In Old School D&D, you got most of your XP for treasure. Not for kills — for gold. You leveled up by dragging loot back to the village, and it changed everything about how your 5e D&D sessions actually played at the table. In this video I make the case that GP-for-XP is the single most underrated rule in Old School D&D, why 5e D&D's milestone and combat-XP systems quietly trained your players to fight every encounter, and the exact rule you can drop into your 5e game this weekend to turn your dungeons from combat slogs into actual puzzles. If you're a 5e DM whose sessions feel like one fight after another with nothing in between, watch this video.If you want to see what's coming next in the D&D game I'm building, my Patreon has all the work-in-progress: patreon.com/Joethelawyer📍 Substack (weekly companion essays): https://analogmancave.substack.com/📍 Discord (community): https://discord.gg/RHxTCq3mzT📍 Podcast (Spotify, Apple, Rumble — all platforms): search “Joethelawyer's Analog Mancave"Channel membership ($0.99/month for early access and members-only updates on the game): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCABv_juND7JHvVbJCjWjhlw/joinOn the channel I cover D&D 5e, OSR, old-school D&D, tabletop RPG advice, classic dungeon design, and what makes great sessions actually feel great. New long-form video every Monday at noon Eastern.#DnD #5e #DungeonsAndDragons #OSR #RPG

DarkCon is the first, in person, convention dedicated to the Dark Sun setting. The first DarkCon will be held at the Knoxville Airport Hilton in Knoxville Tennessee on Saturday the 24th and Sunday the 25th of October 2026.Watch my live conversation Chris Moneymaker, founder of DarkCon, and Greg Christopher, aka the Chubby Funster, author of ShadowSun. If you want to see what's coming next in the D&D game I'm building, my Patreon has all the work-in-progress: patreon.com/Joethelawyer📍 Substack (weekly companion essays): https://analogmancave.substack.com/📍 Discord (community): https://discord.gg/RHxTCq3mzT📍 Podcast (Spotify, Apple, Rumble — all platforms): search “Joethelawyer's Analog Mancave"Channel membership ($0.99/month for early access and members-only updates on the game): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCABv_juND7JHvVbJCjWjhlw/joinOn the channel I cover D&D 5e, OSR, old-school D&D, tabletop RPG advice, classic dungeon design, and what makes great sessions actually feel great. New long-form video every Monday at noon Eastern.#DnD #shadowsun #darksun #darkcon

Castle Naerytar is the 6th chapter of Hoard of the Dragon Queen, the first book of a two book D&D 5e Adventure including The Rise of Tiamat. I break down the adventure chapter by chapter to show you how to run it in a more old school way, bridging the gap to the OSR for 5e players.If you want to see what's coming next in the D&D game I'm building, my Patreon has all the work-in-progress: patreon.com/Joethelawyer📍 Substack (weekly companion essays): https://analogmancave.substack.com/📍 Discord (community): https://discord.gg/RHxTCq3mzT📍 Podcast (Spotify, Apple, Rumble — all platforms): search “Joethelawyer's Analog Mancave"Channel membership ($0.99/month for early access and members-only updates on the game): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCABv_juND7JHvVbJCjWjhlw/joinOn the channel I cover D&D 5e, OSR, old-school D&D, tabletop RPG advice, classic dungeon design, and what makes great sessions actually feel great. New long-form video every Monday at noon Eastern.#DnD #5e #DungeonsAndDragons #OSR #RPG

WotC didn't lose the hobby because of bad dice math or edition creep. They lost it because they treated DMs like a revenue stream instead of the engine that drives D&D forward — and when DMs burned out and walked away, nobody at WotC noticed or cared.In this video I break down exactly how that happened, why it matters, and what we in the OSR are doing about it.If you want to see what's coming next in the D&D game I'm building, my Patreon has all the work-in-progress: patreon.com/Joethelawyer📍 Substack (weekly companion essays): https://analogmancave.substack.com/📍 Discord (community): https://discord.gg/RHxTCq3mzT📍 Podcast (Spotify, Apple, Rumble — all platforms): search “Joethelawyer's Analog Mancave"Channel membership ($0.99/month for early access and members-only updates on the game): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCABv_juND7JHvVbJCjWjhlw/joinOn the channel I cover D&D 5e, OSR, old-school D&D, tabletop RPG advice, classic dungeon design, and what makes great sessions actually feel great. New long-form video every Monday at noon Eastern.#DnD #5e #DungeonsAndDragons #OSR #RPG

Hi Guys! Join Erik Tenkar of Tenkar's Tavern, Joe Bloch the Greyahwk Grognard, and myself for our Sunday Knight Special! This week we discuss Skill Checks, an issues that often divides old and new school D&D players and DM's.We will get together on the first and third Sundays of every month and do a deep dive into an interesting topic that transcends Old School versus New School and edition wars. We hope to bring gamers together by talking about the things that interest everyone who rolls dice for fun.Membership has its benefits! Members now get early access to videos now! Join for as little as 99 cents a month to get to see all the videos as soon as I upload them, often days ahead of everyone else. Click Here to Join the Channel as a Member!https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCABv_juND7JHvVbJCjWjhlw/joinHere's my most viewed video of all time. :)https://youtu.be/bWRPXFJ8Bl8You can now listen to me on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Locals, and Rumble, as well as YouTube. Links are below!Joe's Links:TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@analogmancaveDiscord: https://discord.gg/RHxTCq3mzTAnalog Mancave Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1331036104620724Substack: https://analogmancave.substack.com/Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3NYr1znhg7i0aSQoyUcI6o?si=0c71530927984ea1Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/joethelawyers-analog-mancave/id1441356270Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077311317522 Rumble: https://rumble.com/user/joethelawyerTwitter: https://twitter.com/analogmancave Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/joethelawyerLocals: https://joethelawyersanalogmancave.locals.comEmail: [email protected] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/analogmancave MeWe: www.mewe.com/i/joed15 Webpage: www.analogmancave.comSquirrel!

You’ve been roleplaying this slimeball of a merchant for 30 minutes. The Players are into the scene! They’re listening to every word you say, looking at every facial expression you make, trying like hell to figure out if he’s lying. You’re roleplaying your ass off, giving an Oscar-worthy performance of a lifetime. They think he’s lying….THEY KNOW HE’S LYING…and one player is just about to call him out on it when another player says “I roll an Insight check to see if he’s lying. 25. Is he lying to us?” Where is the fun in that? Insight, persuasion deception, intimidation and all the other social skill checks take all the joy of human interaction out of your game.In this video I make the case that Insight, Persuasion, Deception, and Intimidation rolls are the single biggest reason your 5e D&D roleplay sessions feel hollow. We get into where these social skill checks came from, why old-school D&D never had them, and the simple fix you can try at your table this weekend that brings actual roleplaying back. If you've been a 5e DM long enough to feel that something's off about how social encounters resolve at your table, this one's for you.CHAPTERS:0:00 The Slimeball Merchant2:05 What Social Skills Do4:35 Engagement is a Requirement for FUN6:28 Try this in your Next GameIf you want to see what's coming next in the D&D game I'm building, my Patreon has all the work-in-progress: patreon.com/Joethelawyer📍 Substack (weekly companion essays): https://analogmancave.substack.com/📍 Discord (community): https://discord.gg/RHxTCq3mzT📍 Podcast (Spotify, Apple, Rumble — all platforms): search “Joethelawyer's Analog Mancave"Channel membership ($0.99/month for early access and members-only updates on the game): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCABv_juND7JHvVbJCjWjhlw/joinOn the channel I cover D&D 5e, OSR, old-school D&D, tabletop RPG advice, classic dungeon design, and what makes great sessions actually feel great. New long-form video every Monday at noon Eastern.#DnD #5e #DungeonsAndDragons #OSR #RPG

Hi Guys! Join Erik Tenkar of Tenkar's Tavern, Joe Bloch the Greyahwk Grognard, and myself for our Weekly Collaboration Video! We will get together on the first and third Sundays of every month and do a deep dive into an interesting topic that transcends Old School versus New School and edition wars. We hope to bring gamers together by talking about the things that interest everyone who rolls dice for fun.Membership has its benefits! Members now get early access to videos now! Join for as little as 99 cents a month to get to see all the videos as soon as I upload them, often days ahead of everyone else. Click Here to Join the Channel as a Member!https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCABv_juND7JHvVbJCjWjhlw/joinYou can now listen to me on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Rumble, as well as YouTube. Links are below!Joe's Links:TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@analogmancaveDiscord: https://discord.gg/RHxTCq3mzTAnalog Mancave Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1331036104620724Substack: https://analogmancave.substack.com/Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3NYr1znhg7i0aSQoyUcI6o?si=0c71530927984ea1Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/joethelawyers-analog-mancave/id1441356270Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077311317522 Rumble: https://rumble.com/user/joethelawyerTwitter: https://twitter.com/analogmancave Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/joethelawyerEmail: [email protected] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/analogmancave MeWe: www.mewe.com/i/joed15 Webpage: www.analogmancave.com

Hi everyone! I'm Joe, and though I'm one of the original OSR guys (40+ years as a DM running all editions of D&D games, and had one of the founding blogs of the OSR) I also ran 5e D&D extensively. My longest campaign ran almost 5 years. I've had multiple other campaigns that went on for a couple of years. How did I keep the games going so long, getting the players into mid-20th level, and still keep it fun and exciting? I used a lot of Old School D&D principles. That's what this video series is all about---teaching you all the Old School knowledge I have to make your 5e game fun and keep it going for years. Click the link below to become a Member! You'll get to watch a lot of videos early, and get members only video updates about the game I'm running and the progress I'm making on it.https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCABv_juND7JHvVbJCjWjhlw/joinYou can now listen to me on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Rumble, as well as YouTube. Links are below!Joe's Links:TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@analogmancaveDiscord: https://discord.gg/RHxTCq3mzTAnalog Mancave Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1331036104620724Substack: https://analogmancave.substack.com/Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3NYr1znhg7i0aSQoyUcI6o?si=0c71530927984ea1Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/joethelawyers-analog-mancave/id1441356270Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077311317522 Rumble: https://rumble.com/user/joethelawyerTwitter: https://twitter.com/analogmancave Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/joethelawyerEmail: [email protected] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/analogmancave MeWe: www.mewe.com/i/joed15 Webpage: www.analogmancave.com

I'm finally talking to the Troll Lords! Steve and Davis agreed to spend a couple hours Sunday night with us to talk about everything! From Gary and Zagyg, to killing your brother with dice. Join us! Be sure to back the new addition to Castle Zagyg! Gary's famous megadungeon finally brought to life. https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/troll-lord-games/castle-zagyg-galleries-of-the-arch-mage-2Hi everyone! I'm Joe, and though I'm one of the original OSR guys (40+ years as a DM running all editions of D&D games, and had one of the founding blogs of the OSR) I also ran 5e D&D extensively. My longest campaign ran almost 5 years. I've had multiple other campaigns that went on for a couple of years. How did I keep the games going so long, getting the players into mid-20th level, and still keep it fun and exciting? I used a lot of Old School D&D principles. That's what this video series is all about---teaching you all the Old School knowledge I have to make your 5e game fun and keep it going for years. Click the link below to become a Member! You'll get to watch a lot of videos early, and get members only video updates about the game I'm running and the progress I'm making on it.https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCABv_juND7JHvVbJCjWjhlw/joinYou can now listen to me on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Rumble, as well as YouTube. Links are below!Joe's Links:TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@analogmancaveDiscord: https://discord.gg/RHxTCq3mzTAnalog Mancave Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1331036104620724Substack: https://analogmancave.substack.com/Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3NYr1znhg7i0aSQoyUcI6o?si=0c71530927984ea1Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/joethelawyers-analog-mancave/id1441356270Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077311317522 Rumble: https://rumble.com/user/joethelawyerTwitter: https://twitter.com/analogmancave Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/joethelawyerEmail: [email protected] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/analogmancave MeWe: www.mewe.com/i/joed15 Webpage: www.analogmancave.com

I'm finally talking to the Troll Lords! Steve and Davis agreed to spend a couple hours Sunday night with us to talk about everything! From Gary and Zagyg, to killing your brother with dice. Join us! Be sure to back the new addition to Castle Zagyg! Gary's famous megadungeon finally brought to life. https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/troll-lord-games/castle-zagyg-galleries-of-the-arch-mage-2Hi everyone! I'm Joe, and though I'm one of the original OSR guys (40+ years as a DM running all editions of D&D games, and had one of the founding blogs of the OSR) I also ran 5e D&D extensively. My longest campaign ran almost 5 years. I've had multiple other campaigns that went on for a couple of years. How did I keep the games going so long, getting the players into mid-20th level, and still keep it fun and exciting? I used a lot of Old School D&D principles. That's what this video series is all about---teaching you all the Old School knowledge I have to make your 5e game fun and keep it going for years. Click the link below to become a Member! You'll get to watch a lot of videos early, and get members only video updates about the game I'm running and the progress I'm making on it.https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCABv_juND7JHvVbJCjWjhlw/joinYou can now listen to me on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Rumble, as well as YouTube. Links are below!Joe's Links:TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@analogmancaveDiscord: https://discord.gg/RHxTCq3mzTAnalog Mancave Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1331036104620724Substack: https://analogmancave.substack.com/Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3NYr1znhg7i0aSQoyUcI6o?si=0c71530927984ea1Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/joethelawyers-analog-mancave/id1441356270Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077311317522 Rumble: https://rumble.com/user/joethelawyerTwitter: https://twitter.com/analogmancave Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/joethelawyerEmail: [email protected] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/analogmancave MeWe: www.mewe.com/i/joed15 Webpage: www.analogmancave.com