Taking 20 Podcast

I've given the WOTC Pinkerton issue a couple of weeks to marinate and I wanted to give my thoughts on the matter. Also, I wanted to give my wonderful GMs out there a useful tool: one question you can ask your players to keep them from making a preventable mistake. #DMTips #Dnd #OpenDnd #Pathfinder #WOTC #Pinkerton

In this episode I point out how to find inspiration in a book that is 125 years old and use the building blocks to make quests and backstories that are just as compelling today as they were then. #dnd #opendnd #Pathfinder #DMTips #StoryDesign Resources: https://www.storyanddrama.com/the-36-dramatic-situations-of-georges-polti/ https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thirty-Six_Dramatic_Situations http://ifxgroup.net/plots.htm

Oozes may seem like boring combatants at first, mindless blobs of acidic gels that don't exactly have complex motivations or rich histories but they can be so much more than that. In this episode I talk about how DMs can use oozes and a couple of particularly nasty encounters that include them. #dnd #pathfinder #opendnd #DMTips #oozes

On a very special super-sized edition of the Taking 20 Podcast I interview David Carter of the competitive D&D 5e tournament on Youtube called Crucible of Fate. We talk about running PvP and the challenges of running a 5e competitive game show. Thank you David for being so generous with your time and your expertise! #CrucibleofFate #dnd #PvP #DMinterview #DMTips Resources Crucible of Fate Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWJ5d0XblyYA7Sh6sWVhGFw Crucible of Fate Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crucibleoffate/ Crucible of Fate Discord server: https://discord.gg/hjDAER9DWb Crucible of Fate Twitter: https://twitter.com/Crucible_ofFate

In this episode I talk about giving life to your campaigns by making your quest givers more dynamic and how you can use quest givers to steer the campaign the directions you'd like. #dnd #Pathfinder #opendnd #orc #DMTips

This week I'm picking a fight and a lot of DMs will disagree with me. I talk about what Armor Class and Hit Points really mean and how that can affect narrative combat. NOTE: Fixed the audio edit error about 11 minutes in. Sorry about that. #dnd #opendnd #pathfinder #narrative #combat

In this episode I give a brief review of the new D&D movie Honor Among Thieves and talk about how DMs should not use social skills like persuasion, diplomacy, and intimidation to rob a player of agency over their character. #dnd #opendnd #Pathfinder #DMTips #persuasion #diplomacy #intimidation Resources: Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves Startplaying.games Warhorn.net Looking for Players & Groups D&D Beyond board D&D Beyond Discord

In an episode idea from generous donor Tim McKenzie, this week we talk about hags, especially their penchant for deals and their lethal abilities. What makes hags tick? What are their motivations and how can GMs use them in their campaign? Tune in and find out. #dnd #Pathfinder #opendnd #DMTips #hags Resources: Monsters Know What They’re Doing - Hag Tactics - https://www.themonstersknow.com/hag-tactics/ The Monsters Know What They’re Doing - Hags - https://www.themonstersknow.com/hags-revisited-part-1/ Volo’s Guide to Monsters

This week's topic comes courtesy of listener Daniel Mehefko who wanted me to discuss immersive roleplaying. What is immersive roleplaying? How can players and DMs encourage their fellow players to engage in more immersive roleplay? Tune in and find out. #dnd #pathfinder #opendnd #roleplay #roleplaying Resources: Venture Forth - 10 Rules to Improve Immersion - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cw3aJz5lGO0 Grog and Scanlan go hat shopping https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvSGvbEf1HI

Sometimes your adventuring parties just aren't ready for an encounter, a trap, or maybe an entire adventure. What should you do as a DM? Throw your hands up and walk away? Throw hands at your players? Throw a rave instead of gaming that night? In this episode look at the different ways parties can be ill prepared for what lies ahead. and talk about multiple options for how to handle this situation. #DnD #Pathfinder #Opendnd #DMTips

After watching a session at my Friendly Local Game Store I watched a DM put players through a meat grinder of encounters, not even pausing when the PCs accomplished something impressive. In this episode I talk about the importance of giving players the opportunity to celebrate character victories and rewarding the characters appropriately. #dnd #dungeonsanddragons #pathfinder #openRPG #DMTips

In a lot of game worlds, deities can't die. They always existed, exist, and will always exist. But what if that wasn't true. What if one or more deities in your game world died, left, or otherwise weren't available? What would happen to their followers and your world as a whole? Resources: Pathfinder Wiki (Aroden) - https://pathfinderwiki.com/wiki/Aroden #pathfinder #deities #openrpg #opendnd #aroden #dnd #dungeonsanddragons

Answering a question posed by Adrian from the Age of Adventure RPG, how do you find the balance between realism and fun. His table devolved into lengthy debates involving fire, oil flammability, and fire spread mechanics. Tune in to the episode that probably put Jeremy on a federal government watch list. #dnd #pathfinder #dungeonsanddragons #realism #fun Resources: Resigned: How to Know When It’s Time to Go: http://markstretton.blogspot.com/2017/11/fire-arrows-what-can-they-set-on-fire.html

GMs, are the gods in your game worlds present or absent? Big and powerful or quiet and reserved? In this episode we talk about ways you can use deities in your game and Jeremy talks way too long about the comic book series Spawn. #pathfinder #dnd #dungeonsanddragons #deities Resources: Resigned: How to Know When It’s Time to Go: https://gnomestew.com/making-the-gods-matter-in-fantasy-rpgs/

Left or right at the intersection? Fight or flee? Sell the potion or keep it for later? Players sometimes find it hard to make a decision and that can drive DMs up a wall. In this episode, we look at possible causes for indecision and repeatedly urge players to make a choice...ANY choice. Please, we DMs are begging you...for the love of Iomedae. Resources: Resigned: How to Know When It’s Time to Go: https://www.theguardian.com/games/2022/dec/13/first-time-as-a-d-and-d-dungeon-master-dungeons-and-dragons

Good dungeon maps give players choices, have a good theme, and contents that support the theme and purpose of your dungeon. But...how do you create dungeons like this? Give this episode a listen and find out. Also, hopefully we've heard the last of Wizards of the Coast trying to get rid of the OGL 1.0a. #dnd #opendnd #ogl #pathfinder #paizo #orc Resources: Wizards of the Coast announcement: https://www.dndbeyond.com/posts/1439-ogl-1-0a-creative-commons What it means to “Jaquay a dungeon”: https://thealexandrian.net/wordpress/13085/roleplaying-games/jaquaying-the-dungeon Great interview of Jennell.Jaquays by The Wandering DM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kd1wrdSSc60

The One Ring in Lord of the Rings, The Singing Sword in Bugs Bunny, The Luggage in the Rimworld novels by Terry Pratchett. We've seen intelligent magic items in media and you'd like to bring one into your game world. What's the best way to do that? Are there any tips? Does an animated bear rug poop in the woods? Seriously...do they? I have no idea. #OpenDnd #OpenRPG #Pathfinder #OGL #DnD #DungeonsandDragons Resources: Dungeon Dudes: How to Homebrew Sentient Magic Items. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1H5oK_GGmI

In this episode I weigh in on the Wizards of the Coast OGL 1.1 fiasco and talk about a period in Faerun's history called the Time of Troubles, when gods were mortal and walked the planet with mortals. The common theme is a powerful entity doing something insanely stupid and causing upheval and calamity. Give it a listen and comment below! #DnD #DungeonsandDragons #Paizo #Pathfinder #Wotc #OGL Resources: Resigned: How to Know When It’s Time to Go: The Avatar Series - a 5-book series about the Time of Troubles

In this episode suggested by a donor over at ko-fi.com/taking20podcast we give some tips to DMs about those rare materials like mithril, cold iron, silver, and...peachwood? What if you want to make your own special materials? Are there any downsides to using them? Tune in and find out. #dnd #dungeonsanddragons #dmtips #pathfinder

This is not an episode. Jeremy's passed out right now.

Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas! If your game world has any history at all and any culture, whether it's a single-minded autonomous collective or a rich melting pot of cultures blended together and living in close proximity, there will likely be holidays of some sort. Why do holidays exist? What do you need to create holidays in your world? Tune in this week to find out! #DnD #DungeonsandDragons #Pathfinder #Paizo #Holidays Resources: Resigned: How to Know When It's Time to Go

In this heaver-than-usual rules episode, we take a look at some of the rules in Pathfinder 2e and D&D 5e for making monsters more or less powerful. We also talk about some game-system-agnostic ways to scale your monsters up or down. #DungeonsandDragons #DnD #Pathfinder #DMTips Resources: Resigned: How to Know When It’s Time to Go: https://www.amazon.com/Resigned-Know-Truths-Stigma-Quitting-ebook/dp/B0BLP2LCQJ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1AO4TAC6LM4AO&keywords=resigned D&D Dungeon Master’s Guide Pathfinder 2e Core Rulebook Pathfinder 2e Bestiary

Giants. They're all tall and they have reach. Prep work done for an adventure, right? Hold your throwing stone, my DM friend. The different species of giants have very different tactics, capabilities, and motivations. This week Jeremy talks all about the differences and what makes them tick. #DnD #DungeonsandDragons #Pathfinder #DMTips Resources: Resigned: How to Know When It’s Time to Go: https://www.amazon.com/Resigned-Know-Truths-Stigma-Quitting-ebook/dp/B0BLP2LCQJ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1AO4TAC6LM4AO&keywords=resigned The Monsters Know What They’re Doing: https://www.themonstersknow.com/giant-tactics/ Extra Credits: The Viking Expansion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxItyrp55g8&list=PLhyKYa0YJ_5D16-gw3aGKjuC_iW7R16mF

The 4 elements of creation in Dungeons and Dragons and Pathfinder lore are so powerful that each has its own plane of existence. What's on these planes and what dangers will characters face when they go there? Tune in to this episode when I discuss this and give you some adventure ideas for each plane! #DungeonsandDragons #DnD #Pathfinder #Elemental #Planes Resources: Resigned: How to Know When It’s Time to Go: https://www.amazon.com/Resigned-Know-Truths-Stigma-Quitting-ebook/dp/B0BLP2LCQJ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1AO4TAC6LM4AO&keywords=resigned 5e elemental planes: https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Elemental_planes Pathfinder elemental planes: https://pathfinderwiki.com/wiki/Elemental_Plane Dungeons & dragons discontinuing the use of the word race for the word species: https://www.dndbeyond.com/posts/1393-moving-on-from-race-in-one-d-d

If you've reached the point where you need to leave the gaming group, the next steps in the process are going to be difficult emotionally and fraught with peril. Handled incorrectly, you can make lifelong enemies of your DM, your fellow players, and anyone they may know. In this episode I talk about the mature and professional way to separate from the group minimizing animosity or hurt feelings. #dnd #dungeonsanddragons #pathfinder #dmtips #leavingyourgaminggroup Resources: Resigned: How to Know When It’s Time to Go: https://www.amazon.com/Resigned-Know-Truths-Stigma-Quitting-ebook/dp/B0BLP2LCQJ/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1AO4TAC6LM4AO&keywords=resigned

Much is written about DM burnout. But you're a player and while you know you should be excited for the Dungeons and Dragons or RPG session tonight, you find yourself dreading it and it doesn't even sound like a good time. If this is you, you might be experiencing RPG burnout. In this episode, we talk about the causes of burnout and what you can do to find that joy again. #DungeonsandDragons #DnD #Pathfinder #DMTips #PlayerTips #Burnout Resources: How to be a Great GM - https://www.youtube.com/c/HowtobeaGreatGM

Don't forget to send me your contest entries before Friday, November 19th! Minor milestone as we hit episode #150. This week we will talk about Rovagug, the monster in Pathfinder lore that will bring about the end of the multiverse. In this episode we ask: Where is it now? What is it doing? Why do campaigns need creatures of unfathomable evil and chaos and destruction? #Pathfinder #DungeonsandDragons #DnD #GMTips #Rovagug Resources: https://pathfinderwiki.com/wiki/Rovagug https://pathfinderwiki.com/wiki/Spawn_of_Rovagug https://lovecraft.fandom.com/wiki/Rovagug https://2e.aonprd.com/Deities.aspx?ID=15

Good ideas can come from anywhere: movies, music, streaming series, and even video games. You may think that I only mean RPG video games like Dragon Age or The Witcher. Good ideas for characters, game mechanics, and even plots can be taken from video games of all kinds from Super Mario Brothers to Portal. In this episode, you'll hear about tips for taking these ideas and using them at your game table #DungeonsandDragons #DnD #Pathfinder #RPG #DMTips

We conclude horror month with the mysterious and aloof creatures of the Feywild or First World. What makes these creatures scary? What the heck are the Seelie and Unseelie courts? This nymph is offering me a deal that's too good to be true. Should I take it? Tune in and find out. #DnD #DungeonsandDragons #Pathfinder #DMTips #Fey Resources: https://roleplayersrespite.com/fey-creatures-in-dnd-5e

Today is a mini-listener mailbag episode addressing two major aspects of horror games, tension at the table and corruption in your game world. Please listen in as Jeremy discusses two questions from listeners like you. #DMTips #DnD #DungeonsandDragons #Pathfinder Resources: 3D Crafts and Curios on Facebook: https://www.etsy.com/shop/3DCraftsAndCurios 3D Crafts and Curios on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/3dcraftscurios/ Fairy Tower we are giving away: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1146552166/fairy-dice-tower-fates-end-tabletop?click_key=39401705e45a55583044da45f50f127cf7c5c466%3A1146552166&click_sum=ca4d715d&ga_search_query=fairy&ref=shop_items_search_2&frs=1&sts=1 Tension Pool - https://theangrygm.com/definitive-tension-pool/ Crit Academy - https://www.youtube.com/c/CritAcademy/videos John Fourr on Building Tension - https://www.roleplayingtips.com/rptn/6-more-exciting-ways-to-create-tension/ Trajectory of Fear by Ash Law - https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzBGv7T2YMphdjlZNFVKa1pQZjg/view?resourcekey=0-kJSbTSzALd8aKnHMv8pKQg

In this episode, we discuss the published lore in 5e and Pathfinder about what happens after characters pass away. A fellow podcaster and DM, Thorin McGee from the 3 Wise DMs podcast passed away this week, please consider donating to the GoFundMe set up to benefit his widow. #DnD #DungeonsAndDragons #Pathfinder #3WiseDMs #ThorinMcGee Resources: https://www.gofundme.com/f/thorin-mcgees-legacy-and-wife-fund http://3wisedms.com Pathfinder https://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/other-rules/life-and-death/ 5e Dungeon Inn - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEZHK6DlgGw https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Afterlife https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kazgpEz2u2U https://www.flutesloot.com/5e-afterlife-lore-and-analysis/ https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/d-d-beyond-general/story-lore/80013-how-death-and-afterlife-work-in-dnd-lore https://www.reddit.com/r/dndnext/comments/jhf2hu/what_is_the_afterlife_like_in_dnd_5e/

While there are similarities between the ethereal and astral planes in the way 5e and Pathfinder present them, there are distinct differences and they are located different places in the different cosmologies. In this episode, we talk about the 4 planes and some unique characteristics and encounters you can find in them. #DnD #DungeonsandDragons #Pathfinder #GMTips #Ethereal #Astral Resources: 5e PHB & DMG Pathfinder 1e & 2e Core Rulebooks Journeys Through the Radiant Citadel https://www.realmshelps.net/charbuild/races/elf/ghostelf.shtml https://dumpstatadventures.com/the-gm-is-always-right/the-planes-ethereal-plane https://pathfinderwiki.com/wiki/Ethereal_Plane https://aonprd.com/Rules.aspx?Name=Ethereal%20Plane&Category=Esoteric%20Planes https://pathfinderwiki.com/wiki/Astral_Plane https://aonprd.com/Rules.aspx?Name=Astral%20Plane&Category=Esoteric%20Planes https://www.reddit.com/r/Pathfinder_RPG/comments/9x55k2/what_can_be_found_inside_the_astral_plane_what/ http://thecampaign20xx.blogspot.com/2016/03/dungeons-dragons-guide-to-ethereal-plane.html?m=1

Welcome to Horror Month at the Taking 20 Podcast! All month we will be talking about scary/spooky topics to hopefully make your RPGs even better. This week, I talk about some of the major types of horror and confess what makes my hackles sit up and turn red. #DungeonsandDragons #DnD #Pathfinder #DMTips Resources None. Just the ramblings of an old, insane DM.

There are a huge number of people and companies producing a plethora of RPG content for various systems out there. Some of this content makes for greart adventures, location ideas, quest hubs, monsters, NPCs, and anything else you need for your game system. So what if some of it is written for a game you don't play. In this episode I encourage you to look at other game system content to find what makes sense for you to use in your system. #DungeonsandDragons #DnD #Pathfinder #DMTips Resources: www.drivethrurpg.com www.dmsguild.com www.pathfinderinfinite.com

I'm not done with nerfing! There's a major aspect of not nerfing PCs that I forgot to cover last week: letting your PCs excel at what they're good at. Tune in this week as we continue the discussion on this important topic! #DnD #DungeonsandDragons #Pathfinder #DMTips

Sometimes games can get out of balance and it can feel like the PCs have all of the advantages and that's probably because they do. GMs may be tempted to take away or reduce the effectiveness of abilities or equipment used by the PCs but I'm here to tell you there's only one good reason to do so. #DMTips #DnD #DungeonsandDragons #Pathfinder #RPG Resources: The stupid sacred geometry feat: https://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/sacred-geometry/ Great discussion thread on the topic: https://www.enworld.org/threads/how-do-you-feel-about-pc-abilities-being-nerfed-by-the-dm.687189/ And another one: https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/dungeons-dragons-discussion/dungeon-masters-only/43641-how-do-you-nerf-a-player-while-still-making-them

Spelljammer is Dungeons and Dragons' attempt to bring a touch of sci fi to their traditional fantasy RPG. It's like 50s Pulp Sci Fi novels were inserted into the world of swords and sorcery, gnomes and nagas. Frankly it's very very strange but in this episode I encourage you to embrace the strange and don't dismiss it simply because it's different than your usual game. #DungeonsandDragons #DnD #Spelljammer #DMTips Resources https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wey7sgBplp4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQ5y_9TdIJQ https://www.wargamer.com/dnd/spelljammer

Betrayal is a common story trope you see in movies, books, and even let's play podcasts. It can be an amazing moment to include in your game but should you? How can you use this dangerous tool to the betterment of your Pathfinder or Dungeons and Dragons game without it backfiring on you? Tune in and find out. #DungeonsandDragons #DnD #Pathfinder #Betrayal Resources https://jennethdyck.wordpress.com/2018/07/17/seven-ways-to-write-betrayal-in-your-novel/ https://wildwritingdreams.wordpress.com/2020/03/16/how-to-create-the-perfect-betrayal-character/

It's hard to make NPCs that the PCs will trust, open up to, be vulnerable with. Unfortunately it's not something that anyone can do with 100% success rate. So, how DO you make NPCs the players will gravitate toward? How can you portray these NPCs in such a way that the party wants to interact with them? Tune in and find out. #DnD #DungeonsandDragons #Pathfinder #DMTips

The Gap is an aberration in the lore of most RPG products: a time where history is completely broken and no records remain. What do we know about this time period and how can you use similar empty periods of history in your campaign world? Tune in to find out. #Starfinder #Paizo #Dungeons and Dragons #DnD

Before the MCU introduced the world to that word, "Multiverse" meant something different in the RPG world: a collection of universes, each of which was called a plane. In this episode, Jeremy asks for feedback about starting a new series about the different planes, talks about running adventures in both a traditional RPG multiverse and an MCU-like one. #DungeonsandDragons #DnD #Pathfinder #DMTips

This week Jeremy discusses the flexible tool for DMs known as the Rule of Three, including the 3 Clue Rule and other variants of this handy method you can use at your table to keep one bad decision by the PCs from derailing your game and ruining all that time you spent preparing for the game session. Please consider donating to the podcast at www.ko-fi.com/taking20podcast. #DnD #DungeonsandDragons #Pathfinder #DMTips

This week's topic comes courtesy of Andreas Jonasson who listens from Sweden and generously donated to my ko-fi at ko-fi.com/taking20podcast. In this episode, Jeremy talks about how to respectfully use source material from history, religion, and published game lore at your table and talks about some potential problems that can occur. To learn more about the podcast, please head over to www.taking20podcast.com. #DnD #DungeonsandDragons #Pathfinder #DMTips

DMs are the sources of truth for the game world. The players depend on us to provide the facts about encounters, the world, and NPCs and we should be truthful to the players the vast majority of the time. But, there are times when sprinkling half-truths and lies into your game can make your world more realistic and keep your players on their toes. In this episode Jeremy talks about motivations for NPCs to lie and the best practices for using lies at your table. #DungeonsAndDragons #DnD #Pathfinder

Democracies are largely prevalent on planet earth but you hardly ever see them in an RPG setting. In this episode, Jeremy discusses why RPGs are rare, the positive and negative aspects of a magical or futuristic society that can be emphasized by a democracy and the logistical challenges of designing a democracy for your game world. #Pathfinder #DungeonsandDragons #RPG #DnD #Andoran

Gaming inspiration can come from published material from existing game worlds. In this episode we talk briefly about the Orcgate Wars, its history, the aftermath, and more importantly, how you can use this dramatic event as inspiration for history and adventures in your campaign world. Hope you tune in and listen! #OrcgateWars #DungeonsAndDragons #DnD #DM

We all love campaigns that have actions and reactions grounded in realism but in this episode, Jeremy asks, is the work to make things realistic worth it? Would it be better for you to spend that time preparing the next balls to the wall adventure than determining the realistic after effects of a kobold raid against the town's grain storage? Tune in to find out. #Pathfinder #RPG #DungeonsandDragons #DnD

Listener Peter sent an email asking about Paizo's planned Pathfinder Nexus so I went digging through the archives and recorded interviews from PaizoCon to discuss the latest I could find. In this episode I also ask someone to bring me Jason Buhlman but not literally. I just want to talk to him about adventure ideas. This isn't a "bring me the head of my enemies" kind of thing. Maybe I don't need to record or write descriptions until I'm off the pain meds...

If you've never DM'd at a convention or one night at a gaming store, it's just a little different. While you could try to duplicate your gaming experience you give to your normal groups, there are some tips and tricks I've learned that have made my convention games more successful. Here are 10 tips to make your convention game as good as it can be.

Low level characters die so easily. The game world is full of traps, monsters and all sorts of things looking to do them harm. As a player, how to you keep your fragile character alive? As a DM, how do you change your game to make it not quite so deadly? After all, we don't want to go back to the bad old days when we all had multiple characters in case ours died every single game session. #DungeonsandDragons #DnD #Pathfinder #RPG #KeepingPCsAlive