becomingDM

SQ2:5E Optinal Rules for Flanking

In this becomingDM Side Quest, John delves into optional rules for D&D 5e and talks about flanking.  One of the standard rules that was left out from older versions of D&D and even pathfinder was how to handle when the party (or enemy) flanks their opponent.  Check out this episode to see how the optional rule resolves that.

Ep83: DM Screens

The age old question of whether you, as a DM, should use as a DM screen.  What are the benefits?  What are the drawbacks?  What are some neat cool things you can do with them?  In this episode of becomingDM we dive into the topic of DM screens with two different viewpoints: Danielle who is a staunch advocate of DM screens and John who has never used one in four decades of running games!  Will John be convinced to start using DM screens?  Join us to find out!

We always want to hear what you'd like for us to talk about on our next episode, let us know by going to https://becomingDM.com/ideas to submit your episode idea today!

SQ1: I, Toaster

In this becomingDM Side Quest, John talks about playing something different with the game I, Toaster.  This will be a quick overview of the system with some highlights of the game play without getting into the nitty gritty details of the system.

SQ0: Introducing BecomingDM Sidequests!

We're introducing something a little new here at becomingDM.  Over the past several years we have found that there have been several topics that have come up that just didn't warrant a full episode.  An introduction to a new game system, niche or custom rules, and a number of other topics have all fallen into this.  Usually that meant that those topics just didn't get addressed.  becomingDM Side Quests aims to cover those topics in a shorter form episode than our standard main episode format!  We've got new episodes of the Side Quest coming soon and they will appear in your same becomingDM feed with an episode prefix of "SQ"

Ep82: Do You Need That Skill Check?

Tabletop role-playing games rely heavily on rolls to determine if characters are able to accomplish a task.  Unfortunately, that can sometimes mean that DMs can be overzealous on asking for rolls for actions.  In this episode, John and Danielle talk about some of the questions to ask yourself to determine if you really need that skill check before asking for a roll. 

Got an idea for a new episode topic?  Let us know!  Go to https://becomingDM.com/ideas to submit your idea for a future episode today!

Ep81: Adding Crafting to Your Game

Whether it's a unique tool, a specialized non-magical weapon or something entirely different adding the custom crafting to your game is way to better engage your players in your game.  Join Danielle and John as they talk about things to think about when you look at adding crafting to your game from both the DM and player perspective.

Got an idea for a future episode of becomingDM?  Let us know!  Go to https://becomingDM.com/ideas to submit your episode idea today.

Ep80: Decoding the Statblock

Have you found that your players deal with the enemies you set up a lot more easily than you would expect?  Maybe it's just a matter of how you're reading the enemy stat blocks and incorporating them into your game.  In this episode of becoming DM, John and Danielle walk through and show how decoding the stat block can lead to much more challenging encounters for your players.  Join us!

We'd love to hear your ideas for a future episode.  If you want to hear us talk on a specific topic, go to https://becomingDM.com/ideas and let us know!

Ep79: Tabletop RPG Jargon

If you spend enough time around a group of people that play tabletop RPGs, eventually you'll find yourself in a situation where a variety of jargon is being used that you may not understand.  This is especially prevalent in online forums where people talk about running games.  In this episode of becomingDM, John and Danielle spend some time decoding and explaining some of the more commonly used jargon in the rpg space.  Join us!

Got an idea for a future episode of becomingDM?  We'd love to hear from you!  Go to https://becomingDM.com/ideas to let us know!

Ep78: Running Games With a Co-DM

Running games with another DM can be a fun and exciting way to split up some of the work of a tabletop RPG.  But how do you make sure that both you and your co-DM are on the same page? Or that you have an acceptable division of the work? In this episode of becomingDM John and Danielle explore the things to consider before entering into a co-DM situation.  Join us!

If you've got an idea for a future episode of becomingDM, let us know! You can submit ideas at https://becomingDM.com/ideas

Ep77: Moving from Player to DM

Have you been a player for awhile and decided that you wanted to give it a shot and move to being a DM?  Whether it's looking for things that you didn't think about in the "job" of being a DM or just wanting some guidance on where to start, this episode is for you! Join John and Danielle as they talk about making the transition from player to DM.

This episode topic was submitted by a listener like you! Got an idea for a future episode?  Let us know, go to https://becomingDM.com/ideas and tell us what you'd like to hear about!