Taking 20 Podcast (Taking 20 Podcast)

Earthfall on Golarion, much like the Cataclysm on Krynn, set the stage for the world that was to come for both good and for ill.  At first glance this appears to be just another massive comet strike but there is so much more going on behind the scenes.

Tune in to learn more about this world-shaping event.

#Pathfinder #Golarion #EarthFall

I received a listener suggestion to talk about some of the classes available in 5e and Pathfinder.  This episode starts that series, beginning with the Barbarian and the Bard.  Jeremy talks about tropes, playing with them and against them, and his wife helps him with a beep button when things get a little...suggestive.

Friendly NPCs are often overlooked when it comes to campaigns.  DMs focus on the antagonists and sometimes forget about the allies.  In this episode I make a case for including friendly NPCs in your game and give you some tips for running them.

#pf2e #Pathfinder #gmtips #dmtips #dnd #NPCTips

How to Be a Great GM - Adding a Lovable NPC - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrUrh9p2IM0

How to Be a Great GM - Self-Operating NPCs (OGAS) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzWXuy8QWgI

Some players and DMs love campaigns that take years to complete with multiple complex situations being resolved and a grand universal threat eliminated.  But some like quick-hitting campaigns, smaller scale and quicker resolutions.  Which is better?  How do you run long and short campaigns?  Tune in to find out.

#dmtips #gmtips #RPGcampaign #dnd #pf2e

How to Be a Great GM:  Plan an Unforgettable Short RPG Campaign - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGpcF-EOpe0

Worlds Longest D&D Game - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJ-ehbVQYxI

Wizards of the Coast and Paizo have wisely removed some of the problematic depictions of ancestries and ethnicities, adding nuance to those previously portrayed as universally evil.  How does that change our games and what does it mean for DMs?    

Your PCs tend to stroll through life like everything is great.  They're walking through the Underdark, not a care in the world, oblivious to everything down here that wants to eat you.  It's time to remind them that they may not be the apex predators in the dark places of the world.  In this episode I talk about using ambush predators in your game, including one strong caution about how they can make your players feel.

 #dnd #pathfinder #dmtips #ambushpredators

The Monsters Know What They’re Doing by Keith Amman:  https://www.themonstersknow.com/roper-tactics/

5e Piercer - https://www.aidedd.org/dnd/monstres.php?vo=piercer 

Lurker - https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Lurker 

PF2e cloaker - https://2e.aonprd.com/Monsters.aspx?ID=82 

5e cloaker - https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/16826-cloaker 

Taking 20 Podcast Episode 121 - Earthfall https://taking20.podbean.com/e/ep-121-lore-series-earthfall-on-golarion/ 

Taking 20 Podcast Episode 164 - Death of Aroden https://taking20.podbean.com/e/ep-164-lore-series-death-of-gods-and-aroden/ 

PF2e Invisible Stalker - https://2e.aonprd.com/Monsters.aspx?ID=179 

5e Invisible Stalker - https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/16934-invisible-stalker 

Taking 20 Podcast Episode 96 - Mimics - https://taking20.podbean.com/e/epidose-96-monster-series-mimics/

Happy Valentine's Day!  The Monster Series resumes this time focusing on those alpha dogs of the necromantic RPG world:  liches.  How do DMs use them in their campaign?  What tactics should they take on the battlefield?  Tune in and find out.

Left or right at the intersection?  Fight or flee?  Sell the potion or keep it for later?  Players sometimes find it hard to make a decision and that can drive DMs up a wall.  In this episode, we look at possible causes for indecision and repeatedly urge players to make a choice...ANY choice.  Please, we DMs are begging you...for the love of Iomedae.

Resigned:  How to Know When It’s Time to Go: 

https://www.theguardian.com/games/2022/dec/13/first-time-as-a-d-and-d-dungeon-master-dungeons-and-dragons

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

Bonus Action - Hacks DMs Use to Manipulate Players - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bokYGJPyKlI

Do you struggle describing what the characters see?  Do you need a magic method to instantly make you better?  I can't help with that but I can provide a couple of formulas I've used to describe scenes for my players.  Thank you Trevor for the topic idea.

In this episode I give a brief review of the new D&D movie Honor Among Thieves and talk about how DMs should not use social skills like persuasion, diplomacy, and intimidation to rob a player of agency over their character.

#dnd #opendnd #Pathfinder #DMTips #persuasion #diplomacy #intimidation

Dungeons and Dragons:  Honor Among Thieves

Startplaying.games

Warhorn.net

Looking for Players & Groups D&D Beyond board

D&D Beyond Discord

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 #pf2e

There are a few common tips and tricks that DMs can use to make monsters scarier or merely seem that they are.  In this episode I discuss ways that you can get rid of that same-old-same-old feeling with your monsters and keep your players on their toes.

#dnd #Pathfinder #opendnd #dungeonsanddragons #dmtips

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 tactics to maximize their chance to run a successful game.

#pf2e #Pathfinder #gmtips #dmtips #dnd #campaigns

Roll 4 Initiative - Digital or Physical? Best Ways to Take Notes in D&D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bJepWSFoxg

Roll 4 Initiative - GM Diary - Note Taking

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZIMf4r_PM8

Roll 4 Initiative - Note-Taking Tips for TTRPG Players

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhocTIb58hM

This week's topic comes courtesy of Andreas Jonasson who listens from Sweden and generously donated to my ko-fi at ko-fi.com/taking20podcast.  In this episode, Jeremy talks about how to respectfully use source material from history, religion, and published game lore at your table and talks about some potential problems that can occur.

To learn more about the podcast, please head over to www.taking20podcast.com.

#DnD #DungeonsandDragons #Pathfinder #DMTips

"Hey, what's in that cave over there?"  An innocent question that can make a DM sweat.  You didn't prepare a cave dungeon.  Not to worry, my friend.  Thanks to John Fourr over at RolePlayingTips.com, you can whip up a 5 Room Dungeon on the fly that will make your players giggle with delight and they'll have no idea you were making it up as you go.

Resources

Johnn Four's Roleplaying Tips

There are relatively few people who thrive on interpersonal conflict and most people shy away from it in the real world.  But what about in your game or at your gaming table?  In this episode, I discuss how to handle arguments between characters, between characters and NPCs, between players and finally between players and GMs.

#DMTips #DnD #Pathfinder #DungeonsandDragons #Dungeons #Dragons

Prewritten modules and adventures are a DM's friend.  They are simple, canned documents that you can insert into your world as needed but they're better if you customize them; make them more integrated with your game world, your players' characters, and important NPCs.  Don't know where to get started?  I'm here to help.

There are two primary ways that combat can be run in Role Playing Games - Using battle maps that are printed or digitally produced or theater of the mind where all the action happens in everyone's imaginations.  Like nearly everything else, there are advantages to each and this episode discusses pros and cons of each with some lessons Jeremy has learned along the way.

Is combat getting a little bit...stale?  Are your D&D or Pathfinder combats taking too long and they have become a long battle of hit point attrition, rules research, and having to explain 3 times per round what's going on?  Are you willing to try a few things that are...unconventional?  Well, my good open-minded listener, we talk about 20 ideas in 20 minutes for making combat faster, easier, crazier, and maybe a little better.

A lot of people dismiss D&D 4th Edition as a mistake but there were a lot of good aspects to that version of the game.  One of them was minions which were simplified monsters used in tandem with bosses and boss fights.  In this episode Jeremy suggests that bringing the concept back can spice up combat encounters.

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.

None

Artifacts can be simple engines to generate adventures or powerful items wielded by the PCs to accomplish a mission or slay a powerful creature.  Used without care, however, and artifacts will break your game.  In a slightly long episode, we discuss the positive and negatives of artifacts and how DMs can use them in their games.

Most campaigns are better when they start with a Session 0 but what the heck is a Session 0?  What do you do during a Session 0 and how do you conduct one?

Spelljammer is Dungeons and Dragons' attempt to bring a touch of sci fi to their traditional fantasy RPG.  It's like 50s Pulp Sci Fi novels were inserted into the world of swords and sorcery, gnomes and nagas.  Frankly it's very very strange but in this episode I encourage you to embrace the strange and don't dismiss it simply because it's different than your usual game.

#DungeonsandDragons #DnD #Spelljammer #DMTips

Resources

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wey7sgBplp4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ5y_9TdIJQ

https://www.wargamer.com/dnd/spelljammer

We all love campaigns that have actions and reactions grounded in realism but in this episode, Jeremy asks, is the work to make things realistic worth it?  Would it be better for you to spend that time preparing the next balls to the wall adventure than determining the realistic after effects of a kobold raid against the town's grain storage?  Tune in to find out.

#Pathfinder #RPG #DungeonsandDragons #DnD

Alignment - the much-maligned aspect of many modern RPG systems.  In Part 1, Jeremy discusses his theory on alignment, when it matters, and tips for roleplaying Lawful Good, Neutral Good, Chaotic Good, Lawful Neutral and True Neutral characters.  Part 2 will release on Wednesday this week.

Agree or disagree with any of these points?  Email me at feedback@taking20podcast.com.  I'd love to hear from you!

Resources:

https://mykindofmeeple.com/role-playing-games/dungeons-and-dragons/

In depth alignment discussion:  http://easydamus.com/alignment.html

Matthew Colville Alignment video in the Running the Game series:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgPhiLBW7jo

Listener Peter sent an email asking about Paizo's planned Pathfinder Nexus so I went digging through the archives and recorded interviews from PaizoCon to discuss the latest I could find. In this episode I also ask someone to bring me Jason Buhlman but not literally.  I just want to talk to him about adventure ideas.  This isn't a "bring me the head of my enemies" kind of thing. Maybe I don't need to record or write descriptions until I'm off the pain meds...

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 #TakeABreak

Preparing your overarching campaign using smaller situational pieces has a number of benefits to preparing the entire adventure as a whole.  In this episode, I talk about the benefits of preparing your game in manageable chunks and give you some tips for doing so.

#dnd #pf2e #DMTips

The Alexandrian:  Don’t Prep Plots - https://thealexandrian.net/wordpress/4147/roleplaying-games/dont-prep-plots

https://www.reddit.com/r/DMAcademy/comments/16y30hc/can_we_clarify_what_we_mean_when_we_say_dms/

Building Situations in D&D https://slyflourish.com/letting_go_of_defined_encounters.html

In what will hopefully help role players, we explore positive and negative character arcs.  How do you give a character an arc to follow?  Using examples from popular media, we look at how arcs can progress.  Finally, we talk briefly about how to support arcs for your fellow players' characters.  Come see us at Taking 20 Podcast.com

If you've reached the point where you need to leave the gaming group, the next steps in the process are going to be difficult emotionally and fraught with peril.  Handled incorrectly, you can make lifelong enemies of your DM, your fellow players, and anyone they may know.  In this episode I talk about the mature and professional way to separate from the group minimizing animosity or hurt feelings.

#dnd #dungeonsanddragons #pathfinder #dmtips #leavingyourgaminggroup

Resigned:  How to Know When It’s Time to Go: https://www.amazon.com/Resigned-Know-Truths-Stigma-Quitting-ebook/dp/B0BLP2LCQJ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1AO4TAC6LM4AO&keywords=resigned

In the first of what I hope will be many more to come, Jeremy sits down to answer listener and reader questions with Johnn Four of www.roleplayingtips.com.  The rest of the interview will be released Tuesday and Thursday this week.

The One Ring in Lord of the Rings, The Singing Sword in Bugs Bunny, The Luggage in the Rimworld novels by Terry Pratchett.  We've seen intelligent magic items in media and you'd like to bring one into your game world.  What's the best way to do that?  Are there any tips?  Does an animated bear rug poop in the woods? Seriously...do they?  I have no idea.

#OpenDnd #OpenRPG #Pathfinder #OGL #DnD #DungeonsandDragons

Dungeon Dudes:  How to Homebrew Sentient Magic Items. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1H5oK_GGmI

Curses have played major roles in numerous movies and media:  the ring in Lord of the Rings, the Aztec gold in Pirates of the Caribbean, Ladyhawke, Shrek, Ella Enchanged, the list goes on.  How can you use these curses in your game and not have your player try to kill you with a d4?  Tune in to find out.

West Marches campaigns aren’t like your traditional 4 classes and dungeon game.  In this episode, we delve into the concept of these unique methods  of tabletop RPGand give you some tips for setting them up and running them.

#pf2e #Pathfinder #gmtips #dmtips #dnd #campaigns #westmarches

Ben Robbins - Grand Experiments:  West Marches - https://arsludi.lamemage.com/index.php/78/grand-experiments-west-marches/

Ben Robbins - Tips for West Marches Campaigns - https://arsludi.lamemage.com/index.php/94/west-marches-running-your-own/

Matthew Colville - Running the Game Episode 30 - https://youtu.be/oGAC-gBoX9k?si=8cSIAaj0o-V9uQLy

In this episode suggested by Daniel during a donation to ko-fi.com/taking20podcast, I talk about the good, bad, and ugly of allowing your players to harvest their kills and the situations you want to try to avoid if you allow it.  Also, I muttered a lot in this episode and will be going to sit in the sunshine after this to improve my mood.

#DnD #Pathfinder #DungeonsandDragons

Immortal creatures will sometimes make deals with mortals for power and you can sometimes include these situations in your game.  Warlocks have this mechanic built into the class but should you even include the good and bad of these contracts in your game?  In this episode I talk about the different types of beings who will deal with mortals, examples of why they would and tips for your campaign.

#dmtips #pathfinder2e #dnd #dnd5e #devils #fey

3 Line NPCs

https://www.roleplayingtips.com/rptn/the-3-line-npc-method-how-to-create-story-full-npcs-fast/

Phistophilus:  https://2e.aonprd.com/Monsters.aspx?ID=112

https://halflinghobbies.com/making-deals-with-devils-in-dd-5e/

https://www.reddit.com/r/DescentintoAvernus/comments/hjfrkf/devil_contract_ideas/

Seems simple, doesn't it?  Your players' characters do something amazing and you give them something for it.  Players, your characters slay the beast and stare at a huge pile of stuff.  However, when mishandled, players can feel like they're getting shafted when it comes to loot and this can cause hurt feelings, rifts in the party, and even cause players to leave your game.

Dungeon crawl adventures can be some of the most fun adventures that you run and they are relatively simple to set up provided you have a few pieces of information prepared ahead of time.  Tune in this week to find out what those are:

#pf2e #dnd #DMTips #Dungeon

Redd Horrocks on Fiverr - https://www.fiverr.com/reddhorrocks 

5 Room Dungeons - https://www.roleplayingtips.com/5-room-dungeons/ 

Jaquaysian Dungeons - https://thealexandrian.net/wordpress/13085/roleplaying-games/xandering-the-dungeon

Not all NPCs are created equal, or at least they shouldn’t be created that way.  There are some NPCs who are simply more important to your campaign?  Which ones and how should you treat them?  Give this episode a listen!

#pf2e #Pathfinder #gmtips #dmtips #dnd #rpg #npccore #npc #paizo

Paizo NPC Core.  https://paizo.com/products/btq06x2l

"Part of the journey is the end," as it was so wisely said.  As tough as it can be guiding the adventure to an end, handling the end properly can be surprisingly tougher.  In this episode Jeremy talks about his favorite method to put a bow on a campaign and prime the next one for success.

Today's episode comes to us from listener Brett.  Thank you for the topic suggestion! If there is Good and Evil in your world, why does Good allow Evil to remain?  Why wouldn't the forces of Good do whatever they had to in order to crush the forces of Evil?  Also, if Evil exists in the world, where would it be? If you have an idea for a topic, send it to me at feedback@taking20podcast.com.

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!

If your game world has any history at all and any culture, whether it's a single-minded autonomous collective or a rich melting pot of cultures blended together and living in close proximity, there will likely be holidays of some sort.  Why do holidays exist?  What do you need to create holidays in your world?  Tune in this week to find out!

#DnD #DungeonsandDragons #Pathfinder #Paizo #Holidays

Resources:

Resigned: How to Know When It's Time to Go

The Gap is an aberration in the lore of most RPG products:  a time where history is completely broken and no records remain.  What do we know about this time period and how can you use similar empty periods of history in your campaign world?  Tune in to find out.

#Starfinder #Paizo #Dungeons and Dragons #DnD

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

5 Ways to Make NPC Dialogue Better With No Accent https://youtu.be/hvGEltoAgg4?si=Gh2gr5ZyYBChOcUP 

In a lot of game worlds, deities can't die.  They always existed, exist, and will always exist.  But what if that wasn't true.  What if one or more deities in your game world died, left, or otherwise weren't available?  What would happen to their followers and your world as a whole?

Resources:

Pathfinder Wiki (Aroden) - https://pathfinderwiki.com/wiki/Aroden

#pathfinder #deities #openrpg #opendnd #aroden #dnd #dungeonsanddragons

If brevity is the soul of wit, Jeremy's been witless these first 6 episodes.  He continues the discussion for GMs to manage their table, including how to handle politics, party infighting, PvP, character secrets, and other topics.

Giants.  They're all tall and they have reach.  Prep work done for an adventure, right?  Hold your throwing stone, my DM friend.  The different species of giants have very different tactics, capabilities, and motivations.  This week Jeremy talks all about the differences and what makes them tick.

#DnD #DungeonsandDragons #Pathfinder #DMTips

Resigned:  How to Know When It’s Time to Go: https://www.amazon.com/Resigned-Know-Truths-Stigma-Quitting-ebook/dp/B0BLP2LCQJ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1AO4TAC6LM4AO&keywords=resigned

The Monsters Know What They’re Doing:  https://www.themonstersknow.com/giant-tactics/

Extra Credits:  The Viking Expansion:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxItyrp55g8&list=PLhyKYa0YJ_5D16-gw3aGKjuC_iW7R16mF

We'd all love to DM/GM for a 4-person party but it is rare.  More often we'll have 6 players or even 8-9 who want to play in a campaign even if we only start off with 4.  How do you handle these huge parties or small parties of less than 4?  If you have a small party, how do you add capabilities to the party with NPCs?  

This is not an episode.  Jeremy's passed out right now.

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

Archives of Nethys - https://2e.aonprd.com/ 

Pathfinder 2e Monster Core Rulebook - https://paizo.com/products/btq02ej4 

Remaster Previews - Diabolic Dragon - https://paizo.com/community/blog/v5748dyo6sial 

Remaster Previews - Mirage Dragon - https://paizo.com/community/blog/v5748dyo6siax 

Remaster Previews - Fortune Dragon - https://paizo.com/community/blog/v5748dyo6sii7 

Remaster Previews - Conspirator Dragon - https://paizo.com/community/blog/v5748dyo6sihv 

Remaster Previews - Adamantine Dragon - https://paizo.com/community/blog/v5748dyo6sihh 

Remaster Previews - Horned Dragon - https://paizo.com/community/blog/v5748dyo6siio 

Remaster Previews - Empyreal Dragon - https://paizo.com/community/blog/v5748dyo6sij4 

Cowbell and cow sound effects courtesy of Pixabay

We all remember our first time, nervously fumbling about.  Maybe it was with someone you know well, perhaps a stranger.  Maybe it was with a group of people you went to school with.  And if we do things the right way, maybe we can be there to support someone's first time having sex...er...tabletop gaming.  In this episode we talk about how we support these new players and new Game Masters at our tables.

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

Ginny Di - Give your D&D Campaign the epilogue it deserves - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4jamWxX3kC4

In this heaver-than-usual rules episode, we take a look at some of the rules in Pathfinder 2e and D&D 5e for making monsters more or less powerful.  We also talk about some game-system-agnostic ways to scale your monsters up or down.

#DungeonsandDragons #DnD #Pathfinder #DMTips

Resigned:  How to Know When It’s Time to Go: https://www.amazon.com/Resigned-Know-Truths-Stigma-Quitting-ebook/dp/B0BLP2LCQJ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1AO4TAC6LM4AO&keywords=resigned

D&D Dungeon Master’s Guide

Pathfinder 2e Core Rulebook

Pathfinder 2e Bestiary

Not every combat needs to be a slog to determine which side grinds down the other to 0 hit points.  By considering enemy motivations, the “why” of the fight you can introduce more variety to the end result of encounters.

#dnd #pf2e #DMTips #rpgcombat

3D Crafts & Curios etsy store - https://etsy.com/shop/3DCraftsAndCurios 

Matthew Colville:  Why Are We Fighting?  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAfPoOxIVm0&t=1s 

The decision to fight or flee – insights into underlying mechanism in crickets - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2012.00118/full

I was introduced to some of the wonderful members of the Venture Forth podcast a couple of months ago and I was taken aback by the quality of the podcast they produce and the extremely high quality role playing they consistently perform.  I knew I had to interview one of the cast members and Shane O'Loughlin was gracious enough to give me some time to talk about Venture Forth and conflict in a game world.

I think you will find their podcast is a master class on staying in character and good role playing.  Check them out at: Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNl1hOaZiXruwLE8Ct1NNNA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ventureforthdnd/?hl=en Twitter: https://twitter.com/ventureforthdnd Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ventureforthdnd

Listen to their audio-only podcast on: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/venture-forth-a-d-d-podcast/id1554397630 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6kQvkZd5XwbaYSJzoYvxbS

#ventureforthdnd #rpg #DungeonsandDragons #DnD

Dragons.  They should be important encounters and villains.  Hell, they're in the name "Dungeons and Dragons".  How do you make encounters with them epic?  How should they take on the plucky band of adventurers who seek to steal their treasure from their lairs?  In this 20 minute episode, we look at things from a dragon's perspective and discuss tips and tricks for running these all powerful badasses like they should be run.

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 player ideas about the game and how it’s played and incorporate them whenever possible.

#dnd #5e #pf2e #dmtips #gmtips #RPGplayers

This week's topic comes courtesy of listener Daniel Mehefko who wanted me to discuss immersive roleplaying.  What is immersive roleplaying?  How can players and DMs encourage their fellow players to engage in more immersive roleplay?  Tune in and find out.

#dnd #pathfinder #opendnd #roleplay #roleplaying

Venture Forth - 10 Rules to Improve Immersion - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cw3aJz5lGO0

Grog and Scanlan go hat shopping

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvSGvbEf1HI

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 Howl of the Wild.

Rules Lawyer Howl of the Wild Review - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olNDUmF_41o

5e Trolls - https://www.dndbeyond.com/monsters/17040-troll 

Ron Lundeen - Pathfinder 2e ancestry build tips - https://www.runamokgames.com/design-diary/the-pathfinder-ancestry-checklist

In this episode I talk about good opportunities for DMs to introduce PC-NPC and PC-PC roleplaying opportunities.

#dnd #rpgtips #Pathfinder #orc #DMtips

https://www.reddit.com/r/DMAcademy/comments/xe1j4l/campfire_stories_to_deepen_players_backstories/

https://www.thegamer.com/dungeons-and-dragons-dnd-encourage-roleplay-tips-tricks/#social-interaction-is-more-than-talking

Players, do you get disheartened when your character fails their acrobatics check and slips off the ice into the freezing river?  DMs, do you worry that your PCs may not be able to make it past a point in your adventure because they could fail the skill check, ability roll, or saving throw?  In this episode, we talk about both situations and describe the design concept of failing forward when it comes to adventures.

After watching a session at my Friendly Local Game Store I watched a DM put players through a meat grinder of encounters, not even pausing when the PCs accomplished something impressive.  In this episode I talk about the importance of giving players the opportunity to celebrate character victories and rewarding the characters appropriately.

#dnd #dungeonsanddragons #pathfinder #openRPG #DMTips

Are Game Masters beholden to the same rules that players are?  If it would result in a dramatic story beat or important campaign moment, is it okay for GMs to change prewritten adventures, change monster hit points and abilities in the middle of the battle, or even change the dice rolled behind the screen?

I wanted to address an aspect of Critical Role's success that's mentioned too often called the Matt Mercer effect.  Its most common manifestation is that every Tabletop RPG should be just like Critical Role and every DM should be just like Matthew Mercer.  In this episode, Jeremy breaks down why that's simply unfair to him and to your DM.

This episode idea is courtesy of Daniel in Melbourne, Australia who wanted to know where I get my ideas for quests.  In this episode, I talk about the different types of quests that you can run, sources for quest ideas, the importance of flexibility when it comes to quest solutions, and finally best practices for the two categories that all quests should fall under.

Betrayal is a common story trope you see in movies, books, and even let's play podcasts.  It can be an amazing moment to include in your game but should you?  How can you use this dangerous tool to the betterment of your Pathfinder or Dungeons and Dragons game without it backfiring on you?  Tune in and find out.

#DungeonsandDragons #DnD #Pathfinder #Betrayal

Resources

https://jennethdyck.wordpress.com/2018/07/17/seven-ways-to-write-betrayal-in-your-novel/

https://wildwritingdreams.wordpress.com/2020/03/16/how-to-create-the-perfect-betrayal-character/

Welcome to Horror Month at the Taking 20 Podcast!  All month we will be talking about scary/spooky topics to hopefully make your RPGs even better.  This week, I talk about some of the major types of horror and confess what makes my hackles sit up and turn red.

#DungeonsandDragons #DnD #Pathfinder #DMTips

Resources

None.  Just the ramblings of an old, insane DM.

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

Wizards of the Coast released some radical character creation ideas in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything and Pathfinder 2e drastically changed the way ancestries were treated in the newest edition of its game.  What are those changes?  Are they good for the game?  Tune in and find out.

In this episode suggested by a donor over at ko-fi.com/taking20podcast we give some tips to DMs about those rare materials like mithril, cold iron, silver, and...peachwood?  What if you want to make your own special materials?  Are there any downsides to using them?  Tune in and find out.

#dnd #dungeonsanddragons #dmtips #pathfinder

You've been playing Skyrim and you'd like to test your players' wits by adding a clever puzzle to baffle them in their bonnets and worry them in their wigs.  How do you add puzzles without making them boring or too deadly?  How do you add puzzles that make sense?  Tune in to find out!  I'd love to hear your feedback or episode ideas to feedback@taking20podcast.com.

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

Players using their knowledge to make decisions for their characters is always bad, right?  In this episode, Jeremy talks about the good and bad of metagaming and even cites examples when the DM inadvertently or purposefully provides metagame knowledge to the players.  Come visit us at www.taking20podcast.com

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

Dragon of Icespire Peak - https://marketplace.dndbeyond.com/adventures/SRC-00041

Since it was too much for one episode, Jeremy continues his discussion on what makes a good Game Master / Dungeon Master.  Have you finished the drink from last episode yet?  WELL WHY NOT?

Magic items are supposed to be these powerful relics that can make your PCs harder, better, faster, and stronger (we'll miss you Daft Punk).  So why does it feel like most players react with, "Oh, another +1 scimitar."  How do you make magic items feel special in your high-magic or low-magic campaign?

DMs, what should you do when the players derail your entire adventure plan, reveal a secret or short circuit the story that you had planned for the group?  How can you recover from this?  Tune in and find out

#DMTips #dnd #Pathfinder #ORClicense

Pathfinder Second Edition Remaster Project:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiYCs0fPFnM&t=50s

Twitch stream of “Pathfinder Remastered” at Paizocon on Friday May 26th from 12-2 PDT.

The idiot host of this podcast keeps saying that character death is a powerful and dramatic moment.  If that's true, how do we as DMs deal with the death of a character around the table?  In this episode we talk about the dos and don'ts of character death and how to handle the moment properly.

We GMs have a certain way of thinking, sometimes lightning quick and nimble, and sometimes more methodical and measured.  We need to learn how to get out of our own heads and think like enemies do during combat.  In this episode, I give you some tips for running very intelligent and very unintelligent enemies for your players.

#dnd #pf2e #DMTips #rpgtips

3D Crafts & Curios etsy store - https://etsy.com/shop/3DCraftsAndCurios 

Keith Amman The Monsters Know What They Are Doing:  https://www.themonstersknow.com/intelligent-enemy-tactics/

At last we wrap up the class series with the Sorcerer and the Wizard.  We're finally talking about some of those arcane spellcasters who can wield SUPREME COSMIC POWER with a tiny amount of hit points.  How should you arrange their ability scores?  What feats should you take?  Come on in and find out.

Note:  There is an error in this episode in the Pathfinder 1e section.  Strength should be your lowest ability score.  I didn't notice the error until after the episode was published.  Sorry about that.

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

Matt Colville - Lore Delivery Systems - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tBXnD9g0XY 

Sly Flourish - Bathe Your World in Lore - https://slyflourish.com/bathe_your_world_in_lore.html

Alphastream - Make Lore Actionable - https://alphastream.org/index.php/2022/06/02/your-games-lore-make-it-actionable/

Before the MCU introduced the world to that word, "Multiverse" meant something different in the RPG world:  a collection of universes, each of which was called a plane.  In this episode, Jeremy asks for feedback about starting a new series about the different planes, talks about running adventures in both a traditional RPG multiverse and an MCU-like one.

#DungeonsandDragons #DnD #Pathfinder #DMTips

The Blood War isn't good vs evil.  It's evil vs evil.  In Dungeons and Dragons Demons and Devils have been battling it out for millennia in what's known as The Blood War.  What do we know about this conflict and more importantly, how can you use it in a campaign?

Preparing to run an entire adventure out of or inside a city can appear to be a daunting task.  With a little preparation and some thought ahead of time, you can run an adventure that never has to leave the city walls.

#dnd #pf2e #DMTips #Pathfinder #CityAdventures #AdventureDesign

Drop Dice Build Cities - https://arcaneeye.com/all/dnd-cities-guide/

Dael Kingsmill’s SPERM principle - https://youtu.be/sJd6g--Ok_A?si=G-PsffcBYYpTLRNl

More city design goodness:  https://makeaskillcheck.com/creating-towns-for-dms/

Top Tips for creating towns and cities:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJd6g--Ok_A

It's hard to make NPCs that the PCs will trust, open up to, be vulnerable with.  Unfortunately it's not something that anyone can do with 100% success rate.  So, how DO you make NPCs the players will gravitate toward?  How can you portray these NPCs in such a way that the party wants to interact with them?  Tune in and find out. #DnD #DungeonsandDragons #Pathfinder #DMTips

We've all been there.  We put together this little adventure of daring adventurers doing amazing things to save those that need saving.  Our bad guys are clever, the twist is unexpected and you've worked hours to make sure everything is balanced...and come game night, your players can't even be arsed to learn the quest giver's name or why clearing out the ankhegs is even important.

In this episode, I discuss the difficulty of getting players to care, some techniques to make it easier, and close the episode wtih a little fireside chat with the players on the topic.

#DnD #RPG #DungeonsandDragons #Pathfinder

In this episode I weigh in on the Wizards of the Coast OGL 1.1 fiasco and talk about a period in Faerun's history called the Time of Troubles, when gods were mortal and walked the planet with mortals.

The common theme is a powerful entity doing something insanely stupid and causing upheval and calamity.  Give it a listen and comment below!

#DnD #DungeonsandDragons #Paizo #Pathfinder #Wotc #OGL

Resigned:  How to Know When It’s Time to Go: 

The Avatar Series - a 5-book series about the Time of Troubles

Doppelgangers are terrifying shapeshifters that are in the game solely to make an already paranoid group of players even more so.  After all, how can you trust anyone if anyone could be lying about who and what they are?  In this episode, I give you some common motivations for these monsters and tips for introducing them into your game.

#dmtips #doppelgangers #dnd #pathfinder #pathfinder2e

The Monsters Know What They’re Doing:  Doppelgangers:  https://www.themonstersknow.com/doppelganger-tactics/

Doppelganger Origin:  https://www.britannica.com/art/doppelganger

Psychology of the Doppelganger:  https://annarchive.com/files/Drmg080.pdf

PCs have a number of options when it comes to bringing more allies to the battlefield and to the campaign.  What are some best practices for PCs who want to have a super-intelligent celestial dinosaur best friend that they can bring into this plane anytime they want?  Tune in and find out.

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 others.

#dmtips #gmtips #dnd #5e #pf2e #playeragency

https://techraptor.net/originals/playing-roles-psychology-of-player-agency

https://medium.com/@camauger/the-power-of-choice-player-agency-in-tabletop-role-playing-games-446e0be16428

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

Reddit post from 2018 from /u/iamnotasloth:  https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/comments/b1h1f2/how_to_fit_rpgs_into_your_schedule_as_an_adult/

Morris’ Unofficial Tabletop RPG Talk, episode #273

https://morrus.podbean.com/e/273-the-lostigistics-of-organizing-an-rpg-game/

This episode idea comes courtesy of Lauren in California!

Character Downtime is mishandled by too many DMs.  They look at it as time the characters could better spend stabbing things in the face and discovering the Lost Place Settings of Korrak.  I think downtime has a place in nearly any adventure.  In this episode, I discuss why downtime is important and what activities can fill this time that still drives your story forward.

Jeremy continues his discussion about what makes a good player:  buying in, embracing failure, being present at the table.

In this episode, we discuss the published lore in 5e and Pathfinder about what happens after characters pass away.

A fellow podcaster and DM, Thorin McGee from the 3 Wise DMs podcast passed away this week, please consider donating to the GoFundMe set up to benefit his widow.  

#DnD #DungeonsAndDragons #Pathfinder #3WiseDMs #ThorinMcGee

https://www.gofundme.com/f/thorin-mcgees-legacy-and-wife-fund

http://3wisedms.com

Pathfinder

https://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/other-rules/life-and-death/

5e

Dungeon Inn - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEZHK6DlgGw

https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Afterlife

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kazgpEz2u2U

https://www.flutesloot.com/5e-afterlife-lore-and-analysis/

https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/d-d-beyond-general/story-lore/80013-how-death-and-afterlife-work-in-dnd-lore

https://www.reddit.com/r/dndnext/comments/jhf2hu/what_is_the_afterlife_like_in_dnd_5e/

Scared of the Number 13?  Don't be.  On this episode, Jeremy talks about the critical relationship between a GM and players and how communication is key.  He also talks about some techniques GM can employ to make the players and their characters feel important and part of the greater game world.

Certain conditions that affect characters can have a negative effect at your table.  While I don't advocate completely getting rid of some of these conditions, in this episode I talk about how DMs should use them with caution and advice for players whose characters are taken out of the fight or gaming session by one or more of these conditions.

Sometimes your adventuring parties just aren't ready for an encounter, a trap, or maybe an entire adventure.  What should you do as a DM?  Throw your hands up and walk away?  Throw hands at your players?  Throw a rave instead of gaming that night?  In this episode look at the different ways parties can be ill prepared for what lies ahead. and talk about multiple options for how to handle this situation.

#DnD #Pathfinder #Opendnd #DMTips

Succubi and their lesser known male cousins, the incubi:  devious, corrupting masters of temptation with pleasures of the flesh and mind.  How can a DM use these in a campaign?  How do they fight?  What would my succubus look like?  Tune in and find out!