Dueling GMs by Epic Blunders

Dueling GMs by Epic Blunders

By EpicBlundersLeisureGames
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Dueling GMs by Epic Blunders episodes

  • Dueling GMs 18 - Twisted Builds #5 (Ice Ice Baby)

    This week we started with the twist- Heavy reliance on cold/ice damage. We present a Barbarian Warlock that dishes retaliation damage in chunks and a chaotic Sorcerer Warlock who snipes unseen!

    Everyone's got a unique idea and cool plan for optimizing a tabletop RPG character build. But what if your parameters were a bit askew? Or what if you wanted to semi-optimize, but flavor it around a specific roleplay concept? Well friends, look no further! We give you "Twisted Builds"! What are Twisted Builds, you ask? We set up 10 simple rules to follow. Listen in on any Twisted Builds episode and get some interesting ideas for new characters down the road. Or, write in and tell us how we did it all wrong!  The rules are simple.

    1. Establish a Theme. Declare a Concept. Impose a Twist.
    2. All characters are level 10 using Point-Buy.
    3. All races and classes are acceptable without explanation.
    4. All Tasha’s Optional Rules can be used.
    5. No Homebrew unless it’s semi-official on DnDBeyond.
    6. Multiclassing is allowed but must follow requirements for Ability Scores.
    7. No magic items unless the class somehow grants them. Any mundane items allowed.
    8. All Subclasses can only ever be used up to a total of 10 levels. We want to showcase different builds.
    9. Established setting will be within the world we’ve been creating in other Workshops. We’ll continue adding things to the world in future episodes!
    10. These builds are purely for fun and quirky concepts. They may be somewhat optimized, but no guarantees.

      11. That's it! Subscribe, leave a review, and tell all your friends! We'd also love to hear what you think about the show. You can communicate with us directly at our EpicBlunders Twitter handle or follow our other projects on Ko-Fi.

      48 min
    11. Dueling GMs 17 - Twisted Builds #4 (No Cold/Fire Elemental Challenge)

      This week's challenge was to craft an elemental build using no Fire or Cold. It became a musical theme as Joseph offers a "Rock & Roll" Earth Genasi Druid and Anthony counters with an "Imagine Dragons" guardian that brings both the Lightning and the Thunder.

      Everyone's got a unique idea and cool plan for optimizing a tabletop RPG character build. But what if your parameters were a bit askew? Or what if you wanted to semi-optimize, but flavor it around a specific roleplay concept? Well friends, look no further! We give you "Twisted Builds"! What are Twisted Builds, you ask? We set up 10 simple rules to follow. Listen in on any Twisted Builds episode and get some interesting ideas for new characters down the road. Or, write in and tell us how we did it all wrong!  The rules are simple.

      1. Establish a Theme. Declare a Concept. Impose a Twist.
      2. All characters are level 10 using Point-Buy.
      3. All races and classes are acceptable without explanation.
      4. All Tasha’s Optional Rules can be used.
      5. No Homebrew unless it’s semi-official on DnDBeyond.
      6. Multiclassing is allowed but must follow requirements for Ability Scores.
      7. No magic items unless the class somehow grants them. Any mundane items allowed.
      8. All Subclasses can only ever be used up to a total of 10 levels. We want to showcase different builds.
      9. Established setting will be within the world we’ve been creating in other Workshops. We’ll continue adding things to the world in future episodes!
      10. These builds are purely for fun and quirky concepts. They may be somewhat optimized, but no guarantees.

        11. That's it! Subscribe, leave a review, and tell all your friends! We'd also love to hear what you think about the show. You can communicate with us directly at our EpicBlunders Twitter handle or follow our other projects on Ko-Fi.

        41 min
      11. Dueling GMs 16 - Twisted Builds #3 (Combat Marksman)

        This week- A triple-class combo called the Bloody Artillerist and a Warlock Crossbowman with only a +2 CHA!

        Everyone's got a unique idea and cool plan for optimizing a tabletop RPG character build. But what if your parameters were a bit askew? Or what if you wanted to semi-optimize, but flavor it around a specific roleplay concept? Well friends, look no further! We give you "Twisted Builds"! What are Twisted Builds, you ask? We set up 10 simple rules to follow. Listen in on any Twisted Builds episode and get some interesting ideas for new characters down the road. Or, write in and tell us how we did it all wrong!  The rules are simple.

        1. Establish a Theme. Declare a Concept. Impose a Twist.
        2. All characters are level 10 using Point-Buy.
        3. All races and classes are acceptable without explanation.
        4. All Tasha’s Optional Rules can be used.
        5. No Homebrew unless it’s semi-official on DnDBeyond.
        6. Multiclassing is allowed but must follow requirements for Ability Scores.
        7. No magic items unless the class somehow grants them. Any mundane items allowed.
        8. All Subclasses can only ever be used up to a total of 10 levels. We want to showcase different builds.
        9. Established setting will be within the world we’ve been creating in other Workshops. We’ll continue adding things to the world in future episodes!
        10. These builds are purely for fun and quirky concepts. They may be somewhat optimized, but no guarantees.

          11. That's it! Subscribe, leave a review, and tell all your friends! We'd also love to hear what you think about the show. You can communicate with us directly at our EpicBlunders Twitter handle or follow our other projects on Ko-Fi.

          45 min
        11. Dueling GMs 15 - Alignment: What is it (Lawful) Good For?

          Old school TTRPG players reminisce about the days of hardcore alignment restrictions. Not only did it provide a list of do's and don'ts, but it explained why certain characters had access to spells, items, and classes that others did not. In more recent editions of games, alignment has become more of a legacy feature that you can take or leave as you please.

          Today, we talk through the black, white, and large spectrums of gray present in modern-day alignment understanding. Does it serve any purpose at all? Is it a system of morality, personality, or both? And is it possible to play an "evil" character without the underlying assumption that you're a murderous psychopath? If so, what does that look like? All of this and more on this episode!

          We borrow heavily this week from http://www.easydamus.com/alignmentreal.html and highly recommend that you take some time to read that essay and the other articles on their site. We found them incredibly helpful.

          And then, yap yer fool head off on Twitter! Rate the show and leave us a review! Tell a friend! It's a trifecta!

          1 hr 21 min
        12. Dueling GMs 14 - Railroading vs Sandboxing

          The ol' Railroading GM gets a bad rap in tabletop gaming. And perhaps rightly so. But what if I told you that every game with a planned story arc has rails?

          Learn the sliding scale of 4 different ways to run your games, from Hard Rails to Soft Rails and Choose Your Own Adventure to Sandboxes. Pick up on the pitfalls and player perspectives on each. And discover how to turn each of them into versatile tools for your GM toolbox. All on today's episode!

          Like our TTRPG content? Leave a review! Tell a friend! And interact with us on Twitter!

          1 hr 13 min
        13. Dueling GMs 13 - Game Master Planning vs. Improvisation

          So many DMs/GMs in their #ttrpg games have long struggled to balance their desire to plan ahead and the lack of time to do so. Sometimes, we even have the time, but writer's block or procrastination make it nearly impossible to get ideas on paper. What is a good Game Master to do? This week, we look at some pros and cons of planned and improv sessions. We give some of our own ideas on our preferences and how we implement them in our own games. And we offer tips for when each may be used best to your advantage.

          Subscribe, leave a review, and tell all your friends! We'd also love to hear what you think about the show. You can communicate with us directly at our EpicBlunders Twitter handle.

          1 hr 8 min
        14. Dueling GMs 12 - Mordenkainen's Racial Overhaul

          Today marks the full release of the new “Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse” from Wizards of the Coast for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition. It's the most expansive ruleset tweaks for monsters and races for this edition to date while also having little to no new content. In this episode, we’ll be discussing what we've been referring to as “Mordenkainen’s Racial Overhaul”, and speculate as to why it does what it does, where we believe the system is going, and what we think it means for the TTRPG community as a whole.

          Thanks for letting us take a quick break from our usual content. We'll be back next week with more great stuff for you! Be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and tell everyone you know about the wonderful people here at Dueling GMs and EpicBlunders. Or, y'know, don't. We're not your real dad.

          Follow us and chat all you want on Twitter!


          1 hr 48 min
        15. Dueling GMs 11 - Twisted Builds #2 (Social Spell Slinger)

          This week- A Warlock who can't use Eldritch Blast and a Warlock who has to take CON as a dump stat!

          Everyone's got a unique idea and cool plan for optimizing a tabletop RPG character build. But what if your parameters were a bit askew? Or what if you wanted to semi-optimize, but flavor it around a specific roleplay concept? Well friends, look no further! We give you "Twisted Builds"! What are Twisted Builds, you ask? We set up 10 simple rules to follow. Listen in on any Twisted Builds episode and get some interesting ideas for new characters down the road. Or, write in and tell us how we did it all wrong!  The rules are simple.

          1. Establish a Theme. Declare a Concept. Impose a Twist.
          2. All characters are level 10 using Point-Buy.
          3. All races and classes are acceptable without explanation.
          4. All Tasha’s Optional Rules can be used.
          5. No Homebrew unless it’s semi-official on DnDBeyond.
          6. Multiclassing is allowed but must follow requirements for Ability Scores.
          7. No magic items unless the class somehow grants them. Any mundane items allowed.
          8. All Subclasses can only ever be used up to a total of 10 levels. We want to showcase different builds.
          9. Established setting will be within the world we’ve been creating in other Workshops. We’ll continue adding things to the world in future episodes!
          10. These builds are purely for fun and quirky concepts. They may be somewhat optimized, but no guarantees.

            11. That's it! Subscribe, leave a review, and tell all your friends! We'd also love to hear what you think about the show. You can communicate with us directly at our EpicBlunders Twitter handle.

            49 min
          11. Dueling GMs 10 - Leveling Up Your NPCs (A Lost Episode)

            Well, it had to happen sometime. We found an episode we recorded and forgot to publish!

            Non-Player Characters are vital in your TTRPGs. But how do you keep it fresh and fun? Is there some way to make some things a little squishier and others much more hulked out? Absolutely! In today's episode, we outline 6 different types of NPCs: Mobs, Monsters, Champions, Nemesis, Legends, and Deities. We talk about what to change, what to leave out, and the important steps in creating each type. We also offer advice on how to keep the mechanics from bogging down along the way. This discussion is helpful whether you play D&D, Pathfinder, Vampire, or any of the great indie tabletop games out there.

            Subscribe, leave a review, and tell all your friends! We'd also love to hear what you think about the show. You can communicate with us directly at our EpicBlunders Twitter handle.

            1 hr 14 min
          12. Dueling GMs 9 - Twisted Builds #1 (The Exploration Shock Attacker)

            Everyone's got a unique idea and cool plan for optimizing a tabletop RPG character build. But what if your parameters were a bit askew? Or what if you wanted to semi-optimize, but flavor it around a specific roleplay concept? Well friends, look no further! We give you "Twisted Builds"! What are Twisted Builds, you ask? We set up 10 simple rules to follow. Listen in on any Twisted Builds episode and get some interesting ideas for new characters down the road. Or, write in and tell us how we did it all wrong!


            The rules are simple.

            1. Establish a Theme. Declare a Concept. Impose a Twist.
            2. All characters are level 10 using Point-Buy.
            3. All races and classes are acceptable without explanation.
            4. All Tasha’s Optional Rules can be used.
            5. No Homebrew unless it’s semi-official on DnDBeyond.
            6. Multiclassing is allowed but must follow requirements for Ability Scores.
            7. No magic items unless the class somehow grants them. Any mundane items allowed.
            8. All Subclasses can only ever be used up to a total of 10 levels. We want to showcase different builds.
            9. Established setting will be within the world we’ve been creating in other Workshops. We’ll continue adding things to the world in future episodes!
            10. These builds are purely for fun and quirky concepts. They may be somewhat optimized, but no guarantees.

              11. That's it! Subscribe, leave a review, and tell all your friends! We'd also love to hear what you think about the show. You can communicate with us directly at our EpicBlunders Twitter handle.

              44 min

            About Dueling GMs by Epic Blunders

            From the publisher's feed

            Two real-life friends and experienced Game Masters take on the world of TTRPGs. One is a specialist in machine learning and loves to plan ahead. The other is a content creator and entrepreneur who thrives on spontaneity. Together they give insight for GMs and players with both designs and details for making your game sessions entertaining, engaging, and impactful.