Taking 20 Podcast

Let’s dive into the "hard debuffs" that threaten to end your players' fun—and their characters—in a single roll. From paralysis and petrification to mind-controlling charm spells, we discuss the fine balance between...

In this episode, we explore the pros and cons of letting players swap characters in the middle of a campaign. We discuss exit strategies, player motivations, and how DMs can facilitate this change with minimal loss to...

<p>Game night being derailed by players poor attitudes, unsure actions, and unreliability? Don’t be that player. In this episode I talk about the social contract of tabletop RPGs and what YOU can do to support your DM...

<p>Is your long-running RPG group stuck in a rut, playing the same game system year after year? In this episode, we tackle the toughest quest in tabletop gaming: convincing your friends to try something new. I’ll talk...

<p>Let’s look at Golems! Mindless, magically-constructed automatons that are the ultimate guardians. We break down the classic types—Flesh, Clay, Stone, and Iron and give some essential DM tips for deploying these...

<p>Want to make your characters better? Consider adding flaws to your character. What kinds of flaws are there and how do you add them in a way that’s not disruptive to the game? Give this episode a listen and find...

<p>Want to make your characters better? Consider adding flaws to your character. What kinds of flaws are there and how do you add them in a way that’s not disruptive to the game? Give this episode a listen and find...

<p>NOTE: My apologies for the audio quality. The entire recording/audio processing chain was rushed this week.</p> <p> </p> <p>Is your TTRPG campaign falling apart after only a few sessions? The problem might be that...

<p>In this episode we continue the “setting expectations” series, hopefully helping to stop mismatched expectations from derailing your TTRPG campaign! GMs, this episode is packed with practical advice for designing and...

<p>Ready to start your TTRPG campaign in some way besides a boring tavern? Episode 270 is here to help! We dive deep into the real purpose of a campaign's beginning and explore three powerful ways to unite your party...

<p>Do your descriptions fall flat? Are your characters, locations, and NPCs just static items in time that never change? In this episode I’ll give players some tips for changing their character descriptions and for GMs...

<p>Is your campaign's "big bad" just evil, or is there a hero beneath the monster? This episode dives into the age-old debate for Dungeon Masters: how important is a sympathetic backstory for a villain, and whether you...

Description <p>Today we dive into the age-old debate that divides Dungeon Masters: When do you negate a powerful spell or maneuver? We explore the thin line between creating epic tension and causing frustration. Tune in...

<p>Running a high-level character (Level 11+) is a different animal altogether. Forget easy skirmishes and simple ability checks—you're now facing world-breaking threats. In this episode I’ll give you some tips for...

<p>Running high-level TTRPGs (level 11+) are different animals! In this episode I break down essential GM tips for these epic campaigns. Plus, I’ll give you some advice on how you need to change your prep to run a...