Game Master's Journey
325 episodes - English - Latest episode: 8 days ago - ★★★★★ - 77 ratingsGame Master’s Journey is a discussion podcast for GMs and players of Dungeons & Dragons and other tabletop RPGs hosted by Lex Starwalker. The show explores strategies players and GMs can use to enhance the gaming experience for everyone at the table. Lex also discusses the creation of his homebrew D&D setting, Primordia, providing a valuable worldbuilding resource for DMs creating their own setting.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Game Master's Journey 48 - Using Improvisation & Cinematic Aspects in RPG Storytelling with Kevin LoadedDice & Evan Luis
September 04, 2015 16:25 - 40 minutesKevin and Evan from the Loaded Dice podcast network join me to continue our discussion of Star Wars Edge of the Empire. This is part two of a three part interview.
Game Master's Journey 47 - Gaming as Cooperative Storytelling with Kevin LoadedDice & Evan Luis
August 31, 2015 20:10 - 42 minutesKevin and Evan from the Loaded Dice podcast network join me to discuss their Star Wars Edge of the Empire campaign, The Whiskey Rebellion. We have a lot of laughs, with some insights into the system and gaming in general along the way.
Game Master's Journey 46 - Improvisation in RPGs with Scott Kellogg Part 2
August 25, 2015 08:00 - 30 minutesOne of the most important tools in the GM’s toolbox is improvisation. Scott Kellogg returns to the show today to discuss how to use improvisation skills to improve the RPG experience for your entire group.
Game Master's Journey 45 - Improvisation in RPGs with Scott Kellogg Part 1
August 18, 2015 08:00 - 32 minutesOne of the most important tools in the GM’s toolbox is improvisation. Scott Kellogg joins me on the show today to discuss improvisation in roleplaying games.
Game Master's Journey 44 Unplugged - Star Wars Dice, Political Games, Sandbox Games & More
August 13, 2015 08:00 - 50 minutesI've gotten a lot of great listener feedback on recent topics, including the Star Wars RPG dice system, running political games, running sandbox games, and more. Tonight I'll go through the feedback on these topics and hit some of the highlights. I'll also tell you a little bit about the Edge of the Empire campaign I'm planning, and how I'm preparing for it very differently from other campaigns I've run in the past.
Game Master's Journey 43 - Elegance in RPGs Revisited
August 10, 2015 20:26 - 33 minutesToday I’ll reopen some discussion on episodes 40 and 41 with some enlightening comments from listeners of the show. I'll share what listeners think about elegance in RPGs and the new Fantasy AGE RPG.
Game Master's Journey 42 - How to Be a Better Player
August 03, 2015 15:34 - 56 minutesWe talk a lot about being a Game Master on this show, appropriately enough. But how can we be better players? Look on any online gaming community and you’ll see there are far more players looking for a GM than the other way around. How can you be the kind of player GMs want at their tables?
Game Master's Journey 41 Unplugged - What I Learned from Wil Wheaton
July 30, 2015 08:00 - 36 minutesWelcome to Game Master’s Journey Unplugged. Sit with me around the fire, as I discuss what I recently learned watching another GM run a game.
Game Master's Journey 40 - Elegance in RPGs
July 27, 2015 13:46 - 52 minutesThe more experience I gain with RPGs, the more I appreciate elegance in RPG systems. Not only do elegant mechanics make a game easy to learn, teach and grok, but it also helps everyone at the table keep their focus where it belongs—character and story. Today I look at a few systems, some more elegant than others, and try to tease out what works and why.
Game Master's Journey 39 - Running Adventure Paths Part 3
July 21, 2015 08:00 - 30 minutesRunning a published adventure that will span the majority of the careers of your PCs presents unique challenges. Will Johnson returns to the show today to discuss those challenges.
Game Master's Journey 38 - Running Adventure Paths Part 2
July 17, 2015 18:16 - 33 minutesRunning a published adventure that will span the majority of the careers of your PCs presents unique challenges. Will Johnson returns to the show today to discuss those challenges.
Game Master's Journey 37 - Running Adventure Paths Part 1
July 14, 2015 08:00 - 39 minutesRunning a published adventure that will span the majority of the careers of your PCs presents unique challenges. Will Johnson joins me on the show today to discuss these challenges, and we have some tips for running adventure paths.
Game Master's Journey 36 - Worldbuilding 4: Ancient History & PC Races
July 07, 2015 08:00 - 42 minutesOne of the most rewarding parts of being a game master is creating your own world. Today I will give a brief overview of the ancient history of my world and talk about the races available as PCs.
Game Master's Journey 35 Unplugged - D&D Player's Handbook Errata
July 02, 2015 08:00 - 25 minutesWelcome to Game Master’s Journey Unplugged. Sit with me around the fire, as I discuss the Errata to the Player’s Handbook for D&D released by Wizards of the Coast.
Game Master's Journey 34 - Organized Play with Will Johnson
June 30, 2015 08:00 - 40 minutesWill Johnson joins me on the show today to discuss organized play. Not only is organized play a great way to find new gamers in your area for your home game, but it’s also a great way to try GMing for the first time.
Game Master's Journey 33 - Star Wars RPG with Joshua Brown Part 2
June 23, 2015 08:00 - 39 minutesJoshua Brown is back to continue our discussion of the Star Wars RPGs. This week we talk about experience and character advancement in the game. We also discuss high level play. Does the system bog down like in so many other games? Our other topics include running the game when you’re not an expert on Star Wars lore, dealing with players who know the lore better than you, and the Force and Destiny beta. Finally we answer the question, "Are Force users overpowered and unbalanced compared with...
Game Master's Journey 32 - Star Wars RPG with Joshua Brown Part 1
June 16, 2015 08:00 - 41 minutesJoshua Brown joins me on the show today to discuss the Star Wars RPGs by Fantasy Flight games. We talk about running Star Wars as a new GM and playing it as a new player. This is a really great game for players new to RPGs. Finally we talk a bit about lightsaber colors.
Game Master's Journey 31 - Worldbuilding 3: The Gods Part 2
June 09, 2015 08:00 - 32 minutesOne of the most rewarding parts of being a game master is creating your own world. A very important big-picture aspect of fantasy worlds is the gods. Today I continue my discussion of the gods of my world.
Game Master's Journey 30 - Worldbuilding 2: The Gods Part 1
June 02, 2015 08:00 - 29 minutesOne of the most rewarding parts of being a game master is creating your own world. A very important big-picture aspect of fantasy worlds is the gods. Today I start thinking about the deities in my world.
Game Master's Journey Unplugged E29 - Magic Items in Tyranny of Dragons
May 28, 2015 08:00 - 51 minutesWelcome to Game Master’s Journey Unplugged. Sit with me around the fire as I discuss magic items in the Tyranny of Dragons campaign for Dungeons & Dragons.
Game Master's Journey 28 - Worldbuilding 1: Brainstorming Big Picture Ideas
May 25, 2015 08:00 - 36 minutesOne of the most rewarding parts of being a game master is creating your own world. Today I begin creating my own world for D&D, and I take you along for the ride. We start off with some big picture ideas for the world.
Game Master's Journey E27 - Star Wars RPG with Ben Yendall Part 2
May 19, 2015 08:00 - 40 minutesBen Yendall joins me again on the show today to conclude our discussion of the Star Wars RPG system by Fantasy Flight Games.
Game Master's Journey 27 - Star Wars RPG with Ben Yendall Part 2
May 19, 2015 08:00 - 40 minutesBen Yendall joins me again on the show today to conclude our discussion of the Star Wars RPG system by Fantasy Flight Games.
Game Master's Journey E26 - Star Wars RPG with Ben Yendall Part 1
May 12, 2015 08:00 - 39 minutesBen Yendall joins me on the show today to discuss the Star Wars RPG system by Fantasy Flight Games.
Game Master's Journey 26 - Star Wars RPG with Ben Yendall Part 1
May 12, 2015 08:00 - 39 minutesBen Yendall joins me on the show today to discuss the Star Wars RPG system by Fantasy Flight Games.
Game Master's Journey 25 - Determining the Best Size for Your RPG Group
May 05, 2015 08:00 - 35 minutesIs bigger really better when it comes to the size of your RPG group? Does it matter whether you’re playing in person or online? Is there a sweet spot for group size?
Game Master's Journey E25 - Determining the Best Size for Your RPG Group
May 05, 2015 08:00 - 35 minutesIs bigger really better when it comes to the size of your RPG group? Does it matter whether you’re playing in person or online? Is there a sweet spot for group size?
Game Master's Journey 24 - The Future of Dungeons & Dragons
April 28, 2015 08:00 - 32 minutesWelcome to the season two premier! Today I’ll dig into the inspiration mechanic for D&D fifth edition.
Game Master's Journey E24 - The Future of Dungeons & Dragons
April 28, 2015 08:00 - 32 minutesWelcome to the season two premier! Today I’ll dig into the inspiration mechanic for D&D fifth edition.
Game Master's Journey 23 - Inspiration in D&D
April 21, 2015 08:00 - 32 minutesWelcome to the season two premier! Today I’ll dig into the inspiration mechanic for D&D fifth edition.
Game Master's Journey E23 - Inspiration in D&D
April 21, 2015 08:00 - 32 minutesWelcome to the season two premier! Today I’ll dig into the inspiration mechanic for D&D fifth edition.
Game Master's Journey 22 - Feats & Multiclassing in D&D
April 14, 2015 08:00 - 53 minutesThis is the season one finale episode! Today I’ll discuss feats and multiclassing in Dungeons & Dragons.
Game Master's Journey E22 - Feats & Multiclassing in D&D
April 14, 2015 08:00 - 53 minutesThis is the season one finale episode! Today I’ll discuss feats and multiclassing in Dungeons & Dragons.
Game Master's Journey E21 The Obsidian Monolith 10 - The Conclusion of the Campaign
April 09, 2015 08:00 - 42 minutesIn the final episode of The Obsidian Monolith I show how to bring a campaign to a satisfying conclusion. I also reveal the secrets of the Obsidian Monolith and the campaign. This is an episode you won't want to miss!
Game Master's Journey 21 The Obsidian Monolith 10 - The Conclusion of the Campaign
April 09, 2015 08:00 - 42 minutesIn the final episode of The Obsidian Monolith I show how to bring a campaign to a satisfying conclusion. I also reveal the secrets of the Obsidian Monolith and the campaign. This is an episode you won't want to miss!
Game Master's Journey 20 - How to Avoid GM Laziness & Improve Your Craft
April 07, 2015 08:00 - 41 minutesThe longer you GM, the easier it is to fall into bad habits. What are some of the signs you’re slipping and becoming a lazy GM, and what are some strategies you can use to keep your game mastering at peak performance? Join me on the Journey as I explore these questions. Together we can become game masters truly worthy of the title.
Game Master's Journey E20 - How to Avoid GM Laziness & Improve Your Craft
April 07, 2015 08:00 - 41 minutesThe longer you GM, the easier it is to fall into bad habits. What are some of the signs you’re slipping and becoming a lazy GM, and what are some strategies you can use to keep your game mastering at peak performance? Join me on the Journey as I explore these questions. Together we can become game masters truly worthy of the title.
Game Master's Journey E19 The Obsidian Monolith 09 - The Machine of the Emols
April 03, 2015 08:00 - 46 minutesToday I’ll discuss the fourth adventure of the campaign—The Machine of the Emols. I also give the outline for the rest of the campaign.
Game Master's Journey 19 The Obsidian Monolith 09 - The Machine of the Emols
April 03, 2015 08:00 - 46 minutesToday I’ll discuss the fourth adventure of the campaign—The Machine of the Emols. I also give the outline for the rest of the campaign.
Game Master's Journey E18 - Digging Into the New Dungeon Master's Guide Part 3
March 31, 2015 08:00 - 39 minutesI continue my discussion of the new Dungeon Master’s Guide for Dungeons and Dragons. This is an awesome resource for any GM of almost any RPG game out there.
Game Master's Journey 18 - Digging Into the New Dungeon Master's Guide Part 3
March 31, 2015 08:00 - 39 minutesI continue my discussion of the new Dungeon Master’s Guide for Dungeons and Dragons. This is an awesome resource for any GM of almost any RPG game out there.
Game Master's Journey E17 - Do You Want the Kitchen Sink in Your RPG Setting?
March 24, 2015 08:00 - 36 minutesWe see a lot of kitchen sink RPG settings these days, but do you really want to throw the kitchen sink into your homebrew setting? What are the pros and cons of representing a wide variety of genres and themes in one setting?
Game Master's Journey 17 - Do You Want the Kitchen Sink in Your RPG Setting?
March 24, 2015 08:00 - 36 minutesWe see a lot of kitchen sink RPG settings these days, but do you really want to throw the kitchen sink into your homebrew setting? What are the pros and cons of representing a wide variety of genres and themes in one setting?
Game Master's Journey 16 The Obsidian Monolith 08 - The Village of the Culovas
March 21, 2015 08:00 - 44 minutesToday I'll discuss the conclusion of the second adventure in the campaign. I'll also share with you what I came up with for the culova village and culture, as well as some culova NPCs.
Game Master's Journey E16 The Obsidian Monolith 08 - The Village of the Culovas
March 21, 2015 08:00 - 44 minutesToday I'll discuss the conclusion of the second adventure in the campaign. I'll also share with you what I came up with for the culova village and culture, as well as some culova NPCs.
Game Master's Journey 15 - 13th Age with J-M DeFoggi & Nick Johnson Part 2
March 17, 2015 08:00 - 33 minutesI continue my discussion of 13th Age with J-M DeFoggi and Nick Johnson of the Iconic podcast. This is part two of a two part interview.
Game Master's Journey E15 - 13th Age with J-M DeFoggi & Nick Johnson Part 2
March 17, 2015 08:00 - 33 minutesI continue my discussion of 13th Age with J-M DeFoggi and Nick Johnson of the Iconic podcast. This is part two of a two part interview.
Game Master's Journey 14 The Obsidian Monolith 07 - Connecting Adventures Together
March 14, 2015 08:00 - 37 minutesIn this episode of The Obsidian Monolith, I discuss the second adventure of the campaign and show you how I used it to connect the first and third adventures together.
Game Master's Journey E14 The Obsidian Monolith 07 - Connecting Adventures Together
March 14, 2015 08:00 - 37 minutesIn this episode of The Obsidian Monolith, I discuss the second adventure of the campaign and show you how I used it to connect the first and third adventures together.
Game Master's Journey 13 - 13th Age with J-M DeFoggi & Nick Johnson Part 1
March 10, 2015 08:00 - 42 minutesJ-M DeFoggi and Nick Johnson of the Iconic podcast join me on the show today to discuss the 13th Age Roleplaying game.