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I Just Dropped In To See What Condition My Condition Was In: 3 Wise DMs Discuss How Using Conditions Will Enhance Your D&D Game
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Contenido proporcionado por The 3 Wise DMs. Todo el contenido del podcast, incluidos episodios, gráficos y descripciones de podcast, lo carga y proporciona directamente The 3 Wise DMs o su socio de plataforma de podcast. Si cree que alguien está utilizando su trabajo protegido por derechos de autor sin su permiso, puede seguir el proceso descrito aquí https://es.player.fm/legal.
With our recent Forged in Fire article series, DM Chris realized how many Conditions that monsters have resistance and immunity to, especially in 5e. With that, we began to discuss how much (or little) we play with Conditions in our home games, and how that might be limiting what we can do to craft engaging, thrilling, and challenging encounters.
In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave delve into the Conditions mechanic (both in and out of 5e), the issues we have with some of them, what ones we find to be somewhat limp, and the ones we would love to use
more. We also delve into what we have found is a Condition we often times inflict on ourselves as DMs: Expectations.
3:00 DM Tony returns to his problem with Stun mechanics… all the way back from Episode #4!
4:00 Making your game challenging without having them turn into “Gotcha” moments for your players.
6:20 Developing encounters with certain Conditions in mind. DM Dave’s Lair of Dragansalor from DM Chris’ 12 person Birthday game.
7:45 Seeing Advantage and Disadvantage as a Condition.
8:35 The power of Conditions through multiple systems and editions.
11:10 Using Conditions to control combat… more interesting than bags of hit points.
13:15 How Conditions, like Stun, have the players control the combat. Should you change it?
21:40 Skills, Saves, and the Rule of Cool article link.
22:45 Expectations: Conditions we place on ourselves as DMs.
32:45 Heroes of the Realm (including our Star Wars analogy): Be excited when the players mop the floor with the bad guys, regardless of the Conditions.
42:05 Resource management, Short, and Long Rests as Conditions.
46:15 Final Thoughts
164 episodios
CompartirManage episode 409809266 series 2777938
Contenido proporcionado por The 3 Wise DMs. Todo el contenido del podcast, incluidos episodios, gráficos y descripciones de podcast, lo carga y proporciona directamente The 3 Wise DMs o su socio de plataforma de podcast. Si cree que alguien está utilizando su trabajo protegido por derechos de autor sin su permiso, puede seguir el proceso descrito aquí https://es.player.fm/legal.
With our recent Forged in Fire article series, DM Chris realized how many Conditions that monsters have resistance and immunity to, especially in 5e. With that, we began to discuss how much (or little) we play with Conditions in our home games, and how that might be limiting what we can do to craft engaging, thrilling, and challenging encounters.
In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave delve into the Conditions mechanic (both in and out of 5e), the issues we have with some of them, what ones we find to be somewhat limp, and the ones we would love to use
more. We also delve into what we have found is a Condition we often times inflict on ourselves as DMs: Expectations.
3:00 DM Tony returns to his problem with Stun mechanics… all the way back from Episode #4!
4:00 Making your game challenging without having them turn into “Gotcha” moments for your players.
6:20 Developing encounters with certain Conditions in mind. DM Dave’s Lair of Dragansalor from DM Chris’ 12 person Birthday game.
7:45 Seeing Advantage and Disadvantage as a Condition.
8:35 The power of Conditions through multiple systems and editions.
11:10 Using Conditions to control combat… more interesting than bags of hit points.
13:15 How Conditions, like Stun, have the players control the combat. Should you change it?
21:40 Skills, Saves, and the Rule of Cool article link.
22:45 Expectations: Conditions we place on ourselves as DMs.
32:45 Heroes of the Realm (including our Star Wars analogy): Be excited when the players mop the floor with the bad guys, regardless of the Conditions.
42:05 Resource management, Short, and Long Rests as Conditions.
46:15 Final Thoughts
164 episodios
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1 Cobblers, Glassblowers, and Weavers Unite! Utilizing Forgotten Proficiencies in Your D&D Games 47:07
Cobbler’s tools. Weaver’s tools. Glassblowing. There are a host of proficiencies that are part of building a character in D&D that seem strange at first for someone who is going out on adventures. For a lot of players, it just becomes something that you picked during character creation. We’ve come to call these the “orphan” proficiencies. In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave sit down to discuss how they utilize these proficiencies in games, and even if you should, or if you just pass over these proficiencies and get to killing orcs. 3:00 The finite resources that are proficiencies, do you want to use one to be a good leather worker? 6:35 Delving into the use of the orphaned proficiencies really depends on the type of game you’re running and who’s playing. 11:55 You need to allow the space for these types of skills and proficiencies to come into play – it can’t be a race against the ending of the world. 13:05 Approaching it in terms of Peter Parker and Spider-Man… you’ve gotta pay the rent! 14:40 The effectiveness of certain artisan and craft tools over others: would you prefer weavers’ tools or thieves’ tools? 16:55 5e, specifically, has a lot of mechanics to handle most things in game. But these types of proficiencies are more narrative-focused, so don’t be so slavish to the rules and mechanics. 19:40 The players invested some level of thought into these proficiencies… lean into them. 27:00 DM Chris develops the first Skateboarding Fighter. 28:00 To shine the light on these proficiencies, you have to put some thought into building it into the campaign. 32:45 It doesn’t matter how dexterous or intelligent I am… I can’t just play a guitar when I pick it up for the first time. 39:05 Final Thoughts.…
Multiple times a week. Once a week. Every other week. Once a month. Once every several months. We’ve referenced how frequency of play can really alter how you run the game, how the story flows, etc. But, our longtime listener, Dr. DM, has brought up how real life has really gotten in the way of scheduling their usually weekly games and how it has affected his confidence with running the game. In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave sit down to really delve deep into how frequency of play affects how you run the game, and even what type of game you run. Along the way, they offer their eight best tips and hacks to help whenever life alters your gaming schedule. 1:45 Our long-time listener (and now co-DM!) Dr. DM, catches us up on his seafaring campaign we discussed in episode 148 , as well as his question. 5:56 Frequency of play is going to change how you might want to play with certain aspects of the game, like how long it took for DM Tony’s legendary Barbarian to read the Manual of Gainful Exercise. 7:45 Tip#1: If you’ve got the time between sessions, use it to focus on your players goals. 10:05 Tip #2: What is your usual frequency of play? If you start monthly, it won’t be as jarring if you’re used to playing weekly, and now it’s a month. 11:35 Tip #3: Try to end your session on a completed note. And, if you can’t, the beginning recap is your best friend. 12:35 Tip #4: Be big and bold with your secrets, clues, and rumors when weeks have passed since your last game – No Sublety! 14:15 We return to DM Tony’s Barbarian, Hawk, and his quest to forge the Sword of Power in a once-a-month “Race Against Time” type of game. 17:10 Tip #5: If you’re worried that the time between games is letting your DM skills get rusty, start another game to keep “riding the bike.” 19:35 Tip #6: Giving something like a quest to forge a legendary sword needs to be given its due, regardless of your frequency of play. Narrative side quests and LOTRs mechanic of “The Fellowship Phase” offer some options. 30:30 DM Dave’s tangent about a possible Star Wars campaign utilizing the West End d6 system. 31:35 Tip #7: Game flow and frequency of play is going to change depending on how new or experienced your players are. 33:25 Tip #8: How long should it take your players to accomplish things? As long as it needs to in your game and your frequency of play. DM Tony shares the story of DM Dave’s dragonborn cleric, Bhim, trying to gain proficiency in the longsword. 37:50 Final Thoughts.…
1 Halls of Valhalla - 3WDs Player Review of Our D&D Viking Epic, Journey to Ragnarok 1:00:59
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Reproducir más Tarde Reproducir más Tarde Listas Me gusta Me gustaIt’s apropos that our first-ever players review of a campaign was for DM Tony’s Storm King’s Thunder campaign , as our newest iteration has us returning to the frozen world of the original giants in Mana Project Studios Journey to Ragnarok! We bring on return guests Scott (the Terrain Wrangler) , Bonnie (the Chaos Engine) and our newest player to join the group, Jen (the Girlfriend!) In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave sit down with the other three players to review a campaign that had several adjustments made over the course of it – refining it from a completely open-world sandbox-style campaign to a Monster-of-the-Week style. DMs always have to be adjusting dials, so listen in as we discuss how DM Tony had to adjust for vastly different play types to still create a fun and engaging campaign. DM Chris stated it best: “TTRPGs aren’t reliant on lore, backstory, and epic narratives… sometimes its just about getting together and having fun as a group.” 2:25 Player and character introductions. 7:20 Setting the characters in the world: Origins and Viking Clans! 18:35 How much backstory is enough or is it even required? 19:45 The real time adjustment to how you run the game with various types of gamers. 27:30 Refining a multitude of adventures, political brinksmanship, and storylines down to a Monster-of-the-Week tour of the Nine Realms. 29:20 How new and inexperienced players can help us evolve our DM style. 36:00 The players experience between two completely separate campaigns: completely open world and Monster-of-the-Week within the same campaign. 41:40 Forest for the trees: Seeing a character’s story arc in the macro. 44:47 Final Thoughts.…
After a little over 2 years and 20+ sessions, we have finally concluded our adventure through the Norse Kingdoms in Midgard and the remaining 8 worlds of Yggdrasill, the World Tree, where the Auspicious Signs were successful in stopping Ragnarok: the Twilight of the Gods. Journey to Ragnarok was in the campaign queue for quite a while (with DM Thorin originally wanting to run it) and DM Tony finally took the reins and led us through an epic adventure and campaign. In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave sit down to review and wrap-up our Journey to Ragnarok campaign. Along the way, we delve into the tips and tricks that DM Tony used to tie characters into the story, capture the essence of a Viking campaign, introduce new classes, abilities, and even a new addition to the leveling system of 5e! 3:12 DM Tony reveals the impetus behind running Journey to Ragnarok from Mana Project Studios as well as navigating the immense amount of lore in, not only the campaign setting, but in the breadth Norse Mythology. 6:55 Tying the six characters into the world and the adventure as well as the flavor of the backgrounds in this setting. 12:15 How restrictions in character creation (like being only human in the Viking lands) adds to the campaign and makes it special. Lean into them! 13:15 Some examples of the new subclasses in Journey to Ragnarok as well as the entirely new class. 18:00 The example from our finale of the ridiculously awesome and epic abilities of the Glima Monk! 21:15 An aside into the balance between the theme of the character and the mechanics of the character. 25:20 DM Tony’s introduction of the Farthak Die and Rune Casting into our campaign… even without the Rune Master class. 29:15 The introduction of “Icebreakers” during rests, etc. to encourage roleplay and character development. 33:00 DM Tony’s new additions to leveling – the concept of “Runic” levels. 38:40 Understanding what your players are understanding and what they aren’t – adjusting the sessions to work with the table you’re at. 45:28 Final Thoughts…
D&D does combat well. It can slow down time and can be more or less crunchy than you like, but it definitely creates aa play area that a new DM can handle during a session. Unfortunately, while the books talk about the other two pillars of roleplay, there isn’t a lot for the new DM to latch onto to understand the best way to run a seamless session. In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave sit down to answer a listener question about the best ways to create and run all the non-combat encounters that the characters will become involved with and how to develop them beyond “roll me an x” situation. 1:15 DM Dave reminisces on the Time Life Rock ‘n Roll Era CD collection. 3:15 Listener question: a new DM asks about the best ways to lend gravitas to non-combat encounters without it just boiling down to a dice roll. 4:38 Tip #1: What do your players like? 5:30 Tip #2: Prepare ahead and let the players guide the movement forward. 6:50 Tip #3: Get comfortable with being uncomfortable. 11:15 Tip #4: Mini-games are an easy way to let the players roleplay while also rolling dice. 12:45 Tip #5: The evolution of the game reflects the evolution of DMing… give yourself some time to develop. 14:00 Tip #6: Lean on some resources that help newer DMs to understand how adventures can run between all the pillars of play. 15:11 Tip #7: What are the characters objectives/mission/quest? Let that guide you. 18:20 Tip #8: Story prompts and campfire tales… fuel for roleplay. 20:00 Tip #9: Go easy on yourself… you will screw up. 23:30 Tip #10: Rest times are a great time to spur talking amongst themselves. 24:40 Tip #11: The Lever NPC… use them to spur forward momentum. 25:50 Tip #12: What do your favorite movies, series, and books do to create “non-combat encounters.” 26:45 Tip #13: N arrative side quests. 29:50 Tip #14: Skill Challenges. 33:35 Tip #15: Create Open-Ended scenarios… developing inciting incidents. 37:15 Tip #16: “Sandbox” and “Railroad”: It’s not either/or… it’s always AND. 39:12 Final Thoughts.…
“What elements would this game need to include to feel complete for a fan of the setting and the story?” That was the question from Forever DM Larry about running a Dragonlance campaign for players that had read the books… which he hasn’t. In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave reveal the best tips they have for running a setting that you’re unfamiliar with while the players are steeped in it, whether it’s Krynn, Middle-Earth, or a Galaxy Far, Far Away. 1:45 Shout out to The Epic Beatles Tribute Band on DM Dave’s recent Norwegian Cruise. 2:50 Our listener question from Forever DM Larry. 5:05 First Tip: Hit the Broad Strokes. 8:25 Second Tip: Take a Cue from the Star Wars Stories. 10:55 Third Tip: Focus on the Fun of the Adventure First. 12:15 Fourth Tip: Set Expectations. 14:00 Fifth Tip: What Source Material are you Using? 190 novels exist in the world of Krynn. 16:15 Sixth Tip: Use Lore and NPCs as Easter Eggs, Let Your Unique Story Flourish. 20:40 Seventh Tip: Know What Notes You Need to Hit. 26:25 Eighth Tip: You’re Always Planning for the Next Session. 29:15 Ninth Tip: Pick the System That Leads to The Most Fun for the Whole Table. 40:15 Final Thoughts.…
1 Dragonlance Decoded: Your Front-Row Seat to Shadow of the Dragon Queen 1:08:59
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Reproducir más Tarde Reproducir más Tarde Listas Me gusta Me gustaFollowing the footsteps of our Storm King’s Thunder and Curse of Strahd campaigns, we gather all five players from our Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen players wrap-up! In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave welcome The Wizard Washburn, Monster Wrangler Matt, and our own Chaos Engine, Bonnie, to sit down and discuss the epic entirety of our Dragonlance campaign: what we enjoyed and what we didn’t in this campaign that clocked in at just under 2 years! For anyone wanting to run or play in Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen , this episode is for you. 1:50 Player Introductions: Sir William de Grey – the Knight of Solamnia who makes a devil’s bargain with Sargonnas to gain power to defeat the Dragon Army, only to be redeemed by Chislev and fulfill his Anakin arc. Rasgueado Vilhuela de Latigo – A whip-wielding Bard who was in search of The Great Song, as well as his Father – only to find that his Father was Lohezet of the Black Robes, High Wizard of the Dragon Army! Adran Oakenheel – An orphaned Kagonesti Elf who was left with the Sanctuary of the First World; a monastic order dedicated to the Prophecy of the Ascendant Dragon. Mikros – A Kender Rogue who was searching for her missing past but who was chosen by Lunitari to wield magic. Dame Eeva Pyrope – An orphaned girl who squired for the Knights of Solamnia, wishing to one day become a full-fledged Knight… only to realize that she has been chosen to herald the return of the Gods! 7:45 Crafting backstories and character concepts that fit within the deep lore of Krynn and Dragonlance. 31:50 We discuss the implementation of the Warriors of Krynn strategy board game developed for the SotDQ adventure: what we liked, what we didn’t, and some changes we would make. 47:40 We discuss the extensive narrative stories that developed the character’s arcs well beyond what we could have achieved at the table. 52:40 The #1 Rule for DMs: Meet Your Players Where They Are. 57:10 Final Thoughts.…
1 The High Tale of the Dragonlance: What We Loved and 3 Things We Didn’t in Shadow of the Dragon Queen 55:13
Happy New Year! As promised, we’re kicking off our 5th Season with one of our favorite episode varieties: the 3 Wise DMs Campaign Reviews! Following the footsteps of our Storm King’s Thunder, Curse of Strahd, and Woodstock Wanderers campaigns, we delve deep into the High Tale of the Dragonlance with our DM Review of Shadow of the Dragon Queen . In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave review how we experienced running and playing it; what we enjoyed and what we didn’t in this campaign that clocked in at just under 2 years! For anyone wanting to run Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen , this episode is for you. Stay tuned for Part 2 when we bring ALL the players on for our Player Wrap-Up episode! 1:50 How close to the book did the DM run the campaign? 3:30 The momentum that is created with the overall theme of impending war in a campaign. 4:30 Why DM Dave chose Dragonlance as his next campaign to run. 7:00 This is the Way: How Dragonlance did NPC death right. 9:30 The Kingfisher Festival: How mini games help get players invested, like fishing for Old Benebog. 12:30 The first stumbling block in the adventure – the translation of the adventure into the Northern Wastes. 17:50 The second stumbling block – Lord Soth is introduced only as a plot device. 22:20 The majority of the adventure is found in The Northern Wastes. 23:50 The Third Stumbling Block - the strange design decision to provide the players with the ability to fly over all the travel mechanics of The Northern Wastes. 27:10 The homebrewed Journey Game that we debuted in SotDQ. 32:00 Classic “Fetch Quests” to get the ball rolling for the players in a new territory. 35:55 The #1 Reason why this was DM Dave’s favorite game to ever run… 41:20 The 2 great things WotC learned leading up to SotDQ: the Adventure Hook and Encounter Difficulty. 44:05 Final Thoughts.…
Metagaming. It’s one of the many topics that will spark controversy among those in the hobby. A listener wrote in explaining that they love making terrain and minis and have offered their services to their DM. Unfortunately, the DMs are reluctant, as they don’t want the player to have metaknowledge or spoil the reveals of the campaign. In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave bring on our return special Wise DM, the Wizard Washburn, from our Terrain and Minis episode , to discuss how we have leaned into the inevitability of metagaming to enhance our campaigns by letting Scott build out a ton of our terrain, maps, and minis and how we have let it not spoil the fun for the DM, Scott, or any of the other players. 3:40 Our return special guest… Scott “The Wizard” Washburn from Paper Terrain ! 5:05 The overview of how we approach compartmentalizing the knowledge of the player and the knowledge of the character. 7:05 The fact of the matter – once you’ve played once, you now have “meta” knowledge. 10:15 The Wizard Washburn reveals his general approach to planning with the DM in multiple campaigns he’s been a player in. 13:35 The idea of context in metagaming. 18:22 Terrain is one thing… but what about miniatures and seeing what the other team is playing with? 25:50 Always remember that RPG means roleplaying GAME. 30:05 Leaning on players to help decrease the level of prep necessary for your game. 32:07 Final Thoughts.…
Several listener questions came in that were spiraling around the same general idea, and one that DMs have fielded since the very beginning of the game: how, and when, to exert the unlimited level of power that you possess as the DM. In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave, take part in a grab bag of listener questions that deal with players constantly interrupting, as well as how to best approach using, or not using, the newest 2024 version of the Player’s Handbook. For any DM who has wrestled with how and when to exert their God-level power, this is the episode for you. 3:30 The first listener question that deals with the player that constantly interrupts the BBEGs monologues. 4:25 The pro is that you have an excited and engaged player as well as DM Tony’s idea of the “cutscene.” 5:40 Exerting your control to set a scene. 10:00 Teaching players how your world works and allowing the players to adjust the setup of the scene. 13:15 “We’ll get to that” – a bookmark for all the actions players want to take because it is still a turn-based game. 17:20 We delve deeper into DM Tony’s idea of the “cutscene.” What is it and how to use it. 21:10 The awesomeness of the hero punching the villain in the jaw and not caring about their speech. 24:07 The second listener question regarding using the new 2024 update to 5e. 26:00 We already decide what races, classes, and rules we allow in our campaigns – this is no different. 29:15 5e.tools – a great digital resource for DMs and the new Mastery properties of weapons. 34:00 Changing rulesets halfway through a campaign. 38:50 Final Thoughts.…
Low Magic. We’ve discussed it before and, in last weeks article , DM Chris delved into ideas of how to make magic rare and special in your D&D campaigns. In our discussion online regarding the article, there was a debate over what low magic means. The issue seemed to revolve around confusing Low Magic with Low Fantasy. Middle-Earth, while being a High Fantasy setting, is, in terms of D&D, a Low Magic setting for the simple fact that there are no spellcasting classes. In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave discuss the preparations for the upcoming LOTR campaign ; how magic will work, the lack of spellcasters as a class, the types of characters that we’re thinking of developing, among many other topics. For anyone that is hoping to really approach magic differently in their home games, this is the episode for you. 1:50 Our continuing discussion about our upcoming Lord of the Rings campaign and how we’re approaching a setting with low access to magic. 4:01 What are you going to do now? Trying to top your previous campaigns. 7:15 DM Chris delves into his thoughts surrounding how to lessen access to magic as he began preparing and planning his Lord of the Rings campaign. 11:55 Middle-Earth as a world is highly magical, but how that plays at the table changes it significantly from all other D&D settings – Bilbo and the Dwarves didn’t have a Boss Battle with Smaug. 17:35 How much Meteor Swarm would change the Arthurian Tales. 19:05 How rare magic will turn everything into significant encounters: healing, journeys, rests, etc. 22:52 A rare Rock and Roll DM story about short rests and long rests. 24:55 DM Chris explains the idea of the “Fellowship Phase” and “Shadow Points” in LOTR, like Call of Cthulhu Sanity points in Middle-Earth. 32:05 What’s the economy of Middle-Earth? 37:50 How to build characters that will hook into the setting of Middle-Earth. 40:30 Final Thoughts.…
We’re getting geared up for some new campaigns to begin. Both our Dragonlance and Journey to Ragnarok campaigns are coming near their finale, so we’ve begun thinking about what’s next up. Just in time, DM Chris sent out his Player’s Guides for the upcoming Lord of the Rings campaign that he’s going to be running in the new year. In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave discuss what makes a good Player’s Guide, what to include, what to leave out, and how they can help to start your campaign off on the right foot before your players ever get to the table. 2:53 What’s different in this campaign from other campaigns? 3:23 Session Negative One; giving your players time before Session Zero to reflect on choices. 8:30 The types of choices in different settings that the players might want to reflect on. Including the one-sheet Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen campaign guide. 11:45 Some campaign settings, like Lord of the Rings, require a lot of information prior to starting the campaign. These Player Guides can also be helpful as fodder for character backstories. 13:55 Depending on how experienced your group is will provide how much additional information you send along. Don’t send a 20-page Player Guide to the newbie player, the PHB is MORE than enough. 15:50 Building excitement about the new campaign. 18:30 Assembling the Player’s Guide can serve as a focusing mechanism for you as you build out the campaign. 23:50 Setting the flavor, tone, and rules of the road before players ever come to the table. 25:05 The excitement for the campaign is not just for the players, it’s for the DM as well. Injecting something new keeps your game table fresh. 30:20 Final Thoughts.…
Play through an adventure and you’ll realize how strangely time can move in your D&D campaign. Longtime friend of the show, Dr. DM (Jason) returns with a question about his ocean-based campaign that we discussed in Episode 148. His question revolves around how quickly leveling can affect the passage of time in the adventure. In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave discuss the strange way time can move in your campaign and how to best handle that. Is your game a non-stop march towards the inevitability of the BBEG or is it more a classic-type of campaign with a bunch of adventures linked together? As DM Tony wisely states, “The passage of time is not nearly as important as the passage of good sessions.” 1:25 Dr. DM returns with the ongoing ocean-based campaign that started from our Shipping Up To Boston episode! 4:08 How does time work in your campaign? One crazy summer or lasting over decades of the characters lives? How fast, or slow, are you leveling? 6:45 Using a campaign calendar and how it shows how quickly time can move in D&D. 9:45 Many adventures don’t allow for a lot of “downtime” or times when you’re not actively adventuring. 11:40 Structuring your campaign to allow for time to pass. DM Chris explains the Fellowship phase in the Lord of the Rings 5e campaign he’s preparing. 18:25 Does training and time really matter in your campaign? The Luke Skywalker example. 23:05 Hiring crew, guides, and hirelings for your keep. How much do your players want control in this? DM Chris reviews the hiring of guides in Tomb of Annihilation. 32:12 Using your NPC hirelings and townspeople to hook the characters deeper into the story… the Invasion of Vogler in Dragonlance. 37:09 A slight aside to an addendum of Dr. DMs question: paying dues in game… yes or no? 42:35 Final Thoughts.…
Bad sessions. We’ve all dealt with them and we’ll continue to have them periodically. It’s all part of running TTRPGs. But how to you deal with them when they happen? What do you do to salvage the game at the next session? DM Dave offers a question to his fellow Wise DMs regarding a recent session that he felt he could have run better, smoother, better improv. But he got stuck. Hey, it happens. In this episode, Tony and Chris help Dave talk it out and, in the process, reveal what we all deal with… sometimes, everything just goes south in the game and it isn’t fun. It’s even tougher to deal with when you’ve handled these kinds of issues successfully before. So what are you going to do about it? 2:20 DM Dave gives a high overview of his Melora’s Light campaign that led to the recent game that went awry. 9:25 Disrupting the DMs plans. How new players are great for this. 11:20 Wait, the players just walked straight to the Big Boss? How to deal with it when they walk right up to the front door. 12:35 The forever debate between sandbox and rails. 18:12 It’s important to be honest about how you’re feeling about the game and what is fun for you and your group. 21:05 “Back in the Day” with DM Tony. 24:25 The unlikely team-up with the arch-nemesis. 27:05 Always remember to prep enough for you to feel comfortable improving through anything. 28:22 DM Chris reviews his recent issue with releasing an overpowered weapon and how to properly retcon it. Also, Baghtru . 35:05 There’s always the next session. 42:25 Final Thoughts.…
Running the adventure outside of the game session? Yes, that’s right. Starting back in DM Dave’s Curse of Strahd campaign, we began to develop characters and backstories with narrative side quests via text, email, and online documents (like Google Docs). In our Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen campaign , we have utilized them from the very beginning for each character individually, as well as the whole party, to further flesh out the characters, world, and story. In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave discuss their strategies for running narrative side quests outside the game as well as completely text-based campaigns. Episode 358 of Dragon Talk. DM Tony’s article on running narrative side quests outside the game. 3:08 What do we mean when we’re talking about a narrative side quest? 4:55 Our most recent use of narrative side quests in our Dragonlance campaign. 7:25 There must be an active give and take for narrative side quests and campaigns to work. 13:00 DM Chris’ Days of Future Past text-based Marvel Super Heroes campaign. 14:35 Narrative side quests for individual characters are a time to build out backstory and character, not for leveling and gaining experience. 16:48 DM Chris literally “Squirrels”! 20:12 Narrative, or “Descriptive”, side quests. What is your threat level? Will the character die while away? 22:40 How narrative side quests can help spur roleplay moments in-game. 23:55 How to build out actual side quests with monsters, loot, and experience for individual characters. 25:26 How far away are your characters and how long will they be gone? How many players are you currently juggling with side quests? 32:20 Narrative side quests allow players who miss a session to not feel like they missed out. 34:35 Excellent method for important plot drops… when they find it, they’ll want to shout it from the rooftops. 39:32 Final Thoughts.…
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1 Share and Share Alike: 3WDs Top Tips For Dealing With D&D Players Who Won’t Share The Spotlight 54:28
Sharing. It’s one of the first skills that we have to learn as kids and, as anyone who has gamed for long enough, some kids never quite learned how to do it. Our longtime listener, Jim Laubacker, posed a question regarding how to best deal with players that won’t share the spotlight. As a bonus, Jim is also trying to balance a group that is a hybrid of in-person and virtual players! In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave discuss the ways in which they’ve adjusted to turn the dominant and passive players weaknesses at the table into strengths. Additionally, they delve more into the difficulties they’ve experienced in running hybrid games and some tips and tricks with dealing with a very new issue in TTRPGs. As always, if you’re in the market for dice (who isn’t?) make sure to check out our affiliate link at FanRoll Dice to receive 10% off your entire order. 1:33 Our listener question – How to deal with players that won’t share the spotlight with a bonus wrinkle… the group in question is a hybrid of in-person AND virtual. 3:05 Players that are so excited that they want to be involved in every scene. 4:44 The very heavy lift when dealing with a hybrid table of part in-person, part virtual. 10:36 The difference between players who are actors and those who are audience members. 15:45 The player that is involved with Every. Single. Activity. And my example that pushes DM Tony’s buttons about spell components and wizards… 21:00 Narrative side scenes: an easy way to give every player their spotlight. 25:45 Review the characters in your session prep: Find the spots in the session for their moments. 28:00 There’s no “I” in team (think Avengers over Indiana Jones) and how sharing the spotlight can keep the campaign together instead of ending. 35:50 Curating your group and turning player weaknesses into strengths. 37:37 Giving players a “power position” to balance out the dominant players(s) – the birth of Little One. 43:02 The spectrum of passive vs. dominant players – kind of like railroads vs. sandboxes. 46:20 Final Thoughts.…
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1 The Breakup Game – How Constant Splitting of the Party Can Lead to DM Burnout and What to Do About It 54:10
Happy New Year! Just in time for our 2024 Season, Johnny at For Monster Kids has designed our newest logo, a beautiful homage to the legendary Dave Trampier … let us know what you think! And for our first episode of 2024, we delve into a listener question regarding the players constantly Splitting the Party in their Curse of Strahd campaign and how that’s leading to DM Burnout. But, Splitting the Party is a gift to a DM, isn’t it? I mean, now you can really dial up the tension, right? In a dungeon, or a mansion, or a Keep, sure. But what about when the party is split up into three sections of the campaign world?! In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave discuss strategies for dealing with players who constantly want to run, in essence, three separate games within a single session. Further, we delve again into the very real topic of DM Burnout and finish our Final Thoughts with some prescient wisdom from DM Thorin. As always, check out our affiliate link at FanRoll Dice and receive 10% off your entire order! 1:25 Our shout out to Johnny Ott at For Monster Kids for our brand-new logo! 2:20 A listener question regarding the constant splitting of the party over the whole map is leading to DM burnout. 4:57 Splitting the Party leads to splitting the table into multiple 15-minute blocks. Is that fun? 6:10 It’s a Trap! The greatest Fantasy movies, novels, and TV series Split the Party but D&D is a game first and foremost. 12:50 D&D is a team sport. 13:45 A constantly split party? How running multiple side quest missions can help, if time permits. Also, have you Layeth the Smacketh Down, as The Rock would say? 16:00 Tying important details and clues to certain characters can entice the players to stick together. 18:20 The difference between being a player at the table and being an audience member. 19:40 Don’t even split up in Boston. Our experiences with Call of Cthulhu. 22:20 The power curve and the loss of fear in players. “We can take this!” 26:00 DM Burnout: The place where player agency and Expectations on your DM meet. 32:50 Putting it back to the players. Emotional Intelligence and Empathy at the table. 34:25 Encounter Charts that can warn players off certain plans. 35:45 Session Zeroes and consistent communication. Making sure everyone has the opportunity for fun, including the DM. 37:15 Things are going to happen: Strategies for dealing with side quests. 42:18 Final Thoughts, with a flashback to some prescient Final Thoughts wisdom from DM Thorin.…
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1 Damage, Inc. – 3WD Discuss What Hit Points Represent And How To Improve Your D&D Game By Changing Your Perspective. 46:19
What do Hit Points represent? Who knew that this was a controversial question on par with asking about Alignment? Following our episode reviewing the Avatar Legends RPG and their use of Fatigue and Conditions, we posed the question regarding what hit points represent on our socials and the response was impressive. In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave take a deeper dive into what Hit Points represent in their games, how they describe the loss of them, and how other systems approach one of the oldest traditions of D&D. 1:10 DM Dave’s article on Fatigue and Conditions from Avatar Legends. 1:45 What do Hit Points represent? 4:00 The history of hit points and armor class and the evolution towards 5e. 7:50 5e’s “Big Bag of Hit Points” and how DM Tony adjusted for his Journey to Ragnarok campaign . 12:30 When the “Big Bag of Hit Points” still doesn’t matter, even in 5e. 13:00 DM Dave’s article on Vampyr and the Dark Powers. 14:35 Should severe hit point losses carry additional consequences? 21:05 The simplicity of hit points to dial up the tension at the table. 23:30 How do we envision hit points and how do we ideally like to describe the loss of them. 32:48 How 4th edition handled this in a player-centric way through the Bloodied condition. 35:45 Lingering Wounds and additional consequences… are they right for YOUR table? 39:20 Final Thoughts.…
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1 Everybody Was Kung-Fu Fighting – 3WD Reviews the Avatar Legends RPG and Reveals Tips on Running Brand-New Systems in Your D&D Group! 51:50
The 3 Wise DMs just played through the new Avatar Legends RPG Starter Set from Magpie Games. Based off the Powered by the Apocalypse system, Avatar Legends is about as different from D&D and Pathfinder as can be. In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave review the Avatar Legends system, the one-shot that we played as well as discuss tips, tricks, and pitfalls to playing completely new systems – how to prepare, how to run, and how to play – for new and experienced DMs and GMs alike. 1:00 Yet ANOTHER birthday game playing the new Avatar Legends RPG from Magpie Games. 4:30 Running a game that’s so based on a specific pop culture world. 7:30 DM Tony LIKED the pre-generated characters?!? 9:25 An even easier way of ending single-point failures and having the characters fail forward. 14:25 The difference between wargames turned RPG like D&D and roleplay/story-focused games. 15:45 How much do players need to be onboarded for lore-heavy systems like Avatar? 21:10 The difficulties with running a new system like Avatar Legends for even an experienced DM. 23:45 An interesting and cinematic way of approaching hit points through Fatigue and Conditions. 32:45 How your preconceptions of RPGs will affect how you play new systems. 35:20 How the Avatar Legends Starter Set could help better onboard GMs unfamiliar with the system. 42:25 The possibilities of the Powered by the Apocalypse mechanics. 43:30 Final Thoughts. Check out our affiliate link at FanRoll Dice to get 10% off your entire order!…
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We recently shared a post about our Halloween one-shot adventure that we started referring to as the “Kurt Russell Campaign.” Four players, all playing one of the legendary roles made famous by your favorite, and ours, Mr. Kurt Russell. The response was fantastic, so we thought we’d do a deeper dive. In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave are joined by return guests Bonnie and the Monster Wrangler himself, and now official DM, Matt, who decided that for his first official session behind the screen, he was going to do something that might even challenge even seasoned DMs. For all the dice that a character like Jack Burton is probably gonna need, make sure to check out our affiliate link at Fanroll Dice to get 10% off your entire order. 1:48 Player Introductions and The Kurt Russell One-Shot. 7:40 DM Matt shares the high overview of his homebrew concept for the Kurt Russell One-Shot. 11:21 The players experiences with a first-time DM running an incredibly customized homebrew game and lessons learned as a first-time DM. 27:20 Preparing for the adventure knowing that nothing will go as you expect it. 29:25 Timing a one-shot game to run in the time allotted. 31:15 The pros and cons of running a one-shot in a new vs. familiar system. Click here for our episode on D&D as Therapy. 34:10 The pros and cons of running your first game as a homebrew vs. published adventure. 37:25 Kitbashing to ease your preparation in a homebrew adventure. 38:53 Final Thoughts.…
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Most of us who enjoy TTRPGs like D&D also love board games… classic board games, strategy games, resource management games, and the list goes on. It won’t take long until you as a DM start thinking of implementing some of your favorite board games or board game mechanics into your D&D sessions. In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave discuss the ways that they have utilized their favorite board games and board game mechanics to create some incredibly unique, innovative, and fun game sessions, or in the case of our Dragonlance game, the entire campaign. For all the tumbling dice you need, check out our affiliate link at FanRoll Dice to get 10% off your entire order. 3:15 A Christmas “Board” Game in our Curse of Strahd campaign. Click here for the article. 8:45 Using a physical board during the session. 11:30 Mini games in your session for races, fair games, festivals, and card games. 14:00 Using skill challenges and existing game mechanics to build out something completely different: DM Tony’s Murder Mystery game (spoilers: think Clue ) 17:50 Meeting Sir Miltonus of Bradley… playing through classic Milton Bradley board games in 5e. 21:00 A deeper dive into the Murder Mystery game and the difficulties with managing different, high-level skills and abilities. 25:00 Our experiences using the Warriors of Krynn strategy game in our Shadow of the Dragon Queen campaign. 29:45 Getting ideas from your favorite board games to add to your D&D game. 37:00 Final Thoughts.…
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Spell effects in Fantasy TTRPGs are easily the times when we as DMs and GMs have to respond on the fly to changing parameters. In systems like 5e, we’ve discussed how they’ve crafted a system that does some of the heavy lifting for you when it comes to rulings. But, no matter how many rules exist, you are going to have times that interesting uses of spells make you have to adjudicate in a completely new way. In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave discuss ruling on how spell effects change the landscape and/or battlefield that we ran into in one of our most recent games. Regardless of your newness or your experience, this discussion helps us realize that the old adage of artists is true… “if you want to learn to paint great bricks. Paint one thousand bricks.” As always, please visit our affiliate link at Fanroll Dice to receive 10% off your entire order! 1:14 Our listener question… from DM Chris?!? 3:15 The difference between Game-Changing and Game-Breaking. 8:00 Basing your adjudications on how the NPCs would react in a real-life situation. 9:40 Some of the same disadvantages to the NPCs will affect the PCs too. 12:50 Shout-out to Sly Flourish’s Fantastic Locations 13:30 Incentivize your players into using the environment to their advantage. 16:50 The importance of spells and mechanics that change the environment vs. pure damage-dealing. 21:45 The Earthquake Incident: managing spells that have incredibly far-reaching effects. 28:20 The DM-Player Agreement: Every adjudication is a prototype and can change. 33:15 When to lean into the players intent and when to corral them in. 37:45 For every time your players own the bosses, there’ll be times that they get their teeth kicked in. 40:40 Final Thoughts.…
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1 Let’s Give ‘Em Something To Talk About: Our Best Tips To Get Your Players Roleplaying And Talking Amongst Themselves In Your D&D Game 50:50
Roleplay. It’s commonly understood to be one of the three pillars that make up the game of D&D. But, roleplaying between the DM and player is one thing… how do you get your players roleplaying amongst themselves? In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave discuss their best tips in getting players to roleplay amongst themselves, drawing from their games in Tomb of Annihilation, Shadow of the Dragon Queen , Journey to Ragnarok, and their homebrew world of The Further. A game full of great roleplay can get you super jazzed… so how do you get to bed when it’s a school night? Dovetailing into a listener question from Dr. DM, Tony, Chris, and Dave discuss strategies to deal with late night games during the week and how to decompress and “turn your brain off”, so that it doesn’t lead to DM burnout. As always, check out our affiliate link at Fanroll Dice to get 10% off your entire order! 1:05 Will Ferrell Scene from Stepbrothers. 2:20 Giving the player some stakes or secrets to approach their fellow adventurers with. 4:25 What to do when the players will only engage with the DM. 5:25 Fireside chats, campfire tales, and other story prompts to assist your players. 10:30 Using story prompts and roleplay to create more immersive Hexcrawls. 14:00 Prompting a player who’s not engaging with more concrete examples other than abstract roleplay. 16:25 Supporting players and teaching them how your game works. 17:45 Ending roleplay scenes that have gone too long. 26:20 A listener question. 28:50 Find an activity to decompress from the session and reset. 31:00 Not the best advice: don’t run late games on weeknights. 33:00 Lean into your strengths to focus your prep and not overwhelm yourself. 34:00 Plot is a couple of paragraphs. The story is what happens when your players meet it. 39:15 If your players are interacting amongst themselves, you don’t have to be the battery all the time. 44:00 Final Thoughts.…
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1 Tribute to the Greatest Game In The World: The 3 Wise DMs Share The Lessons Learned From Running A 12 Player D&D Game 1:07:34
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Reproducir más Tarde Reproducir más Tarde Listas Me gusta Me gusta12 players. 2 DMs. 6 dragons. Tiamat. 2 birthday cakes… and a whole hell of a lot of fun! As a companion piece to DM Tony’s recent article , the 3 Wise DMs are joined by some special guests to discuss and detail the lessons learned from running our largest endeavor yet – a massive, multiple-campaign ending game that required 2 DMs to pull off. If you’ve ever thought of running a massive Endgame-style game, or toyed with the idea of co-DMing, this is the episode for you! As always, please visit our affiliate link at FanRoll Dice to receive 10% off your entire dice and dice accessories order! 2:20 DM Tony’s concept to create our own Avengers: Endgame style 12-person game tying up loose threads from multiple campaigns. 4:10 Our special guest DMs: DM Lenny and the Monster Wrangler himself, Matt! 7:50 The epic, blockbuster, action movie-style terrain builds from multiple crafters and how they can add to encounter building. Check out some great tips in our Terrain episode with Scott at Paper Terrain. 19:08 How we handled newer players as well as characters that weren’t as tied to the campaign-length storylines we were tying up. 21:25 Pro tip: make the adventure hook for a massive game as simple and straightforward as you can: Rescue Baby Walter! Special Add-on - DM Dave finally reveals the mystery of Baby Walter that started in session 1 of our Curse of Strahd campaign! 26:00 How to build an adventure that 2 DMs have to run pieces of… including DM Dave’s BIG blunder. 28:45 The experience of the newest players at the table and how to provide them enough hook that they have reasons to join the adventure. 33:20 Monster Wrangler Matt describes the issues surrounding leveling a character from 7th to 19th, and the adventures missed… as well as a happy accident surrounding Barovia. 36:55 The possible pitfalls to look out for that we learned as we rolled out this prototype. 44:10 A deeper dive into the epic climax… the battle with 1 DM running 12 players and Tiamat. 46:25 DM Dave’s Rant on the defenses of some Legendary builds (“Bullshitium/Unobtainium”), and thoughts to consider when developing the ultimate BBEG. 50:45 The bittersweet nature of high-level play. 52:25 The completely unknown nature of Legendary BBEGs when you unload them on your party. 56:50 Final Thoughts.…
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In the immortal words of The Bard… “To roll or not to roll, that is the question…” Rolling dice is the cornerstone of TTRPGs, because without them, as DM Chris says, we’re just telling a story as we play with our GI Joe’s in the backyard. So, when you’re running a session, when do you decide to haventhe players, and yourself, pick up the dice? In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave springboard off a listener question that deals with trying to speed the game up in a homebrewed superhero campaign. From here, the 3 Wise DMs delve deeper into the big question of when to roll and when not to roll. And when you are rolling dice… head over to our affiliate link at FanRoll Dice and receive 10% off your entire order! 2:45 Static Damage: The difference between players and DMs. 9:30 The “DM Decision Helper”: Using dice to decide who’s attacking who. 13:00 Using dice to bring characters back into the action. 15:00 When too much rolling can lead to inevitable failure. 17:20 Using dice to avoid “Roleplay Slog.” 18:30 “Dungeon Crawl Lubricant”: Easing decisions in a dungeon crawl to move the session forward. 19:40 The Return of Castle Greyhawk! 23:30 Our tangent into the issues with Hexcrawls within 5e. 25:40 Rolling dice to affect the Slog Trinity: Combat, Roleplay, or Exploration. 32:50 Rolling dice to avoid the DM soliloquy: An example from our Dragonlance campaign. 36:30 The time not to roll: Random Treasure. 37:40 Final Thoughts – Capes and Crooks from Crit Academy.…
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1 Cutscenes – How to Deliver Lore and Secrets in Your D&D Games and TTRPGs While Still Keeping Your Players Involved 50:34
Cutscene. In a video game, it’s a scene shown to the player when they reach a particular point in the game, such as at the end of a level or when the player's character dies. The immense popularity of videogaming and the similarities between them and TTRPGs begs the question: Can you, or should you, utilize cutscenes in your game? In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave respond to a listener’s question regarding the idea of “cutscenes” in your TTRPG sessions and how best to deliver narrative, lore, secrets, and clues in a way that keeps your players engaged and doesn’t remove agency from them. And, while keeping your players engaged in your “cutscenes,” and they have to roll some dice, visit our affiliate link at Fanroll Dice to receive 10% off your entire order! 3:14 The similarities and differences between RPG video games and TTRPGs and the use of cutscenes. 8:10 Using “cutscenes” to deliver narrative and building the scene but NEVER to let the villain get away. 10:10 How to deliver lore, secrets, and clues about the game and your world. 12:00 The confusion over what “cutscenes” are in a TTRPG. 14:50 Your worldbuilding and lore will not all be discovered, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have it ready for when players want to engage with something. 17:20 Dreams, Visions, and NPCs – easy ways to deliver your narrative, secrets, and clues. 19:55 The lesson to learn from Brandon Sanderson: Be Patient. 21:15 DM Dave’s example of Being Patient from our current Dragonlance campaign. 27:30 The dirty little D&D secret: players are selfish and want to know how things are affecting them. 31:45 Ballad for the Bartender – NPC info hubs for your players. 35:00 The use of monologues and cutscenes when dealing with an audience (not players). The MCU Alpha Flight episode. 43:48 Final Thoughts Running Scenes Outside Your D&D Games…
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1 Live and Let Die: Dealing with Anti-Murderhobos in Curse of Strahd and Players Who Don’t Want to Confront the Enemy in Your TTRPG Game 45:27
Murderhobos. It’s one of the most discussed issues in any TTRPG discussion. Players who don’t feel like there’s no encounter that can’t be solved by casting “Sword.” But what happens when your party turns out to be what we refer to as “Anti-Murderhobos”? What if the party isn’t motivated to engage and/or end the evil machinations of the Bad Guys? In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave discuss a listener question regarding their Curse of Strahd group who wants to let the evil NPCs in Barovia “Live and Let Live.” When your players finally want to engage with the enemy, make sure to roll some Fanroll Dice, and click on our affiliate link to receive 10% off your entire order! 1:50 Batman and Raphael: Cowabummer! 3:55 The First Question: Are your characters heroes? 5:03 The importance of Session Zero. 6:05 Enemies not dead? No problem. The idea of returning villains. 7:45 The Second Question: Are your players engaged? 10:25 Neutral Superheroes and bringing the fight to your players. 15:55 The consequences of inaction. 18:55 The importance of player buy-in and understanding player motivations. 28:50 If the players don’t care about the NPCs, they probably still care about themselves. 33:40 Session Zero as a State of Mind: Reevaluating your campaign. 37:50 Final Thoughts.…
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1 How Low Can You Go? The Things Every DM Needs To Know When Creating Low Magic Settings in Their D&D And TTRPG Campaigns 46:04
Magic. It’s the thing that separates Fantasy RPGs from all others. Every other TTRPG can have combat, exploration, social situations… but magic is the secret sauce that makes fantasy special. Many DMs and GMs toss around the idea of “low magic” worlds, but what does that mean exactly? In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave discuss the definitions and parameters of low magic and how we’ve implemented it into our games. Along the way, we share several tips and tricks to limit access to god-like powers in your game! As always, when rolling for any magical effects in your games, make sure to check out our affiliate link at FanRoll Dice and receive 10% off your entire order! 2:08 What is the advantage of running a low magic world? 3:15 What does low magic mean exactly? 6:40 Class abilities and features are oftentimes just as magical feeling as magic. 7:30 Lord of the Rings. The most well-known example of low magic? 11:30 Limiting spellcasting abilities in Dragonlance to reflect the setting. 12:50 Lessons learned from Diablo IV and how too much magic makes it mundane. 14:15 Low Fantasy and making magic cost a lot. 17:00 What system are you using? That changes what low magic might mean. 17:45 How much can you curtail what characters can do before it’s punitive? 23:00 The importance of Session Zero and Campaign Pitches to gain player buy-in. 26:30 The best DM Hack to Named Magical Items from J.R.R. Tolkien himself. 32:25 Low magic can make the world seem more dangerous by keeping tension high. 36:30 If you’re curtailing magic, get player buy-in and work with your players to create something new. 40:40 Final Thoughts…
Gold. It’s the perfect representation of the reward mechanic from the earliest days of the White Box. Hell, it even used to represent experience! As a companion piece to our 19th episode on RPG Economics, Tony, Chris, and Dave delve into not just how to make things worth using the gold for, but also the idea of how you, or DO you, account for the treasure that the party finds? And please visit our affiliate link at FanRoll Dice for all your dice and dice accessories and get 10% off your entire order! 1:19 Will Ferrell as Neil Diamond . 1:30 Episode 19: RPG Economics . 2:40 Getting players to agree to how much gold they’ve amassed. 5:31 A quick gold tangent: How much gold did Smaug have in The Lonely Mountain? 6:40 The party accountant, appraisal, and the endless dividing of coins and gems. 9:55 Is it worth it to add the crunchiness of appraising and haggling for the sale of gems? 11:50 Is 100 gold pieces a lot? What does it cost to live in your world 16:33 Gold needs to be able to purchase things that are important or it’s just a number on a sheet. 18:05 How much magic should you be able to purchase before it loses its uniqueness? 22:10 The pitfall of trying to account for all the gold of your world. 25:35 “Treasure shouldn’t feel like accounting”: Play into the rush of finding treasure. 27:15 The cost of upkeep: Strongholds, Followers, Kingdoms, and Warfare ! 29:18 A shop in the middle of the Underdark… Finding AND moving the treasure you find. 31:50 Hirelings in the OSR vs. 5e. 34:30 A quick tangent on using Sidekick mechanic from Tasha’s in our Dragonlance campaign. 37:09 Final Thoughts…
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1 Come Together: 3 Wise DMs and Tabletop Journeys Come Together to Discuss the Best Tips to Running a Shared TTRPG Campaign World 1:08:48
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Reproducir más Tarde Reproducir más Tarde Listas Me gusta Me gustaAt some point, most DMs pursue the idea of a world and/or a campaign where multiple DMs are running the game. This is an audacious and exciting project, so in this week’s episode, 3 Wise DMs teamed up with our friends, Lewanika, Josh, and Glen at Tabletop Journeys (www.TTJourneys.com), to discuss shared worlds, shared campaigns, and shared universes… as well as all the other discussions that happen when you try to corral six DMs into a conversation. 1:33 The first ever DM Duet In history? 3:00 Our first tangent… we discuss Dragonlance! 7:25 Our second tangent… do things we loved as kids hold up when we grow up? 11:25 We revisit the mission of 3 Wise DMs and learn the mission of Tabletop Journeys. 17:00 We start the discussion based on our previous episode about sharing worlds (https://3wisedms.com/sharing-rpg-worlds-balancing-pc-power-levels-and-npc-portrayals-across-shared-campaigns-with-multiple-dms/) 22:30 Former characters from other games become the most immersive and real NPCs in your world ( https://3wisedms.com/ballad-for-the-bartender-3-quick-tips-to-make-npcs-more-interactive-and-meaningful-in-your-dd-game/ ) 24:16 Our third tangent… bringing our parents into our games. 26:23 Reconciling mechanics between different games within the same world, like DM Tony’s updated Wand of Wonder ( https://3wisedms.com/magic-item-workshop-supercharging-your-wand-of-wonder/ ) 30:40 Some big benefits of a shared world… massive worlds and generational heroes! 36:30 Trust your co-DMs to collaborate for the benefit of the entire campaign. 40:40 Our fourth tangent… Beatles history. 41:50 Using the shared world to ease the transition of players into DMs. 51:00 Digital tools that we’ve used to assist in thecohesion of information in shared campaigns. 59:45 We delve again into the benefits of the “Monster Wrangler” from our Curse of Strahd finale ( https://3wisedms.com/back-in-black-the-players-wrap-up-to-the-absolutely-epic-curse-of-strahd-finale-with-vampyr-the-star-of-blood/ ) 1:03:29 Our fifth and final tangent… we still haven’treceived the GI Joe USS Flagg! 1:07:17 The first-ever outro DM chorus!…
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Pirates. It doesn’t take long for a D&D group to want to play as pirates, swashbucklers, privateers, and sailors. In our modern day, we can blame Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean. But how do you approach running a seafaring adventure? Is it just a fancy travel mechanic? Is it just a vehicle to get from town to town? Or is it the basis of the whole campaign? In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave sit down to answer a question from a longtime friend of the show, Dr. DM himself, Jason, on how to run a great, epic, and memorable ocean-themed campaign outside of just being evil pirates who rob everything. 4:00 How is this different from every other setting? Taking care of the business of a sailing vessel. 6:30 DM Dave reviews how he has been approaching this in his Melora’s Light all-girl campaign. Including the idea of generating backstories and campaign settings through Call to Adventure. 9:10 Playing with resources: water, food, rests, etc. 11:55 Lean into the danger of setting sail in a wooden ship. 14:05 Using sourcebooks , like Ghosts of Saltmarsh, to stimulate your imagination. 16:25 The unique ability to travel to vastly different adventure locales when in a ship. 18:45 Focus in on the theme of the campaign that makes it different. 20:30 What happens when the ship is commandeered or stolen? 22:40 An ocean-themed campaign can be any type of campaign – High Fantasy, Pirates, Political, etc. 23:40 DM Tony using the airship in Storm King’s Thunder. 25:25 What are the character’s goals in this ocean-themed campaign? Will that change over the whole campaign? 35:30 We discuss how we made hex crawl travel interesting with our homebrewed Journey Cards. 39:15 Final Thoughts.…
Movies like The Godfather, The Lord of the Rings, Shawshank Redemption, Pulp Fiction, Kill Bill, Gladiator, Goodfellas… the list is inexhaustible. Movies that are “must-see” movies, classics that are nearly required viewing. Many published adventures, like Curse of Strahd , Storm King’s Thunder, Dragonlance, The Keep on the Borderlands, Against the Cult of the Reptile God, Tomb of Annihilation… they’re classic adventures that you want to experience, just like a classic movie. So what do you do if your players want to experience one of these “classic movies” and you’ve been running all homebrewed worlds? In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave sit down to answer a listener question about what their top tips are for approaching running a published adventure for the first time. 3:45 Tip #1: Know the general plot of the adventure – the “elevator pitch.” 4:50 Tip #2: Think of the adventure more like a sourcebook, rather than the gospel. 8:10 Tip #3: How to manage a giant adventure? One session at a time. 10:40 Tip #4: Focus on the plots in the adventure that will be fun for your players. 13:00 Tip #5: Lean on your fellow internet DMs… every published adventure has tons of hacks. 15:00 Tip #6: Approach these longform adventures as multiple adventures in your overarching campaign. 22:30 Tip #7: Make sure your initial hook is solid. Often, the published adventure hooks are “ehhh.” 26:06 PSA: Stop listening to “Tough Guy” DMs who use Railroad as an insult. Do what makes you and your table have fun. 36:40 Final Thoughts.…
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The 3 Wise DMs are all approaching campaign finales: DM Tony’s Journey to Ragnarok , DM Chris’ “Wednesday-Nighters” campaign in our homebrewed world of The Further , and DM Dave’s Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen campaign. Just like the start of a campaign, the end only comes along once. So what should you focus on when your campaign is coming to a climax? What questions should you ask yourself? What do you have to make sure you do? How do you create something that will be talked about for years to come? In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave sit down to continue our discussions from the last two episodes about tying elements of the game together to share their pro tips about designing and executing a great finale that will be the capstone for the game that has gone on for weeks, months, or years! 1:10 3WD is Big in Algeria! 3:40 What do you mean by the end of a “campaign”? 6:40 What has been the Theme of the campaign? 8:05 Lessons learned for your games, good and bad, from the ending of Loki. 12:00 Does a campaign or campaign ending need to be “epic”? 13:45 How our Curse of Strahd campaign really had 2 separate finales. 16:40 Does every character’s story need to be tied up by the end? Does the campaign actually end? 28:25 The story ends when the story ends, whether it’s 10 sessions or 100. 33:10 The pros and cons of running a “Resolutions” session after the finale. 43:00 Final Thoughts.…
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1 The Ties That Bind – Tying Together Characters, Backstories, And Adventures To Create The Most Immersive D&D Game Ever 48:36
Immersion in your D&D game. It’s one of the most sought after and asked about topics in the whole DMing Multiverse. The real trick always lies in how well you can tie together all the seemingly disparate pieces of your group – characters, backstories, motivations, and adventures – into one cohesive, epic story. In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave answer a listener question about how to best tie their characters into their newest campaign, Tomb of Annihilation, following the finale of their Curse of Strahd campaign . Along the way, we brainstorm how to tie these two adventures together into one large epic story. 4:02 We delve into what we thought the question really was… how do you tie Curse of Strahd and Tomb of Annihilation together? 7:15 What to do with Curse of Strahd’s Megaliths? 8:00 Published material, like Curse of Strahd, is great fodder for ideas of how and where to tie characters into the story. 9:10 The heavy lift of some published material, like Tomb of Annihilation, in hooking the characters into the story. 11:05 Detailed backstories vs the blank slate as well as DM Tony’s idea of “Reactive” backstories. 15:20 Tying in the characters, backstories, motivations, and adventures in the same way as you plan your sessions… one session at a time. 24:40 Providing the characters with stakes that really matter. 26:15 Weak hooks with adventures that were meant to be from tournament modules and how we’ve tied characters in. 29:25 Remembering the perspective of the characters, not the audience. 32:00 Creating a one-sheet Campaign Guide (like Mike Shea’s) to help players tie the characters in at creation. 38:35 Final Thoughts.…
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1 Chill, Till The Next Episode – 3WD Answers The Question Of How Long An Adventure Should Be And How To Build Episodic Adventures For Your D&D Game 50:14
2:05 A listener question regarding how to run episodic adventures that serves as a jumping off point for Matt Colville’s recent video asking the question, “How long should an adventure be?” 3:40 DM Tony’s lead-off question… what is your table hungry for? 5:25 The classic Monster of the Week theme and DM Chris’ love of The X- Files . 7:25 Episodic Adventures can easily become a railroad. 8:25 How epic, longform stories are the current zeitgeist and how that affects the adventures we create. 10:15 Whether a longform campaign or a one-shot, every adventure needs to be self-contained with a beginning, a middle, and an end. 20:05 The issue of players remembering ALL the lore and information gleaned over longform adventures. 22:45 The adventure should be as long as it needs to be to feel complete. 27:40 The level of prep needed between short and longform adventures. 30:50 Creating episodic adventures even in longform adventures, like DM Tony’s Storm Kings Thunder and Journey to Ragnarok campaigns. 40:30 Final Thoughts.…
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1 What I Like (And Hate) About You – 3 Wise DMs Reflect On A Decade of 5e and Share Tips That Will Make You Have Your Best D&D Game Ever 53:20
On July 3rd of 2024, D&D 5e will turn 10! While it has taken some hits in those ten years, no one can deny the positive effect it has had on our TTRPG hobby, bringing in an entire generation of new players. With this anniversary, we started to reflect on what we have loved, what we’ve hated, what we would change, and what we look to for the future. And, as opposed to most of the posts we see on social media (like the DM who stated that a 1st level character could kill a Tarrasque?!?), this is coming from players and DMs who have been playing weekly, not just pontificating from their armchair. In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave see where the rubber hit the road in 5e as they discuss how it has affected some of their campaigns over the last 10 years: Storm King’s Thunder , Curse of Strahd , Tomb of Annihilation, Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen , and their homebrewed world of The Further! 2:55 Bardic Inspiration as a Reaction from the One D&D Playtest. 9:00 Counterspell… a DMs Bane! 14:00 The UA Tunnel Fighter build… one man holding off the armies of Mordor! 18:40 Leomund’s Tiny Hut… 5e’s “Save” Function. 23:45 Looking to the future: Making Rests Better. 29:50 We need to have some real talk about Find Familiar… 36:45 Looking to the Past for the Future: 3rd Editions Change to Magic Items. 40:55 3WD Homebrew: Stacking Inspiration. 43:45 Looking to the Future: Feats! 45:00 Final Thoughts.…
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1 Go Go Godzilla! 3WD Brainstorms The Best Ways To Bring Unbeatable Monsters Like Godzilla Into Your D&D Campaign 45:33
As we learned from the AD&D release, Deities & Demigods , “If you stat it, players will kill it.” So, what do you do if you want to place an unbeatable Kaiju-type monster, like Godzilla, into your game world? Something way more fearsome than a Tarrasque. A complete force of nature that shapes the entire world and every adventure in it. Something that you can’t just “punch really hard.” In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave respond to a listener’s question, “have you ever put a monster in your campaign that cannot be defeated?” and enter into a real time brainstorming session as we discuss how we’ve used it as DMs as well as played with it as players in our own games. 1:45 DM Jim’s Brainstorm Topic 2:25 Are these the seeds of where the endgame of your campaign is or are you just hazing your players? 3:50 Think less about defeating the unbeatable monster and more about foiling their plans. 5:55 The Scroll of Tarrasque Summoning from Rime of the Frostmaiden and our tangent into the idea of WOTC playtesting adventures before they release them. 8:10 “If you stat it, players will kill it.” 8:55 Our return to the Woodstock Wanderers campaign and the unkillable, flying spaghetti monster that was Ghatanothoa. 12:15 Be careful dropping this type of monster into your game if your players singular idea is “Frontal Assault!” 17:45 The idea that this type of creature is not “good” or “evil” but just a force of nature. How do you fill this story and adventure out without it becoming monotonous? 22:05 The trick of revealing the BBEG and their nefarious schemes early in the campaign… how do you do this with Godzilla who doesn’t really have plans? 29:00 The adventure is in realizing that this “oncoming storm” is coming and what are the heroes going to do about it. 34:45 “Can you write a campaign for Superman?” Dealing with problems that you can’t just punch in the nose. 37:30 Final Thoughts.…
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1 Back in the Saddle Again: Our Best Tips and Tricks for Coming Out of DM Retirement and Running Your First D&D Game in Decades 43:52
We’ve done several episodes and articles about how to best onboard new DMs and GMs to the hobby, including episode 113: Just Do It, with DM Lenny, about running his first game ever . But what about all the Grognards and OG DMs that were playing it out of the White Boxes assembled by Gary Gygax in his own home? In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave sit down with our good friend, Scott Washburn of Paper Terrain , to discuss his recent return to the DM chair with his homebrewed campaign “World of the Five Gods.” True to form, Scott kitbashed together the original White Box D&D with some flair from 5e. For all the DMs who have thought that “Retirement Sucks,” whether its been 40 days or 40 years, this is the episode for you. 2:15 Our very Special Guest DM, the Scott “Wizard” Washburn, from our Terrain, Maps, and Minis episode , who recently returned to the DM chair after a FORTY YEAR HIATUS, and a brief review of the recent game. 9:10 What would Scott have done differently, or what would he have prepped more (or less) having finally ran a game again? 14:25 Don’t get lost in the worldbuilding and the introduction of the massive breadth of your setting, get the players rolling dice as soon as possible. 16:40 Make the adventure objective clear. 17:10 How Scott made adventuring in dungeons a significant driver of the economy and commerce (including taxes!) 19:45 Scott shares his thought process in how he approached running his first game back, as well as leaning into some of his skill sets from an unlikely source, and some of the changes he would make. 27:15 Some of the things we enjoyed about the system, including the return to OD&D, 1e, and the OSR – including removing initiative as we know it! 32:30 Final Thoughts.…
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1 Changes - 3 Wise DMs Absolutely Best Tips For The Player That Wants To Change Their D&D Character Class 42:22
What do you do when your player is unhappy with the direction of their class and wants to change over into a new class mid-campaign, but with the same character? In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave answer a listener question about their player that wants to change their character’s class from Paladin to Sorcerer at 5th level. We delve into not just the narrative components of a change like this, but also the mechanical effects that such a change would inevitably bring. Along the way, we offer tips, tricks, and questions you should ask yourself if you’re planning on something like this in your own games. 3:45 First questions: will this completely break immersion and is this an offer you’re ready to make for all the players? 4:30 DM Chris fondly remembers Clyde from Every Which Way But Loose and discusses the “Buyer’s Remorse” of character choices and how to work with it. 7:00 The benefit of starting at lower levels and the character building that comes with it. How a 5th level character might feel a little more “pregen”, as DM Tony refers to it. 8:45 The benefits of One-shots, Session Zeroes, and Playtests to understand better the choices you’re making. What if Aragorn never leaves Bree? 12:30 DM Tony’s workaround for swapping power sets in 4th edition. 13:14 Learning the rules of the class as you level… the kid who hates the elite sports car they just got. 16:30 How we have and would narratively approach changes like this in our own games. 18:00 How do you handle the mechanical changes that would come with such a change? 28:50 DM Tony recounts how DM Thorin had narratively and mechanically done this very thing in a 4th edition game… the return of Cassidus, the wizard made of a pile of undead bugs! 30:35 “It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to”.… the time needed to evolve the character and how to balance realism and fantasy. 34:05 Final Thoughts…
The tavern. It’s the start of 23 different campaigns that DM Tony has been in over the last three decades. It’s a fantasy adventure trope and gets a lot of hate out there for being basic and unimaginative, but is that necessarily a bad thing? In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave return to our RPG Mythbusters series and test the myth, “Is a tavern the best place to start an adventure?” Will it be confirmed, plausible, or busted? 0:49 The return of RPG Mythbusters, all the way back to Episodes 39 and 42. 1:56 Everyone knows what a tavern is as opposed to, let’s say, a Paladin’s Chapel. 3:50 Taverns are a historically accurate meeting place; the true “town square.” 6:45 DM Dave returns to the Lord of the Rings novel and reminds us that Gandalf drops lore in Bilbo’s house for 25 pages. Taverns can be much more organic to reveal the plot. 9:50 The tavern affords an easy, stress-free environment to introduce the players and their characters to the story and the world – which can be especially helpful with new players. 14:15 Session Zero could be a “tavern” by providing an intro to introduce the adventure. 15:40 The type of game can change whether a tavern is a good or a bad idea; in can be a phenomenal time sink. 17:20 Our tangent into 7-11 and Denny’s being modern-day taverns when we were teenagers. 18:10 Implied consent: the unsaid agreement between DM and players that you’re ready to go on an adventure for the session. 24:55 What type of adventure/campaign are you running? That should guide how and where you’re starting. 33:08 Lore Tolerance: how Taverns and “In Media Res” starts allow you to control the flow of lore dumps. 36:45 DM Chris’ idea that combat is the best way to bring characters together: A Band of Brothers. And how DM Dave leaned into this for our Dragonlance campaign. 43:15 Final Thoughts: Myth Confirmed, Plausible, or Busted?…
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1 I Just Dropped In To See What Condition My Condition Was In: 3 Wise DMs Discuss How Using Conditions Will Enhance Your D&D Game 56:48
With our recent Forged in Fire article series , DM Chris realized how many Conditions that monsters have resistance and immunity to, especially in 5e. With that, we began to discuss how much (or little) we play with Conditions in our home games, and how that might be limiting what we can do to craft engaging, thrilling, and challenging encounters. In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave delve into the Conditions mechanic (both in and out of 5e), the issues we have with some of them, what ones we find to be somewhat limp, and the ones we would love to use more. We also delve into what we have found is a Condition we often times inflict on ourselves as DMs: Expectations. 3:00 DM Tony returns to his problem with Stun mechanics… all the way back from Episode #4! 4:00 Making your game challenging without having them turn into “Gotcha” moments for your players. 6:20 Developing encounters with certain Conditions in mind. DM Dave’s Lair of Dragansalor from DM Chris’ 12 person Birthday game. 7:45 Seeing Advantage and Disadvantage as a Condition. 8:35 The power of Conditions through multiple systems and editions. 11:10 Using Conditions to control combat… more interesting than bags of hit points. 13:15 How Conditions, like Stun, have the players control the combat. Should you change it? 21:40 Skills, Saves, and the Rule of Cool article link. 22:45 Expectations: Conditions we place on ourselves as DMs. 32:45 Heroes of the Realm (including our Star Wars analogy): Be excited when the players mop the floor with the bad guys, regardless of the Conditions. 42:05 Resource management, Short, and Long Rests as Conditions. 46:15 Final Thoughts…
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1 She’s a Mystery to Me: How Long To Keep Secrets and Clues From Your Players In Your D&D Game 44:05
One of the beauties of TTRPGs is the ability to not just watch or read an amazing story, but to experience it… to create it. The mystery, the action, the climactic battle between good and evil; D&D gives us the ability to create our favorite stories. One of the most important aspects of that, as the DM, is creating a level of mystery to the story that the players get the chance to uncover as they delve deeper into the adventure. In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave discuss a listener question about the mystery that they’re planning on having last for 10 levels and ask, “am I being cruel by leaving them in mystery so long?” 4:05 3 ways it can go: 1) your plot twist becomes campaign defining, 2) players will rage quit, or 3) it falls flat. 4:55 Your campaign is not a novel. 7:30 New players might not even understand what they’re choosing when they’re still trying to understand the game mechanics. 9:40 If you have something to get through to the players: Repeat, Repeat, Repeat. 11:00 The difficulties of conveying the story in a spoken medium. 12:30 DM Tony discusses his difficulties in conveying lore-heavy campaigns. 14:08 What will the player’s choose? How this can affect the overarching campaign if its too set in stone. 16:25 New players might not be as new as you think with the advent of live-play games. But, then again, they might not remember what all the different dice are either. 19:05 DM Chris’ analogy of trying to teach something to someone and the lessons we can learn for in-game use. Listen for when the players begin to “parrot back” your plot drops. 23:50 The difference between YOUR reveal and THEIR reveal… tie the reveal to the characters. Matt Colville’s “A Tale of Two Campaigns” video. 28:40 For a campaign-defining mystery like “Mystara is dying,” there are infinite ways to create a breadcrumb trail for the players to pick up on. 35:55 Final Thoughts…
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1 Whatcha Got Cookin’? – 3WDs Top 9 Tips To Homebrewing Magic and Magical Items From Pop Culture In Your D&D Campaign 49:21
Homebrewing has been part of the game since its inception. Hell, the game itself is a homebrew of wargames! We’ve discussed homebrewing in previous episodes and articles , but a listener asks the question about how to homebrew magic items and monsters from well-known pop culture sources (like Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere Universe.) In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave discuss their top nine tips to pulling in objects and ideas from existing beloved pop culture properties and making them have the same level of gravitas as the book, series, or movie that they come from. 1:00 A Rock and Roll DM Tour Story. 2:05 A listener question about homebrewing monsters and items from The Cosmere by Brandon Sanderson from longtime listener Dr. DM, Jason. 4:30 Tip #1: Scaling homebrew to the tier that your campaign is in, for leveling systems like 5e. 5:30 Tip #2: Kitbashing from existing items, spells, monsters , etc. (like a Balor that turns into a demonic Bob Ross…) 8:10 Tip #3: Ask yourself 2 questions. 1) What is the world you’re pulling from? and, 2) How does the object, magic, or idea work in that world? 9:45 Tip #4: Benchmarking the magic, items, spells, etc. to what your players have and what the enemies have access to. 12:45 Our experience with this when we crafted He-Man’s Sword of Power for our Curse of Strahd campaign. Click here for the stats on DM Dave’s unique weapon for Strahd, Lament, the Impaler. 16:35 Tip #5: You can have it… you just can’t have it now. 21:45 Tip #6: Powerful objects don’t exist in a vacuum. The wars fought over Shardblades and the Spice Melange. 24:40 A tangent into how DM Tony’s famous barbarian, Hawk Morgan, has become “The Most Powerful Man in the Universe.” 26:20 Tip #7: Take into account how the object affects the campaign world (i.e. the Sun Sword in Barovia). 28:05 An example of Tip #5… the quest that needed to happen to craft Takal Aestar, the “Dragon’s Union” (our Sword of Power.) 30:50 Tip #8: Scaling up existing magic items and having them grow with the character (DM Chris’ Sun Sword/Holy Avenger, Drakmar Venges, the “Dragon’s Vengeance.”) 36:45 DM Dave’s Unique Paladin Longsword, Morthwyl O Duw. 40:00 Tip #9: Give powerful items and weapons some history, legends, and gravitas. 41:10 Final Thoughts…
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1 You Say It’s Your Birthday – 3WD Reveals 7 Tips That Will Help You Build Your Own Very Special One-Shot D&D Game 43:49
Birthday games. Several of our recent articles and episodes discuss our passion for running birthday games for our game group, whether it be D&D, the OSR , Avatar Legends, or the classic Marvel Super Heroes system; it’s become our thing. In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave discuss the recent Birthday Game they ran where The Doctor teamed up with the Sensational She-Hulk and members of the Avengers and the Fantastic Four to stop the impending Cyberman invasion orchestrated by the wielder of the Cosmic Control Rod, Annihilus, and do battle against the Brood in a giant Space Whale (believe us…. It made way more sense at the table!) We then discuss our 7 best tips to help you build your own Very Special One-Shot for Birthdays or any other day! 2:20 Finding the right type of setting and property to showcase the gift of the Birthday Game. DM Tony revisits his love of the classic AD&D adventure, Castle Greyhawk. 4:30 Tip #1: Have a Solid Theme. 5:30 DM Dave gives a brief overview of the impetus for the “Lost Episode of Doctor Who” that birthed this episode. 8:25 Tip #2: Use Existing Properties: How we’ve built existing properties like Masters of the Universe into existing games, like our Curse of Strahd campaign. Shout-out to the team over at Nerdarchy ! 16:20 Tip #3: Choose the Best System for the Setting AND the Players. 18:00 Tip #4: Go All Out. Terrain, minis, costumes… really stretch your limits. 19:00 We revisit DM Tony’s Murder Mystery One-Shot that he based off Clue. 20:19 Tip #5: Use the Players Favorite Character/Campaign as the Focus. 22:28 Tip #6: Tie It into Your Existing Campaigns… and our overarching Multiverse. 24:50 Tip #7: The most obvious… Focus on the Special Player. 30:45 DM Chris brainstorms planning a Birthday One-Shot in real time. 36:45 Final Thoughts.…
Inspiration. Along with Advantage and Disadvantage, its one of the most streamlined mechanics in 5e. However, we all love to try new or adjusted mechanics to continually improve our DMing. Fellow Wise DM Mike Shea over at Sly Flourish shared an article discussing the Luck System from Kobold Press’ Project Black Flag playtest. In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave discuss Inspiration; how we use it in our games and the changes we have made and are thinking of making to improve our games. For all those Inspiration dice, check out our affiliate link at FanRoll Dice to get 10% off your entire order. 3:00 Our recent Marvel FASERIP game that gave us some ideas. Check out Professor Bill at Comic Book University . 4:15 Keeping track of Inspiration, both as a player and as a DM. 5:20 How something like the Luck System evens out the power differential between DM and players. 7:25 Our first change… DM Dave allowing DM Inspiration to stack starting in our Curse of Strahd campaign. 13:25 How the idea of karma from the FASERIP system is more than Inspiration. 14:16 We start to brainstorm, in real time, an idea to tie karma and Inspiration together. 15:25 Bards… the pros and cons of the quintessential buff and inspiration class. 17:45 Our second change… DM Dave using Inspiration as a reaction for the bard from the One D&D playtest in our Dragonlance : Shadow of the Dragon Queen campaign. 20:38 Our third change… DM Tony’s method of using Inspiration and other rewards that are active for a single session. 24:08 Our fourth change… DM Chris’ method of Inspiration in the form of Blessings, single-use Magic Items, and Campfire Tales in our Tomb of Annihilation campaign. 34:30 Introducing the right amount of chaos into your game and our return to the discussion about the location of the Sunsword in our Curse of Strahd campaign. 38:50 A trip down memory lane when you could stack potions… in your belly. 39:42 Final Thoughts.…
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1 Behind the Screens: 3 Wise DMs Reveal What They Want and Need Behind Their DM Screens and Offer Tips to Improve Your DM Set-Up 44:27
The DM Screen. It’s one of the quintessential D&D visuals. But what goes behind it? What lurks behind that foot-high barrier between the characters and the gods? In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave delve into how they use the DM screen, what they want to have behind it, and what they need to have behind it. One thing you do need behind your screen though is dice… so check out our affiliate link with FanRoll dice for all your dice and dice accessories. Go to www.Fanrolldice.com/ref/2871 to get 10% off your entire purchase! 1:40 DM Dave’s vitamin-induced fever dream that led to this topic. 3:00 First things first: Session Notes. 3:58 The most important thing behind the screen? Your imagination! 4:30 The DM Screen. 6:05 A little D&D History tangent about the DM screen. 6:45 What’s behind depends on what game you’re running: terrain, maps, and minis, oh my! 8:45 Even with a DM screen, you don’t have to hide the dice rolls. 9:15 A laptop/tablet as a DM screen. 12:06 Even without terrain, maps, minis – still prepare some good visuals. 15:10 How to easily introduce music into the session – also, check out Matt Mercer’s DM Screen Gamemaster Tips https://youtu.be/YRMVTmbe-Is 17:45 No one sees the NPCs or landscapes the same way… set it in their mind. 23:15 Take a lesson from block text: have some prepped descriptors for important scenes and NPCs. 24:45 How Roll20 and VTT’s make the entire internet your DM screen. 26:30 Think like a “Road DM.” What are the essentials? 32:10 Putting up the DM screen for one character – Character-specific narrative outside of the game. 33:50 The Campaign 3-Ring Binder. 34:30 Fodder for another episode – the sequel to RPG Economics https://3wisedms.com/the-3-wise-dms-podcast/rpg-economics-what-can-payers-do-with-all-that-gold/ 36:50 High Fantasy=Low Magic – another aside. 40:18 Final Thoughts…
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3 Wise DMs
1 Glory Days: 3 Wise DMs Shares the Pros and Cons With Their Return to Basic D&D Through the Old School Renaissance 46:26
We’ve talked about it many times on the podcast. We’ve been waiting for a chance to run it. We finally did! DM Dave ran us through an old-school dungeon crawl for our friend Scott's birthday with the Basic Fantasy Roleplaying RPG. In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave review the pros and cons of returning to Basic Moldvay-era D&D with the OSR. Final verdict: More pros than cons… try it out! For any Dice and Dice Accessories, visit our affiliate link at www.FanRollDice.com/ref/2871 for 10% off your entire purchase! 2:16 D&D meets Call of Cthulhu – Everything Will Kill You! 4:50 The ease of character creation and how weak that makes you. 6:50 When Intelligence Mattered! The shift in stats. 8:40 Limited abilities and resources can streamline the play experience. 10:20 When Fighters were the most boss class. 13:45 The ease of running an adventure, especially the basic stat block. 16:20 Back when Wizards were just weak, old dudes. 17:00 But… spells were REALLY powerful. 19:45 DM Chris’ biggest con? Dying. 21:00 Constant death works against long-arc stories – options for dealing with death because we only care about Ned Stark because he lasted for all of Season 1. 27:50 The soul-crushing experience of old school Experience Points. 30:00 Our Dragonlance Campaign tangent about making NPCs matter to the players. 34:40 Basic D&D makes waves of enemy monsters feasible to run in a single encounter that doesn’t take all night. 38:40 Why go into a dungeon? MAGIC and TREASURE! 40:22 Final Thoughts.…
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3 Wise DMs
1 My Name’s the Teacher: Making Leveling with Character Abilities, Oaths, and Patrons Matter in your Dungeons & Dragons Campaign 41:35
Sleep takes you as you wrap yourself into your bedroll in your campsite in the forest. Your slumber is surprisingly restful this night. As you wake in the morning, you find yourself having taken an Oath to a God and possessing several new spells… Not very satisfying, right? We can all understand that Fighters and Rogues just get better at doing the things they do, but what about Paladins, Warlocks, Clerics, etc… characters that gain incredibly powerful class abilities that are not of this world? In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave discuss how they make character choices in leveling matter more when it comes to BIG class changes. 1:00 Check out our affiliate link at www.FanRollDice.com/ref/2871 for 10% off your entire dice and accessories order! 2:40 Easiest way to start making these choices matter? Backstories! 4:00 Using narrative outside the session to help fill out the big character changes… Oaths, Patrons, etc. 5:30 Not just for the DM – taking the initiative as a player with your character development. 7:10 Have a story reason for big character changes with abilities, feats, etc. 9:00 How we handle players that play classic archetypes in unconventional ways. 11:30 Making Oaths to Gods and Deities carry the weight they require. 12:40 Are Warlocks inherently evil? 15:10 What do Warlock patrons want? 18:45 DM-Player Communication to fit mechanical choices into the overall story. 23:45 An Aside: DM Tony’s new method of multiclassing that we’re using in Journey to Ragnarök. 26:40 Believable Character progression is the spice in your campaign stew. 27:50 Let the players help you plant the seeds for their choices that create the story. 34:50 Final Thoughts.…
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3 Wise DMs
1 It’s So Easy: 3 Wise DMs 18 Favorite Dungeon Master Hacks To Help Make Running Your TTRPG Game That Much Easier 53:50
Running a game is a lesson in balance. There are so many dials and mechanics that you need to manage while also focusing on being what Gary Gygax referred to as “the Shaper of the Cosmos.” Anyone who has started running games or been running for decades has found hacks to make running the game that much easier and streamlined. In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave discuss their favorite DM hacks that we’ve employed in our games. 1 :30 Hack# 1: Where are we going next? Focusing your prep. 2:30 Hack# 2: Session Prep Notes 5:20 Hack# 3: Create a Session Prep Template 7:00 Hack# 4: Outline your session – create scenes 8:15 Hack# 5: Write down your recap – Previously On… 10:00 Hack# 6: Players recapping the adventure – taking the campaign’s temperature 12:00 Hack# 7: Recording your recap – cranking up the drama 15:40 Hack# 8: Google Docs 17:00 Hack# 9: Secrets, Clues, Scenes & Encounters – The Quantum Ogre Campaign 19:00 Hack# 10: Streamline your Stat Blocks 20:50 Hack# 11: Static Damage… who wants to add up 40d6 damage?!? 23:10 Hack# 12: Delegate the DM duties – Return of the Monster Wrangler! 25:00 Hack# 13: Static Initiative? 27:20 Hack# 14: There’s an app for that – using technology to your advantage 28:30 Hack# 15: Spell crib notes when running your spellcasters 31:30 Hack# 16: Scripting Monster Tactics – Monster Shorthand 38:10 Hack# 17: Adjusting the hit point dial… start with maximum hit points 42:20 Hack# 18: Get a sense of your party’s Damage per Round 50:00 Final Thoughts…
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3 Wise DMs
1 When Good Gaming Groups Go Bad: 3 Wise DMs Tips On How To Continue Your TTRPG Campaign With Only One Player 40:51
Game groups fall apart. It’s as inevitable as the rain. What do you do when your current group goes south, but you still have a player who wants to continue? Do you continue with the current campaign? Do you now run the entire rest of the party, the monsters, and all the NPCs? The 3 Wise DMs answer long-time listener Jared’s question about his Rime of the Frostmaiden campaign and delve deeper into utilizing Sidekicks, DMPCs, and other tips with one-on-one gaming. 0:51 Co-host introduction… whom could it be? 1:48 Long-time listener Jared asks for our wisdom 3:23 How do you approach running a game for one person? 5:10 In a duet experience, how do you run all of the monsters, sidekicks, and NPCs? 6:05 Introduction of DM Chris, DM Tony, and DM Dave’s shared homebrewed world of The Further. 8:05 A proactive player is key when running a solo player. 9:45 Adjusting encounter difficulty when you have fewer than 4 players. 11:45 Where the Sidekick mechanic from TCoE comes in handy. 14:14 When using Sidekicks or DMPCs, make sure they don’t steal the spotlight from your players. 16:50 How far are you willing to go to not steal the spotlight from your players? 19:20 The DM Tax… 22:20 Using the Sidekick or DMPC as a classic “Gandalf” mechanic. 24:00 What if your “Gandalf” ally doesn’t seem to know anything? 27:00 What if Gandalf reveals the secret, but Frodo wasn’t freaking listening? 31:10 Riddles… DM Dave is kind of over them. 33:50 When campaigns fall apart… what to do? 37:30 Final Thoughts…
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3 Wise DMs
1 Just Do It! 3 Wise DMs Interviews a Brand-New D&D Enthusiast About the 13 Tips and Tricks to Mastering the Dungeon 52:39
New DMs. It’s easily the most discussed topic in the TTRPG hobby. We’ve talked before about tips and tricks for new DMs looking to run their first games. However, this week, we got the chance to sit down with our return guest Chris and his brand-new to all things fantasy, D&D, and DMing friend, Lenny Szot… who decided to dive into the deep end and run his first game ever! Throughout the episode, we detail 13 tips and tricks to help but, in the end, Lenny’s advice is the most succinct: Just Do It! 0:53 Guest DM Intros. 1:37 Newbie DM Lenny’s Intro. 3:46 Obstacles to DMing as a complete beginner to TTRPGs. 5:55 The esoteric jargon that we all take for granted. 11:23 Tip #1: DMs helping DMs. 13:28 Tip #2: Getting the players invested and running your first game. 23:19 Tip #3: The ultimate beginner’s trap to avoid. 24:18 Tip #4: Being a “Head Up” DM. 25:49 Tip #5: Run the Starter Set in whatever system you’re playing - DM Dave has been vindicated! 27:40 Tip #6: Using the Pregens. 28:50 Tip #7: Get the players rolling dice. 30:45 The continuing debate of pregens vs creating characters! 34:10 Breaking down the rules – what you need and what you don’t. 35:25 Tip #8: It’s probably in the Dungeon Masters Guide! 36:25 The true BBEG: Schedules! 37:38 Tip #9: You never grow in your comfort zone. 40:00 Tip #10: Lean into developing and presenting your NPCs. 41:20 Tip #11: Published adventures are a guide, not a Bible. 43:08 Tip #12: Be a player! 45:33 Tip #13: Have a sense of the rules but, as DM Lenny said… “Just Do It!” 47:15 Final Thoughts…
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3 Wise DMs
1 Terrain, Maps & Minis, Oh My! The Long Tradition of Using Terrain and Minis in D&D to Enhance Your Game 54:26
In this episode, Tony and Dave sit down with our good friend and fellow gamer, Scott Washburn of Paper Terrain ( www.paperterrain.com ) to discuss the tradition of using terrain, maps, and minis from the earliest days of the game up to our current times. Along the way, we discuss how we have used and continue to use physical props to enhance our games as well as the tips and tricks to ease the burden on the DM. 1:35 Scott’s Story. 3:30 The mythical “White Box.” 5:20 Minis evolution from wargaming to tabletop. 11:05 Terrain on a college student’s budget. 12:05 The “Dungeon” in Dungeons & Dragons – the wilds are too dangerous! 13:10 The strange dwarven talent of “Detecting Sloping Floors.” 14:50 Wait… I need to buy a companion game to play OD&D? 18:10 Our first experiences playing with Scott’s professional terrain, maps, and minis. 22:00 Monster Wrangler? How about the Terrain/Mini Wrangler? 24:00 The evolution of terrain in wargaming and how it can flow into your D&D game. 27:00 The how-to of DIY terrain and the building of Mount Ghakis, Tsolenka Pass, and the Amber Temple for our Curse of Strahd campaign finale. 30:50 Tips and tricks for DIY terrain that ISN’T an entire mountaintop vista. 32:50 Our return to the idea of the Terrain and Minis Wrangler – make friends w/ artificers! 34:15 The epic Mount Ghakis finale build… and how to not literally build yourself into a corner. 38:20 The when, why, and how of utilizing terrain, maps, and minis for your game (and a sneak peek into the beginnings of our new DRAGONLANCE campaign!) 47:50 Scale for minis and terrain for your TTRPG (25 mm) and the bane of wargaming… Scale Creep! 49:25 Final Thoughts.…
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3 Wise DMs
1 Back in Black: The Players Wrap-Up to the Absolutely Epic Curse of Strahd Finale with Vampyr, the Star of Blood 1:16:22
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Reproducir más Tarde Reproducir más Tarde Listas Me gusta Me gustaHello and welcome BACK to 3 Wise DMs! It’s been quite some time and we’re glad that we’re back… Back in Black, that is - like Vampyr, our epic, final BBEG to end all BBEGs in Barovia. We thought that it worked out that the absolute, final ending to our 2+ year Curse of Strahd campaign coincided almost perfectly with the initial launch of 3 Wise DMs – and that deserves a proper sendoff. So, we gathered the players, the Monster Wrangler (what’s that?), and the DM to discuss how we homebrewed the second half of our adventures in Barovia after the dread vampire lord was defeated while staying true to the setting and the tone. For everyone wanting to continue with your 5e games after your players hit 11th level and the book finishes, this is the episode for you! Time Stamps 0:20 – Thank you to the listeners. 1:10 – Where do we go from here? 1:30 – Episode Intro. 2:50 – Player Introductions. 6:05 – The Monster Wrangler: What is it and how to use them? 9:05 – How to delegate responsibilities to the Monster Wrangler to help manage the session. 10:40 – First impressions of Scott’s table set-up of Mount Ghakis, Tsolenka Pass, and the Amber Temple. 19:01 – The Psychology of D&D: how the characters mowed through 2000+ hit points without a rest, yet still felt the tension. 27:30 – DM Dave FINALLY dropped the Bear Totem Barbarian. 28:50 – A DM Regret: How we completed every character arc except one. 31:00 - Lore dumps to set the scene to complete a character arc. Do they work? 34:50 - How we homebrewed the 2nd half of the adventure without losing the original tone. 40:50 – What worked and what didn’t with keeping the realness of Barovia after the published adventure is complete. 47:30 – How to best onboard your Monster Wrangler so they can succeed. 54:00 – Communicating when side information needs to be shared as opposed to can be shared. 55:50 – How the frequency of play can affect immersion and using narrative out-of-game communication to make up for it. 59:25 – Final Thoughts.…
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3 Wise DMs
1 Finish Your Homebrew Campaign With a Bang: DMs’ Breakdown of the Epic Ending of the Woodstock Wanderers 1:16:33
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Reproducir más Tarde Reproducir más Tarde Listas Me gusta Me gustaHow do you bring a 4-year Dungeons & Dragons campaign to a satisfying, epic ending? With an epic, solo boss. Some would say you shouldn’t do that in D&D 5E because the action economy favors a more numerically balanced battle. But with seven level-15 PCs, that’s exactly how we finished off the main quest in DM Thorin’s homebrew, mostly improv, campaign. We realize that reviewing a homebrew campaign is different from Curse of Strahd or Storm King’s Thunder – after all, you can’t go pick up the contents of Thorin’s head at the bookstore. But everyone should try their hand at homebrew at one point or another, and this episode is choc full of tips and feedback for creative DMs everywhere. That includes frank discussion of what worked, what didn’t, our biggest challenges (looking at you, Roll20), where the world seemed too shallow, and what was most interesting in this long-running homebrew D&D campaign. We hope it helps you craft even better games for your table. 1:00 Wrapping up the 4-year Woodstock Wanderers campaign 4:00 The final showdown with the Malbion, a solo archmage made to face seven 15th-level players 12:00 Just the right amount of wrong: How to make the PCs hate the villain without making them hate the game 19:00 What was different in DMing a homebrew game vs. a WotC published campaign 25:00 How the transition from in-person to Roll20 affected the game (and not for the better) 28:00 Home-made terrain (by our crafty player Scott of Paper Terrain) made in-person gaming even cooler 32:00 What did we like about the campaign? 38:00 The deal with the GOO: Instigating party tension and temptation 50:00 What was most memorable (besides Ghatanothoa and the final battle)? 58:00 What would DM Thorin change if he had it to do all over again and what were his high points? 64:00 What didn’t work? 66:00 Advice for homebrew DMs 68:00 Final thoughts…
Secrets: Are they powerful character-building tools or TPK time bombs waiting to destroy your RPG campaign? We’ve seen it go both ways, from character background secrets that added depth and immersion for the player to secrets pacts that saw PCs murdered in-game by other PCs. Is that second one a failure? That depends on your group, but it certainly wasn’t what the DM had in mind. In this episode, Thorin, Tony and Dave talk about secrets in the game, how they’ve worked out in their campaigns, and times when they went disastrously wrong! 2:00 A listener question: How do you DM around a player character with a secret? 6:00 How PC secrets have played out in our games 15:00 Using secrets and rewards to tempt player characters into doing … interesting things 21:00 When secrets go wrong: That time DM Tony assassinated another player character and more stories 28:00 Secrets in characters’ backgrounds can add depth and enhance roleplay 32:00 Is it a successful secret if it never gets revealed in the game? 39:00 Even when secrets go bad, it’s usually a pretty good story 42:00 Final thoughts…
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3 Wise DMs
1 The Epic-Tier Divide: Bringing Your DnD Campaign Into the Wild World of High-Level Play 1:06:10
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Reproducir más Tarde Reproducir más Tarde Listas Me gusta Me gustaSuper-powered archmages, alien vampire gods, Tiamat and the devil himself – once your campaign crosses about level 15, it’s all on the table. But the same is true for super-powerful spells, legendary artifacts, and a hundred other things that make the players as tough as your wildest villain creations. This is why epic-tier play just isn’t the same as everything your campaign has been through before. As you hit the endgame of your campaign, a couple things happen. First, your story should be coming to a head, which means the game gets less flexible, but you still need to allow room for player agency. At the same time, the game gets a little crazy. This is when it pays off to bring in your coolest ideas for monsters, magic items, and more. You want the ending to be memorable and unique. In this episode, Thorin, Tony and Dave talk about how they bring their games into the epic tier, what changes, and how they shift from story-building to creating a really satisfying end. Along the way, they talk about their own campaigns entering the final leg, the BBEG villains they’ve introduced and how to spar with a high-level party without the PCs or BBEG getting killed before the big showdown. 1:00 Several of our games just crossed level 15, and this is how they feel different 4:00 The Malbion and Vampyr: Super-charged endgame villains in our campaigns 8:00 Why the endgame is a bad time to introduce the deck of many things 13:00 Introducing the BBEG, the first fight with them and shifting focus to the climax of the campaign 31:00 Make sure the players don’t lose their agency as you start wrapping up the story 44:00 Should you let your party talk the Great Old One back to sleep? 51:00 How high-level spells change the game for the players and villains 56:00 What’s awesome about moving into higher-level play 60:00 Final thoughts…
Do you walk around talking in funny voices? Are you constantly thinking about how game mechanics apply to real-world situations? Have you ever turned a person or thing you know into a Dungeons and Dragons monster? (Did you have your players kill that monster?) … Then you, too, may be a quirky Dungeon Master. DMing certainly isn’t subtle. The little things we do to prep for sessions and keep the game fresh can seem a bit … well … weird. Sometimes they even drive our loved ones a little nuts. But still, they come out. Because your DM quirks are part of who you are, and no one can stop that vibe. So, at a listener’s request, here are 11-plus things the 3 Wise DMs do that are definitely a bit quirky. Maybe you can relate to them? 2:00 A listener question: Do you guys have any quirky DM habits? 4:00 Weird quirk #1: Our wives and girlfriends are begrudging sounding boards 8:00 Weird quirk #2: Random pop culture quotes and inspiration come out anytime, anywhere, to any audience 15:00 Weird quirk #3: Where do your RPG books live and how do you use them? 23:00 Weird quirk #4: Bringing in people from outside the game 26:00 Weird quirk #5: The silly voices we practice around the house 34:00 Weird quirk #6: DM Tony hates shopping in-game 35:00 Weird quirk #7: DM Dave’s goblin market 36:00 Weird quirk #8: Standing over the table and walking around the room while DMing 37:00 Weird quirk #9: DM Thorin brings Lovecraft into D&D … in every campaign 38:00 Weird quirk #10: The super analog DM 40:00 Weird quirk #11: Dice quirks we all have 42:00 “All of a Sudden!” – quirky things we’ve seen other DMs do 50:00 Final thoughts…
Has SEAL Team 6 rolled up on your D&D 5E dungeon yet? You know the party we mean: Archers, wizards, sorcerers, warlocks, ranged assassins … and not a single melee tank among them. Just hundreds of points of damage pouring into your helpless melee monsters from football fields away. It was near impossible to make the all-ranged party work in earlier editions, but in Dungeons and Dragon 5E, it can work shockingly well. It can even “ruin” the campaign for DMs who don’t know how to handle it. On the other hand, if you make them spend all their time shut away in bare 10’ dungeon corridors, that ruins the fun for the party and likely ends in a level-1 TPK. So how do you DM the all-ranged party so you and the players all have fun? In this episode of 3 Wise DMs, Thorin, Tony and Dave talk about their experiences DMing and playing D&D 5E’s powerful ranged classes and how you can bring balance to the field, even when it’s raining death like the beaches of Normandy. 1:00 A listener question: What do you do when the party is built like a Navy SEAL Sniper Team? 2:00 D&D 5E party composition vs. old-school D&D 4:00 How our parties are built and the many flavors of ranged characters we’ve played 11:00 The tactical challenge of threatening ranged parties with D&D 5E monsters 14:00 What do we think of firearms in fantasy D&D 5E? 20:00 How do you build encounters that start more than 100 feet away? 28:00 The impact of long-range combat on non-ranged PCs 35:00 Should you pressure the party to add more front-line characters? 40:00 How often should you use encounters that totally nullify the range advantage? 45:00 Final thoughts…
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3 Wise DMs
1 When Is It OK to Kill a Player Character and What Do You Do Next? 1:12:57
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Reproducir más Tarde Reproducir más Tarde Listas Me gusta Me gustaPlayer character deaths happen in all Dungeons and Dragons games and other TTRPGs … don’t they? Should you be worried about killing PCs, or is it fine to let the dice fall where they may? When is it OK to kill a character and how do you make sure the player is still into the game with their new PC? Is it even the DM’s choice? These questions come to us from a reader, but they’re not as simple as they may first sound. Sure, let the dice fall where they may and if characters die, so be it … But is that always the best thing to do? We think of ourselves as “if it dies, it dies” DMs, but at the same time, we really haven’t killed many PCs in any of our 5E games. Listen in to hear how Thorin, Tony and Dave handle character death and when/how/why it is OK to kill a player character. 1:00 Listener question: Is there ever a good time to kill a character? How to move forward after that? 2:00 Whether or not a player dies is not up to the DM, it’s a consequence of the situation 4:00 Have any of us actually killed a character in 5E? Well, one of us has 10:00 It is hard to permanently kill a player in 5E 17:00 Will D&D 5E remove short rests from the game? 21:00 Do players want their characters to die more often? Is that the environment you want in your game? 26:00 Is PC death the most interesting thing that can happen in this situation? 31:00 The issue with undoing too many deaths: There need to be problems magic can’t just solve 34:00 When is it OK to kill a PC in a way that can’t be undone (i.e., Finger of Death or Disintegrate)? 36:00 The fear of character death is more useful than actual player character death 43:00 Before you kill a character “for plot reasons,” make sure their player is on-board with the plan 49:00 What do you do after a player character dies? 56:00 How do you introduce the new character? 59:00 A process for fitting new player characters into existing campaigns 101:00 Is there ever an appropriate time to TPK a party? 65:00 Final thoughts…
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3 Wise DMs
1 Creating Fantastic RPG Factions: How to Use Groups, Guilds, Criminals, Guards, and More Organizations in Your TTRPG Campaigns 52:47
Every good campaign — whether it’s Dungeons and Dragons 5E, Call of Cthulhu, Marvel FASERIP, or any other system — has multiple factions for PCs to interact with. You may only need to flesh out criminals and guards, or you could build a world with dozens of competing factions all looking to use the PCs to their advantage. Whatever role factions play in your campaign, how do you build them out? In this episode, an old friend of the show brings a new question to Thorin, Tony and Dave: How do you build and use factions? We go deep into the factions in our games, how we created or adopted them, and the different roles factions can play in your TTRPG. 2:00 A listener question: Jared is back and asking about how we build and use factions 9:00 Start with the role you want the faction to play 19:00 Different kinds of factions we use and how we use them to add depth to the game 22:00 Making your factions more than just another group of quest givers 34:00 How we create factions and the people in them 45:00 Final thoughts…
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3 Wise DMs
1 Playing With the Future: How to DM Foreshadowing in Dungeons and Dragons and other TTRPG Campaigns 47:24
Foreshadowing is a powerful tool for any storyteller, but it can be hard to use effectively at the campaign table. Whether you’re playing D&D or another role-playing game, you’re really DMing against your players’ distractions. And a table full of food, phones and click-clackety math rocks can hide subtle hints more effectively than the rug you put them under. On the other hand, if you hit your players over the head with foreshadowing, it can ruin your surprises and turn the plot into a running table joke. So can you use foreshadowing in your games in ways your players will notice but not too easily? In this episode, Thorin, Tony and Dave talk about how they use foreshadowing in their games, what’s worked and not worked for them in the past, and tell a few campaign stories about DMing with an eye on the future of your story. 2:00 A listener question: How do you foreshadow major events without beating your players over the head? 10:00 The tactics of foreshadowing and how to hint that the joke character is actually the BBEG 18:00 What to do when the players don’t remember your foreshadowing 23:00 How foreshadowing in a TTRPG is different from a book or movie, and that changes what works and doesn’t work 32:00 Storytime: How foreshadowing has worked out in some of our campaigns 36:00 Give them something to do with it: How players remember details and experience foreshadowing 39:00 Final thoughts…
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3 Wise DMs
One of the best new mechanics in Dungeons and Dragons 5E is the advantage/disadvantage system. It’s simple, elegant and we’ve played several other games that have blatantly stolen it. We think it’s here to stay. But the decision of when to apply discretionary advantage and disadvantage falls on the DM, and the many mechanical ways players have to get advantage themselves sometimes conflict with the DM’s intent when awarding advantage. In this episode, hear how Thorin, Tony and Dave handle advantage and disadvantage along with plus and minus modifiers in their games along with plenty of examples from our gaming history (including the time a PC talked the DM into letting him one-shot the BBEG at 3rd level when they caught the guy simply walking across the road). You’ll also hear how you can use these mechanics to create the kind of game you want to run without making combat and skill checks overcomplicated or letting them overshadow the story. 2:00 Answering a listener question: How to DM high ground and when do we use discretionary advantage? 3:00 The math and mechanical impact of D&D 5E’s advantage and disadvantage 6:00 How we each approach advantage and disadvantage 17:00 Using these modifiers in combat vs. out-of-combat skill checks 22:00 Called Crits Gone Wild! How one player rules lawyered his way into one-shotting the campaign BBEG at 3rd level 27:00 The danger of excessive modifiers and complexity slowing combat down even more 30:00 More thoughts on how to reward high ground and why it may be best to hold onto advantage/disadvantage for discretionary use 31:00 Specifically, when do we use discretionary advantage and disadvantage? 40:00 DM inspiration and the case for stacking multiple inspirations 42:00 When do we use disadvantage? 46:00 Final thoughts…
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3 Wise DMs
1 The Pregnant PC: Handling Odd Character Creation Requests in Dungeons and Dragons and Other RPGs 1:00:18
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Reproducir más Tarde Reproducir más Tarde Listas Me gusta Me gustaWould you allow a player to bring a pregnant PC into your game? That’s the question listener Joel brings to us for this episode. And while at first, it caught us off-guard, we realized this doesn’t need to be a deal-breaker. In fact, not many PC backstory requests need to be a deal-breaker. It all depends on how you implement them in your fantasy game. In this episode, Thorin, Tony and Dave take a deeper look at how to DM a pregnant character without ruining their game. We also look at the starting character requests we’ve gotten and how we made them work in our campaigns. 1:00 A listener question: A new PC wants to start with a 2-month pregnant character, is this a veto situation? 5:00 A few important questions: Who wants to play the character, why, and how does it fit the table? 10:00 As long as the character isn’t disruptive to the table, why veto it? Talk to the player about their expectations of how it plays out in the game 15:00 Look at how books and TV shows handle pregnant characters – is the baby supernatural itself? 19:00 When would we veto a character concept? 26:00 How DM Tony’s upgraded Wand of Wonder faired in field testing 33:00 Wild PC requests we’ve gotten, from doomed nobles to ghost PCs, and how we handled them 41:00 Old-Timers: DMing PCs that want to start the game as older, experienced characters 49:00 Final Thoughts…
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3 Wise DMs
1 100 Episodes of Dungeon Master Advice: The 22 Most Important DM Lessons From 2 Years of Gaming and Recording 3 Wise DMs 1:04:16
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Reproducir más Tarde Reproducir más Tarde Listas Me gusta Me gustaWhat are the most important things every dungeon master (or game master) needs to know? In the 100th episode of 3 Wise DMs, Thorin, Tony and Dave run down the biggest things they’ve learned about running RPGs from Dungeons and Dragons to Marvel to Call of Cthulhu over two years of intensive gaming and discussion on this podcast. This has been like a 2-year DMing workshop for all of us, and we hope you’ve learned as much from it as we have. How do you make sure your game gets off on the right foot? Is your plot too complex? How do you keep combat from killing the game and your players? Hear the answers to these questions and more in this centennial episode of 3 Wise DMs. 2:00 The most intense 2 years of DMing in our lives 4:00 Lesson 1: It’s a partnership with your players 5:00 Lesson 2: Session 0 can be the difference between a great campaign and utter failure 11:00 Lesson 3: Game recaps before the session let you influence what the players remember and refresh your own memory 15:00 Lesson 4: Don’t make the story too complex 21:00 Lesson 5: Don’t count on the whole party listening during other player’s solo moments 22:00 Lesson 6: Too many hard fights in a row will make your players feel like you’re trying to kill them 23:00 Lesson 7: Combats need to be meaningful and not just slogs 24:00 Lesson 8: If the tension is always high, it never is 25:00 Lesson 9: Balance upbeats and downbeats 26:00 Lesson 10: It’s very easy for 5E combat to take a long time 28:00 Lesson 11: For some players, combat is their least favorite part of D&D 29:00 Lesson 12: DM Tony’s formula for RPG session clock management 30:00 Lesson 13: Spend your prep time on the important things: Your plot and story 31:00 Lesson 14: Some DMs need prep to be able to improvise effectively and enjoyably at the table 35:00 Lesson 15: NPCs – “serve fewer dishes, but better dishes” 37:00 Lesson 16: The best way to get better at DMing is to DM a lot – it’s more important to run a game than to run a great game 40:00 Lesson 17: Protect the continuity of your game – even if you have to kill the whole party to do it 45:00 Lesson 18: Listen to your players to understand what they really want for their characters 50:00 Lesson 19: Let the role players eat, but know how to bring other players to the table, too 52:00 Lesson 20: Always be experimenting with new techniques, mechanics, prep, etc. 54:00 Lesson 21: The ideal length for descriptions is about 3 lines 56:00 Lesson 22: Follow your inspiration 57:00 Final thoughts on what we’ve learned from 100 episodes of 3 Wise DMs…
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3 Wise DMs
1 A Dark Sun Rising: The Allure and Compromises of Using Pre-Made Settings 1:01:43
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Reproducir más Tarde Reproducir más Tarde Listas Me gusta Me gustaWizards of the Coast – and just about every other RPG company – puts out a lot of pre-made, boxed settings, and even more are made by third-party publishers. But in a game where you can play anywhere your imagination can create and customize the rules exactly how you want them, why use pre-made settings at all? That’s the question posed to us by a listener this week who’s gotten the itch to play a campaign in Dark Sun but is wondering why it has a hold on him. There are a lot of pros and cons for using boxed settings and creating your own settings, and the 3 Wise DMs dabble in both in their own ways. Here’s what Thorin, Tony and Dave think of using pre-made settings, what makes a good setting, how they make them their own and how they pull elements of existing settings into their homebrew settings, too. 2:00 A listener question: Why use a book world instead of building your own, especially Dark Sun 8:00 Why build your own homebrew setting? 13:00 Dark Sun the cannibal world: How the setting should help set player expectations 21:00 Kit-bashing pieces and characters from established worlds into each other and into your homebrew 31:00 The dangers of altering well-known settings and characters too far for your own purposes 39:00 What makes a good pre-made world? 46:00 Never spurn a muse: Follow the settings that inspire you 51:00 Final thoughts…
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3 Wise DMs
Ending a long-running Dungeons & Dragons campaign (or any TTRPG) can be one of the most intimidating moments for a DM. You’ve managed to carry the momentum, tension, and player interest for dozens of sessions over perhaps years. How do you wrap all that up into a few final sessions that leave you and your players feeling like it all paid off? In this episode, Thorin, Tony and Dave answer a reader question all about taking your campaign past the point of no return, to the end-game, and beyond. How do you build tension heading into the final session? How do you make sure your ending grows organically from the quest? How do you customize that fight so it’s challenging and satisfying? The 3 Wise DMs talk about it all in this week’s podcast. 3:00 A listener question: How do you bring a long-running campaign to a satisfying, not rushed conclusion 6:00 Limit the number of loose ends you need to wrap up 9:00 The game ends when the story ends, not when you run out of levels 12:00 Building tension as you approach the end game 16:00 Customizing your BBEG encounter for the party when they meet it 22:00 Taking the temperature of the party: Are they ready for the end? 30:00 The end game should develop organically from the adventure arc 37:00 The end of the campaign doesn’t have to mean the end of these PCs 40:00 How to plan out the end of your campaign by the session 44:00 Final thoughts…
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3 Wise DMs
1 DMPCs vs. Sidekicks: What’s the Better Way to Give Your Dungeons and Dragons PCs a DM Avatar? 52:43
We’ve talked about DMPCs before, but now Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything has added a new way for DMs to have an avatar in the game to help PCs out, cover any weak spots, or just have a view across the table: The sidekick. The sidekick mechanics work a little differently than a straight DMPC (which is essentially a leveling PC that DM runs in the party). Which one is right for your campaign? That’s the question Minnesota DM brings us this week: “When making a party-companion NPC to fill the healing role, is it better to make it a character class or use the sidekick option from Tasha’s Cauldron on Everything?” In this episode, Thorin, Tony and Dave break down how they handle party companions in their games, what they think of the sidekick mechanic, and how to run a sidekick or DMPC who doesn’t overshadow the party. 3:00 A listener question: If you want to add a DM character to help the party, is it better to add a DMPC or sidekick? 5:00 DMPCs and sidekicks, what’s the difference? 12:00 How Tasha’s sidekicks work 17:00 How we would approach DMPC vs. sidekick in our games 20:00 Do DMPCs cause problems with your players? 26:00 Will your sidekick or DMPC wind up playing Penny to the PC’s Inspector Gadget? 30:00 What makes a good sidekick: Fun ideas and examples from pop culture 34:00 Do you have time to create and play a sidekick with enough personality to do them justice? 43:00 Final thoughts…
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3 Wise DMs
1 Is ‘Don’t Over-Prepare’ the Worst Advice for New DMs? 1:12:31
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Reproducir más Tarde Reproducir más Tarde Listas Me gusta Me gustaDM prep: It can be the most important thing to putting on a good game or the biggest obstacle keeping you from getting back behind the screen. Some DMs say the most important thing to remember is to not over-prepare, but YouTube DM guru Ginny Di recently called this The Worst advice new DMs hear, and that it actually hurt her development as a young DM. Is “don’t over-prepare” bad DMing advice? There’s a lot to dig into there. In this episode, Thorin, Tony and Dave take a close look at Ginny Di’s take, the different ways they approach prep, the pros and cons of trying to DM without over-preparing, and how new DMs can find the right level of prep for them. 2:00 “The worst DM advice that everyone gets” from Ginny Di 6:00 Lightening the game up: Where “don’t over-prepare” comes from and where it goes wrong 13:00 Should the DM be responsible for doing a ton of prep for each game? Is that fun? 18:00 Managing pre-game anxiety: When you’re not prepared, do you still enjoy running the game? 21:00 Learning what you need to prep to have a fun game 30:00 How appropriate prep is different in different types of games 40:00 The Tolantia Infiltration: The high-prep and low-prep ways to do a spy mission 46:00 Ways to prep more effectively and with less waste 53:00 How does a new DM find the level of prep that’s right for them? 63:00 Final thoughts…
Rich, vivid descriptions bring your fantasy world to life. Unfortunately, they can also lead your players to think that the intricately carved and decorated elven bridge they’re crossing has to be an important clue or secret! If it weren’t, why would the DM have given it such a cool description? This is the curse of the red herring: When you’re casually monologuing details to give the world depth, and the players lock onto something that you meant to be insignificant. Next thing you know, they’re spending 3 hours trying to investigate a mystery that isn’t there. Now, you can always put a mystery there to pay off their curiosity, but that doesn’t always fit the plans, timeframe or story you wanted to cover in this session. So, what do you do? Stop describing the world? Slap the players’ hands to get them back on track? Ditch your story and follow their lead? In this episode, Thorin, Tony and Dave talk about red herrings they’ve seen get out of control and what they do in their games to try to back to the story … if they can. 3:00 A listener question: What to do when players think every detail you describe is hiding a mystery? 6:00 Sometimes DM-PC miscommunications are an opportunity for better storytelling 10:00 Balancing descriptions: What you spend time on the players will spend time on 12:00 Baby Walter and the creative power of player investment 19:00 Managing red herrings with consistent descriptions 26:00 How “Gotchya” moments lead to future DM-Player miscommunication 30:00 Getting the party back on track and off of the false lead 38:00 What really are the important scenes and secrets in your game? 42:00 Final thoughts…
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3 Wise DMs
1 DM Hacks and Tricks to Make Running D&D Less Tedious and More Fun 1:09:32
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Reproducir más Tarde Reproducir más Tarde Listas Me gusta Me gustaWhat’s some of the tedious stuff you have to do as a DM that you really wish had an easy button? Why does WotC make some essential DMing info hard to find (or at least hard to find while you’re trying to run a game)? This idea comes from Kaila Evans on Twitter, DM of the Comedy of Terrors podcast, who posted, “I've been waiting for some OG Dungeon Master to show up and starting giving us all some wicked obscure advice on the craft nobody ever heard of yet. Like maybe there's a hidden page in the DMG where the cost of magic items is fucking calculated already.” Well, we’re OGs, so in this episode, we’re going to talk about the tricks and tips we use to try to make DM chores from magic item pricing to map making and initiative tracking less tedious and more fun. And, spoiler alert, it’s different for all of us because every DM has different things they find tedious in running the game. Here’s our best advice, let us know in the comments if this advice is wise or just makes things even more complicated. 2:00 How can you make DMing less tedious? 4:00 Making it easier to go magic item shopping 23:00 What’s tedious for you? Identify the aspects of DMing that you want to spend your time on and what you don’t 28:00 How little prep can you get away with without introducing plot holes 31:00 Maps hacks, and how often do you really need them? 35:00 Don’t be afraid to ask your players to handle some of the things you find tedious, from initiative tracking to map making (and here’s how Thorin runs his combats). 46:00 Tracking (or not tracking) PC gold and other character sheet violations 57:00 Do you use and track spell components? 59:00 Why D&D 5E doesn’t always make things easy to find 64:00 Final thoughts…
The oldest Dungeons & Dragons books said the game was for 4 to 50 players, and we know people who DMed white box D&D campaigns with groups in the 20s. But that was then, and D&D 5th Edition runs into a lot of issues once you pass a certain number of players. So, what do you do when your game is already at 6 players and 3 more want to join? That’s the question posed by one of our listeners in this week’s episode of 3 Wise DMs. How many players can you comfortably DM at one time in D&D 5E? How does that compare to earlier editions and other systems? And what do you do when your group passes that number? In this episode, Thorin, Tony and Dave talk about how many players is too many, the reasons it becomes a problem, tips and tricks for managing the chaos, and when to break the game up into two groups. 3:00 A listener question: How to handle a 6-player game when 3 more people want to join? 7:00 The challenges of managing combat and story with a lot of players 12:00 More players can make the game less interesting because managing their turns cuts into time for other things, even the DM’s descriptions and narrative 18:00 What’s the ideal number of players for a game, and is that different across systems? 22:00 Ditch the battle map? Ways to streamline the game for more players 32:00 Can you split the party up into two or more groups? 46:00 Final thoughts…
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1 Putting PCs In Charge: How Do You Handle RPG Players Characters Moving Up to Become Kings, Queens and Leaders of Powerful Organizations In Your World? 1:09:59
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Reproducir más Tarde Reproducir más Tarde Listas Me gusta Me gustaMany RPG campaigns end with the players taking over kingdoms, wizard colleges, crime syndicates or other powerful organizations in the world as a sort of epilogue. But what about when they want to take these titles during the campaign and actively run their new empires? How do you handle putting your player characters in charge of powerful organizations in your world as an active part of the game? In this episode, Thorin, Tony and Dave take on a listener question about how to let PCs take on these responsibilities in the game without ruining the fun. Here’s how the 3 Wise DMs have put players in charge in their campaigns, the tricks they used to handle it, and how to make it fun for everyone. 1:00 Everybody Wants to Rule the World – A side quest about high school and musicals 5:00 A listener question: How do you handle PCs taking control of kingdoms, organizations and other powerful bodies in their world 10:00 How we’ve run players ruling kingdoms in our games 17:00 Is it good to be king? That depends on the perks and resources you give them 25:00 It’s not all on your PCs: How kingdoms and castles more or less ran themselves in history 41:00 How is taking over an organization, like a thieves’ guild, different from becoming king? 46:00 Where are the perks? How do you make running these things fun and rewarding for your players? 53:00 How many ways are there to run a kingdom? 61:00 Final thoughts…
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1 When Should You Bend RPG Rules? Handling Players Who Want to Adjust Game Mechanics They Don’t Like 1:07:30
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Reproducir más Tarde Reproducir más Tarde Listas Me gusta Me gustaNot every player is OK playing RPGs by the rules as they’re written. Some can’t even get through character creation without asking the DM to make some kind of mechanical adjustment. This may seem like an easy situation – do it my way or play with someone else – but it’s not always that simple. Sometimes the change may look harmless. Other times it’s a house rule you want to play with. And in rare occasions, it can become a battle of wills between the DM and a player constantly trying to twist rules to fit what they want to do, often without even asking first. How do you handle those situations? Clearly, the players are invested enough in the game to be thinking about how things could be better, but they can also cause massive power imbalances, an expectation that every player can bend the rules, and an overall broken game vibe. Those very questions came up for a couple of our readers this week. Listen in as Thorin, Tony and Dave help these D&D 5E DMs figure out how to handle a player who wants to play a wizard without memorizing spells and a veteran who misinterprets the rules for his own benefit, much to the DM’s frustration. 2:00 2 listener questions about players bending rules 4:00 The RAW to Rule of Cool Spectrum: How firm are the rules in your game? 8:00 Does removing D&D’s weird Vancian magic system break the Wizard class? 11:00 Called shots: How RAW and Rule of Cool change the game and beg the question, “Why can’t I”? 14:00 When bending the rules isn’t innocent and makes that PC better than everyone else 24:00 Negotiating with a player who wanted to bend the rules 28:00 If you’re going to let a player bend the rules, tie it to an item or boon that you can take away if it goes wrong 34:00 Making PC deities: Some of our adventures with homebrew power and abilities 37:00 How we handle players who want to bend the rules that we may or may not agree with 48:00 Handling a player who keeps misrepresenting the rules in their favor 58:00 Final thoughts…
It’s the question forever DMs everywhere ponder at night: How do I get one of my players to jump in and DM their own stuff so I can get some playing time?! (And also, so they can express themselves, expand the hobby, and all that other good stuff.) It’s not always easy. Sometimes the players you think would be the best DMs don’t have the interest. Other times your own presence may be intimidating them out of trying. Perhaps you just don’t make DMing look very fun to them? With those obstacles in mind, how do you make new DMs? Here’s how Thorin, Tony and Dave approach recruiting new players to DM, encouraging them to take the mantle, and supporting them as they take the reins. 2:00 A listener question: How do you convince players who’d be good DMs to try DMing? 3:00 How and why we started DMing and recruited each other to run games 13:00 How we try to talk players who’ve never run a game into DMing, and why they may say “No” 24:00 How do you spot players who will want to DM and help them overcome their obstacles? 26:00 The pros and cons of starting with official, “boxed” adventures 32:00 Sometimes younger players are more excited to try DMing than older, more experienced players 34:00 Let new DMs know you like their ideas and are excited to step back and be a player in their world 37:00 How do you help a new DM who struggles in their first game? 40:00 Bring your enthusiasm to their game 42:00 Final thoughts: Make DMing look fun, and more players will want to do it 48:00 P.S. The creed of 3 Wise DMs: Everyone gets to play what they want to play and do everything they want to do…
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Rest! In some D&D 5E campaigns, it’s taken for granted. In others, like Tomb of Annihilation, PCs may have to make their HP and long-rest abilities stretch for days. And like in real life, sleep deprivation changes the game! As we’ve started our Tomb campaign, it’s really driven home how Dungeons & Dragons’s rest cadence has a huge impact on how characters play, and it’s not an even handicap. Barbarians, fighters and warlocks barely notice. Clerics, wizards, sorcerers and artificers (poor Bixy!) have to hoard power uses like platinum pieces — we hope you know where you stowed that crossbow you got during character creation! And that’s just the start of our questions about rests in D&D. Is it realistic for the party to take an hour-long lunch break in the dragon’s lair like this is a union gig? What do you do about parties that try to rest after every fight? Is the full-healing you get with a long rest essentially, as one Wise DM put it, “D&D on super baby mode”? How can the DM use all of these nuances to their advantage to tortu… er, have fun with the players? Thorin, Tony and Dave discuss all that and more in this episode of 3 Wise DMs. 1:00 Sleep deprivation and your adventurers: Tomb of Annihilation doesn’t allow long rests in the jungle, here’s how it’s effecting our PCs 4:00 All classes are not equal: Rest restrictions hit certain PCs completely differently 13:00 Whittling away your will to survive: Is 5e’s long-rest full-healing mechanic “super baby mode”? 18:00 Some idea for increasing spell recharging without long rests 24:00 Make sure your players know what they’re getting into 27:00 Limiting long rests puts less burden on the difficulty and length of encounters 31:00 How frequently should the party be able to rest in your average D&D 5E game? 41:00 Are their lunch breaks in the dragon’s lair?! When and where is it OK to let the party short rest? 51:00 Final thoughts…
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