tuned for Part 2 when we bring ALL the players on for our Player Wrap-Up episode!

1:50 How close to the book did the DM run the campaign?

3:30 The momentum that is created with the overall theme of impending war in a campaign.

4:30 Why DM Dave chose Dragonlance as his next campaign to run.

7:00 This is the Way: How Dragonlance did NPC death right.

9:30 The Kingfisher Festival: How mini games help get players invested, like fishing for Old Benebog.

12:30 The first stumbling block in the adventure – the translation of the adventure into the Northern Wastes.

17:50 The second stumbling block – Lord Soth is introduced only as a plot device.

22:20 The majority of the adventure is found in The Northern Wastes.

23:50 The Third Stumbling Block - the strange design decision to provide the players with the ability to fly over all the travel mechanics of The Northern Wastes.

27:10 The homebrewed Journey Game that we debuted in SotDQ.

32:00 Classic “Fetch Quests” to get the ball rolling for the players in a new territory.

35:55 The #1 Reason why this was DM Dave’s favorite game to ever run…

41:20 The 2 great things WotC learned leading up to SotDQ: the Adventure Hook and Encounter Difficulty.

44:05 Final Thoughts.

In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave bring on our return special Wise DM, the Wizard Washburn, from our Terrain and Minis episode, to discuss how we have leaned into the inevitability of metagaming to enhance our campaigns by letting Scott build out a ton of our terrain, maps, and minis and how we have let it not spoil the fun for the DM, Scott, or any of the other players.

3:40 Our return special guest… Scott “The Wizard” Washburn from Paper Terrain!

5:05 The overview of how we approach compartmentalizing the knowledge of the player and the knowledge of the character.

7:05 The fact of the matter – once you’ve played once, you now have “meta” knowledge.

10:15 The Wizard Washburn reveals his general approach to planning with the DM in multiple campaigns he’s been a player in.

13:35 The idea of context in metagaming.

18:22 Terrain is one thing… but what about miniatures and seeing what the other team is playing with?

25:50 Always remember that RPG means roleplaying GAME.

30:05 Leaning on players to help decrease the level of prep necessary for your game.

32:07 Final Thoughts.

In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave, take part in a grab bag of listener questions that deal with players constantly interrupting, as well as how to best approach using, or not using, the newest 2024 version of the Player’s Handbook. For any DM who has wrestled with how and when to exert their God-level power, this is the episode for you.

3:30 The first listener question that deals with the player that constantly interrupts the BBEGs monologues.

4:25 The pro is that you have an excited and engaged player as well as DM Tony’s idea of the “cutscene.”

5:40 Exerting your control to set a scene.

10:00 Teaching players how your world works and allowing the players to adjust the setup of the scene.

13:15 “We’ll get to that” – a bookmark for all the actions players want to take because it is still a turn-based game.

17:20 We delve deeper into DM Tony’s idea of the “cutscene.” What is it and how to use it.

21:10 The awesomeness of the hero punching the villain in the jaw and not caring about their speech.

24:07 The second listener question regarding using the new 2024 update to 5e.

26:00 We already decide what races, classes, and rules we allow in our campaigns – this is no different.

29:15 5e.tools – a great digital resource for DMs and the new Mastery properties of weapons.

34:00 Changing rulesets halfway through a campaign.

38:50 Final Thoughts.

In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave discuss the preparations for the upcoming LOTR campaign; how magic will work, the lack of spellcasters as a class, the types of characters that we’re thinking of developing, among many other topics. For anyone that is hoping to really approach magic differently in their home games, this is the episode for you.

1:50 Our continuing discussion about our upcoming Lord of the Rings campaign and how we’re approaching a setting with low access to magic.

4:01 What are you going to do now? Trying to top your previous campaigns.

7:15 DM Chris delves into his thoughts surrounding how to lessen access to magic as he began preparing and planning his Lord of the Rings campaign.

11:55 Middle-Earth as a world is highly magical, but how that plays at the table changes it significantly from all other D&D settings – Bilbo and the Dwarves didn’t have a Boss Battle with Smaug.

17:35 How much Meteor Swarm would change the Arthurian Tales.

19:05 How rare magic will turn everything into significant encounters: healing, journeys, rests, etc.

22:52 A rare Rock and Roll DM story about short rests and long rests.

24:55 DM Chris explains the idea of the “Fellowship Phase” and “Shadow Points” in LOTR, like Call of Cthulhu Sanity points in Middle-Earth.

32:05 What’s the economy of Middle-Earth?

37:50 How to build characters that will hook into the setting of Middle-Earth.

40:30 Final Thoughts.

In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave discuss what makes a good Player’s Guide, what to include, what to leave out, and how they can help to start your campaign off on the right foot before your players ever get to the table.

2:53 What’s different in this campaign from other campaigns?

3:23 Session Negative One; giving your players time before Session Zero to reflect on choices.

8:30 The types of choices in different settings that the players might want to reflect on. Including the one-sheet Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen campaign guide.

11:45 Some campaign settings, like Lord of the Rings, require a lot of information prior to starting the campaign. These Player Guides can also be helpful as fodder for character backstories.

13:55 Depending on how experienced your group is will provide how much additional information you send along. Don’t send a 20-page Player Guide to the newbie player, the PHB is MORE than enough.

15:50 Building excitement about the new campaign.

18:30 Assembling the Player’s Guide can serve as a focusing mechanism for you as you build out the campaign.

23:50 Setting the flavor, tone, and rules of the road before players ever come to the table.

25:05 The excitement for the campaign is not just for the players, it’s for the DM as well. Injecting something new keeps your game table fresh.

30:20 Final Thoughts.

In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave discuss the strange way time can move in your campaign and how to best handle that. Is your game a non-stop march towards the inevitability of the BBEG or is it more a classic-type of campaign with a bunch of adventures linked together? As DM Tony wisely states, “The passage of time is not nearly as important as the passage of good sessions.”

1:25 Dr. DM returns with the ongoing ocean-based campaign that started from our Shipping Up To Boston episode!

4:08 How does time work in your campaign? One crazy summer or lasting over decades of the characters lives? How fast, or slow, are you leveling?

6:45 Using a campaign calendar and how it shows how quickly time can move in D&D.

9:45 Many adventures don’t allow for a lot of “downtime” or times when you’re not actively adventuring.

11:40 Structuring your campaign to allow for time to pass. DM Chris explains the Fellowship phase in the Lord of the Rings 5e campaign he’s preparing.

18:25 Does training and time really matter in your campaign? The Luke Skywalker example.

23:05 Hiring crew, guides, and hirelings for your keep. How much do your players want control in this? DM Chris reviews the hiring of guides in Tomb of Annihilation.

32:12 Using your NPC hirelings and townspeople to hook the characters deeper into the story… the Invasion of Vogler in Dragonlance.

37:09 A slight aside to an addendum of Dr. DMs question: paying dues in game… yes or no?

42:35 Final Thoughts.

In this episode, Tony and Chris help Dave talk it out and, in the process, reveal what we all deal with… sometimes, everything just goes south in the game and it isn’t fun. It’s even tougher to deal with when you’ve handled these kinds of issues successfully before. So what are you going to do about it?

2:20 DM Dave gives a high overview of his Melora’s Light campaign that led to the recent game that went awry.

9:25 Disrupting the DMs plans. How new players are great for this.

11:20 Wait, the players just walked straight to the Big Boss? How to deal with it when they walk right up to the front door.

12:35 The forever debate between sandbox and rails.

18:12 It’s important to be honest about how you’re feeling about the game and what is fun for you and your group.

21:05 “Back in the Day” with DM Tony.

24:25 The unlikely team-up with the arch-nemesis.

27:05 Always remember to prep enough for you to feel comfortable improving through anything.

28:22 DM Chris reviews his recent issue with releasing an overpowered weapon and how to properly retcon it. Also, Baghtru.

35:05 There’s always the next session.

42:25 Final Thoughts.

In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave discuss their strategies for running narrative side quests outside the game as well as completely text-based campaigns.

Episode 358 of Dragon Talk.

DM Tony’s article on running narrative side quests outside the game.

3:08 What do we mean when we’re talking about a narrative side quest?

4:55 Our most recent use of narrative side quests in our Dragonlance campaign.

7:25 There must be an active give and take for narrative side quests and campaigns to work.

13:00 DM Chris’ Days of Future Past text-based Marvel Super Heroes campaign.

14:35 Narrative side quests for individual characters are a time to build out backstory and character, not for leveling and gaining experience.

16:48 DM Chris literally “Squirrels”!

20:12 Narrative, or “Descriptive”, side quests. What is your threat level? Will the character die while away?

22:40 How narrative side quests can help spur roleplay moments in-game.

23:55 How to build out actual side quests with monsters, loot, and experience for individual characters.

25:26 How far away are your characters and how long will they be gone? How many players are you currently juggling with side quests?

32:20 Narrative side quests allow players who miss a session to not feel like they missed out.

34:35 Excellent method for important plot drops… when they find it, they’ll want to shout it from the rooftops.

39:32 Final Thoughts.

In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave sit down to answer a question from a longtime friend of the show, Dr. DM himself, Jason, on how to run a great, epic, and memorable ocean-themed campaign outside of just being evil pirates who rob everything.

4:00 How is this different from every other setting? Taking care of the business of a sailing vessel.

6:30 DM Dave reviews how he has been approaching this in his Melora’s Light all-girl campaign. Including the idea of generating backstories and campaign settings through Call to Adventure.

9:10 Playing with resources: water, food, rests, etc.

11:55 Lean into the danger of setting sail in a wooden ship.

14:05 Using sourcebooks, like Ghosts of Saltmarsh, to stimulate your imagination.

16:25 The unique ability to travel to vastly different adventure locales when in a ship.

18:45 Focus in on the theme of the campaign that makes it different.

20:30 What happens when the ship is commandeered or stolen?

22:40 An ocean-themed campaign can be any type of campaign – High Fantasy, Pirates, Political, etc.

23:40 DM Tony using the airship in Storm King’s Thunder.

25:25 What are the character’s goals in this ocean-themed campaign? Will that change over the whole campaign?

35:30 We discuss how we made hex crawl travel interesting with our homebrewed Journey Cards.

39:15 Final Thoughts.

So what do you do if your players want to experience one of these “classic movies” and you’ve been running all homebrewed worlds? In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave sit down to answer a listener question about what their top tips are for approaching running a published adventure for the first time.

3:45 Tip #1: Know the general plot of the adventure – the “elevator pitch.”

4:50 Tip #2: Think of the adventure more like a sourcebook, rather than the gospel.

8:10 Tip #3: How to manage a giant adventure? One session at a time.

10:40 Tip #4: Focus on the plots in the adventure that will be fun for your players.

13:00 Tip #5: Lean on your fellow internet DMs… every published adventure has tons of hacks.

15:00 Tip #6: Approach these longform adventures as multiple adventures in your overarching campaign.

22:30 Tip #7: Make sure your initial hook is solid. Often, the published adventure hooks are “ehhh.”

26:06 PSA: Stop listening to “Tough Guy” DMs who use Railroad as an insult. Do what makes you and your table have fun.

36:40 Final Thoughts.

Just like the start of a campaign, the end only comes along once. So what should you focus on when your campaign is coming to a climax? What questions should you ask yourself? What do you have to make sure you do? How do you create something that will be talked about for years to come?

In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave sit down to continue our discussions from the last two episodes about tying elements of the game together to share their pro tips about designing and executing a great finale that will be the capstone for the game that has gone on for weeks, months, or years!

1:10 3WD is Big in Algeria!

3:40 What do you mean by the end of a “campaign”?

6:40 What has been the Theme of the campaign?

8:05 Lessons learned for your games, good and bad, from the ending of Loki.

12:00 Does a campaign or campaign ending need to be “epic”?

13:45 How our Curse of Strahd campaign really had 2 separate finales.

16:40 Does every character’s story need to be tied up by the end? Does the campaign actually end?

28:25 The story ends when the story ends, whether it’s 10 sessions or 100.

33:10 The pros and cons of running a “Resolutions” session after the finale.

43:00 Final Thoughts.

In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave answer a listener question about how to best tie their characters into their newest campaign, Tomb of Annihilation, following the finale of their Curse of Strahd campaign. Along the way, we brainstorm how to tie these two adventures together into one large epic story.

4:02 We delve into what we thought the question really was… how do you tie Curse of Strahd and Tomb of Annihilation together?

7:15 What to do with Curse of Strahd’s Megaliths?

8:00 Published material, like Curse of Strahd, is great fodder for ideas of how and where to tie characters into the story.

9:10 The heavy lift of some published material, like Tomb of Annihilation, in hooking the characters into the story.

11:05 Detailed backstories vs the blank slate as well as DM Tony’s idea of “Reactive” backstories.

15:20 Tying in the characters, backstories, motivations, and adventures in the same way as you plan your sessions… one session at a time.

24:40 Providing the characters with stakes that really matter.

26:15 Weak hooks with adventures that were meant to be from tournament modules and how we’ve tied characters in.

29:25 Remembering the perspective of the characters, not the audience.

32:00 Creating a one-sheet Campaign Guide (like Mike Shea’s) to help players tie the characters in at creation.

38:35 Final Thoughts.

3:40 DM Tony’s lead-off question… what is your table hungry for?

5:25 The classic Monster of the Week theme and DM Chris’ love of The X-Files.

7:25 Episodic Adventures can easily become a railroad.

8:25 How epic, longform stories are the current zeitgeist and how that affects the adventures we create.

10:15 Whether a longform campaign or a one-shot, every adventure needs to be self-contained with a beginning, a middle, and an end.

 20:05 The issue of players remembering ALL the lore and information gleaned over longform adventures.

22:45 The adventure should be as long as it needs to be to feel complete.

27:40 The level of prep needed between short and longform adventures.

30:50 Creating episodic adventures even in longform adventures, like DM Tony’s Storm Kings Thunder and Journey to Ragnarok campaigns.

40:30 Final Thoughts.

With this anniversary, we started to reflect on what we have loved, what we’ve hated, what we would change, and what we look to for the future. And, as opposed to most of the posts we see on social media (like the DM who stated that a 1st level character could kill a Tarrasque?!?), this is coming from players and DMs who have been playing weekly, not just pontificating from their armchair.

In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave see where the rubber hit the road in 5e as they discuss how it has affected some of their campaigns over the last 10 years: Storm King’s Thunder, Curse of Strahd, Tomb of Annihilation, Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen, and their homebrewed world of The Further!

2:55 Bardic Inspiration as a Reaction from the One D&D Playtest.

9:00 Counterspell… a DMs Bane!

14:00 The UA Tunnel Fighter build… one man holding off the armies of Mordor!

18:40 Leomund’s Tiny Hut… 5e’s “Save” Function.

23:45 Looking to the future: Making Rests Better.

29:50 We need to have some real talk about Find Familiar…

36:45 Looking to the Past for the Future: 3rd Editions Change to Magic Items.

40:55 3WD Homebrew: Stacking Inspiration.

43:45 Looking to the Future: Feats!

45:00 Final Thoughts.

In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave respond to a listener’s question, “have you ever put a monster in your campaign that cannot be defeated?” and enter into a real time brainstorming session as we discuss how we’ve used it as DMs as well as played with it as players in our own games.

1:45 DM Jim’s Brainstorm Topic

2:25 Are these the seeds of where the endgame of your campaign is or are you just hazing your players?

3:50 Think less about defeating the unbeatable monster and more about foiling their plans.

5:55 The Scroll of Tarrasque Summoning from Rime of the Frostmaiden and our tangent into the idea of WOTC playtesting adventures before they release them.

8:10 “If you stat it, players will kill it.”

8:55 Our return to the Woodstock Wanderers campaign and the unkillable, flying spaghetti monster that was Ghatanothoa.

12:15 Be careful dropping this type of monster into your game if your players singular idea is “Frontal Assault!”

17:45 The idea that this type of creature is not “good” or “evil” but just a force of nature. How do you fill this story and adventure out without it becoming monotonous?

22:05 The trick of revealing the BBEG and their nefarious schemes early in the campaign… how do you do this with Godzilla who doesn’t really have plans?

29:00 The adventure is in realizing that this “oncoming storm” is coming and what are the heroes going to do about it.

34:45 “Can you write a campaign for Superman?” Dealing with problems that you can’t just punch in the nose.

37:30 Final Thoughts.

In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave sit down with our good friend, Scott Washburn of Paper Terrain, to discuss his recent return to the DM chair with his homebrewed campaign “World of the Five Gods.” True to form, Scott kitbashed together the original White Box D&D with some flair from 5e.

For all the DMs who have thought that “Retirement Sucks,” whether its been 40 days or 40 years, this is the episode for you.

2:15 Our very Special Guest DM, the Scott “Wizard” Washburn, from our Terrain, Maps, and Minis episode, who recently returned to the DM chair after a FORTY YEAR HIATUS, and a brief review of the recent game.

9:10 What would Scott have done differently, or what would he have prepped more (or less) having finally ran a game again?

14:25 Don’t get lost in the worldbuilding and the introduction of the massive breadth of your setting, get the players rolling dice as soon as possible.

16:40 Make the adventure objective clear.

17:10 How Scott made adventuring in dungeons a significant driver of the economy and commerce (including taxes!)

19:45 Scott shares his thought process in how he approached running his first game back, as well as leaning into some of his skill sets from an unlikely source, and some of the changes he would make.

27:15 Some of the things we enjoyed about the system, including the return to OD&D, 1e, and the OSR – including removing initiative as we know it!

32:30 Final Thoughts.

In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave answer a listener question about their player that wants to change their character’s class from Paladin to Sorcerer at 5th level. We delve into not just the narrative components of a change like this, but also the mechanical effects that such a change would inevitably bring. Along the way, we offer tips, tricks, and questions you should ask yourself if you’re planning on something like this in your own games.

3:45 First questions: will this completely break immersion and is this an offer you’re ready to make for all the players?

4:30 DM Chris fondly remembers Clyde from Every Which Way But Loose and discusses the “Buyer’s Remorse” of character choices and how to work with it.

7:00 The benefit of starting at lower levels and the character building that comes with it. How a 5th level character might feel a little more “pregen”, as DM Tony refers to it.

8:45 The benefits of One-shots, Session Zeroes, and Playtests to understand better the choices you’re making. What if Aragorn never leaves Bree?

12:30 DM Tony’s workaround for swapping power sets in 4th edition.

13:14 Learning the rules of the class as you level… the kid who hates the elite sports car they just got.

16:30 How we have and would narratively approach changes like this in our own games.

18:00 How do you handle the mechanical changes that would come with such a change?

28:50 DM Tony recounts how DM  Thorin had narratively and mechanically done this very thing in a 4th edition game… the return of Cassidus, the wizard made of a pile of undead bugs!

30:35 “It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to”.… the time needed to evolve the character and how to balance realism and fantasy.

34:05 Final Thoughts

In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave return to our RPG Mythbusters series and test the myth, “Is a tavern the best place to start an adventure?” Will it be confirmed, plausible, or busted?

0:49 The return of RPG Mythbusters, all the way back to Episodes 39 and 42.

1:56 Everyone knows what a tavern is as opposed to, let’s say, a Paladin’s Chapel.

3:50 Taverns are a historically accurate meeting place; the true “town square.”

6:45 DM Dave returns to the Lord of the Rings novel and reminds us that Gandalf drops lore in Bilbo’s house for 25 pages. Taverns can be much more organic to reveal the plot.

9:50 The tavern affords an easy, stress-free environment to introduce the players and their characters to the story and the world – which can be especially helpful with new players.

14:15 Session Zero could be a “tavern” by providing an intro to introduce the adventure.

15:40 The type of game can change whether a tavern is a good or a bad idea; in can be a phenomenal time sink.

17:20 Our tangent into 7-11 and Denny’s being modern-day taverns when we were teenagers.

18:10 Implied consent: the unsaid agreement between DM and players that you’re ready to go on an adventure for the session.

24:55 What type of adventure/campaign are you running? That should guide how and where you’re starting.

33:08 Lore Tolerance: how Taverns and “In Media Res” starts allow you to control the flow of lore dumps.

36:45 DM Chris’ idea that combat is the best way to bring characters together: A Band of Brothers. And how DM Dave leaned into this for our Dragonlance campaign.

43:15 Final Thoughts: Myth Confirmed, Plausible, or Busted?

In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave delve into the Conditions mechanic (both in and out of 5e), the issues we have with some of them, what ones we find to be somewhat limp, and the ones we would love to use

more. We also delve into what we have found is a Condition we often times inflict on ourselves as DMs: Expectations.

3:00 DM Tony returns to his problem with Stun mechanics… all the way back from Episode #4!

4:00 Making your game challenging without having them turn into “Gotcha” moments for your players.

6:20 Developing encounters with certain Conditions in mind. DM Dave’s Lair of Dragansalor from DM Chris’ 12 person Birthday game.

7:45 Seeing Advantage and Disadvantage as a Condition.

8:35 The power of Conditions through multiple systems and editions.

11:10 Using Conditions to control combat… more interesting than bags of hit points.

13:15 How Conditions, like Stun, have the players control the combat. Should you change it?

21:40 Skills, Saves, and the Rule of Cool article link.

22:45 Expectations: Conditions we place on ourselves as DMs.

32:45 Heroes of the Realm (including our Star Wars analogy): Be excited when the players mop the floor with the bad guys, regardless of the Conditions.

42:05 Resource management, Short, and Long Rests as Conditions.

46:15 Final Thoughts

One of the most important aspects of that, as the DM, is creating a level of mystery to the story that the players get the chance to uncover as they delve deeper into the adventure.

In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave discuss a listener question about the mystery that they’re planning on having last for 10 levels and ask, “am I being cruel by leaving them in mystery so long?”

4:05 3 ways it can go: 1) your plot twist becomes campaign defining, 2) players will rage quit, or 3) it falls flat.

4:55 Your campaign is not a novel.

7:30 New players might not even understand what they’re choosing when they’re still trying to understand the game mechanics.

9:40 If you have something to get through to the players: Repeat, Repeat, Repeat.

11:00 The difficulties of conveying the story in a spoken medium.

12:30 DM Tony discusses his difficulties in conveying lore-heavy campaigns.

14:08 What will the player’s choose? How this can affect the overarching campaign if its too set in stone.

16:25 New players might not be as new as you think with the advent of live-play games. But, then again, they might not remember what all the different dice are either.

19:05 DM Chris’ analogy of trying to teach something to someone and the lessons we can learn for in-game use. Listen for when the players begin to “parrot back” your plot drops.

23:50 The difference between YOUR reveal and THEIR reveal… tie the reveal to the characters. Matt Colville’s “A Tale of Two Campaigns” video.

28:40 For a campaign-defining mystery like “Mystara is dying,” there are infinite ways to create a breadcrumb trail for the players to pick up on.

35:55 Final Thoughts

In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave discuss their top nine tips to pulling in objects and ideas from existing beloved pop culture properties and making them have the same level of gravitas as the book, series, or movie that they come from.

1:00 A Rock and Roll DM Tour Story.

2:05 A listener question about homebrewing monsters and items from The Cosmere by Brandon Sanderson from longtime listener Dr. DM, Jason.

4:30 Tip #1: Scaling homebrew to the tier that your campaign is in, for leveling systems like 5e.

5:30 Tip #2: Kitbashing from existing items, spells, monsters, etc. (like a Balor that turns into a demonic Bob Ross…)

8:10 Tip #3: Ask yourself 2 questions. 1) What is the world you’re pulling from? and, 2) How does the object, magic, or idea work in that world?

9:45 Tip #4: Benchmarking the magic, items, spells, etc. to what your players have and what the enemies have access to.

12:45 Our experience with this when we crafted He-Man’s Sword of Power for our Curse of Strahd campaign. Click here for the stats on DM Dave’s unique weapon for Strahd, Lament, the Impaler.

16:35 Tip #5: You can have it… you just can’t have it now.

21:45 Tip #6: Powerful objects don’t exist in a vacuum. The wars fought over Shardblades and the Spice Melange.

24:40 A tangent into how DM Tony’s famous barbarian, Hawk Morgan, has become “The Most Powerful Man in the Universe.”

26:20 Tip #7: Take into account how the object affects the campaign world (i.e. the Sun Sword in Barovia).

28:05 An example of Tip #5… the quest that needed to happen to craft Takal Aestar, the “Dragon’s Union” (our Sword of Power.)

30:50 Tip #8: Scaling up existing magic items and having them grow with the character (DM Chris’ Sun Sword/Holy Avenger, Drakmar Venges, the “Dragon’s Vengeance.”)

36:45 DM Dave’s Unique Paladin Longsword, Morthwyl O Duw.

40:00 Tip #9: Give powerful items and weapons some history, legends, and gravitas.

41:10 Final Thoughts

discuss our passion for running birthday games for our game group, whether it

be D&D, the OSR, Avatar Legends, or the classic Marvel Super Heroes system;

it’s become our thing.

In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave discuss the recent Birthday

Game they ran where The Doctor teamed up with the Sensational She-Hulk and

members of the Avengers and the Fantastic Four to stop the impending Cyberman

invasion orchestrated by the wielder of the Cosmic Control Rod, Annihilus, and

do battle against the Brood in a giant Space Whale (believe us…. It made way

more sense at the table!)

We then discuss our 7 best tips to help you build your own

Very Special One-Shot for Birthdays or any other day!

2:20 Finding the right type of setting and property to

showcase the gift of the Birthday Game. DM Tony revisits his love of the

classic AD&D adventure, Castle Greyhawk.

4:30 Tip #1: Have a Solid Theme.

5:30 DM Dave gives a brief overview of the impetus for the “Lost

Episode of Doctor Who” that birthed this episode.

8:25 Tip #2: Use Existing Properties: How we’ve built

existing properties like Masters of the Universe into existing games, like our Curse

of Strahd campaign. Shout-out to the team over at Nerdarchy!

16:20 Tip #3: Choose the Best System for the Setting AND the

Players.

18:00 Tip #4: Go All Out. Terrain, minis, costumes… really

stretch your limits.

19:00 We revisit DM Tony’s Murder Mystery One-Shot that he

based off Clue.

20:19 Tip #5: Use the Players Favorite Character/Campaign as

the Focus.

22:28 Tip #6: Tie It into Your Existing Campaigns… and our overarching

Multiverse.

24:50 Tip #7: The most obvious… Focus on the Special Player.

30:45 DM Chris brainstorms planning a Birthday One-Shot in

real time.

36:45 Final Thoughts.

of the most streamlined mechanics in 5e. However, we all love to try new or

adjusted mechanics to continually improve our DMing. Fellow Wise DM Mike Shea

over at Sly Flourish shared an article discussing the Luck System from Kobold

Press’ Project Black Flag playtest.

In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave discuss Inspiration;

how we use it in our games and the changes we have made and are thinking of

making to improve our games.

For all those Inspiration dice, check out our affiliate link

at FanRoll Dice to get 10% off your entire order.

3:00 Our recent Marvel FASERIP game that gave us some ideas.

Check out Professor Bill at Comic Book University.

4:15 Keeping track of Inspiration, both as a player and as a

DM.

5:20 How something like the Luck System evens out the power

differential between DM and players.

7:25 Our first change… DM Dave allowing DM Inspiration to

stack starting in our Curse of Strahd campaign.

13:25 How the idea of karma from the FASERIP system is more

than Inspiration.

14:16 We start to brainstorm, in real time, an idea to tie

karma and Inspiration together.

15:25 Bards… the pros and cons of the quintessential buff

and inspiration class.

17:45 Our second change… DM Dave using Inspiration as a

reaction for the bard from the One D&D playtest in our Dragonlance: Shadow

of the Dragon Queen campaign.

20:38 Our third change… DM Tony’s method of using

Inspiration and other rewards that are active for a single session.

24:08 Our fourth change… DM Chris’ method of Inspiration in

the form of Blessings, single-use Magic Items, and Campfire Tales in our Tomb

of Annihilation campaign.

34:30 Introducing the right amount of chaos into your game

and our return to the discussion about the location of the Sunsword in our Curse

of Strahd campaign.

38:50 A trip down memory lane when you could stack potions…

in your belly.

39:42 Final Thoughts.

as kids and, as anyone who has gamed for long enough, some kids never quite

learned how to do it. Our longtime listener, Jim Laubacker, posed a question

regarding how to best deal with players that won’t share the spotlight. As a

bonus, Jim is also trying to balance a group that is a hybrid of in-person and virtual

players!

In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave discuss the ways in

which they’ve adjusted to turn the dominant and passive players weaknesses at

the table into strengths. Additionally, they delve more into the difficulties

they’ve experienced in running hybrid games and some tips and tricks with

dealing with a very new issue in TTRPGs.

As always, if you’re in the market for dice (who isn’t?)

make sure to check out our affiliate link at FanRoll Dice to receive 10% off

your entire order.

1:33 Our listener question – How to deal with players that

won’t share the spotlight with a bonus wrinkle… the group in question is a

hybrid of in-person AND virtual.

3:05 Players that are so excited that they want to be

involved in every scene.

4:44 The very heavy lift when dealing with a hybrid table of

part in-person, part virtual.

10:36 The difference between players who are actors and

those who are audience members.

15:45 The player that is involved with Every. Single.

Activity. And my example that pushes DM Tony’s buttons about spell components

and wizards…

21:00 Narrative side scenes: an easy way to give every

player their spotlight.

25:45 Review the characters in your session prep: Find the

spots in the session for their moments.

28:00 There’s no “I” in team (think Avengers over Indiana

Jones) and how sharing the spotlight can keep the campaign together instead of ending.

35:50 Curating your group and turning player weaknesses into

strengths.

37:37 Giving players a “power position” to balance out the

dominant players(s) – the birth of Little One.

43:02 The spectrum of passive vs. dominant players – kind of

like railroads vs. sandboxes.

46:20 Final Thoughts.

And for our first episode of 2024, we delve into a listener question regarding the players constantly Splitting the Party in their Curse of Strahd campaign and how that’s leading to DM Burnout. But, Splitting the Party is a gift to a DM, isn’t it? I mean, now you can really dial up the tension, right? In a dungeon, or a mansion, or a Keep, sure. But what about when the party is split up into three sections of the campaign world?!

In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave discuss strategies for dealing with players who constantly want to run, in essence, three separate games within a single session. Further, we delve again into the very real topic of DM Burnout and finish our Final Thoughts with some prescient wisdom from DM Thorin.

As always, check out our affiliate link at FanRoll Dice and receive 10% off your entire order!

1:25 Our shout out to Johnny Ott at For Monster Kids for our brand-new logo!

2:20 A listener question regarding the constant splitting of the party over the whole map is leading to DM burnout.

4:57 Splitting the Party leads to splitting the table into multiple 15-minute blocks. Is that fun?

6:10 It’s a Trap! The greatest Fantasy movies, novels, and TV series Split the Party but D&D is a game first and foremost.

12:50 D&D is a team sport.

13:45 A constantly split party? How running multiple side quest missions can help, if time permits. Also, have you Layeth the Smacketh Down, as The Rock would say?

16:00 Tying important details and clues to certain characters can entice the players to stick together.

18:20 The difference between being a player at the table and being an audience member.

19:40 Don’t even split up in Boston. Our experiences with Call of Cthulhu.

22:20 The power curve and the loss of fear in players. “We can take this!”

26:00 DM Burnout: The place where player agency and Expectations on your DM meet.

32:50 Putting it back to the players. Emotional Intelligence and Empathy at the table.

34:25 Encounter Charts that can warn players off certain plans.

35:45 Session Zeroes and consistent communication. Making sure everyone has the opportunity for fun, including the DM.

37:15 Things are going to happen: Strategies for dealing with side quests.

42:18 Final Thoughts, with a flashback to some prescient Final Thoughts wisdom from DM Thorin.

In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave take a deeper dive into what Hit Points represent in their games, how they describe the loss of them, and how other systems approach one of the oldest traditions of D&D.

1:10 DM Dave’s article on Fatigue and Conditions from Avatar Legends.

1:45 What do Hit Points represent?

4:00 The history of hit points and armor class and the evolution towards 5e.

7:50 5e’s “Big Bag of Hit Points” and how DM Tony adjusted for his Journey to Ragnarok campaign.

12:30 When the “Big Bag of Hit Points” still doesn’t matter, even in 5e.

13:00 DM Dave’s article on Vampyr and the Dark Powers.

14:35 Should severe hit point losses carry additional consequences?

21:05 The simplicity of hit points to dial up the tension at the table.

23:30 How do we envision hit points and how do we ideally like to describe the loss of them.

32:48 How 4th edition handled this in a player-centric way through the Bloodied condition.

35:45 Lingering Wounds and additional consequences… are they right for YOUR table?

39:20 Final Thoughts.

In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave review the Avatar Legends system, the one-shot that we played as well as discuss tips, tricks, and pitfalls to playing completely new systems – how to prepare, how to run, and how to play – for new and experienced DMs and GMs alike.

1:00 Yet ANOTHER birthday game playing the new Avatar Legends RPG from Magpie Games.

4:30 Running a game that’s so based on a specific pop culture world.

7:30 DM Tony LIKED the pre-generated characters?!?

9:25 An even easier way of ending single-point failures and having the characters fail forward.

14:25 The difference between wargames turned RPG like D&D and roleplay/story-focused games.

15:45 How much do players need to be onboarded for lore-heavy systems like Avatar?

21:10 The difficulties with running a new system like Avatar Legends for even an experienced DM.

23:45 An interesting and cinematic way of approaching hit points through Fatigue and Conditions.

32:45 How your preconceptions of RPGs will affect how you play new systems.

35:20 How the Avatar Legends Starter Set could help better onboard GMs unfamiliar with the system.

42:25 The possibilities of the Powered by the Apocalypse mechanics.

43:30 Final Thoughts.

Check out our affiliate link at FanRoll Dice to get 10% off your entire order!

In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave are joined by return guests Bonnie and the Monster Wrangler himself, and now official DM, Matt, who decided that for his first official session behind the screen, he was going to do something that might even challenge even seasoned DMs.

For all the dice that a character like Jack Burton is probably gonna need, make sure to check out our affiliate link at Fanroll Dice to get 10% off your entire order.

1:48 Player Introductions and The Kurt Russell One-Shot.

7:40 DM Matt shares the high overview of his homebrew concept for the Kurt Russell One-Shot.

11:21 The players experiences with a first-time DM running an incredibly customized homebrew game and lessons learned as a first-time DM.

27:20 Preparing for the adventure knowing that nothing will go as you expect it.

29:25 Timing a one-shot game to run in the time allotted.

31:15 The pros and cons of running a one-shot in a new vs. familiar system. Click here for our episode on D&D as Therapy.

34:10 The pros and cons of running your first game as a homebrew vs. published adventure.

37:25 Kitbashing to ease your preparation in a homebrew adventure.

38:53 Final Thoughts.

In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave discuss the ways that they have utilized their favorite board games and board game mechanics to create some incredibly unique, innovative, and fun game sessions, or in the case of our Dragonlance game, the entire campaign.

For all the tumbling dice you need, check out our affiliate link at FanRoll Dice to get 10% off your entire order.

3:15 A Christmas “Board” Game in our Curse of Strahd campaign. Click here for the article.

8:45 Using a physical board during the session.

11:30 Mini games in your session for races, fair games, festivals, and card games.

14:00 Using skill challenges and existing game mechanics to build out something completely different: DM Tony’s Murder Mystery game (spoilers: think Clue)

17:50 Meeting Sir Miltonus of Bradley… playing through classic Milton Bradley board games in 5e.

21:00 A deeper dive into the Murder Mystery game and the difficulties with managing different, high-level skills and abilities.

25:00 Our experiences using the Warriors of Krynn strategy game in our Shadow of the Dragon Queen campaign.

29:45 Getting ideas from your favorite board games to add to your D&D game.

37:00 Final Thoughts.

In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave discuss ruling on how spell effects change the landscape and/or battlefield that we ran into in one of our most recent games. Regardless of your newness or your experience, this discussion helps us realize that the old adage of artists is true… “if you want to learn to paint great bricks. Paint one thousand bricks.”

As always, please visit our affiliate link at Fanroll Dice to receive 10% off your entire order!

1:14 Our listener question… from DM Chris?!?

3:15 The difference between Game-Changing and Game-Breaking.

8:00 Basing your adjudications on how the NPCs would react in a real-life situation.

9:40 Some of the same disadvantages to the NPCs will affect the PCs too.

12:50 Shout-out to Sly Flourish’s Fantastic Locations

13:30 Incentivize your players into using the environment to their advantage.

16:50 The importance of spells and mechanics that change the environment vs. pure damage-dealing.

21:45 The Earthquake Incident: managing spells that have incredibly far-reaching effects.

28:20 The DM-Player Agreement: Every adjudication is a prototype and can change.

33:15 When to lean into the players intent and when to corral them in.

37:45 For every time your players own the bosses, there’ll be times that they get their teeth kicked in.

40:40 Final Thoughts.

In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave discuss their best tips in getting players to roleplay amongst themselves, drawing from their games in Tomb of Annihilation, Shadow of the Dragon Queen, Journey to Ragnarok, and their homebrew world of The Further.

A game full of great roleplay can get you super jazzed… so how do you get to bed when it’s a school night? Dovetailing into a listener question from Dr. DM, Tony, Chris, and Dave discuss strategies to deal with late night games during the week and how to decompress and “turn your brain off”, so that it doesn’t lead to DM burnout.

As always, check out our affiliate link at Fanroll Dice to get 10% off your entire order!

1:05 Will Ferrell Scene from Stepbrothers.

2:20 Giving the player some stakes or secrets to approach their fellow adventurers with.

4:25 What to do when the players will only engage with the DM.

5:25 Fireside chats, campfire tales, and other story prompts to assist your players.

10:30 Using story prompts and roleplay to create more immersive Hexcrawls.

14:00 Prompting a player who’s not engaging with more concrete examples other than abstract roleplay.

16:25 Supporting players and teaching them how your game works.

17:45 Ending roleplay scenes that have gone too long.

26:20 A listener question.

28:50 Find an activity to decompress from the session and reset.

31:00 Not the best advice: don’t run late games on weeknights.

33:00 Lean into your strengths to focus your prep and not overwhelm yourself.

34:00 Plot is a couple of paragraphs. The story is what happens when your players meet it.

39:15 If your players are interacting amongst themselves, you don’t have to be the battery all the time.

44:00 Final Thoughts.

As always, please visit our affiliate link at FanRoll Dice to receive 10% off your entire dice and dice accessories order!

2:20 DM Tony’s concept to create our own Avengers: Endgame style 12-person game tying up loose threads from multiple campaigns.

4:10 Our special guest DMs: DM Lenny and the Monster Wrangler himself, Matt!

7:50 The epic, blockbuster, action movie-style terrain builds from multiple crafters and how they can add to encounter building. Check out some great tips in our Terrain episode with Scott at Paper Terrain.

19:08 How we handled newer players as well as characters that weren’t as tied to the campaign-length storylines we were tying up.

21:25 Pro tip: make the adventure hook for a massive game as simple and straightforward as you can: Rescue Baby Walter! Special Add-on - DM Dave finally reveals the mystery of Baby Walter that started in session 1 of our Curse of Strahd campaign!

26:00 How to build an adventure that 2 DMs have to run pieces of… including DM Dave’s BIG blunder.

28:45 The experience of the newest players at the table and how to provide them enough hook that they have reasons to join the adventure.

33:20 Monster Wrangler Matt describes the issues surrounding leveling a character from 7th to 19th, and the adventures missed… as well as a happy accident surrounding Barovia.

36:55 The possible pitfalls to look out for that we learned as we rolled out this prototype.

44:10 A deeper dive into the epic climax… the battle with 1 DM running 12 players and Tiamat.

46:25 DM Dave’s Rant on the defenses of some Legendary builds (“Bullshitium/Unobtainium”), and thoughts to consider when developing the ultimate BBEG.

50:45 The bittersweet nature of high-level play.

52:25 The completely unknown nature of Legendary BBEGs when you unload them on your party.

56:50 Final Thoughts.

In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave springboard off a listener question that deals with trying to speed the game up in a homebrewed superhero campaign. From here, the 3 Wise DMs delve deeper into the big question of when to roll and when not to roll.

And when you are rolling dice… head over to our affiliate link at FanRoll Dice and receive 10% off your entire order!

2:45 Static Damage: The difference between players and DMs.

9:30 The “DM Decision Helper”: Using dice to decide who’s attacking who.

13:00 Using dice to bring characters back into the action.

15:00 When too much rolling can lead to inevitable failure.

17:20 Using dice to avoid “Roleplay Slog.”

18:30 “Dungeon Crawl Lubricant”: Easing decisions in a dungeon crawl to move the session forward.

19:40 The Return of Castle Greyhawk!

23:30 Our tangent into the issues with Hexcrawls within 5e.

25:40 Rolling dice to affect the Slog Trinity: Combat, Roleplay, or Exploration.

32:50 Rolling dice to avoid the DM soliloquy: An example from our Dragonlance campaign.

36:30 The time not to roll: Random Treasure.

37:40 Final Thoughts – Capes and Crooks from Crit Academy.

In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave respond to a listener’s question regarding the idea of “cutscenes” in your TTRPG sessions and how best to deliver narrative, lore, secrets, and clues in a way that keeps your players engaged and doesn’t remove agency from them.

And, while keeping your players engaged in your “cutscenes,” and they have to roll some dice, visit our affiliate link at Fanroll Dice to receive 10% off your entire order!

3:14 The similarities and differences between RPG video games and TTRPGs and the use of cutscenes.

8:10 Using “cutscenes” to deliver narrative and building the scene but NEVER to let the villain get away.

10:10 How to deliver lore, secrets, and clues about the game and your world.

12:00 The confusion over what “cutscenes” are in a TTRPG.

14:50 Your worldbuilding and lore will not all be discovered, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have it ready for when players want to engage with something.

17:20 Dreams, Visions, and NPCs – easy ways to deliver your narrative, secrets, and clues.

19:55 The lesson to learn from Brandon Sanderson: Be Patient.

21:15 DM Dave’s example of Being Patient from our current Dragonlance campaign.

27:30 The dirty little D&D secret: players are selfish and want to know how things are affecting them.

31:45 Ballad for the Bartender – NPC info hubs for your players.

35:00 The use of monologues and cutscenes when dealing with an audience (not players). The MCU Alpha Flight episode.

43:48 Final Thoughts

Running Scenes Outside Your D&D Games

In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave discuss a listener question regarding their Curse of Strahd group who wants to let the evil NPCs in Barovia “Live and Let Live.”

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1:50 Batman and Raphael: Cowabummer!

3:55 The First Question: Are your characters heroes?

5:03 The importance of Session Zero.

6:05 Enemies not dead? No problem. The idea of returning villains.

7:45 The Second Question: Are your players engaged?

10:25 Neutral Superheroes and bringing the fight to your players.

15:55 The consequences of inaction.

18:55 The importance of player buy-in and understanding player motivations.

28:50 If the players don’t care about the NPCs, they probably still care about themselves.

33:40 Session Zero as a State of Mind: Reevaluating your campaign.

37:50 Final Thoughts.

In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave discuss the definitions and parameters of low magic and how we’ve implemented it into our games. Along the way, we share several tips and tricks to limit access to god-like powers in your game!

As always, when rolling for any magical effects in your games, make sure to check out our affiliate link at FanRoll Dice and receive 10% off your entire order!

2:08 What is the advantage of running a low magic world?

3:15 What does low magic mean exactly?

6:40 Class abilities and features are oftentimes just as

magical feeling as magic.

7:30 Lord of the Rings. The most well-known example of low

magic?

11:30 Limiting spellcasting abilities in Dragonlance to

reflect the setting.

12:50 Lessons learned from Diablo IV and how too much magic

makes it mundane.

14:15 Low Fantasy and making magic cost a lot.

17:00 What system are you using? That changes what low magic

might mean.

17:45 How much can you curtail what characters can do before

it’s punitive?

23:00 The importance of Session Zero and Campaign Pitches to

gain player buy-in.

26:30 The best DM Hack to Named Magical Items from J.R.R.

Tolkien himself.

32:25 Low magic can make the world seem more dangerous by

keeping tension high.

36:30 If you’re curtailing magic, get player buy-in and work

with your players to create something new.

40:40 Final Thoughts

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1:19 Will Ferrell as Neil Diamond.

1:30 Episode 19: RPG Economics.

2:40 Getting players to agree to how much gold they’ve amassed.

5:31 A quick gold tangent: How much gold did Smaug have in The Lonely Mountain?

6:40 The party accountant, appraisal, and the endless dividing of coins and gems.

9:55 Is it worth it to add the crunchiness of appraising and haggling for the sale of gems?

11:50 Is 100 gold pieces a lot? What does it cost to live in your world

16:33 Gold needs to be able to purchase things that are important or it’s just a number on a sheet.

18:05 How much magic should you be able to purchase before it loses its uniqueness?

22:10 The pitfall of trying to account for all the gold of your world.

25:35 “Treasure shouldn’t feel like accounting”: Play into the rush of finding treasure.

27:15 The cost of upkeep: Strongholds, Followers, Kingdoms, and Warfare!

29:18 A shop in the middle of the Underdark… Finding AND moving the treasure you find.

31:50 Hirelings in the OSR vs. 5e.

34:30 A quick tangent on using Sidekick mechanic from Tasha’s in our Dragonlance campaign.

37:09 Final Thoughts

1:33 The first ever DM Duet In history?

3:00 Our first tangent… we discuss Dragonlance!

7:25 Our second tangent… do things we loved as kids hold up when we grow up?

11:25 We revisit the mission of 3 Wise DMs and learn the mission of Tabletop Journeys.

17:00 We start the discussion based on our previous episode about sharing worlds (https://3wisedms.com/sharing-rpg-worlds-balancing-pc-power-levels-and-npc-portrayals-across-shared-campaigns-with-multiple-dms/)

22:30 Former characters from other games become the most immersive and real NPCs in your world (https://3wisedms.com/ballad-for-the-bartender-3-quick-tips-to-make-npcs-more-interactive-and-meaningful-in-your-dd-game/)

24:16 Our third tangent… bringing our parents into our games.

26:23 Reconciling mechanics between different games within the same world, like DM Tony’s updated Wand of Wonder (https://3wisedms.com/magic-item-workshop-supercharging-your-wand-of-wonder/)

30:40 Some big benefits of a shared world… massive worlds and generational heroes!

36:30 Trust your co-DMs to collaborate for the benefit of the entire campaign.

40:40 Our fourth tangent… Beatles history.

41:50 Using the shared world to ease the transition of players into DMs.

51:00 Digital tools that we’ve used to assist in thecohesion of information in shared campaigns.

59:45 We delve again into the benefits of the “Monster Wrangler” from our Curse of Strahd finale (https://3wisedms.com/back-in-black-the-players-wrap-up-to-the-absolutely-epic-curse-of-strahd-finale-with-vampyr-the-star-of-blood/)

1:03:29 Our fifth and final tangent… we still haven’treceived the GI Joe USS Flagg!

1:07:17 The first-ever outro DM chorus!

One thing you do need behind your screen though is dice… so check out our affiliate link with FanRoll dice for all your dice and dice accessories. Go to www.Fanrolldice.com/ref/2871 to get 10% off your entire purchase!

1:40 DM Dave’s vitamin-induced fever dream that led to this

topic.

3:00 First things first: Session Notes.

3:58 The most important thing behind the screen? Your

imagination!

4:30 The DM Screen.

6:05 A little D&D History tangent about the DM screen.

6:45 What’s behind depends on what game you’re running: terrain,

maps, and minis, oh my!

8:45 Even with a DM screen, you don’t have to hide the dice

rolls.

9:15 A laptop/tablet as a DM screen.

12:06 Even without terrain, maps, minis – still prepare some

good visuals.

15:10 How to easily introduce music into the session – also,

check out Matt Mercer’s DM Screen Gamemaster Tips   https://youtu.be/YRMVTmbe-Is

17:45 No one sees the NPCs or landscapes the same way… set

it in their mind.

23:15 Take a lesson from block text: have some prepped

descriptors for important scenes and NPCs.

24:45 How Roll20 and VTT’s make the entire internet your DM

screen.

26:30 Think like a “Road DM.” What are the essentials?

32:10 Putting up the DM screen for one character – Character-specific

narrative outside of the game.

33:50 The Campaign 3-Ring Binder.

34:30 Fodder for another episode – the sequel to RPG Economics  https://3wisedms.com/the-3-wise-dms-podcast/rpg-economics-what-can-payers-do-with-all-that-gold/

36:50 High Fantasy=Low Magic – another aside.

40:18 Final Thoughts

Final verdict: More pros than cons… try it out!

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2:16 D&D meets Call of Cthulhu – Everything Will Kill

You!

4:50 The ease of character creation and how weak that makes

you.

6:50 When Intelligence Mattered! The shift in stats.

8:40 Limited abilities and resources can streamline the play

experience.

10:20 When Fighters were the most boss class.

13:45 The ease of running an adventure, especially the basic

stat block.

16:20 Back when Wizards were just weak, old dudes.

17:00 But… spells were REALLY powerful.

19:45 DM Chris’ biggest con? Dying.

21:00 Constant death works against long-arc stories – options

for dealing with death because we only care about Ned Stark because he lasted

for all of Season 1.

27:50 The soul-crushing experience of old school Experience

Points.

30:00 Our Dragonlance Campaign tangent about making NPCs

matter to the players.

34:40 Basic D&D makes waves of enemy monsters feasible

to run in a single encounter that doesn’t take all night.

38:40 Why go into a dungeon? MAGIC and TREASURE!

40:22 Final Thoughts.

Not very satisfying, right?

We can all understand that Fighters and Rogues just get better at doing the things they do, but what about Paladins, Warlocks, Clerics, etc… characters that gain incredibly powerful class abilities that are not of this world? In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave discuss how they make character choices in leveling matter more when it comes to BIG class changes.

1:00 Check out our affiliate link at www.FanRollDice.com/ref/2871

for 10% off your entire dice and accessories order!

2:40 Easiest way to start making these choices matter?

Backstories!

4:00 Using narrative outside the session to help fill out

the big character changes… Oaths, Patrons, etc.

5:30 Not just for the DM – taking the initiative as a player

with your character development.

7:10 Have a story reason for big character changes with

abilities, feats, etc.

9:00 How we handle players that play classic archetypes in unconventional

ways.

11:30 Making Oaths to Gods and Deities carry the weight they

require.

12:40 Are Warlocks inherently evil?

15:10 What do Warlock patrons want?

18:45 DM-Player Communication to fit mechanical choices into

the overall story.

23:45 An Aside: DM Tony’s new method of multiclassing that

we’re using in Journey to Ragnarök.

26:40 Believable Character progression is the spice in your

campaign stew.

27:50 Let the players help you plant the seeds for their

choices that create the story.

34:50 Final Thoughts.

1 :30 Hack# 1: Where are we going next? Focusing your prep.

2:30 Hack# 2: Session Prep Notes

5:20 Hack# 3: Create a Session Prep Template

7:00 Hack# 4: Outline your session – create scenes

8:15 Hack# 5: Write down your recap – Previously On…

10:00 Hack# 6: Players recapping the adventure – taking the

campaign’s temperature

12:00 Hack# 7: Recording your recap – cranking up the drama

15:40 Hack# 8: Google Docs

17:00 Hack# 9: Secrets, Clues, Scenes & Encounters – The

Quantum Ogre Campaign

19:00 Hack# 10: Streamline your Stat Blocks

20:50 Hack# 11: Static Damage… who wants to add up 40d6 damage?!?

23:10 Hack# 12: Delegate the DM duties – Return of the

Monster Wrangler!

25:00 Hack# 13: Static Initiative?

27:20 Hack# 14: There’s an app for that – using technology

to your advantage

28:30 Hack# 15: Spell crib notes when running your

spellcasters

31:30 Hack# 16: Scripting Monster Tactics – Monster Shorthand

38:10 Hack# 17: Adjusting the hit point dial… start with maximum

hit points

42:20 Hack# 18: Get a sense of your party’s Damage per Round

50:00 Final Thoughts

0:51 Co-host introduction… whom could it be?

1:48 Long-time listener Jared asks for our wisdom

3:23 How do you approach running a game for one person?

5:10 In a duet experience, how do you run all of the

monsters, sidekicks, and NPCs?

6:05 Introduction of DM Chris, DM Tony, and DM Dave’s shared

homebrewed world of The Further.

8:05 A proactive player is key when running a solo player.

9:45 Adjusting encounter difficulty when you have fewer than

4 players.

11:45 Where the Sidekick mechanic from TCoE comes in handy.

14:14 When using Sidekicks or DMPCs, make sure they don’t

steal the spotlight from your players.

16:50 How far are you willing to go to not steal the

spotlight from your players?

19:20 The DM Tax…

22:20 Using the Sidekick or DMPC as a classic “Gandalf”

mechanic.

24:00 What if your “Gandalf” ally doesn’t seem to know

anything?

27:00 What if Gandalf reveals the secret, but Frodo wasn’t

freaking listening?

31:10 Riddles… DM Dave is kind of over them.

33:50 When campaigns fall apart… what to do?

37:30 Final Thoughts

0:53 Guest DM Intros.

1:37 Newbie DM Lenny’s Intro.

3:46 Obstacles to DMing as a complete beginner to TTRPGs.

5:55 The esoteric jargon that we all take for granted.

11:23 Tip #1: DMs helping DMs.

13:28 Tip #2: Getting the players invested and running your

first game.

23:19 Tip #3: The ultimate beginner’s trap to avoid.

24:18 Tip #4: Being a “Head Up” DM.

25:49 Tip #5: Run the Starter Set in whatever system you’re

playing - DM Dave has been vindicated!

27:40 Tip #6: Using the Pregens.

28:50 Tip #7: Get the players rolling dice.

30:45 The continuing debate of pregens vs creating

characters!

34:10 Breaking down the rules – what you need and what you

don’t.

35:25 Tip #8: It’s probably in the Dungeon Masters Guide!

36:25 The true BBEG: Schedules!

37:38 Tip #9: You never grow in your comfort zone.

40:00 Tip #10: Lean into developing and presenting your

NPCs.

41:20 Tip #11: Published adventures are a guide, not a

Bible.

43:08 Tip #12: Be a player!

45:33 Tip #13: Have a sense of the rules but, as DM Lenny

said… “Just Do It!”

47:15 Final Thoughts

1:35 Scott’s Story.

3:30 The mythical “White Box.”

5:20 Minis evolution from wargaming to tabletop.

11:05 Terrain on a college student’s budget.

12:05 The “Dungeon” in Dungeons & Dragons – the wilds

are too dangerous!

13:10 The strange dwarven talent of “Detecting Sloping

Floors.”

14:50 Wait… I need to buy a companion game to play OD&D?

18:10 Our first experiences playing with Scott’s

professional terrain, maps, and minis.

22:00 Monster Wrangler? How about the Terrain/Mini Wrangler?

24:00 The evolution of terrain in wargaming and how it can

flow into your D&D game.

27:00 The how-to of DIY terrain and the building of Mount

Ghakis, Tsolenka Pass, and the Amber Temple for our Curse of Strahd campaign

finale.

30:50 Tips and tricks for DIY terrain that ISN’T an entire

mountaintop vista.

32:50 Our return to the idea of the Terrain and Minis

Wrangler – make friends w/ artificers!

34:15 The epic Mount Ghakis finale build… and how to not

literally build yourself into a corner.

38:20 The when, why, and how of utilizing terrain, maps, and

minis for your game (and a sneak peek into the beginnings of our new

DRAGONLANCE campaign!)

47:50 Scale for minis and terrain for your TTRPG (25 mm) and

the bane of wargaming… Scale Creep!

49:25 Final Thoughts.

Time Stamps

0:20 – Thank you to the listeners.

1:10 – Where do we go from here?

1:30 – Episode Intro.

2:50 – Player Introductions.

6:05 – The Monster Wrangler: What is it and how to use them?

9:05 – How to delegate responsibilities to the Monster Wrangler to help manage the session.

10:40 – First impressions of Scott’s table set-up of Mount Ghakis, Tsolenka Pass, and the Amber Temple.

19:01 – The Psychology of D&D: how the characters mowed through 2000+ hit points without a rest, yet still felt the tension.

27:30 – DM Dave FINALLY dropped the Bear Totem Barbarian.

28:50 – A DM Regret: How we completed every character arc except one.

31:00 - Lore dumps to set the scene to complete a character arc. Do they work?

34:50 - How we homebrewed the 2nd half of the adventure without losing the original tone.

40:50 – What worked and what didn’t with keeping the realness of Barovia after the published adventure is complete.

47:30 – How to best onboard your Monster Wrangler so they can succeed.

54:00 – Communicating when side information needs to be shared as opposed to can be shared.

55:50 – How the frequency of play can affect immersion and using narrative out-of-game communication to make up for it.

59:25 – Final Thoughts.

We realize that reviewing a homebrew campaign is different from Curse of Strahd or Storm King’s Thunder – after all, you can’t go pick up the contents of Thorin’s head at the bookstore. But everyone should try their hand at homebrew at one point or another, and this episode is choc full of tips and feedback for creative DMs everywhere. That includes frank discussion of what worked, what didn’t, our biggest challenges (looking at you, Roll20), where the world seemed too shallow, and what was most interesting in this long-running homebrew D&D campaign. We hope it helps you craft even better games for your table.

1:00 Wrapping up the 4-year Woodstock Wanderers campaign

4:00 The final showdown with the Malbion, a solo archmage made to face seven 15th-level players

12:00 Just the right amount of wrong: How to make the PCs hate the villain without making them hate the game

19:00 What was different in DMing a homebrew game vs. a WotC published campaign

25:00 How the transition from in-person to Roll20 affected the game (and not for the better)

28:00 Home-made terrain (by our crafty player Scott of Paper Terrain) made in-person gaming even cooler

32:00 What did we like about the campaign?

38:00 The deal with the GOO: Instigating party tension and temptation

50:00 What was most memorable (besides Ghatanothoa and the final battle)?

58:00 What would DM Thorin change if he had it to do all over again and what were his high points?

64:00 What didn’t work?

66:00 Advice for homebrew DMs

68:00 Final thoughts

In this episode, Thorin, Tony and Dave talk about secrets in the game, how they’ve worked out in their campaigns, and times when they went disastrously wrong!

2:00 A listener question: How do you DM around a player character with a secret?

6:00 How PC secrets have played out in our games

15:00 Using secrets and rewards to tempt player characters into doing … interesting things

21:00 When secrets go wrong: That time DM Tony assassinated another player character and more stories

28:00 Secrets in characters’ backgrounds can add depth and enhance roleplay

32:00 Is it a successful secret if it never gets revealed in the game?

39:00 Even when secrets go bad, it’s usually a pretty good story

42:00 Final thoughts

As you hit the endgame of your campaign, a couple things happen. First, your story should be coming to a head, which means the game gets less flexible, but you still need to allow room for player agency. At the same time, the game gets a little crazy. This is when it pays off to bring in your coolest ideas for monsters, magic items, and more. You want the ending to be memorable and unique.

In this episode, Thorin, Tony and Dave talk about how they bring their games into the epic tier, what changes, and how they shift from story-building to creating a really satisfying end. Along the way, they talk about their own campaigns entering the final leg, the BBEG villains they’ve introduced and how to spar with a high-level party without the PCs or BBEG getting killed before the big showdown.

1:00 Several of our games just crossed level 15, and this is how they feel different

4:00 The Malbion and Vampyr: Super-charged endgame villains in our campaigns

8:00 Why the endgame is a bad time to introduce the deck of many things

13:00 Introducing the BBEG, the first fight with them and shifting focus to the climax of the campaign

31:00 Make sure the players don’t lose their agency as you start wrapping up the story

44:00 Should you let your party talk the Great Old One back to sleep?

51:00 How high-level spells change the game for the players and villains

56:00 What’s awesome about moving into higher-level play

60:00 Final thoughts

DMing certainly isn’t subtle. The little things we do to prep for sessions and keep the game fresh can seem a bit … well … weird. Sometimes they even drive our loved ones a little nuts. But still, they come out. Because your DM quirks are part of who you are, and no one can stop that vibe. So, at a listener’s request, here are 11-plus things the 3 Wise DMs do that are definitely a bit quirky. Maybe you can relate to them?

2:00 A listener question: Do you guys have any quirky DM habits?

4:00 Weird quirk #1: Our wives and girlfriends are begrudging sounding boards

8:00 Weird quirk #2: Random pop culture quotes and inspiration come out anytime, anywhere, to any audience

15:00 Weird quirk #3: Where do your RPG books live and how do you use them?

23:00 Weird quirk #4: Bringing in people from outside the game

26:00 Weird quirk #5: The silly voices we practice around the house

34:00 Weird quirk #6: DM Tony hates shopping in-game

35:00 Weird quirk #7: DM Dave’s goblin market

36:00 Weird quirk #8: Standing over the table and walking around the room while DMing

37:00 Weird quirk #9: DM Thorin brings Lovecraft into D&D … in every campaign

38:00 Weird quirk #10: The super analog DM

40:00 Weird quirk #11: Dice quirks we all have

42:00 “All of a Sudden!” – quirky things we’ve seen other DMs do

50:00 Final thoughts

It was near impossible to make the all-ranged party work in earlier editions, but in Dungeons and Dragon 5E, it can work shockingly well. It can even “ruin” the campaign for DMs who don’t know how to handle it. On the other hand, if you make them spend all their time shut away in bare 10’ dungeon corridors, that ruins the fun for the party and likely ends in a level-1 TPK.

So how do you DM the all-ranged party so you and the players all have fun? In this episode of 3 Wise DMs, Thorin, Tony and Dave talk about their experiences DMing and playing D&D 5E’s powerful ranged classes and how you can bring balance to the field, even when it’s raining death like the beaches of Normandy.

1:00 A listener question: What do you do when the party is built like a Navy SEAL Sniper Team?

2:00 D&D 5E party composition vs. old-school D&D

4:00 How our parties are built and the many flavors of ranged characters we’ve played

11:00 The tactical challenge of threatening ranged parties with D&D 5E monsters

14:00 What do we think of firearms in fantasy D&D 5E?

20:00 How do you build encounters that start more than 100 feet away?

28:00 The impact of long-range combat on non-ranged PCs

35:00 Should you pressure the party to add more front-line characters?

40:00 How often should you use encounters that totally nullify the range advantage?

45:00 Final thoughts

These questions come to us from a reader, but they’re not as simple as they may first sound. Sure, let the dice fall where they may and if characters die, so be it … But is that always the best thing to do? We think of ourselves as “if it dies, it dies” DMs, but at the same time, we really haven’t killed many PCs in any of our 5E games.

Listen in to hear how Thorin, Tony and Dave handle character death and when/how/why it is OK to kill a player character.

1:00 Listener question: Is there ever a good time to kill a character? How to move forward after that?

2:00 Whether or not a player dies is not up to the DM, it’s a consequence of the situation

4:00 Have any of us actually killed a character in 5E? Well, one of us has

10:00 It is hard to permanently kill a player in 5E

17:00 Will D&D 5E remove short rests from the game?

21:00 Do players want their characters to die more often? Is that the environment you want in your game?

26:00 Is PC death the most interesting thing that can happen in this situation?

31:00 The issue with undoing too many deaths: There need to be problems magic can’t just solve

34:00 When is it OK to kill a PC in a way that can’t be undone (i.e., Finger of Death or Disintegrate)?

36:00 The fear of character death is more useful than actual player character death

43:00 Before you kill a character “for plot reasons,” make sure their player is on-board with the plan

49:00 What do you do after a player character dies?

56:00 How do you introduce the new character?

59:00 A process for fitting new player characters into existing campaigns

101:00 Is there ever an appropriate time to TPK a party?

65:00 Final thoughts

In this episode, an old friend of the show brings a new question to Thorin, Tony and Dave: How do you build and use factions? We go deep into the factions in our games, how we created or adopted them, and the different roles factions can play in your TTRPG.

2:00 A listener question: Jared is back and asking about how we build and use factions

9:00 Start with the role you want the faction to play

19:00 Different kinds of factions we use and how we use them to add depth to the game

22:00 Making your factions more than just another group of quest givers

34:00 How we create factions and the people in them

45:00 Final thoughts

So can you use foreshadowing in your games in ways your players will notice but not too easily? In this episode, Thorin, Tony and Dave talk about how they use foreshadowing in their games, what’s worked and not worked for them in the past, and tell a few campaign stories about DMing with an eye on the future of your story.

2:00 A listener question: How do you foreshadow major events without beating your players over the head?

10:00 The tactics of foreshadowing and how to hint that the joke character is actually the BBEG

18:00 What to do when the players don’t remember your foreshadowing

23:00 How foreshadowing in a TTRPG is different from a book or movie, and that changes what works and doesn’t work

32:00 Storytime: How foreshadowing has worked out in some of our campaigns

36:00 Give them something to do with it: How players remember details and experience foreshadowing

39:00 Final thoughts

In this episode, hear how Thorin, Tony and Dave handle advantage and disadvantage along with plus and minus modifiers in their games along with plenty of examples from our gaming history (including the time a PC talked the DM into letting him one-shot the BBEG at 3rd level when they caught the guy simply walking across the road). You’ll also hear how you can use these mechanics to create the kind of game you want to run without making combat and skill checks overcomplicated or letting them overshadow the story.

2:00 Answering a listener question: How to DM high ground and when do we use discretionary advantage?

3:00 The math and mechanical impact of D&D 5E’s advantage and disadvantage

6:00 How we each approach advantage and disadvantage

17:00 Using these modifiers in combat vs. out-of-combat skill checks

22:00 Called Crits Gone Wild! How one player rules lawyered his way into one-shotting the campaign BBEG at 3rd level

27:00 The danger of excessive modifiers and complexity slowing combat down even more

30:00 More thoughts on how to reward high ground and why it may be best to hold onto advantage/disadvantage for discretionary use

31:00 Specifically, when do we use discretionary advantage and disadvantage?

40:00 DM inspiration and the case for stacking multiple inspirations

42:00 When do we use disadvantage?

46:00 Final thoughts

In this episode, Thorin, Tony and Dave take a deeper look at how to DM a pregnant character without ruining their game. We also look at the starting character requests we’ve gotten and how we made them work in our campaigns.

1:00 A listener question: A new PC wants to start with a 2-month pregnant character, is this a veto situation?

5:00 A few important questions: Who wants to play the character, why, and how does it fit the table?

10:00 As long as the character isn’t disruptive to the table, why veto it? Talk to the player about their expectations of how it plays out in the game

15:00 Look at how books and TV shows handle pregnant characters – is the baby supernatural itself?

19:00 When would we veto a character concept?

26:00 How DM Tony’s upgraded Wand of Wonder faired in field testing

33:00 Wild PC requests we’ve gotten, from doomed nobles to ghost PCs, and how we handled them

41:00 Old-Timers: DMing PCs that want to start the game as older, experienced characters

49:00 Final Thoughts

This has been like a 2-year DMing workshop for all of us, and we hope you’ve learned as much from it as we have. How do you make sure your game gets off on the right foot? Is your plot too complex? How do you keep combat from killing the game and your players? Hear the answers to these questions and more in this centennial episode of 3 Wise DMs.

2:00 The most intense 2 years of DMing in our lives

4:00 Lesson 1: It’s a partnership with your players

5:00 Lesson 2: Session 0 can be the difference between a great campaign and utter failure

11:00 Lesson 3: Game recaps before the session let you influence what the players remember and refresh your own memory

15:00 Lesson 4: Don’t make the story too complex

21:00 Lesson 5: Don’t count on the whole party listening during other player’s solo moments

22:00 Lesson 6: Too many hard fights in a row will make your players feel like you’re trying to kill them

23:00 Lesson 7: Combats need to be meaningful and not just slogs

24:00 Lesson 8: If the tension is always high, it never is

25:00 Lesson 9: Balance upbeats and downbeats

26:00 Lesson 10: It’s very easy for 5E combat to take a long time

28:00 Lesson 11: For some players, combat is their least favorite part of D&D

29:00 Lesson 12: DM Tony’s formula for RPG session clock management

30:00 Lesson 13: Spend your prep time on the important things: Your plot and story

31:00 Lesson 14: Some DMs need prep to be able to improvise effectively and enjoyably at the table

35:00 Lesson 15: NPCs – “serve fewer dishes, but better dishes”

37:00 Lesson 16: The best way to get better at DMing is to DM a lot – it’s more important to run a game than to run a great game

40:00 Lesson 17: Protect the continuity of your game – even if you have to kill the whole party to do it

45:00 Lesson 18: Listen to your players to understand what they really want for their characters

50:00 Lesson 19: Let the role players eat, but know how to bring other players to the table, too

52:00 Lesson 20: Always be experimenting with new techniques, mechanics, prep, etc.

54:00 Lesson 21: The ideal length for descriptions is about 3 lines

56:00 Lesson 22: Follow your inspiration

57:00 Final thoughts on what we’ve learned from 100 episodes of 3 Wise DMs

There are a lot of pros and cons for using boxed settings and creating your own settings, and the 3 Wise DMs dabble in both in their own ways. Here’s what Thorin, Tony and Dave think of using pre-made settings, what makes a good setting, how they make them their own and how they pull elements of existing settings into their homebrew settings, too.

2:00 A listener question: Why use a book world instead of building your own, especially Dark Sun

8:00 Why build your own homebrew setting?

13:00 Dark Sun the cannibal world: How the setting should help set player expectations

21:00 Kit-bashing pieces and characters from established worlds into each other and into your homebrew

31:00 The dangers of altering well-known settings and characters too far for your own purposes

39:00 What makes a good pre-made world?

46:00 Never spurn a muse: Follow the settings that inspire you

51:00 Final thoughts

In this episode, Thorin, Tony and Dave answer a reader question all about taking your campaign past the point of no return, to the end-game, and beyond. How do you build tension heading into the final session? How do you make sure your ending grows organically from the quest? How do you customize that fight so it’s challenging and satisfying? The 3 Wise DMs talk about it all in this week’s podcast.

3:00 A listener question: How do you bring a long-running campaign to a satisfying, not rushed conclusion

6:00 Limit the number of loose ends you need to wrap up

9:00 The game ends when the story ends, not when you run out of levels

12:00 Building tension as you approach the end game

16:00 Customizing your BBEG encounter for the party when they meet it

22:00 Taking the temperature of the party: Are they ready for the end?

30:00 The end game should develop organically from the adventure arc

37:00 The end of the campaign doesn’t have to mean the end of these PCs

40:00 How to plan out the end of your campaign by the session

44:00 Final thoughts

The sidekick mechanics work a little differently than a straight DMPC (which is essentially a leveling PC that DM runs in the party). Which one is right for your campaign? That’s the question Minnesota DM brings us this week: “When making a party-companion NPC to fill the healing role, is it better to make it a character class or use the sidekick option from Tasha’s Cauldron on Everything?”

In this episode, Thorin, Tony and Dave break down how they handle party companions in their games, what they think of the sidekick mechanic, and how to run a sidekick or DMPC who doesn’t overshadow the party.

3:00 A listener question: If you want to add a DM character to help the party, is it better to add a DMPC or sidekick?

5:00 DMPCs and sidekicks, what’s the difference?

12:00 How Tasha’s sidekicks work

17:00 How we would approach DMPC vs. sidekick in our games

20:00 Do DMPCs cause problems with your players?

26:00 Will your sidekick or DMPC wind up playing Penny to the PC’s Inspector Gadget?

30:00 What makes a good sidekick: Fun ideas and examples from pop culture

34:00 Do you have time to create and play a sidekick with enough personality to do them justice?

43:00 Final thoughts

Is “don’t over-prepare” bad DMing advice? There’s a lot to dig into there. In this episode, Thorin, Tony and Dave take a close look at Ginny Di’s take, the different ways they approach prep, the pros and cons of trying to DM without over-preparing, and how new DMs can find the right level of prep for them.

2:00 “The worst DM advice that everyone gets” from Ginny Di

6:00 Lightening the game up: Where “don’t over-prepare” comes from and where it goes wrong

13:00 Should the DM be responsible for doing a ton of prep for each game? Is that fun?

18:00 Managing pre-game anxiety: When you’re not prepared, do you still enjoy running the game?

21:00 Learning what you need to prep to have a fun game

30:00 How appropriate prep is different in different types of games

40:00 The Tolantia Infiltration: The high-prep and low-prep ways to do a spy mission

46:00 Ways to prep more effectively and with less waste

53:00 How does a new DM find the level of prep that’s right for them?

63:00 Final thoughts

This is the curse of the red herring: When you’re casually monologuing details to give the world depth, and the players lock onto something that you meant to be insignificant. Next thing you know, they’re spending 3 hours trying to investigate a mystery that isn’t there. Now, you can always put a mystery there to pay off their curiosity, but that doesn’t always fit the plans, timeframe or story you wanted to cover in this session. So, what do you do? Stop describing the world? Slap the players’ hands to get them back on track? Ditch your story and follow their lead?

In this episode, Thorin, Tony and Dave talk about red herrings they’ve seen get out of control and what they do in their games to try to back to the story … if they can.

3:00 A listener question: What to do when players think every detail you describe is hiding a mystery?

6:00 Sometimes DM-PC miscommunications are an opportunity for better storytelling

10:00 Balancing descriptions: What you spend time on the players will spend time on

12:00 Baby Walter and the creative power of player investment

19:00 Managing red herrings with consistent descriptions

26:00 How “Gotchya” moments lead to future DM-Player miscommunication

30:00 Getting the party back on track and off of the false lead

38:00 What really are the important scenes and secrets in your game?

42:00 Final thoughts

Well, we’re OGs, so in this episode, we’re going to talk about the tricks and tips we use to try to make DM chores from magic item pricing to map making and initiative tracking less tedious and more fun. And, spoiler alert, it’s different for all of us because every DM has different things they find tedious in running the game. Here’s our best advice, let us know in the comments if this advice is wise or just makes things even more complicated.

2:00 How can you make DMing less tedious?

4:00 Making it easier to go magic item shopping

23:00 What’s tedious for you? Identify the aspects of DMing that you want to spend your time on and what you don’t

28:00 How little prep can you get away with without introducing plot holes

31:00 Maps hacks, and how often do you really need them?

35:00 Don’t be afraid to ask your players to handle some of the things you find tedious, from initiative tracking to map making (and here’s how Thorin runs his combats).

46:00 Tracking (or not tracking) PC gold and other character sheet violations

57:00 Do you use and track spell components?

59:00 Why D&D 5E doesn’t always make things easy to find

64:00 Final thoughts

How many players can you comfortably DM at one time in D&D 5E? How does that compare to earlier editions and other systems? And what do you do when your group passes that number? In this episode, Thorin, Tony and Dave talk about how many players is too many, the reasons it becomes a problem, tips and tricks for managing the chaos, and when to break the game up into two groups.

3:00 A listener question: How to handle a 6-player game when 3 more people want to join?

7:00 The challenges of managing combat and story with a lot of players

12:00 More players can make the game less interesting because managing their turns cuts into time for other things, even the DM’s descriptions and narrative

18:00 What’s the ideal number of players for a game, and is that different across systems?

22:00 Ditch the battle map? Ways to streamline the game for more players

32:00 Can you split the party up into two or more groups?

46:00 Final thoughts

In this episode, Thorin, Tony and Dave take on a listener question about how to let PCs take on these responsibilities in the game without ruining the fun. Here’s how the 3 Wise DMs have put players in charge in their campaigns, the tricks they used to handle it, and how to make it fun for everyone.

1:00 Everybody Wants to Rule the World – A side quest about high school and musicals

5:00 A listener question: How do you handle PCs taking control of kingdoms, organizations and other powerful bodies in their world

10:00 How we’ve run players ruling kingdoms in our games

17:00 Is it good to be king? That depends on the perks and resources you give them

25:00 It’s not all on your PCs: How kingdoms and castles more or less ran themselves in history

41:00 How is taking over an organization, like a thieves’ guild, different from becoming king?

46:00 Where are the perks? How do you make running these things fun and rewarding for your players?

53:00 How many ways are there to run a kingdom?

61:00 Final thoughts

How do you handle those situations? Clearly, the players are invested enough in the game to be thinking about how things could be better, but they can also cause massive power imbalances, an expectation that every player can bend the rules, and an overall broken game vibe.

Those very questions came up for a couple of our readers this week. Listen in as Thorin, Tony and Dave help these D&D 5E DMs figure out how to handle a player who wants to play a wizard without memorizing spells and a veteran who misinterprets the rules for his own benefit, much to the DM’s frustration.

2:00 2 listener questions about players bending rules

4:00 The RAW to Rule of Cool Spectrum: How firm are the rules in your game?

8:00 Does removing D&D’s weird Vancian magic system break the Wizard class?

11:00 Called shots: How RAW and Rule of Cool change the game and beg the question, “Why can’t I”?

14:00 When bending the rules isn’t innocent and makes that PC better than everyone else

24:00 Negotiating with a player who wanted to bend the rules

28:00 If you’re going to let a player bend the rules, tie it to an item or boon that you can take away if it goes wrong

34:00 Making PC deities: Some of our adventures with homebrew power and abilities

37:00 How we handle players who want to bend the rules that we may or may not agree with

48:00 Handling a player who keeps misrepresenting the rules in their favor

58:00 Final thoughts

With those obstacles in mind, how do you make new DMs? Here’s how Thorin, Tony and Dave approach recruiting new players to DM, encouraging them to take the mantle, and supporting them as they take the reins.

2:00 A listener question: How do you convince players who’d be good DMs to try DMing?

3:00 How and why we started DMing and recruited each other to run games

13:00 How we try to talk players who’ve never run a game into DMing, and why they may say “No”

24:00 How do you spot players who will want to DM and help them overcome their obstacles?

26:00 The pros and cons of starting with official, “boxed” adventures

32:00 Sometimes younger players are more excited to try DMing than older, more experienced players

34:00 Let new DMs know you like their ideas and are excited to step back and be a player in their world

37:00 How do you help a new DM who struggles in their first game?

40:00 Bring your enthusiasm to their game

42:00 Final thoughts: Make DMing look fun, and more players will want to do it

48:00 P.S. The creed of 3 Wise DMs: Everyone gets to play what they want to play and do everything they want to do

As we’ve started our Tomb campaign, it’s really driven home how Dungeons & Dragons’s rest cadence has a huge impact on how characters play, and it’s not an even handicap. Barbarians, fighters and warlocks barely notice. Clerics, wizards, sorcerers and artificers (poor Bixy!) have to hoard power uses like platinum pieces — we hope you know where you stowed that crossbow you got during character creation!

And that’s just the start of our questions about rests in D&D. Is it realistic for the party to take an hour-long lunch break in the dragon’s lair like this is a union gig? What do you do about parties that try to rest after every fight? Is the full-healing you get with a long rest essentially, as one Wise DM put it, “D&D on super baby mode”? How can the DM use all of these nuances to their advantage to tortu… er, have fun with the players? Thorin, Tony and Dave discuss all that and more in this episode of 3 Wise DMs.

1:00 Sleep deprivation and your adventurers: Tomb of Annihilation doesn’t allow long rests in the jungle, here’s how it’s effecting our PCs

4:00 All classes are not equal: Rest restrictions hit certain PCs completely differently

13:00 Whittling away your will to survive: Is 5e’s long-rest full-healing mechanic “super baby mode”?

18:00 Some idea for increasing spell recharging without long rests

24:00 Make sure your players know what they’re getting into

27:00 Limiting long rests puts less burden on the difficulty and length of encounters

31:00 How frequently should the party be able to rest in your average D&D 5E game?

41:00 Are their lunch breaks in the dragon’s lair?! When and where is it OK to let the party short rest?

51:00 Final thoughts

There is a fine line between meeting expectations and playing a boring cliché, though. In some ways, the iconic monsters can be the hardest to DM because you have a type to play, but it helps to play against it just a little to make the game more fun.

Here are seven of the most iconic monsters in D&D and how Thorin, Tony and Dave get the most out of them in their campaigns.

2:00 Embracing the legends: How do you make goblins feel like goblins and vampires feel like vampires, but still make them memorable?

4:00 Give yourself some range for memorable characters … but not too much

6:00 Monster 1: What makes goblins iconic?

16:00 Monster 2: Kobolds – a short flight

20:00 Monster 3: Orcs from D&D to Star Trek

29:00 Monster 4: Mind flayers – Squids From Space! Bring your inner H.R. Geiger to play

38:00 Monster 5: Black pudding or gelatinous cube?

42:00 Monster 0: The Logo: Dragons – listen to episode 62 for more

44:00 Monster 6: Giants – Storm, fire and thunder

52:00 Monster 7: Beholders – The Round Mound of Eye-Beam Beatdown

60:00 Final thoughts

What role do magic items play in your game? Are they rewards? Character development tools? Just items that help optimize PC builds? We’ve found that attunement, while it helps keep PC power in check, can be an obstacle to playing how we want to play. It changes PC motivations and reward mechanisms in ways that aren’t always in line with our goals. So, what should we do about it?

In this episode, Thorin, Tony and Dave talk about attunement, magic items in older editions, and the role these tools play in their games.

1:00 What is attunement and why does it matter?

5:00 A quick history of magic items’ role in D&D from Basic to 5E

12:00 How attunement can get your PC killed (and make higher-level play more boring)

20:00 Does attunement make treasure rewards less interesting?

29:00 How magic item limits impact PC motivations

34:00 Does breaking the attunement rule make D&D 5E any worse?

38:00 What role do you want magic items to play in your games?

43:00 Character-defining magic items

52:00 Final thoughts

In this episode, Thorin, Tony, and Dave talk about a fetch quest they just started in the Curse of Strahd game, how it could play out, and the risks of other players tuning out while Hawk leads them off to get his Megasword. Along the way, they talk about how they handle player requests, fitting them into your campaign, and much more.

2:00 An aside about game styles

6:00 Getting Hawk’s new sword and what we mean by fetch quest

14:00 Giving a focus PC some spotlight time

17:00 Does focusing on one player’s goal undermine the other PCs’ motivations?

26:00 How much time should it take to get that fetch item?

32:00 How do you bring an item or idea your player wants into the game?

37:00 When is the best time to give out custom items in the PCs’ careers?

44:00 Heirloom weapon pros and cons: Items that level up with the character (include pendragon sword write up)

47:00 Managing fetch quest time

56:00 Final thoughts

Or, as this week’s listener question asks: “How do you get the “Face” to STFU?

To be fair, none of us actually recommends telling a player to shut up. But every group deals with some variation of this issue, and while the Face can be entertaining, none of your other players wants to play Robin to their Batman. Worse, you have other players in your group who want to contribute just as much as the Face, but they can’t get a word in edgewise. What’s a DM to do?

In this episode, Thorin, Tony and Dave talk about how they handle the more dominant role players in their groups (especially when it’s one of them) and the tricks they use to make sure everyone gets to roleplay the way they want to.

1:00 A reader question about balancing the personalities in your game that really hits home

6:00 As a player: Have you made your point? Have you started repeating yourself? Then stop talking

8:00 Turns matter outside of combat, too: Don’t let one player take more than a turn’s worth of actions or advance the conversation to a new topic without letting everyone have a chance to do something

13:00 How our games are becoming more roleplay-focused, which can make the “Face” problem worse

16:00 An example of turn-based roleplaying in our games and tricks we use to make sure everyone gets to talk and act

27:00 Pros and cons of handling single-character vignettes outside of the game vs. at the table

36:00 Chaos in Marvel Town: An example of a couple characters jumping the gun and pushing the whole party into a God fight (a fight Thorin swears he didn’t start…)

55:00 How to rein in the Face if they’re still disrupting the game

60:00 Final thoughts

In this episode, Thorin, Tony and Dave talk about their favorite optional rules, how to use them and when. They’ll also talk about how they designed alternate combat and wrestling rules, and how the right alternate mechanics make your campaign feel more like the world you’re trying to portray. There’s a difference between making your game more immersive and just making it more complicated, and this episode will help you know when you’re on the right side of that line.

1:00 An aside about U2, changing up musical rules, and the weird stuff you see at business conferences (we’re not sorry)

5:00 Alternate rules and a new question from Jared

8:00 Mechanic 1: Doing more with Skills and Proficiencies — and what exactly can a cleric use on a Rod of Lordly Might?

20:00 From firearms to madness: A few of the alternate rules we already play with

24:00 Mechanic 2: Monsters with character classes and levels like Strahd

26:00 Mechanic 3: Opposed-roll parries and abusing them with 2E Bladesingers

30:00 Mechanic 4: House-ruling treasure to make it less predictable

32:00 Using alternate mechanics to feed the atmosphere of your campaign — like human sacrifice

38:00 Mechanic 5: Slow natural healing and lingering injuries

41:00 Mechanic 6: Taking weapons off simple mode and adding deeper combat mechanics

47:00 Mechanic 7: Damage rules for crits, mass damage, and more

55:00 Mechanic 8: Honor and reputation systems for codifying how PC’s impact the world

63:00 Mechanic 9: Divine intervention and how the Ghatanothoa sentient sacrifice mechanic works

67:00 Final thoughts and more mechanics we’d like to play with

At 3 Wise DMS, we’ve played with backseat DMs, been backseat DMs, and even been backseat DMs to each other. In this episode, Thorin, Tony and Dave talk about how they handle the situation, how they try to leverage DM players as helpers, and how they communicate when the backseat DMing gets out of line (including when it’s one of us getting out of line). Here are 11 things you should know about handling the backseat DM in your game.

2:00 2 listeners who feel undermined by experienced DMs playing in their campaigns

4:00 Assistants and food critics: The benefits and pitfalls of having another seasoned DM at the table

8:00 Rules vs adjudication, and times we’ve been the backseat DMs

12:00 Understand the rule before you house rule — and the danger of bad calls that become precedents and problems going forward

16:00 Be open to reasonable feedback and make adjustments if they have a point

20:00 How DMs should act when playing in another DM’s game (especially if you taught them the game)

24:00 Letting a new DM run the game their way will teach you new things about DMing

34:00 How we handle backseat DMs when we’re DMing

39:00 Exerting your authority to bring a backseat DM player inline

44:00 Knowing the rules, making wise decisions, and ruling with consistency all reinforce your authority

50:00 How to handle a DM player who wants you to step aside and kill your campaign

56:00 Adjust your pacing to the frequency of play: Monthly games have to feel like the players accomplished something

67:00 Final thoughts

Often this revolves around PC power, with characters in both our Marvel and Woodstock Wanderers game sometimes breaking the curve for the other DMs/GMs. But conflict can also arise over how shared NPCs and campaign worlds are portrayed. If one DM’s giant unfeeling tentacle monster is going to destroy the world, they can’t have another DM turning it into a Chibi Cthulhu familiar.

How do you handle balance and communication with these shared world pieces? That’s what Thorin, Tony and Dave are digging into in this episode of 3 Wise DMs. They talk about where the conflicts arise, why they’re a problem, and how they’ve dealt with them so everyone can run the games they want but still dip into the other campaigns in a fun way.

2:00 DMing PCs in shared universes with multiple DMs

4:00 PC power levels in shared universes: Our Marvel Super Heroes and D&D Sword Coast campaigns

8:00 Don’t be the grandparent spoiling the kids and sending them home to their “parent” DM

13:00 The ol’ “Mom said no, go ask dad” DMing conundrum

16:00 When Storm King’s Thunder came to Woodstock: Why a level 13 Wizard tried to wrestle an ancient green dragon … and almost won

22:00 How one over-powered character can bust the encounter curve and drive up difficulty

29:00 “But my character played in those games and earned those boons. They deserve to be able to use them.”

31:00 Making PCs from other games NPCs in your games in a shared universe

34:00 Topping out: When have you given out too much power?

38:00 Where should the boundaries be for giving out magic and homebrew?

46:00 How the sacrifice boons work in Woodstock Wanderers

50:00 How much level and power variation is OK between characters in the same game?

62:00 Dealing with differences in DM style

66:00 How do you communicate and manage these issues with the other DMs?

72:00 Sharing NPCs without taking them “off-brand”

77:00 Final thoughts

Dael Kingsmill of the MonarchsFactory YouTube channel has some different ideas. In a recent video, she even suggested that D&D shouldn’t use levels! Our knee-jerk reaction was to pass out the torches and pitchforks, but maybe she’s on to something. A lot of RPGs handle leveling in different ways, and we play a couple (TSR’s Marvel Super Heroes RPG and Call of Cthulhu, to name two) that don’t use leveling at all. Maybe it’s not so crazy to consider swapping levels out of D&D for the kind of open XP-buy system Dael suggests?

Also, this is our first podcast recorded in-person as the guys finally get together in 3WD headquarters: Our game room. (We apologize for the extra echoes and room sounds.) Together with about two gallons of coffee, Thorin, Tony and Dave break down Dael’s suggestions and talk about how different games and older D&D editions handled leveling, player agency in PC advancement, leveling beyond 20 and more! Don’t miss it.

2:00 Dael Kingsmill says D&D shouldn’t use character levels. Is that a crazy idea?

4:00 Do D&D classes have 20 levels worth of good level-up stuff?

8:00 Using XP as a currency to buy character powers (much like the TSR Marvel Super Heroes RPG)

13:00 How to grind: Looking at how different systems handle leveling up, including past D&D editions

18:00 Are levels hard for new players to understand?

23:00 DM emotional blackmail and a little bit about our Christmas games

25:00 Is D&D inherently a level-up game?

27:00 “I got a rock” - Should we offer a way to pass up your class level ability for a feat or some other type of flexibility?

34:00 What we like and don’t like about how D&D 5E handles leveling, and how you could improve it

43:00 Does more flexibility make your character decisions less meaningful?

51:00 Character convergence: Unlimited customization can lead to a smaller number of builds actually being played

55:00 How can we add more options and player agency to leveling up?

64:00 Leveling beyond level 20 and how to challenge players once they get there

91:00 Final thoughts

It’s OK to have a TTRPG PC build that pisses you off. Whether it’s because they’re unkillable, unhittable, undetectable, unsurvivable, or, like our listener question this week, they passively perceive absolutely frickin’ everything! This may mean you have to change your game or not use pieces you wanted to use — like big dumb monster fights against casters with Banish. (“Which is BULL$#!7!” – DM Thorin.) But you can adjust both your own DMing and the player expectations of how their showcase abilities work in the game.

In this episode, Thorin, Tony and Dave talk about how to handle builds that piss you off or at least challenge you as a DM. Along the way, they talk about builds, abilities and spells they’ve struggled with and how you can handle the situation without ruining the game for yourself or any of your players.

2:00: Extreme passives: A listener asks how to handle a D&D 5E PC with extremely high passive perception and investigation who expects all the secrets to be revealed automatically

6:00 Respect is a 2-way street: Just like the DM wants to run the world they built, the players want to play the characters they created

10:00 How we handle passive perception, use stats and dice rolls, and the problem with dice rolls

16:00 Is it unfair for a player to build a character so good in one area they automatically succeed?

21:00 The Observant Problem: Creating challenges and obstacles for builds that see all the secrets

26:00 DMing Sherlock Holmes: How do you reign the player in but make sure they’re still having fun?

32:00 Player builds and abilities that piss us off — and why Banishment is a really poorly designed spell

45:00 Moon Druids, Barbarians, and dealing with ridiculous damage absorption

55:00 Challenging control and stealth character builds in D&D 5E

64:00 “If we’re not encouraging clever ideas at the table, then what are we doing as DMs?” Adapting your DMing style to fit the character builds at your table

69:00 Final thoughts

In this episode, Thorin, Tony and Dave go deep on what makes things hard. They talk frankly about their own troubles keeping things balanced and times their players were just about ready to turn their vorpal blades on the DM and mutiny. Along the way, we get into the difference between difficult “hard” and time-consuming “hard” (both of which can derail a game), why it’s never just about numbers, and the one thing that really tells you if your encounters have gotten too hard.

2:00 Is it too hard or too long?

11:00 Managing time and difficulty for large groups (7+ players) – should there be less combat?

15:00 How D&D 5E makes this harder by favoring multimonster fights

21:00 How hard is too hard? Learning from our COS Strahd fight and super-powered Santas

29:00 When is a more powerful big bad hounding the players too much?

36:00 Fights that’ve been too hard: When NPCs and homebrew goes wrong

45:00 How players may read hard encounters

56:00 When players get frustrated … and is that a reasonable way to judge your game?

65:00 How much can you frustrate your players before they don’t want to play?

69:00 Why the book Strahd isn’t a fun fight, even if he is technically balanced and challenging

75:00 No number can tell you how hard is too hard, but your players will

81:00 Final thoughts

In this episode, Thorin, Tony and Dave talk about everything they learned throughout 2021, how it’s changed the way they play, and what they’re planning for 2022.

2:00 2021: A year in 3 Wise DMs gaming

5:00 Tony hints at some upcoming post-level-20 house rules for D&D 5E

11:00 Is it better to push characters into epic-level, beyond-20 play or start new characters?

17:00 Why don’t 5E’s published adventures support high-level play?

23:00 How do you keep the tension and interest up to continue playing after you complete a book adventure?

26:00 Moments we remember from gaming in 2021:

• Epic-powered one-shots
• Teaching people who are totally new to gaming
• Completing classic book modules
• Alien technology
• Making new characters

30:00 Cross-overs and shared DM universes

35:00 Running a totally different, combat-light, character-focused RPG in Call of Cthulhu

43:00 Time management: The tension between letting players figure things out and do their own things, D&D combat, and slowing the game down

50:00 Confronting the time-twisting horror of maps!

54:00 Time management and large games (6 players and up … plus pets)

56:00 Is D&D 5E just another big, clunky combat system?

59:00 Making combat more epic and less time-consuming

63:00 What did we learn in 2021?

• Tony’s trying to limit plot complexity
• Dave’s trying to learn to balance Tony’s storytelling with Thorin’s improv
• Creating your own world vs running a book module
• Thorin’s still trying to speed up sessions and combat

69:00 Final thoughts and the games we’re looking forward to in 2022

That’s the question Larry H. brought to us in a message to 3 Wise DMs. In this episode, Thorin, Tony and Dave talk about their experience with bored players, sometimes being the bored players, and the things they do to try to accommodate players who aren’t having fun in the game with their characters. They even get into some extreme character tinkering, like the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, or “Rockwell,” a character who could wake up as any of three characters every the morning.

2:00 A listener question from Larry H.: 2 players are having fun, but one player is bored, is it OK to let them revamp their character?

4:00 Who’s fault is it if the player’s bored with their character: the player or DM?

10:00 Those “Oh Shit!” moments: Putting combat-optimized PCs in more challenging situations

15:00 Combat shouldn’t always be the best option

18:00 What makes a character interesting to play and for how long?

20:00 When and how should you let players revamp their character or bring a new one to the table?

25:00 How do you avoid party awkwardness when you swap out or change a PC?

34:00 How far is too far? Do you allow retroactive multiclassing, for example?

41:00 Red flags that could mean the change is disrupting your group

45:00 More extreme ways to spice up characters and make things … more interesting

56:00 Tips to make combat more challenging for a min-maxer

63:00 Final thoughts

If you want the real scoop on how our game of Curse of Strahd went, and how we interact, this is the episode to watch. Hear not only about the adventure but about also how Thorin, Tony and Dave handle their players … and what their players think of that.

2:00 Introducing the players and their characters

12:00 “An experiment in self-inflicted multiple personality disorder” — remembering background and stories across multiple campaigns running at once

15:00 DMing to support your players and the things they’re afraid might happen in the game

24:00 Worldbuilding in Barovia by adding to the Torag mythology

26:00 Party balance in combat and role play

29:00 Our most memorable moments from Curse of Strahd

34:00 Bringing the Universal Monsters into Barovia

40:00 Saving the children in Old Bonegrinder

43:00 The Blinsky void

48:00 Saving Ireena entirely by accident

56:00 Where’s the lore? Why the adventure only lightly tapped Strahd’s motivations and background

59:00 What we didn’t love about playing Curse of Strahd

64:00 The problem with slow leveling and low magic items in a monthly game

68:00 Are vampires tough enough? Keeping CR levels in line with party power

72:00 How DM Dave dealt with forced alignment changes and lycanthropy

80:00 A few more nitpicks

86:00 Should you trust the Tarokka deck to a truly random reading?

90:00 Where we could have explored more and what DM Dave would do different running CoS again

95:00 Final thoughts