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A podcast for tabletop RPG dungeon masters and players.
Episodes
Thursday May 28, 2020
Thursday May 28, 2020
Do you know the difference between the acrobatics and athletics skills? What about survival and nature? How about bluff and diplomacy? In this episode of becomingDM, John and Felicia talk about skills that may give DMs some trouble when trying to determine what's best to use in a given situation. They will go over the nuances that make the skills different and make suggestions on when to use which one. Additionally they talk through some skills that are misinterpreted and make suggestions on changing and adding other skills to work for your game.
If you've got a comment on this episode or an idea for a future episode, we'd love to hear from you! Just reach out in one of the following ways:
Facebook: https://facebook.com/becomingDM
Twitter: https://twitter.com/becomingDM
Thursday May 14, 2020
Thursday May 14, 2020
Combat and exploration is a big part of running a tabletop role playing game, so carefully considering how you set the scene for those situations can determine how invested your players are in the game. In this episode of becomingDM, John and Felicia talk about the four main options for setting the scene in your game as well as the pros and cons of using each. Whether it's theater of the mind, using a wet erase grid map, dungeon tiles or a digital option there is no wrong choice as long as you take a moment to determine what the best option is for your game.
Do you have a way to set the scene that we've missed? We would love to hear about it! Make sure to contact us by going to one of the following locations:
Facebook: https://facebook.com/becomingDM
Twitter: https://twitter.com/becomingDM
Thursday Apr 30, 2020
Thursday Apr 30, 2020
Whether you're running a game of political intrigue or an epic hack n slash campaign, sometimes traveling between points A and B can fall a bit flat. Sure, everyone wants to keep the story going, but sometimes having the story broken up by unexpected trips during travel can make the game that enjoyable.
In this episode of becomingDM, John and Felicia discuss ways to make your travel more than just, "you travel for a week and make it to your destination." Whether it's by seeding in additional combat, potential story hooks, side quests, or even bizarre occurences that don't have anything to do with your main story line, implementing travel stories can keep your players on their toes and make for an enjoyable gaming experience.
We always want to hear from you! Let us know if you have ideas for future episodes or just want to comment on this one. Reach out to us via one of the following methods:
Facebook: https://facebook.com/becomingDM
Twitter: https://twitter.com/becomingDM
Thursday Apr 16, 2020
Thursday Apr 16, 2020
You've been waiting for years and you feel like the day is finally here. Your kids have gotten old enough to actually play in your favorite tabletop role playing game! But wait, how do you make sure that their first experience keeps them wanting to come back for more?
This week on becomingDM, John and Felicia talk about things to be aware of and plan for when running games for kids. Whether it's being aware of what subject matter is appropriate, or determining whether or not to simplify the character creation process we've got some great tips for you, many of which were learned from John's experience running games for both of his kids.
We'd love to hear what you think of the show! If you have any questions or suggestions for future episodes, please reach out to us and let us know! You can get ahold of us in one of the following ways:
Facebook: https://facebook.com/becomingDM/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/becomingDM
Thursday Apr 02, 2020
Thursday Apr 02, 2020
With all of the news about COVID-19 going around, it's easy to understand why so many in person games may have been cancelled in order to stay in line with social distancing and stay at home orders. But don't fret! You don't have to push the pause button on your campaign! In this episode, we cover moving your game to an online virtual tabletop and running the game with remote players. John and Felicia will cover everything including what to consider when choosing a virtual tabletop system to preparing your users and increasing engagement in a virtual environment. Join us and help keep your game on track!
If you would like to contact us with questions or have an idea for a future episode, please reach out via one of the following methods:
Facebook: https://facebook.com/becomingDM
Twitter: https://twitter.com/becomingDM
Thursday Mar 19, 2020
Thursday Mar 19, 2020
We're starting a new "every so often" series here at becomingDM called "My Favorite Monster" where Felicia and John discuss some of their favorite monsters to throw against players at their tables. Each new episode in the series will cover new monsters, talk about some specific traits that are important for them and how they like to use them in their campaign. So join us for the first episode! In this episode we talk about Stirges, Owlbears, Wraiths, and Shadows. Don't let the lower CRs on some of these monsters fool you, if used correctly they can still be a challenge for more experienced players.
Got a monster that you would like to hear our take on? Reach out and let us know in one of the following ways:
Facebook: https://facebook.com/becomingDM
Twitter: https://twitter.com/becomingDM
Thursday Mar 05, 2020
Thursday Mar 05, 2020
Puzzles can be a great addition to you game to get players more involved, unless they aren't. In this episode of becomingDM, John and Felicia talk about a number of things to consider when integrating puzzles into your tabletop role playing game. They will cover determining whether or not your players will even enjoy having puzzles in the game, different types of puzzles (including riddles and others) and key tips on how to integrate them in a session.
We want to know about puzzles you've used in your games! Reach out and let us know and we would love to talk about it in our next episode. You can contact us via one of the following:
Facebook: https://facebook.com/becomingDM
Twitter: https://twitter.com/becomingDM
Thursday Feb 20, 2020
Thursday Feb 20, 2020
Whether you are just starting out running games or you've been a DM for a quarter century there are probably skills that you could identify that you feel are important for running a quality game. Is it the ability to smile during adversity? Or maybe being able to fold origami swans that you can throw at your players. Whatever it is, hopefully there is some overlap with what you and your players think are key skills.
In this episode of becomingDM, Johna and Felicia discuss their top six skills for running a tabletop role playing game. Join us as they delve into those skills and give examples of how to use them and where they might be helpful. And we'd love to hear what skills you think are important for DMs Message us through one of the methods below and we will read out your suggestions on the midroll in a future episode!
Facebook: https://facebook.com/becomingDM
Twitter: https://twitter.com/becomingDM
Thursday Feb 06, 2020
Thursday Feb 06, 2020
Even though role playing games are times when people come together to create a story together, sometimes it's not all harmony. Some players actively destroy the balance of harmony and can make games take significantly longer, upset other players, and in the worst cases completely torpedo the game. This week, John and Felicia talk about how to work and deal with problem players at your table. Whether you're encountering the chronic metagamer, rules lawyers, flakers, or classic troublemakers we'll delve into why these behaviors sometimes happen and how to deal with them in ways that hopefully everyone is satisfied. Join us as we discuss conflict resolution strategies to deal with each of these types of problem players and more.
We always want to know what you would like to hear more about. Please contact us through one of the methods below and let us know what you'd like a future episode topic to cover!
Facebook: https://facebook.com/becomingDM
Twitter: https://twitter.com/becomingDM
Thursday Jan 23, 2020
Thursday Jan 23, 2020
It's the last episode of the build your own series! When it comes to building out a campaign, building a nemesis can be a big undertaking. In addition to determining whether your characters will end up choosing their own nemesis because of their own actions, you have to concern yourself with a big personality, back story, and even potentially build out a full character. Join us in this episode as John and Felicia cover this information and more. Whether you're build a nemesis that is evil incarnate or just someone who one-ups your players at every corner, there's a lot of fun to be had with introducing a nemesis to the game.
As this is the last episode of the build your own series, we want to know what you would like to hear about next! We're always open to ideas, just reach out via one of the following ways:
Facebook: https://facebook.com/becomingDM
Twitter: https://twitter.com/becomingDM