Episode 174 of Mastering Dungeons! 


Main topic: Shadowdark RPG – Reviewing the Basics
Shawn and Teos delve into Shadowdark. While their torchlight holds, they examine the first chapters of this tome. Learn the basics of Shadowdark’s design and what sets it apart from other similar RPGs.
News: New D&D from Random House, How to Have Fun, Fighting AI, and more!
Contents00:00:00 Powerless00:02:16 Stale RPGs?00:09:09 BladeThulu?00:18:54 An RPG's Heart00:25:32 New Random DnD00:29:02 Fighting AI00:32:54 Post-WotC Endeavors00:35:57 L5R00:38:47 Ingredients for Fun00:42:14 Shadowdark00:44:04 What is Shadowdark00:54:32 Overview01:02:54 Book Intro01:06:50 Shadowdark's Assumptions01:10:01 Character Design01:14:38 Shout-OutsThank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon.
Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Shadowdark RPG - Reviewing the Basics (MD 174)

RPG veterans and game designers Teos Abadía and Shawn Merwin look at the game and the hobby of D&D from a variety of viewpoints: reporting the news, understanding the business, reviewing the products, and illuminating the design.  Whether you’re a fan, a player, a DM, or a designer, Shawn and Teos cover topics of interest to you!

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Episode 188 of Mastering Dungeons! 


Main topic: Daggerheart Review – Character Creation!
A nine-step process provides a robust mix of crunch and narrative options. See what this blend tells us about this and other RPGs.
News: Hasbro’s Q1 Results, WotC Completing the PH, Roll20 Discord Integration, and more!
Contents00:00 Far Out02:26 Vecna Prequel Review04:12 Monster Hunter06:05 Backgrounds Approach?11:23 Age and Time?19:53 BG3 for Other Stories?26:23 D&D Fireside Chat35:13 Hasbro Q143:04 Roll20 Discord Integration44:32 Star Trek 2E Quickstart45:57 D&D Beyond Seeks Writers48:57 Hypersleep Terminated50:39 Daggerheart Classes!54:09 9-Step Character Creation55:07 Step 1. Choose Class01:00:26 Character Sheet01:02:51 Step 2. Heritage01:05:23 Step 3. Traits01:10:15 Step 4. Evasion, HPs, Stress and Hope01:13:34 Step 5. Equipment01:15:17 Step 6. Background Questions01:18:26 Step 7. Experiences01:30:40 Step 8. Domain Cards01:36:35 Step 9. Create Connections01:43:39 Shout-OutsThank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon.
Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.

Daggerheart’s Character Creation (MD 188)

Episode 187 of Mastering Dungeons! 


Main topic: Daggerheart Review – Core Rules!
Hope, Fear, Stress, and so much more! We take a look at Daggerheart’s design and how it encourages narrative and tactical gameplay.
News: WotC President Departs, Colville on Adventure Length, DriveThru Sales Data, and more!
Contents00:00 Deck of Campaign Derailments02:45 Reworking Design?07:51 Best Adventure Format?15:52 Fix D&D Like MTG?19:02 Cynthia Williams Departs26:20 D&D Maps Tips27:39 Colville on Adventure Length34:54 DriveThru Sales Data38:13 Daggerheart and Demiplane40:05 Daggerheart Playtest43:07 Our Playtests49:20 Core System - Hope and Fear52:00 d12s v d2058:00 Hope as a Fuel59:44 Defenses and Health01:03:06 Stress01:05:10 Resting and Choices01:07:48 Narrative vs Tactical01:12:23 Character Sheet01:16:48 Shout-OutsThank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon.
Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.

Daggerheart Review: Core Rules (MD 187)

Episode 186 of Mastering Dungeons! 


Main topic: How to Keep Your New Campaign Healthy and Strong!
If the average campaign lasts only 3-5 sessions, how do we avoid that fate and maintain a healthy long-term campaign?
News: Hasbro CEO Interview Reimagined, Vecna is Coming, Fallout TV Sells RPG, and more!
Contents00:00 Kids are Alright01:39 The Black Ballad03:42 Is 5E Indirectly Modular?12:45 Fallout TV Sells Books15:49 Hasbro CEO Interview Reimagined25:13 Vecna is Coming27:28 Lich PCs29:44 Nest of the Eldritch Eye33:18 Organized Play from Gamehole37:00 D&D Blackmilk Clothing40:05 Monsters of Drakkenheim41:55 Keep Campaign Healthy and Strong43:58 1. The Right Players47:51 2. Right Campaign for the Players49:49 3. Right-Sized Session Zero56:49 4. Regular Flexible Schedule01:00:14 5. End Date01:03:04 6. Strong Campaign Start01:03:33 7. Engage Between Sessions01:08:19 8. Room for Changes01:08:48 9. Frequent Check-Ins01:10:30 10. Climactic End01:16:37 Shout-OutsThank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon.
Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.

Keep a New Campaign Healthy and Strong (MD 186)

Episode 185 of Mastering Dungeons! 


Main topic: Designing Player-Facing Options for New Campaigns!
How do you create or leverage player-facing rules that will intrigue them and ground them in your new world and your new campaign? How do you give them meaningful, informed choices early in the campaign?
News: Prep vs Improv? Dimension 20 in the Garden, Schwalb on 5E, and more!
Contents00:00 Path of Totality01:16 Prep vs Improv?08:57 Con for Crits?20:22 D20 at the Garden22:10 Schwalb on Taberna26:54 Encounter Tables32:47 Infestation at Devil's Glade34:13 Fantasy AGE Quickstart34:51 Oops all Hit Dice37:40 Player-Facing Campaign Options38:54 New Rules or Limitations41:53 Communicate Changes49:52 New Player-Facing Rules54:52 Custom Backgrounds59:24 Class Challenges01:02:58 Subclasses01:04:43 Feats01:05:52 Subsystem01:07:06 Involve Quickly01:08:42 Dragonlance Example01:11:32 Reinforce through Scenes01:14:17 Subsystems Early01:15:56 Shout-OutsThank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon.
Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.

Design Player-Facing Campaign Options (MD 185)

Episode 184 of Mastering Dungeons! 


Main topic:
Design an RPG Starting Encounter!
Continuing the discussion of designing a first adventure in our world, how do we design the first adventure? We look at creating an encounter that utilizes our setting, hooks, and plays off of the PCs!
News: Core Book Prices, Free Tsojcanth and LEGO Adventures, D&D Sales Drop!
Contents00:00 Two Fools01:28 Adventure Curriculum?12:34 MCDM Daggerheart Initiative?19:37 Flaws Mechanic?30:27 D&D Beyond Kickstarter Reward35:45 Core Book Prices36:52 Most of Hobby is Down40:52 Free Tsojcanth44:24 Free LEGO Adventure48:48 Design an RPG Starting Encounter50:00 Use What You Set Down51:53 Encounter Goals53:10 Don't Overwhelm54:46 Setting Considerations58:32 Theme and Tone01:01:55 Antagonists01:04:34 Allies and NPCs01:06:13 Duration and Pacing01:09:32 Session 0 Promises01:12:48 Play off PCs01:15:38 Satisfying Conclusion01:19:24 Cliffhangers?01:21:39 Final Checklist01:25:04 Shout-OutsThank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon.
Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.

Shadowdark RPG - Reviewing the Basics (MD 174)

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