Mastering Dungeons

Embracing Dark Fantasy (MD 216)

Episode 216 of Mastering Dungeons! 

Main topic: Embracing Dark Fantasy!

Ben Bryne joins Shawn to discuss what makes dark fantasy such a compelling genre and how to create for dark games. Teos meanwhile hopes to recover from his technical horror as his desktop bites the dust.

News: AL Update, Kobolds Make Mistakes, and more!

Contents
00:00 Introduction
40:54 Dark Fantasy Campaigns
59:00 Find Ben Byrne

Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon.

Show Search Engine: https://mdsearch.alphastream.org/ 

Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.

What Publishers Want in a D&D Designer (MD 215)

Episode 215 of Mastering Dungeons! 

Main topic:

What Publishers Want in a D&D Designer!

Shawn and Teos review two D&D job postings and break down the skills and job functions a publisher looks for in a D&D Designer and Product Architect.

News: DMG Preorder Debacles, Weapon Masteries 101, PAGE Convention, and more!

Contents
00:00 Surviving
00:53 Writing Same Old Stuff?
08:02 Teaching Like Lazy DM?
14:41 D&D Beyond on Campaigns and Adventures
18:11 Critical Role Minis Canceled
20:23 DMG Preorder Debacles
23:13 Weapon Masteries 101
30:49 PAGE Convention Near Philly
33:05 State of the Mongoose
35:20 Lessons from Meetup
37:43 Jeff Stevens Steals Christmas
38:40 What Publishers Want in a D&D Designer
40:27 Growing Into a Position
42:13 D&D Designer - What You Do
56:08 Representing the Company
58:55 What You Bring
01:02:47 D&D Product Architect
01:11:22 Shout-Outs

Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon.

Show Search Engine: https://mdsearch.alphastream.org/ 

Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.

Looking Back on Gamehole Con ‘24 (MD 214)

Episode 214 of Mastering Dungeons! 

Main topic: Memories of Gamehole Con!

Shawn and Teos look back on all of the events they attended and lessons from attending conventions. Hear why Gamehole is so special.

News: Claim Elemental Evil, Maps Adds Encounters, Audio-Only Drizzt, and more!

Contents
00:00 Stealing Credit Cards
03:08 Cleric Subclasses Setting Only?
09:21 Good Design Not Obvious?
13:57 Claim Scions of Elemental Evil
16:26 D&D Maps Adds Encounters
19:26 Audible-Only Drizzt Novel
20:32 Discord D&D Collection
21:41 Ars Magica Definitive Collection
23:25 Rodney Thompson List and Games
25:04 MT Black World War Weird
26:08 Thunder Road Vendetta RPG
27:36 Draconis Peaceful 5E
28:57 Gamehole Revisited
29:32 Whether to Attend Conventions
33:05 Wednesday Pre-Con Gatherings
38:15 Thursday's Events
47:32 Making the Most of Friday
59:27 Packed Saturday
01:04:28 Thankful Sunday Finish
01:06:39 Shout-Outs

Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon.

Show Search Engine: https://mdsearch.alphastream.org/ 

Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.

Want to Be a Professional Game Designer? (MD 213)

Episode 213 of Mastering Dungeons! 

Main topic: Want to Be a Professional Game Designer?

Shawn and Teos tackle a question they hear often. Do you truly want to be a game designer, and if so, the steps to take to make meaningful progress.

News: Hasbro Q3 and Layoffs, D&D 1-Shots, CR and Dimension 20 Arena Shows, and more!

Contents
00:00 Post-Gamehole Buzz
03:03 Skills are Exploration?
11:06 The Adventure is the Game?
16:46 Campaign Without Gods or Planes?
20:50 Layoffs and Q3 Hasbro Results
32:47 D&D is Down
34:17 How Big is D&D?
35:22 DMG Lore Glossary
36:41 DMG Encounter Design
40:13 DM Screen Preview
41:35 PH and DM High Demand
43:19 D&D One-Shot Store Events
44:51 Scions of Elemental Evil
46:41 Critical Role and Dim 20 Arena Shows
48:15 Be a Professional Game Designer?
49:22 Do You Actually Want It?
53:41 Mix Games with Occupation
57:13 What Skills to Hone?
01:05:12 Team Skills
01:07:22 Making Patient Progress
01:12:11 Know the Current Media
01:13:05 Possible Paths
01:15:17 Help People Solve Problems
01:17:36 Know Your Worth and do Work
01:19:26 Become a Great GM
01:21:06 The Role of Conventions
01:27:35 Having "It"
01:29:48 Shout-Outs

Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon.

Show Search Engine: https://mdsearch.alphastream.org/ 

Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.

Live from Gamehole: Create a Campaign With Us! (MD 212)

Episode 212 of Mastering Dungeons! 

Main topic: Live from Gamehole: Create a Campaign With Us!

Amazing fans at Gamehole Con help us create a campaign, live!

News: Perkins’ New Job, DMG Review, What it Feels Like to Be Nr 2, and more!

Special thanks to Dante of Ghostfire Gaming for recording and processing the audio for this episode. You are the best, Dante!

Contents
00:00 Live from Gamehole Con
01:28 Number 2?
02:23 What Excited Us This Week?
05:14 Previous Edition Mechanic?
09:28 Systems we Want to Try?
11:32 Recent Influences?
15:27 Our DMG Preview
18:11 DMG and Greyhawk
19:43 Greyhawk on DMsGuild
21:55 Perkins' Last Book
24:04 Trail of Cthulhu 2E
26:19 Hundred Dungeons
27:19 Grim Hollow Transformed
27:48 Creating a Campaign Setting Live

Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon.

Show Search Engine: https://mdsearch.alphastream.org/ 

Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.

Horizons Magazine with Hannah Rose! (MD 211)

Episode 211 of Mastering Dungeons! 

Main topic: Horizons Magazine with Hannah Rose!

Hannah Rose shares how she and Clara Daly are creating Horizons Magazine and what we can expect from this issue and future quarterly issues.

News: London Gets DMGs, D&D Movie Netflix Success, DMG Toolbox Previews, and more!

Contents
00:00 Happy Rebranding Day
01:33 Character Consequences?
13:48 Pivot from Curse of Strahd?
20:54 First DMGs at London MCM
23:38 DMG Toolbox Previews
32:58 D&D Movie Big on Netflix
35:38 Greyhawk 101
36:52 Cultural Backgrounds 2024
38:33 Trapped on Cyre 1313
39:46 Dungeons Reforged
42:09 Grim Hollow Transformed
43:11 Hannah Rose
44:43 Hannah and Clara
55:12 Why a Magazine?
58:34 Lessons from Arcadia
01:01:53 Playtesting
01:04:59 Mix of D&D and Other RPGs
01:09:03 Desk of Many Thoughts
01:11:48 How to Get Horizons
01:13:07 Patreon vs Site?
01:14:24 Issue 1 Contents - Travel
01:18:23 Star Dragons
01:19:43 Cloud City
01:23:55 NPC Atraxis
01:28:57 Future Plans
01:34:05 Find Wildmage Press
01:35:12 Shout-Outs

Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon.

Show Search Engine: https://mdsearch.alphastream.org/ 

Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.

Wardens of the Eastern Marches! (MD 210)

Episode 210 of Mastering Dungeons! 

Main topic: Wardens of the Eastern Marches!

Alex Kammer tells us all about Wardens of the Eastern Marches, the new organized play program from Gamehole Publishing.

News: 2024 DMG Previews, Commander Rules Committee, Bastion is for Players, and more!

Contents
00:00 No Vaccine for Ladders
02:19 Remove Mechanics for Setting?
15:08 D&D Made for Conflict?
31:28 DMG Previews!
41:26 Bastions Preview
42:04 Player Rules in the DMG?
44:04 New D&D Licensed Products
45:19 Commander Rules Committee Disbands
50:31 Gamehole's Organized Play
51:11 Real Castle Floor Plans
51:46 The Best LLM is Your Brain
52:58 Sorcerer's Return
54:00 Grim Hollow Transformed Update
55:56 Alex Kammer and Eastern Marches
58:19 Importance of Organized Play
01:01:35 AL at a Crossroads
01:04:51 The Eastern Marches
01:09:06 Setting and Alliances
01:12:42 Where to Play
01:13:15 3rd Party PC Options
01:19:58 Exploring the Unknown
01:21:08 Saying Yes to Creators
01:22:59 Magic Item Certs
01:26:22 Releasing Adventures
01:29:16 Gamehole and 50th
01:34:57 What Makes Gamehole Special
01:38:39 Shout-Outs

Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon.

Show Search Engine: https://mdsearch.alphastream.org/ 

Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.

5E Stat Block Changes and Building the Perfect Campaign Guide! (MD 209)

Episode 209 of Mastering Dungeons! 

Main topic: 5E Stat Block Changes and Building the Perfect Campaign Guide!

We look at how 2024 5E changes stat block format, while also modifying monsters themselves. We then turn to creating the perfect campaign setting guide.

News: 2024 5E Sales, Uni Finds Beyond, Grim Hollow Transformed, and more!

Contents
00:00 Go Broncos!
00:56 Divine-Powered Goals?
19:35 2024 5E Sales
33:01 D&D on Vinyl
34:06 Uni on Beyond
36:40 Baldur's Gate 3 Minis
38:10 Horizons Magazine
41:15 Frontiers of Eberron's Creation
43:08 Grim Hollow Transformed
48:26 2024 Monster Stat Blocks
50:03 Design Goal
58:22 2024 Layout Changes
01:03:03 Changes to the Ape
01:10:34 Changes to the Imp
01:14:32 Other Creature Changes
01:20:45 Building the Perfect Campaign Guide
01:21:37 Constraints and Assumptions
01:22:40 Length
01:23:55 What to Include: The Pitch
01:26:25 Player Knowledge
01:27:29 The World
01:33:23 New Rules to Support Play
01:35:56 What Might Be Included?
01:39:15 Shout-Outs

Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon.

Show Search Engine: https://mdsearch.alphastream.org/ 

Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.