Dungeon Master of None (Robert Guthrie & Matt Drwenski)
Explore every episode of Dungeon Master of None
| Pub. Date | Title | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 27 Mar 2023 | 258 - Thieves' Gallery | 00:51:22 | |
DMs Matt and Rob break down the stats for our titular Thieves from Honor among Thieves. You can join DMofNone on Discord | |||
| 16 Jan 2025 | 340 - Frontiers of Eberron | 01:09:56 | |
Matt and Rob strap on their spurs and ride off into the sunset with Keith Baker and the Eberron crew, reviewing Frontiers of Eberron, the latest (and maybe last?) Eberron splatbook for 5e. It's got a gazetteer, a starting town, an adventure, monstrous races, warforged cowboys, and more! Frontiers of Eberron: Quickstone https://www.dmsguild.com/product/493112/Frontiers-of-Eberron-Quickstone Follow Dungeon Master of None on Blue Sky: https://www.patreon.com/DungeonMasterOfNone Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice | |||
| 23 Apr 2021 | 161 - Worldbuilding: Adventure Hubs | 01:01:07 | |
You have built the perfect world. Now, with DM Matt and Rob as your guides, let's turn it into something to adventure in. The Warlord Class by Matt & Rob Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice; The Godfathers - The City. | |||
| 07 Sep 2022 | 233 - Light of Xaryxis | 01:18:20 | |
Matt and Rob blast off into the 25th century -- or something like it, in any case, in their review of Light of Xaryxis, an adventure for 5th-level players included in the new Spelljammer boxed set. This one needs some work, but there's a lot of good ideas as well. Music Pac Div - Roll the Dice | |||
| 20 Sep 2018 | Episode 41: History + Magic Items | 00:55:57 | |
Matt and Rob love history. They also love making custom magic items. In this episode, your hosts combine these two loves by using historic artifacts as inspiration to create stats for D&D magic items.
| |||
| 05 Mar 2020 | Episode 109: Unearthed Newsbag | 00:55:46 | |
Matt & Rob combine a discussion of Unearthed Arcana, some news about the new D&D book, and some mail into an unholy Unearthed Newsbag (CR 5 aberration)! | |||
| 10 Apr 2023 | 259 - Honor Among Thieves | 01:17:08 | |
Is there honor among thieves? Maybe! Sort of. Let's find out as DMs Rob and Matt review the fourth and newest Dungeons and Dragons movie, Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. You can join DMofNone on Discord | |||
| 05 Oct 2019 | Ep 89: Worldbuilding Horny Victorian Fantasy | 00:46:51 | |
Lord help us, DMs Matt and Rob are back on their BS. Your hosts review the worldbuilding in the new fantasy series, Carnival Row. Letters: MP writes, "How do both of you organize your notes?"
Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice The Decemberists - The Perfect Crime #2 | |||
| 17 Sep 2021 | 184 - Aaah! Real Animals (That Are Also Monsters) | 01:05:18 | |
Fantastic Animals and How to Homebrew Them! DMs Rob and Matt take real animals and turn into cuddle, strange, or terrifying monsters for your campaigns. Follow along with the link below: You can also join our Discord here for DM advice from other listeners or sign up for our Patreon for more homebrew stuff! | |||
| 21 Dec 2022 | 247 - Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen | 01:23:46 | |
Special Krynn Correspondent Meaghan, returns, as we attempt to fixup the newest D&D 5e adventure, Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen. Get a copy of Tasslehoff's Pouches of Everything Revised at the DMsGuild! Listen to the Dragonlance Nexus podcast for more Ansalon goodness. | |||
| 22 Nov 2022 | 243 - Reaction Part 2: "A Hideous Little Polyp" | 01:01:17 | |
Part two of our series tracing the roots of reactionary thought in Dungeons and Dragons: the emergence of the right-wing D&D outrage machine from below and from above. Stay tuned for part 3 tomorrow! You can listen to the first episode of the series here. You can write the hosts with questions, comments, or critiques here. And support the show on Patreon! Music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio and Elynatracks. | |||
| 20 Sep 2024 | 327 - Player's Handbook (2024) Review | 01:15:23 | |
This review "is a nonliving, distinct thing." After ten years of Fifth Edition Dungeons and Dragons, several years of playtesting and teasing, and many months of hype, the 2024 Revised Player's Handbook is here. Is it a perfect triumph? A tour de force? Slightly better than the 2014 one? Actually 5.5e? A missed opportunity? A sign of the stagnation and rot at the heart of firms in the core of the capitalist world-economy? A D&D treasure? Tune in to DMs Matt and Rob to find out! Subscribe to the DMofNone Patreon for bonus episodes and homebrew! https://www.patreon.com/DungeonMasterOfNone Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice; David Bowie - Changes. | |||
| 11 Dec 2019 | Ep 98: Worldbuilding through Microscope | 01:04:36 | |
Matt and Rob attempt to do something new: worldbuilding through collaborative role-playing using the Microscope RPG system. Our first actual playish episode. Microscope RPG by Ben Robbins and Lame Mage Production Our final play board can be viewed here! Music: Pac Div - Rolle the Dice Tracy Chapman - Fast Car Julio Iglesias - La Mer
| |||
| 28 May 2020 | Episode 121: A Christian Response to Dungeons & Dragons | 01:04:40 | |
Sit down by the fire and stoke your pipe, because today Matt & Rob put on their academics' robes and read a classic of D&D history. We revisit the halcyon days of the Satanic Panic with "A Christian Response to Dungeons & Dragons: A Catechism for the New Age". Come learn why D&D is "the most effective introduction to the occult in man's recorded history". Fun AND educational! | |||
| 03 Dec 2021 | UNLOCKED - Making Villans | 01:15:34 | |
From behind the vault, it's one of our premium episodes: Making Villains! DMs Matt and Rob build four foes for use in your next campaign. Links: | |||
| 01 Jul 2024 | 315 - Narrative Miniature Games | 01:05:44 | |
Have you ever played something that isn't a TTRPG? Well, it turns out there games out there that are not D&D or even a role-playing game that also generate story through play. In the first episode about things that are not RPGs, DMs Rob and Matt will take you on a whistle-stop tour of the wide world of narrative miniature wargaming. Subscribe to the DMofNone Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/DungeonMasterOfNone Links: One Page Rules - Age of Fantasy: Quest Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice; The Dear Hunter - The Tank. | |||
| 13 Jun 2019 | Ep 76: Worldbuilding Species | 01:16:45 | |
Are there gnomes on the sun? DMs Matt and Rob discuss strategies for incorporating the standard Dungeons and Dragons species into your campaign worlds.
Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice Brad Neely - Cat People | |||
| 31 May 2023 | 266 - Pathfinder Adventure Paths (#1 - #18) | 01:02:35 | |
Matt and Rob delve deep into the first three Pathfinder adventure paths from Paizo -- Rise of the Runelords, Curse of the Crimson Throne, and Second Darkness! Three down...and a lot still to go. Songs: Pac Div - Roll the Dice | |||
| 30 Apr 2022 | BONUS - Best of Year Four | 00:14:59 | |
It's yearly clip show time! Here are some of our favorite bits from the last year in Dungeon Master of None podcasting: organizing the first TTRPG union with the Paizo Workers Union, discussing Dune's origins and worldbuilding with Nat of Metamashina, learning GMing tips from Blades in the Dark, trashing D&D NFTs with Linda of i09, and interviewing Orion of Dimension 20. | |||
| 28 Sep 2023 | 280 - Invisible Sun | 01:11:56 | |
DMs Rob and Matt discuss one of the most challenging, most interesting, and weirdest RPGs to come out in the last decade: Monte Cook Games' Invisible Sun. Pour yourself some tea made of thoughts and shuffle your soothe deck because we are heading into the black cube. | |||
| 14 Nov 2019 | Ep 94: Consent in Gaming | 00:40:11 | |
DMs Rob and Matt dive into Consent in Gaming from Monte Cook Games.
Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice Love - Alone Again Or | |||
| 16 Mar 2023 | 257 - Dungeons and Dragons the Movie: Wrath of the Dragon God | 01:43:55 | |
We review the Dungeons and Dragons movie! No, not the new 2023 D&D movie with Michelle Rodriguez, or the even the 2000 film with Jeremy Irons, but 2005's straight-to-DvD Dungeons and Dragons: Wrath of the Dragon God. With the help of some special guests, we listen to the thrilling return of our favorite wacky henchman, Damodar, and meet our new adventuring party of Lord Beric, Mage Wife, Obad-Hai Guy, Apestaff Wizard, and Claxx the Lich. We may have lost $10.3 million and 1:42:59 of our lives, but we collected a lot of cool 🔮Orbs🔮 along the way, and at the end of the adventuring day, isn't that what RPGs are all about? Check out Kevin's research here and Sam's film productions here. You can also join DMofNone on Discord | |||
| 11 Nov 2021 | 193 - DragonRaid: The Christian D&D | 01:08:02 | |
Hey, the boys are back in town! DMs Rob and Matt are recording in the same room and they have a treat for you! Today, it's time to grab your StarLot and practice your WordRunes as we dive into DragonRaid Adventure Learning System, the RPG written by your cool Youth Pastor. It's a blast from the 1980s past, so come with us to Sunday School to play a Biblical D&D. | |||
| 18 Jul 2019 | Ep 81: Dungeon Master Book Club - Black Leopard, Red Wolf | 00:55:26 | |
Welcome to our first Dungeon Master Book Club! DMs Matt and Rob discuss Marlon James' Black Leopard, Red Wolf. Listen in for some great inspirational storytelling and ideas for monsters, NPCs, and fantastical magic!
Links: Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James
Letters: Dan writes: You forgot about Earthsea's sexual peaches! Michael writes: I love the Genesys system. Do you have tips for running with only two players?
Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice Damian Marley - Welcome to Jamrock | |||
| 09 Jan 2019 | Ep 56: Dice Farce | 00:55:42 | |
Happy New Year! After alienating every listener from the UK, your DMs of None answer some unwanted advice and then use real historical artifacts to build new magic (and mundane!) items for your campaigns. Historical Magic Items 2: The Dragon's Maw, the Cyrosiphon, and the Mirror of the Exalted Ancestor
Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice Juicy J, Wiz Khalifa, and Ty Dolla $ign - Shell Shock Nicki Manaj and Eminem - Roman's Revenge | |||
| 19 Apr 2023 | 261 - Avatar Legends: The Roleplaying Game | 01:03:02 | |
With the most money ever raised for a TTRPG, Magpie Games has written an official, licensed adaptation of one of our favorite settings, Avatar: The Last Airbender and Avatar: The Legend of Korra. DMs Rob and Matt discuss the game. Is it a slapdash adaptation to make money off of a beloved franchise, or a ground-breaking, amazing new RPG system, or maybe something balanced in-between those extremes? Hint: it's probably the last one. You can join DMofNone on Discord | |||
| 02 Apr 2025 | 349 - Springtime for Dungeon Masters | 01:10:58 | |
Letters! DMs Rob and Matt are here to answer your TTRPG questions and provide some wanted and unwanted advice for your game mastering. Follow Dungeon Master of None on Blue Sky: https://www.patreon.com/DungeonMasterOfNone Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice, The Avett Brothers - Ten Thousand Words. | |||
| 27 Dec 2019 | Episode 100: 100 Dungeon Master Tips | 01:31:37 | |
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 | |||
| 24 Jul 2023 | BONUS - Dark Souls TTRPG (no, the other one) | 00:37:27 | |
Rob reviews a fan translation of the Japanese Dark Souls TTRPG by Kadokawa. Is it better than the 5e version? Can he git gud or will he go hollow reading it? | |||
| 29 Sep 2022 | 236 - September Mailbag 2022 | 01:10:04 | |
Matt and Rob answer your mail! They talk about magic items, fantasy authorities, wizard people, and more! Music: Trophy Hunter - Within Temptation | |||
| 05 Sep 2018 | Episode 39: Monster Mash | 00:58:06 | |
DMs Matt and Rob talk building monsters, from inspiration and concept down to armor class and damage immunities. First, we take a look at Appalachia's version of Big Foot: the Mothman! Then, we fill out the ranks of any respectable wizard's staff with the Parchment Golem. Music: | |||
| 25 Jan 2024 | BONUS - Actual Prep: Thunder on the Steppe | 00:31:44 | |
Rob abuses his power to force the podcast audience to listen to him ramble about his unfinished campaign setting, Thunder on the Steppe! We talk through the idea behind the campaign, issues with getting it presentable, next steps and takeaways. Check out the DMofNone Patreon! Link to the Thunder on the Steppe Preview doc. Join us on Discord! Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice | |||
| 11 Sep 2020 | 136 - Lore You Shouldn't Know | 01:06:13 | |
Oh, you like Dungeons and Dragons? Then, name five dragons. We'll wait. | |||
| 09 Feb 2022 | 208 - Designing Deities | 01:05:59 | |
Matt and Rob become as talk about gods, how to design them, when and where to include them in your game, and answer the most important question of all: what if God were one of us?
Music: | |||
| 02 Oct 2018 | Episode 43: DMing 201 | 00:56:04 | |
"7 DM Tips to take your game to the next level...#6 will blow you away!" "Players hate him! Master the Game with this one Weird Trick!" Matt and Rob are back with some slightly more advanced tips to help you as a game master! But first, a listener asks, "Can I run a game with two swapping Dungeon Masters?" On to the tips: creating a recap blog...playing to your strengths...you are using your DM screen wrong...the freedom of rolling in the open...binders full of NPC names...player name tents...getting to know what makes your players tick...mastering the "character spotlight" and the quick "around the table check-in." Thanks for listening! Don't forget to rate and review!
Music: "Roll the Dice" by Pac Div "Going through the Motions" by Buffy the Vampire Slayer "Good Times Bad Times" by Led Zeppelin "Say My Name" by Destiny's Child "No Beginner" by Serengeti
Recommendations: The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson | |||
| 28 Apr 2020 | Episode 117: Running D&D for Kids | 01:23:43 | |
DM Matt and special guest Andy discuss every aspect of Dungeon Mastering D&D and other RPGs for kids and teens. Links: Dungeon World (SRD) (Review Episode) Black Hack 2e (Open Game Content)
Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice Kim Wilde - Kids in America P.O.D. - Youth of the Nation | |||
| 22 Apr 2020 | Episode 116: Worldbuilding Settlements | 01:08:03 | |
Matt and Rob build out the sleepy little town of High Cyre and come up with some truly terrible names in the process. Get some tips on building settlements for fun and profit (well, maybe not profit). Music: | |||
| 17 Dec 2020 | 147 - Festive Mailbag of Holding! | 01:09:15 | |
Matt and Rob answer your letters! A lot of which were about how wrong we were about Tasha's Cauldron of Everything! | |||
| 12 Jan 2022 | 204 - Dungeon Master Resolutions | 01:09:47 | |
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. | |||
| 24 May 2024 | TEASER - Actual Prep: Running Con Games | 00:06:35 | |
DM Matt walks you through his prep for a Friendly Local Gaming Convention and his tips for running a successful Con slot. Links: Subscribe to the DMofNone Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/DungeonMasterOfNone RPG Geek Global Game Conventions List Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice; Dschinghis Khan - Dschinghis Khan. | |||
| 30 Jun 2022 | TEASER - B.A.D.D. Vibes | 00:16:25 | |
TEASER - Subscribe to the Dungeon Master of None Patreon for the full episode! Rob takes Matt on a journey through history to talk about when America was great and Satan was real -- the 1980s! We talk about Bothered About Dungeons and Dragons, the Satanic Panic, Andy Rooney, and more! This one's kind of a doozie, hope you enjoy it! | |||
| 24 Sep 2021 | 186 - All That Glitters | 01:08:12 | |
Matt and Rob talk about GOLD -- specifically, what to spend it on, how to reward your players, what to do about the broken economy in 5e, exchange value vs use value, the works. Kingdoms and Warfare Songs: Pac Div - Roll the Dice | |||
| 05 Dec 2019 | Episode 97: The Coward's Way | 01:19:54 | |
Matt and Rob discuss a couple of new UAs and answer some mail, make sure to listen to the end, where we give advice on how to be a coward for fun and profit! Music: | |||
| 23 Nov 2020 | 144 - Tasha's Cauldron of Everything (Part 2) | 01:08:35 | |
DM Rob and Matt continue deep diving into the new player options for Dungeons and Dragons presented in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything. Monks, Sorcerers, Rangers, Rogues, Paladins, Wizards, Warlocks, feats, and spells! Links: ThinkDM - "Blade Cantrip Changes" Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice; Mott the Hoople & David Bowie - All the Young Dudes. | |||
| 01 Jan 2022 | TEASER 202 - Patreon Q&A | 00:06:17 | |
Matt and Rob answer patron questions about copyright, PC rerolls, sound waves, Lacanian psychoanalysis, and more! | |||
| 25 Apr 2024 | 306 - Brindlewood Bay | 01:00:25 | |
Brew your tea, pack your knitting needles, and put on your most comfortable jogging suit because DMs Matt and Rob are off to solve the coziest murder this side of Cape Cod! Brindlewood Bay is a mystery RPG that combines the Golden Girls with Call of Cthulhu using an innovative set of mechanics to sidestep the frustration of running a whodunit. Then, head across the pond to gothic London for The Between, an anti-cozy game using the same "Carved From Brindlewood" mechanics. Check out the DMofNone Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/DungeonMasterOfNone Join DMofNone on Discord! Links: Brindlewood Bay: A Dark and Cozy Mystery Game by Jason Cordova The Between: A Game of Monster Hunters in Victorian London Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice; John Addison - Murder, She Wrote Theme.
| |||
| 21 Nov 2022 | 242 - Reaction Part 1: Satan, Puppies, and Gamers | 01:08:27 | |
Part one of our series tracing the roots of reactionary thought in Dungeons and Dragons: defining our terms, the long consequences of the Satanic Panic, the anti-diversity campaign in speculative fiction, and GamerGate's influence on RPGs. Stay tuned for part 2 tomorrow! You can listen to our episode on the Satanic Panic and D&D here. You can write the hosts with questions, comments, or critiques here. And support the show on Patreon! Music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio and Elynatracks. | |||
| 19 Mar 2020 | Episode 111: Gather: The Magicking | 01:03:32 | |
Matt and Rob sit down and try to figure out what the hell is happening with Magic: The Gathering lore and how you can use it for your own worldbuilding. Please ignore the coughing. We're fine. Roll the Dice - Pac Div | |||
| 24 Sep 2020 | 138 - Rime of the Frostmaiden (Part 1) | 01:04:52 | |
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! | |||
| 04 Aug 2021 | 177 - Dungeon Master Advice from Us to You | 01:02:35 | |
It's a mailbag episode! Time to help Dungeon Masters with their notes and organization, running fantasy cops, GMing for neurodivergent players, worldbuilding better planar cosmologies, and more! | |||
| 05 May 2021 | BONUS - The Illrigger and the Warlord | 01:30:10 | |
WARNING: This is a very niche episode reviewing the design and making of third-party classes for 5e D&D. DM Matt dives into the excellent Illrigger by MCDM Productions and our own Warlord. Links below! | |||
| 22 Jul 2019 | Ep 82: Anyone Can DM | 01:14:33 | |
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.
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
| |||
| 24 Apr 2018 | Episode 25: PbtA, theme, and worldbuilding with special guest Michelle Nickolaisen | 00:54:37 | |
This week's episode takes us into uncharted territory, with a sweeping discussion of TTRPGs, crafting unique worlds, and exploring themes within your games, featuring our first guest, Michelle Nickolaisen, DM and host of Serendipity City. Michelle talks to us about Powered by the Apocalypse and what you can draw from it, how to run a game that's going to be shared online, creating interesting and compelling worlds, and how to approach complicated themes in your games. We lost some audio, but soldiered on, and covered a ton of ground nonetheless. Find Michelle and her many projects @_ChelleShock and her PbtA podcast at https://www.serendipitypod.com/. | |||
| 16 Jul 2021 | 173 - Railroading | 01:13:53 | |
It's the Great Railroading Debate! Get your ticket punched and head into our dining car for a discussion of railroading and player agency. Choo choo, Dungeon Masters. You can access our June patreon reward (and all our patreon rewards) by subscribing now. It's a spooky mythos murder mystery one-shot with coal mines, Yog-Sothoth, snake-handlers, and Egyptology in Appalachia! | |||
| 27 Mar 2025 | BONUS - John Wick: Play Dirty (Part 2) | 00:03:29 | |
Matt and Rob delve even deeper into the twisted mind of one John Wick (no, the other one). We invite you to imagine, if you will, a 35 year-old man winking and smirking at his 19 year-old female co-worker in the Neopets office... Follow Dungeon Master of None on Blue Sky: | |||
| 17 Jan 2024 | TEASER - Farewell to 2023 | 00:07:43 | |
Matt and Rob reflect on the events of the year, go over the many (12!) systems they've reviewed, and talk about what they're looking forward to in 2024. Listen to the rest of the episode (and an entire day's worth of premium episodes) on the DMofNone Patreon! Join us on Discord! Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice; Lorne Balfe - Juice of the Vine. | |||
| 04 Jan 2024 | 294 - Pathfinder #31 - 48 | 01:17:54 | |
Matt and Rob review some more Pathfinder adventure paths, focusing on Serpent's Skull and Carrion Crown! One of these is good! One of them is not! Listen to find out which. | |||
| 03 Aug 2021 | 176 - TEASER Worldbuilding 401 - Dragonology | 00:03:52 | |
TEASER for our July patron episode: | |||
| 12 Aug 2023 | 273 - Vampire: the Masquerade | 01:15:46 | |
Matt and Rob sink their teeth into the biggest, bloodiest, sexiest dracula-having RPG around: Vampire: the Masquerade! We only scratch (bite?) the surface of what's possible, but it should give you a taste of what's to store in this world of darkness... patreon.com/dungeonmasterofnone | |||
| 20 Jan 2019 | BONUS: Listener Worldbuilding | 00:58:24 | |
As iron sharpens iron, so one worldbuilder sharpens another. Matt and Rob discuss your homebrew campaign settings and ideas in this special bonus episode! Thank you to everyone who sent us your work!
Music: Roll the Dice - Pac Div Spirit in the Sky - Norman Greenbaum Big Rock Candy Mountain - Harry McClintock Princes of the Universe - Queen | |||
| 06 Feb 2019 | Ep 60: DM Tips 202 | 01:25:10 | |
DM tips! Learn how to start games good! Practice shutting the hell up! And more! Plus, DMs Matt and Rob answer your letters and get some deserved criticism and critiques! Tips: playing on the cheap...setting the tone...seeing, hearing, smelling for your players' characters...using your posture...preparing social situations...listening to your players...how to make mistakes... Letters: steampunk and hopepunk responses and critiques! What's the best way to build dungeons? How do I get started reading fantasy to help me DM? Should I twist the plot?
Recommendations:
Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice Tommy James & The Shondells - I'm Alive Loretta Lynn & Jack White - Portland, Oregon The Staves - Tired As Fuck Scenario - A Tribe Called Quest
| |||
| 19 Aug 2023 | 274 - Tabletop News | 01:03:38 | |
Tabletop News is your weekly rundown of the tabletop gaming industry's latest news created for gamers by gamers. Links: The Worst Heist of All Time at GenCon Paizo Announces New Starfinder Edition at Gen Con Largest Third-Party D&D Marketplace Restricts AI-Generated Products Hasbro May Be Eyeing AI for Dungeons & Dragons Dungeons & Dragons tells illustrators to stop using AI to generate artwork for fantasy franchise Goonhammer Roundtable: The Roadmap for Magic from GenCon Baldur’s Gate 3 enters Steam charts’ all-time top 10 in first weekend - Polygon Baldur's Gate 3 - Character Creation Stats Dungeons & Dragons' Designer Explains How Playtests Have Moved From Experimental to Focused Tal’dorei Campaign Setting Reborn - Sourcebooks - Marketplace - D&D Beyond Million Dollar TTRPG Kickstarter Club | EN World Tabletop RPG News & Reviews | |||
| 02 Apr 2020 | Ep. 113: So You Want to Play an ONLINE RPG | 01:14:25 | |
Dungeon Masters Matt and Rob are here to walk you through everything you need to know to play a game of Dungeons and Dragons ONLINE. Free Adventures: Links: Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice Rodriguez - Sugar Man Right On - Marvin Gaye Adam Schlesinger (R.I.P.) - That Thing You Do | |||
| 10 Dec 2024 | TEASER - Greyhawk Tuah | 00:05:05 | |
Matt and Rob return to Greyhawk to talk about the setting guide included in the new 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide, discuss what's there, and what you can use for your games. | |||
| 12 Aug 2020 | 132 - The Village of Hommlet | 01:38:53 | |
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:
Music: | |||
| 02 Feb 2024 | 297 - How to Run a One Shot | 00:55:35 | |
Matt and Rob talk about how to run a one shot! As it turns out, finishing a whole adventure in one sitting is a lot more complicated than it sounds. Rat Queens Check out the DMofNone Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/DungeonMasterOfNone Join us on Discord! Music: | |||
| 08 Jul 2020 | 127 - How Did We Get Here? | 01:02:02 | |
DMs Matt and Rob attempt to take stock of the failures of the corporations that control Dungeons and Dragons (Wizards of the Coast, Hasbro, and OneBookShelf) over the past decade and discuss recent goings on in both D&D and Magic: The Gathering. Then, we answer your letters on dealing with overpowered homebrew classes and speeding up combat with large parties! Links of stuff discussed: Zaiem Beg, "The Wizards I Know" "Wizards of the Coast, Nic Kelman, & Hypocrisy" by A.E. Marling Send Us a One-Page RPG by Sunday July 12th Performance of She Kills Monsters on July 12th 7pm
Contact Us: Email or at the DM Hotline (774) 203-4629
Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice The Coup - The Guillotine Talking Heads - Once in a Lifetime Rodriguez - This In Not A Song, It's An Outburst: Or, The Establishment Blues lyrics | |||
| 31 Aug 2023 | 276 - Flee, Mortals! | 01:05:02 | |
DMs Rob and Matt review Flee, Mortals! The MCDM Monster Book. Spoilers: it's good. | |||
| 01 Feb 2022 | TEASER 207 - NPCs to Steal | 00:10:55 | |
Rob and Matt cook up four NPCs for you to steal for your campaign: a do-gooding noble in a suit of celestial armor, a pair of gnomes purveying pretentious potables, a talking tomcat, and a modron actuary. Plots hooks are attached in .doc and .pdf formats on our Pateron page! | |||
| 09 Apr 2021 | 159 - Candlekeep Mysteries, Part Two | 01:05:04 | |
Matt and Rob review a curated selection of the remaining Candlekeep Mysteries adventures. | |||
| 26 Sep 2019 | Ep 88: Subclass September | 00:50:45 | |
The dark and gritty Dungeon Master of None reboot, "DMoN 2000," is upon us. We talk subclasses: Letters: "Help me design a way to kill god!" "Can an RPG module be art?" Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice The Ventures - Walk, Don't Run Stone Temple Pilots - Dead & Bloated Talking Heads - Artists Only | |||
| 05 Jan 2021 | 149 - Genesys Roleplaying System | 01:18:24 | |
New year, same Dungeon Master of None. DMs Matt and Rob reflect on the best of 2020. Good vibes only! Then, they dive into the generic narrative Roleplaying System from Fantasy Flight Games: Genesys! Here's some pictures below, because it's hard to understand the system without looking at the dice, the outcome symbols, and the probability chart. Stick around for DM Matt's Goodfellas parody at the end of the show! Pictures:
Links: Recommendations: Matt: Ultraviolet Grasslands and the Black City Rob: Hades Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice; Jimi Hendrix - Purple Haze; Tony Bennett - Rags to Riches. | |||
| 13 Jun 2020 | BONUS Actual Homebrew MEGA-EPISODE | 01:45:13 | |
Howdy Dungeon Masters, in this bonus episode, DM Matt walks listeners through some homebrew magic item (0:02:45), spell (0:25:30), and monster (0:44:00) creation before reflecting on revising the Advanced Artificer (0:57:00) and reviewing a listener undead supplement (1:11:00) and adventure anthology (1:18:00). It's a MEGA-EPISODE. Let us know if you like it! Links: Throne of the Crescent Moon Items, Spells, and Monsters The Advanced Artificer 2.0: Revised and Upgraded Restless: A Guide to Laying Incorporeal Undead to Rest Music: Roll the Dice - Pac Div; Say You’ll Say So - Geoffrey Landers; Blinded by the Light - Manfred Mann’s Earth Band; The Sound of Silence - Simon & Garfunkel; Ghostwriter - RJD2; My Favorite Mutiny - The Coup; Write This Down - George Strait; Enter Sandman - Metallica; Gimme Some Lovin’ - Spencer Davis Group; Walking with a Ghost - Tegan and Sara; Boss Ass Bitch - PTAF | |||
| 08 Feb 2025 | TEASER - Play Dirty (Part 1) | 00:04:56 | |
Recorded this whole podcast in an hour. Cool down. Cool down. Rob and Matt suffer through one of the edgiest and worst books of Game Master ever published, John Wick's Play Dirty. Head over to our Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/dungeonmasterofnone) to hear the full episode! | |||
| 13 Aug 2021 | 178 - Arrakis After Dark (Talking Dune w/ Nat of Metamashina) | 01:25:29 | |
Nat (@ashesforfoxes) of Metamashina joins Matt and Rob to talk about Frank Herbert's 1965 novel DUNE -- which you may have heard, is being made into a major motion picture -- as well as the myriad prequels, sequels, and spinoffs that the book has produced. | |||
| 19 Dec 2018 | Ep 53: Hobbit Phrenology | 01:06:58 | |
DMs Matt and Rob sit down for a deep dive into Tolkien, race, drow, Game of Thrones, and Euro-centric campaign worlds. Listen to a discussion of how to think critically about ideas of race in fantasy RPGs. We hope you will leave with some ideas about to tell anti-racist stories in our games. You can do your DM of None homework by reading Paul Sturtevant's article on the Public Medievalist, "Race: the Original Sin of the Fantasy Genre."
Recommendations: Saladin Ahmed - Throne of the Crescent Moon N. K. Jemisin - The Broken Earth Series
Music: Roll the Dice - Pac Div Fantastic Man - William Onyeabor | |||
| 09 Feb 2023 | TEASER: The Five C's of DMing | 00:00:58 | |
Matt and Rob quantum leap back to the 80s and dive into Dragon Magazine #80 to ponder our orbs, rock out to some tunes, and read about The Five C's of DMing.
| |||
| 14 Dec 2024 | 336 - Letters from the Infinite Tavern | 01:07:41 | |
DMs Rob and Matt are here to wish you a happy holiday season and to answer your Dungeon Master and TTRPG questions and letters: how to start a campaign collaboratively, dealing with identity with games and SF&F, reading RPG books quickly, learning new systems. and a dozen or so ideas for weird space worlds! Then, Matt and Rob are invited to test out a new AI-based RPG by a publisher that definitely listens to the show. Follow Dungeon Master of None on Blue Sky: https://www.patreon.com/DungeonMasterOfNone Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice, Flight of the Conchords - Robots. | |||
| 15 Jun 2022 | 222 - How to Run Published Adventures | 01:05:50 | |
DMs Rob and Matt break down how to prepare and run published adventure modules, paths, and campaigns for both new and experienced Dungeon Masters. And support the show on Patreon! Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice; Nickel Creek - In the House of Tom Bombadil. | |||
| 19 Jul 2023 | 272 - Dungeons and Data 2e | 01:08:00 | |
Every couple years, DMs Rob and Matt get curious about which TTRPGs everyone is playing. Which system (that isn't D&D) is the most popular? Which adventure has been played the most? Unfortunately, there isn't a giant database of what everyone is playing, at least, not since the Orr Report ceased its quarterly publication back in 2021. So, we have done our best to compare the popularity of various systems, settings, adventures, and communities using social media subscriptions from Reddit.com. It's hard to draw too many specific conclusions from this dataset, so take any analysis with a grain of salt. Listen in for a comparison of D&D adventure popularity, a ranking of non-D&D systems, and an analysis of the gap between the number of Kickstarter backers and subscribers to a system. | |||
| 08 Apr 2020 | Episode 114: Greater Newsbag | 00:53:21 | |
Matt and Rob talk about the news, free stuff, and answer some letters. Here's the links! https://blog.roll20.net/post/612497773955350528/stay-at-home-play-at-home https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/lmop/ https://beyond20.here-for-more.info/
| |||
| 26 Jun 2019 | Ep 78: Penny Arcade Dreadful | 00:54:08 | |
DMs Rob and Matt take a look at the Wizards of the Coast and Penny Arcade crossover hardcover for 5th edition Dungeons and Dragons. TL;DL Jerry Holkins is the Andy Borowitz of fantasy comedy writing.
Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice Lana Del Ray, Club Clique - Video Games (Remix) | |||
| 13 Mar 2025 | 347 - Monster Manual 2025 | 00:59:08 | |
Matt and Rob complete the trifecta and review the final core rulebook of the 2024/2025 5e update: the Monster Manual! Follow Dungeon Master of None on Blue Sky: | |||
| 02 Jan 2019 | Ep 55: The Old School with Special Guest Andy | 01:13:20 | |
Happy new year! Welcome to a brand new episode of Dungeon Master of None on Old School Rules and mega-dungeons with special guest Andy. [00:19:20] What is OSR? Andy discusses what types of campaigns and players work best with Old School Rules. [00:49:00] The art of the mega-dungeon design. Plus, Andy gives his trademarked 1d4 rules for creating a mega-dungeon. [01:04:45] Matt and Andy riff up some sweet mega-dungeon concepts for you to steal. [01:10:20] How to raise money for charity at your convention games.
Links: Goblinoid Games' free Labyrinth Lord rules Labyrinth Lord rules for purchase
Music: Roll the Dice - Pac Div Gravitas - Little People Old School - 2Pac Christmas in Hollis - Run-DMC Texas - Fat Tony | |||
| 11 Jul 2019 | Ep 80: Greyhawk! | 00:58:57 | |
Special guest Andy is back to talk about the first Dungeons and Dragons campaign setting: Greyhawk! We delve into the history of Greyhawk's design, discuss what makes Oerth unique, and share our favorite things for you to pilfer from Flanaess for your own campaign worlds.
Links: Anna B. Meyer's Greyhawk Cartography Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil by Monte Cook David Howery's adventures in Dungeon Magazine #15, #22, #30, and #32
Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice Drake - Started from the Bottom Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Satan Said Dance Duran Duran - The Wild Boys
| |||
| 03 Jul 2019 | Ep 79: Actual Prep - Writing an Adventure | 01:04:13 | |
DM Matt goes solo! He walks you through his process of writing an adventure in under an hour. Inspired by the image below and Tremors, Matt creates a village and monster for you to steal!
| |||
| 23 Sep 2022 | 235 - Helping Players Create Characters | 01:18:49 | |
One of the many jobs that gets dumped on Dungeon Masters is the role of character builder and advisor. DMs Rob and Matt will help you get in the right mindset to help your players create interesting characters and walk you through building eight example characters for 5e Dungeons and Dragons. | |||
| 16 Oct 2019 | Ep 91: Unwanted Advice - The Reawakening | 00:48:24 | |
Rob and Matt are back to save your game. Plus, what is good for the goose is good for the gander, as we build a magic item using a Kushan relic. Here's the link!
Image from the Seshat Databank.
Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice Metalocalypse - Impeach God David Bowie - Rebel, Rebel Travis Scott - goosebumps | |||
| 06 Jun 2024 | 312 - Dice Hard with a Vengeance | 01:02:14 | |
Matt and Rob talk about dice! Mechanics, systems, resolution, modifiers, taxonomies, the whole shebang! It's not boring, we promise. Subscribe to the DMofNone Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/DungeonMasterOfNone Links: Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice | |||
| 09 Jan 2020 | Ep. 102: Campaign Doctor | 01:13:05 | |
Truesight is 2020. Welcome to the new year! DMs Matt and Rob look back at the RPG decade in review before introducing a new segment: CAMPAIGN DOCTOR. Time to do some surgery on one another's campaigns! Warning: Minor, minor spoilers for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and Episode 1 of the Witcher. Links: Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice Kesha, Big Freedia - Raising Hell Warren Zevon - Werewolves of London Dr. Worm - They Might Be Giants | |||
| 13 May 2022 | 219 - You Wouldn't Steal a Map | 01:00:41 | |
You wouldn't steal a map. You wouldn't steal a NPC. You wouldn't steal a monster. Stealing is against DragonLaw. Dungeon Mastering. It's a crime. No jokes in this one; it's a serious episode of solving Dungeon Mastering problems from your letters. | |||
| 02 Aug 2024 | 320 - The Complete 5e Adventure Tier List (Part 1 of 3) | 01:03:54 | |
It's time to put the 2014 version of 2014 5th Edition Dungeons and Dragons to bed. And what better way to say goodbye than judging and ranking every official D&D adventure, anthology, and campaign from the last ten years. Join us for the complete official and final 5e adventure tier list! Subscribe to the DMofNone Patreon where you can watch the video version of this episode in addition to all our bonus episodes and homebrew! https://www.patreon.com/DungeonMasterOfNone Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice; | |||
| 23 Jan 2019 | Ep 58: Do we need a 6th edition? | 01:04:58 | |
DMs Matt and Rob tackle the ultimate question of life, the multiverse, and everything: should there be a new edition of D&D? Spoilers: we don't. But we will get one...eventually. Your DMs then speculate wildly about what might and should be changed.
Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice David Bowie - Cat People (Put Out Fire) | |||
| 18 Jul 2022 | TEASER - Midsummer Mailbag | 00:10:56 | |
Your questions. Our answers. Pirate campaigns, play-by-post advice, good liches, Mechwarrior hacks, and more! | |||
| 27 Jan 2022 | 206 - Rob Talks to DM Steve! | 01:04:53 | |
Rob sits down to talk DMing, actual plays, cosplay, lifting, and so much more with Asians Represent co-host DM Steve! | |||
| 09 Sep 2021 | 183 - Do Undead Dream of Negative Energy Sheep? | 01:11:35 | |
Matt and Rob answer your letters! We talk about undead, problem players, reverse Indiana Jones, The Elder Scrolls, and more! Check out our Patreon and Discord below and if you can please consider donating to one of the charities we've linked to help protect reproductive rights in Texas and elsewhere. Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice | |||
| 01 Oct 2018 | Episode 42: Playing Extremely Online | 00:56:05 | |
Matt and Rob discuss some recent drama related to Roll20, a virtual tabletop platform [05:40]. Your hosts then try present both the challenges and opportunities of running RPGs online [20:30]. Last, Matt and Rob try to give you some practical tips for using Roll20 and other online tabletops [41:30]. Have you struggled or had success running games online? Let us know how it went! dmofnone@gmail.com
Music: "Roll the Dice" by Pac Div "Pursuit of Happiness" by Kid Cudi, MGMT, and Ratatat "Smoke and Mirrors" by Gotye "Long Distance" by Bruno Mars | |||
| 04 Mar 2023 | 255 - Actual Prep: New Campaign & Advanced Plagiarism | 01:04:58 | |
DM Matt walks you through prepping for a new campaign using lots of plagiarism and how to prep making new characters and creating handouts to speed through the process with new players. You can support the show on Patreon to gain access to our "Best Starting Adventure" plus the handouts and maps Matt prepared for this new campaign. Links: | |||
| 13 Sep 2018 | Episode 40: One Shot, Part Deux | 01:03:18 | |
The Celestial Job: A Planescape Adventure for 3rd-level Characters DMs Matt and Rob return to "The Celestial Job," a one-shot Planescape adventure we wrote during Episode 30. Today, we take a fresh look at the adventure after play-testing it with two groups of players. Your DMs discuss how to run an adventure with an eye towards revision. We look at what didn't work, what was fun, and what was hilarious! If you liked our journey from brainstorming ideas to writing and revising an adventure module, feel free to download and run the whole thing (using the link above or on the Homebrew page). Let us know how the adventure goes! | |||
| 17 Jun 2020 | Episode 124: Mailbag of Holding Mark II | 00:57:29 | |
Matt & Rob answer more letters! We've got fire! We've got edition wars! We've got cool initiative stuff! Plus your regular tangents on vaguely related topics. Also make sure to check out the Black AF Roundtable! Fate Worlds Volume One: Worlds on Fire Music: | |||
