Mastering Dungeons

Shawn and Teos host a panel with Greg Marks, Content Manager for Adventurers League, talking about inserting horror into your games. They break down what you need to get a scare into your players and their characters, as well as how to address players who don’t want to “buy in.”

• Check out Greg Marks at @Skerrit7h3green.
• Follow Teos at @Alphastream on Twitter and check out his blog at alphastream.org.
• Follow Shawn at @shawnmerwin on Twitter.
• Follow the show at @MasteringDnD on Twitter.

With all the news coming out of everywhere, the Masters of Dungeons decided to discuss it in front of the audience at Gamehole Con!

• Wired Magazine on Paizo and WotC employment
• Localized versions of the Core D&D 5E books will be available October 8 in German, French, Italian, and Spanish
• Adventurer’s League has a bunch of new blogs: Dungeoncraft Guidance
  • Yawning Portal blog post
• Wild Beyond the Witchlight Adventures
  • Yawning Portal post about new releases
• AL posted DM rules
• We will also have rules for Liar’s Night
• New WotC Publication – Critical Role: Call of the Netherdeep adventure
  • Variety says there is early work on a Critical Role video game
• New G4 D&D TV Show?
• Critical Role Campaign 3 begins!
• WizKids announces gargantuan Tarrasque figure
• DM David on Jon Peterson on Gary vs Arneson

• Follow Teos at @Alphastream on Twitter and check out his blog at alphastream.org.
• Follow Shawn at @shawnmerwin on Twitter.
• Follow the show at @MasteringDnD on Twitter.

After a couple weeks apart, Shawn and Teos. the Mad Wizard and AlphaStream, are back together to strongly finish their discussion on starting strong when running your campaigns! So how do the opening adventures of Descent into Avernus and Rime of the Frostmaiden hold up? The answer may surprise you…

• Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner Passes
• WotC is (almost) a $1B Business
• Paizo Workers Form a Union! – United Paizo Workers
  • Some More Info from Brian M. Bauman
  • Interesting Thread on the Effect of Freelancers
• DMs Guild announces: Community Heralds
• Ghostfire Podcast! The Eldritch Lorecast!
• Gamehole Con this weekend in Madison, WI
  • DemiPlane provides ways to watch…
  • …and donate to Extra Life!
  • Full Schedule

• Follow Teos at @Alphastream on Twitter and check out his blog at alphastream.org.
• Follow Shawn at @shawnmerwin on Twitter.
• Follow the show at @MasteringDnD on Twitter.

With Teos adventuring through Europe, Shawn sits down with Mike Shea to talk about the massive amount of news over the last several weeks. Among these, of course, is his current Kickstarter, The Lazy DM’s Companion; the third in his Lazy DM series! So what’s the insider scoop on all the Dungeons & Dragons items that have been popping up? The answer might surprise you…

• The Lazy DM’s Companion
• Unearthed Arcana: Travelers of the Multiverse
• EnWorld’s LevelUp 5e Kickstarter
• WOTC’s article on stat-block design
• New Job announcements for the D&D Digital team
• New Baldur’s Gate supplement: Minsc and Boo’s Journal of Villainy

• Follow Mike at @SlyFlourish on Twitter (and all his other links, of course!)
• Follow Teos at @Alphastream on Twitter and check out his blog at alphastream.org.
• Follow Shawn at @shawnmerwin on Twitter.
• Follow the show at @MasteringDnD on Twitter.

The fantastic creative team responsible for creating the terrifying Witchlight Carnival (and bringing the characters from the 1980s action figure line into Fifth Edition!), Stacey and Will sit down with Shawn and Teos and talk about the process of breathing life into one of the most imaginative adventures Dungeons & Dragons has seen in some time!

• Follow Stacey at @staceyallanart and Will at @BeholderPie on Twitter!
• Follow Teos at @Alphastream on Twitter and check out his blog at alphastream.org.
• Follow Shawn at @shawnmerwin on Twitter.
• Follow the show at @MasteringDnD on Twitter.

Having broken down the opening tales of various world-saving, monster-stopping, nearby-community-protecting, heroic adventures for use by brand new Dungeon Masters, Shawn and Teos decide to tackle somewhat more… profitable fare. What does the adventure look like when the goal isn’t to stop the forces of evil, but to stop the forces of evil for a profit? The Masters of Dungeons are here to show you!

• D&D Celebration
  • Survey on D&D Celebration
• OBS launches Dungeoncraft Spotlight Program
  • Domains of Delight by Adam Lee
  • Series of 8 adventures from best-selling DMs Guild designers
• Adventurers League Releases Revised Rules
  • Additional posts are coming
• DM David – Rethinking Potions as a Bonus Action
• Free League lands the Blade Runner RPG license
• And the Stargate RPG license in time for a new TV show

• Follow Teos at @Alphastream on Twitter and check out his blog at alphastream.org.
• Follow Shawn at @shawnmerwin on Twitter.
• Follow the show at @MasteringDnD on Twitter.

Shawn is back and he and Teos continue to break down the opening sequences of the hard cover D&D Fifth Edition adventures! Which ones hold up as adventures for new Dungeon Masters and which ones might need some adjustments, alterations, or amplification?

• New Release Schedule for 2021
• GenCon happened!
• D&D Celebration this coming week and weekend
  • Some Previews
• Diana Jones Award
• ENnies were awarded!
• Paizo fires key Customer Support
  • Jessica Price Tweets
• Critical Role Clarifies IP Use
• MT Black – The Secret of Strangelight Hall
• Acererak’s Collection of Complex Traps

• Follow Teos at @Alphastream on Twitter and check out his blog at alphastream.org.
• Follow Shawn at @shawnmerwin on Twitter.
• Follow the show at @MasteringDnD on Twitter.

With Shawn off wrestling another monster project, the amazing Scott Fitzgerald Gray steps in to join Teos in chatting about how to Master the Dungeons!

• Wild Beyond the Witchlight News
  • Polygon has coverage of the new fairie and harengon ancestries
  • IGN Discusses Some of the Games Characters Can Play
  • Gale Force Nine Announces ‘Collector’s Series’ ‘Witchlight’ Miniatures
  • Gale Force 9 Remaking the Tyrants of the Underdark
• New WotC Job Postings
  • WotC Digital Publishing is hiring a Narrative Lead
  • Liz Lamb-Ferro Needs 3 New People
• Neverwinter MMO Teases Dragons
  • And On Twitter
• Adventurer’s League: Game On: “Less” Rules, More Play
• ICv2 on Supply Chains
• Ravensburger North America Halts Orders Amid Global Supply Chain Crisis
• Scott has news: The Three Musketeers is out

• Follow Scott at @scottfgray on Twitter!
• Follow Teos at @Alphastream on Twitter and check out his blog at alphastream.org.
• Follow Shawn at @shawnmerwin on Twitter.
• Follow the show at @MasteringDnD on Twitter.

Shawn and Teos continue their deep dive into what’s good—and what could maybe use some other fixing—in the opening adventures and/or adventure setups of the hardcover adventures from Wizards of the Coast. Are they a good option for brand new DMs? Do they provide what new Dungeon Masters need?

• WotC is sponsoring a UK football team?
• DMs Challenge – Down to the 3 finalists!
• Acquisitions Incorporated returns to Pax West… and Icewind Dale
• VTT space heats up, with a $2.75M VC investment for Role
• Roll20 provides a guide for First Time GMing on Roll 20, in time for Gen Con
• Joe Raso on DMs Guild Pricing
• DMs Guild updates guidelines for print-on-demand
• DM David and Alan Patrick discuss high-level D&D
• Blades in the Dark will be a TV show!
• Avatar Legends RPG ends at $9.5M and 81,567 backers

• Follow Teos at @Alphastream on Twitter and check out his blog at alphastream.org.
• Follow Shawn at @shawnmerwin on Twitter.
• Follow the show at @MasteringDnD on Twitter.

How does a new Dungeon Master make sure they’re coming out of the gate running? The Masters of Dungeons take a look at the opening adventures (or adventure setups) of the hardcover adventures from Wizards of the Coast, breaking down what’s good, what could use some polishing, and how to use the content best in your campaign.

• D&D Celebration play signups are live!
• GameHole Event Registration is Sep 1
• New D&D Survey on Classes and Subclasses
• Magic the Gathering reveals Battle for Baldur’s Gate, Commander Legends
• Acquisitions Inc at PAX West
  • The 100 Games Games You Absolutely, Positively Must Know How to Play (2021 Edition)
  • We Need Wheelchairs in D&D: Disability Representation
  • Acquisitions Incorporated: The C Team Better Advice Panel
• Gift of Gab: the spell nobody uses is cool
• Arby’s, Known for fast food… I mean, Dice
• Renegade Game Studios and Hasbro discuss their new RPG engine
• Merric Blackman on 1st level Adventures

• Follow Teos at @Alphastream on Twitter and check out his blog at alphastream.org.
• Follow Shawn at @shawnmerwin on Twitter.
• Follow the show at @MasteringDnD on Twitter.