It’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: Narrative 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.

Following 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.

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.