145 - Tasha's Cauldron of Everything (Part 3)

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We finally get to the really good stuff, the Dungeon Master sections of Tasha's Cauldron of Everything: how to use Group Patrons, Tasha's magic items and artifacts, and a delightful section of supernatural manifest zones. Then, DM Matt and Rob force themselves to discuss the puzzle section at the end of the book and how to create better puzzles that won't make your players hate you.

REPLAY: Everyone Can DM

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DM Rob is England and DM Matt's school is fighting a COVID outbreak, so here is our first ever replay of one of our favorite episodes, "82 - Anyone Can DM." There is a lot we can all learn from the basics and some good Dungeon Master thinking here. We hope to bring you more of these types of episodes in the near future. See you next week! 

Episode 82 - Anyone Can DM
DMs Matt and Rob discuss the basics of what a Dungeon Master is and what a Dungeon Master does. Today, we review the DM advice presented in the 5e D&D Essentials Kit. But first, a game of "Weal or Woe," in which, Rob has to guess whether the RPG product is real or fake! 

Matt and Rob discuss the roles presented in the Essentials Kit: referee, storyteller, and role-player. They break down the core mechanics and goals of any Dungeon Master.
Conclusion: Anyone can DM!

 

Letters:

Dalton asks: "Do I need a wizard in my party?"

Adam writes: "Aren't there times when it is good to hide your DM dice rolls?" 

Alexander writes: "Where are my half-feats?"

 

Links:

Matt's Homebrew Half-Feat Rules

 

Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice; BTS (featuring Hasley) - Boy with Luv; Weezer - In the Garage

141 - Dungeons and Demography

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It's the return of the classic Dungeons Master of None reading series as we go back, back to the future, to 1984 and read one of the most bizarre articles ever published in Dragon Magazine. Then, your hosts head to into the 9th Layer of #DnD TikTok Hell. 

Here are the accompanying equations and tables you will need to master to play D&D:

Links:

https://thealexandrian.net/ 

https://slyflourish.com/index.html 

https://thinkdm.org/ 

https://writingexcuses.com/ 

http://oneshotpodcast.com/ 

http://oneshotpodcast.com/interview-discussion/asians-represent/ 

https://systemmasterypodcast.com/ 

Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice; Tina Turner - What's Love Got to Do with It?


140 - Full Frontal Tom Bombadil

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Dungeon Master advice served hot and fresh, plus our rule of three wish list.

Questions:
Do I need to make my party roll some healers? Can I design my own monster for the Shadowfell? Why do the geeks love fascism so much? Is offline one-to-one communication with players a good thing? Is my worldbuilding idea too much for my players to handle? Will you review Against the Giants? What is your advice for getting back into D&D? 

Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice; Nickel Creek - In the House of Tom Bombadil; Grandmaster Flash - Apache. 

136 - Lore You Shouldn't Know

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Oh, you like Dungeons and Dragons? Then, name five dragons. We'll wait. 

DMs Rob and Matt are here to prove the uselessness of lore knowledge by beating the nerds at their own game...the most dangerous game...the game of trivia. 

But first, a discussion of what to except from Tasha's Cauldron of Everything and the coming of Magic: The Gathering to Toril. And last, should I adapt my favorite novel into a D&D game? 

Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice; The Meters - Hand Clapping Song; Funkadelic - Can You Get to That  

134 - Would You Like to Know More?

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Another week of piping hot Dungeon Master advice, served with a smile! Plus, join us for a discussion of Kate Welch's departure from WotC and some amazing analysis of fascism and 40k from Special Warhammer Correspondent CthulhuBen! 

What is the best old UA subclass? How should I build a campaign around a city in the Feywild? What is the deal fascism in Warhammer 40k? How to create some great homebrew subclasses for the monk and sorcerer? How does a DM deal with role-playing multiple NPCs in one place?

Links:

Ben's Twitter 

David Roth's on "Starship Troopers"

When Warhammer Was Radical: The Egalitarian Origins of the Fantasy Battle Game

Ur-Fascism by Umberto Eco 

Bolt Thrower vs. Neo-Nazi Scum

Music:

Pac Div - Roll the Dice; Cake - Frank Sinatra; Bolt Thrower - The Killchain; Look at Miss Ohio - Gillian Welch

132 - The Village of Hommlet

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Is T1 - The Village of Hommlet by Gary Gygax the best adventure for novice players and new Dungeon Masters? Should you run it or adapt it for your group? Is it even any good?

DM Matt and Special OSR Correspondent Andy do a deep dive into this classic of grognardia. Your hosts go into the history of Hommlet, the reasons why you might want to play T1, and how to learn DM skills by converting and putting your own spin on this old school adventure.

The Village of Hommlet by Gary Gygax on the DMsGuild

Links:
Tales of the Iron League Rules by Andy
The Deed of Paksenarrion by Elizabeth Moon
The Delian Tomb Intro Adventure by Matt Colville

Music:
Pac Div - Roll the Dice
Iris DeMent - Our Town

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