How To Bring a Campaign to Its End

Episode  |  November 26th, 2021  |  33 mins 33 secs

adding flavor, combat, ending campaigns, three pillars, tips

If you are really lucky, maybe you will get a chance to play a long campaign with the same group of players over months, maybe even years. Through countless adventures, the PCs have become seasoned heroes, and now they must face one last challenge: how to say goodbye. This week we look at what needs to happen before the final curtain falls on your campaign.

Be the Support Hero Your Party Needs

Episode  |  November 19th, 2021  |  35 mins 56 secs

adding flavor, combat, support, three pillars, tips, weirdness

While many players try to optimize their damage output, we find ourselves asking: How do we optimize our support output? It's not as glamorous to take the help action, or dodge action on your turn -- but if done well, and combined with a few object interactions, you might soon find yourself significantly boosting the damage output of everyone else at the table.

How To Create Your Own Amazing Dragon

Episode  |  November 12th, 2021  |  48 mins 55 secs

boss monster, dm tips, fizban's treasury, npc build

Having spent some time digesting Fizban's Treasury of Dragons, we set out to put the book to the test: cooking up our very own Brass Dragon. We show you how to roll up the characteristics and features that quickly lead not just to a unique boss monster, but to an enticing NPC that a whole campaign could revolve around.

Revised Monk: Beyond the Flurry of Blows

Episode  |  November 5th, 2021  |  57 mins 48 secs

ki, monk, revised, steal this character

We believe that class design should be about archetypes not stereotypes. Currently, however, all monks kind of look the same, and it takes real effort to style them into something less obvious. That means taking a step back and looking at the whole class differently, and in particular how to use Ki differently.

Top 10 Scary Monsters for Your Halloween Adventure

Episode  |  October 29th, 2021  |  1 hr 5 mins

halloween, horror, monsters, top 10

It's that time of year when we launch our adventurers into the realm of horror to confront the creatures that we love -- love to scare them with at Halloween that is! Join us as we count down our favorite fright night beasts of the season.

Excited for Campaign 3: Is it Thursday Yet?

Episode  |  October 22nd, 2021  |  42 mins 17 secs

critical role, exandria, wildemount

Bidet, fellow critters! We are super excited about the new season of Critical Role that begins today. And in anticipation, we have gone and had a look at Marquet, the continent on which the campaign is set. As well as looking back on some of the exciting contributions that Critical Role has made to 5e, we also make a few predictions of things we'd hope to see.

To Infinity and Beyond: New Science Fantasy Races

Episode  |  October 16th, 2021  |  52 mins 6 secs

astral elves, autognome, giff, hadozee, plazmoid, races, spelljammer, thri-kreen, unearthed arcana

This week we take a journey beyond our Crystal Sphere, out into the multiverse -- bolding exploring new races being playtest in the latest Unearthed Arcana release. Join us for Giff, Plazmoids, Autognomes and more!

Into the Fey: Domains of Delight

Episode  |  September 24th, 2021  |  54 mins 55 secs

archfey, domains of delight, domains of dread, feywild, harengon, pixie, the wild beyond the witchlight

With the recent release of new Feywild source books, we look at the highlights that we love about this new dimension of D&D. We dig into new races, new monsters, new magic items -- and a new way to build a fey campaign setting that is very similar to how the Domains of Dread were laid out in Van Richten's Guide.

Finding You Own Feywild

Episode  |  September 17th, 2021  |  40 mins 43 secs

feywild, ranger, the wild beyond the witchlight, unearthed arcana, warlock

With the new Feywild camapign setting just around the corner, we look at some of the existing mythology of the Feywild, of the Seelie Court and the Gloaming Court, of the Archfey who make up each court, and of the popular culture (and folklore) you can draw upon to make this your own setting -- and how easily the stories of such a place can be told.

Character Origins: Which D&D Race is Best?

Episode  |  September 10th, 2021  |  40 mins 40 secs

So, you've decided to make a new character. Though you might be tempted by the simplicity and comfort of human, we encourage you to take a look at all of the possibilities out there in the Forgotten Realms (and beyond!). This week, we discuss which race gives you the best setup for early game mechainics and long-term roleplay. From Tortles to Yuan-Ti, we lay out each D&D race, picking apart what their best for (and not so great at).

The Best Way For Characters To Gain Levels

Episode  |  August 27th, 2021  |  41 mins 20 secs

encounters per day, experience points, levelling up, milestone, story, xp values

The age old question: is it better to award XP, or to gain levels at set milestones? Is there a way to do it so that it doesn't go too fast? Or too slow? To encourage richer style of play, or encourage better attendance at the table? These are the carrots of progress the DM must weigh, and distribute to the worthy. This week we talk about our experiences with experience,.

Role Play vs Roll to Play

Episode  |  August 20th, 2021  |  25 mins 1 sec

adding flavor, three pillars, tips, traps, weirdness

In a game where players obsess over optimization, and DMs call for skill checks around every corner, it's important to remember that the dice aren't everything (sorry to all you who have crippling dice addictions). Sometimes the rules in D&D just don't make sense, but instead of just arbitrating some sort of ability check -- we recommend you call for a narration check. This week, we look at how this plays out against magical traps.

I Need a Healer!

Episode  |  August 13th, 2021  |  47 mins 2 secs

This week we discuss the implications of healing potions as the main source of 'non-magical' healing in a campaign, discussing rules-as-written all the ways you can heal your party and introducing experimental new rules for diversified healing in your setting, including bandages, salves, and surgical operations.

Making RP Campfire Time Part of the Long Rest

Episode  |  August 6th, 2021  |  55 mins 35 secs

As a DM looking for ways to encourage more RP between players, you might want to consider our table rules for campfire interactions and downtime activities.

How to Play An Amazing Goblinoid Character

Episode  |  July 30th, 2021  |  53 mins 39 secs

adding flavor, bugbears, goblins, hobgoblins, steal this character, subverting tropes, tips, weirdness

Dare to live the wild life of a goblin, bugbear or hobgoblin! Join us this week as we delve deep into what we love about these interconnected races, and some of our favourite ideas for building PCs with them that break free of tired old stereotypes

Travel & Exploration: The Journey is Half the Fun

Episode  |  July 23rd, 2021  |  57 mins 25 secs

exploration, survival, three pillars, tips, travel, wilderness hazards

We take a long walk into the woods of travel and exploration. This key pillar of adventure is often skipped over, but with a little bit of forethought it can provide your players with a more immersive world, and you as a DM the shared excitement of discovering the unknown.