Dungeon Master of None
373 episodes - English - Latest episode: 5 days ago - ★★★★ - 136 ratingsA general interest podcast for fans of Dungeons and Dragons and RPGs
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
316 - Tian Xia
July 04, 2024 19:41 - 1 hour - 95.5 MBMatt and Rob discuss the Tian Xia world guide from Paizo, a triumphant return to the continent on Golarion and a much-needed update to some outdated regions, peoples, and ideas. Subscribe to the DMofNone Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/DungeonMasterOfNone Join the DMofNone Discord! Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice Xian - Ancient Fantasy Journey Chinggis khaanii Magtaal - Batzorig Vaanchig North Korean National Anthem 《如懿传》片尾曲 Closing Theme Song - Ruyi's Royal Love in the Palac...
315 - Narrative Miniature Games
July 01, 2024 04:59 - 1 hour - 53.3 MBHave you ever played something that isn't a TTRPG? Well, it turns out there games out there that are not D&D or even a role-playing game that also generate story through play. In the first episode about things that are not RPGs, DMs Rob and Matt will take you on a whistle-stop tour of the wide world of narrative miniature wargaming. Subscribe to the DMofNone Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/DungeonMasterOfNone Join the DMofNone Discord! Links: Mordheim Frostgrave Rangers of...
314 - Hot DM Summer
June 21, 2024 17:59 - 59 minutes - 46.6 MBHappy Solstice! Rob and Matt are here to answer your Dungeon Master questions about starting sessions, Vecna/Kas shipping, old systems, failed MMOs, the benefits of classical education, X-COM, and more! Subscribe to the DMofNone Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/DungeonMasterOfNone Join the DMofNone Discord! Links: Vecna and the Tears of Unmaking - Sly Flourish Vecna Remix - DMofNone Whatever Happened to Pathfinder Online, Anyway?- Kai Tave AGON RPG - John Harper Odys...
313 - Rogue Trader
June 17, 2024 00:01 - 1 hour - 94 MBMatt and Rob talk about Rogue Trader, the now-defunct Warhammer 40k TTRPG. It's got orks, it's got big gothic cathedral ships, it's got chonky weapons, it's got profits, folks, it's got it all! Subscribe to the DMofNone Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/DungeonMasterOfNone Join the DMofNone Discord!
TEASER - Dice Workshop
June 13, 2024 05:48 - 7 minutes - 5.91 MBDMs Rob and Matt clock into the Dice Workshop for a long shift working on custom dice mechanics and discuss dice probabilities and mechanics put in practice! Subscribe to the DMofNone Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/DungeonMasterOfNone
312 - Dice Hard with a Vengeance
June 06, 2024 21:34 - 1 hour - 90.5 MBMatt and Rob talk about dice! Mechanics, systems, resolution, modifiers, taxonomies, the whole shebang! It's not boring, we promise. Subscribe to the DMofNone Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/DungeonMasterOfNone Join the DMofNone Discord! Links: https://anydice.com/ https://snake-eyes.io/examples.html https://anydice.com/articles/the-pool/ https://thoughtfuldane.com/2023/05/05/game-design-with-anydice/ Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice NMIXX - DICE Odetari - Dice and R...
311 - Vecna: Eve of Ruin (Part 2)
May 29, 2024 09:00 - 1 hour - 64.4 MBFollow your rod to the second half of WotC's final 5e Adventure, Vecna: Eve of Destruction. Rob and Matt discuss missed opportunities, share some secrets, and offer some tips to fix this adventure. Subscribe to the DMofNone Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/DungeonMasterOfNone Join the DMofNone Discord! Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice; The Turtles - Eve of Destruction.
310 - Vecna: Eve of Ruin (Part One)
May 25, 2024 18:27 - 1 hour - 91.1 MBMatt and Rob talk about the newest WotC Adventure, Vecna: Eve of Ruin, a celebration of D&D and an adventure through the multiverse! You guys love multiverses, right?
TEASER - Actual Prep: Running Con Games
May 24, 2024 03:44 - 6 minutes - 5.24 MBDM Matt walks you through his prep for a Friendly Local Gaming Convention and his tips for running a successful Con slot. Links: Subscribe to the DMofNone Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/DungeonMasterOfNone RPG Geek Global Game Conventions List https://rpggeek.com/wiki/page/Game_Conventions Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice; Dschinghis Khan - Dschinghis Khan.
309 - OSR Principia Apocrypha
May 19, 2024 19:30 - 1 hour - 50.6 MBA tome! A tome of forbidden dungeon master knowledge has been unearthed by your intrepid hosts. DMs Matt and Rob discuss the first principles and Apocalypse World-style GM moves for Old School Rules games from the Principia Apocrypha! Principia Apocrypha: Elementary Axioms & Aphorisms On Running & Playing Tabletop RPGs In The Old School Style - Ben Milton, Steven Lumpkin, David Perry, Evlyn Moreau https://lithyscaphe.blogspot.com/p/principia-apocrypha.html Subscribe to the DMofNone ...
TEASER - Lessons from Brindlewood Bay
May 18, 2024 14:46 - 5 minutes - 7.81 MBMatt and Rob talk about what they learned from running Brindlewood Bay, what worked, what didn't, what to watch out for, and what you can learn and take away for your own games. Hear the full episode (and more!) on our Patreon.
308 - House Rules for All
May 08, 2024 10:00 - 1 hour - 53.5 MBAlmost everyone has house rules for their games, but are there house rules that are good for (nearly) every game? DMs Matt and Rob share over a dozen house rules from their games and their favorite systems that can (probably) be lifted and inserted into whatever TTRPG system your table plays. Subscribe to the DMofNone Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/DungeonMasterOfNone Join the DMofNone Discord! Links to rules: FATE CORE, "Declaring a Story Detail" Year Zero Engine SRD, Cha...
307 - The Monty "Haul" Problem
May 04, 2024 16:45 - 50 minutes - 72.9 MBMatt and Rob travel back in time to the era of mullets and shoulderpads to talk about a strangely relevant article from 1984 in DRAGON MAGAZINE #82. What happens when your players have grown TOO POWERFUL? Check out our Patreon! Join the Discord!
306 - Brindlewood Bay
April 25, 2024 18:35 - 1 hour - 47.3 MBBrew your tea, pack your knitting needles, and put on your most comfortable jogging suit because DMs Matt and Rob are off to solve the coziest murder this side of Cape Cod! Brindlewood Bay is a mystery RPG that combines the Golden Girls with Call of Cthulhu using an innovative set of mechanics to sidestep the frustration of running a whodunit. Then, head across the pond to gothic London for The Between, an anti-cozy game using the same "Carved From Brindlewood" mechanics. Check out the ...
PREVIEW - The Best Megadungeon and Hexcrawl
April 20, 2024 09:00 - 12 minutes - 9.7 MBHere is a preview TWO of our subscriber episodes reviewing what could be the best published megadungeon and the best published hexcrawl. To listen to the full episodes subscribe below and check out these adventures for yourself. Subscribe to the DMofNone Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/DungeonMasterOfNone Stonehell Dungeon: Down Night-Haunted Halls by Michael Curtis The Dark of Hot Springs Island by Jacob Hurst, Evan Peterson, Donnie Garcia, and Gabriel Hernandez
305 - Disk Horse
April 17, 2024 05:20 - 1 hour - 55.8 MBDMs Matt and Rob wade into The Discourse discussing if “system matters” and “rules elide.” Check out the DMofNone Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/DungeonMasterOfNone Join DMofNone on Discord! Links: Fireside Chat for Chapter 2 of World Beyond Number - Dimension 20 Detours and Lies (1, probably) - “What Is A D&D Anyway? - Combat Orientation and Stoves” - The Daily Blade Rules Elide - Jared.blot (Archived) The Baker-Care Principle - Emily Care Boss The Fruitful Void ...
BONUS - Game Design With Andy Pressman
April 11, 2024 21:01 - 1 hour - 112 MBRob sits down with designer Andy Pressman to talk about, well, design, but also about games! The conversation ranges from Andy's active projects to onboarding players to mechanics to game jams and hacks and more. Andy's Itch Patchwork World Errant
304 - Daggerheart Playtest Part Two
March 30, 2024 14:58 - 1 hour - 101 MBMatt and Rob cover the REST of the Daggerheart playtest, including the GM section, adversaries, maps, worldbuilding, and the included starting adventure -- there's a lot going on here! Download the playtest materials here for free: https://darringtonpress.com/daggerheart/ Check out the DMofNone Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/DungeonMasterOfNone Join DMofNone on Discord! Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice Luca Turilli - Demonheart Slowdive - Dagger
303 - Daggerheart Playtest (Part 1)
March 22, 2024 03:35 - 1 hour - 64.4 MBDM "Dagger" Matt and DM "Heart" Rob are here to chat about the recently released playtest of Daggerheart, a fantasy TTRPG by Darrington Press and Critical Role. Download the playtest materials here for free: https://darringtonpress.com/daggerheart/ Check out the DMofNone Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/DungeonMasterOfNone Join DMofNone on Discord! Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice; Blondie - Heart of Glass.
302 - Wandering Blades with Daniel Kwan
March 15, 2024 23:00 - 1 hour - 109 MBMatt and Rob are joined by Daniel Kwan of Asians Represent to talk about his TTRPG of lethal melodrama, Wandering Blades! We talk wuxia, TTRPG design, playtesting, mechanics, inspirations, and more! Daniel's Patreon Daniel's Itch.io
301 - How to Learn a New RPG System
March 08, 2024 10:00 - 1 hour - 48.5 MBSo you want to run an RPG. No, not the one you are running right now, but a different one. DMs Matt and Rob are here to talk through their method and tips for learning a new game system. Check out the DMofNone Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/DungeonMasterOfNone Join DMofNone on Discord! Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice; Paul Simon - 50 Ways to Leave Your Lover.
300 - Rascal Dot News
February 29, 2024 03:27 - 1 hour - 87.7 MBMatt and Rob sit down with Lin Codega and Rowan Zeoli of rascal.news, the new independent TTRPG news site that is rising, phoenix-like, from the ashes of, well, several other sites. We talk plans, the state of TTRPGs, the death of journalism, and more! In Search of a Hot Pink Bitch Named Breakfast Harlem Hellfighters Never Die
299 - D&D on Death Row with Keri Blakinger
February 16, 2024 19:48 - 42 minutes - 35.9 MBDMs Rob and Matt are joined by Keri Blakinger, investigative reporter at the Los Angeles Times, to talk about her piece for New York Times Magazine, "The Dungeons & Dragons Players of Death Row," which can be read for free at the Marshall Project, "When Wizards and Orcs Came to Death Row." Links: Keri Blakinger - The Marshall Project https://www.themarshallproject.org/2023/08/31/dungeons-and-dragons-texas-death-row-tdcj Keri Blakinger - Corrections in Ink: A Memoir https://us.macmil...
298 - The Open Table
February 09, 2024 17:04 - 1 hour - 51.6 MBSpecial West Marches Correspondent Andy joins Matt and Rob to explain a wonderous campaign where all are welcome: The Open Table! Learn what an open table-style game is, why you might want to ditch your old dedicated story-driven campaigns, and how to prepare and GM an open table game. Plus, learn the Five "S"s of Open Tables: Setting, System, Scheduling, Starting, Stopping! Links: Andy - Tales of the Iron league https://ironleague.org/ Tales of the Iron League Discord https://disc...
TEASER: InDesigning RPGs
February 03, 2024 17:00 - 7 minutes - 5.5 MBMatt and Rob talk about how to make role-playing adventures, player guides, and games look nice. Join us for a journey through design and layout tools from simple to complex. Listen to the full episode on the DMofNone Patreon! Links: Homebrewery GM Binder GIMP Cartographers' Guild Explorers Design Adobe InDesign InDesign Template for 5e DriveThruRPG - Stock Art Open Access at The Met
297 - How to Run a One Shot
February 02, 2024 23:38 - 55 minutes - 80.7 MBMatt and Rob talk about how to run a one shot! As it turns out, finishing a whole adventure in one sitting is a lot more complicated than it sounds. Rat Queens They Want to Be Us Savage Worlds One Sheets Summer in December The Great Grav Train Robbery Bite Sized Dungeons Check out the DMofNone Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/DungeonMasterOfNone Join us on Discord! Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice Hamilton - Aaron Burr, Sir Eminem - One Shot, Two Shot Ferran - One Shot
BONUS - Actual Prep: Thunder on the Steppe
January 25, 2024 00:09 - 31 minutes - 47.3 MBRob abuses his power to force the podcast audience to listen to him ramble about his unfinished campaign setting, Thunder on the Steppe! We talk through the idea behind the campaign, issues with getting it presentable, next steps and takeaways. Check out the DMofNone Patreon! Link to the Thunder on the Steppe Preview doc. Join us on Discord! Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice The Hu - Wolf Totem
296 - So You Want to be a Game Master?
January 19, 2024 17:51 - 1 hour - 104 MBMatt and Rob review So You Want to be a Game Master? by Justin Alexander (of thealexandrian.net), which is exactly what it says on the tin. We talk about Alexander's approach, what you'll find in the book, and what you can use in your games! Check out the DMofNone Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/DungeonMasterOfNone Join us on Discord! Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice Duck Tales Theme Mission Impossible Theme Jefferson Starship - We Built This City
TEASER - Farewell to 2023
January 17, 2024 00:57 - 7 minutes - 6.07 MBMatt and Rob reflect on the events of the year, go over the many (12!) systems they've reviewed, and talk about what they're looking forward to in 2024. Listen to the rest of the episode (and an entire day's worth of premium episodes) on the DMofNone Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/DungeonMasterOfNone Join us on Discord! Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice; Lorne Balfe - Juice of the Vine.
295 - Frequently Asked Questions about Dungeons
January 11, 2024 10:00 - 54 minutes - 42.7 MBDMs Rob and Matt are back to answer your questions about Game Mastering! Plus, the triumphant return of Unwanted Advice! Check out the DMofNone Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/DungeonMasterOfNone Join us on Discord! Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice; Du gamla, du fria - Sabaton; Young Folks - Peter Bjorn and John.
294 - Pathfinder #31 - 48
January 04, 2024 17:06 - 1 hour - 112 MBMatt and Rob review some more Pathfinder adventure paths, focusing on Serpent's Skull and Carrion Crown! One of these is good! One of them is not! Listen to find out which. Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice Crab Rave! Earth Wind and Fire - Serpentine Fire Monster Squad Theme Song - Rock Until You Drop
293 - Star Trek Adventures: The Roleplaying Game
December 28, 2023 19:11 - 1 hour - 56.3 MB"Temba, his arms wide!" DMs Rob and Matt give the gift of a Trekkie TTRPG to you this holiday season. Learn about why playing a Starfleet crew is so much fun and how to use Mophidius's 2d20 system with its momentum and threat pools to create rewarding play at the table. Don your redshirt and get ready for a simulation that you can't win...no, not the Kobayashi Maru...but Star Trek Adventures: The Roleplaying Game! Links: Continuing Mission: A Fan Site for Star Trek RPGs https://continuin...
292 - Game Master Like a Teacher
December 21, 2023 19:30 - 1 hour - 61.6 MBDM Matt shares with DM Rob advice from his many years in the classroom that you can bring to your RPG table. Learn to game master like a teacher with these pedagogy tips! Session Plan Template on Patreon Check out the DMofNone Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/DungeonMasterOfNone Join us on Discord! Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice; The Who - Substitute; Win Ben Stein's Money Intro (Beethoven - Ode to Joy).
291 - Candela Obscura
December 14, 2023 17:21 - 1 hour - 114 MBMatt and Rob discuss the brand new mystery horror TTRPG from Darrington Press, Candela Obscura! This highly-anticipated freshman offering from Critical Role's in-house press has, to say the least, a lot going on! Delve into a world of spooky mystery, vaguely fin-de-siècle aesthetics, and questionable architectural choices. Check out the DMofNone Patreon! Join us on Discord!
BONUS - Tome of Battle (TEASER)
December 08, 2023 18:15 - 50 seconds - 901 KBOn the Patreon, Matt and Rob revisit a controversial book from the late-stage D&D 3.5e era -- The Tome of Battle: Book of Nine Swords! This is a messy, bloated, confusing book, but there are a few gems buried there, and moments of real potential, especially if you like cool martial abilities, fantastic combat, and tactical gameplay.
290 - Tabletop Game Designers Association with Elizabeth Hargrave and Sen-Foong Lim
December 07, 2023 11:00 - 53 minutes - 39 MBMatt and Rob are joined by veteran board game and RPG designers, Elizabeth Hargrave and Sen-Foong Lim, to discuss the Tabletop Game Designers Association, a new trade organization for tabletop creatives of all types. The TTGDA will advocate, educate, and fight for living wages in our community and will need your solidarity! Learn more and sign-up for updates on the TTGDA here at ttgda.org Guests: Elizabeth Hargrave is the Kennerspiel des Jahres award-winning designer of numerous games ...
289 - Tarot of Many Things
November 30, 2023 21:22 - 1 hour - 64.7 MBMatt and Rob are joined by Special Tarot Correspondent Nat, to celebrate the death of Henry Kissinger, discuss the basics of tarot, the history of tarot and tarot-like decks in D&D, how to use tarot with your players, and ways to prep adventures using cartomancy! You can follow Nat on Twitter @ashesforfoxes Links: The Deck of Many Things (5e SRD) The Tarokka Deck from Curse of Strahd Pathfinder Harrow Deck The Official Dungeons & Dragons Licensed Tarot Deck by Fred Gissubel ...
288 - Vaesen
November 23, 2023 15:44 - 1 hour - 88.9 MBMatt and Rob strap on their goggles and top hats, ingest a few milliliters of laudanum, and review Vaesen, Free League Publishing's Nordic horror fantasy monster hunting RPG! No myrling or brook horse is safe! Check out our Patreon! Join us on Discord! Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice Grimm TV Show Theme Into the Woods - Witch's Lament Unsolved Mysteries Theme Finntroll - Trollhammeren
287 - Types of Players
November 17, 2023 06:18 - 1 hour - 61.8 MBWhat's your players' signs? DMs Rob and Matt take a look at the many different typologies, stereotypes, and taxonomies of players at your table and how you can best observe, identify, and harness these different motivations and goals to improve your game. Some of the many lists of types of role-players. Check out our Patreon! Join us on Discord!
TEASER - The Talent
November 16, 2023 17:46 - 8 minutes - 6.96 MBDMs Rob and Matt review MCDM's psionic system and psion class, The Talent. Long splat book short: it's pretty good. And it bodes well for the RPG system MCDM will be kickstarting in a couple months. While certain aspects of the class certainly stressed (strained?) us out, MCDM may have designed a better magic system for 5e than D&D's traditional Vancian casting. Listen to the full episode on our Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/DungeonMasterOfNone
286 - Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse
November 09, 2023 19:44 - 1 hour - 99 MBMatt and Rob return to Sigil to talk about the other two books in the Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse box set! This includes Sigil and the Outlands, which is exactly what it sounds like, and Morte's Planar Parade, a planar-focused monster manual. I hope you like opinions, berks, because we've got em! Check out our Patreon! Join us on Discord! Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice Heimdall - Haephestus Sex Pistols - Anarchy in the UK Three Days Grace - I Hate Everything About Y...
285 - A Turn of Fortune's Wheel
November 02, 2023 00:07 - 1 hour - 111 MBListen up you berks, Matt and Rob are here to talk about Planescape: Adventures in the Multiverse -- well, one part of it anyway, the Turn of Fortune's Wheel campaign. We hate to say it cagers, but these leatherheads really piked it. Sigil slang glossary Check out our Patreon! Join us on Discord! Music: Pac Div - Roll the Dice Wheel of Fortune Theme Casino Royale Theme
284 - Coriolis
October 26, 2023 20:05 - 1 hour - 49.3 MBTake us out to the black, because DMs Rob and Matt are reviewing Coriolis - The Third Horizon by Free League Publishing. Coriolis RPG The Third Horizon Map Year Zero Engine SRD Check out our Patreon! Join us on Discord!
283 - Rob Talks Baldur's Gate 3
October 19, 2023 21:25 - 40 minutes - 60 MBMatt is down with COVID (don't worry, he's fine), so Rob is stealing the mic to talk about Baldur's Gate 3, the unexpected gaming phenomenon of the season. Turns out there's a lot of cool stuff you can do if you're willing to bend the rules of 5e (and have six years to polish a game). Check out our Patreon! Join us on Discord!
282 - Monster Mashup Redux
October 12, 2023 16:01 - 57 minutes - 45.4 MBHappy spooky season, y'all! To celebrate, it's the Monster Mash...up...again! Listen to DMs Rob and Matt mix up on the fly the bugbear with the ankheg, a swarm of rats with a trademarked giant brain-eating worm, and a lion with a gladiator. Stick with it on that last one. Sounds boring, but it's worth it! Check out our Patreon for the full stats of each monster! Join us on Discord!
281 - October Mailbag
October 05, 2023 03:45 - 59 minutes - 84.9 MBMatt and Rob answer your letters! Hear our not-so-expert opinion on magic items, spontaneous spellcasting, AI art, and more! Creative Commons Licenses Check out our Patreon! Join us on Discord!
280 - Invisible Sun
September 28, 2023 09:00 - 1 hour - 54.1 MBDMs Rob and Matt discuss one of the most challenging, most interesting, and weirdest RPGs to come out in the last decade: Monte Cook Games' Invisible Sun. Pour yourself some tea made of thoughts and shuffle your soothe deck because we are heading into the black cube. Announcing Invisible Sun: Return of the Black Cube Join DM of None on Discord and Patreon!
279 - So You Want to Be a Game Master w/ Justin Alexander
September 22, 2023 23:15 - 1 hour - 108 MBJustin Alexander of the Alexandrian joins Matt and Rob to talk about his upcoming book and about what he's learned in his many years of GMing! Get a sneak peek of So You Want to be a Game Master and hear some PRO TIPS for your games!
TEASER - The Ultimate Grift: Jamison Stone and Satine Phoenix
September 16, 2023 21:31 - 5 minutes - 4.4 MBListen to the full episode on our Patreon! The "ult" episode to our earlier combo on RPG Kickstarter grifts, detailing just a few of the many exploits of Jamison Stone and Satine Phoenix. StudlyStone: A collection of stories involving Satine Phoenix, Jamison Stone, Apotheosis Studios "Accusations Of Bullying And Blacklisting Surround Dungeons & Dragons Creator Couple" by Dan Arndt "Dungeons & Dragons Personalities Satine Phoenix and Jamison Stone Accused of Bullying, Mistreatment...
278 - Monstrous, Monsters, and Mapping with Kyle Latino
September 14, 2023 19:15 - 1 hour - 50.8 MBSpecial guest Kyle Latino, aka the MapCrow, joins DM Matt to talk about Cloud Curio's new Kickstarter, Monstrous, how tapping into the fantastic creates better monsters, and how to map more engaging worlds for your players. Check out Monstrous, on Kickstarter now! Building Better Monsters on YouTube Join DM of None on Discord and Patreon!