Dave

Back in Black: The Players Wrap-Up to the Absolutely Epic Curse of Strahd Finale with Vampyr, the Star of Blood

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Hello and welcome BACK to 3 Wise DMs! It’s been quite some time and we’re glad that we’re back… Back in Black, that is – like Vampyr, our epic, final BBEG to end all BBEGs in Barovia. We thought that it worked out well that the absolute, final ending to our 2+ year Curse of Strahd campaign coincided almost perfectly with the initial launch of 3 Wise DMs – and that deserves a proper sendoff.

“Heeeere’s Johnny!”: The Long-Awaited Return of 3 Wise DMs

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After several months off, and the start of a brand new year, DM Tony and DM Dave are pleased to announce the return of the 3 Wise DMs podcast!

Merry Critmas & Happy Holidays from 3WD!

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3 Wise DMs wanted to wish all our listeners and their friends and families a very Merry Critmas, a wonderful Holiday Season, and a real Natural 20 of a New Year!

Thorin: In Memoriam

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Hello and welcome to the 3 Wise DMs podcast, where three Dungeon Masters who have been doing this for way too long, talk about how we handle all the tricky ins and outs of running a game of D&D or whatever else you might play. I’m Thorin and, like my namesake from The Hobbit, I … Read more

Update From 3 Wise DMs

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As you have undoubtedly noticed, Thorin, Tony, and I have not been posting our weekly podcasts. Some of you have reached out to ask if there were any problems, and we are truly thankful for that; we’re still completely humbled that so many of you have joined us in our continuing conversations. Without giving details … Read more

Not Just For Beginnings: How Session Zero Can Serve As An Ongoing Tool In Your D&D Games (And Other RPGs)

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Does what you’re currently running still feel fresh and fun? Are your players as invested in it as they were in the beginning? Does something feel missing? Are you burning out?
Beginning to look at what Session Zero does for us at the start of a campaign can assist us in gauging what is happening in an ongoing campaign.

3WD Talk Dungeons & Dragons on Dragon Talk!

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Our recent article on running scenes outside of your game sessions caught some attention by none other than the official D&D podcast Dragon Talk! So, Thorin and Tony got the chance to sit down with Dragon Talk’s co-host, Shelly Mazzanoble, on their “How to DM” segment to discuss the devil the in the details!

3 Ways To Get The Most Out Of Your D&D Session Prep: Factions Edition

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In our recent episode on faction building in your TTRPG, we discussed how we design, develop and implement factions in our own games. But, in case you need to develop factions before this week’s game, I decided to break down three specific ways to approach faction building in your own game.

What to Do With Curse of Strahd’s Megaliths? Making Published D&D Material Your Own

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“The four ancient stones near the windmill were erected centuries ago by the valley’s original human inhabitants. Each moss-covered stone bears a crude carving of a city, each of which is associated with a different season. The city of winter is shown covered in snow. The city of spring is arrayed in flowers. The city of summer has a sunburst overhead, and the city of autumn is covered in leaves. If the characters ask any of the priests or scholarly NPCs in Barovia about the stones, the characters are told that ancient legends tell of the Four Cities, said to be the cities of Paradise where the Morninglord, Mother Night, and the other ancient gods first dwelled.” – Curse of Strahd

What Happens When Your D&D 5E Party Gets Too Big?

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In our recent episode on “How Many Players Are Too Many for One D&D Game,” we answered a listener’s question regarding “How big is too big” for adventuring parties. The challenges this creates can be confusing for both beginners and advanced DMs. So, I decided to share two examples of running 5e games with eight players to reflect on how I did it, what worked and what didn’t, and, hopefully, help you agree that, while having too many people wanting to play is a good problem to have, it’s still a problem.