Mastering Dungeons

Episode 187 of Mastering Dungeons!  Main topic: Daggerheart Review – Core Rules! Hope, Fear, Stress, and so much more! We take a look at Daggerheart’s design and how it encourages narrative and tactical gameplay. News: WotC President Departs, Colville on Adventure Length, DriveThru Sales Data, and more! Contents 00:00 Deck of Campaign Derailments 02:45 Reworking Design? 07:51 Best Adventure Format? 15:52 Fix D&D Like MTG? 19:02 Cynthia Williams Departs 26:20 D&D Maps Tips 27:39 Colville on Adventure Length 34:54 DriveThru Sales Data 38:13 Daggerheart and Demiplane 40:05 Daggerheart Playtest 43:07 Our Playtests 49:20 Core System - Hope and Fear 52:00 d12s v d20 58:00 Hope as a Fuel 59:44 Defenses and Health 01:03:06 Stress 01:05:10 Resting and Choices 01:07:48 Narrative vs Tactical 01:12:23 Character Sheet 01:16:48 Shout-Outs Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon. Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.

Episode 186 of Mastering Dungeons!  Main topic: How to Keep Your New Campaign Healthy and Strong! If the average campaign lasts only 3-5 sessions, how do we avoid that fate and maintain a healthy long-term campaign? News: Hasbro CEO Interview Reimagined, Vecna is Coming, Fallout TV Sells RPG, and more! Contents 00:00 Kids are Alright 01:39 The Black Ballad 03:42 Is 5E Indirectly Modular? 12:45 Fallout TV Sells Books 15:49 Hasbro CEO Interview Reimagined 25:13 Vecna is Coming 27:28 Lich PCs 29:44 Nest of the Eldritch Eye 33:18 Organized Play from Gamehole 37:00 D&D Blackmilk Clothing 40:05 Monsters of Drakkenheim 41:55 Keep Campaign Healthy and Strong 43:58 1. The Right Players 47:51 2. Right Campaign for the Players 49:49 3. Right-Sized Session Zero 56:49 4. Regular Flexible Schedule 01:00:14 5. End Date 01:03:04 6. Strong Campaign Start 01:03:33 7. Engage Between Sessions 01:08:19 8. Room for Changes 01:08:48 9. Frequent Check-Ins 01:10:30 10. Climactic End 01:16:37 Shout-Outs Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon. Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.

Episode 185 of Mastering Dungeons!  Main topic: Designing Player-Facing Options for New Campaigns! How do you create or leverage player-facing rules that will intrigue them and ground them in your new world and your new campaign? How do you give them meaningful, informed choices early in the campaign? News: Prep vs Improv? Dimension 20 in the Garden, Schwalb on 5E, and more! Contents 00:00 Path of Totality 01:16 Prep vs Improv? 08:57 Con for Crits? 20:22 D20 at the Garden 22:10 Schwalb on Taberna 26:54 Encounter Tables 32:47 Infestation at Devil's Glade 34:13 Fantasy AGE Quickstart 34:51 Oops all Hit Dice 37:40 Player-Facing Campaign Options 38:54 New Rules or Limitations 41:53 Communicate Changes 49:52 New Player-Facing Rules 54:52 Custom Backgrounds 59:24 Class Challenges 01:02:58 Subclasses 01:04:43 Feats 01:05:52 Subsystem 01:07:06 Involve Quickly 01:08:42 Dragonlance Example 01:11:32 Reinforce through Scenes 01:14:17 Subsystems Early 01:15:56 Shout-Outs Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon. Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.

Episode 184 of Mastering Dungeons!  Main topic: Design an RPG Starting Encounter! Continuing the discussion of designing a first adventure in our world, how do we design the first adventure? We look at creating an encounter that utilizes our setting, hooks, and plays off of the PCs! News: Core Book Prices, Free Tsojcanth and LEGO Adventures, D&D Sales Drop! Contents 00:00 Two Fools 01:28 Adventure Curriculum? 12:34 MCDM Daggerheart Initiative? 19:37 Flaws Mechanic? 30:27 D&D Beyond Kickstarter Reward 35:45 Core Book Prices 36:52 Most of Hobby is Down 40:52 Free Tsojcanth 44:24 Free LEGO Adventure 48:48 Design an RPG Starting Encounter 50:00 Use What You Set Down 51:53 Encounter Goals 53:10 Don't Overwhelm 54:46 Setting Considerations 58:32 Theme and Tone 01:01:55 Antagonists 01:04:34 Allies and NPCs 01:06:13 Duration and Pacing 01:09:32 Session 0 Promises 01:12:48 Play off PCs 01:15:38 Satisfying Conclusion 01:19:24 Cliffhangers? 01:21:39 Final Checklist 01:25:04 Shout-Outs Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon. Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.

Episode 183 of Mastering Dungeons!  Main topic: Designing an RPG Starting Adventure! Continuing the discussion of worldbuilding and village design, how do we start an adventure? We provide an approach to get the most out of your campaign and adventure starts! News: GaryCon Review, Remembering Jim Ward, Daggerheart Review! Contents 00:00 March Madness 01:42 GaryCon Review 05:52 Criticize Shadowdark? 14:45 Remembering Jim Ward 18:58 Stores Get D&D Early 21:07 Free Tsojcanth 22:38 MtG D&D Store Event 25:42 Infinite Staircase Reveals 28:28 Lego D&D Details 31:29 Tome of Beasts on Beyond 36:59 Surviving Strangehollow 37:46 Daggerheart Review 40:19 RPG Starting Adventure 41:52 Session 0 44:00 Character Connections 47:48 Fiasco Approach 52:10 Ashes of Athas Approach 54:03 Start with a Bang? 57:28 Find the Excitement 59:10 Intro Hook 01:01:46 Theory of Globs 01:07:32 Adventure Hooks 01:12:12 PC Impetus 01:15:33 Don't Give it All Away 01:19:39 Shout-Outs Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon. Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.

Episode 182 of Mastering Dungeons!  Main topic: Designing an RPG Starting Village! Continuing the discussion of worldbuilding, a great place to start is a village. What must a starting village contain and what isn’t needed? How do we make it relevant and interesting? We dig into the design and examples that have and haven’t worked for us. News: Critical Role launches Daggerheart, Hasbro CEO vs D&D on AI, Starforged Terrain! Contents 00:00 Podcasting for Relatives 01:39 Exhaustion vs HPs? 10:39 30-Minute D&D? 21:46 D&D Asks Do You Like Me 29:45 Hasbro CEO Says AI D&D Says No 39:02 CR Launches Daggerheart 41:59 Dwarven Forge Starforged 43:46 Surviving Strangehollow 44:20 Zweihander Reforged 44:44 Designing an RPG Starting Village 45:50 Two Issues to Avoid 46:37 Classic D&D Villages 50:08 Bottom-Up Technique 59:15 Safe Space or Hub 01:01:44 Launch Adventures 01:05:28 Key Elements 01:08:16 Tie to PC Goals 01:10:53 NPCs 01:15:05 Theme 01:16:58 History 01:21:33 Shout-Outs Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon. Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.

Episode 181 of Mastering Dungeons!  Main topic: Shadowdark GM Tips, Monsters, and Treasure! The finale of our Shadowdark series! We take a look the excellent advice, plus how the game provides monsters and treasure. News: Reviewing The Fallbacks, Adv League to Beyond, NASA RPG and Challenge, and more! Contents 00:00 Teos Has Seen Things 02:45 Emerald City Comic-Con 06:32 Adventure as User Guide? 15:16 Exhaustion Currency? 22:43 Modes of Play? 28:34 AL Moves to Beyond 31:33 Greasy Snitches 36:41 The Fallbacks review 41:08 NASA RPG 42:13 Steamforged and Kobold 43:33 SRD in Braille 45:00 Surviving Strangehollow 45:45 Shadowdark Finale 46:07 The Role of GM and Players 50:43 For Experienced GMs 54:29 Players not PCs 56:06 Core Ethos 01:00:09 Check DCs 01:05:15 Darkness and Modes of Play 01:08:30 Random Encounters 01:14:56 The Gauntlet 01:19:04 Awarding XP 01:22:35 Lots of Tables! 01:23:25 Monsters 01:25:06 Treasure 01:27:25 Final Thoughts 01:32:06 Shout-Outs Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon. Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.

Episode 180 of Mastering Dungeons!  Main topic: Building and Changing Rules to Fit Your RPG World! Dan Dillon and Jason Ward join Shawn to discuss how to pick the best rules, or change them, when designing an RPG world. News: Dan Dillon and Jason Ward, Daggerheart Playtesting, Discworld RPG, and more! Contents 00:00 Dan and Jason! 02:11 Defining Success? 07:13 Worldbuilding Process? 12:35 Discworld RPG 18:54 Daggerheart 31:07 Beyond Dev Update 36:55 Surviving Strangehollow 39:08 Rules to Fit an RPG World 39:34 Existing Ruleset 40:48 The Real Thing 46:22 Build New Rules 52:44 Using 5E 57:08 Dark Sun 01:00:48 Settings 5E Does Well 01:03:25 Tearable RPG 01:18:06 Find Jason and Dan Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon. Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.

Episode 179 of Mastering Dungeons!  Main topic: Worldbuilding Tips and Tricks! How do we create worlds that reflect the RPGs used to play them? How do we serve our readers, GMs, and players? Let’s talk worldbuilding! News: Surviving Strangehollow,| No D&D in Portuguese, D&D Off-Broadway, and more! Contents 00:00 Dark Weekend 01:01 Running Factions? 12:51 Mechanic Struggles? 21:51 Surviving Strangehollow 22:42 No D&D in Portuguese 26:01 Off-Broadway D&D 28:22 Star Trek 2E Announced 30:30 Emerging Designer Submissions 31:09 Weird Wizard Available 32:22 BX Inspired 5E 33:07 EN World Covers Evil Genius 35:36 Worldbuilding 35:48 Shawn's Worldbuilding 39:48 Build with Words 41:54 Show vs Tell 44:58 When to Get Detailed 47:10 Reality Matters 49:45 RPG-Based Fiction 55:55 Top-Down vs Bottom-Up 01:04:59 Microscope RPG 01:07:58 Surviving Strangehollow 01:15:32 Shout-Outs Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon. Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.

Episode 178 of Mastering Dungeons!  Main topic: Shadowdark RPG’s Combat, Travel, and Downtime! Teos shares the exploits in a recent Shadowdark game, adding context as Shawn and Teos review Shadowdark’s rules for combat, travel, and downtime. News: Hasbro’s D&D Finances and Strategy, 2024 Release Info, Humblewood on Beyond, and more! Contents 00:00 More Dragons 01:26 Counterproductive Playtesting? 07:39 Designer Responsability? 15:17 D&D Release Schedule 15:44 2024 Conventions 17:31 Vecna Eve of Ruin 20:48 Making of OD&D 25:26 Infinite Staircase 26:34 Core Books 28:45 Converse Lego and Pop-Tarts 31:21 Roll20 Character Sheet 32:21 Humblewood on Beyond 34:30 Hasbro Q4 36:55 DnD Finances 40:58 Hasbro's D&D Strategy 43:10 Universes Beyond 45:27 Shadowdark Gameplay 45:56 Playing with Meaghan J 50:59 Hiding in Shadowdark 55:50 Surprise and Initiative 59:13 Actions 01:02:58 Rulings Not Rules 01:06:35 Damage 01:09:55 Morale 01:15:48 Death 01:20:01 Overland Travel 01:24:53 Downtime 01:29:33 Shout-Outs Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon. Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.

Episode 177 of Mastering Dungeons!  Main topic: Shadowdark RPG – Gameplay (MD 177) From initiative and darkness to checks and luck tokens, Shawn and Teos examine the rules that distinguish the game. News: D&D Thanks You, Manganiello Speaks, Pelgrane Blog Rocks, and more! Contents 00:00:00 Winter Fantasy for One 00:01:35 Shadowdark Balance? 00:10:50 Shadowdark Readthrough Review? 00:17:40 D&D 50th Thank You 00:19:33 Joe Manganiello Speaks 00:26:28 Pelgrane Press Blog 00:27:33 Sorcerer's Fate 00:29:15 Shadowdark 00:29:58 Crawlers 00:35:58 Rolling Dice 00:39:39 Luck Tokens 00:43:24 Abilities and Checks 00:49:30 Time and Initiative 01:04:43 Resting and Surprise 01:06:05 Shout-Outs Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon. Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.

Episode 176 of Mastering Dungeons!  Main topic: News with Graham! With Shawn fighting off a cold, Graham joins us to take a look at the news. Back to Shadowdark next week! News: Foundry Gets 2024 5E, Kickstarter Growth, Adventures that Teach, and more! Contents 00:00:00 Graham Ward! 00:02:55 Player-DM Trust 00:10:20 D&D Stewardship 00:23:00 2024 Glimpses 00:25:22 Bigger Books? 00:27:16 Playtest Survey Results 00:30:49 D&D Novels and Journals 00:34:25 D&D Foundry Partnership 00:35:54 Kickstarter Up Down? 00:39:11 Associate D&D Event Manager 00:40:46 The Park Job 00:41:25 18 RPG Luminary Interviews 00:41:58 Release from OGL Vault 00:43:28 Adventures That Teach 00:45:27 5E Attack Variability 00:48:54 Graham on Shadowdark 00:53:15 Find Graham 00:56:07 Shout-Outs Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon. Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Episode 175 of Mastering Dungeons!  Main topic: Shadowdark RPG – Characters and Magic With Shadowdark’s simplicity, how do ancestries, classes, and class features distinguish themselves? Shawn and Teos examine the classes, alignment, and magic systems to see how this game manages to be so good. News: D&D Turned 40, D&D in VR, a Real Fortress Dungeon, and more! Contents 00:00:00 Rub Your Face 00:01:19 Compelling Hooks? 00:11:43 RPGs for New GMs 00:19:02 D&D Turns 50 00:21:56 D&D VR Game 00:26:35 Beyond Stats 00:29:33 Real Dungeon 00:31:01 50th Minis 00:32:48 Mathemagician Rituals 00:34:38 Zweihander Reforged 00:35:22 Hacking Across Editions 00:39:03 Shadowdark Characters 00:40:48 Ancestries 00:46:14 Classes - Fighter 00:48:35 Talents 00:50:12 Stat Boosts 00:51:46 Wizard and Priest 00:53:30 Thief 01:00:29 Backgrounds 01:02:08 Alignment and Deities 01:05:16 Titles 01:07:24 Gear and Slots 01:10:36 Cohesive Game Elements 01:13:27 XP 01:17:41 Magic 01:32:05 Shout-Outs Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon. Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Episode 174 of Mastering Dungeons!  Main topic: Shadowdark RPG – Reviewing the Basics Shawn and Teos delve into Shadowdark. While their torchlight holds, they examine the first chapters of this tome. Learn the basics of Shadowdark’s design and what sets it apart from other similar RPGs. News: New D&D from Random House, How to Have Fun, Fighting AI, and more! Contents 00:00:00 Powerless 00:02:16 Stale RPGs? 00:09:09 BladeThulu? 00:18:54 An RPG's Heart 00:25:32 New Random DnD 00:29:02 Fighting AI 00:32:54 Post-WotC Endeavors 00:35:57 L5R 00:38:47 Ingredients for Fun 00:42:14 Shadowdark 00:44:04 What is Shadowdark 00:54:32 Overview 01:02:54 Book Intro 01:06:50 Shadowdark's Assumptions 01:10:01 Character Design 01:14:38 Shout-Outs Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon. Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Episode 173 of Mastering Dungeons!  Main topic: Blade Runner Starter Set – Electric Dreams Adventure Review Mike Shea joins Shawn while Teos hunkers down without power. In the main segment, Shawn and Teos take a look at the adventure included in the Blade Runner starter set by Free League. We review the amazing value and how it provides for open play and interesting choices. News: Remembering Jennell Jaquays, D&D Meta Plots, Evil Hat Shares Finances, and more! Contents 00:00 Mike Shea! 07:22 Fun Downstroke? 17:14 Party Boost? 22:10 5E Metaplot? 31:07 Remembering Jennell Jaquays 34:40 Evil Hat Q4 44:46 Andy Stuns 46:06 Roll20 Versions 47:58 Surviving Strangehollow 50:02 Electric Dreams Adventure 52:06 Intro and Plot 57:11 Options and Events 1:01:06 The Story 1:10:53 Final Confrontation 1:13:56 Shout-Outs Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon. Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Episode 172 of Mastering Dungeons!  Main topic: Blade Runner Starter Set – Rules Review Shawn and Teos take a look at the packed contents of the Blade Runner starter set by Free League. We review the amazing value and provide an overview of the rules. News: MCDM Raises $4.6M, Golden Ages, Winter Fantasy Signups, and more! Contents 00:00 Renewed 01:10 Half on Miss? 10:24 Stun Condition? 21:49 Creative Actions? 33:45 RPG Sales Mixed 34:55 Winter Fantasy Signups 37:19 2023 Review  39:10 Golden Ages 50:11 The Forged Dragons 50:53 Weapons of Legend  51:58 Lore24 53:21 Lamordia The God Engine 54:19 MCDM RPG $4.6M 54:57 Blade Runner Starter Set 56:11 Setting Overview 58:51 Starter Set Contents  1:01:55 Rules Overview  1:04:25 Specialties 1:04:49 Health and Resolve 1:06:08 Downtime 1:08:24 Humanity Points 1:15:13 Game Loop 1:21:25 Shout-Outs Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon. Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Episode 171 of Mastering Dungeons!  Main topic: 2023 Review and 2024 RPG Outlook Shawn and Teos look back at the rollercoaster year of 2023 and what excites us about the coming year. News: Drakkenheim on DDB, LotR Stars Play BG3, Valiant Adventures, and more! Contents 00:00 Renown 01:12 Setting Customizations? 14:21 Affordable Expectations? 29:22 LotR Stars Play BG3 30:33 CORE20 RPG 32:34 Drakkenheim on DDB 34:07 Valiant Adventures  35:02 Hundred Dungeons 35:53 Folkvangr 36:46 Year End, Year Ahead  37:41 What Excited Us? 43:04 What We Covered 44:49 Shawn’s Year 46:04 2023 Rollercoaster  52:35 Fans and Platforms 59:59 Design Together  1:01:22 What We Miss from 1E  1:05:07 Our RPG Acronyms 1:12:06 Great Year for MD 1:14:48 Shout-Outs Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon. Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Episode 170 of Mastering Dungeons!  Main topic: Planescape’s Adventure: The Conclusion! The final two chapters of Turn of Fortune’s Wheel! We look back on how DMs can make the most of the adventure. News: Understanding WotC Layoffs, Netflix Talks BG3, Greatest RPG Adventures, and more! Contents 00:00 Rollercoaster 2023 02:19 Resource Management? 10:33 Lazy Barbarian? 17:58 WotC Layoffs 37:15 BG3 on Netflix 38:32 Spelljammer Academy Returns! 39:53 Greatest RPG Adventures  43:50 13 Planescape DM Tips 46:27 Enchanting Emporiums 47:03 Kaz the Minotaur 47:41 Fortune’s Wheel Context 51:56 Setup for the End 59:11 Platinum Rooms 1:06:50 Dungeonland 1:08:46 Supertemporal Arena 1:12:25 Fiend’s Ante 1:14:07 Facing Shemeska 1:16:22 Incarnations Unite! 1:20:07 Gzemnid’s Spiral 1:30:52 Conclusion  1:36:42 Final Thoughts 1:44:30 Shout-Outs Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon. Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Episode 169 of Mastering Dungeons!  Main topic: Planescape’s Adventure: Outlands and Spire! We expect big payoffs as the adventure reveals it's biggest secrets. Is the payoff worth it? Find out how the answer isn’t yes, as we review Chapters 12 and 13 Turn of Fortune’s Wheel. News: MCDM Breaks Records, Roll20 Overhaul, GaryCon Epic, and more! Contents 00:00 Malled and Mauled 01:30 Impossible DC? 14:36 Frustrated Player? 20:34 MCDM Breaks Records 26:03 Roll20 Overhaul 31:10 D&D VTT Praised 34:05 Midwest GameFest 35:20 2-Hr Adventure Template 37:39 $10 Creator Relief Coupon 39:24 GaryCon Epic Stream 42:35 Fortune’s Wheel Recap 44:34 Outlands Explorations 47:18 Planar Glitch Table 58:50 What are Encounters? 1:01:32 Angels in the Outlands 1:07:38 Mausoleum of Chronepsis 1:11:23 Semuanya’s Bog 1:15:42 Mimir Payoff? 1:19:34 Dendradis and Ascetelis 1:22:47 Finding RO4M in the Spire 1:31:10 Shout-Outs Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon. Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Episode 168 of Mastering Dungeons!  Main topic: Planescape’s Adventure: Gate Towns! Seven gate towns must be visited! How well does the 4-page format work, and what would we change? Find out as we look at Chapters 5-11 of Turn of Fortune’s Wheel. News: Ghostfire and Dungeon Dudes on DDB, D&D 50th Anniversary Products, D&D Stamps, and more! Contents 00:00 Holiday and PAX Miracles 05:05 Progression Complexity? 14:56 Publishing Process? 24:02 Converting Adventures? 31:23 DDB Ghostfire Dudes 41:09 D&D 2024 Panel  43:17 Caverns of Tsojcanth 45:43 Vecna Eve of Ruin  46:58 Infinite Staircase  49:44 Making of OD&D  51:56 Core Rules Preview 55:53 D&D Stamps 57:22 Planescape’s 5E Adventure  59:22 Gate Town Goals 1:04:06 Automata 1:15:16 Design and Advice 1:21:15 Excelsior 1:25:16 Faunel 1:32:44 Closing Thoughts 1:39:22 Shout-Outs Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon. Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).