RPG veterans and game designers Teos Abadía and Shawn Merwin look at the game and the hobby of D&D from a variety of viewpoints: reporting the news, understanding the business, reviewing the products, and illuminating the design. Whether you’re a fan, a player, a DM, or a designer, Shawn and Teos cover topics of interest to you!
Episodes
4 days ago
4 days ago
Episode 278 of Mastering Dungeons!
Main topic: What Made Tyranny of Dragons Great?
Teos and Shawn look back at the first 5E hardback adventure, Tyranny of Dragons, discussing our favorite aspects of Hoard of the Dragon Queen and Rise of Tiamat!
News: Baldur’s Gate 3 HBO TV Show, Polygon on Vecna, Teos Completes Lifetime, and more!
Contents
00:00 Herald's Guild Awards
03:38 BMG and Greyhawk Reveals
04:58 Too Much In-Character Talking?
10:09 WotC Interactions Change Over Time?
15:14 HBO BG3 D&D TV Show
20:03 Beadle & Grimm Spoiler?
22:13 Polygon on Obelisks and Vecna
29:21 Horrified Adds Ravenloft
31:24 Best of Tyranny of Dragons
32:17 Interesting Product History
35:45 Adventure vs campaign
37:37 An Awesome Premise and Approach
40:59 Additional Encounters
42:58 Campaign Villains
45:41 Campaign-Focused Character Options
48:29 Greenest in Flames
52:08 Caravan Chapter
54:42 Memorable Locations and Council of Waterdeep
59:57 Dragon Masks
01:01:21 The Cult Strikes Back
01:02:43 Epic Conclusion
01:06:50 Shout-Outs
01:10:28 What Are We Gonna Do?
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.
Wednesday Feb 04, 2026
Wednesday Feb 04, 2026
Episode 277 of Mastering Dungeons!
Main topic: Working in the RPG Industry!
Shawn shares a panel he had with Jackson DiCarlo at the Running GAGG Gaming Conventions. They discuss working in the RPG industry, sharing the insights of Shawn’s long career and Jackson’s two-year experience as a designer!
News: Cosmere’s Apple TV Deal, 5th New WotC Hire, D&D + Fortnite + Hytale, and more!
Contents
00:00 Winter Fantasy Bound
02:42 Happy 37th Birthday to 2E
05:08 Two Organized Play Campaigns?
23:55 Taylor Ann Navarro Joins WotC
25:53 D&D, Fortnite, and Hytale?
28:51 Variety Covers GMs
29:27 D&D as Organized Social Fun
31:41 Asmodee Partners for Wellbeing
32:31 Cosmere's Apple TV Deal
34:24 D20play Spotlighted!
36:12 TTRPG SRD Card Creator
37:07 Working in the TTRPG Industry
38:11 Shawn and Jackson's Backrounds
40:28 Getting Started in the Industry
49:59 Seizing Opportunity
56:14 How to Get Started
58:19 Design and Conventions
01:05:46 Technical Vs Creative
01:15:39 The Skill of Writing
01:18:19 Questions and Answers
01:22:54 Shout-Outs
01:27:15 What Are We Gonna Do?
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.
Wednesday Jan 28, 2026
Wednesday Jan 28, 2026
Episode 276 of Mastering Dungeons!
Main topic: Rethink Your Session Zero!
Shawn and Teos rethink all that a session zero is trying to do and how to approach each of the many goals to start your campaign!
News: D&D Beyond’s Partner Schedule, D&D Proves AI’s Shortcomings, AI RPG Scams, Shawn is a Warlock, and more!
Contents
00:00 Shawn is a Warlock!
05:59 How Should Death Saves Work?
27:10 Jean Rabe Passes
29:59 DDB Partnered Content Schedule
34:50 Hasbro's New Board Members
36:31 Demiplane Adds Campaigns
38:23 4th Player Theory of RPG Design
43:19 D&D Proves AI Shortcomings
46:10 RPG Maps Bundle AI Scam
48:45 How to Please Your Layout Designer
49:42 Rethinking the Session 0
52:03 FEYPOP's Video on What is a Session 0
55:57 Effective Safety Tools
01:01:54 Challenge Level and Behavioral Expectations
01:04:23 Theme, Tone, and Characters
01:10:01 Allowed Sources
01:12:32 Collaborative Campaign Planning
01:14:38 Character Creation
01:16:21 First Adventure?
01:19:12 As a Social Event
01:20:22 Shout-Outs
01:24:12 What Are We Gonna Do?
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.
Wednesday Jan 21, 2026
Wednesday Jan 21, 2026
Episode 275 of Mastering Dungeons!
Main topic: Legends of Greyhawk and RealmsBound with Savannah Houston-McIntyre
Savannah Houston-McIntyre is acclaimed for leading excellent projects. She walks us through the Legends of Greyhawk organized play campaign, RealmsBound with Ed Greenwood, and more!
News: Games Workshop Bans AI, Proof of Stranger Things Growth, Mystic UA, and more!
Contents
00:00 Oh Captain my Captain
03:24 Arcadia's 1-on-1 Rules?
10:50 Mental Load?
17:50 3-D Combat Options?
25:29 New Mystic Subclasses UA
30:13 Erin Roberts is a Wizard
32:13 Bob Worldbuilder on Stranger Things Growth
37:35 KC Chiefs Teach D&D
39:12 GW Bans AI for Staff
41:11 Get Dune Free from Modiphius
42:55 The Savage Arctic
43:58 Planet Money's Board Game
45:13 Savannah Houston-McIntyre
53:11 Getting Started with Design
57:12 Leading Design Projects
01:00:28 Legends of Greyhawk
01:04:53 Greyhawk's Regions
01:10:18 Virtual Weekends and Writing for LoG
01:13:23 RealmsBound with Ed Greenwood
01:25:12 Find Savannah!
01:26:41 Shout-Outs
01:30:53 What Are We Gonna Do?
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.
Wednesday Jan 14, 2026
Wednesday Jan 14, 2026
Episode 274 of Mastering Dungeons!
Main topic: Start a New Campaign for the New Year
It’s a new year, the perfect time to think on how to launch an awesome campaign, even if you have never DMed before!
News: Stranger Things Effect? Matt Mercer Simpsons Crossover, D&D Romantasy Novel, Ed Greenwood’s RealmsBound, and more!
Contents
00:00 Full of Fear
02:05 What is a Gameplay Loop?
11:10 Teaching Game Design?
14:38 Stranger Things Effect
19:27 Stranger Things' ET Ending
22:09 Leon Barillaro Hired at WotC
24:14 New D&D Romantasy Novel
26:06 Ed Greenwood's RealmsBound
31:22 Matt Mercer Simpsons Crossover
33:58 D&D and Moral Imagination
38:20 D&D Loungefly Backpacks
39:08 The Bridgewell Chronicles
40:21 Merryshire Detective Club
41:19 A New Campaign for the New Year
41:59 New Gamemaster Month
43:22 Where Can We Learn to DM?
51:52 Why Should You DM?
01:02:04 Not Knowing the Rules
01:11:13 Planning Your Campaign
01:22:59 Establishing a Theme
01:25:00 Shout-Outs
01:28:53 What Are We Gonna Do?
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.
Wednesday Jan 07, 2026
Wednesday Jan 07, 2026
Episode 273 of Mastering Dungeons!
Main topic: The Future of RPGs in 2026?
Teos and Shawn look at 2025’s huge impacts on RPGs and what 2026 might hold for our hobby!
News: Daggerheart’s Executive Success, James Haek and Introcaso Changes, City 26, and more!
Contents
00:00 Intro
00:59 Mastering DnD the RPG?
07:55 How to Get Noticed?
17:08 Tim Kask Passes
19:38 Daggerheart's Executive Success
25:17 James Haek Joins WotC
25:55 Who Replaces James on Lorecast???
27:25 James Introcaso Focuses on Crows
29:11 D&D and Court Rooms
30:06 Seniors and Dragons
30:56 City '26 Challenge
32:38 Jeff Stevens on 2025 2026
33:30 Crack the Sun Success
35:32 Looking Back at D&D in 2025
40:02 WotC's Positive Moves
42:13 Crawford and Perkins Join Critical Role
45:14 Economic Uncertainty
49:12 AI Slop
50:03 Cosmere, Daggerheart, Draw Steel
55:28 What Might 2026 Offer for D&D?
01:06:30 Will the Hobby Grow?
01:09:21 More Big RPGs?
01:11:05 If We Had 1 Wish!
01:15:10 Shout-Outs
01:19:34 What Are We Gonna Do?
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.
Wednesday Dec 31, 2025
Wednesday Dec 31, 2025
Episode 272 of Mastering Dungeons!
Main topic: The Future of the DMs Guild?
Teos and Shawn look at the decline of the 10-year-old DMsGuild and lessons for all platforms, such as D&D Beyond!
News: KC Chiefs Play D&D, Mythic Crowdfunding Disaster, Foundry Hiring for New RPG, and more!
Contents
00:00 Our Trees Were Fortunate
03:04 National Comedy Center
05:10 Crowdfunding Replaced DMsGuild?
10:18 Can We Stop Platform Decline?
19:14 New D&D Workbooks from PRH
25:49 Best-Selling RPGs on Fantasy Grounds
28:15 KC Chiefs Play D&D
30:06 WA Sec of State on Gaming
32:24 Foundry Hiring for New RPG
35:14 Mythic Games Crowdfunding Disaster
38:20 Books Leaving Grocery Stores
42:48 Moonshae Isles Omnibus
45:03 Crack the Sun Final Days
46:03 DMsGuild Turns 10
47:22 Keith Baker Era
50:10 Print on Demand and Quality Jumps
52:43 Race to the Bottom
54:56 Guild as Stepping Stone
58:29 What Killed the Guild?
01:10:13 WotC as Competitor
01:15:49 Looking to the Future
01:34:48 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.
Wednesday Dec 24, 2025
Wednesday Dec 24, 2025
Episode 271 of Mastering Dungeons!
Main topic: The DMs Guild’s Complex History!
Teos and Shawn enjoy a video by Trekiros and think on the incredible history of the 10-year-old DMsGuild!
News: James Ohlen’s Exodus, Cosmere’s Roadmap, New Legends of Greyhawk Region, and more!
Contents
00:00 Happy Holidays!
02:25 Non-Combat Enctr Objectives?
17:44 Dungeons Best for 1-on-1 Play?
25:32 Diamond Distributors Bankrupt Again
28:31 New Legends of Greyhawk Region
30:27 Gen Con Participation Grants
31:30 Cosmere Announces Roadmap
36:31 James Ohlen and Exodus Change
44:00 DMsGuild Turns 10
44:41 Trekiros Video
46:12 Our History with the Guild
47:28 History of Licensing Pre-Guild
49:26 The OGL and 3E
51:30 Shawn's DMsGuild First Day
52:57 AL's Huge Early Sales
55:58 Early Days and Royalties
01:07:13 Launching Creators
01:11:00 Struggle for Quality
01:15:41 Adepts Program
01:26:28 Creator Expectations
01:34:18 Shout-Outs
01:38:33 What Are We Gonna Do?
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.
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