This week, Adam and Tiana introduce the second secret ingredient. We've talked about it before in passing, but this time, we dive deep into why curiosity is the second secret ingredient and how it can elevate your games. Be curious, not judgmental.

To watch the Death Campaign live: https://www.twitch.tv/vanalosswen

Join the Discord! https://discord.gg/gYSp3vcrqs

This week, Adam and Tiana talk about the lessons Adam learned from running two different sessions of Death: one on Friday for a private group of Patrons, and one on Tuesday for the livestream crew. No matter how long we've been playing or GMing, there's always something new to learn if we're willing to dig in!

To watch the Death Campaign live: https://www.twitch.tv/vanalosswen

Join the Discord! https://discord.gg/gYSp3vcrqs

This week, Adam and Tiana continue their deep-dive into what's known so far about the 2024 player classes. While we planned to talk about two classes as before, we had a lot to say about ranger and our perspective on the design philosophy behind the changes.

Ranger blog post: https://www.dndbeyond.com/posts/1759-2024-ranger-vs-2014-ranger-whats-new

Death Campaign live on Tuesdays at 6 pm Pacific: https://www.twitch.tv/vanalosswen

Tonight, we talk about real magic: the magic of the number THREE (3!)! It's everywhere and you, yes YOU, can harness it's incredible power to help you run and play your very best games. So come, stay a while, and listen as we reveal the true potential of this tiny, but mighty number!

Cults have to be one of the most common groups of bad guys that players are likely to run into in tabletop RPGs (probably right behind Bandits), but does the whole "Dark robes and doing objectively scary stuff" thing really make sense? Tonight we take a look at how cults work in the real world, and at ways you can use it to make the fake cults in your game a lot more believable, insidious, and hate-able.

Trigger Warning: Cults ARE a real, and do exist in the real world, and have often brought serious harm to people who thought they only meant well, only to find out later that they are in some serious trouble, or even life-threatening danger. Cults use, manipulate, and hurt people. We encourage you, if you (or someone else you know) is—or may be—in a cult, there is help out there, and people who care. Check out The Freedom of Mind Resource Center for more information.

In tonight's episode, Adam references the book: Combatting Cult Mind Control by Steven Hassan, Ph. D. 

In this somewhat unique episode, Andrew brings a topic to the table, hoping to pitch the idea of wanting to play in a game where the story and theme(s) are emergent rather than planned by the GM. The discussion does not go according to plan and turns into... well... something a bit deeper.

Fair warning: this episode may seem a bit meandering or I (Andrew) may sound crazy or my  idea may even seem half-baked (it wasn't, but I am sure I could have explained things far better), but I think there is a lot of valuable stuff in this episode that, frankly, involved me getting perhaps a bit more vulnerable and introspective than I had planned. I thought for a moment about scrapping this episode, but thought better of it. I hope at least one person out there, whoever you may be, finds this episode helpful, or even just enlightening.

On this week's episode, Adam wants to talk about "shopping" sessions—basically sessions that have to do with gathering items/goods/materials/etc. and in what ways a session based around that can be fun. Join us as we bounce ideas around and talk some shop. ... ping... :D

Tonight, Adam brings a super duper Adam-y topic to the show: the Player Type Tier List! So, sit on down and join us as we discuss which types of players we find ourselves wanting at our table, and of course, which we don't.

NOTE: This episode is not intended to call anyone out, but instead encourage us to emphasize the things that we all do best, and work on the areas in which we struggle. All of us are a mix of many (if not all) of these different player types, and there is always room for any and all of us to grow and learn not only about the games we play, but the way we play it with the people around us.

Here's a link to the tier list so you can play along at home! https://tierlists.com/create/player-types

On this episode, Andrew wants to throw you all a bunch of free ideas for things like campaigns, adventures, player character connections, and stuff like that. This episode is far less about teaching you to fish ('cuz we do that a lot already, lol) and instead decides to just hand you a big net full of fish. It's up to you to decide which ones you like, and which ones seem... well... fishy.... :P Enjoy! 

Come sit down with us for this Q&A episode where we address common questions submitted by young players and GMs who are looking to grow and get the most out of their experience.

Mentioned in this episode:

DragnaCarta's 3-Step Session Prep for Running D&D 5e Adventure Modules

On tonight's episode, we have a casual chat that touches on both narrative and mechanical tiers of play. Join us as Andrew tries to explain what he's thinking about, and Adam tries to decipher what Andrew is explaining (lol).

Join us on this unique episode as Adam runs Andrew through a scenario using a system he developed in an hour, and hang out for the discussion about the results afterward! Please be advised that while there is no content in this episode that is directly offensive, some of it may feel a bit intense for younger listeners. Thanks and enjoy!

Join us for this introspective episode where we take a look back at Andrew's experience running (and Adam's experience playing) Curse of Strahd for just over the past year. Andrew takes a close look at what he learned, and we explore the different preferences we as players and GMs have, as well as other elements such as using modules, playing in person vs. virtually, and even the idea that not every player will fit well with every GM (and vice versa). 

This week, Adam and Tiana continue their discussion about the changes to the player classes in the 2024 Player's Handbook. We discuss Rogue and Monk, with some digression into YouTubers and Star Wars.

Rogue blog post: https://www.dndbeyond.com/posts/1752-2024-rogue-vs-2014-rogue-whats-new

Monk blog post: https://www.dndbeyond.com/posts/1758-2024-monk-vs-2014-monk-whats-new

Death Campaign live on Tuesdays at 6 pm Pacific: https://www.twitch.tv/vanalosswen

On this episode, Adam brings an important topic to the table: Rewards and Incentive. Rewards are the one of the best way to teach those playing your games what you would like to see from them. In this episode, we not only discuss the theory of rewards and why they work, but also various tangible and intangible rewards you can use in your next game! So join us for an episode we hope you'll find very... well, rewarding!

Elden Ring is a game that has captured (and brutally stomped on) the hearts of the gaming community in recent weeks, and we decide to give it a shot for ourselves. Tune in to hear exactly how we feel about it, and maybe determine whether or not you should take a crack at this vast, ambitious open-world epic.

On this episode, Andrew and Adam continue and conclude their foray into worldbuilding using 20 questions found in The Ultimate RPG Game Master's Worldbuilding Guide by James D'amato.  If you haven't listened to part 1, we encourage you to do so! :D

Suggestion: Grab a piece of paper and something to write with, and try to answer the questions as we go along! We'd love to hear what you come up with. :)

On this episode, we look at the task of building a world! To do this, we discuss the basics, and then we dive into a book called The Ultimate RPG Game Master's Worldbuilding Guide by James D'amato. In this book, there are 20 questions you can ask yourself to get you on your way with building your setting, and tonight we answer the first half, and next time we will answer the others and take a look at what we've put together.

Suggestion: Grab a piece of paper and something to write with, and try to answer the questions as we go along! We'd love to hear what you come up with. :)

Tonight, Adam and Andrew crack open Andrew/Nord Games' pdf of Dangerous Destinations, the sequel to the ever-inspirational Spectacular Settlements! The results are.... well.... You'll just have to hear for yourself, but suffice to say we feel that it rises to the challenge set forth by its predecessor: the infamous Bayou Barbarians from way back in Episode 4 of Season 2.

On this episode we take a look at MOAR questions about RPG fundamentals, including how someone who is unsure how an attack roll works should go about homebrewing custom races and classes (see if you can guess what our answer to that is going to be)!

On tonight's episode, Adam brings a bunch of questions he received from GMs new to the hobby who are wondering many things that are often echoed by the general community at large.

On this episode, we take a shot at the humble "One-Shot," the shortest, most bite-sized of session types, and we look at what's so great about them, and why you, dear listener (yes you!), should consider giving them... well... a shot!

On this episode, Adam and Andrew talk about the awesomeness that are pets, (both in your TTRPG, as well as just in general)! So sit down right meow as we look at the various ways pets can contribute to your experience (and how they can sometimes hamper it).

Mentioned in this episode:

Pokemon Rusty: https://youtu.be/ZVTLsQ8iNCM

Elements of Inspiration Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/nordgames/elements-of-inspiration

Tonight, we're joined in the tavern by special guest Thomas Koch from the terrific tabletop livestream channel Quests & Chaos so we can pick his brain about the basics of livestreaming a tabletop RPG (as so many of us would love to do). We also find out how an ordinary horse rose from its humble roots to be the open Lord of Waterdeep. So come pull up a chair, the fire's warm and the drinks are cold!

Find Quests & Chaos on Twitch and YouTube!

Go check out The Deck of Inspiration Kickstarter!

This week, Adam and Tiana begin talking about the changes to the player classes in the 2024 D&D Player Handbook. We're working from the playtest bundles and the D&DBeyond blog posts, comparing the 2014 classes to the new changes.

Barbarian blog post: https://www.dndbeyond.com/posts/1750-2024-barbarian-vs-2014-barbarian-whats-new

Fighter blog post: https://www.dndbeyond.com/posts/1746-2024-fighter-vs-2014-fighter-whats-new

Death Campaign live on Tuesdays at 6 pm Pacific: https://www.twitch.tv/vanalosswen

On this weeks episode, we talk about Andrew's observation that there are many in the community who think badly of the humble, tried-n-true trope of the RPG party meeting in a tavern, and disabuse anyone who may have been misled until now of the notion that the party starting in a Tavern is lame or played-out.

Spoiler Alert: IT AINT!

Also mentioned in this episode: Remarkable Inns / Remarkable Shops by Loresmyth Games.

Well met! Tonight, Adam brings with the righteous topic of the Paladin to the table, so we talk about our feelings on the paladin offerings overall in 5e and how they measure up to what "Paladin" means to us. Perhaps that's a bit lofty, but tell us, what does "Paladin" mean to you?

On this episode, we chat about handling session-related stuff that goes on between sessions, such as email chains, discord chats, and other ways to allow one, some, or all of your players to pursue individual goals! It's a lot of fun, and can help make your players feel a bit more agency and attention without taking away from everyone else mid-session on your actual game night. This also builds a bit on the idea we spoke with DragnaCarta about back on Episode 32 of Season 2 regarding collaborative prep! Enjoy!

Welcome back to another season of Inspiration Point for the year of 2022! Join us as we sit down to talk about all the cool stuff we want to do this year, and kick it off right by listening to Adam try in vain to wrangle Andrew.

On tonight's episode, we thought we'd have some fun and do some two-person scenes with some different voices! If you ever wanted to hear a two-headed ogre brainstorm with itself about the best methods of robbing travelers on the road, you're in for a treat. Come sit on down, get out of the cold, grab your favorite holiday beverage, and enjoy an evening of silliness with your good pals, Andrew and Adam. :) Happy Holidays!

On this jingle-belly episode, our two dapper gentlemen sit in large, high-backed chairs, in front of a crackling fireplace, equipped with smoking jacket, snifter, and pipe to discuss the events of the day, the classic films of the Christmas season, and one of the finest gifts we can all give to one another this year: the gift—of novelty! 

On this mammoth, nigh-two-hour episode, we take a good, hard look at the Netflix mega-hit Arcane! Pull up a chair, turn up the volume, and let's start the magic.  

Non-Spoiler Discussion: 00:37:35
Spoiler Discussion: 00:59:04

This episode, Adam busts out his brand new copy of Fizban's Treasury of Dragons and we build ourselves a dragon! As always, there are twists, turns, and shocking surprises, so hold onto your butts, 'cause it's DRAGON TIME!

On tonight's episode, Andrew wants to talk about roleplaying your rolls instead of just referring to your character's obvious strengths, or only referring to what's explicitly written on your character sheet. We also talk about Adam's unflinching resolve when it comes to honoring commitments, and then we do some roleplay exercises. So sit on down, and join us for some good ol' RP fun!

In this episode, we get to hang out with the incredibly talented media industry renaissance man and host of the Loaded Dice Roller's Podcast: GM Macleods. Together we discuss what he's been up to recently, as well as what our life experiences have to do with this hobby that we love.

Mentioned in the show:
Loaded Dice Rollers [Podcast]
GM Macleods Presents [Youtube]
DragnaCarta's Patreon

This week, Tiana takes on the solo host role and welcomes Alandra Hileman onto the show to talk about tips and tricks for running mob combat in D&D 5e. We use examples from Phandelver and Below, a campaign Tiana recently wrapped up, to discuss ideas for making the juggling act behind the GM screen as smooth as possible.

Join our Discord to continue the conversation!

Alandra's itch.io page: https://ladybedivere.itch.io/

Keys from the Golden Vault, GM'd by Alandra, over on Quests and Chaos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLSM6UhQ5Q6LIyy4uUQVV2sAG0MeA-P6t

Phandelver and Below, GM'd by Tiana, over on Quests and Chaos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLLSM6UhQ5Q6JF3hrzaTwY8zlbanZ9vWxc

On tonight's episode, we face down a beast which has terrified many within this hobby to their very core: FAILURE! But we're here to tell you all that if failure has been getting you down, it's time to think about failure differently. Turns out it can be fun! So, get comfy, have a seat with us, and let's explore how failure can actually be the source of a great time and inspiration!

On tonight's episode, we dig into discovering what your players want from a future campaign! Often, GMs will develop their campaign in a bubble of isolated, mysterious creativity and it's easy to forget that in this cooperative hobby, we should cooperate! So tonight, Adam helps Andrew try to pin down what kind of campaign he would like to play, utilizing favorite movies, tv shows, mash-ups, tropes, and all sorts of points of interest. So have a seat and let's explore how to get your players to tell you what they want; what they really really want!

REVIEWS: Send some love our way! No matter your platform, please head on over to Audible.com at this link (https://www.audible.com/pd/Podcast/B08K57GFV4), click the "More options" button and hit "Write a review." When we see it (so long as there's nothing offensive in it) we'll even read it on the show!

Mentioned in tonight's episode:
The Expanse (Amazon Prime)
Game of Thrones (HBO) / A Song of Ice and Fire (Book Series)
Better Call Saul (AMC)
Jungle Cruise (Disney+)
Mass Effect Series (EA)
Star Trek
Star Wars
Cyberpunk (R. Talsorian)
Shadowrun
Bounty Hunter (Guy Sclanders)
(Probably a bunch of other stuff, too. This episode is packed with references!)

On tonight's episode, Andrew talks with Adam about the things he's been doing recently regarding TTRPGs and what lessons he's taken away from them.

On this episode, we take a look at some of the main times that a GM can find themselves stumped, where they may feel at a loss, or as if their prep has failed them. Well fear not! Give this episode a listen, and we hope that it'll give you some ideas on how to keep things moving or, worst-case-scenario, when to put the game on hold so you can gather your wits, perhaps do some additional prep, and get back out there and run your best game yet!

On this unique episode, we take a slight step back from specifically talking about RPGs as we talk with good friend of the show, Tiana Hanson. Tiana grew up in Alaska and discovered a passion for acting. This passion lead her on a journey of growth and discovery which included moving across the country to California, working as a rideshare driver, breaking into acting, recording 57 (!) audiobooks, starring in and publishing her own podcast, and MOST  importantly—if you ask us—becoming a key cast member of the Tabletop RPG and boardgame livestream network: Quests & Chaos!

Links from this episode:

Quests & Chaos
Site: https://questsandchaos.com/
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/questsandchaos/

Tiana Hanson
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tiana.hanson.3
Soundcloud Samples: https://soundcloud.com/tiana-hanson/sets/audition-and-sample-playlist
ACX (Audio Creation Exchange): https://www.acx.com/narrator?p=A80NPS81KS19L

On this episode, we explore some ideas for various fictional settings that we'd love to experience at the table! Some of them may be more doable than  others (some even have their own TTRPG systems already!), but the weird ones may just spawn a game that's just as fun (or more so!). So break out your favorite tv show, book series, movie(s), and let's have a think about which ones would be a blast to play in.

Non-D&D Settings/RPGs mentioned on the show:

The Expanse
The Witcher
A Song of Ice and Fire

On this episode, we are joined by DragnaCarta, the ridiculously talented GM for the Podcast and Twitch/YouTube show  Curse of Strahd: Twice-Bitten! The topic Dragna brings to the table is one that may be downright paradigm-shifting for a lot GMs: the idea that, despite our typical aversion to spoilers, and our instincts to keep players in the dark about our session plans, we should instead embrace our players and remember that this game is about creating a story together! "HERESY!" some GMs might say, but hear him out. We did, and we're convinced.

REVIEWS! If you enjoy the show, please tell us with a 5-star review over at iTunes! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inspiration-point/id1534830282 

Links to content from this episode:

Dragna's RPG Corner Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/DragnaCarta
Curse of Strahd: Reloaded: https://www.reddit.com/r/CurseofStrahd/comments/9bpzbh/curse_of_strahd_reloaded_compilation_thread/
Reddit: u/DragnaCarta

Twice Bitten
Twitch (Live every Saturday 1 pm EST / 10 am PST): https://www.twitch.tv/rcurseofstrahd
Podcast: https://anchor.fm/twice-bitten

The Black Carriage (Highlight from Twice Bitten)
spoiler warning for Twice Bitten, and Curse of Strahd
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDUnKdRx4GQ

Sly Flourish's Return of the Lazy DM: https://slyflourish.com/returnofthelazydm/

On this episode, Adam sits down with returning friend of the show and veteran GM Spike Murphy-Rose and does his level best to plumb the dark and ever-swirling depths that are the contents of Spike's mind. This episode is chock full of tidbits like these:

• In-person vs. online
• Challenges in teaching the game
• Investing in your experience
• GM mole at the table
• More exciting combat
• Alternative rules
• Player investment capacity
• Planning: Stuff for you, and stuff for your PCs
• Future campaign setting wish lists

Also mentioned in this episode:
Bounty Hunters RPG by Guy Sclanders: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/guysclanders/bounty-hunter-a-ttrpg
Sly Flourish: https://slyflourish.com/
AJ Pickett: https://www.youtube.com/user/AJPickett

On this episode, Adam flies solo and decides to talk about Game Design Theory. He does a deep dive into what makes a game a game, what "play" really is, and how we can apply these (as well as other) fundamental principles to make our RPG experience at the table that much better. So, sit on down and get ready to level up, because game design class is in session!

On this episode, we take a look at how the use of law and trial can really spice up our stories and games! Now, before you go changing the channel, just know that we also talk about ways that the PCs can get intro trouble by messing with the law, too. Not that any players should use this as a source for ideas. We would never suggest such a thing.

Also, go watch Boston Legal. It's good for you!

This week, Adam and Tiana are joined by Dan Waszkiewicz, Handler of The Redacted Reports, to talk about running a horror game. We talk about tone and themes, along with some safety tools that we think are essential to the experience.

Join our Discord to offer your opinions! https://discord.gg/gYSp3vcrqs

Dan's preferred safety toolkit: https://ttrpgsafetytoolkit.com/

Check out Dan and Tiana on The Redacted Reports! www.theredactedreportspodcast.com

Check out a product in the Tiny D6 system Dan wrote for! https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/258276/tinyzine-issue-7

And check out Tiana's channel for the Death game Adam runs and the Vampire: the Masquerade one-on-one game Dan runs for Tiana! www.twitch.tv/vanalosswen

On this episode, Adam and Andrew, the dulcet duo, are back at it, just the two of them! We hear a bit about Adam's process for running his Interactive Storytelling [Read: D&D] class, and how he's growing this new crop of RPG initiates. After that, we do some thinking about what to do, and how to process, when you have a bad, rough, or otherwise dissatisfying session (SPOILER ALERT: The answer is NOT "never run again!"). So sit on down, and treat yourself to some encouragement, because you can do this, and we believe in you. :) 

On this episode, we're joined by prolific writer and designer Mike Shea, creator of SlyFlourish.com and the author of, among several other books, Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master! We talk about the philosophy behind lazy-style prep, and what this style can do for us. So pull up a chair, relax, and take it easy as we kick back and learn how to live our best, laziest life.

Links to content from this episode:

Mike's Website: https://slyflourish.com
Sly Flourish's Audiobooks: Audible.com

Owlbear Rodeo Virtual Tabletop: https://www.owlbear.rodeo/

On this episode, we are joined by Kaiya, the mind behind Twice Bitten's Lillisen! We dig deep on how to realistically think about and portray character backgrounds, and how to play secretive, reserved, or slow-reveal characters in a fun, intriguing, and non-disruptive way. She also introduces us to Face, Ego, Heart, an awesome and practical character personality technique that you can use to immediately make your own character come to life!

Links to content from this episode:

Twice Bitten
Twitch (Live every Saturday 1 pm EST / 10 am PST): https://www.twitch.tv/rcurseofstrahd
Podcast: https://anchor.fm/twice-bitten

The Black Carriage (Highlight from Twice Bitten)
spoiler warning for Twice Bitten, and Curse of Strahd
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDUnKdRx4GQ

Paracelsus Games (by Warren Tusk)
http://www.paracelsus-games.com/