Thinking Critically: A D&D Discussion

Once again I am joined by long time friends of the show and the inimitable hosts of Tabletop Journeys: Josh, Lewanika, and Glen. Their enthusiasm for TTRPGs is infectious and it's such a delight to provide a platform for their passion and talents. This episode about is what galvanises and moves us, as characters, players, and storytellers. It's interesting that PC motivation is not pre-baked in the building process, unlike backgrounds which are almost purely fluff and can sometimes have very little impact on gameplay. This has produced the idea of a "social contract" between players, the DM, and all their characters; an often implicit agreement that we're all in this together to build a great story, but achieving this can be harder than you might expect! The last two-thirds of the show are dedicated to us as human beings and why we love TTRPGs. The answer is as old as the hobby itself: there's no such high as collaborative worldbuilding with friends.

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Intro Music: 'Local Forecast' by Kevin MacLeod

Welcome back! Season 4 opens with a self-indulgent, naval gazing look at the new player experience through the eyes of one my players: Matt Street. Matt joined my homebrew campaign in session 0 way back at the beginning of 2019 with his Tortle sorcerer A'Therin Trolldoor. Since then, over six chapters we've lost two players, four PCs and several NPCs. Matt shares his experiences learning D&D 5e from the ground up, having had no TTRPG experience before; the things he wasn't expecting (rekindling childlike joy) and his most surprising takeaways! We talk through the various tips that both jaded DMs such as myself, and virgin players alike can use to aid that onboarding experience. For better and for worse, D&D still has a certain stigma surrounding it, and anything we can do to reduce those barriers and make people comfortable at the table is surely a good thing.

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Intro Music: 'Local Forecast' by Kevin MacLeod

For the season final I'm joined by Ramji, DM of The 4th Culture, an Asia-based TTRPG show which focuses on global voices and set in an Asian-influence homebrew world. We discuss global mythology and it's impact on TTRPGs, such as it's inherent euro-centricity and how this has affected published settings and games around the world. At it's core, D&D is collaborative storytelling, so it's more similar to folklore and myths than you might originally think! We go on to discuss tips for creating homebrew mythology, such as leveraging different systems and approaches to world building, along the way sharing our own anecdotes and cultural experiences.

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Intro Music: 'Local Forecast' by Kevin MacLeod

This episode features Hope of the eponymous HopeForTTRPGs who shares with me how to build and maintain an active and safe community. She goes through some personal pitfalls and anecdotes of that growth, and the unique challenges it possesses. One thing to remember during it all is to look after, care for, and improve yourself, as nothing is worth getting burned out for. This episode also features me personifying the "grumpy old man shakes fist at [thing]" meme... several times! C O N T E N T

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Intro Music: 'Local Forecast' by Kevin MacLeod

Once again I'm joined by Ian a.k.a TheFoolishSwarmi, this time to talk about the different kind of dynamics in D&D. Most of the episode is focused on the discussion of how D&D is inherently a human experience, and how realising this and efforts to make the game more humane can drastically improve the experience for all at the table, in a safe way. TTRPGs operate in a shared space, and just as every table is unique, every group of players is it's own organism.

Thank you to everyone who donated to my charity stream, together we made over £600!

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Intro Music: 'Local Forecast' by Kevin MacLeod

This episode stars Michael Kesavan, a.k.a. Dead Aussie Gamer, to talk about assembling the best game. Turns out, diversity and versatility are key, both in-universe and out of game. The types of players you have, and the characters they share, creates a unique social biome where we seek acceptance. DAG also takes us through some tips on starting a campaign, and why the negative perception of "starting in a tavern" is misguided.

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Intro Music: 'Local Forecast' by Kevin MacLeod

This episode I host Jarrod Jahoda and Matt Morris of Mid-Level Adventurers to talk all about maintaining continuity in your TTRPGs. We share many tips DMs can use to maintain internal consistency within their campaigns, as to ensure that verisimilitude and to support your players in suspending their disbelief. However, "no plan survives contact with the enemy" and as such, DMs must find ways to encourage and develop the impact and influence of the party on the world. From a players perspective, we ask the question of how do you develop a rich character who's job is being in mortal danger?

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Intro Music: 'Local Forecast' by Kevin MacLeod

Minor Spider-Man: No Way Home spoilers in this episode!

I'm joined by Sam Bradley from Starter Set Studios to talk all how to tell, or be told, a good story. We dissect a couple of common storytelling tools such as 'show, don't tell', and how these translate to running a TTRPG. The implementation of these tools varies system to system, table to table, and requires additional overhead on the GM. I put Sam on spot by asking him exactly who's responsible, and how much so, for creating a good story. Our discussion could be considered a hot take! And once more we discuss the "knowledge divide" between GM and players and how, if you're not careful, this can negatively impact the experience.

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Intro Music: 'Local Forecast' by Kevin MacLeod

This episode I'm joined by Rev from The CritShow, the Powered by the Apocalypse podcast, to talk about the consequences of our actions. We agree that any consequence, positive or negative, must fit the the scale and scope of the inciting activity. This can be achieved by a sliding scale; it doesn't always have to be The Worst Possible Outcome for any given misstep. An element of PbtA games is how the GM can work with the players to build that shared narrative, something explicitly missing from D&D 5e. But with this collaborative approach to consequences, a larger degree of trust is required to ensure both the GM and the players are effectively working together for the benefit of the table. Of course, actions don't stop in-game, and there must also be considerations made for IRL actions, for better and for worse. Rev & I discuss some tools and tactics for dealing with potential misaligned and misguided players.

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Intro Music: 'Local Forecast' by Kevin MacLeod

Once again I'm joined by professional marketer and crowdfund-whisperer Zack Applewhite, of Applewhite Games, who shares his expertise in producing successful Kickstarters.

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Intro Music: 'Local Forecast' by Kevin MacLeod