Making 2 dimensional characters is easy.  Pick your ability scores, feats, equipment etc. but what if you want or need to make a deeper character to role play?  How do you do it?  In this episode I give your character just a few questions to add depth

#pf2e #Pathfinder #gmtips #dmtips #dnd #rpg #characterdesign #backstory

Should you let your baby shoot you down in RPG games?  Do you allow pistols and rifles in your world with dragons and gnomes?  If your immediate reaction is no, why?  In this episode I discuss guns in fantasy worlds and offer a brief review of the new Paizo book Guns and Gears Remastered.

Disclosure:  I did receive a PDF copy of the book for free but that never taints my review and I give you an honest take on the quality and value of the book.

#pf2e #Pathfinder #gmtips #dmtips #dnd #rpg #gunsinfantasy #GunsandGears

Guns and Gears Remastered - https://paizo.com/products/btq05498

Do you ever struggle to create compelling adventures for your RPG group?  I know I have in the past until I embraced the simple tip:  “write what you know”.  But what does that even mean?  Tune in and find out.

#pf2e #Pathfinder #gmtips #dmtips #dnd #writingtips #writewhatyouknow

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

West Marches campaigns aren’t like your traditional 4 classes and dungeon game.  In this episode, we delve into the concept of these unique methods  of tabletop RPGand give you some tips for setting them up and running them.

#pf2e #Pathfinder #gmtips #dmtips #dnd #campaigns #westmarches

Ben Robbins - Grand Experiments:  West Marches - https://arsludi.lamemage.com/index.php/78/grand-experiments-west-marches/

Ben Robbins - Tips for West Marches Campaigns - https://arsludi.lamemage.com/index.php/94/west-marches-running-your-own/

Matthew Colville - Running the Game Episode 30 - https://youtu.be/oGAC-gBoX9k?si=8cSIAaj0o-V9uQLy

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

Running long campaigns requires a different focus than running short adventures or one shots.  Each has their own challenges but trying to run one the same way you run the other will lead to burnout or a disastrous disconnected adventure.  In this episode I discuss the difference between these two types of adventures and how GMs must change their tactics to maximize their chance to run a successful game.

#pf2e #Pathfinder #gmtips #dmtips #dnd #campaigns

Roll 4 Initiative - Digital or Physical? Best Ways to Take Notes in D&D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bJepWSFoxg

Roll 4 Initiative - GM Diary - Note Taking

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZIMf4r_PM8

Roll 4 Initiative - Note-Taking Tips for TTRPG Players

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhocTIb58hM

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

It can be hard to find a Dungeons and Dragons group to play with.  When you finally find one, it may be even harder to make the decision to leave the group.  Why should you leave a gaming group?  If you've made the decision, how do you leave your group and find another one?  Tune in this week to find out.

#Pathfinder #DungeonsandDragons #DnD #RPGs

www.taking20podcast.com

Game Masters, vampires are fascinating characters from both literary and RPG lore.  They are always powerful, beautiful, and mysterious, right?  Not so fast, my friends.  In today's episode we talk about some of the vampire myths, people from history who inspired them, and discuss how vampires can be used in your Dungeons and Dragons and Pathfinder games.

#DungeonsandDragons #Pathfinder #Dnd #Vampires

We DMs tend to be quick to tell players to grab their dice during our game sessions but should we?  Before having your players make yet another roll this game session, there are some things to ask yourself.  In this episode, Jeremy discusses the times when die rolls don't make sense and takes a moment to praise another content provider:  Ginny Di who produced a similar episode previously.

#DungeonsandDragons #DnD #Pathfinder #RPG

Ginny Di's video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UgDff35jtHw&t=152s

Running games for younger players has some similarities to running games for adults but there are some key differences that we all must be mindful of.  In this episode I interview Paul Lazrow of AdventuringPortal.com who is a professional DM for younger players.  We discuss the changes you should and should not make while running a game for children, the use of RPGs in education, and how children approach problems differently than adults.

#DnD #DungeonsandDragons #Pathfinder #AdventurePortal

Players, do you get disheartened when your character fails their acrobatics check and slips off the ice into the freezing river?  DMs, do you worry that your PCs may not be able to make it past a point in your adventure because they could fail the skill check, ability roll, or saving throw?  In this episode, we talk about both situations and describe the design concept of failing forward when it comes to adventures.

Earthfall on Golarion, much like the Cataclysm on Krynn, set the stage for the world that was to come for both good and for ill.  At first glance this appears to be just another massive comet strike but there is so much more going on behind the scenes.

Tune in to learn more about this world-shaping event.

#Pathfinder #Golarion #EarthFall

Sometimes the hardest monster to defeat in RPGs is the calendar.  It’s hard to schedule games when the real world gets in the way.  In this episode I give you some tips and some decisions you can make ahead of time to make it more likely that you’ll get to the gaming table

#pf2e #Pathfinder #gmtips #dmtips #dnd #scheduling

Reddit post from 2018 from /u/iamnotasloth:  https://www.reddit.com/r/rpg/comments/b1h1f2/how_to_fit_rpgs_into_your_schedule_as_an_adult/

Morris’ Unofficial Tabletop RPG Talk, episode #273

https://morrus.podbean.com/e/273-the-lostigistics-of-organizing-an-rpg-game/

This week I get to answer some of the questions sent in to me by listeners, from how to work with players who can't game as long as others to the Kender controversy to what my favorite dessert is.

You don't have to wait for mailbag episodes if you have questions.  Find me on social media @Taking20Podcast or send them to feedback@taking20podcast.com

#AskADM #DungeonsandDragons #Pathfinder #DnD

There are relatively few people who thrive on interpersonal conflict and most people shy away from it in the real world.  But what about in your game or at your gaming table?  In this episode, I discuss how to handle arguments between characters, between characters and NPCs, between players and finally between players and GMs.

#DMTips #DnD #Pathfinder #DungeonsandDragons #Dungeons #Dragons

In this episode suggested by Daniel during a donation to ko-fi.com/taking20podcast, I talk about the good, bad, and ugly of allowing your players to harvest their kills and the situations you want to try to avoid if you allow it.  Also, I muttered a lot in this episode and will be going to sit in the sunshine after this to improve my mood.

#DnD #Pathfinder #DungeonsandDragons

We've all been there.  We put together this little adventure of daring adventurers doing amazing things to save those that need saving.  Our bad guys are clever, the twist is unexpected and you've worked hours to make sure everything is balanced...and come game night, your players can't even be arsed to learn the quest giver's name or why clearing out the ankhegs is even important.

In this episode, I discuss the difficulty of getting players to care, some techniques to make it easier, and close the episode wtih a little fireside chat with the players on the topic.

#DnD #RPG #DungeonsandDragons #Pathfinder

By nature of any role playing game where dice are involved, death is a real possibility.  There is a huge difference, however, between one of your PCs dying and all of them.  In this episode I talk about how TPKs happen and what GMs can do before, during, and after the TPK to keep the campaign going using lessons learned from my TPK experiences in the past.

This episode idea comes courtesy of Lauren in California!

Character Downtime is mishandled by too many DMs.  They look at it as time the characters could better spend stabbing things in the face and discovering the Lost Place Settings of Korrak.  I think downtime has a place in nearly any adventure.  In this episode, I discuss why downtime is important and what activities can fill this time that still drives your story forward.

If you'll pardon the phrase, this week Jeremy gushes over an event from the Dragonlance campaign world, Krynn:  the Cataclysm.  This world-altering event was born from the pride of one man:  the Kingpriest who developed a twisted sense of the nature of good, believed the end justified the means, and made demands of the world's gods who responded with fire followed by silence.  Jeremy discusses this destruction, the events leading up to it, and the tragedy that followed.  Finally, he gives a brief tips on how to think about cataclysms and disasters in your world.

I was introduced to some of the wonderful members of the Venture Forth podcast a couple of months ago and I was taken aback by the quality of the podcast they produce and the extremely high quality role playing they consistently perform.  I knew I had to interview one of the cast members and Shane O'Loughlin was gracious enough to give me some time to talk about Venture Forth and conflict in a game world.

I think you will find their podcast is a master class on staying in character and good role playing.  Check them out at: Youtube:  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNl1hOaZiXruwLE8Ct1NNNA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ventureforthdnd/?hl=en Twitter: https://twitter.com/ventureforthdnd Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ventureforthdnd

Listen to their audio-only podcast on: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/venture-forth-a-d-d-podcast/id1554397630 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6kQvkZd5XwbaYSJzoYvxbS

#ventureforthdnd #rpg #DungeonsandDragons #DnD

At last we wrap up the class series with the Sorcerer and the Wizard.  We're finally talking about some of those arcane spellcasters who can wield SUPREME COSMIC POWER with a tiny amount of hit points.  How should you arrange their ability scores?  What feats should you take?  Come on in and find out.

Note:  There is an error in this episode in the Pathfinder 1e section.  Strength should be your lowest ability score.  I didn't notice the error until after the episode was published.  Sorry about that.

Today's episode comes to us from listener Brett.  Thank you for the topic suggestion! If there is Good and Evil in your world, why does Good allow Evil to remain?  Why wouldn't the forces of Good do whatever they had to in order to crush the forces of Evil?  Also, if Evil exists in the world, where would it be? If you have an idea for a topic, send it to me at feedback@taking20podcast.com.

Villains can be simple and driven by basic desires like power or money but I believe villains are better when they have understandable motivations and backstory.  In this episode I talk about some examples of villains and why they became what they are.

#pf2e #Pathfinder #gmtips #dmtips #dnd #villains

They say a lie makes it around the world before the truth has time to get its shoes on.  Whether true or false, rumors make your game worlds feel real, lived in, alive. In this episode, we discuss the types of rumors you can include in your Dungeons and Dragons or other RPG game, tips and tricks for their use, and one situation to avoid when giving your PCs rumors. By the way, Lori works in the castle and she told me that the royal family keeps prisoners in their forest lodge and releases them to hunt them for sport.  Sounds like we could save some people and piss off the king at the same time.  You in?

Another episode continuing the lore series, this time focusing on one of my favorite Big Bads:  Strahd von Zarovich.  Treating him as just another vampire does this amazing villain a disservice.  He is complex, has a rich backstory, amazing powers, and can serve as a great antagonist to the PCs, whether in Barovia or your custom home game. If you're interested in supporting the podcast, please consider donating at ko-fi.com/taking20podcast.

In this burboun-soaked episode, Jeremy discusses the different types of quests available, some of the variations on the themes, how to modify them by adding complications, and finally provides some tips and tricks for good quest design.