Thinking Critically: A D&D Discussion

I am once again joined by Manny a.k.a. Growed Up Geek to talk about adaptation. One great way to kill two birds with one stone is by integrating player character backstories into published adventure modules; not only do you get to customise the module and make it unique, but the players feel embedded in the world and get to make it their own. As for DMing, there are two kinds of adaptation: Micro - that moment-to-moment, immediate response to player actions, and macro - adapting the world in response to the dynamic plot. For both, the DM is part charlatan, part conman, part magician, and the ratio between those three is hugely variable. It's a unique proposition! Manny and I also share our tips for allaying that newer DM fear of "what the heck am I meant to be doing?" Ultimately, don't put undue pressure on yourself, no one is expecting global level talent from any given DM. This is a street that goes both ways, as at the core of D&D is generally being a decent human. Many problems, both in-universe and at the table can be resolved with compassion and empathy.

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Intro Music: 'Local Forecast' by Kevin MacLeod

For this extremely meta episode, I'm joined by producer and host of the Chafing Armor actual play podcast, Michael Corley. This one is light on actual D&D content, so please bare that in mind! Anyway, Michael and I discuss the finer points of the post-production process for Dungeons & Dragons podcasts, be they APs or chat shows. "Editing", for all it's connotations and bells & whistles, is often synonymous with "clarity", that is of both the quality and content. Despite all the mechanical baggage of audio editing (truncating silence, equalisers, noise reduction, etc.), a large part of it is uniquely human; a sixth sense. Know when to leave the filler sounds in, knowing when to leave a pregnant silence, knowing which bloopers actually add to the experience, these are things only a human can do, and no amount of automation or AI can craft the kind of audio experience you want to hear. The editor has, in some ways, more power than the DM: they can alter history, paint a character as a hero or villain, and completely change the emotion of a scene. With great power...

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Intro Music: 'Local Forecast' by Kevin MacLeod

This episode features the "Bard Killer" Seven from the 7th Roll podcast, and we talk all about the concept of death in our Dungeons & Dragons campaigns. We coin the phrase "murderhobo DM"; a DM who is more than comfortable with putting the PCs through some rough and tumble situations where death is a possibility. This can sometimes be at odds with a preciousness found in players who are attached to their characters, but if everyone is on board, this push and pull can make for great role play moments! One classic cause of PC death is player knowledge, or lack thereof. The player doesn't know everything their character does, and vice versa. As a DM, where should you step in to ensure this doesn't result in any untimely deaths just because of the unglamorous reason of miscommunication; where is the line in the sand? Ultimately, every kind of death in a TTRPG, not limited to the PCs, can and should be used to motivate role play.

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Intro Music: 'Local Forecast' by Kevin MacLeod

For this inspirational episode I'm joined by Russel E Welch III, owner of Lingering Shadows Productions and Dungeon Master for their Spawn of Chaos actual-play series. Inspiration is about bringing something exemplary, be that from yourself or your character, and being able to promote harness that inspiration is of critical importance. But before we get to the philosophical, we first talk mechanical. We've found players often hoard their re-rolls, for various reasons. This is perhaps a hangover from video game tropes, or due to confusion as to about what it allows you to do and when. Bardic Inspiration, Inspiration, and the Lucky feat are all similar but different in a few very specific areas, and it's a minefield for new players when trying to parse exactly what they're allowed to do. The flip side of that is coaching players through that learning process can make Game Masters almost feel like proud parents - it's an inspiration feedback loop where the players provide for the GM and the GM provides for the players. Much inspiration comes from within, and finding a safe and comfortable place to not only be creative, but share the fruits of those efforts is a difficult but worthwhile journey. One you never truly finish.

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Intro Music: 'Local Forecast' by Kevin MacLeod

This episode I'm joined by Mike "The Birdman" Dodd from This Week in Geek to discuss all about how TTRPGs make us feel. Part of the Game Master's job is to elicit emotions from their players, so we discuss a few ways this can be achieved in your system of choice. Often this will take the form of some classic tropes such as "victory, but at a cost", however it really depends on what you want them to feel at that specific time. Sometimes it's excitement, others is shock or even horror. The tools you use, and when you use them, will have a huge impact on how your players feel. We move on to discussing how a critical component of engaging players is selling "the world", and one easy way to do this is through pop culture and established settings. It's much easier for players to feel immersed in Star Wars or Ghostbusters than it is "My Generic Fantasy Setting A".  Ultimately, emotional response and immersion are correlated, so anything you can do to increase the latter only has a positive effect on the former.

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Intro Music: 'Local Forecast' by Kevin MacLeod

This week I am joined by Lucas Zellers, host of the 'Making a Monster' podcast to talk, unsurprisingly, about monsters! This episode is broadly split into two halves, the first focusing on mechanical minutia of running stat blocks, including various tips and tricks, such as "do your homework"! We also discuss the elegance of Matt Coville's Action Oriented Monster design approach and how it highlights shortcomings in the design of Dungeons & Dragons. Running higher level monsters RAW is essentially parsing a database; it might not appear like it at first glance, but communicating intent, theme, history, and philosophy in a way which is easy to understand is really an exercise in technical writing. The second half of the episode focuses on the historical weight and implication of monsters in the D&D-verse. Lucas shares his passion and knowledge of Dagon, using them as an example of the "iceberg" history all monsters have. Perhaps next time you haphazardly throw an encounter together (much in the way I do!), you'll spare a thought for the legacy of these creatures... which will likely open up interesting and unique ways to play!

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Intro Music: 'Local Forecast' by Kevin MacLeod

Jon from the 'Tale of the Manticore' (@ManticoreTale) actual-play podcast joins me to talk about creating stories in Dungeons and Dragons. We open by tackling the academic: the seven story archetypes and how to crack the "code" of a compelling narrative. However, this quickly breaks down as the collaborative nature of TTPRGs inherently sets them apart from traditional media; the eternal struggle of story versus agency. There can be pressure on DMs to "tell a good story", but how does this impact player agency? Depending on the players, those two elements can often pull in opposite directions. By reframing the role of the Dungeon Master as a "conflict provider", rather than story teller (or, indeed, narrator), we can start to nudge the immediate gameplay into the sweet spot of agency creating story. Finally, another aspect unique to TTRPGs is that the players have direct control over the actors, which brings with it some exceptional responsibility. With a fully fleshed out character, it's likely you'll have to sacrifice some of that vision and theme to further the story. This is, of course, much easier said than done.

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Intro Music: 'Local Forecast' by Kevin MacLeod

This very special episode was recorded on location at Geek Retreat Southampton! As such, it has a slightly different format to all my previous episodes. I was fortunate enough to have Simon, James, Anastazia, and Anri share with me their TTRPG experiences and what bought them to the store that night. We cover a broad range of topics including how playing "in public" affects the experience, the concept of a "co-DM", and what it's like to play with a pick-up-group of strangers. It was such a pleasure to have the opportunity to speak to such a talented and diverse group of people, each overflowing with excitement for Dungeons & Dragons.

This episode is not sponsored, supported, or endorsed by 'Geek Retreat' in any way.

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Intro Music: 'Local Forecast' by Kevin MacLeod

This episode I'm joined by Aaron Preuss (@Primus_Casts) to discuss growth within Dungeons & Dragons, and there's a lot to unpack here. Most people find their own character designs evolve and mature over time, and Aaron takes us through a couple of his own examples which can serve as inspiration and springboards for your own creations. Having genuine and believable flaws for your character is a fantastic thing, as it provides room for growth over the course of the adventure. More difficult, however, is figuring out how to make those flaws work effectively within a party, each struggling with their own issues. The second half of the episode focuses on how the gameplay dynamic shifts considerably at higher level play. How can you enjoyably roleplay a character which can be the embodiment of a god? How can the DM create engaging encounters and NPCs when the PCs are beyond mortal concerns?

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Intro Music: 'Local Forecast' by Kevin MacLeod

This episode I'm joined by table top game creator and narrative designer Geoffrey Golden to dissect humour, which we all know is everyone's favourite thing to do! I start by absolutely butchering Kevin MacLeod's surname and for that, I can never apologise enough. Once that horrible faux pas is left behind, we move on to the juicy topic how the mechanics of a TTRPG impact and guide humour within a particular setting, and ways you can use the mechanics to elicit emotion. Indeed, most games have something a stake, be it existential obliteration or a more personal plight, and DMs and players must remain flexible to ensure those stakes aren't undermined by goofs. There is often and underlying tug-of-war between immersion and humour, but it's more nuanced than that as humour can take many forms from in-universe tropes, through pop culture references, to meta table banter. Being aware of where the knot is on that rope is an exceptionally valuable skill for both players and DMs, to avoid tonal whiplash as one team slips up and the rope goes flying.

Full disclosure, the single moment of unprofessionalism in my entire career at 29:00 has been deliberately left in for historical and hilarity purposes. Please don't let me cease to be.

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Intro Music: 'Local Forecast' by Kevin MacLeod