Mastering Dungeons

We go through the adventure in Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft, the House of Lament! Spoilers abound as the Dungeoneers break down the experience of running this complex adventure. The House might not be the only one lamenting if DMs run this for their group without listening to this episode first!

• Wizards Adds to the News of 2 WotC D&D Hardcovers
  • Ray Winninger, the Executive Producer of D&D, provided more tantalizing info on Twitter regarding upcoming releases
• New D&D Survey
• Wizards of the Coast announces a new approach to Translated Products
• WotC announces D&D Celebration and DM Challenge
• Critical Role reveals summer show: Exandria Unlimited
  • New primer released for fans
• Magic the Gathering will launch a Stranger Things set
• New Strixhaven Unearthed Arcana
• PAX Online Badges available now

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Having defined horror in D&D games, we now look at the tools a DM might use to bring those themes to their campaign. From specific tools to Ravenloft such as the famed Tarokka deck and the spirit board (which can be adapted to most any D&D campaign) to an extensive horror toolkit which includes new rules for curses, fear, survivors and more!

• WotC announces Dungeon Master’s Screen: Dungeon Kit
• Regé-Jean Page Teases His Upcoming Role in ‘Dungeons & Dragons’
• Critical Role ends Season 2, What Comes Next?
• Marvel launches official Marvel Multiverse RPG
• Web DM Launches Weird Wastelands Kickstarter

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What does horror mean in Dungeons and Dragons? The Masters of the Dungeons, Shawn and Teos, discuss this as they jump forward to chapter 4 of Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft to talk about running horror games for D&D. Setting expectations, establishing safety tools, and ensuring everyone is able to have the same fun at the game table are all part of this excellent horror gaming discussion.

• D&D Studio Blog: How to Make D&D Scary
• Dragon+ now has Beyond the Underdark: Secrets of the Drow
• D&D AL releases a fundraising bundle for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month
• Magic the Gathering D&D card set will have a dungeon mechanic
• Arcadia Issue 4
• Kobold Press articles
  • Play With Class: Forge a Fabulous Fighter
  • Greg Marks’ Trapmaster article on Incremental Traps
• Richard Green: Van Richten’s Guide to Empire of the Ghouls
• Grant Ellis launches 10-Minute Table Top Talk

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We take a quick tour of Candlekeep and the selection of anthology adventures written by some of the best designers working today! Shawn and Teos break down how best to use these tales, in your campaign!

• More news and demographics on D&D’s amazing success in 2020
• “Summer of Drizzt launches” with Benedict Cumberbatch voicing Animated D&D Drizzt video!
  • WotC also launched a new “Legend of Drizzt” web page
• Daisy Head joins cast of D&D Movie
• New Dragon Talk feature – Insight Check
• Monte Cook on Conceptual Distances
• DM David – How to Run an Ambush

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• Follow the show at @MasteringDnD on Twitter.

With the 10th episode talking Tasha’s, what left for Shawn and Teos to discuss? Feats and Spells and Magic Items! Oh, my! We say goodbye to Tasha’s Cauldron by spotlighting the best of the rest!

• Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft – released May 18
• Dragon Talk, How to Be a DM – Teos talks about Collaborative Campaign Creation
• Adventurers League has an Open Call for Community Manager
• Luboffin on How to Prepare Large Adventures
• Jeff Talks RPGs – Industry Pay Rates
• Sly Flourish says “Demogorgon Must Die!”
• DM David: When You Describe Outcomes, Flatter Your Games’ Heroes and Monsters

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The Masters finish up their coverage of Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything… or do they! They break down the section on group patrons: What kind of options could there be to support your player group? When might these patrons appear and when might they take their leave? Why does a patron choose to support a group of adventurers in the first place? These are the kind of questions addressed in this section and the Masters take it all on!

As to what happens next, what would you like to see? Use the links below to let them know!

• G4 and Wizards of the Coast Partner for D&D Live 2021
• Magic the Gathering – Forgotten Realms set previewed
• Academy of Adventures – The summer camp we wish we had
• Roll20 – Tips for Getting Started
• Arcane Library on “Imagine First, Design Second”
• I’ll be on Nerdarchy Live on Friday May 21st at noon
• Monster Grimoire Kickstarter ends at 10am Eastern on May 22nd

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• Follow Shawn at @shawnmerwin on Twitter.
• Follow the show at @MasteringDnD on Twitter.

So what does Tasha’s offer for those who are looking for something different with their Wizard? Spells! Arcane Traditions! And Cantrip Formulas? Yep! That’s a thing!

• WotC is 75% of Q1 Hasbro profits
• D&D Movie filming in Belfast, Ireland. Scenes in Iceland.
• Draconic Options Survey is up
  • Alternate
• Jeff Goldblum proves life, and D&D, will find a way
• Peter Adkison has launched a liveplay called Actoroke
• Sly Flourish on the Dials of Monster Difficulty

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After a massive pile of news, Shawn and Teos dive back into Tasha’s epic tome, sifting through the enigma wrapped in a mystery shoved in a conundrum schucked into a quandary that is Puzzles as a DM tool!

• New WotC Studio Blog series
• Adam Lee shifts to new WotC position
• D&D announces new Organized Play Storyline Campaign, Ravenloft: Mist Hunters
• Unearthed Arcana: Draconic Options
• D&D Movie Adds Chloe Coleman
• Dragon+ Issue 37 Out
• WotC Now Directing Some D&D Translations
• James Haek joins Ghostfire Gaming
• MCDM Releases the Illrigger Class
• D&D AL New Releases

• 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 are joined by economist, journalist, and podcaster Tim Harford to talk about the future of Dungeons & Dragons (and the role-playing hobby, in general) from an economic standpoint as well as some insight into the episode of his Cautionary Tale Podcast on ‘The Satanic Panic’ of the 1980s. The Masters of Dungeons pick the brain of The Undercover Economist in one of the best episodes of all time!

• Tim’s Website
• The Cautionary Tale Podcast
• Tim 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.

Get ready to make a deal as Shawn and Teos walk us through the Warlock options in Tasha’s. Including new spells, new class options, new eldritch channelling choices, and two new patrons with whom to form dark pacts on the path to power!

• D&D Movie delayed to 2023
• Venture Maidens Campaign Guide Kickstarter is Live and Funded
• JVC Parry on Creating a Product – Call From the Deep
• Deven Rue on Playing a Blind or Visually Impaired Character
• Teos on Owlbear Soup
• AL Releases
  • DDAL10-06 The Fallen Star by Paul Gabat
  • EB-15 Dream Eater by Celeste Conowitch
  • Last Stand at Copper Canyon by Stacey Allan