When DMs Go to War: How to Run Mass Combat in D&D (and similar RPGs) and Not Bore Your Players

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Most DMs come to a point in their campaigns where they want to run The Big Battle! A real war: Storming the beaches of a fantasy Normandy, the Siege of Winterfell, the Battle of Pelennor Fields from Lord of the Rings. But when you go to set the battle up, you realize just how clunky mass combat is in D&D and most RPGs. In this episode, Thorin, Tony and Dave answer that and more as they break down what happens when DMs go to war.

4 Movie Franchises That Make Blockbuster RPG Campaigns

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Movies: They fire our imagination as storytellers and DMs. We want to help create the same level of tension, drama, hope, fear, love and hate that our favorite stories do. Here are 4 blockbuster movie franchises that could make epic RPG worlds.

When Your Game Goes Hollywood: How to Adapt Jurassic Park, Jumanji, and Any Other Movie Into an RPG Adventure or Campaign

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campaigns, including how it can go wrong, choosing the right system, and understanding the details your players will identify with.

The Hardest D&D Adventure of All Time: Anyone Ever Run Through the Throne of Bloodstone?

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The Throne of Bloodstone is the finale of a 4-part series that was published in 1988. What makes this module so unbelievably difficult that it made the #1 spot on my most challenging module list? Grab yourself a coffee and let’s talk about how, back in the day, D&D used to crank the difficulty up to 11.

Surrender Like a Boss: When RPG Monsters and NPCs Should Give Up and How to Get PCs to Accept Their Submission

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Sometimes the best stories play out after defeat, but to get to them, bad guys need to occasionally survive the fight. In this episode, Thorin, Tony and Dave roll out their best tricks for using surrender as a storytelling tool, combat hack, and reminder that actions in their RPG worlds have consequences.

3 Dungeon Magazine Adventures That Changed My DMing Life – Revisiting One of the Greatest Gaming Resources From Back in the Day

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If you were a DM from the 80s and 90s, odds are that Dungeon Magazine was an essential part of your gaming tool kit. Personally, Dungeon provided several elements of gaming that have always been near and dear to my heart. Let’s take a look at three unforgettable Dungeon magazine adventures that had such an impact on both my players and me that we can remember them vividly more than 30 years later. 

21 Tips to Master D&D Combat: How to Run RPG Fights That Balance Fun, Challenge and Time Investment

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Combat is such a central part of D&D 5E, but it’s also a part of the game that can take forever! And not all players are down for a 4-hour fight every game session. What can the DM do to keep the fights fun for everyone, even if some players in the party want fast combat and others want to take their time and enjoy the tactics? How do you make sure you’re not the one slowing combat down and killing the vibe?

Castle GreyHawk: The Thor Ragnarok of Old-School D&D Adventures From Back in the Day

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Castle Greyhawk isn’t really just a module. Castle Greyhawk did for D&D what Ragnarok did for the Thor franchise. The overall premise is this: Extremely unusual monsters are emerging from the castle dungeons, and your party has been hired to put a stop to it. What made Castle Greyhawk unique was its use of breaking-the-4th-wall comedy that would have impressed even Deadpool.

Powering Up! Bringing D&D Monsters, Villains and Campaigns Up to Your Party’s Level

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Whether you’re playing a book Dungeons & Dragons campaign or just have big plans for a couple uglies in the Monster Manual, there’s a level window where your PCs will have a good, balanced encounter with those threats. But what do you do when the party isn’t in that window?

Murderhobos vs. Cthulhu? 3 DM Tricks to Make Players Respect The RPG Campaign Setting You’re running

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How often has the new campaign just become murderhobos in space, murderhobos vs. Cthulhu, or murderhobos visit Scooby-Doo? It’s one thing to start a new campaign in a new setting or system. It’s another to get the PCs to act they belong there. Here are 3 tips that can help bring your new setting to life and keep murderhobos from infesting every world in your multiverse.