Explore every episode of the podcast Running Off The Rails
| Title | Pub. Date | Duration | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How to Introduce a New Setting | The final Armorsmith's Handbook episode | 28 Sep 2024 | 00:49:26 | |
In this episode Ariel and Ray take one last look at the Armorsmith's Handbook, a massive endeavor from the Grim Press that has to introduce twenty unique places to your campaign setting. Ray and Ariel discuss how to read and prepare box text so that your players immediately know where they are and why they should care about it. Then they talk about how to expand on a setting idea once you've settled on where you want to go, so that the setting feels alive and your players feel engaged after the first impression. Sign up for your copy of the Armorsmith's Handbook at bit.ly/armorsmith today! Included in this this 175+ page sourcebook, we've created 20 drop-in merchants for your game of 5th Edition. Accompanying each armorsmith is
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| The Armorsmith's Handbook is Live! Ray Dives Into The Character Creation Process | 29 Aug 2024 | 01:10:02 | |
Sign up for your copy of the Armorsmith's Handbook at bit.ly/armorsmith today! Included in this this 175+ page sourcebook, we've created 20 drop-in merchants for your game of 5th Edition. Accompanying each armorsmith is
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| New Tradeoffs, Counters, Hands, and Throws For Your Game of DnD | 01 Aug 2023 | 00:53:35 | |
Ray and Ariel provide mechanics that address specific criticisms they made of 5e in the previous episode. Here are some short rules that will...
Three design tools modern games use to make interesting encounters: power budgets, counters, and hands/throws. Dungeons and Dragons falls short in implementing these design principles sometimes for the sake of simplicity. Let's fix it. Show Notes: https://www.runningofftherails.com/en-us/articles/decisions-episode-notes Website: https://runningofftherails.com Emery’s Log of Legendary Eminences: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/runningofftherails/emerys-log-of-legendary-eminences Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningofftherails Twitter: https://twitter.com/RunningOffRails | |||
| Travel In D&D | Should You Run It At All? | 07 Jan 2021 | 00:28:34 | |
Ray and Ariel discuss running travel in D&D. They discuss the opportunity cost of running travel and what can be added to it to make it time well spent. They offer specific tools and examples of how you can make travel unique and something that players look forward to. We hope you enjoy. If you liked the show today, please follow us on Instagram. It is the only means we have to spread the word and put our show in front of new listeners. | |||
| Sandboxing Vs Railroading | 27 Dec 2020 | 00:30:35 | |
Ray and Ariel discuss how to run 5th Edition Dungeons & Dragons. Should you use Sandboxing or Railroading as your foundational style? We offer some actionable tips and tricks to help Game Masters experiment with both styles. Though we use D&D as the vehicle to discuss these concepts they are applicable to other popular roleplaying games like Blades in The Dark, Star Wars Fantasy Flight, Fate Core, Call of Cthulhu, Monster of the Week, Cyberpunk Red, and Masks. <p>If you liked the show today, please <a href="https://www.instagram.com/runningofftherails/">follow us on Instagram</a>. It is the only means we have to spread the word and put our show in front of new listeners.</p> | |||
| D&D Decisions are Dull | Using Video Games to Create Fun Choices | 04 Jul 2023 | 00:40:42 | |
Ray and Ariel discuss the three design tools modern games use to make interesting encounters: power budgets, counters, and hands/throws. Dungeons and Dragons falls short in implementing these design principles sometimes for the sake of simplicity, but often because it is catering to a different experience than a video game with instantaneous game-matching and player feedback. Ray and Ariel dig deeper though, and look for the specific places where Dungeon and Dragons could implement these concepts and improve on players' decision-making experience Amazing video by Game Designer's Toolkit that discusses Trade-offs, Counters, Hands and Throws and how video games get balanced: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXQzdXPTb2A&ab_channel=GameMaker%27sToolkit Website: https://runningofftherails.com Emery’s Log of Legendary Eminences: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/runningofftherails/emerys-log-of-legendary-eminences Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningofftherails Twitter: https://twitter.com/RunningOffRails | |||
| Finding Fantastic Familiars ft. The Fox from Worlds Beyond Number | 01 Jun 2023 | 00:35:24 | |
Ray and Ariel discuss how to spice up the Find Familiar spell in dungeons and dragons. Familiars can often feel like a spell effect in our campaigns rather than fully fledged characters. Ray and Ariel were both inspired the hilarious fox familiar in Worlds Beyond Number to think up different ways DMs can create memorable familiars for their players. Ray and Ariel present mechanics for familiar progression, discuss how to treat familiars as NPCs in your world, and come up with a few modifications to the find familiar ritual. Website: https://runningofftherails.com Emery’s Log of Legendary Eminences: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/runningofftherails/emerys-log-of-legendary-eminences Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningofftherails Twitter: https://twitter.com/RunningOffRails | |||
| Prestige Classes, Paragons And Other Discovered Character Paths in D&D | 01 May 2023 | 00:35:47 | |
Ray and Ariel discuss achieving prestige fantasies in D&D 5e. Why did the 5e Prestige Classes unearthed arcana miss the mark? Then Ray and Ariel present mechanics for how they think that discovered and unexpected character paths can be successful in D&D 5e. Website: https://runningofftherails.com Emery’s Log of Legendary Eminences: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/runningofftherails/emerys-log-of-legendary-eminences Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningofftherails Twitter: https://twitter.com/RunningOffRails | |||
| Worlds Beyond Number | 01 Apr 2023 | 00:30:05 | |
Link to Worlds Beyond Number: https://worldsbeyondnumber.com/ Ray and Ariel discuss their newest source of D&D inspiration, Worlds Beyond Number. Their first project, The Wizard, the Witch, and the Wild One is a captivating coming of age story. The story told by Brennan Lee Mulligan, Erika Ishii, Aabria Iyengar, and Lou Wilson invokes the wonder of Hayao Miyazaki movies and inspires us to bring a more curated experience to our games of D&D. Website: https://runningofftherails.com Emery's Log of Legendary Eminences: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/runningofftherails/emerys-log-of-legendary-eminences Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningofftherails/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/RunningOffRails | |||
| Perfect Puzzles Cont | This time with examples! | 01 Mar 2023 | 00:54:16 | |
Ray and Ariel continue their discussion on how to create puzzles ingrained in the setting of your world that your players will enjoy. They have each prepared puzzles to add some concrete examples for how to run puzzles effectively and published them in the RotR blog here https://www.runningofftherails.com/en-us/articles. In this episode, Ray and Ariel work through six points that helped guide their puzzle design. They use these checkpoints to make sure that the puzzles are a meaningful part of their campaign setting, and their players have total agency in how they tackle them. If you enjoyed the show today, please follow us on Instagram and Twitter for updates about giveaways, blog posts, new Youtube content, and new DM's guild content. Website: https://runningofftherails.com Emery's Log of Legendary Eminences: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/runningofftherails/emerys-log-of-legendary-eminences Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningofftherails/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/RunningOffRails | |||
| How to Make the Perfect Puzzle | 01 Feb 2023 | 00:49:00 | |
Ray and Ariel discuss their problems with puzzles in the traditional D&D style. They talk through different ways puzzles can be more involved in the story of your campaign, while simultaneously not getting in the way of a good role playing session. The best puzzles can be the focal point of a fun and memorable session, but Ray and Ariel have both played in more sessions where the puzzle interrupted gameplay and even prevented the party from continuing the plot of the campaign. If you enjoyed the show today, please follow us on Instagram and Twitter for updates about giveaways, blog posts, new Youtube content, and new DM's guild content. Website: https://runningofftherails.com Emery's Log of Legendary Eminences: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/runningofftherails/emerys-log-of-legendary-eminences Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningofftherails/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/RunningOffRails | |||
| 2022 In Review | Our Favorite Episodes, Emery's Updates, and the Future of RotR | 02 Jan 2023 | 00:56:45 | |
Ray and Ariel look back on the year, share updates on Emery's Log of Legendary Resistances kickstarter, and discuss plans for the future of the podcast. Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/RunningOffTheRails/ Website: https://runningofftherails.com Emery's Log of Legendary Eminences: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/runningofftherails/emerys-log-of-legendary-eminences Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningofftherails/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/RunningOffRails | |||
| Cliffhangers, Leave Your Players Begging For More | 19 Dec 2022 | 00:39:48 | |
Ray and Ariel layout examples and tools that will dungeon masters implement cliffhangers in their games of D&D. Cliffhangers define how the time in between sessions feel to your players. They can be crucial for keeping a new group of players together during the time before they are invested in their characters. They can also be sources of hype and inspire plans and character motivation in the downtime in between sessions. Drive player engagement during the times away from the table by bringing cliffhangers to your table. Website: https://runningofftherails.com Emery's Log of Legendary Eminences: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/runningofftherails/emerys-log-of-legendary-eminences Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningofftherails/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/RunningOffRails | |||
| The Legacy of the Ranger | ft. Heavyarms | 05 Dec 2022 | 00:52:51 | |
Game designer Heavyarms joins Ray to discuss the Legacy of the Ranger in 5th edition dungeons and dragons. Ray and Heavyarms take a look at the fantastical origins of the ranger and try to make sense of the different versions that have been published by Wizards of the Coast. Then Heavyarms discusses the approach he took when designing his own 5th Edition Ranger class and why it delivers on the promise of the ranger where other attempts have fallen short. Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/RunningOffTheRails/ Website: https://runningofftherails.com Emery's Log of Legendary Eminences: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/runningofftherails/emerys-log-of-legendary-eminences Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningofftherails/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/RunningOffRails | |||
| What Makes Compelling Magic Armor? Ft. Armorsmith's Handbook | 03 Aug 2024 | 01:17:21 | |
In this episode, Ariel tries to convince Ray that the very best magic items have abilities that make your character immediately recognizable, but don't overshadow their already heroic abilities, using magic items that Ray himself designed in Grim Press's new Armorsmith's Handbook! Ariel picks his five favorite magic items out of the two hundred brand new magic armors in the Grim Press Fifth Edition supplement, The Armorsmith's Handbook. Ariel argues why each modestly-powered item is the perfect fit for the PCs at your table, while Ray gives behind the scenes details on how they were designed. Armorer's Handbook: https://bit.ly/armorsmith Website: https://runningofftherails.com Emery's Physical Copy: https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/397328/Emerys-Log-of-Legendary-Eminences Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningofftherails Twitter: https://twitter.com/RunningOffRails | |||
| Creating an Emotional Journey | How to Pace Your D&D Campaign | 21 Nov 2022 | 00:25:41 | |
Ray and Ariel discuss how to pace your dungeons and dragons adventure so the players have enough time to process all the great emotional stories you want to tell. When players are presented with conflict after conflict, the emotion of one story beat can get overshadowed by another. On the flip side, many sessions of d&d can feel slow if the story doesn't progress or the combats drag from round to round. Ray and Ariel talk through the structure of story beats in popular fiction and successful WotC adventures and provide some easy tools to help you create an exhilarating and emotional journey at your table. Website: https://runningofftherails.com Emery's Log of Legendary Eminences: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/runningofftherails/emerys-log-of-legendary-eminences Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningofftherails/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/RunningOffRails | |||
| Three Ways to Split the Party | 07 Nov 2022 | 00:47:40 | |
Ray and Ariel discuss one of the classic problems in dungeons and dragons: what to do when your players decide to split up. Specifically, they look at three different ways player characters can be separated during your sessions, even if they are technically in the same location. Ray and Ariel both love running games with split parties for different reasons, and share the successes they've had sharing the spotlight across a split group. Website: https://runningofftherails.com Emery's Log of Legendary Eminences: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/runningofftherails/emerys-log-of-legendary-eminences Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningofftherails/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/RunningOffRails | |||
| Running 100 Demons! | Taking On Armies And Huge Scale Battles In D&D | Featuring Flee Mortals Minion Rules | 24 Oct 2022 | 00:35:12 | |
Ray and Ariel discuss Ray's recent experiences running a 100 Demon army against in his players. How can you as a DM deliver the fantasy of battling in an army in Dungeons and Dragons? We provide tips and tricks to help army combat be a hit at your table, no matter your player's level. Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/RunningOffTheRails/ Website: https://runningofftherails.com Emery's Log of Legendary Eminences: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/runningofftherails/emerys-log-of-legendary-eminences Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningofftherails/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/RunningOffRails | |||
| Gloomhaven | Bring Retirement And Asymmetry To Your D&D Game | 10 Oct 2022 | 00:39:45 | |
Ray and Ariel discuss Ray's recent experiences playing Gloomhaven with his dungeons and dragons group. Gloomhaven has 11 secret classes that players unlock and play as they retire characters. This is very different from how folks typically play D&D 5e where they typically play one character per campaign. What would a game of Dungeons and Dragons look like if we embraced the idea that we would be retiring our strongest characters and starting new characters that slightly lagged the rest of the party in power level? Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/RunningOffTheRails/ Website: https://runningofftherails.com Emery's Log of Legendary Eminences: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/runningofftherails/emerys-log-of-legendary-eminences Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningofftherails/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/RunningOffRails | |||
| What Fifth Edition is Missing | Choosing a Setting For Your Campaign | 26 Sep 2022 | 00:36:16 | |
Ray and Ariel discuss the the benefit of running dnd in a detailed setting. Fifth edition is largely setting agnostic. People have used the fifth edition ruleset to run games in modern, ancient, high-magic, and low-magic fantasy genres. This gives people a ton of flexibility, but is in stark contrast with most RPGs (e.g. 7th Sea, Blades in the Dark, etc.). Ray and Ariel use some classic examples like the Dark Sun setting from older dungeons and dragons editions to show the benefits of choosing a tone-appropriate setting when planning a campaign. It may add extra work before sitting down to play, but it will help the players and the DM stay on the same page, and curate a tone for the road ahead. Emery's Log of Legendary Eminences: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/runningofftherails/emerys-log-of-legendary-eminences Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningofftherails/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/RunningOffRails | |||
| Does Your Character Know Too Much? | Exploring The Implicit Knowledge Disparity | 20 Sep 2022 | 00:27:51 | |
Ray and Ariel discuss the Implicit Knowledge Disparity—the gap between what a player knows and what their character knows. When the player and their character are expected to know very little about the setting, dnd tends to run very smoothly. But when the character is expected to know a lot about the setting, you could end up with a large knowledge disparity. Ray and Ariel discuss how to design your campaign so that players implicitly know enough about the world to fulfill the fantasy you're excited to run. Whether that be a plane jumping campaign of novel exploration, or a deeply political campaign with alliances and back-stabbing in the very first sessions. Emery's Log of Legendary Eminences: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/runningofftherails/emerys-log-of-legendary-eminences Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningofftherails/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/RunningOffRails | |||
| Taking On High Level D&D | Lessons from EXU Calamity & DOTA Dragon's Blood | 29 Aug 2022 | 00:41:04 | |
Ray and Ariel both have found running high level dungeons and dragons to have serious challenges. Players have so many tools it can be hard to challenge them while building a story for your players that feels satisfying. Ray and Ariel look to examples of high magic, high power level adventures in Critical Role's EXU: Calamity and Netflix's DOTA Dragon Blood to discern what makes a good D&D setting for the highest tiers of power. The three most important lessons learned: no rest for the wicked, too much threat to handle, and relying on the characters' arcs. Emery's Log of Legendary Eminences: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/runningofftherails/emerys-log-of-legendary-eminences Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningofftherails/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/RunningOffRails | |||
| Buff Your Fighters, Nerf Your Wizards | 15 Aug 2022 | 00:32:25 | |
Ray's player JJ feels that his Barbarian isn't as fun to play as Mark's Warlock or Ali's Cleric. This feeling that martial classes are under-tuned compared to spellcasting classes is a feeling that many players feel and take to the internet to discuss. Emery's Log of Legendary Eminences: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/runningofftherails/emerys-log-of-legendary-eminences Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningofftherails/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/RunningOffRails | |||
| How To Effectively Evaluate Game Balance At Your Table | 01 Aug 2022 | 00:44:03 | |
Ray and Ariel discuss the loaded subject of "balance" in D&D. Ray asserts that balance is an illusion and that chasing it can be fruitless or a false target. After listening to this episode players and DMs will be able to more effectively evaluate balance at their table and make meaningful decisions that facilitate more fun for all of your players. Website: https://runningofftherails.com Emery's Log of Legendary Eminences: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/runningofftherails/emerys-log-of-legendary-eminences Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningofftherails/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/RunningOffRails | |||
| Better Mysteries Pt. 2 | Putting Pen to Paper With Examples | 18 Jul 2022 | 00:55:47 | |
Ray and Ariel follow up on the principles for great mysteries that they discussed in the previous episode to create their own mysteries. They each go through the mystery they wrote, discussing the specific tools and strategies they used to ensure that their players would get the full Mystery experience. Ray and Ariel share all the lessons learned from writing these mysteries, differentiating between the challenges of a short mystery and a mystery that is the centerpiece for a full campaign. Website: https://runningofftherails.com Emery's Log of Legendary Eminences: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/runningofftherails/emerys-log-of-legendary-eminences Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningofftherails/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/RunningOffRails | |||
| Freelance RPG Writing and the Armorer's Handbook Kickstarter | 01 Jul 2024 | 00:41:16 | |
Last Summer Ray collaborated as a co-author on a book of 20 Armorers and the 200 pieces of magical armor that they offer. Ray discusses what the experience of writing the ~35,000 words was like and what the book has to offer players and Dungeon Masters. | |||
| Better Mysteries in D&D | Build Setting Appropriate Evidence & Ditch Skill Checks | 04 Jul 2022 | 00:51:49 | |
Ray and Ariel lay out how to deliver on the promise of the mystery genre at your D&D table. They start by teasing apart the nuances of an adventure that is structured around a mystery and how to give players the opportunity to solve a mystery themselves rather than explaining it as the players bear witness. Ray and Ariel discuss the core elements of mystery board games and video games and how to port those key innovations into our D&D experience. What makes a good suspect? What makes good evidence? When do players love a Red Herring and when are they disappointed by one? What about skill checks? Ray and Ariel suggest that we should throw them out if we hope to deliver a mystery, but what do we replace them with? If you enjoyed the show today, please follow us on Instagram and Twitter for updates about giveaways, blog posts, new Youtube content, and new DM's guild content. Website: https://runningofftherails.com Emery's Log of Legendary Eminences: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/runningofftherails/emerys-log-of-legendary-eminences Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningofftherails/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/RunningOffRails | |||
| Your First Homebrew Class | A Conversation with Cory Wilson | 20 Jun 2022 | 00:31:15 | |
Cory joins Ariel to discuss the extensive process he went through when designing his first homebrew class. They discuss how to balance mechanics and thematics, and how to take a concept for a class and split it into subclasses. Then Ariel talks through some of the challenges he's having refining his homebrew class for the publishing process. | |||
| The Morals in Our Games | A Discussion on Presentism | 06 Jun 2022 | 00:25:13 | |
Ray and Ariel discuss how to have constructive conversations about the morals your party will live by and society's morals you introduce as a DM. D&D is only partially a medieval fantasy analog, and our morals as people outside the game are going to influence what we enjoy roleplaying at the table. But uncritically adhering to our modern day morals, aka Presentism, can hurt fantasy escapism in the same ways that being inconsiderate of our modern morals can. Ray and Ariel bring up their own examples to show how they've navigated these potentially campaign-ending issues. Kickstarter: https://runningofftherails.com/kickstarter Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningofftherails/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/RunningOffRails YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClX4fN2Xdlw3H-9cZpqBikg | |||
| Creating Iconic Heroes With Gestalt Leveling | 23 May 2022 | 00:17:53 | |
Ray and Ariel discuss how to emulate larger-than-life characters from fiction in TTRPGs with a tool called Gestalt Leveling. Gestalt Leveling means that when your characters level, they gain the features of two different classes simultaneously. This works particularly well for small parties that might have too many gaps in their abilities. Many of the best larger-than-life characters are NPCs in your world. It can be difficult to make iconic NPCs because they can overshadow the players. A gestalt NPC can still be the kind of character from fiction that strikes out on their own and has inspiring stories to tell, without being an overwhelmingly high level. Kickstarter: https://runningofftherails.com/kickstarter Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningofftherails/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/RunningOffRails YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClX4fN2Xdlw3H-9cZpqBikg | |||
| Escapism | Choosing Hard Problems To Avoid | 09 May 2022 | 00:31:05 | |
Ray and Ariel discuss how to maintain Escapism in your game of Dungeons and Dragons. We discuss how tools like Lines and Veils can be used effectively to be deliberate about which hard problems you want to place front and center in your games, and which hard problems are better avoided. Don't forget our kickstarter will in 2 days! For more information, along with instructions for our gemstone dice giveaway (!!), click on the links below. Kickstarter: https://runningofftherails.com/kickstarter Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningofftherails/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/RunningOffRails YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClX4fN2Xdlw3H-9cZpqBikg | |||
| 4 New Fiend Eminences | Janek Joins The Team | We Hit Our First Stretch Goal | Also Dice! | 04 May 2022 | 00:05:06 | |
Ray makes a status announcement on behalf of the Emery's Log team. Janek has joined the team as an editor and prompted us to create 4 new fiend eminences. We hit our first stretch goal, and we will begin work on Za'Ul and his Spire of Bones. Also 5 new raffle entry methods are detailed on the Running off the Rails Kickstarter page. website: https://runningofftherails.com/kickstarter | |||
| Betraying The Party | 25 Apr 2022 | 00:34:32 | |
Ray and Ariel discuss how to betray the party without ruining a campaign. Betrayals are the climax of many great stories, and we want to include them in our tabletop fantasy fulfillment. Ray and Ariel discuss different ways a betrayal can be a win-win for the party and the betraying character instead of a zero sum game. It's important to think about how everyone can have fun before thinking about winning. Don't forget our kickstarter will end soon! For more information, along with instructions for our gemstone dice giveaway (!!), click on the links below. Kickstarter Url: https://runningofftherails.com/kickstarter Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningofftherails/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/RunningOffRails YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClX4fN2Xdlw3H-9cZpqBikg | |||
| $1000 Milestone And New Stretch Goals | 19 Apr 2022 | 00:05:37 | |
Ray announces our Stretch Goals on behalf of the Emery's Log team and celebrates hitting the $1000 milestone. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/runningofftherails/emerys-log-of-legendary-eminences Running off the Rails website: https://runningofftherails.com/kickstarter Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningofftherails/ | |||
| Kickstarter Thank You Gift | 15 Apr 2022 | 00:06:24 | |
Ray thanks the community on behalf of the Emery's Log team and announces an exciting thank you gift that will be getting added to Emery's Log. | |||
| Kickstarter Is Live Right Now | 13 Apr 2022 | 00:02:24 | |
Emery's Log of Legendary Eminences is live on Kickstarter Right Now. We added some early backer options explicitly for long time listeners of the show, so be sure to check out the kickstarter sooner rather than later. If you would like a sample of the kickstarter, fill out the form at https://runningofftherails.com/kickstarter. Filling out the form will also enter you once into the URWizards Purple Cats Eye Gemstone Dice Giveaway. There will be up to 10 total opportunities to enter additional raffle tickets in your name though, so if you really want them, we recommend following our instagram for the most up to date information. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningofftherails/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/RunningOffRails YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClX4fN2Xdlw3H-9cZpqBikg URWizards Purple Cats Eye Gemstone Dice: https://urwizards.com/products/urwizards-dnd-engraved-purple-cats-eye-stone-dice-set-nordic-style | |||
| Catching Up | 01 Mar 2024 | 01:18:35 | |
Ray and Ariel play 2024 catch up. We discuss what has been going on in our lives and chat about books and media we've been consuming. We will return to topic-focused, prepared content next episode. Website: https://runningofftherails.com Emery's Physical Copy: https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/397328/Emerys-Log-of-Legendary-Eminences Emery’s Log of Legendary Eminences: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/runningofftherails/emerys-log-of-legendary-eminences Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningofftherails Twitter: https://twitter.com/RunningOffRails | |||
| Changing Objectives In Combat | 11 Apr 2022 | 00:26:49 | |
Ray and Ariel discuss how to design encounters using round-by-round objectives. Players can often go through a combat on autopilot, just using their strongest attack every round, and not feeling engages. If the stakes of the combat change each round, players have to pay attention and think on their feet. Ray and Ariel provide a wide variety of ways to bring different objectives into combat, from using different kinds of enemies, to enemies that have exciting plans of their own, to wild and changing terrain that puts a wrench in your players' plans. Form Url: https://runningofftherails.com/kickstarter Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningofftherails/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/RunningOffRails YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClX4fN2Xdlw3H-9cZpqBikg | |||
| Gemstone Dice Giveaway | Kickstarter Announcement | 07 Apr 2022 | 00:13:13 | |
We are excited to announce that on Wednesday, April 13th at 11am EST, our first ever Kickstarter goes live. We are announcing this early so that our long-time listeners are prepared to take advantage of a limited number of discounted backer options. We created these explicitly as a way of saying thank you for taking this journey with us. If you would like a sample of the kickstarter, fill out the form on this website. Filling out the form will also enter you once into the URWizards Purple Cats Eye Gemstone Dice Giveaway. There will be up to 10 total opportunities to enter additional raffle tickets in your name though, so if you really want them, we recommend following our instagram for the most up to date information. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningofftherails/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/RunningOffRails YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClX4fN2Xdlw3H-9cZpqBikg | |||
| Bring 4th Edition Creature Roles To Your D&D Combat | 28 Mar 2022 | 00:48:29 | |
Ray and Ariel discuss 4th Edition Monster Roles and how they can be applied to make your 5th Edition Dungeons and Dragons combat encounters more exciting. If you have played games like Team Fortress 2, Overwatch, and League of Legends, you are acutely aware of how unit specialization can make a game. Leverage this expertise in your game of D&D to make your next combat one to remember. Roles Quick Reference: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningofftherails/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/RunningOffRails YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClX4fN2Xdlw3H-9cZpqBikg | |||
| Arcane | Lessons Learned From the Hit TV Series | 14 Mar 2022 | 00:36:11 | |
After watching Riot's hit new show Arcane, Ray and Ariel both wanted to recreate the epic drama they saw in their home games of D&D. In this episode, they answer the questions: Why were the character arcs and the drama of Arcane so engaging? And how exactly can we bring these to our tables? Ray and Ariel discuss how the simplicity and interconnectedness of the factions in Arcane can be replicated without starting a new campaign from scratch. And come up with ways the technological battles in Arcane can tie in to a more traditional D&D setting. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningofftherails/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/RunningOffRails YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClX4fN2Xdlw3H-9cZpqBikg | |||
| It's A Trap! Unrealistic Expectations Of High-Level Play And AD&D | 28 Feb 2022 | 00:29:21 | |
Ray and Ariel examine the explicit expectations of high-level characters in Advanced Dungeons and Dragons (D&D 2nd Edition). In D&D 2e, it is clearly stated that high-level characters are expected to manage forts, temples, and sanctuaries. The Druid even goes so far as to remove levels from characters that lose their positions in Druidic society. D&D 5e may have removed these explicit rules from the game to increase flexibility, but in doing so they are perhaps setting up DMs and Players for disappointment. High-level D&D still BEGS political and regional questions of high-level adventurers, but players and DMs don't always know what they are signing up for. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningofftherails/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/RunningOffRails YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClX4fN2Xdlw3H-9cZpqBikg | |||
| The Beastheart! | Divergent & Convergent Design | 14 Feb 2022 | 00:35:20 | |
Ray and Ariel discuss Convergent and Divergent design. When is each useful? Then Ray and Ariel apply these concepts to an analysis of MCDM's new Dungeons and Dragons class, the Beastheart. MCDM's Beastheart: https://shop.mcdmproductions.com/collections/beastheart-class-companions/products/beastheart-companions Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningofftherails/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/RunningOffRails YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClX4fN2Xdlw3H-9cZpqBikg | |||
| Unconsciousness | What To Do When Players Get Knocked Out | 31 Jan 2022 | 00:35:56 | |
Ray and Ariel respond to a question from a listener who asked what they can do to make combat more interesting for a player whose character is unconscious. They discuss all kinds of potential solutions, from incentivizing other players to heal downed characters, to wholesale changes to the rules of unconsciousness. Both mechanical changes and role play changes are on the table so that every gaming group can find a style of play that works best for them. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningofftherails/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/RunningOffRails YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClX4fN2Xdlw3H-9cZpqBikg | |||
| Progression and Rewards | Thinking About Leveling in D&D | 17 Jan 2022 | 00:36:36 | |
Ray and Ariel discuss how previous editions of dungeons and dragons made progression feel more earned, and how we can get use these lessons to improve our fifth edition games. There are three priorities Ray and Ariel outline when deciding how to level your party: 1) Player engagement, 2) Realism with narrative character development, and 3) Uniqueness of characters as they progress. They discuss strategies for each of these priorities and offer a campaign-shaping suggestion for a way to get a healthy dose of all three. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningofftherails/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/RunningOffRails YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClX4fN2Xdlw3H-9cZpqBikg | |||
| Problematic Skill Checks | Add Suspense To Your Skill Encounters | 03 Jan 2022 | 00:38:17 | |
Ray and Ariel discuss how some skill checks can feel anti-climactic. How can we make important Persuasion, Insight, and Investigation checks feel more suspenseful? How can we mitigate the risk of an important narrative moment going "all wrong" because of a single bad dice roll. How can we make intense political encounters feel like a combat with hits and misses rather than a single roll. Also Ray and JJ play chess for a magic item? All this and more on this week's episode of running off the rails. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningofftherails/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/RunningOffRails YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClX4fN2Xdlw3H-9cZpqBikg | |||
| Running off the Rails Year in Review | 27 Dec 2021 | 00:41:48 | |
Ray and Ariel do something a little different and look back on the past year of making this podcast together. They discuss some of the advice that has impacted their own games the most, the published materials they've been inspired by, and the future of the podcast going forward. If you enjoyed today's episode, please share us with a friend. You can support the show by following us on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningofftherails/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/RunningOffRails YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClX4fN2Xdlw3H-9cZpqBikg | |||
| Notoriety in D&D | Why One Piece is Better Than Gloomhaven | 03 Jan 2024 | 00:46:09 | |
Ray and Ariel discuss how to make your players feel like they are as infamous as Robin Hood or Geralt of Rivia in their own fantasy worlds. Unfortunately, these cherished characters from fiction are also infamous, and risk being chased out of any town they enter. So we need a system of notoriety for our games that still allow the PCs to walk through the world even after they've made some enemies. Ray and Ariel review two examples of Notoriety: the bounties from One Piece which create benchmarks for progress and comparison with other pirates, vs Reputation from Gloomhaven which is multidirectional but can actively erase progress. Through these examples, Ray and Ariel devise a framework that is both multidirectional and tracks consistent forward progress. Website: https://runningofftherails.com Emery's Physical Copy: https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/397328/Emerys-Log-of-Legendary-Eminences Emery’s Log of Legendary Eminences: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/runningofftherails/emerys-log-of-legendary-eminences Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningofftherails Twitter: https://twitter.com/RunningOffRails | |||
| DnDestiny | All Dungeon Masters Are Also Game Designers Featuring Good Game Kitty | 20 Dec 2021 | 00:33:36 | |
Ray is joined by the creator of DnDestiny, GoodGameKitty, to discuss how all DMs design and curate the game at their table. Kitty gives some pointers about how to bring your favorite mechanics and experiences from video games to your own table. The world of video game design has so many amazing resources; we should not ignore this source of research, design, play testing, and inspiration.
If you enjoyed today's episode, please share us with a friend. You can support the show by following us on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube: Twitter: https://twitter.com/RunningOffRails YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClX4fN2Xdlw3H-9cZpqBikg | |||
| Make Conditions Feel Dangerous In Your Game Of D&D | 13 Dec 2021 | 00:25:26 | |
Ray and Ariel talk about how to make conditions more exciting at your table. How can you present conditions to your players in ways that feel threatening and uncertain? How can you homebrew conditions at your table to make poisons, curses, and diseases "explorable?" Really highlight what is different about your setting by customizing the environmental dangers that are unique there. Website: https://runningofftherails.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/runningofftherails/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/RunningOffRails | |||