Hook and Chance
172 episodes - English - Latest episode: 9 months ago - ★★★★★ - 27 ratingsHook & Chance is a Dungeons and Dragons advice and game enrichment podcast for players and Dungeon Masters full of entertaining ideas for incredible games!
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Episodes
The Oblex of Players Nightmares
September 27, 2021 11:00 - 54 minutes - 74.3 MBSome monsters are meant to merely distract a party of adventurers, and some are meant for the spotlight. This monster is the latter. It combines elements of some of the greatest horror classics like The Thing and Body Snatchers. Its abilities are well-considered for horrific tension building, and it can mess with people's minds to no end. That's why we are super excited for this episode, where we get to dissect and put together the Oblex into a haunting adventure.
A Meditation on Elves
September 20, 2021 11:00 - 45 minutes - 62.8 MBThis episode gets real specific, then real broad. We started with the fact that meditation is unique to elves in the D&D world. and the most we've seen on the subject in our games has been "cool, I have four hours to kill every night while my party sleeps." Well, we wanted to get into what makes the minds of people in the real world that spend a lot of their time meditating unique, and apply that to elves. So we did just that!
The Flavour of Darkness
September 13, 2021 11:00 - 38 minutes - 53.5 MBToo often is this spell discussed only in relation to its conditions and mechanics. Immerse yourself in the inky blackness that is darkness, and make sure the next time you use shadow magic, it feels fantastic.
Wave Combat or All Out War?
September 06, 2021 11:00 - 45 minutes - 62.7 MBSo here we are. You want to throw a combat at your party that's dynamic, overwhelming, strategic, and involves multiple waves of enemies that get increasingly harder. When pulled off properly, these moments can be among the most celebrated in your whole campaign. Join us as we talk about how to pull it off while avoiding all the mistakes we've personally made before, and leaning into the strengths of this particular form of encounter.
Fighter Culture for More Diverse Warriors
August 30, 2021 11:01 - 53 minutes - 73.7 MBFighters are unique in that they dont necissarily come from a particular legend or source, like Druids or Bards. A fighter is... a fighter, someone who fights. The whole of human history we could draw inspiration from has fought. Like a menu with far too many options, the choices of what to inspire you when creating a fighter can be so many, it's paralyzing. It's no wonder we end up making so many people that hit stuff with a sword, as opposed to characters we find compelling and unique.
Mind Flayer Horror
August 23, 2021 11:00 - 52 minutes - 72.6 MBThese creatures have so much potential as villainous foes. Almost too much! Evil entities from alien realms, hyper intelligent and terrifying in every way. All the detail and lore is great but it can be challenging to portray at the table, and the biggest crime would be to throw these brain suckers at the party like any other stat block. So we're looking at the things we like the most, and considering how we can use that to inform our portrayal of Mind Flayers in our games. This episode will ...
Martial Arts and Culture ft. James Mendez Hodes
August 16, 2021 11:00 - 59 minutes - 81.7 MBWhen creating your character, when was the last time you considered how they learned to fight with any real weight? If you've ever done it, congrats! You got us beat. That's why we've got an incredible guest on today to share how to add an onion's worth of layers to our characters fighting styles. James Mendez Hodes has written, designed, and culturally consulted for a ton of different games, and also has deep personal experience with martial arts and world history. This leaves him super equi...
Menacing Mind Flayer Culture
August 09, 2021 11:00 - 51 minutes - 70.3 MBThese creatures have so much potential as villainous foes. Almost too much! Evil entities from alien realms, hyper intelligent and terrifying in every way. All the detail and lore is great but it can be challenging to portray at the table, and the biggest crime would be to throw these brain suckers at the party like any other stat block. So we're looking at the things we like the most, and considering how we can use that to inform our portrayal of Mind Flayers in our games. This episode will ...
Planning an Action Quest
July 26, 2021 11:00 - 49 minutes - 68.4 MBWant to capture that feeling when the game keeps picking up steam, the tension is rising, and everyone's in sync, almost instinctively knowing the flow of the game? Well, we wanna make it easier to get there, and we're going to do it by talking about the building blocks of the best action movies. Following this structure can keep the pace going and enrapture your players, making them feel like the odds are against them moments before they celebrate their hard won victory.
The Many Wonders of Shape Water
July 19, 2021 11:00 - 44 minutes - 60.6 MBOverlooked cantrips are some of our favorite places to look for creative gameplay opportunities. This one covers a lot of ground. Since it has so much potential, however, it's easy for it to become a game de-railer, whether you get an overcautious GM that doesn't want things to get out of hand, or an overzealous player that wants to break the game with a low powered spell. In this episode, we hope to find a great middle ground that keeps things fun, challenging, and full of surprises.
Character Arcs III
July 12, 2021 11:00 - 48 minutes - 66.7 MBIn our third and final look at character arcs (for now), we look at morality arcs. These ones are particularly useful to consider for tabletop games like D&D, because we all know or have been the person who's built an amazingly interesting morally grey character. They've got a tragic backstory, a twisted perspective on the world, and we're all curious to see where their story goes. Well, if it's ever fallen flat for you like it has for us, join us as we figure out how to make it work.
Character Arcs II
July 05, 2021 11:00 - 38 minutes - 53 MBHere's our second installment in the Character Arc series. This topic is one that appeals to us, because it's one that we struggled with for a long time as new players. Once it clicked, however, it made planning out our parts of the game so much more engaging. We started to feel like we had some control over our characters. Join us as we look at another type of arc, one that deals in personal growth.
Character Arcs I
June 28, 2021 11:00 - 49 minutes - 68 MBCharacter arcs can be a dangerous topic in tabletop gaming. There's always the concern that if you are following an arc you could be railroading the story too much, and it can seem difficult to pull off with so many other characters and plots around. Well, we see it a little differently. Having a path you are on doesn't mean you can't make a new one at any time, and it's way more fun than hacking away at the forest without going anywhere. There's also room for a million surprises along the wa...
Use Paladin Oaths Aplenty
May 31, 2021 11:00 - 39 minutes - 54.6 MBCreating a great paladin character that gets everyone else at the table excited is kinda tough. A bad reputation has been made, of people playing them strict, unwavering, and all conquering. As people that do not get along. That stop the game on behalf of their god. Well, it doesn't have to be this way, and we think there's some incredible roleplay opportunity that comes from going down the path of the Paladin a little further.
Horrify with Malicious Trolls
May 24, 2021 11:00 - 45 minutes - 63.1 MBTrolls have the potential to be some of the most disturbing monsters out there, yet are unfortunately the easiest monster to let sit as a never-ending bag of hit points. A monster whacking slog to end all monster whacking slogs. If we examine them a little closer, and look at how their unique abilities can be used to greater effect, then we can avoid that sloggy fate, and create monsters that horrify in new and terrible ways.
Wonderful Warforged Struggles
May 17, 2021 11:00 - 43 minutes - 59.4 MBWarforged have some serious potential for incredible storytelling. If we're worried about anything, it's that we won't do them justice. But there's a lot of angles you can take to play a compelling character with solid goals and a satisfying arc if you start with the Warforged, without reading a dozen novels and sourcebooks about Eberron. In this episode, we're going to dive into as many as we can.
Detect Magic, Identify, Arcana and the Difference
May 10, 2021 11:00 - 39 minutes - 54.9 MBAs a knowledgeable spellcaster with a deep understanding of the arcane arts, you want to be able to pull out the right skills at the right time, like the rogue when they're picking locks, or the barbarian when they're cracking skulls. But magic is a little less straightforward, and there's a few abilities that get used and confused in these moments. They often either get mixed up, or used to very underwhelming effect. So here we are to help your spellcaster shine in those magical moments!
The Narrative of Leveling Up
May 03, 2021 11:00 - 54 minutes - 74.5 MBWe always want our games to be more immersive, and jam packed with the drama and fun of our characters. Having goals and conquering foes is great, but in this episode we want to turn the focus to roleplaying out what it's like for your character to gain their new stats, abilities, and spells. The whole table can end up a lot more invested if every player is adding this to the pot.
The Mechanics of Leveling Up
April 26, 2021 11:00 - 39 minutes - 53.9 MBThe debate rages on in all corners of the TTRPG world. In one corner we have leveling with experience points, with all its precision and flexibility. In the other, milestone leveling, with its ease of use and story focused approach. Which is the correct system? Well, whatever you and your players like. It really is that simple. But in this episode we explore the potential and drawbacks of each, and figure out what we could do to make the most out of our leveling.
The Wisdom and Class of a Druid
April 19, 2021 11:00 - 42 minutes - 58.9 MBThe power a druid wields is great. They are an incredibly flexible class, and can go in a wonderful amount of character directions. But the classic druid embodies nature and wisdom. The wisdom of nature, if you will. We want to dive into the details that can make a druid great, and maybe even inspire ourselves from history while we're at it.
Worldbuilding like a Pro III ft. Matt Sernett
April 12, 2021 11:00 - 1 hour - 101 MBCreating a world as a group, or by yourself, is a powerfully satisfying creative experience. When a whole bunch of great ideas come together, and you start twisting and mixing them in a unique way, you're gonna come up with something you want to explore more, because it's yours, and it's new. That's what we're doing in this episode with the help of our fantastic guest, Matt Sernett, and the input from our fantastic friends on Discord.
Owlbears are Horrific Monsters and Adorable Pets
April 05, 2021 11:00 - 56 minutes - 77.4 MBOwlbears can be a fun threat, a D&D roadside encounter classic, but as new DM's we had no idea how to effectively use them. Our encounters were barely a step up from Winnie the Pooh stumbling onto the road with a beak taped to his face, yelling for the party to treat him like a pincushion. In this episode we want to explore all kinds of ways to use owlbears, from a tool to menace your party with, to a dangerous part of nature, even as a friendly pet. Join us, and hopefully by the end you'll h...
Worldbuilding like a Pro II ft. Matt Sernett
March 29, 2021 13:00 - 1 hour - 107 MBPlaying in existing fiction is fantastic, but a lot of us, at one point or another, get that itch to create a world of our own. So what makes them great? Not a formula, but the collection of ideas that makes up your mind. That's why this is not a step by step guide to creating your own wonderful world, but rather a collection of ideas to visit along your way, and ways to explore combining things you already love into something new. Matt Sernett, someone with extensive knowledge and experience...
Worldbuilding like a Pro I ft. Matt Sernett
March 15, 2021 11:00 - 56 minutes - 78 MBThere's a million ways to build worlds, and it's a powerfully fun thing to do. But the greatest worlds come not from a formula, but from a mindset of creating something all your own. Here to share his experience and wisdom on the subject is someone that's made a career of diving deep into fictional worlds, Matt Sernett. Join us as we learn new ways to think about this fundamental part of the gaming experience, with Matt as our guide.
Building a Curious Tabaxi Culture
March 08, 2021 12:00 - 58 minutes - 79.8 MBGive a little thought to where your Tabaxi character hails from, and avoid falling prey to playing a walking cat joke. We've wanted to explore this culture for a while, since it's one that hasn't been deeply explored in the lore. So in this episode, we take inspiration from what does exist, and dive into it a little more.
Confidently Cast the Charm Person Spell
March 01, 2021 12:00 - 40 minutes - 55.4 MBThere's so many opinions of how to handle Charm Person, and being charmed in general. And they're all right! Obviously, we'd never tell you our way of acting charmed is the only way. But we will tell you how we keep it pretty simple in our heads, and are able to actually play this out in a way that fits the game. Too many times we've gone too big, and let them befriend the big bad for all time, or too small, and planted a big juicy "no" on our reactions.
Plan Meaningful Travel Encounters
February 22, 2021 12:00 - 50 minutes - 69 MBWe're finally talking about what's better than throwing in random travel encounters! All you've gotta do is consider what actually matters about your encounter, and then why the outcome matters. This episode gets into those points a little deeper.
Run Engaging Travel Adventures
February 15, 2021 12:00 - 49 minutes - 67.5 MBKnowing why you're playing through travel is huge. If you have a great answer for that, you'll probably have some great travel. Join us in this episode to learn how to answer that question, and never deal with a dying story due to random encounters or "accurate" travel experiences.
Never Tell a Story Without a Ticking Clock
February 08, 2021 12:00 - 47 minutes - 65.8 MBIf you want a tested method for engaging the table with stories, the ticking clock is invaluable. When used well, you avoid those meandering five session detours from the wicked adventure idea you created for your table.
Unlock Story Pacing
February 01, 2021 12:00 - 44 minutes - 61 MBLearning to pace games intentionally is a part of running games that eluded us for a long time. Done well, it results in those grand gaming wrap ups, where everyone is coming down off the high of a great session. Done poorly, it leaves us sad and confused as to why that session went down about as well as a juiced cockroach. That's why in this episode we give solid steps on fluctuating the pace of your games to keep everyone in it, and everything on time.
Make Mimics Monstrous
January 25, 2021 13:30 - 41 minutes - 56.5 MBMimics are the classic monster that's fun in concept, horrendous on execution. They are designed to be a trap that cannot be detected, and this drives us up a wall. So join us as we talk about what elements we would add that make them a lot more useful and fun for us to include in our games.
Letting the Players Lead ft. The GMTim
January 18, 2021 12:00 - 54 minutes - 74.8 MBWant to learn some techniques that will leave everyone stunned at how well a session brought their characters and their visions to life? Here to help is The GMTim! He runs about 10 games a month, writes adventures, and constantly discovers new ways to push his skills as a Game Master. We are so excited to have him share his skills with us in this episode.
Infuse your Artificer with Character
January 11, 2021 12:00 - 49 minutes - 68.3 MBThe Artificer is a class that stands out as way to visually express your stunning creativity. You can have mechanical friends, suits of super armor, incredible weaponry, the list goes on. It's incredibly fun to keep detailing out these aspects of the artificer. With these concepts, however, we find it easy to forget to build a rich character underneath it all, with a story and a personality that's gonna shine as brightly as their robo-monkey-cat. That's why we talk about what steps you can ta...
D&D Maze Design that Works
January 04, 2021 13:00 - 58 minutes - 79.9 MBSometimes you get an idea of the kind of game you want to run in your head. Like, a twisty, turny, confusing labyrinthine adventure would be rad, right? Everyone would have so much fun trying to navigate the endless sprawling passageways of the Underdark, right? Well, it is a great idea, just don't mistake an adventure in a maze for having the players solve a real maze. That make sense? If not, join us as we discuss making great mazes.
Tension and Using Disguise Self
December 07, 2020 13:01 - 39 minutes - 54.6 MBWell, it’s kinda tough to say. Y’see, we think it’s all a matter of how getting the expectations right for this incredibly utilitarian sorcery. In this episode, though we take a deeper look into a spell that tends to blow up in players’ faces with a single lucky roll.
Building Frightening Fire Giant Culture
November 30, 2020 09:01 - 55 minutes - 76.1 MBHey, look, we still love Giants. So join us as we explore the culture of Fire Giants! Go past their angry exterior and discover what really motivates them, how they treat humanoids, what they do when they are not fighting, how they talk to each other, and plenty more fiery fun. By the end, we hope you know exactly what to do when you pull a Fire Giant out of the ol' creature stash. Our favorite part of monsters is what lives beyond the stat block. To get into what makes Fire Giants unique, we...
How to Fix Mistakes in Your Game
November 23, 2020 12:00 - 56 minutes - 77.5 MBMaking mistakes as a DM or player was once our biggest fear. Then, we learned that the greatest games happen due to unexpected occurrences, and that the best thing we can do in the face of creative adversity is just keep moving. In this episode, you'll learn how to do that in any gaming situation that seems bad.
A New Sand Giant Culture
November 16, 2020 13:01 - 52 minutes - 72.2 MBYou know we love some giants, and maybe you do too. Maybe even your whole table does too! If you want to mix it up and use something that no one has seen, and lives somewhere no giant would live, please meet the desert giant! We created this new culture of giants using our culture creator, which is a great tool to create whatever giants that you want to bring to the game as well.
Roleplay Giants with Culture Creation
November 09, 2020 13:01 - 59 minutes - 81.2 MBHave you ever struggled to flesh out a society in your games? Or multiple cultures at once? If you're working off of lore, it can be a lot to absorb and figure out how to use. If you are starting from scratch it can feel like becoming a novelist just to run a game. Well, we've wrestled this beast more than a few times, and we've got a system that makes it all much more manageable. In this episode, we're using it to simplify a creature in D&D with some of the oldest and richest lore, with subc...
Build Religious Characters with Depth
November 02, 2020 12:00 - 57 minutes - 79.1 MBIf you've listened to our last episode, you heard us create a system to create unique gods and religions. Well, now it's time to apply that to your incredible character! We combine our culture creator and our character planner and show you how flipping fun it is to create characters that have a lot to them and their beliefs, without studying manuals of lore or spending months creating your own.
Create Gods and Religions with Ease
October 26, 2020 12:01 - 45 minutes - 62 MBSo you want your world to feel real, and it's time to scheme up some godly goodness. There's two ways we know to screw this up real good. The first is to just forget to do it, and all the sudden you've got a fantasy ripoff of whatever religion you know best in real life. The second is to go way too deep. Reading a 350 page tome cover to cover that goes into a wild fantasy pantheon, then realizing your table did NOT do their homework, and this is gonna take a lot of exposition. Well, following...
Terrify Players with Body Horror Adventures
October 19, 2020 11:00 - 43 minutes - 59.7 MBThere's so many different kinds of delighful horror to dive into, but if you've ever wanted to explore the themes associated with body horror in a way that creates a disturbing sense of dread while respecting everyone at the table, this is the episode for you. We promise, if you put this planning in you'll have a great adventure, and it's much more interesting than plain old gore.
Creatively Clutch with Mage Hand
October 12, 2020 13:01 - 36 minutes - 50.1 MBEver want to pop off your hand and throw it across the room? Try Mage Hand instead. It's a cantrip that has an incredible variety of uses, and they're all fun as heck. Well, I'm sure you could fold laundry or something, but you're playing D&D here. Well, then again, if laundry's your jam, go for it. The lesson is there's very few situations in which you shouldn't cast Mage Hand.
How to Handle Character Death
October 05, 2020 11:00 - 42 minutes - 58 MBCan you keep the threat of death in a game without worrying about pissing off the players? We think so. There's a few strategies that can make death a lot more important and meaningful in a game, which leaves everyone a lot more satisfied. It goes a lot farther than the classic rationalization of "let the dice fall where they may".
Roleplay Like an Actor ft. Joanna Gaskell
September 28, 2020 12:00 - 53 minutes - 74.1 MBWant a little help getting that finely crafted character or NPC from the page into the game? Or maybe you've got all these ideas as a DM, but find it tricky to run those flowing, exciting sessions you see in your mind? Well, Joanna Gaskell is here to help. She's a cast member of a D&D improv show, DM's professionally, and even wrote, produced, and starred in a long-running D&D inspired web series!
Plan Jaw Dropping Story Twists
September 21, 2020 12:05 - 41 minutes - 56.4 MBOne of the most satisfying things you can do as a DM is to truly shock your players. The bigger the better. That's why we're figuring out plot twists in this episode, and exactly how to put them in your game.
Keep Players Hooked with Cliffhangers
September 14, 2020 11:00 - 51 minutes - 71.2 MBCliffhangers are an incredibly powerful tool for your games. They create a serious psychological desire for closure, which makes people eager to return to the table. Sitting with that unresolved story also means they'l have time to roll it over in their minds, imagining all the possibilities. Ending on such a great moment also means your players are gonna remember what's happening a lot faster! So many reasons to use cliffhangers!
Create a Wizard with Science
September 07, 2020 11:00 - 48 minutes - 66.3 MBWizards are pretty incredible, what with their dazzling array of cosmic powers and daunting intellect. They can, however, be challenging to roleplay due to said intellect, and it's easy to rely on classic archetypes when you aren't sure where to go. That's why in this episode we try to get into the minds of the real life wizards that have blown away our perceptions of reality throughout history, known as scientists, and create our best wizards yet.
Better Roleplay Using Character Dynamics
August 31, 2020 11:00 - 40 minutes - 56.3 MBStaring at another player, sweating through the seconds, thinking to yourself "must...roleplay..." is a rough moment. Instead, we want the moments where people are verbally bouncing off each other, and it feels like a real group of people chatting about the dangers of dungeons. Well, a little consideration of the relationships your character has with each party member can go such a long way.
Better Roleplay Using Tropes
August 24, 2020 13:01 - 41 minutes - 57.2 MBFigure out where you fit into a group, and the roleplaying between party members becomes so much easier. The fundamentals of this concept is that there's two characters that contrast each other, and there's characters that bridge the gap. This plays out in different ways in different group sizes. Think of any great team or ensemble cast and you'll find these principles.