Paul and Dan discuss creation of pre-generated characters for one-shot roleplaying games. From the fastest and easiest ways to quickly generate stats, to crafting unique back-stories that fit (or fight) with the plot. How does it differ between styles of game, and when, if ever, to let the players create their own characters for one-off and convent…

Running long campaigns requires a different focus than running short adventures or one shots. Each has their own challenges but trying to run one the same way you run the other will lead to burnout or a disastrous disconnected adventure. In this episode I discuss the difference between these two types of adventures and how GMs must change their tac…

Sometimes the hardest monster to defeat in RPGs is the calendar. It’s hard to schedule games when the real world gets in the way. In this episode I give you some tips and some decisions you can make ahead of time to make it more likely that you’ll get to the gaming table #pf2e #Pathfinder #gmtips #dmtips #dnd #scheduling Resources: Reddit post from…

Dan & Paul scope out principles for statting out real people in D&D and other role-playing games. What do the standard ability scores really mean, anyway? How have they varied over editions of D&D across the years? And how can we compare and model real people in other games like Call of Cthulhu, Star Frontiers, and Fearful Ends? Kinanthropometry is…

Villains can be simple and driven by basic desires like power or money but I believe villains are better when they have understandable motivations and backstory. In this episode I talk about some examples of villains and why they became what they are. #pf2e #Pathfinder #gmtips #dmtips #dnd #villainsDi Taking 20 Podcast

Dan & Paul give a postmortem on running their fourth Dungeon Design Dash product, Creeping Doom of the Pumpkin King, in a co-DM fashion. It's their first DDD wilderness adventure, and surprises abound! What happens when the party pursues mostly social encounters with a dedicated Adversary DM? Can two DMs swap out musical-chairs NPCs without going c…

Our characters are good at certain things: probably stabbing stuff, identifying magic items, discerning which berries are safe to eat and which ones will make you obliterate your large intestine. Meanwhile our players are probably good at making characters, wiping out a bowl of popcorn and making fart jokes. In this episode I encourage DMs to remem…

In Part 1 Dan and Paul barely scratched the surface on the differences between Original D&D (1974) and Basic D&D (1981)! Due to popular demand they're back for more. Hopefully this time they'll escape the character creation section and get into combat, monsters, and spells, but who knows? There's the whole sweep attack issue to hammer out first. Th…

The Pathfinder 2e Player Core 2 book released August 1st. There’s a lot of information contained within these 322 pages but, is the information useful? Should you go out and buy it? Tune in to find out. #pf2e #Pathfinder #gmtips #PlayerCore2 Resources: The Rules Lawyer: https://www.youtube.com/@TheRulesLawyerRPG Bad Luck Gamer: https://www.youtube.…

How can you continue an adventure after the printed material ends? The players want to keep going but you’re out of adventure to give them. The story has to end, right? Not so fast, my friend. In this episode we talk about tips and tricks to continue the story out to the horizon. #pf2e #dnd #dmtips #gmtips #aftertheend Resources: Dragon of Icespire…

Let's chat about two of our favorite editions of early D&D -- Original D&D (1974) and Basic D&D (1981)! Dan & Paul run most of D&D in similar ways, but their instincts sometimes differ in which of these traditions they're coming from. What changes were made by the brilliant Tom Moldvay in Basic D&D? Were they for the better, or worse? What should n…

There are similarities between delivering a performance at a theater and running a game whether online or in person. In this episode I’ll tell you what lessons I learned on and behind the stage that can be applied to your tabletop game. #pf2e #dnd #dmtips #gmtips #AdventurePrepDi Taking 20 Podcast

In this last-minute, condensed episdoe of Wandering DMs, Dan and Paul discuss using real world time elements in games. From timers in D&D adventures to board games that include a ticking clock, they'll cover everything in under 45 minutes. They even manage to fit in an actual play of 5 Minute Dungeon!…

One of our all-time favorite guests, Jon Peterson, D&D historian extraordinaire, returns to talk all things about the 50th anniversary of D&D. From his official "Making of Original Dungeons & Dragons 1970-1977", participation in Gen Con 50th anniversary celebrations, inclusion in the MIT Press "Fifty Years of Dungeons & Dragons" book, and the hotly…

There are similarities between delivering a performance at a theater and running a game whether online or in person. In this episode I’ll tell you what lessons I learned on and behind the stage that can be applied to your tabletop game. #pf2e #dnd #dmtips #gmtips Resources: Episode 187 - Imposter Syndrome - https://taking20.podbean.com/e/ep-187-sho…

Dan and Paul discuss the presence of drugs and alcohol in D&D and other tabletop roleplaying games. They'll touch on how state alterning substandces are represented in the fiction, rules for handling characters under the influence, and even what happens when the players themselves partake! According to addiction researcher Martin A. Plant, some peo…

Wandering monsters have been around since the very earliest days of D&D. Their usage has waxed and waned through the years as the editions have come out but they still could have a strong purpose in your game as long as you use them correctly. #dnd #5e #pf2e #dmtips #gmtips #WanderingMonsters Resources: Wandering Monsters Suck: https://www.youtube.…

We GMs have to generate a lot about the world from the grand multiverse and pantheons of gods to what Typhon the baker looks like and their foibles. Sometimes players will have great ideas about their character, the world they live in and maybe even larger topics like names of towns and nations. In this episode I encourage my DMs to listen to playe…

Dan & Paul discuss experiences in TRPGs when players don't know the rules. Is it fundamentally fair or unfair? Does it add to the immersion of the roleplay? What added flexibility dos it give to the GM? Is exploring the rules of a new world an essential part of roleplaying games, that we've lost along the way? Games with concealed rules are games w…

DMs, whether we realize it or not manipulate our players sometimes multiple times a session. What does that mean, though to manipulate the players? Is it a good thing? Tune in to find out. #dnd #5e #pf2e #dmtips #gmtips #manipulation Resources: Bonus Action - Hacks DMs Use to Manipulate Players - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bokYGJPyKlI…

The Wandering DMs tackle employment in D&D. Do adventurers need day jobs? Does starting a business or pursuing a craft undermine the motiviation to go out treasure hunting? What of systems that define prior careers as part of characgter creation? It's time for Dan and Paul to get to work! Employment is a relationship between two parties regulating …

There’s nothing wrong with an adventuring party full of humans, gnomes, dwarves, and the like. But sometimes the campaign calls for or the player wants to play something a little different like a hobgoblin, merfolk, or even a troll. How do you handle these situations? In this episode I give you some tips as well as briefly review the new Paizo book…

Dan & Paul discuss the role of skill systems in D&D and other tabletop RPGs. Not part of the initial Original D&D ruleset, they give PCs an opportunity to master individual skills in a fine-grained manner. Have they been beneficial to D&D, or a distraction? Do they work better in other games, like sci-fi or horror? A skill represents the learned kn…

Lore can be doled out in small measures any number of ways at your table from dreams to treasure, holidays to PC backstories. I hope the last two weeks have made you think about how you use lore in your worlds. #dmtips #gmtips #dnd #pf2e #5e #lore Resources: Matt Colville - Lore Delivery Systems - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tBXnD9g0XY Sly Flo…

The Wandering DMs take on rats and other vermin in D&D. From swarm enemies to wizard's familiars, Dan and Paul will explore every way to delight and torment your players with everyday pests. The term "vermin" is used to refer to a wide scope of organisms, including rodents (such as rats), cockroaches, termites, bed bugs, ferrets, stoats, sables. Di…

Lore, like so many other aspects to our game can be as present or absent as you would like it to be. Lore makes your world richer and deeper but how do you reveal it to your players? Tune in and find out. #dnd #pf2e #dmtips #gmtips #lore Resources: Matt Colville - Lore Delivery Systems - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tBXnD9g0XY Sly Flourish - Ba…

This Mother's Day, Paul and Dan discuss the role of mothers in D&D and mythology. From troll wives to Grendel's mother to the spawn of all monsters, Tiamat herself, moms make an impact in our lives! Throughout history, mothers have been depicted in a variety of art works, including paintings, sculptures and written texts, that have helped define th…

Aboleths and Algholthu are amphibious creatures who feel they are gods whose domains have been wrongfully stolen from them by those who they feel should be their slaves. They are extremely savvy fighters who remember eons of combats and use those lessons when the PCs show up to try to kill them. In this episode we talk about these huge aberrations …

Dan and Paul discuss how to play a character in an RPG with a dramatic secret. How can we include the rest of the players in the fun without giving away too much? When do we reveal the secret to create the most satisfying dramatic moment? Humans attempt to consciously conceal aspects of themselves from others due to shame, or from fear of violence,…

One sure way to put a period (or even a question mark) on the end of your campaign or adventure is by using one or more epilogue scenes. In this episode we talk about tips and tricks for creating those wrap-up scenes at the very end. #dnd #5e #pf2e #dmtips #gmtips #Epilogues Resources: Ginny Di - Give your D&D Campaign the epilogue it deserves - ht…

Paul and Dan get to bring back OSR guru Matt Finch to talk about his new Swords & Wizardry: Expansions, Monsters, and More!, currently on Kickstarter. What new things has Matt cooked up? And what updates has he finally made to the revered Quick Primer for Old School Gaming? Swords & Wizardry is the longest-standing retro-clone of Original D&D, firs…

Sometimes we want a break from the rules heavy games and want to play something light and easy. Sometimes people we know are interested in playing RPGs but we don’t want to throw them into the deep end of a complicated RPG with 1,000 pages of rules. Rules Light RPGs can be a nice break from the usual routine and can introduce some people we know to…

Sometimes a break is inevitable. Your campaign needs to go on hiatus for one reason or another. If you know it’s coming, what can you do to prepare your game for a leave of absence? Tune in this week and find out. #dnd5e #pf2e #dnd #dmtips #gmtips #TakeABreakDi Taking 20 Podcast

Dan and Paul are thrilled to chat live with the master of fantasy, Michael Moorcock. What are his current thoughts on the legacy of his writing Elric, the Eternal Champion, critiques of Tolkien, and so much more? Michael John Moorcock (born 18 December 1939) is an English–American writer, particularly of science fiction and fantasy, who has publish…

Some DMs treat new character abilities as puzzles to solve or speedbumps on the path to kill the PCs. As characters level up, they will get all kinds of abilities, some of which are carefully selected and crafted by the players. In this episode, I give DMs some practical advice for embracing these new character abilities. Resources: None…

Dan and Paul reflect on what we think are the biggest mistakes and errors in the first publication of original D&D in 1974. What are the biggest blemishes that troubled the game for decades afterward? What are some of our top house rules to correct the largest problems? The original Dungeons & Dragons boxed set was the first published role-playing …

within the game. The way we describe encounters, how we interact with our players, and whether or not to offer advice can make a game session fun and engaging, combative, miserable, or boring. In this episode I offer some tips for choosing your words carefully while running a game and helping to ensure players get the information they need without …

Paul and Dan check in on their annual D&D mini-convention with friends in a house on the Massachusetts shore, now in its 15th year. What went well, what could go better, what lessons will feed into our future gaming? Find WDM 01 - Asymmetric Monastery of the Deranged Berserkers on DriveThru RPG here!…

A listener wrote in asking for more details about dragons and I’m happy to oblige. They are complex creatures that have a lot of abilities and long lifespans for good reason. In this episode I talk about more draconic features and briefly review the Pathfinder 2e Monster Core Rulebook recently released by Paizo Resources: Archives of Nethys - https…

Some groups keep combat conversations barebones, only allowing brief phrases to be exchanged during combat. In this episode, I’ll give some pros and cons about allowing players to talk during combat and provide some tips for DMs who are unsure whether they’d allow this. #dmtips #gmtips #dnd #pf2e Resources: https://www.reddit.com/r/DnD/comments/13f…

This St. Patrick's Day, Paul and Dan discuss the rich history of Irish myths, legends, and stories in the D&D game. From Druids and Bards to the Banshees and Firbolg, what are some of the best ways to spice up your game with inspirations from the Emerald Isle? Irish mythology is the body of myths indigenous to the island of Ireland. It was original…

Some players want a hard game. They’ve been there, done that and got the scars to prove it. They want something more difficult and more punishing. In this episode I float some ideas on how you can give your game some teeth and make it a little or a lot more difficult for your PCs. #dmtips #gmtips #dnd #5e #pf2e #GameDifficulty…

How does one run a successful dungeons and dragons one shot game? Dan and Paul discuss how to condense the D&D experience to a single night of fun. They'll share techniques they've developed over the years behind the DM screen, discuss which scenarios fit the one-shot format best, and advise would-be DMs on the best road to one-shot success.…

Sometimes you as the DM want to make the game a little easier for the players. Maybe the players are new or just want a game where they feel like gods among men. There are a myriad of ways to make a game easier. In this episode, I discuss a few of them. #dmtips #gmtips #houserules #dnd5e #pf2eDi Taking 20 Podcast

Dan & Paul discuss tips for embodying a character in body and voice when playing D&D at the table. When we compare ourselves to well-known D&D performers, what are simple simple tricks anyone can use, even if we aren't trained actors? Acting involves a broad range of skills, including a well-developed imagination, emotional facility, physical expre…

Player Agency describes the power of players to make choices for their characters. There is an unspoken social contract around every RPG table that the DM won’t take these choices away and players won’t use these choices to ruin the fun of the DM. In this episode, I talk about how critical it is that both sides of the screen respect the agency of o…

For Valentine's Day, Dan and Paul take a look at how romantic love is portrayed in Dungeons and Dragons. From NPCs with love-based plot lines to the infamous philter of love, we'll cover ever instance we can think of in D&D in which love plays a part. Love is considered to be both positive and negative, with its virtue representing human kindness, …

In this episode I talk about ways you can make your characters and NPCs distinct from one another. I do encourage you to try to use an accent, even if you don't feel comfortable doing it. However, there are other ways to make them distinct: with language descriptors and body language. #dmtips #gmtips #dnd #pf2e #NPC Resources: 5 Ways to Make NPC Di…

Paul & Dan celebrate the Year of the Dragon in New Year's 2024! In this 50th anniversary year for original D&D, we'll look back to our best uses for dragons, new discoveries we've made, and how best to use unusual dragon types in your fantasy RPG. The Dragon, also known as Loong, (simplified Chinese: 龙; traditional Chinese: 龍; pinyin: lóng; Jyutpin…

Gaming sessions can vary widely in length but running very short gaming sessions (less than 2 hours or so) and very long gaming sessions (ones stretching 6 hours or more) require different mindsets from the DM. In this episode, I discuss the challenges and tips of each duration. #dmtips #gmtips #dnd #pf2e #5e #gamingsessions…