3 Wise DMs

Over the course of twelve episodes, we have enlisted the help of all our listeners to create the first-ever crowdsourced and collaborative campaign setting – what we call Boomtown! In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave sit down to reveal the end of this very successful experiment… well, maybe not the end, but a very solid foundation from which to launch Boomtown.For anyone who is new to the podcast, as well as for all the listeners that have helped us craft it, this episode puts it all into perspective and wraps it with a nice bow. Stay tuned for next steps!1:50 Boomtown is here!3:25 Boomtown is one of the few western settings available to set your 5e campaign in.8:15 The Trivium, our Romanesque totalitarian Regime to the east of Boomtown.14:00 Your starting Boomtown: Gallow Springs!17:45 Our specific Economic Mechanics to make resource management matter in Boomtown.25:45 Guns! How the idea of firearms really forced some mechanical and philosophical choices.30:30 We nail down Unarmored Defense for all classes.35:45 Making Critical Failures Matter – Misfires.36:55 Our updated Skills for Boomtown.39:15 Your starter adventuring party in Gallow Springs!42:25 Our updates to magic that make it special and unique in Boomtown: Prophets and Technology.46:15 Final Thoughts.

You’ve seen the trailer. You saw the #MinisMonday post… Tony’s birthday game where Chris and Dave teamed up to run our group through a tabletop wargame in our own custom Marvel Universe of 6-1-SHIT, where the heroes were brought to Battleplanet to fight the SECRET WARS!In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave sit down to discuss the good, the bad, and the ugly of our custom, simplified, Heroclix system that allowed for a game that reflected the scope of the Secret Wars: The Avengers, The Fantastic Four, The X-Men, The Heroes of Hells Kitchen, and our homebrewed heroes as they fought the Brotherhood of Evil Mutants, The Masters of Evil, Doctor Doom, Ultron, and Galactus!This is another in the long line of adapting wargaming to your table, regardless of your experience!3:00 DM Chris provides the background for the game.7:55 DM Tony’s initial reaction to the game.10:00 The difficulty with introducing wargaming into your games and how to simplify it for everyone to enjoy.14:45 We start breaking down the mechanics and set-up of the game.18:43 The benefits of co-DMing.21:50 An easy system to adapt to any table and any game.30:20 A run through of the basic mechanics and set-up. We use Captain America as our example.36:10 We discuss the difficulty of integrating our Journey System into the game.43:22 Final Thoughts.

One of the easiest ways to make your campaign and your setting feel real, immersive, and unique is by taking away the certitude that magic is always going to act the same way. This mysterious, world-altering energy should not ever be completely understood by your characters, as the discovery of it is a big part of the fun.In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave sit down to respond to a listener question about their homebrewed idea of making magic work differently in different areas of their world. They ask how we might approach it in our ever-growing, crowdsourced Boomtown campaign setting. 1:35 Our listener question from The OMG Father, Wyman!3:15 Simple ways to approach making magic change, altering Difficulty Classes and Damage output.4:15 DM Chris harkens back to the Green Lantern Corps and leans into our use of Components as trackable resources.6:05 How DM Dave altered magic in the world in our recent Dragonlance campaign.8:05 Making the zones of magic random, and DM Chris’ concern of specifically targeting arcane casters.10:25 Motivating players to adventure by seeking tech.12:12 Employing more narratively focused elements by having the player and DM work together to create something new.16:45 Leaning into the resource management for spellcasting.21:45 Allowing the tech to be utilized by any character. A Gunslinger with a Staff of Healing? Why not?25:25 Good stories come from the characters having to struggle. Always beating the monsters is fun in a one-shot, but makes for a really boring campaign.26:35 DM Tony asks what the tech looks like in Boomtown?31:10 Charging up mundane tech… the Battery of the planet Oa and bringing in a usable Craft Item skill.35:50 Final Thoughts.

We continue to build upon Boomtown - our real-time worldbuilding experiment - armed with the comments of our listeners. Having been playing through the Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game, we’ve experienced firsthand how alterations to the classes available for players really helps to lend a unique and immersive quality to the campaign setting – setting it apart from all others.In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave sit down to discuss the class that is most effected by the inciting incident of Boomtown – namely, that arcane magic is derived from ancient technology being recovered in the Wastes. We take him from 1st to 3rd level and, along the way, discuss the changes that reflect our weird west setting. Make sure to Join the Conversation!3:50 Naming our western Wizard.5:55 Do we rename the Wizard class like we changed Clerics to Prophets?7:55 We continue to nail down the idea that all classes receive Unarmored Defense.13:30 The idea behind low hit points for Wizards.16:05 Our customized Saving Throws.17:20 The all-important stat rolls.20:30 The changes to our Skill list.23:00 What do we mean when the technology is “warping”people?25:00 The Component Pouch.30:45 One last Frontier Pack and his starting equipment.33:45 We delve into how spellcasting works and some changes to make the Wizard preparing spells.45:30 Do Schools of Magic make sense in Boomtown? The idea of Wizards taking a Technology Path.53:15 Our 3rd Level Engineer!54:05 Final Thoughts.

We continue to build upon Boomtown - our real-time worldbuilding experiment - armed with the comments of our listeners. Having been playing through the Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game, we’ve experienced firsthand how alterations to the classes available for players really helps to lend a unique and immersive quality to the campaign setting – setting it apart from all others.In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave sit down to discuss Clerics in a world where all the magic that is known seems to be technologically-based. We take them from 1st to 3rd level and, along the way, discuss the changes that reflect our weird west setting. Make sure to Join the Conversation!4:00 The Name! Always start with the name. Introducing Sister Mercy Cain.5:30 Renaming the Cleric: The Prophet Class.7:20 Rolling Mercy’s stats.10:50 Customizing Saving Throws.13:30 A short step back into Sneak Attack and finesse weapons in regards to Firearms.16:50 No Plate Mail in the western setting - Unarmored Defense for all classes.21:12 Skills and a discussion on a Preach skill instead of Religion.28:00 Everyone gets a Frontier Pack! Building out equipment and weapons.34:30 We begin to discuss spellcasting for the Prophet class – 3 separate ideas.42:50 Leveling Sister Mercy to 2nd level and our discussion on Channel Divinity, Domains, and Deities.53:00 Our 3rd Level Prophet!53:30 Final Thoughts.

We continue to drive down deeper into our real-time worldbuilding experiment armed with the comments of our listeners. Having been playing through the Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game, we’ve experienced firsthand how alterations to the classes available for players really helps to lend a unique and immersive quality to the campaign setting – setting it apart from all others.In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave sit down to discuss what a Rogue would look like in our Boomtown campaign setting.  We take him from 1st to 3rd level and, along the way, discuss the changes that reflect our weird west setting. Make sure to Join the Conversation!3:03 What do we call the class? Rogue, Thief, Outlaw, Bandit?3:55 Wait, what is this character’s name?4:35 DM Tony comes up with an interesting change for Saving Throw proficiencies.8:50 DM Chris comes through with John “Maverick” East!9:45 John East’s stat roll out.11:40 The idea of bringing in Unarmored Defense into the world for everyone.14:30 What are his stats? A 6 in Wisdom?!?20:25 We put our customizable Saving Throw proficiencies into play.21:50 Maverick’s skills.25:00 What equipment and weaponry does a Rogue start with in Boomtown?26:00 DM Chris introduces the idea of the demolitions expert.29:40 We begin discussing the Rogue Features as we level John East up.33:25 The Rogue Superpower: Sneak Attack.46:45 Rogue Archetypes.50:51 Final Thoughts.

We continue to drive down deeper into our real-time worldbuilding experiment armed with the comments of our listeners. Having been playing through the Lord of the Rings Roleplaying Game, we’ve experienced firsthand how alterations to the classes available for players really helps to lend a unique and immersive quality to the campaign setting – setting it apart from all others.In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave sit down to build the most classic D&D class, the Fighter, in our Boomtown campaign setting.  We take him from 1st to 3rd level and, along the way, discuss the changes that reflect our weird west setting. Make sure to Join the Conversation!3:28 1st level, first things first… what’s their name?4:10 Rolling out Roland’s stats.6:00 Saving Throws and Proficiencies.8:20 Six-shooters and Leather Dusters… cowboys didn’t have full plate armor.10:50 The Frontier Pack.11:30 Assigning Roland’s attributes.16:00 Two changes to the skills list in Boomtown.26:45 Equipment and weapons.29:45 Fighting Styles.40:20 2nd Level… we add to Action Surge.46:15 3rd Level… the Martial Archetypes of Boomtown.54:10 Final Thoughts.

We continue to drive down deeper into our real-time worldbuilding experiment armed with the comments of our listeners. One of the best things you can build for your campaign to feel real and immersive is by creating factions. Groups and organizations that have their own motives and goals that are distinct from the players. This creates inciting incidents, backstory fodder, and moving parts that conflict with the characters and create impetus for adventure.In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave finally begin discussing the biggest faction, and the inciting incident for the Boomtown setting, the shadowy conglomerate from the east coast of the world that is the driving force behind gathering the newly discovered ancient magical technology.  Make sure to Join the Conversation!4:05 We begin with some possible ways this conglomerate might be formed and their motives. 6:45 It’s important to create the floor for the overall campaign setting.10:00 The concept of the theocracy of the “Divine State” begins to take shape.12:35 The main fulcrum of your campaign setting. DM Dave posits the struggle between religion and faith.17:50 The beginning of the idea of the conglomerate as a “Triumvirate”: Religion, Commerce, and Military.21:24 The need for a break in time in history: The Cataclysm, The Calamity, The Doom of Valyria, etc.23:50 The internal struggles of the Triumvirate create more adventure hooks.25:10 Factions that develop because of opposition to the Triumvirate.35:45 Answering who these other factions are changes the campaign setting: Technological Magic vs Inherent Magic and Power.40:25 The Triumvirate is human-centric. Boomtowns are plural societies.6:35 Final Thoughts.

We continue to drive down deeper into our real-time worldbuilding experiment armed with the comments of our listeners. Science fiction writer, Arthur C. Clarke formulated three adages known as Clarke’s Laws that he expounded on in his writings. The third of these is the most famous, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave begin to unpack this idea of ancient technology being what makes magic in the ever-evolving, crowdsourced Boomtown Campaign Setting.  Make sure to Join the Conversation!0:24 DM Dave’s audio homage to the famous “slapback” effect of Sam Philips’ Sun Studios.4:33 The current state of technological advancement in Boomtown.6:40 How much magic is discovered at 1st level? Where is the floor for magic in the campaign setting?10:15 Magic is being used to build and power the world.11:25 We love the idea of Masterwork and Weapons of Quality handling anything that is +1.15:30 What can you find in a general Boomtown? How damaging are run-of-the-mill firearms?16:30 Leaning into the idea of Misfires and Wild Magic. We also discuss adjusting Attunement.33:00 Building and creating magic – giving agency to the players in rediscovering magic.40:50 Flaws ands vulnerabilities in the characters and the world are what make the greatest stories.41:45 Final Thoughts.

We continue to drive down deeper into our real-time worldbuilding experiment armed with the comments of our listeners. In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave return to the conversation started in Episode 174 and begin to build out the town that will be the start of most adventures in our Boomtown Campaign Setting.  Make sure to Join the Conversation!1:55 Where are we now? We asked, you answered! Boomtown #1 is known as Gallow Springs!3:40 What’s in our border town?6:05 What’s NOT in the town? Religion and Churches, per our last episode.9:35 Our archetype for Boomtown was Wyatt Earp’s Tombstone. So, what was actually there at the time? 12:15 Name the 110 saloons!12:35 How small is a small town? Between Hommlet and Waterdeep.16:10 The split between Uptown and Downtown and the Law.19:55 The point of the Boomtowns: Recovering Tech – our “Gold Rush.”22:06 Dueling and Gunfights: How Lawless is Gallow Springs?29:30 The Haves and the Have Nots: The rich get richer!31:00 Buying Magic in Gallow Springs?38:50 Final Thoughts.

We continue to drive down deeper into our real-time worldbuilding experiment armed with the comments of our listeners.In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave finish out the discussion of how magic will work in our crowdsourced “Boomtown” campaign setting by asking “Where does divine magic come from?” Make sure to Join the Conversation!1:40 “Where Are We Now”: the Boomtown campaign setting, as it currently stands.5:20 Discovering the Lost Gods?6:00 Will this be monotheistic or polytheistic? What about the Cleric Domains?10:00 Could Divine Magic be just advanced forms of technology or Artificial Intelligence?13:45 #FightForTheColonyShip 14:45 One God: Many Names.16:50 What does this tech-based magic look like compared to the ordinary folk?20:30 How does religion fit into this world? 29:45 The struggle between the Corporations, the Prophets, and the Boomtowns.40:45 Final Thoughts.

We continue to drive down deeper into our real-time worldbuilding experiment armed with the comments of our listeners.In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave begin to ask the most basic question when building a town: why is the town there? In our D&D Tombstone idea, we realize the short answer is money. And what drives that money? Magic. Make sure to join the conversation as we build a Wonderful World with our 3WD community!2:25 The “Elevator Pitch” for our new campaign setting.4:05 Review our discussion of magic.9:06 Our Sci-Fi, D&D Tombstone.10:50 Why do towns exist? The short answer: money.14:55 Economy, commerce, and the Gold Piece Problem.17:40 Power, Influence, Money, and your Standard of Living23:50 Magic is a memory. The adventure is in rediscovering it.29:35 Leveling magic differently to play to the setting?40:15 Final Thoughts.

Following on the heels of our last episode, we drive down deeper into our continued exploration of real-time worldbuilding armed with the comments of our listeners.In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave discuss how magic might work in this new world, how the environment helps to create the setting, and stumble into an idea for a setting that has us really excited. Make sure to join the conversation as we build a Wonderful World with our 3WD community!2:20 We asked and you answered: A Brand New World!6:40 A little context for this experiment: we really just want to see how we all might come together to build a new world and setting. 7:55: Magic: How it works and how we might make it special.15:00 DM Dave really loves the idea of a colony ship…17:55 Our first big change in this setting: we remove the Wizard class entirely.19:55 What is the environment that we find in this new world and setting?21:55 We drive down more to the area that the adventurer’s will encounter first.26:15 The idea for our overall setting starts to take shape: D&D and Sci-Fi meet Tombstone!34:20 Final Thoughts.

Worldbuilding. It’s one of the most talked about aspects of running TTRPGs, as it is the sandbox into which you will throw your party to adventure in. We’ve talked about tips and tricks in past episodes and articles, and have come down on both sides of the debate surrounding how much to do with a focus totally on your specific table and party.However, in this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave have decided to become a bit more involved with a new experiment that we cooked up.Something that has never been done on 3WD before – we’re going to start building a new world live! In real time, we begin asking the questions that will shape our new creation. As this is a show by DMs for DMs, we’re adding another aspect. YOU! We’re asking you to share in the brainstorm and offer ideas. So, tune in now as 3WD starts building a whole new world!1:40 Introduction of our new experiment. Reach out to 3wisedms@gmail.com with your ideas and votes!3:40 Low Fantasy? High Fantasy? Low Magic? High Magic? What do we mean by this.7:40 Is our world completely new or a version of Earth (i.e. Middle Earth, The Dying Earth, Shannara)?9:50 DM Tony’s idea of “High Magic” – a return to Greyhawk.11:50 The concept of “starting small.”13:35 What type of story does this world support? And can a world support ANY story?16:35 Building a world that was our Earth (at some point) lends a sense of familiarity when you’re building your new world.18:40 Towns? Cities? States? Kingdoms? 22:53 The archetypes and Tropes of stories. We ALL steal.28:30 People will eventually congregate. The history of the world can’t always be “Mad Max”.31:35 Looking to history.36:00 Final Thoughts.

Movies. TV series. Books. Other DMs running games. There are a multitude of sources that provide fodder for our imagination in developing cool ideas that we want to play with in our own games. But how many ideas are TOO MANY ideas? Can you have too many ideas?In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave sit down to answer a listener question from our “Co-DM” Dr. DM (Jason) where he asks the question “If faced with an abundance of ideas, how would each of you decide which things to insert and which to hold onto for later?”4:05 What is your table like and what is your frequency of play?5:15 Bring the ideas that have been really fleshed out that fit the campaign.6:24 Bring the ideas that you would want to have at the table when YOU’RE playing.8:20 Use the ideas that are player-centric first.10:30 Write your ideas down and sit with them. If they still look good with time, use it.12:45 Use ideas that fit your campaign setting and world.13:50 The collaborative story you’re building will tell you what ideas will work best: The Sword of Power.19:20 Just like Lore Tolerance, there is Idea Tolerance. Feed it through your players.26:40 Our tangent into how 5e strength with lifting things can get unwieldy.35:23 Final Thoughts.

Our last episode was the preamble. Last week’s article discussed some of what we learned from playing with new people. But, in this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave sit down with the newest addition to our gaming group, Elizabeth, to delve deep into what went into running the Call of Cthulhu one-shot, playing with brand new people, and how to build a serious level of immersion into any game you’re running… especially horror!0:25 Eben Brooks’ “Hey There, Cthulhu.” 2:33 The Keeper of Arcane Lore Herself, Elizabeth!3:40 Hot take: This was the first time Elizabeth ran a game!4:15 The “Seven Knives” Theory to gaming.6:35 Making the players feel like their characters are a real part of the world.10:55 “System, system, system!” 12:30 Running the game that you want to play in.16:25 Spend prep time with what you think is important and what you like to do.22:20 Having the players be both characters AND audience.27:05 The challenges of playing normal people in modern times. 30:40 Placing a “plant” character in your game: pros and cons.35:15 Giving secrets and clues (or Cthulhu Mythos) to your players before the game.38:30 DM Tony had solved the mystery right at the top of the game… but we didn’t go with it.41:40 Play to the source material: there can’t be a “good” ending in Call of Cthulhu.42:20 Final Thoughts.

Backstory. Character development. It’s one of the most discussed topics in the TTRPG space. And the 3 Wise DMs were faced with the question when a friend offered to run a Call of Cthulhu one-shot for our group. This was followed by a Google Doc with twenty in-depth questions as to the character’s background, motivations, loves, and fears. For a one-shot.If you’ve ever asked yourself the question, “is there such a thing as too much character backstory?”, then this is the episode for you!3:25 DM-Player communication: how much is the DM looking for and how much can you use in-game?4:40 The context of this question really depends on this game being a one-shot, as opposed to a continuing campaign.7:00 Will this level of prep increase the level of investment in the character?9:00 No matter how much you develop the idea of the character… you have no idea how they will play until the game starts.12:50 This question depends very much on the system that you’re playing (including DM Chris’ very old-school D&D way of creating his author, Thomas Albright.)19:45 Will this level of character backstory and development allow a more immersive one-shot?22:50 We might not do twenty questions… but maybe we could?26:00 The level of immersion with teasers that the Keeper of Arcane Lore is creating for this one-shot.30:05 Meeting your players where they are.34:05 Final Thoughts.

You’ve been the DM for a long time (maybe even Forever!) and one of your players has finally said those magic words: “I think I wanna run a game.”So, with all your wisdom, all your experience, all your skills – how do you help the new DM along in the game so that they have a goodtime and the table has a good time? So that they want to get back into the DM chair?For all you Forever DMs, and all you Prospective DMs, this is the episode for you!2:05 3WD drops their Birthday Game Challenge!2:45 The Wizard Washburn gets run through his 70th Birthday Adventure by our own Chaos Engine, Little One, Hawk Morgan’s BFF, Bonnie!5:50 The easiest way to help… be a resource (and DM Chris’ first question on the die roll for a Potion of Healing.)7:55 The trepidation that a new DM has when running a game for experienced DMs.10:00 Always allow the new DM the room to breathe and create their own game.12:00 Let the new DM decide how much they do or don’t need your help – and how the way you play your character can be the biggest help.13:45 “Take small bites.” And how running a game makes you a better player: DM Empathy.15:40 “Investing in Loss.” Getting comfortable with being uncomfortable.17:20 Two Forever Tips for a New DM: Use pre-gens and run a concise game.19:00 Don’t make your DM dance when they’re new.24:00 DM Dave sees DM Chris’ Death Sword and raises him the Dragon Slaying Longsword of +50 and our tangent into the Design Teams at WotC not talking to each other in Dragonlance and Curse of Strahd.25:50 DM Dave relates a story that illustrates what we’re talking about.29:15 DM Tony shares how he didn’t mentor DM Thorin well in one of his first games he ran for them.32:50 Final Thoughts.

Possession. Dominate. Alignment shifts. There are a multitude of times where the rules make the DM take control of one of the player characters in the game. But, is that a good thing? In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave sit down to discuss an issue that came up in DM Chris' Tales of the Yawning Portal campaign that he's running for 2 new players to the hobby and a run-in with a dwarven ghost. 1:45 DM Chris’ question that arose with Possession.3:35 DM Tony’s initial thoughts.4:35 The first time DM Dave makes the point that 2 players in a game can really change how the game flows.9:40 The changes that have occurred with certain charm effects.11:10 Roleplaying yourself out of these situations to reveal secrets and clues, plot points, etc.13:55 Do your prep, know what’s coming up… or don’t!16:10 How to use these types of effects to dial up the tension on players.17:35 The problem with immediate alignment changes.22:48 Realize how powerful these effects can be and use them judiciously.24:30 How gaming has changes over the decades – the difference between Gauntlet and Final Fantasy – and how you can always fall forward into story.26:20 DM Chris’ style of being a fan of his players.30:50 How these types of events change with more than 2 players – the Banshees attack in Dragonlance!35:25 Final Thoughts.

Top Secret: New World Order. That’s right, for DM Dave’s Birthday Game (of which we are quickly becoming well-versed), DM Chris ran our gaming group through the update to the TSR classic espionage RPG, Top Secret from TSR, Inc. by Merle Rasmussen.In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave sit down to review the system, and discuss what they liked and didn’t about playing as Agents of ICON. For anyone wanting to dip their toes into playing in worlds like James Bond and Mission: Impossible, this is the episode for you.2:06 DM Tony’s quick overview of the system.3:50 DM Chris’ high overview of how he approached running Top Secret.6:05 DM Dave’s intro thoughts.9:15 The realism inherent in playing ordinary people in extraordinary situations.10:40 How DM Chris approached learning and then running and teaching the game in real time.12:26 Even for experienced DMs and GMs, it can be confusing when running a brand new system.15:54 A discussion on the intro adventure, The White Queen, that was included in Top Secret: New World Order.19:25 The right system for the right game.22:40 How the game fosters roleplaying that moves the story and mission forward.28:00 Would DM Chris have done anything differently having now run the game?32:08 Being Agents of ICON is the easiest way to hook the players into the adventure.34:32 Final Thoughts.