Questions answered. How do you get players to roleplay? How should DMs handle the "evil" races? How do you know your big bad fight will be good? How do you avoid frustration when players miss something you worked hard on?

Questions answered. How do you get players to roleplay? How should DMs handle the "evil" races? How do you know your big bad fight will be good? How do you avoid frustration when players miss something you worked hard on?

S09 E10: Mailbag #18

Gary Gygax

"The father of role-playing games," Gary Gygax's, story. A tumultuous tale of obsession, backstabbing, and betrayal, that, in the end, defined him as the creator of the beloved game Dungeons and Dragons.

"The father of role-playing games," Gary Gygax's, story. A tumultuous tale of obsession, backstabbing, and betrayal, that, in the end, defined him as the creator of the beloved game Dungeons and Dragons.

S09 E09: Gary Gygax

What do you do if violence is the only solution your players present to your problems? If you feel your players are constantly ruining your game with their murderous antics, how can you fix that? And did you actually throw the first stone?

What do you do if violence is the only solution your players present to your problems? If you feel your players are constantly ruining your game with their murderous antics, how can you fix that? And did you actually throw the first stone?

S09 E08: Avoiding "Murder Hobos"

For the past year, I have been DMing a three season live play show on the Frogpants Network—There Will Be Dungeons: Delvers. This episode is a peek behind the curtain to talk about the production goals of that show and how it was run. It's also a tale of corporative storytelling and the importance of music.

For the past year, I have been DMing a three season live play show on the Frogpants Network—There Will Be Dungeons: Delvers. This episode is a peek behind the curtain to talk about the production goals of that show and how it was run. It's also a tale of corporative storytelling and the importance of music.

S09 E07: Delvers Postmortem

There are many magical damage types: poison, acid, fire, cold, radiant, necrotic, lightning, thunder, force, and psychic. They all follow the rules of damage, but different monsters host different interactions. Use these elements to design interesting combat encounters and even entire dungeons.

There are many magical damage types: poison, acid, fire, cold, radiant, necrotic, lightning, thunder, force, and psychic. They all follow the rules of damage, but different monsters host different interactions. Use these elements to design interesting combat encounters and even entire dungeons.

S09 E06: The Elements and Damage Types

Three big questions with three big answers. How can you make puzzles make sense? While things may not be realistic all the time, here are several tricks to get a puzzle working in your world. Kyle also tackles how to end a campaign and how to home flavor an undead dragon for your big bad ending.

Three big questions with three big answers. How can you make puzzles make sense? While things may not be realistic all the time, here are several tricks to get a puzzle working in your world. Kyle also tackles how to end a campaign and how to home flavor an undead dragon for your big bad ending.

S09 E05: Mailbag #17

Puzzles are not content unless they are interactive. Riddles, codes, logic, and grid puzzles can all be crafted to create a cooperative challenge. This episode includes famous puzzles such as One Tells the Truth One Lies and the Ravensborg's Guild.

Puzzles are not content unless they are interactive. Riddles, codes, logic, and grid puzzles can all be crafted to create a cooperative challenge. This episode includes famous puzzles such as One Tells the Truth One Lies and the Ravensborg's Guild.

S09 E04: Riddles and Logic Puzzles

Rules for player weapons continued. Player weapons are divided into three types: bludgeoning, slashing, and piercing. These damage types can play into features on your monsters, particularly their defenses—resistances , vulnerabilities, and immunities. To use these effectively as part of the combat monster puzzles, we must first understand their mechanical meaning.

Rules for player weapons continued. Player weapons are divided into three types: bludgeoning, slashing, and piercing. These damage types can play into features on your monsters, particularly their defenses—resistances , vulnerabilities, and immunities. To use these effectively as part of the combat monster puzzles, we must first understand their mechanical meaning.

S09 E03: Weapons, Resistances, Vulnerabilities, and Immunities

A DM must know what the players know. Weapon properties, two-weapon fighting, and finesse can all be quite confusing if not overwhelming. This episode goes over the simple and martial proficiencies, where proficiencies come from, and how your players got them. Understanding these will allow you to give proper loot, make better custom monsters, and help steer your players toward optimization so you can run more difficult encounters.

A DM must know what the players know. Weapon properties, two-weapon fighting, and finesse can all be quite confusing if not overwhelming. This episode goes over the simple and martial proficiencies, where proficiencies come from, and how your players got them. Understanding these will allow you to give proper loot, make better custom monsters, and help steer your players toward optimization so you can run more difficult encounters.

S09 E02: Weapon Properties

How to read a character sheet as told through a goblin adventure. The age of digital D&amp;D player preparations have left DMs ill-prepared for teaching players. Here, Kyle discusses not only how to teach players to read their characters but also what the DM should know to look for when starting a session.

How to read a character sheet as told through a goblin adventure. The age of digital D&amp;D player preparations have left DMs ill-prepared for teaching players. Here, Kyle discusses not only how to teach players to read their characters but also what the DM should know to look for when starting a session.

S09 E01: Character Sheet Tour

Inspiration for DMs and those who want to become DMs in the world of D&amp;D and beyond.

As a new DM. This is the information I was looking for. The breakdowns of the mechanics of engaging story creation is great. I realized that I had fallen into some common traps of the overly ambitious new DM. But most importantly, I have easy solutions to escape those traps thanks to the show. For the first time in my short rime behind the screen, I am feeling less overwhelmed and more confident. The benefits of listening are compounded. Clear concise and informative!

Exactly what I needed!

Anything he touches is gold... including my heart. 
&lt;3 DeadCenter

Love Kyle

DM Gives Inspiration

Kyle discusses loot—when to give it, what to drop, and how to not totally break your game.

Kyle discusses loot—when to give it, what to drop, and how to not totally break your game.

S02 E04: Loot

Season 4 of DM Gives Inspiration kicks off with a blast as Kyle explains time travel in D&amp;D. Learn how to take on the past, the near future, and the future. Hint: destruction is much easier than creation.

Season 4 of DM Gives Inspiration kicks off with a blast as Kyle explains time travel in D&amp;D. Learn how to take on the past, the near future, and the future. Hint: destruction is much easier than creation.

S04 E01: Time Travel

Kyle provides insight on what to do on your first adventure as a DM.

Kyle provides insight on what to do on your first adventure as a DM.

Episode #03: Puzzles and Getting Started

Ranger, fighters, barbarians, bards, and rogues. Kyle discusses leaving room in your campaign for player classes to shine by feeling unique. Just remember to watch out for those bards and rogues.

Ranger, fighters, barbarians, bards, and rogues. Kyle discusses leaving room in your campaign for player classes to shine by feeling unique. Just remember to watch out for those bards and rogues.

S03 E08: Playing into Classes

Kyle describes how to tell stories through NPCs.

Kyle describes how to tell stories through NPCs.

S03 E01: NPC Storytelling

Kyle explains how to gather information for your campaign during player character creation and use it to set the tone for your table.

Kyle explains how to gather information for your campaign during player character creation and use it to set the tone for your table.

S03 E04: Hosting Character Creation

Kyle discusses the reality of home games and drawing inspiration from things you love.

Kyle discusses the reality of home games and drawing inspiration from things you love.

S03 E07: The Truth About Campaigns

Kyle explains how to take a quest from The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and use it in your own game.

Kyle explains how to take a quest from The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and use it in your own game.

Episode #05: Steal This Quest - The Oxenfurt Drunk

Kyle talks spells—how to read them, how to help your players read them, and how to add just the right flavor.

Kyle talks spells—how to read them, how to help your players read them, and how to add just the right flavor.

S02 E09: Player Spells

Kyle goes over how to run a first campaign and how to do so digitally.

Kyle goes over how to run a first campaign and how to do so digitally.

Episode #09: First Games and Playing Digitally

Kyle explains the bare minimum you need to start your own D&amp;D campaign.

Kyle explains the bare minimum you need to start your own D&amp;D campaign.

Episode #04: Materials to Get Started

Clerics, druids, paladins, sorcerers, warlocks, and wizards. Kyle continues the discussion about leaving room in your campaign for player classes to shine by feeling unique. Just remember to keep your closet stocked and your decorative skulls handy.

Clerics, druids, paladins, sorcerers, warlocks, and wizards. Kyle continues the discussion about leaving room in your campaign for player classes to shine by feeling unique. Just remember to keep your closet stocked and your decorative skulls handy.

S03 E09: Playing into Classes - Part 2

Kyle explains how to build better maps for your campaign.

Kyle explains how to build better maps for your campaign.

Episode #07: Better Maps

Kyle goes over travel in an RPG setting and how to make it more fun and more meaningful.

Kyle goes over travel in an RPG setting and how to make it more fun and more meaningful.

S02 E01: Travel

When alignment doesn't matter, it's up to you as the DM to create a compelling balance in the world through villains.

When alignment doesn't matter, it's up to you as the DM to create a compelling balance in the world through villains.

S03 E06: Villains and Alignment

Kyle answers questions about role playing, accents, and designing level-appropriate encounters.

Kyle answers questions about role playing, accents, and designing level-appropriate encounters.

Episode #06: Mailbag #01

Kyle answers questions about downtime, taking 10, something always happening, calculating time, organizing ideas, and tracking ability checks.

Kyle answers questions about downtime, taking 10, something always happening, calculating time, organizing ideas, and tracking ability checks.

Episode #10: Mailbag #02

In this mailbag, Kyle discusses creating custom abilities, how to match the work you put into your campaign to how much planning time you actually have, kid-friendly campaign ideas, and more.

In this mailbag, Kyle discusses creating custom abilities, how to match the work you put into your campaign to how much planning time you actually have, kid-friendly campaign ideas, and more.

S03 E05: Mailbag #05

Kyle breaks down how to build your first encounter and how to extract strategy from stat blocks.

Kyle breaks down how to build your first encounter and how to extract strategy from stat blocks.

S02 E03: Encounters and Stat Blocks

Kyle goes over how to build a living, breathing dungeon.

Kyle goes over how to build a living, breathing dungeon.

S02 E08: Living Dungeons

The best podcast episodes of the most interesting stories and things. From skyping someone while they're in space, to tracking down and meeting a telephone scammer in person, to the story of a Galapagos. These episodes will keep you and all your friends entertained and captivated for hours. Learn something new in every episode! Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!

Best Episodes: Interesting Stories & Things

The best podcast episodes about true crime. For any thrill seeking podcast listeners who just can't get enough of the captivating stories of murderers and criminals. This topic has all the best episodes from many different true crime podcasts.  Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!