Detentions and Dragons

Detentions and Dragons is back and ready to kickoff their 4th year as a podcast! The focus of this season: Distance Learning. 2020 is proving to be a difficult year, but Josh and Matt are going to do their best to help you be the best DM you can while you socially distance! In this first lesson after summer break, Matt and Josh are offering a crash course for parents, guardians, and other family figures that are looking to fill the D&D void at home. Is DMing tough? Yes. Are there reasons to be hesitant? Yes. However, something that might not be a particular person's cup of tea might turn into a new family tradition! One lesson won't make anyone a D&D expert, but hopefully this will be the episode that helps the reluctant DM begin their journey. Did these back-to-school mentors help motivate you for the new year? Help them out by recommending Detentions and Dragons to a friend, teacher, or student. New listeners are the best way to help us grow as a podcast. Thanks again for all of your support! Detentions and Dragons is a proud member of the Block Party Podcast Network! Check out our show and other great D&D and gaming podcast at https://www.blockpartypodcastnetwork.com/ or where ever you download podcasts!

School is out for summer!!! With empty desks,empty classrooms, and empty Zoom meetings, Josh and Matt sit back and recount adventures from their D&D games in club and in the classroom. No rules, No lesson plans, just two teachers telling stories about the fun they had playing D&D with their students over the 2019 - 2020 school year. Highlights from their adventures include: -So Covid was a thing. -Tugboat. -Closet Quasit -Androm3da. -Big Cannons. Summer Note: Josh and Matt are taking a little break to recharge after a long school year. Detentions and Dragons will be back on around August 1st with a new episode. Thanks again for all the support from all listeners, teachers, players, DMs, and students. We couldn't have made it through our first two years without you! Did these two teachers help you finish the greatest D&D story ever played? Help them out by recommending Detentions and Dragons to a friend, teacher, or student. New listeners are the best way to help us grow as a podcast. Thanks again for all of your support! Detentions and Dragons is a proud member of the Block Party Podcast Network! Check out our show and other great D&D and gaming podcast at https://www.blockpartypodcastnetwork.com/ or where ever you download podcasts!

On this lesson of Detentions and Dragons, Josh and Matt talk about Critical Hits. Everyone who plays D&D knows what a critical hit is. But do they know how to calculate the damage for a critical hit. Turns out that if you are hitting with weapons and skills more robust than your d6 short sword, the math can get complicated. This lesson reviews the basics of critical hits and provides examples regarding how to calculate damage from the most basic to the most complex critical hits! Did these two teachers help you land a critical hit at the end of the school year? Then help Josh and Matt out by recommending Detentions and Dragons to a friend, teacher, or student. New listeners are the best way to help us grow as a podcast. Thanks again for all of your support! Detentions and Dragons is a proud member of the Block Party Podcast Network! Check out our show and other great D&D and gaming podcast at https://www.blockpartypodcastnetwork.com/ or where ever you download podcasts!

On this special interview lesson, Josh and Matt are joined by Beth and Jonathan Ball. The topic: Running two-players Dungeons and Dragons games. D&D is traditionally viewed as a game designed for large groups of players. However, a D&D campaign with a one dungeon master and one player is not only viable but also an exciting and rewarding to play D&D. In this interview, Jonathan and Beth discuss with Matt and Josh the basics of a one-on-one D&D game, the benefits of playing a two person campaign, and some pitfalls to avoid during your first D&D duet. If you are interested in learning more about Beth and Johnathan Ball, you can check her website here: https://dndduet.com/ You can connect with Johnathan on social media here: Twitter: @DndDuet You can also check out a lot of their supplements and products here: https://www.dmsguild.com (just search Beth Ball or Johnathan Ball) Did this interview inspire you make start a D&D duet with a family member or friend? Then please rate and subscribe to Detentions and Dragons! Or help Josh and Matt out by recommending Detentions and Dragons to a friend, teacher, or student. New listeners are the best way to help us grow as a podcast. Thanks again for all of your support!

On this lesson of Detentions and Dragons, Josh and Matt talk about Epic Boons. They discuss what they are, how they are earned, and most importantly, are the something that you should try to integrate into your home or school campaign. Especially since these super natural powers are typically only earned by characters who are level 20. Most players never participate in a campaign in which their characters reach level 20. However, that doesn't necessarily mean that they can't have them at a lower level. And an epic boon might be an epic way to end a campaign. Did these two teachers inspire you to earn the Boon of the DM? Then help Josh and Matt out by recommending Detentions and Dragons to a friend, teacher, or student. New listeners are the best way to help us grow as a podcast. Thanks again for all of your support! Detentions and Dragons is a proud member of the Block Party Podcast Network! Check out our show and other great D&D and gaming podcast at https://www.blockpartypodcastnetwork.com/ or where ever you download podcasts!

On this lesson of Detentions and Dragons, Josh and Matt talk about animal companions. Yes, they are different than familiars and only rangers can have them. And while an animal sidekick is appealing, in game, animal companions can be both confusing and seemingly under powered. This is why Josh and Matt felt it was necessary to explore this topic. In their discussion, they review the basics of how animal companions work and explore why the beast master ranger may be the unsung hero of your next D&D campaign. Did these two teachers inspire you to give the beast master ranger subclass a shot? Then help Josh and Matt out by recommending Detentions and Dragons to a friend, teacher, or student. New listeners are the best way to help us grow as a podcast. Thanks again for all of your support! Detentions and Dragons is a proud member of the Block Party Podcast Network! Check out our show and other great D&D and gaming podcast at https://www.blockpartypodcastnetwork.com/ or where ever you download podcasts!

On this lesson of Detentions and Dragons, Josh and Matt talk about animal familiars. Many players like their player characters to have an animal sidekick. What are the rules behind obtaining a familiar and how can a player use these in a game of D&D? This lesson goes over basics needed for any player to become familiar with familiars. Did these two teachers help inspire you summon your own familiar? Then help Josh and Matt out by recommending Detentions and Dragons to a friend, teacher, or student. New listeners are the best way to help us grow as a podcast. Thanks again for all of your support! Detentions and Dragons is a proud member of the Block Party Podcast Network! Check out our show and other great D&D and gaming podcast at https://www.blockpartypodcastnetwork.com/ or where ever you download podcasts!

On this special interview lesson, Josh and Matt are joined by Dr. Sarah Sawyer! The topic: Video Games and Strategies to Make RPGs and Video Games a more welcoming activity for all participants. Video Games and Tabletop RPGs are more popular than ever. However, it takes time, energy, and a thoughtful attitude to be a player that creates a space that is inviting, safe, and enjoyable for all participants. In this interview, Dr. Sarah Sawyer shares techniques and mindsets to achieve these goals. If you are interested in learning more about Dr. Sarah Sawyer, you can check her website here: https://www.drsarahsawyer.com/ You can check out The RPG Academy podcast on iTunes here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-rpg-academy/id876190753 You can connect with her on social media here: Twitter: @XsarahdactylX You can learn more about the non-profit Take This here: https://www.takethis.org/ Did this interview inspire you make your next co-op gaming session a more welcoming venture? Then please rate and subscribe to Detentions and Dragons! Or help Josh and Matt out by recommending Detentions and Dragons to a friend, teacher, or student. New listeners are the best way to help us grow as a podcast. Thanks again for all of your support!

Josh and Matt are joined by Tom Cantwell of the RPG Academy! The topic: How to Create Dynamic and Memorable NPCs! Raise your hand if you have created an NPC on the fly? Raise your hand if you have created an NPC named Steve on the fly more than three times. Creating NPCs can be hard. On this special interview lesson of Detentions and Dragons, Josh and Matt interview Tom Cantwell about ways to make NPCs fun, memorable, and make the process of NPC creation more manageable. This is one of our wildest and funniest interview to date. Plus, you be better at NPC creation once you have listened to it! If you are interested in learning more about Tom Cantwell You can check out the website for the RPG Academy here: https://therpgacademy.com/ You can check out The RPG Academy podcast on iTunes here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-rpg-academy/id876190753 You can check out his Ghosts of Saltmarsh Real Play Podcast here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-rpg-academy-the-campaigns/id1308105885 You can contact him on social media here: Twitter: @BeskarTom Did this interview inspire you create the next best NPC? Then please rate and subscribe to Detentions and Dragons! Or help Josh and Matt out by recommending Detentions and Dragons to a friend, teacher, or student. New listeners are the best way to help us grow as a podcast. Thanks again for all of your support!

On this special interview lesson of Detentions and Dragons, Josh and Matt are joined by Andrew Cawood! The topic: Making Homebrewed Monster for your D&D Campaign. Andrew Cawood is the the owner, creative lead, and a writer for Cawood Publishing. Andrew and Cadwood Publishing has released a wide array of materials for your D&D campaign such as Treasured Finds, The World if Myr, and the bestselling Monsters of Feyland. Today's interview focuses on a skill that Andrew is a master at: homebrewed monster creation. Topics discussed include the basics of homebrewed monster creation, tips to make your creations more dynamic, and obstacles to avoid in the creation process. This is another must listen for the dungeon master who is looking to go beyond the basic reskinned homebrewed monster! You can find out more about the awesome products produced by Cawood Publishing at this website: https://worldofmyrr.com/ You can also contact him on twitter: Twitter: @cawoodpublish Did this interview inspire you to create new monsters never before seen in D&D?! Then please rate and subscribe to Detentions and Dragons! Or help Josh and Matt out by recommending Detentions and Dragons to a friend, teacher, or student. New listeners are the best way to help us grow as a podcast. Thanks again for all of your support!

On this very special lesson of Detentions and Dragons, Matt interviews Adam DeWees of the One-Shot Onslaught podcast. The topic: running D&D games online. One of the best parts of D&D is being able to gather around the table and hang out with your friends and family as you all collectively build an adventure together. However, in these tumultuous times when people can't met together in the physical space for the health and safety of our communities, there are still options to continue the adventure in the virtual space! This lesson discusses the technology available and tips for running D&D remotely. If you are interested in learning more about Adam and One-Shot Onslaught or Halfway to Heroes, you can find more information about his podcast at the following sources: Webpage: http://oneshotonslaught.com/ Itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/one-shot-onslaught/id1378584440?mt=2 https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/halfway-to-heroes-a-d-d-5e-actual-play-podcast/id1459273902 Twitter https://twitter.com/1shotonslaught Did this lesson inspire you to host your own online session of D&D? Then please rate and subscribe to Detentions and Dragons! Or help Josh and Matt out by recommending Detentions and Dragons to a friend, teacher, or student. New listeners are the best way to help us grow as a podcast. Thanks again for all of your support!

Part two of our two-part lesson on dungeon design! On this lesson of Detentions and Dragons, Josh and Matt design a five room dungeon based off the dungeon theme from lesson # 114. Five rooms sounds small. But if constructed well, any DM can run a rich and complete narrative! If you are interested in learning more about five room dungeon design, check out Johnn Four and his guide for five room dungeons at the following website: https://www.roleplayingtips.com/5-room-dungeons/ Did these two teachers help inspire you to make new and exciting dungeons using the power of tables?! Then help Josh and Matt out by recommending Detentions and Dragons to a friend, teacher, or student. New listeners are the best way to help us grow as a podcast. Thanks again for all of your support! Detentions and Dragons is a proud member of the Block Party Podcast Network! Check out our show and other great D&D and gaming podcast at https://www.blockpartypodcastnetwork.com/ or where ever you download podcasts!

A special two-part lesson on dungeon design! On this lesson of Detentions and Dragons, Josh and Matt talk about how to make dungeon using the DMG, dice, and prompt tables! Designing dungeons can be difficult. However, with a few artistic constraints, any DM can overcome their designer's block to make a fun dungeon for their campaign. While this lesson focuses on the inspiration and them, the following lesson will focus on what actually goes into this dungeon. Did these two teachers help inspire you to make new and exciting dungeons using the power of tables?! Then help Josh and Matt out by recommending Detentions and Dragons to a friend, teacher, or student. New listeners are the best way to help us grow as a podcast. Thanks again for all of your support! Detentions and Dragons is a proud member of the Block Party Podcast Network! Check out our show and other great D&D and gaming podcast at https://www.blockpartypodcastnetwork.com/ or where ever you download podcasts!

Josh and Matt are joined by Cameron Wright! The topic: D&D Adventures for Kids. Cameron Wright is the founder and the creator of the website DnD Adventures for kids. On his website he also publishes free adventures he has authored. These adventures are kid-friendly and accessible to new players and new DMs. Today's interview focuses on some of these adventures he has published and tips for making your own adventures kid friendly. You can check out his website here: https://dndadventuresforkids.com/ You can also contact him in or at the following places: Twitter: @dndforkids Reddit: /r/DnDForKids Email: [email protected] Facebook: DnD Adventures for Kids Did this interview inspire you to run more adventures for kids? Then please rate and subscribe to Detentions and Dragons! Or help Josh and Matt out by recommending Detentions and Dragons to a friend, teacher, or student. New listeners are the best way to help us grow as a podcast. Thanks again for all of your support!

On this lesson of Detentions and Dragons, Josh and Matt talk about Ioun stones! They discuss what they are, how to pronounce them (sounds like "ion"), why to use them, and some homebrewed versions for your game. In a fantasy world filled with +3 magic swords and wands that do 100 magical effects, sometimes it is nice to have a simple magic item that provides simple bonuses. Also, this lesson was inspired by the great pebble debate from a much earlier lesson of Detentions and Dragons 😊 Did these two teachers teach you what a pebble was? Then help Josh and Matt out by recommending Detentions and Dragons to a friend, teacher, or student. New listeners are the best way to help us grow as a podcast. Thanks again for all of your support! Detentions and Dragons is a proud member of the Block Party Podcast Network! Check out our show and other great D&D and gaming podcast at https://www.blockpartypodcastnetwork.com/ or where ever you download podcasts!

A lesson of homophones! On this lesson of Detentions and Dragons, Josh and Matt talk about rolling dice to determine the outcome of an event versus granting success by inspiring role playing! The provide the pros for skipping the dice and a playing by the "Rule of Cool" and the potential things to look out for when deciding to forgo dice as the drive force of the narrative. Also they talk about what should be considered breakfast food. Did these two teachers help inspire you to improve your roll playing (or role-playing)? Then help Josh and Matt out by recommending Detentions and Dragons to a friend, teacher, or student. New listeners are the best way to help us grow as a podcast. Thanks again for all of your support! Detentions and Dragons is a proud member of the Block Party Podcast Network! Check out our show and other great D&D and gaming podcast at https://www.blockpartypodcastnetwork.com/ or where ever you download podcasts!

Feeling like your game of D&D with the basic rule set is a little bland? Why not introduce your players to some spicy house rules to ramp up the excitement in your next session! On this lesson of Detentions and Dragons, Josh and Matt talk about spicy and extra spicy homebrew rules to add more flavor to your game. Did these two teachers help kick your game up a notch? Then help Josh and Matt out by recommending Detentions and Dragons to a friend, teacher, or student. New listeners are the best way to help us grow as a podcast. Thanks again for all of your support! Detentions and Dragons is a proud member of the Block Party Podcast Network! Check out our show and other great D&D and gaming podcast at https://www.blockpartypodcastnetwork.com/ or where ever you download podcasts!

One potential bane of a DM's existence is when a player uses a spell to circumvent a narrative plot point or cheese an encounter. However, their clever use of a skill doesn't mean there is something broken about the ability. It just means that as a DM, you might need to get cleverer! On this lesson of Detentions and Dragons, Josh and Matt talk about narrative breaking spells and ways to modify spells or modify your narratives to keep the game interesting. Did these two teachers help you to be a cleverer DM? Then help Josh and Matt out by recommending Detentions and Dragons to a friend, teacher, or student. New listeners are the best way to help us grow as a podcast. Thanks again for all of your support! Detentions and Dragons is a proud member of the Block Party Podcast Network! Check out our show and other great D&D and gaming podcast at https://www.blockpartypodcastnetwork.com/ or where ever you download podcasts!

New Year's Resolutions: -Travel more. -Start a new exercise routine. -Play More D&D! In this lesson, Josh and Matt talk their personal goals to expand their D&D horizons in 2020. We hope your 2020 is filled with many more exciting D&D Adventures! Detentions and Dragons is a proud member of the Block Party Podcast Network! Check out our show and other great D&D and gaming podcast at https://www.blockpartypodcastnetwork.com/ or where ever you download podcasts!

The holiday tradition returns once more! To celebrate the holiday season, Matt gives Josh the present he wants most in life: a chance to talk about fun stories from his D&D games. Listen as Josh and Matt ramble on and embellish their stories and inside jokes from their personal campaigns around the fireplace! Music: Brother Christmas by Lemon Yellow Hayes (http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Lemon_Yellow_Hayes/) Fireplace Sound Effects: hansende (https://freesound.org/people/hansende/sounds/263994/) Happy Holidays!! And thank you for all of your support throughout the year!

On part 2 of this two-part interview episode of Detentions and Dragons, Josh and Matt are joined by interpretative naturalists Ashley Smith and Brandon Baker! The topic of discussion: an amazing course that Ashley and Brandon developed and are running for students at the Three Rivers Park District in Minnesota. Their course combines environmental studies with D&D. I think we use the words "cool" and "amazing" to describe the work of many of our guests on this podcast, but these descriptors have never been more accurate and well deserved. Ashley and Brandon are pioneers in creating authentic, engaging, and impactful that fuse education and TTRPGs. If you are interested in hearing more about how educators can integrate D&D into education then this is a must listen! If you enjoyed listening to Ashley and Brandon, you can hear more from Brandon on his podcast The Wandering Naturalist. You can listen to the podcast here: https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=1447276177 or here: https://www.threeriversparks.org/podcast?fbclid=IwAR3gvvQyHpD4o688AHOElXCfRXf3FI2nVDLdAAxdNbiAEjefr0eF6zdP7IA You can also learn more about the Three Rivers Park District here: https://www.facebook.com/ThreeRiversParkDistrict/ You can also connect with Ashley on Twitter: @arsmith326 Did this interview inspire you to fuse authentic learning into your D&D game? Then help Josh and Matt out by recommending Detentions and Dragons to a friend, teacher, or student. New listeners are the best way to help us grow as a podcast. Thanks again for all of your support! Detentions and Dragons is a proud member of the Block Party Podcast Network! Check out our show and other great D&D and gaming podcast at https://www.blockpartypodcastnetwork.com/ or where ever you download podcasts!

On this two-part interview episode of Detentions and Dragons, Josh and Matt are joined by interpretative naturalists Ashley Smith and Brandon Baker! The topic of discussion: an amazing course that Ashley and Brandon developed and are running for students at the Three Rivers Park District in Minnesota. Their course combines environmental studies with D&D. I think we use the words "cool" and "amazing" to describe the work of many of our guests on this podcast, but these descriptors have never been more accurate and well deserved. Ashley and Brandon are pioneers in creating authentic, engaging, and impactful that fuse education and TTRPGs. If you are interested in hearing more about how educators can integrate D&D into education then this is a must listen! If you enjoyed listening to Ashley and Brandon, you can hear more from Brandon on his podcast The Wandering Naturalist. You can listen to the podcast here: https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=1447276177 or here: https://www.threeriversparks.org/podcast?fbclid=IwAR3gvvQyHpD4o688AHOElXCfRXf3FI2nVDLdAAxdNbiAEjefr0eF6zdP7IA You can also learn more about the Three Rivers Park District here: https://www.facebook.com/ThreeRiversParkDistrict/ You can also connect with Ashley on Twitter: @arsmith326 Did this interview inspire you to fuse authentic learning into your D&D game? Then help Josh and Matt out by recommending Detentions and Dragons to a friend, teacher, or student. New listeners are the best way to help us grow as a podcast. Thanks again for all of your support! Detentions and Dragons is a proud member of the Block Party Podcast Network! Check out our show and other great D&D and gaming podcast at https://www.blockpartypodcastnetwork.com/ or where ever you download podcasts!

Developing a backstory for a player's character can be a fun, exciting, and engaging way to participate in a game of D&D. However, one of the downsides of this creation process is that backstories are often done in isolation. Characters that are created away from the table can sometimes have difficulty connect to the other characters in the game. However, like many aspects in D&D, backstory creation can be a collaborative event as well! On this lesson of Detentions and Dragons, Josh and Matt talk about collaborative backstories. They go over the benefits, when to do backstory develop (spoiler: it doesn't just have to happen at a Zero Session), and practice collaborative background development on the podcast. The collaborative background questions for our demo were written by Josh Reistad. Josh will be posting the complete list of these questions so you can use them in your home or classroom campaign! Did these two teachers help you build more unity at the table with collaborative background building? Then help Josh and Matt out by recommending Detentions and Dragons to a friend, teacher, or student. New listeners are the best way to help us grow as a podcast. Thanks again for all of your support! Detentions and Dragons is a proud member of the Block Party Podcast Network! Check out our show and other great D&D and gaming podcast at https://www.blockpartypodcastnetwork.com/ or where ever you download podcasts!

D&D is a collaborative storytelling game. However, are your player interacting with you AND the other players? Many new players quickly become comfortable interacting with the DM. However, players interacting with other players can be intimidating and challenging! On this lesson of Detentions and Dragon, Josh and Matt discuss techniques to promote collaborative gaming at the table. They also discuss a homebrewed system called "The Ties System" to add a bit of extrinsic motivation to encourage players to work with each other at the table. Did these two teachers help you to collaborate with all the players in your D&D club? Then help Josh and Matt out by recommending Detentions and Dragons to a friend, teacher, or student. New listeners are the best way to help us grow as a podcast. Thanks again for all of your support! Detentions and Dragons is a proud member of the Block Party Podcast Network! Check out our show and other great D&D and gaming podcast at https://www.blockpartypodcastnetwork.com/ or where ever you download podcasts!

Josh and Matt are back from Acadecon! On this lesson of Detentions and Dragons, Josh and Matt talk about other role-playing systems besides Dungeons and Dragons! While, D&D is still their favorite, Josh and Matt wanted to share information about other role-playing game systems that are fun and accessible for a vast array of players. These are games that they aren't necessarily experts in, but had a blast playing while at Acadecon. Games we played. Masks: A New Generation https://www.magpiegames.com/masks/ Monster of the Week https://www.evilhat.com/home/monster-of-the-week/ Cold Steel Wardens http://www.blackfallpress.com/ Some People we would like to thank! Michale Ross and The RPG Academy @TheRpgAcademy https://therpgacademy.com/ Tom Cantwell @BeskarTom A.P. Klosky @BlackfallPress Did these two teachers help you motivate you to try out a new system? Help Josh and Matt out by recommending Detentions and Dragons to a friend, teacher, or student. New listeners are the best way to help us grow as a podcast. Thanks again for all of your support! Detentions and Dragons is a proud member of the Block Party Podcast Network! Check out our show and other great D&D and gaming podcast at https://www.blockpartypodcastnetwork.com/ or where ever you download podcasts!

On this lesson of Detentions and Dragons, Josh and Matt discuss Combat Encounter. Battles are a foundational part of most D&D campaigns. However, making a fair and balanced battle can be difficult for new and experienced DMs. Don't worry, there is a solution to your combat encounter development needs and that answers is called MATH! This lesson is very technical but will provide a by the book way to plan battles with the appropriate difficulty level for your players! Did these two teachers help you calculate the perfect battle for your next D&D game? Help Josh and Matt out by recommending Detentions and Dragons to a friend, teacher, or student. New listeners are the best way to help us grow as a podcast. Thanks again for all of your support! Detentions and Dragons is a proud member of the Block Party Podcast Network! Check out our show and other great D&D and gaming podcast at https://www.blockpartypodcastnetwork.com/ or where ever you download podcasts!

Our 100th Lesson! On this lesson of Detentions and Dragons, Josh and Matt go trick-or-treating in the city of New Trollsburg. The treats of Halloween come in all shapes and sizes. But be careful! In new Trollsburg, the treats may come with a curse! Or don't be careful and feel free to use these homebrewed magical delights in your D&D campaign. We are so glad to all of our listeners over the last 100 episodes! We hope you have enjoyed our lesson and we hope we have inspired you to make a difference in the lives of a student, new player, or old friend through D&D. Did these two teachers help you make whip up something dreadful for your Halloween D&D campaign? Then thank Josh and Matt by recommending Detentions and Dragons to a friend, teacher, or student. New listeners are the best way to help us grow as a podcast. Thanks again for all of your support! Detentions and Dragons is a proud member of the Block Party Podcast Network! Check out our show and other great D&D and gaming podcast at https://www.blockpartypodcastnetwork.com/ or where ever you download podcasts! Additional Music in this Lesson's Podcast: Something Elated by Broke For Free http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Broke_For_Free/Something_EP/Broke_For_Free_-_Something_EP_-_05_Something_Elated Sound effects from https://freesound.org/ Music by Komiku https://www.freemusicarchive.org/music/Komiku

On this lesson of Detentions and Dragons, Josh and Matt discuss Bosses. Boss fights are an dramatic conclusion to a dungeon or quest. However, are your bosses fighting up to their potential? This lesson discusses ways to help elevate your boss from bulky damage dealer to dynamic and diabolic antagonist. Did these two teachers help you build the perfect boss for your campaign? Help Josh and Matt out by recommending Detentions and Dragons to a friend, teacher, or student. New listeners are the best way to help us grow as a podcast. Thanks again for all of your support! Detentions and Dragons is a proud member of the Block Party Podcast Network! Check out our show and other great D&D and gaming podcast at https://www.blockpartypodcastnetwork.com/ or where ever you download podcasts!

On the interview episode of Detentions and Dragons, Josh and Matt are joined by Physical Education teacher, coach, and twitter denizen @heartless_pe ! The topic of their discussion: Sportsmanship. The importance of sportsmanship is promoted as an invaluable aspect of youth sports. However, this same emphasis has not been placed on youth gaming. In this interview, Matt, Josh, and Kyle (aka @heartless_pe) explore what sportsmanship is, why it is important for you gaming, and what this may look like in the gaming setting. This is awesome episode that brings to light the potential for DMs, teachers, and club leaders, to instill the tenets of sportsmanship into the next generation of gamers! Did this interview inspire you to bring better sportsmanship to your D&D game. Then help Josh and Matt out by recommending Detentions and Dragons to a friend, teacher, or student. New listeners are the best way to help us grow as a podcast. Thanks again for all of your support! Detentions and Dragons is a proud member of the Block Party Podcast Network! Check out our show and other great D&D and gaming podcast at https://www.blockpartypodcastnetwork.com/ or where ever you download podcasts!

On this lesson of Detentions and Dragons, Josh and Matt reflect on their first few weeks of leading their Dungeons and Dragons Club. While both Matt and Josh found their first few weeks of D&D at school successful, reflecting on what went well, what could be improved on, and goals for the 2020 year are important. Hopefully sitting down to reflect will inspire you to continue to grow into an even better DM as well! Did these two teachers help you get your year of D&D off to a good start? Help Josh and Matt out by recommending Detentions and Dragons to a friend, teacher, or student. New listeners are the best way to help us grow as a podcast. Thanks again for all of your support! Detentions and Dragons is a proud member of the Block Party Podcast Network! Check out our show and other great D&D and gaming podcast at https://www.blockpartypodcastnetwork.com/ or where ever you download podcasts!

On this lesson of Detentions and Dragons, Josh and Matt discuss tool proficiency. New players often rely on the basic skills like combat, perception checks, and athletics checks to interact with the world. However, why not encourage them to utilize their tool proficiency. Tool proficiency goes beyond just making items. Along with crafting, players can use their character's expertise to solve problems in unique ways. This lesson is filled with examples that will inspire DMs and players to maximize on their character's full potential. Did these two teachers help you craft the perfect artisanal D&D session? Help Josh and Matt out by recommending Detentions and Dragons to a friend, teacher, or student. New listeners are the best way to help us grow as a podcast. Thanks again for all of your support! Detentions and Dragons is a proud member of the Block Party Podcast Network! Check out our show and other great D&D and gaming podcast at https://www.blockpartypodcastnetwork.com/ or where ever you download podcasts!

On this lesson of Detentions and Dragons, Josh and Matt discuss custom classes. The official classes are solid, customizable, and great for any game. However, what if you are looking to fill an esoteric niche not traditionally offered by the available classes. That's where the custom classes come in! Over his summer vacation, Matt worked on a custom class. He learned a lot and wanted to share his tips for making custom classes with the listeners! With a lot of effort, knowledge of game mechanics, and passion, any eager DM can make their own custom class for their D&D world. This episode also leads to an important announcement: Matt just released his homebrewed class, the Teacher Class, on The DMs Guild as a fundraiser for Game to Grow! His supplement is a homebrewed class for those looking to play a teacher in a Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition setting! This supplement includes: Custom Starting Class Features for your Level 1 Teacher. Homebrewed Class Features, up through level 20, such as Teacher Guidance, Teacher's Lounge, and Inspirational Speech to help your teacher triumph through the perils of the many fantasy worlds of D&D. Two Subclasses – Elementary Education or High School Education Humor that will resonate with basically any educator. No custom spells because I had to write curriculum for my job as a high school teacher. Matt's profits from the sales of this product will go to Game to Grow. If you don't know who they are you should definitely check out our interview episode with Adam and Adam from Game to Grow. You can find out more about Game To Grow here: https://gametogrow.org/ You can find Matt's Teacher Class here: DMSguild link. Did these two teachers help you design the perfect D&D team for your next campaign? Help Josh and Matt out by recommending Detentions and Dragons to a friend, teacher, or student. New listeners are the best way to help us grow as a podcast. Thanks again for all of your support! Detentions and Dragons is a proud member of the Block Party Podcast Network! Check out our show and other great D&D and gaming podcast at https://www.blockpartypodcastnetwork.com/ or where ever you download podcasts!

On this lesson of Detentions and Dragons, Josh and Matt discuss advanced classes. In their opinion, the fighter, cleric, rogue, and wizard are the best classes for brand new players. However, players with experience may want to explore other classes. Continuing with their back to school theme of upper class, Matt and Josh examine three classes they think more experienced players would love playing in their next D&D campaign. Also, Matt and Josh do a very brief recap of their first days back in the classroom. Matt sounds good. Josh sounds...interesting 😊 Did these two teachers help you design the perfect D&D team for your next campaign? Help Josh and Matt out by recommending Detentions and Dragons to a friend, teacher, or student. New listeners are the best way to help us grow as a podcast. Thanks again for all of your support! Detentions and Dragons is a proud member of the Block Party Podcast Network! Check out our show and other great D&D and gaming podcast at https://www.blockpartypodcastnetwork.com/ or where ever you download podcasts!

On this lesson of Detentions and Dragons, Josh and Matt discuss D&D Essentials. Approximately five years after releasing their original starter kit, Wizards of the Coast released...another starter kit for 5th edition D&D called D&D Essentials. Remakes aren't necessarily bad but is this new product an inspired way to attract the next generation of players to D&D or is it simply a cash grab. Also, would this be something teacher DMs would want to use in their club and class? Listen to find out. Spoiler: D&D Essentials is good. Did these two teachers help you to plan for your next campaign? Help Josh and Matt out by recommending Detentions and Dragons to a friend, teacher, or student. New listeners are the best way to help us grow as a podcast. Thanks again for all of your support! Detentions and Dragons is a proud member of the Block Party Podcast Network! Check out our show and other great D&D and gaming podcast at https://www.blockpartypodcastnetwork.com/ or where ever you download podcasts!

On this lesson of Detentions and Dragons, Josh and Matt are joined by Mitch Porter, a former student of Matt's and former player and DM in his Dungeons and Dragons Club! The topic: Tips for Being a Better DM. In this exciting interview, Matt and Josh are privileged to hear and learn more about DMing from the perspective of a student DM. They go over tips for new DMs, potential obstacles for student DMs, and much more. If you want to get a glimpse of what your student DMs are thinking, then this lesson is for you! Did Josh and Matt help you better understand how you can facilitate your club for student DM success? Then please rate and subscribe to Detentions and Dragons! Or help Josh and Matt out by recommending Detentions and Dragons to a friend, teacher, or student. New listeners are the best way to help us grow as a podcast. Thanks again for all of your support! Detentions and Dragons is a proud member of the Block Party Podcast Network! Check out our show and other great D&D shows!

Josh and Matt are joined by Neal Powell of the Block Party Podcast Network! The topic: Tips for Being a Better DM. Inspired by a question sent in by a listener, Matt, Josh, and Neal discuss tips and philosophies for being a good DM. They also talk about some of their experiences that helped shape them into better DMs. And if you enjoyed listening to Neal go check out Neal's other podcasts including: DMnastics and the Dungeon Master's Block https://www.blockpartypodcastnetwork.com/dmb-podcast-feed/ Did this interview inspire you to take more steps towards improving as a DM? Then please rate and subscribe to Detentions and Dragons! Or help Josh and Matt out by recommending Detentions and Dragons to a friend, teacher, or student. New listeners are the best way to help us grow as a podcast. Thanks again for all of your support!

Detentions and Dragons is back and ready to kickoff their third year as a podcast! Their first lesson focuses on helping prepare your clubs for Student DMs. Knowing how to play D&D is important. Knowing how to DM is invaluable! However, the latter can be more intimidating for new DMs, especially student DMs. This lesson focuses on how the teacher can create an environment that promotes success for student DMs in the club setting. Josh and Matt have always focused on making D&D fun and accessible for new players and new teacher DMs. However, at the start of the third year of the podcast, they thought they would change up the formula a bit with a guiding theme for the year. The focus: Upperclass! Specifically, this year's lessons will focus on two major topics: 1. How to help Student DMs succeed in your club or classroom setting. 2. Advanced Topics: Progressing from Basic to Advanced Gameplay. This doesn't mean there won't be lessons on general topics, basics game play, interviews, homebrew, and more because of course there will be. But after about 90 episodes, Josh and Matt felt it was time to help players elevate their game to a new level! Did these back-to-school mentors help motivate you for the new year? Help them out by recommending Detentions and Dragons to a friend, teacher, or student. New listeners are the best way to help us grow as a podcast. Thanks again for all of your support! Detentions and Dragons is a proud member of the Block Party Podcast Network! Check out our show and other great D&D and gaming podcast at https://www.blockpartypodcastnetwork.com/ or where ever you download podcasts! Additional Music in this Lesson's Podcast: Something Elated by Broke For Free http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Broke_For_Free/Something_EP/Broke_For_Free_-_Something_EP_-_05_Something_Elated

Part 2 of our special two-part Q & A lesson format! Matt and Josh play a D&D themed "Would you rather...?" and of course answer more of your questions. We will also announce the winner of the listener submitted question contest and Riddler on Twitter! Thanks again for all of the listener submitted questions! Did the Car Talk boys of D&D help you fix your campaign with 250,000 miles on it? Help them out by recommending Detentions and Dragons to a friend, teacher, or student. New listeners are the best way to help us grow as a podcast. Thanks again for all of your support! Detentions and Dragons is a proud member of the Block Party Podcast Network! Check out our show and other great D&D and gaming podcast at https://www.blockpartypodcastnetwork.com/ or where ever you download podcasts!

Our summer special two-part Q & A lesson format! Josh and Matt channel Tom and Ray Magliozzi of Car Talk to fix your Dungeon Mastering Questions. How successful are they? Questionable. But at least they are having a good time doing it! The Riddler. Send your answer to The Riddler to: [email protected] If your correct answer is randomly selected from all of the correct responses, you will win some dice from us at Detentions and Dragons! Did the Car Talk boys of D&D help you fix your campaign with 250,000 miles on it? Help them out by recommending Detentions and Dragons to a friend, teacher, or student. New listeners are the best way to help us grow as a podcast. Thanks again for all of your support! Detentions and Dragons is a proud member of the Block Party Podcast Network! Check out our show and other great D&D and gaming podcast at https://www.blockpartypodcastnetwork.com/ or where ever you download podcasts!

Detentions and Dragons is back from our summer break! To celebrate, we have an interview with Josh Lorimer from the Titans of All'Terra podcast. The subject: World Building. There is still time this summer to start writing your own D&D campaign or finish your work in progress. Regardless, the tips and insights from this interview will provide you the extra guidance you need to finish that project! Josh Lorimer is doing some amazing things. One is a Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/orcdad/the-book-of-allterra-a-campaign-setting-for-5e Help make the dream a reality AND get a really cool setting book based off of his hit podcast. If you haven't listened to The Titans of All'Terra, why not listen to season 1 here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/titans-allterra-5e-d-d-actual-play-for-gamers-all-ages/id1440428321 Did these two teachers help you finish the greatest D&D story ever played? Help them out by recommending Detentions and Dragons to a friend, teacher, or student. New listeners are the best way to help us grow as a podcast. Thanks again for all of your support! Detentions and Dragons is a proud member of the Block Party Podcast Network! Check out our show and other great D&D and gaming podcast at https://www.blockpartypodcastnetwork.com/ or where ever you download podcasts!

School is out for summer!!! With empty desks and empty classrooms, Josh and Matt sit back and recount adventures from their D&D games in club and in the classroom. No rules, No lesson plans, just two teachers telling stories about the fun they had playing D&D with their students over the 2018 - 2019 school year. Highlights from their adventures include: -Brad. -A town of goblins. -Aerial Boss Battles. -The Horn Identity. -Metal Unicorn. Summer Note: Josh and Matt are taking a little break to recharge after a long school year. Detentions and Dragons will be back on around July 14 with a new episode. Thanks again for all the support from all listeners, teachers, players, DMs, and students. We couldn't have made it through our first two years without you! Did these two teachers help you finish the greatest D&D story ever played? Help them out by recommending Detentions and Dragons to a friend, teacher, or student. New listeners are the best way to help us grow as a podcast. Thanks again for all of your support! Detentions and Dragons is a proud member of the Block Party Podcast Network! Check out our show and other great D&D and gaming podcast at https://www.blockpartypodcastnetwork.com/ or where ever you download podcasts!

At the end of the school year, it is common for D&D club students to delve into the final dungeon, confront the big bad boss, and (hopefully) live happily every after as heroes of the realm. However, what if the campaign wasn't the end of a story but merely one chapter. D&D campaigns with friends and family can last years. Why can't school campaigns last just as long? On this lesson, Josh and Matt talk about Open-Ended Campaigns. Mainly, they talk about the potential pros and cons of running a multi-year campaign in the school setting. Spoiler: The final decision about whether to end a campaign or continue it into the next year lies on the shoulders of the teacher DM. However, hopefully their experience running clubs will help any DM make that decision. Did these two teachers help you decide the fate of your D&D campaign? Then help Josh and Matt out by recommending Detentions and Dragons to a friend, teacher, or student. New listeners are the best way to help us grow as a podcast. Thanks again for all of your support! Detentions and Dragons is a proud member of the Block Party Podcast Network! Check out our show and other great D&D and gaming podcast at https://www.blockpartypodcastnetwork.com/ or where ever you download podcasts!

On this lesson, Josh and Matt talk about traps. Heroes need adversaries. They also need obstacles. And a good old fashion arrow trap or rolling sphere is just want your final boss dungeons needs to add an extra degree of creative roleplaying to the end of your campaign! Topics that are covered include: Trap Basics in the DMG, tips for designing fair and narratively interesting traps, and some traps they have used in their own campaigns. Did these two teachers help you make your end of the school year saving throw? Then help Josh and Matt out by recommending Detentions and Dragons to a friend, teacher, or student. New listeners are the best way to help us grow as a podcast. Thanks again for all of your support! Detentions and Dragons is a proud member of the Block Party Podcast Network! Check out our show and other great D&D and gaming podcast at https://www.blockpartypodcastnetwork.com/ or where ever you download podcasts!

A +1 fire sword is fun. But why not have a +1 fire sword with a spitfire personality?! On this lesson, Josh and Matt discuss sentient weapons, what they are, how to use them narratively, and how to roll for random sentient weapons using the stats in the Dungeon Master's Guide . Magic weapons are fun but a living weapon with its own personality and stats can add a new dimensions to your game! Josh and Matt talk a bit about dumb shirts we will never make. They also make their own sentient weapon in the podcast: the vengeful rat! This could be their greatest creation yet. Did these two teachers inspire you to roll for your own sentient item? Then help Josh and Matt out by recommending Detentions and Dragons to a friend, teacher, or student. New listeners are the best way to help us grow as a podcast. Thanks again for all of your support! Detentions and Dragons is a proud member of the Block Party Podcast Network! Check out our show and other great D&D and gaming podcast at https://www.blockpartypodcastnetwork.com/ or where ever you download podcasts!

Hi! No spoilers about Avengers: Endgame in this Lesson! Instead, Josh and Matt discuss how to prepare for the last few weeks of D&D at school. With only a few sessions remaining, planning out the agenda for the end of the campaign is critical. With a little planning, any DM can help their players make the most of their D&D game before the school year ends. Spoiler: There is a lot of planning and house keeping involved! There are also a lot of puns and dad jokes. Did these two teachers help motivate you to do your own year-end D&D planning? Then help Josh and Matt out by recommending Detentions and Dragons to a friend, teacher, or student. New listeners are the best way to help us grow as a podcast. Thanks again for all of your support! Detentions and Dragons is a proud member of the Block Party Podcast Network! Check out our show and other great D&D and gaming podcast at https://www.blockpartypodcastnetwork.com/ or where ever you download podcasts!

We are back from Spring Break! On this lesson of Detentions and Dragons, Josh and Matt talk about the homebrewed Spring Spells for your D&D 5th Edition game. You and your players (at least in the colder climates) survived a harsh winter. Why not celebrate the new season in your campaign with some lighthearted spells. Some of them are a bit wacky, but we are pretty proud of them! Did these two teachers help revivify your campaign with some fun homebrew? Help Josh and Matt out by recommending Detentions and Dragons to a friend, teacher, or student. New listeners are the best way to help us grow as a podcast. Thanks again for all of your support! Detentions and Dragons is a proud member of the Block Party Podcast Network! Check out our show and other great D&D and gaming podcast at https://www.blockpartypodcastnetwork.com/ or where ever you download podcasts! Today's Ambient Sounds and Music track, Halfling Festival, provided by Tabletop Audio. You can find more of their fantastic music for your D&D game at https://tabletopaudio.com/

On this lesson of Detentions and Dragons, Josh and Matt talk about the forgotten actions and abilities of D&D 5E. New players will always remember the basic actions like attack, cast a spell, and move. But what about the humble second wind or channel divinity?! This lesson goes over four of the most common forgotten abilities that they have seen in their D&D club campaigns. The DM is both a storyteller and a teacher. So teach your players to utilize all the skills in their character's utility belt! Did these two teachers help remind you of your own skills as a DM? Help Josh and Matt out by recommending Detentions and Dragons to a friend, teacher, or student. New listeners are the best way to help us grow as a podcast. Thanks again for all of your support! Detentions and Dragons is a proud member of the Block Party Podcast Network! Check out our show and other great D&D and gaming podcast at https://www.blockpartypodcastnetwork.com/ or where ever you download podcasts!

On this special lesson of Detentions and Dragons, Matt and Josh interview Christina "Steenz" Stewart. Steenz is a cartoonist, co-creator of the Dwayne McDuffie Award Winning Graphic Novel Archival Quality, and Associate Editor at Lion Forge Comics. The topic of today's interview: Rolled and Told comics. Rolled and Told is one part DM module, one part comic, all parts fun! I always say that each interview is fantastic but this was honestly one of my favorites. Not only is this episode an intriguing discussion about a supplement that would be helpful to any DM, but there are also fascinating and inspiring tangents that make this a must listen! Note: We had some technical issues with microphones. There are some popping sounds that I couldn't remove. My apologies! If you are interested, in Rolled and Told you can find more information here: https://www.lionforge.com/rolled-and-told/ If you are interested in connecting with Steenz, you can find her on twitter: https://twitter.com/oheysteenz Want to help out your these teachers and podcasters? Then please rate and subscribe to Detentions and Dragons! Or help Josh and Matt out by recommending Detentions and Dragons to a friend, teacher, or student. New listeners are the best way to help us grow as a podcast. Thanks again for all of your support! Detentions and Dragons is a proud member of the Block Party Podcast Network! Check out our show and other great D&D and gaming podcast at https://www.blockpartypodcastnetwork.com/ or where ever you download podcasts!

On this special lesson of Detentions and Dragons, Matt interviews Adam Davis and Adam Johns of Critical Core. Critical Core is an RPG that helps kids on the autism spectrum build real-life skills through a fantasy role-playing game. It is also a great entry point for players new to RPGs! We have had Adam and Adam on before to talk about their non-profit Game to Grow and how they use therapeutic RPG sessions to help young people develop social skills and confidence. They were great then. They are still great now. If you are interested in Critical Core, their kickstarter, and what their kit has to offer, you must listen! Check out their Critical Core Kickstarter here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/gametogrow/critical-core?ref=nav_search&result=project&term=critical%20core If you want to contact Adam Johns or Adam Davis you can reach them via email at: [email protected] [email protected] Did this interview inspire you to contribute to a noble RPG cause? Then please rate and subscribe to Detentions and Dragons! Or help Josh and Matt out by recommending Detentions and Dragons to a friend, teacher, or student. New listeners are the best way to help us grow as a podcast. Thanks again for all of your support! Detentions and Dragons is a proud member of the Block Party Podcast Network! Check out our show and other great D&D and gaming podcast at https://www.blockpartypodcastnetwork.com/ or where ever you download podcasts! Disclaimer: Matt has donated to the Critical Kickstarter program. He has received no monetary compensation from anyone affiliated with Critical Core.

On this lesson of Detentions and Dragons, Josh and Matt talk about the Dungeon Master screen. The DM screen is a physical, typically cardboard, divider that separates the DM from the player characters. The purpose is simple: keep prying eyes away from the DM's campaign notes, maps, and stats. However, some DMs choose to forgo the screen. Is one play style better than the other? Josh and Matt discuss the pros and cons to both approaches! Also we have a new official twitter handle! You can find us at: @detentionspod https://twitter.com/detentionspod Did these two teachers help you to find your DM leader style? Help Josh and Matt out by recommending Detentions and Dragons to a friend, teacher, or student. New listeners are the best way to help us grow as a podcast. Thanks again for all of your support! Detentions and Dragons is a proud member of the Block Party Podcast Network! Check out our show and other great D&D and gaming podcast at https://www.blockpartypodcastnetwork.com/ or where ever you download podcasts!