Hasbro/WOTC announced this week that their long-anticipated virtual tabletop tool (VTT), Sigil, is suddenly end-of-life. How did they come to spend so many resources into a project like this, only to cancel it? Does it disrupt their overall strategy for the brand-new 2024 edition of Dungeons & Dragons? What's the landscape of VTT's for D&D look like today. And… is anyone really surprised?

Dan and Paul are joined by Tom McGrenery, game designer and co-host of the podcast Fear of a Black Dragon, to discuss the surprising common ground between OSR and story games. Do they have more in common with each other than either has with modern traditional RPGs? Find out what they discover in this thought-provoking episode of Wandering DMs!

Can an AI truly run a game of Dungeons & Dragons? In this episode, Paul & Dan review Paul’s recent live-streamed experiment, Martha the AI DM, where he played a session of Basic B/X D&D with an AI as his Dungeon Master. How well did Martha craft adventures, roleplay NPCs, and adapt to unexpected player choices? Did she bring the magic of tabletop storytelling — or did she fall into mechanical pitfalls? Join us as we break down the session, discuss the strengths and limitations of AI-driven RPGs, and explore what this means for the future of roleplaying games.

Here's some links to the articles mentioned in this show:

As a DM, should you offer different subject matter to your players when the real world looks grim?

Paul & Dan dive into the art of running a game with absolutely no materials on hand. Whether it’s an impromptu one-shot, a lost character sheet crisis, or a full-on “I forgot my dice bag at home” scenario, we’ll explore how to keep the adventure rolling with just your wits and a table full of eager players.

Paul & Dan review the first add-on to Original D&D in 1975: Supplement I, Greyhawk! Presenting content and rules changes stemming from Gygax's home campaign, we get new classes (the Thief and Paladin), spells, monsters, and magic items. But how much of it was a boon to D&D in general, and how many were mistakes?

Dan & Paul follow up on our chat about mysteries in D&D: Turning things around, how is the average Thieves' Guild member meant to ply their trade in the world? Given all the magic detection, location, ESP, and other powers, what steps will the average assassin-for-hire take to complete their mission and not get caught?

In this episode of Wandering DMs, Dan and Paul explore the art of running mysteries in Dungeons & Dragons and other TTRPGs. From crafting compelling clues and red herrings to balancing player agency with narrative tension, they share tips and tricks to keep your players engaged and invested in unraveling the plot. Whether you’re running a murder investigation, solving ancient riddles, or diving into a missing persons case, this episode has everything you need to craft a memorable mystery adventure.

Dan & Paul chat about the role of critical failure and fumble systems in TTRPG systems. Do they add appropriate surprise, unpredictability, realism, and danger to the adventure? Are they more punishing to the players or their opponents? Or are they just more trouble than they're worth?

Paul & Dan are back for Season 7, this time diving into the age-old debate: splitting the party. When is it a clever strategy? When is it a recipe for disaster? And what can DMs do to keep the game running smoothly when the group goes their separate ways?