Taking 20 Podcast

By Taking 20 PodcastLeisure Games

Taking 20 Podcast episodes

May 10 Ep 275 - Monster Series - Golems
Let’s look at Golems! Mindless, magically-constructed automatons that are the ultimate guardians. We break down the classic types—Flesh, Clay, Stone, and Iron and give some essential DM tips for deploying these terrifying, tireless constructs in your D&D and Pathfinder campaigns.
#rpg #ttrpg #dnd #pathfinder #gmtips #golems

Resources:
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www.taking20podcast.com
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Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/taking20podcast.bsky.social
21 min
April 19 Ep 274 - Character Backstories
Want to make your characters better? Consider adding flaws to your character. What kinds of flaws are there and how do you add them in a way that’s not disruptive to the game? Give this episode a listen and find out.

#rpg #ttrpg #dnd #pathfinder #gmtips #playertips #tabletop #backstory

Resources:
Buy Me a Coffee! - ko-fi.com/taking20podcast
www.taking20podcast.com
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/taking20podcast
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/taking20podcast
Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/taking20podcast.bsky.social

WOTC TRPG Publishing Lead - https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/4385555228/
19 min
April 05 Ep 273 - Flaws
Want to make your characters better? Consider adding flaws to your character. What kinds of flaws are there and how do you add them in a way that’s not disruptive to the game? Give this episode a listen and find out.

#rpg #ttrpg #dnd #pathfinder #gmtips #playertips #tabletop #flaws

Resources:
Buy Me a Coffee! - ko-fi.com/taking20podcast
www.taking20podcast.com
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/taking20podcast
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/taking20podcast
Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/taking20podcast.bsky.social
20 min
March 22 Ep 272 - Session 0 Redux
NOTE: My apologies for the audio quality. The entire recording/audio processing chain was rushed this week.

Is your TTRPG campaign falling apart after only a few sessions? The problem might be that you need a Session Zero. In this third part of our "setting expectations" series we dive into the vital, often-overlooked conversations DMs and players need to have before rolling the first die. Learn how to align your creative visions, manage game logistics, and agree on crucial player safety tools to ensure everyone is on board with the social contract for a lasting, fun adventure.
#rpg #ttrpg #dnd #pathfinder #gmtips #playertips #tabletop #startingcampaign #sessionzero #session0

Resources:
Ep 47 - Comprehensive Session 0 Guide for DMs - https://www.taking20podcast.com/e/ep-47-comprehensive-session-0-guide-for-dms/
Ep 48 - Session 0 Guide for Players - https://www.taking20podcast.com/e/ep-48-less-comprehensive-session-0-guide-for-pcs/
Ep 271 - Setting & Tone - https://www.taking20podcast.com/e/ep-271-setting-and-tone/
Ep 214 - House Rules to Make Your Game Easier - https://www.taking20podcast.com/e/ep-214-house-rules-to-make-your-game-easier/
Ep 215 - House Rules to Make Your Game Harder - https://www.taking20podcast.com/e/ep-215-house-rules-to-make-your-game-harder/

Buy Me a Coffee! - ko-fi.com/taking20podcast
www.taking20podcast.com
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/taking20podcast
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Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/taking20podcast.bsky.social
26 min
March 08 Ep 271 - Setting and Tone
In this episode we continue the “setting expectations” series, hopefully helping to stop mismatched expectations from derailing your TTRPG campaign! GMs, this episode is packed with practical advice for designing and effectively communicating your game's Tone and Setting.

#rpg #ttrpg #dnd #pathfinder #gmtips #playertips #tabletop #tone #setting #expectations

Resources:
Buy Me a Coffee! - ko-fi.com/taking20podcast
www.taking20podcast.com
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/taking20podcast
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/taking20podcast
Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/taking20podcast.bsky.social
31 min
February 22 Ep 270 - Starting Your Campaign
Ready to start your TTRPG campaign in some way besides a boring tavern? Episode 270 is here to help! We dive deep into the real purpose of a campaign's beginning and explore three powerful ways to unite your party from the jump

#rpg #ttrpg #dnd #pathfinder #gmtips #playertips #tabletop #startingcampaign

Resources:
Episode 47 - Comprehensive Session 0 Guide for DMs - https://www.taking20podcast.com/e/ep-47-comprehensive-session-0-guide-for-dms/
Episode 100 - Starting Anywhere But A Tavern - https://www.taking20podcast.com/e/episode-100-starting-anywhere-but-a-tavern/

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www.taking20podcast.com
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Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/taking20podcast.bsky.social
17 min
February 01 Ep 269 - DM Burnout and Showing Progression Through Descriptions
Do your descriptions fall flat? Are your characters, locations, and NPCs just static items in time that never change? In this episode I’ll give players some tips for changing their character descriptions and for GMs to change NPC and place descriptions to improve their game.

#rpg #ttrpg #dnd #pathfinder #gmtips #playertips #tabletop #burnout #descriptions

Resources:
Crispy’s Tavern, The Real Matt Mercer - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FV-4HnJT_Rg
Roll 4 Initiative - A Guide to Better Descriptions - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhFmAW3KIYY
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www.taking20podcast.com
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Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/taking20podcast.bsky.social
21 min
January 11 Ep 268 - Should Villains Be Sympathetic
Is your campaign's "big bad" just evil, or is there a hero beneath the monster? This episode dives into the age-old debate for Dungeon Masters: how important is a sympathetic backstory for a villain, and whether you should include complex antagonists in your game

#rpg #ttrpg #dnd #pathfinder #gmtips #playertips #tabletop #roleplaying #villains

Resources:
Episode 180 - https://www.taking20podcast.com/e/ep-180-let-villains-be-villains/
Episode 235 - https://www.taking20podcast.com/e/ep-235-the-why-of-villains/
Episode 253 - https://www.taking20podcast.com/e/ep-253-recurring-villains/
Thor Skywalker - Why does everyone seem to love “Sympathetic Villains” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VO2dBY8DPho
Buy Me a Coffee! - ko-fi.com/taking20podcast
www.taking20podcast.com
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/taking20podcast
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20 min
December 28, 2025 Ep 267 - Should you Counter PC Abilities
Description
Today we dive into the age-old debate that divides Dungeon Masters: When do you negate a powerful spell or maneuver? We explore the thin line between creating epic tension and causing frustration. Tune in to discover the crucial difference between an earned victory and a slog, and learn the rules of engagement for challenging your players in the most satisfying way.

#rpg #ttrpg #dnd #pathfinder #gmtips #playertips #tabletop #roleplaying #Countering

Resources:
Episode 135 - The Rule of 3
Episode 64 - Beholders, the Eyes Have It
Buy Me a Coffee! - ko-fi.com/taking20podcast
www.taking20podcast.com
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/taking20podcast
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23 min
December 14, 2025 Ep 266 - High Level Characters
Running a high-level character (Level 11+) is a different animal altogether. Forget easy skirmishes and simple ability checks—you're now facing world-breaking threats. In this episode I’ll give you some tips for running these legendary characters.

#rpg #ttrpg #dnd #pathfinder #gmtips #playertips #tabletop #roleplaying #highlevel

Resources:
Buy Me a Coffee! - ko-fi.com/taking20podcast
www.taking20podcast.com
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/taking20podcast
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Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/taking20podcast.bsky.social
24 min