Some DMs treat new character abilities as puzzles to solve or speedbumps on the path to kill the PCs.  As characters level up, they will get all kinds of abilities, some of which are carefully selected and crafted by the players.  In this episode, I give DMs some practical advice for embracing these new character abilities.

Resources:

None

within the game.  The way we describe encounters, how we interact with our players, and whether or not to offer advice can make a game session fun and engaging, combative, miserable, or boring.  In this episode I offer some tips for choosing your words carefully while running a game and helping to ensure players get the information they need without losing agency over their characters.

Resources:

20 Tips for Becoming a Better DM:  https://www.trichotome-design.com/blog/2017/4/29/20-tips-for-becoming-a-better-dm-lessons-learned-at-the-table

A listener wrote in asking for more details about dragons and I’m happy to oblige.  They are complex creatures that have a lot of abilities and long lifespans for good reason.  In this episode I talk about more draconic features and briefly review the Pathfinder 2e Monster Core Rulebook recently released by Paizo

Resources:

Archives of Nethys - https://2e.aonprd.com/ 

Pathfinder 2e Monster Core Rulebook - https://paizo.com/products/btq02ej4 

Remaster Previews - Diabolic Dragon - https://paizo.com/community/blog/v5748dyo6sial 

Remaster Previews - Mirage Dragon - https://paizo.com/community/blog/v5748dyo6siax 

Remaster Previews - Fortune Dragon - https://paizo.com/community/blog/v5748dyo6sii7 

Remaster Previews - Conspirator Dragon - https://paizo.com/community/blog/v5748dyo6sihv 

Remaster Previews - Adamantine Dragon - https://paizo.com/community/blog/v5748dyo6sihh 

Remaster Previews - Horned Dragon - https://paizo.com/community/blog/v5748dyo6siio 

Remaster Previews - Empyreal Dragon - https://paizo.com/community/blog/v5748dyo6sij4 

Cowbell and cow sound effects courtesy of Pixabay

Some groups keep combat conversations barebones, only allowing brief phrases to be exchanged during combat.  In this episode, I’ll give some pros and cons about allowing players to talk during combat and provide some tips for DMs who are unsure whether they’d allow this.

#dmtips #gmtips #dnd #pf2e

Resources:

https://www.reddit.com/r/DnD/comments/13f4yva/dms_do_you_allow_your_players_to_talk_to_each/

https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/dungeons-dragons-discussion/dungeon-masters-only/90847-combat-in-game-talking

https://www.reddit.com/r/DMAcademy/comments/112v0nf/do_you_let_your_players_discuss_tactics_in_combat/

Some players want a hard game.  They’ve been there, done that and got the scars to prove it.  They want something more difficult and more punishing.  In this episode I float some ideas on how you can give your game some teeth and make it a little or a lot more difficult for your PCs.

#dmtips #gmtips #dnd #5e #pf2e #GameDifficulty

Sometimes you as the DM want to make the game a little easier for the players.  Maybe the players are new or just want a game where they feel like gods among men.  There are a myriad of ways to make a game easier.  In this episode, I discuss a few of them.

#dmtips #gmtips #houserules #dnd5e #pf2e

Player Agency describes the power of players to make choices for their characters.  There is an unspoken social contract around every RPG table that the DM won’t take these choices away and players won’t use these choices to ruin the fun of the DM.  In this episode, I talk about how critical it is that both sides of the screen respect the agency of others.

#dmtips #gmtips #dnd #5e #pf2e #playeragency

Resources:

https://techraptor.net/originals/playing-roles-psychology-of-player-agency

https://medium.com/@camauger/the-power-of-choice-player-agency-in-tabletop-role-playing-games-446e0be16428

In this episode I talk about ways you can make your characters and NPCs distinct from one another.  I do encourage you to try to use an accent, even if you don't feel comfortable doing it.  However, there are other ways to make them distinct:  with language descriptors and body language.

#dmtips #gmtips #dnd #pf2e #NPC

Resources:

5 Ways to Make NPC Dialogue Better With No Accent https://youtu.be/hvGEltoAgg4?si=Gh2gr5ZyYBChOcUP 

Gaming sessions can vary widely in length but running very short gaming sessions (less than 2 hours or so) and very long gaming sessions (ones stretching 6 hours or more) require different mindsets from the DM.  In this episode, I discuss the challenges and tips of each duration.

#dmtips #gmtips #dnd #pf2e #5e #gamingsessions

Some players and DMs love campaigns that take years to complete with multiple complex situations being resolved and a grand universal threat eliminated.  But some like quick-hitting campaigns, smaller scale and quicker resolutions.  Which is better?  How do you run long and short campaigns?  Tune in to find out.

#dmtips #gmtips #RPGcampaign #dnd #pf2e

Resources:

How to Be a Great GM:  Plan an Unforgettable Short RPG Campaign - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGpcF-EOpe0

Worlds Longest D&D Game - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJ-ehbVQYxI