Afspillet
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New year, same Dungeon Master of None
DMs Matt and Rob discuss their game mastering New Year's resolutions and say goodbye to our favorite fantasy TV series of 2021 (spoilers for the Witcher and Wheel of Time end at 27 minutes).
Then, on to some DM advice...loving the brain mole...finding ways to fix publish modules...getting campy with it...using political factions...breaking the interplanar economy.
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DMs Matt and Rob do a deep, deep dive into running the adventure in Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos. Think of this as your Dungeon Master syllabus for creating and running this campaign. And the information you need is ALWAYS IN THE SYLLABUS.
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It's our most important episode for new DMs yet! How do you structure your the first session of a D&D campaign? Like writing the first page of a book, preparing the start of a campaign is intimidating. If you're a new Dungeon Master, then this episode is a must-listen!
But first, Matt and Rob chat about WotC's awesome new hire--Kate Welch--and correctly predict the next Dungeons and Dragons release. Your hosts do a deep dive on the goals and purpose of the "session one." Finally, we go over three basic ways of varying difficulty and engagement to start your campaign before we workshop Matt's upcoming first session! -
Matt and Rob talk Xanathar’s, downtime activities, and perhaps the MOST important session your RPG group will ever have -- session zero. Learn how to head off some of the most common game problems before you campaign even begins! Help your players make the best characters they've ever made. This one is a must listen if you are new DM or player and need help getting started!
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Matt and Rob discuss the edition wars (bad) and gatekeeping (also bad). Learn why nerds were mad on the internet for nearly five straight years and how to avoid being a weird jerk to people when they come to play D&D for the first time. More people playing D&D is good people! It’s good!
Edition Wars (00:00:30)
Gatekeeping in D&D (00:24:15)
Link to Matt and Rob’s data visualization of D&D player data: https://imgur.com/gallery/L1kNu -
Matt and Rob talk about how to fit a proper class analysis into your worldbuilding, though this time it's mostly about designing character classes for your RPG and not a materialist interpretation of fantasy worlds, we managed to hold off on the dialectics this time around.
Music:
Pac Div - Roll the Dice
Freedom Call - Warriors
Aladdin - A Whole New World
Sheb Wooley - Purple People Eater
Sabaton - Winged Hussars -
There are new sub-classes out for 5th edition Dungeons and Dragons from the fine folks of Wizards of the Coast. Matt and Rob review the [00:59] Brute Fighter (good...maybe, too good), the [06:25] Inventor Wizard (will some invent some better abilities?), and the [10:18] Shroomancer (a.k.a. the Circle of Spores Druid). Then, it’s on to the most popular radio program in D&D history: Unwanted Advice! We answer the questions that you didn’t ask to save your damn game from itself.
[11:00] How do I get my players to role-play? Why don’t they like anything but combat?[20:25] My players befriended the wrong NPC! I don’t know how to run their new hireling wizard! Help!
[25:55] Quote: “Is it good idea to let player be medusa???”
[29:05] How do I scam my party with cursed magic items?
[33:10] My players can’t play! How do I help my players learn the rules?
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Matt and Rob both bring nothing into the Drift (TM) to discuss the nerd news of the day before they help you master the fine art of character creation.
Breaking: Bad Boy Billionaire Bezos Buys Bilbo Baggins Biography! Can Amazon actually make a good Lord of the Rings TV show? Someone else always has to, like, carry on the story, we guess.
Next, Matt and Rob talk about how to take your characters from zeroes to heroes. As a Dungeon Master, you can encourage and trick your players into making characters that they will love playing and that you will love refereeing. Learn Matt’s patented “Three Tiers of Character Depth.” If you are tired of brooding loners and psychopathic thieves ruining your game, then follow our advice and your next adventuring party will be full of memorable characters that work together!
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Rob is back with a functioning microphone, and the DMs are talking about WotC surveys, APPS, and of course, encounter design. If you're mad that Matt said "WILLIAM Dafoe", don't worry, so am I.
https://dnd.wizards.com/articles/news/dd-survey-2020
Inclusive TTRPG List
Music:
Pac Div -- Roll the Dice
Nightwish - Wishmaster
Imagine Dragons - Warriors -
As our holiday gift to you, DMs Matt and Rob countdown 100 Dungeon Master tips in a MEGA-EPISODE. Enjoy!
Music:
Pac Div - Roll the Dice
RJD2 - Ghostwriter
Ratatat - Gettysburg
Lead Belly - Midnight Special
Visigoth - Dungeon Master
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Matt and Rob talk about the new WotC release, Rime of the Frostmaiden, and get a little carried away. This one's a doozie folks!
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DMs Matt and Rob dive deep into the Dungeons and Dragons introductory adventure from the 5e Starter Set, Lost Mine of Phandelver. Tune in for a discussion of how to prep, how to make the module your own, and how to punch up the key NPCs of LMoP!
