Episode 158 – Dark Souls (a.k.a. You Wake Up By A Bonfire)
So it is, ash seeketh embers… this time the lads are joined by Mat Hart and Rich August from Steamforged Games to talk about the Dark Souls RPG, and go deep diving into game design theory.
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Episode 124 – Negotiating D&D
(aka “Nicole, please don’t @ me”)
There’s more than one way round a problem, and this week the gents are joined by Dmitry Grozoubinski – an expert in negotiation and trade – to discuss how GMs and players can negotiate a session. The role of NPCs in a session, giving players what they want, the role of streaming games and the wealth of players on Reddit are discussed, among many interesting topics.
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Episode 110 – Jeremy Crawford Interview
(a.k.a Illusionary Dragons)
Lead Rules Designer for D&D, mind behind Sage Advice and Unearthed Arcana, and all round man on the scene for all D&D books, the lads were delighted to have Jeremy Crawford on for an interview. An insight into his daily work, lots of detail on the upcoming Eberron release, and much more, including advice for new DMs and some hints on the future of D&D.
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Episode 106 – Versions and Editions
(a.k.a. d4 Damage for the Ill Behaviour)
Don’t remember the Edition Wars do you junior? Well, pull a stool, buy a tankard of ale and let the old timers tell you all about it… This week the lads go into new editions, versions and reboots. With special guest Mat Hart from Steamforged Games, the guys talk about why new editions come about, if they really change anything and if not, why not?
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Episode 95 – Dungeon Master’s Guide – Part Two
(a.k.a. A Thinking DMs Book)
With a surfeit of D&D designer guests and other goodness, the lads round off their current D&D coverage with a walkthrough of the second half of the DMG. What old favourites still languish in the book, and what exciting new gems? How has the last few years of gaming and writing thereof influenced this tome? When D&D 6 comes out – will we even still have a DMG? All this and more is discussed in this week’s bumper episode.
Continue reading Dungeon Master’s Guide – Part Two
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Episode 94 – Kate Welch Interview
(a.k.a. Stat Blocks and Vegetables)
Bask in the mellifluous tones of D&D game designer Kate Welch, talking to the lads about what it’s like to work at Wizards of the Coast. After one year on the job, Kate describes her start at Wizards, thoughts that go into design, user experience and bringing skills from the video game industry, standing up and shouting with joy in meetings about vampires and what’s so good about the Monk class anyway? Plus! Much, much more…
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Episode 92 – Mike Mearls Interview
(a.k.a. Hit Dice are the new Healing Surge)
Rare treat this week dear listeners, the lads interview Mr D&D himself right now, Mike Mearls. We cover current projects, what it was like taking over the helm, design choices and some nitty gritty details and listener questions, among many other things. Very insightful, and a charming guest, we look forward to inviting Mike back in the near future to answer more gems such as “What the hell is a hit point?” and “Why do you hate Warlords so much?”.
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Bonus Episode – Rolling Up A DMG Scenario
(a.k.a. Stop Moaning and Roll Your Dice)
Hot on the heels of our Dungeon Master’s Guide overview (part one), the lads have done a bonus episode rolling on the tables in the DMG and coming up with some ideas for a scenario. If you’ve got a copy of the book handy, then play along as they come up with table entries and what they might mean.
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Episode 91 – Dungeon Master’s Guide – Part One
(a.k.a. Generic Cleric)
Arguably one of the most overlooked, under-read RPG books of recent years, the Dungeon Master’s Guide has lots of interesting parts and deserves a more thorough look. Gaz and Baz take a wander through the first few chapters of this D&D staple and offer insights on the pages found therein! New DMs or old hands alike could gain something from delving into a staple of the RPG library.
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Episode 83 – Designing Scenarios
Scenarios are what it’s all about! Thanks to glorious supporters on Patreon, The Smart Party have pumped out a couple of adventures – one whimsical from Baz and another more gritty from Gaz. This week the lads chat about the process of designing their own scenarios and some of the tips and tricks they’ve learned from their own writing and reading (and playing) other peoples’. Struggle to write your own stuff? Wonder what goes on behind the scenes? This podcast is for you!
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