Thinking Critically: A D&D Discussion

This full house episode I'm joined by the cast of The Fourth Leg podcast: Joe, Hunter, & Kelci. And we talk all about motion, momentum, and movement in your TTRPGs. One way you can keep the game moving as both a GM and player, is to engage with those "B" and "C" plots, which often come in the form of backstories. That being said, don't be afraid from abstaining from action, as this can still result in character growth. Often it's considered a GMs worst nightmare, when the characters do nothing, but there are always consequences, which are great springboards for storylines and development. One more classic GM tool is, perhaps counterintuitively, just telling the players The Important Thing. It's easy as a GM to want to hold all the cards, but often this is overkill and just being transparent with the players can really get the ball rolling!

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Intro Music: 'Local Forecast' by Kevin MacLeod

Once more I'm joined by Scott, a.k.a. Optional Rule! This time we discuss the hot topic of alignment in Dungeons & Dragons. Scott takes us through the history of alignment, and how it impacted and shaped the earliest editions of the game - I'm willing to bet you never knew how the cold war affects your player character! Despite all the (arguably justified) negativity around alignment, it still provides value in the utility of a consistent experience, the same reason USB is so ubiquitous! However, with all things involving humans, there is always the risk of misalignment (pun intended). Often there is the implicit ideal that the player characters are "heroes", that is to say, "good". How this impacts the design of 5e and the DM/Player interaction is a subtle but noticeable effect of alignment.

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Intro Music: 'Local Forecast' by Kevin MacLeod

This melodic episode I'm joined by Stuart, a.k.a. Thisisbardcore, to talk about music and ambience in your TTRPG games. We break down the three primary ways games can be played and how they change what options are available to you as a GM, such as forced diegetic sounds courtesy of your local FLGS! I discuss my failed attempted at merging K-Pop and D&D, along with my several wasted hour curating now-redundant playlists. Stuart explains the trials and tribulations of being a modern day bard; when a PC is a little too good a reflection of the player.

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Intro Music: 'Local Forecast' by Kevin MacLeod

This episode I'm joined by Hunter Royall from the "A Sundered World" podcast to talk about all the different relationship vectors in TTRPGs. The first being that between player and character, and how it's not always affection that's garnered - often resentment or animosity can take hold when the PC isn't effective or ends up different than what the player originally imagined. Hunter takes us through how having all the PCs related in-game affects the dynamic of a traditional adventuring party. We also encourage players to take advantage of all those unique and fantastic NPCs your GM has undoubtedly thrown at you when thinking about character creation and backstories, as this can be a fantastic way to add depth and investment to your character.

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Intro Music: 'Local Forecast' by Kevin MacLeod

This episode I'm joined by Mike from Games Played Badly, to chat about story hooks in your TTRPGs! Ultimately, hooks are the main way to keep players engaged, with the GM acting as a kind of circus master; organised chaos. Hooks can take many forms, from critical pieces of information reigniting interest, to fun and goofy NPCs that the players get attached to - there are many methods of putting the proverbial food on the plate. As much an art as it is a science, the fungineering of hooks is a delicate balance of maintaining verisimilitude while still being inherently contrived. Sometimes it's no fault of the game or the GM, players are human, and hooks are often necessary to just get the ball rolling. No one operates at 100% all of the time, and we often need a little nudge here and there. When in doubt, your biggest plot hook is your characters, so leverage the heck out of backstories, bonds, and ideals to really whet their appetites!

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Intro Music: 'Local Forecast' by Kevin MacLeod

This episode I'm joined by the GM of the Negative Modifier podcast, Charley, to discuss horror in our TTRGPs. Horror is variable and subjective, and so has unique challenges when attempting to introduce it into your setting. The first being the age old problem of having to play with other people! As everyone is different, it's impossible to know what another player might find uncomfortable, and even with a Session Zero it's challenging to appreciate the sensitivities of others. Juggling these issues can make introducing horror a terrifying experience (both literally and as a pun). The key, as with many things in D&D, is foreshadowing. Not only does this neatly sidestep the cheapness of things like jump scares, it also clearly informs the players of the theme of a setting or scene. An additional, tertiary benefit, is that it builds in an atmosphere of unease; if you can get the players scared of literally nothing, then you're doing your job well. Ultimately, D&D is probably not the best placed for a horror TTRGP, as the hero fantasy can undermine any vulnerability you might be trying to convey.

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Intro Music: 'Local Forecast' by Kevin MacLeod

This episode features David Weinberger from the Shonen Flop podcast to talk all about introducing magical items into your Dungeons & Dragons campaign. It becomes apparent quickly that David and I run very different games when it comes to dishing out loot, which leads to some interesting discussions! Some DMs, myself included, can display a preciousness towards their campaign; a concern magic items will topple the delicately balanced spinning plates. Turns out, magic items are actually one small piece of a much larger puzzle, and can have as much or as little impact as you want. Should they cause the plates to wobble, well that's a perfect learning opportunity for the DM. An additional concern is the power creep and impact to CR magic items can have, but being aware of this and accommodating with the item and other design can allow you to have interesting and powerful items. We also discuss how items can be used to aid in designing puzzles, which is often tricky as it is! In the same vein, they can also be a vehicle for divine intervention - assisting the PCs to resolve tricky encounters.

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Intro Music: 'Local Forecast' by Kevin MacLeod

This episode I had the pleasure of hosting the founder of Paladin Roleplaying, Neil, to discuss running a TTRPG business. We talk about how the grassroots explosion has impacted the hobby, and what the future might now hold; will it go the same way as F2P, microtransaction-laden video games? Neil shares with several pearls of wisdom gained from running a business and four separate Kickstarters - we even have some world exclusive news about their next project! D&D fans, you had better listen! Finally, one aspect often undercooked in games is managing a business, despite the often mercantile nature of most settings. We workshop fun and interesting ways to bring this element into your games, one of which is cribbing from Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay where classes are known as careers, enabling rich RP opportunities!

Listeners can use the code THINKCRIT15 at paladinroleplaying.com for 15% off your whole cart! Huge thank you to Neil and all at Paladin.

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This episode was not sponsored or supported in any way.

For this episode I'm joined by Sam Cheung, known online as the Educational DM, who takes us through his years of experience in the educational and pastoral applications of Dungeons & Dragons. We discuss the various ways players can learn through D&D, for students and new players alike. Although the obvious challenges are arithmetic and creativity, Sam and I investigate the deeper ways players can improve themselves while playing. Questioning why the Queen wants you to despatch those "bandits", that is to say, who is most likely to benefit from this task, can help players strengthen that vitally important ability to think critically. Likewise, finding space between the bombast to build those social relationships can be a useful training ground for many, allowing them a trustable arena to migrate out of their comfort zones. After everything, of course, the real treasure was the friends we made along the way!

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Intro Music: 'Local Forecast' by Kevin MacLeod

For this mixed up episode I'm joined by Jeff Greiner, the DM of potentially the longest running actual play podcast, The Tome Show. Jeff & I talk about mashups not only within our favourite TTRPG, but within the hobby at large, covering several methods for effectively smushing together your favourite features! Jeff takes us through the ways and means he's brought together often disparate published modules such as Descent into Avernus and Curse of Strahd. One simple but effective method is to sprinkle in some foreshadowing which, despite requiring some additional overhead, reduces that potential for genre whiplash. Talking off, varying theme and tone can keep your game interesting, as 20 sessions of a single vibe can easily be fatiguing for all involved. Which is a perfect segue into how different TTRPG systems inevitably affect the experience, thematically and otherwise; probably why a mashup of them has been difficult to achieve!

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Intro Music: 'Local Forecast' by Kevin MacLeod