Mastering Dungeons

RPG veterans and game designers Teos Abadía and Shawn Merwin look at the game and the hobby of D&D from a variety of viewpoints: reporting the news, understanding the business, reviewing the products, and illuminating the design. Whether you’re a fan, a player, a DM, or a designer, Shawn and Teos cover topics of interest to you!

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#317
November 4 · 1 hr 44 min
Caves of Chaos and Keep in the Heroes of the Borderlands 5.5 Starter Set!
Episode 314 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Caves of Chaos and Keep in the Heroes of the Borderlands 5.5 Starter Set! We dive into the heart of the starter set. See how the updated Caves of Chaos and Keep on the Borderlands drive open play experiences! News: Dan Ayoub Elevated to WotC President, Lyla Fujiwara Joins D&D, The Price is Right for D&D, Is Challenge Rating a Lost Cause, and more! Contents 00:00 Mike Shea Segment 01:48 From one RPG to Another? 11:18 Dan Ayoub Elevated to Pres of Wizards 16:18 Lyla Fujiwara Joins D&D Team 20:42 Brooke Whitney Cosmere Project Lead 21:10 Warcraft D&D Releases with Delays 22:28 The Price is Right for D&D 23:44 Improved DDB Search 25:37 Palladium Ends Mutant Ninja Turtles 27:13 Is Challenge Rating a Lost Cause? 33:11 Dwarven Forge Perilous Frontiers 34:56 Heroes of the Borderlands pt2 37:28 Keep on the Borderlands Booklet 41:41 The Keep as Open Town 47:26 Focusing Player Tendencies 01:03:27 Using Quests to Drive Play 01:08:16 The Caves of Chaos and 1st Cave 01:13:07 Cave Lairs 01:23:37 Birthday Cake and Cave Links 01:32:07 Obligatory Stirge Encounter 01:33:10 Shrine of Evil Chaos 01:37:45 One Desired Improvement 01:39:03 Shout-Outs Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon. Show Search Engine: https://mdsearch.alphastream.org/ Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.
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#316
October 28 · 1 hr 34 min
Best of Heroes of the Borderlands 5.5 Starter Set!
Episode 314 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Best of Heroes of the Borderlands 5.5 Starter Set! One year after 5.5 launched – was it worth the wait? We look at this innovative starter set and how it updates the classic Keep on the Borderlands! News: Hasbro and D&D’s Q3 Revenue Growth, D&D Wallpaper, Misplaced Monsters, and more! Contents 00:00 Gamehole Memories 01:38 Go See Wildwood Movie! 02:57 Tastiest Monster? 05:46 What Should Aspiring GMs Read? 13:53 Hasbro's Huge Q3 2026 18:58 Wizards' Record Q3 for Magic 22:24 D&D Revenue Estimate 24:14 Estimating 2026 and 5.5 Impact 26:10 Misplaced Monsters V2 26:56 Sad Bioware News 28:43 D&D Wallpaper at Target 30:31 Army Painter D&D Paints and Academy 31:20 Pacific NW RPG Fest 33:23 Heroes of the Borderlands Starter Set 36:58 History of Starter Sets 39:56 What Makes This Different 46:03 What's Inside? 55:03 Credits and 2025 Releases 57:35 Premise and Approach 01:02:54 Every Player Can DM 01:05:37 Wilderness Booklet and Road 01:19:06 Woods, Fens, and Tamarack Stand 01:23:16 Balancing Brevity, Open Play, and DM Info 01:28:49 Random Encounters 01:29:54 Shout-Outs 01:33:57 What Are We Gonna Do Now? Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon. Show Search Engine: https://mdsearch.alphastream.org/ Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.
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#315
October 21 · 52 min
James Introcaso on Crows, Draw Steel, and MCDM! Live from Gamehole Con!
Episode 313 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: James Introcaso on Crows, Draw Steel, and MCDM! Live from Gamehole Con! The incredible James Introcaso discusses the last six years at MCDM, including the creation of Draw Steel and Crows, plus insights into being a creator in the industry. (No separate News segment this week!) Contents 00:00 Live from Gamehole! 01:36 Excited for Dark Sun? 03:16 If Universes Beyond is Most Poplular? 05:16 Knitting Like the DMs Guild? 08:30 James Introcaso and MCDM's Transformation 12:12 Designing for Hope & Fear 14:51 Advantages of Full-Time Employment 16:52 Product Line and Enjoying Victories 20:59 Crows RPG 23:28 Crows Gameplay 26:05 Motivation in Crows 28:02 Crows as a Big MCDM Change 31:03 Playtest and Revision Approach 34:34 Adventure Design Rut? 38:05 Stretching Crows and an OGL? 40:18 Mechanics vs Narrative for New RPG? 45:44 Playtesting Higher Levels? 49:35 New RPGs and Flexibility? Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon. Show Search Engine: https://mdsearch.alphastream.org/ Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.
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#314
October 14 · 1 hr 41 min
Remonstered! Keith Ammann Updates The Monsters Know What They’re Doing!
Episode 312 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Remonstered! Keith Ammann Updates The Monsters Know What They’re Doing! Keith joins Teos to discuss his innovations for running great monsters, how 5.5 monsters have changed, and the best new and updated monsters! News: D&D and Magic Joining Union, PH 5.5 Errata, Star Wars and Dark Sun Previews, Project Lamordia Review, and more! Contents 00:00 Rapping with Keith 02:29 Sirrangia Update 03:04 Is Turn-Loss Educational? 11:25 D&D and Magic Joining Union 19:42 Project Lamordia Launched 24:14 5.5 PH Errata Update 25:25 Star Wars and Dark Sun News 29:46 D&D Staff DMing at Gamehole 31:26 Ohlen Launches Malborn 34:06 Encounter Organization 40:53 Microscope 2E 42:51 Threats of the Timescape 44:33 Job Trail 45:52 Keith Ammann 47:45 Keith's Origin Story 49:40 Why Books? 53:50 Has Success Changed Keith's Game? 56:55 What Remonstered Offers 01:00:42 New Innovations 01:07:56 Shenanigans 01:17:56 Best New and Updated Monsters 01:21:55 Monster Type Changes 01:27:05 The Flumph and Alignment 01:33:04 Where to Buy Keith's Books 01:36:39 Shout-Outs 01:41:11 What Are We Gonna Do? Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon. Show Search Engine: https://mdsearch.alphastream.org/ Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.
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#313
October 7 · 1 hr 37 min
Best of Dragons of Stormwreck Isle and the 3rd Starter Set!
Episode 311 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Best of Dragons of Stormwreck Isle and the 3rd Starter Set! 5E’s 3rd Starter Set brings fewer components, a lower price point, and all the dragons! See why we harpy about why this is ghoul enough for you. News: Free Warcraft D&D Adventure, D&D Professions and Factions in WoW, Lamordia Modern Ravenloft, and more! Contents 00:00 Swim Any Day in November 03:28 Designer Peer Group? 12:05 Impact of Creator's Voice? 20:24 Free World of Warcraft Adventure 21:09 First Look at Wow Professions 25:03 WoW Factions and Renown 26:08 Ravenloft Project Lamordia 27:40 October D&D Drops Review 31:55 Disability Pride Dice 33:03 Renegade Loses Wolf Gains Hasbro 34:30 Critical Role Grunge Video Game 35:00 WizKids Hiring Marketing 35:43 Draw Steel Hooked on Crafting 36:49 Blacksmith's Guild and Iridoss Campaign 38:18 Dragons of Stormwreck Isle 39:14 Product History 43:33 '80s Tie-In 46:30 Other 2022 Products 48:12 Premise and Approach 50:29 Personal Goals 55:04 First Encounter Consequences 01:04:12 Zombie Resurgence 01:06:33 Quest Overviews 01:09:44 Exploration Encounters 01:13:13 Seagrow Caves 01:15:47 Cursed Shipwreck 01:20:01 Clifftop Observatory 01:28:10 Conclusion 01:32:42 Shout-Outs 01:36:50 What Are We Gonna Do? Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon. Show Search Engine: https://mdsearch.alphastream.org/ Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.
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#312
September 30 · 1 hr 38 min
Best of Dragon of Icespire Peak and the Essentials Kit!
Episode 310 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Best of Dragon of Icespire Peak and the Essentials Kit! 5E’s second Starter Set brings huge innovation, from Sidekicks to Quest Boards and Initiative Cards! Our review is more fun than a mimic in a gnome home. News: Wizards Fires and Hires, Warcraft Monsters First Look, Dragonlance Book White Board, and more! Contents 00:00 Sirrangia and Encounters 02:40 Our Art Preference? 10:30 Warcraft First Look: Monsters! 14:08 LaTia Jacquise Departs Wizards 17:23 Wizards Hires Celeste Conowitch 19:20 Dragonlance Book Brainstorm 22:24 100 D&D Novels Return 25:40 Daggerheart and D&D at Lucca 27:59 One Ring's Huge Backerkit 29:52 Dragon of Icespire Peak 31:39 Starter Set History 36:59 What's In The Box? 43:42 Digital Codes on DDB 46:15 Other 2019 Products 48:20 Premise and Approach 58:20 Introducing Sidekicks 01:00:58 Quest Board and First Quests 01:13:09 Follow-Up Quests 01:21:27 Other Locations 01:25:39 Ending the Adventure 01:32:51 Shout-Outs 01:38:16 What Are We Gonna Do? Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon. Show Search Engine: https://mdsearch.alphastream.org/ Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.
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#311
September 23 · 1 hr 43 min
Creating Mistborn and the Cosmere RPG with Lyla Fujiwara and Lydia Suen!
Episode 309 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Creating Mistborn and the Cosmere RPG with Lyla and Lydia! Lyla Fujiwara (Cosmere RPG Director) and Lydia Suen (Cosmere Lead Designer) of Brotherwise Games join us to share what it took to create the Mistborn Setting for the Cosmere RPG! Learn about Plotweaver, time-swap adventures, freelancing, and much more! News: Warcraft 5E First Look, Draw Steel Encounters, Free Stuff, Jedi in 5E Star Wars, and more! Contents 00:00 Best Podcast Ever 03:01 Jedi in 5E Star Wars? 12:02 Warcraft 5E First Look! 16:05 DMAP Goes to Azeroth 17:08 Seeker's Guide to Dread Demigods 18:33 Draw Steel Encounters 22:50 Building Cities Like Theme Parks 25:16 Treska on RPG Freelancing 27:41 Tomb of the Heretics for Shadowdark 28:29 Eidolon: The Night Market 29:26 Free Draw Steel Intro 30:30 Creating Mistborn and Cosmere 31:21 Lyla Fujiwara and Lydia Suen 38:38 What is the Cosmere and Plotweaver? 44:18 Record-Setting Crowdfunding Impact 49:29 Types of Stories Cosmere Tells 52:14 Plot Die and Character Goals 59:21 Mistborn's Design 01:01:32 Heroic and Invested Paths 01:07:38 Kandra and Other Novel Options 01:09:21 Managing All the Lore 01:15:18 Adventure Design in Mistborn 01:21:39 Time Swapping Two Eras 01:30:05 What's Next for Mistborn and Cosmere? 01:31:05 How to Design for Cosmere? 01:38:54 Shout-Outs 01:42:41 What Are We Gonna Do? Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon. Show Search Engine: https://mdsearch.alphastream.org/ Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.
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#310
September 16 · 1 hr 37 min
Best of Lost Mine of Phandelver, the first D&D Starter Set!
Episode 308 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Best of Lost Mine of Phandelver, the first D&D Starter Set! The adventure (and rules) that kicked off 5E! We look at why every starter set has to measure itself against this one. News: Dan Ayoub on Leading D&D, 5 New Underdark Species, D&D Encounters Unboxing, and more! Contents 00:00 Start Your Sets 01:17 Published Campaign Help? 06:03 Are VTTs Changing Design? 14:06 3 New Underdark Subclasses 24:58 5 New Underdark Species 27:19 Arcana Unleashed Delays 28:35 D&D Encounters Kit Contents! 32:44 Dan Ayoub on Leading D&D 36:36 Castle Ravenloft DM Screen 39:06 PAX Unplugged Houston 41:47 Steve Jackson Steps Down as CEO 43:04 Lost Mine of Phandelver 44:35 History of Starter Sets 47:51 What It Offers 52:35 What Else in 2014? 55:50 Premise and Approach 01:00:01 A Strong Start? 01:10:18 Goblin Caves 01:13:40 Exploring Phandalin 01:21:20 Area Quests and Cragmaw Castle 01:25:31 Wave Echo Cave 01:32:33 Shout-Outs 01:36:36 What Are We Gonna Do? Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon. Show Search Engine: https://mdsearch.alphastream.org/ Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.
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#309
September 9 · 1 hr 29 min
Amanda Hamon and Arcana Unleashed!
Episode 307 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Arcana Unleased with Amanda Hamon! Amanda joins us to discuss the Arcana Unleashed products she led – the process, the design, and the exciting contents of both books! News: Ravenloft Netflix TV Show, New D&D Beyond Drops, PAX West Report, and more! Contents 00:00 Return from PAX West 04:21 RPGs Providing Right Information? 12:41 Single-PC Encounters? 21:00 Ravenloft Netflix TV Series 24:33 Drops for Season of Magic 25:34 Storied Encounters and Fantastic Locations 29:43 Castle Ravenloft Board Game Returns 31:42 5.5 Munchkin TTRP 32:53 Hellbinder's Guide to Harvesting & Crafting 33:44 Was a $1607 Kickstarter Worth It? 35:51 Amanda Hamon Unleashed! 36:40 Amanda's Origin Story 39:13 Journalism to Game Design 44:11 Working at Wizards 46:12 D&D's Recent Growth 48:02 Arcana Unleashed Duality 52:53 Alustriel Silverhand 55:26 AU Contents and Old vs New 58:19 Schools of Magic and DM Tools 59:59 Magical Patrons Unify Subsystems 01:02:42 Evolving Magic Items 01:05:21 Deadfall Adventure Concept 01:06:13 High-Level Spy Thriller 01:09:06 Thayan Gazetteer 01:11:34 Depicting Thayan Life 01:13:18 Adventure Options 01:15:35 Organized Play Tie-Ins 01:15:58 Spoiler for Cool Encounter 01:18:31 High-Level Challenges 01:20:50 See Amanda at Conventions 01:23:47 Shout-Outs 01:28:21 What Are We Gonna Do? Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon. Show Search Engine: https://mdsearch.alphastream.org/ Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.
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#308
September 2 · 1 hr 41 min
Best of Acquisitions Incorporated: Orrery of the Wanderer!
Episode 306 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Best of Acquisitions Incorporated: Orrery of the Wanderer! Completely unbiased coverage of the best and most perfect adventure ever written! You will love this show, or your money back. News: D&D’s Secret Survey, Universes Beyond Hiring, Warlock Gameplay, End of Burning Wheel, and more! Contents 00:00 Hear Us on Other Podcasts 02:39 Turn Off DM Brain? 07:00 Go Back in Time to Which Classic? 08:59 Linear Easier with Published Advs? 12:41 D&D's Secret Survey 15:24 Q4 DDB Partner Releases 17:31 D&D Hiring for Universes Beyond 19:05 Warlock Video Game Preview 21:42 Long Rest Tavern 22:11 Hasbro Data Breach 23:28 Random Weather at Mooncastle 24:51 New EU Packaging Law 26:58 The End of Burning Wheel? 30:08 Crows Hits $1M 31:19 Acquisitions Incorporated Orrery of the Wanderer 32:51 What is Acq Inc? 37:02 Wild Story of This Project 42:47 Premise and Approach 49:25 New Rules! 54:36 Mixup in Waterdeep 01:03:36 Fun in Phandalin 01:09:45 Darkness at the Lighthouse 01:14:40 Luskan and Dran Enterprises 01:21:36 Why Humor Engages 01:23:27 Wedding Parties and Lich Casinos 01:28:41 Showdown With the Six 01:31:50 Design Thoughts 01:36:24 Shout-Outs 01:40:49 What Are We Gonna Do Now? Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon. Show Search Engine: https://mdsearch.alphastream.org/ Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.
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#307
August 26 · 1 hr 40 min
Keys to Success from Tomas Härenstam of Free League!
Episode 305 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Tomas Härenstam of Free League! Free League’s CEO and frequent designer discusses how the company began and grew, how they tackle crowdfunding, IPs, partnerships, organized play, and more! News: D&D Gives You Ceremorphosis, Wizards Polls Your Trust, Underdark UA Subclasses, DMing High Level and more! Contents 00:00 Intro 01:19 Run Published Epic-Level? 08:55 Underdark Options UA 11:56 Barbarian Path of Unlight 19:18 Rogue House Agent 28:14 Wizard Imaskarcanist 36:08 Path of Ceremorphosis 43:04 Do You Trust Wizards? 47:25 D&D Encounters Update 48:47 D&D Beyond Roadmap Update 50:46 Crows: Fortune or Death! 51:34 Amazing Adversaries & Environments 52:45 Tomas Härenstam of Free League 53:30 Origin Story 56:14 Swedish Influences 01:01:31 Free League's Growth 01:09:05 Multi-RPG Strategy 01:12:46 High Art Quality 01:17:16 Game Lines and Audience 01:20:30 IPs and Partnerships 01:24:52 Crowdfunding and Tariffs 01:28:29 Organized Play 01:31:07 Open Gaming License 01:34:36 Free League's Future? 01:36:36 Free League Unbound 01:38:29 Find and Follow Free League Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon. Show Search Engine: https://mdsearch.alphastream.org/ Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.
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#306
August 19 · 1 hr 57 min
Best of Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen!
Episode 303 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Best of Dragonlance: Shadow of the Dragon Queen! Dragonlance is Back! Come see why this adventure deserves a second chance. News: Critical Role Lands Emmy, D&D Drops Oozes and Errata, Pathfinder on DriveThru, and more! Contents 00:00 Gamehole with Teos and James? 04:21 Announcements vs Playtesting? 10:59 Licensed IPs Exclusive? 16:09 D&D Drops Oozes for August 23:04 New Drops Errata 26:55 Frontiers of Eberron on DDB 27:56 D&D on Szass Tam 30:28 Pathfinder/Starfinder on DriveThru 32:20 Critical Role Lands an Emmy 33:11 Union for Rowan, Rook, and Deckard 34:51 Springfield School of Worldbuilding 38:09 RPGs and Starting Communities 40:44 Not All D&D is for Everyone 43:26 Game Development Resources 45:49 Dragonlance Shadow of the Dragon Queen 47:22 Dragonlance as a Special Setting 01:00:30 5E's Dragonlance and Board Game 01:06:58 Adventure Premise and Approach 01:10:17 War Comes to Krynn 01:11:46 Characters and Pre-War Preludes 01:19:05 Vogler and Dragon Army 01:31:09 Kalaman Missions and Soth 01:38:13 Exploring Northern Wastes 01:40:21 City of Lost Names 01:45:09 Inflitrate Soth's Flying Castle 01:52:09 Shout-Outs 01:56:28 What Are We Gonna Do? Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon. Show Search Engine: https://mdsearch.alphastream.org/ Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.
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#305
August 12 · 1 hr 29 min
Adam Bradford, from D&D Beyond to Free League Unbound!
Episode 303 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Adam Bradford, from D&D Beyond to Free League Unbound! Adam Bradford joins us to discuss Free League's amazing Unbound platform and his voyage to and from D&D Beyond, including his design projects like Invincible and Forgotten Odysseys. News: Diamond Gives Inventory Back, Gamehole PoC Event, PAX West Needs DMs, and more! Contents 00:00 3E Turns 26 03:32 Audio in Adventure Products? 07:24 Bloated Character Sheets? 17:17 Diamond Gives Back Inventory 19:45 PAX West Call for D&D DMs 20:42 GameHole Con PoC Industry Dinner 23:19 Adam Bradford, Probably 24:30 Adam's Backstory 28:51 The Path to D&D Beyond 32:34 D&D Beyond 39:04 Why D&D Beyond Succeeded 43:27 Digital Reader Surprise 46:10 Demiplane and Fantasy Grounds 52:58 Lessons Carried Forward 57:41 Free League Unbound 01:07:04 Invincible and RPG Design 01:13:52 Forgotten Odysseys 01:19:21 Adam's Future Plans 01:21:32 Find Adam 01:24:54 Shout-Outs 01:28:51 What Are We Gonna Do? Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon. Show Search Engine: https://mdsearch.alphastream.org/ Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.
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#304
August 5 · 1 hr 49 min
Dark Sun, Star Wars, Warcraft, Greyhawk, and All D&D Gen Con News!
Episode 302 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Dark Sun, Star Wars, Warcraft, Greyhawk, and All D&D Gen Con News! Wizards of the Coast goes all-out with a D&D Tower, Carnival, Drone Show, and tons of peaks at upcoming releases. News: Wizards President Departs, Free League Unbound, Daggerheart Plans, ENnies, and more! Contents 00:00 Gen Con Happened! 02:46 Spoiler Descriptions? 06:10 Is Bloat Bad? 18:00 John Hight Departs as WotC Pres 21:25 Starter Set and Big Box Stores? 23:24 Free League Unbound 27:48 Daggerheart 3-Year Plan 34:45 Cosmere and Plotweaver 36:31 Monte Cook Games 36:49 Diana Jones Award 38:13 ENnies Award Recipients 41:33 Tabletop Show is Back? 44:00 Doom-Dust of the Disintegrator 45:01 Leveled Lairs - Aboleths 46:09 D&D's Huge Gen Con Reveals 47:48 Keynote Roadmap 49:13 Season of Magic 50:48 World of Warcraft 58:42 Dark Sun Confirmed! 01:05:25 No DMAP for Dark Sun 01:08:16 Greyhawk Crown of the Witch Queen 01:11:04 Star Wars D&D 01:15:39 D&D Icons 01:21:31 Partnerships 01:27:41 Universes Beyond for D&D 01:31:22 Warlock 01:32:55 D&D Beyond News 01:36:39 D&D Designer Talks 01:38:44 Drone Show 01:41:10 Overall Thoughts 01:45:11 Shout-Outs 01:49:21 What Are We Gonna Do? Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon. Show Search Engine: https://mdsearch.alphastream.org/ Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.
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#303
July 29 · 1 hr 55 min
Best of Spelljammer Light of Xaryxis!
Episode 301 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: The Best of Spelljammer Light of Xaryxis! An adventure crafted to feel like an old sci-fi TV show? We look at how well it captures the classic Spelljammer setting. News: World of Warcraft and D&D? Hasbro Q2 Growth? D&D Movie Sequel Script? And more! Contents 00:00 Apocalypse Now 02:16 Bound by Blood 04:22 Add to Peril in Pinebrook? 12:51 Right Amount of Lore? 19:19 D&D and Warcraft 24:31 Hasbro Q2 Strong Growth 28:51 D&D Beyond Use 33:14 WotC Growth 34:47 How Big is D&D? 39:01 D&D Movie Sequel Script 41:21 Renegade and Anne Rice 43:35 The Guild Ren Faire'd 45:31 Crediting Creators 51:51 D&D Soaps 52:25 Gen Con DMAP Vinyl 53:16 Spelljammer Light of Xaryxis 54:37 Spelljammer History 01:04:10 D&D in 2022 01:08:50 Premise and Approach 01:15:04 Part 1: Seeds of Destruction 01:22:51 Part 2: Terrors of the Void 01:33:29 Part 3: Chaos in Doomspace 01:36:21 The Dark Sun Rumor 01:40:29 Part 4: Saviors of the Multiverse 01:44:00 Astral Elf Goals 01:47:15 Final Choices and Thoughts 01:50:18 Shout-Outs 01:54:42 What Are We Gonna Do? Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon. Show Search Engine: https://mdsearch.alphastream.org/ Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.
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#302
July 22 · 1 hr 30 min
Sirrangia and Worldbuilding Through Campaign Building!
Episode 300 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Sirrangia and Worldbuilding Through Campaign Building! Now that we are creating an adventure setting for our top Patreon supporters, we look at worldbuilding through the lens of campaign building. News: Season of Magic Launches, Big D&D Gen Con Plans, Good and Bad Paizo News, and more! Contents 00:00 300th Episode! 04:23 Balance My Vecna? 16:37 No-Win Situations? 21:33 Season of Magic Releases 22:57 D&D Encounters News 27:06 D&D's Big Gen Con Plans 30:21 DMAP Season 2 33:20 Free Play Along Pack 37:18 Sirius Dice for Daggerheart 39:12 Good and Bad Pathfinder News 41:46 Cosmere is Hiring 43:40 NPC Notes 45:43 Thrones & Bones Bundle 46:11 Scipio's New Blog 46:59 Sirrangia and Worldbuilding 48:02 Every Group is Different 51:59 Worldbuilding Basics 57:32 Worldbuilding in RPGs 01:04:35 Top-Down vs Bottom-Up 01:09:59 Designing Sirrangia 01:14:06 Rules and Worldbuilding 01:18:47 Our Patreon Polls 01:23:53 Surviving Strangehollow 01:25:15 Shout-Outs 01:29:42 What Are We Gonna Do? Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon. Show Search Engine: https://mdsearch.alphastream.org/ Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.
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#301
July 8 · 1 hr 31 min
Rise of the Lazy Gamemaster with Mike Shea aka Sly Flourish!
Episode 299 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Rise of the Lazy Gamemaster with Mike Shea aka Sly Flourish! Mike Shea aka Sly Flourish joins Shawn to discuss his latest book providing GM advice! News: D&D Fan Expo Canceled, 2026 ENnie Nominees, July D&D Drops, and more! Contents 00:00 Mike Shea AKA Sly Flourish! 05:32 Reuse Our Old Ideas? 10:34 Who Would You Hire? 16:43 Which Idea? 23:30 D&D Fan Expo London Canceled 27:03 July D&D Beyond Drops 39:34 Demiplane and Roll20 Hiring 43:10 2026 ENnie Nominees 47:14 Another Stab at Making Enemies 48:02 A Nightmare Adventure 50:38 Welcome Mike Shea 1:02:03 Rise of the Lazy Gamemaster on Kickstarter 1:02:42 What Does Lazy Mean? 1:06:43 Discrepancy at the Table 1:09:25 Why This Book Now? 1:10:36 8 Steps for Gameplay 1:14:05 Steps in Non-D&D RPGs 1:23:05 Importance of Randomness 1:29:48 Find the Kickstarter 1:30:09 Shout-Outs Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon. Show Search Engine: https://mdsearch.alphastream.org/ Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.
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#300
July 1 · 1 hr 40 min
Why The Wild Beyond The Witchlight is So Good!
Episode 298 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Best of The Wild Beyond the Witchlight! It’s easy to be positive when Shawn and Teos review one of the finest 5E adventures! Hear why this adventure excels! News: Wizards has a Union, Latest D&D Jobs, Have We Moved Past the OGL, and more! Contents 00:00 Draw Steel Monsters 01:54 Shawn's Wizardly Trip 04:18 Guest Appearances 05:36 Small Publisher Store Programs? 15:18 OGL Impact Over? 21:17 WotC New Union 23:32 New and Updated D&D Jobs 30:06 Season 2 Actual Play Announced 33:02 Preorder Vampire's D&D Book 38:19 Origins Award Winners 39:26 Forgotten Odysseys 40:54 The Wild Beyond the Witchlight 43:20 Product History 51:11 Premise and Approach 01:00:53 New Species, Backgrounds, Hooks 01:08:32 Witchlight Carnival 01:13:48 Carnival Trackers and Events 01:25:16 Chapters 2-4 01:31:02 Palace of Heart's Desire 01:33:44 Appendices and Tools 01:36:28 Shout-Outs 01:39:57 What Are We Gonna Do Now? Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon. Show Search Engine: https://mdsearch.alphastream.org/ Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.
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#299
June 24 · 1 hr 27 min
Mystic Arts and Creator Publishing
Episode 297 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Mystic Arts and Creator Publishing! Daði Einars joins Teos to discuss RPG design, gameplay, and his work with Mystic Arts to create for Patreon, YouTube, and your table! News: Vampire the Masquerade for D&D, New D&D Card Decks, WotC Staff Explain UAs, and more! Contents 00:00 Welcome Daði Einars! 01:59 Corruption in Kryptgarden 08:00 Shield Lands Writing Team Correction 08:57 Big Battle Advice? 13:06 West Marches Draw Steel? 15:38 DDB Partner Q3 Schedule 17:02 Vampire Comes to D&D 23:42 Updated Villainous Options 27:19 Diana Jones Finalists 28:34 2024 Spell, Monster, Magic Decks 32:04 Free RPG Day June 27 33:05 China Gets Weird 36:39 The Last Round Table 37:28 RPG Trader 38:49 Mystic Arts and Creator Publishing 40:06 Who is Daði Einars? 44:37 Iceland's Baldur's Gate 47:36 Patreon and YouTube 57:15 Dungeon Jam 01:00:25 Crown of the Fungal Queen 01:10:12 What Does the Future Hold? 01:12:33 RPGs and System Hacking 01:16:10 Unused Plot Leads 01:19:54 Evaluating Game Systems vs D&D 01:26:56 Find Daði Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon. Show Search Engine: https://mdsearch.alphastream.org/ Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.
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#296
June 17 · 1 hr 26 min
Best of Rime of the Frostmaiden!
Episode 296 of Mastering Dungeons! Main topic: Best of Rime of the Frostmaiden! We review this mega sourcebook and adventure in a single episode! See which parts of the cold will warm your heart. News: Paizo’s Difficult Future, Renegade Drops Essence20 for 5E, City of Greyhawk on DDB, 3/4 of D&D Players in Last Decade, and more! Contents 00:00 Knicks and Cups 01:17 Actual Shield Lands Authors 03:35 The Angel's in the Details 07:49 Running Megadungeons? 14:40 Paizo's Difficult Future 19:06 Drops Sharing Changed 20:32 Free City of Greyhawk on DDB 21:07 Renegade Drops Essence20 for 5E 23:34 Wizards on Japanese Localization 25:27 Dungeons & Dragons Questers 28:30 Biggest Crowdfunders Take 2 31:47 Rime of the Frostmaiden 34:01 Product History 41:17 Adventure Premise 47:39 Backgrounds and Setup 52:57 The Ten Towns 57:01 Wilderness and Places of Interest 01:00:57 Sunblight and Chardalyn Dragon 01:10:38 Auril's Abode 01:12:15 Caves of Hunger and Netherese City 01:13:24 Epilogue Decisions 01:18:20 Trinkets, Secrets, and Monsters 01:20:46 Shout-Outs 01:25:16 What Are We Gonna Do? Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon. Show Search Engine: https://mdsearch.alphastream.org/ Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/). MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.
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