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Campaign Inspiration

Is He-Man Revelations Worthy of the Title ‘Masters of the Universe’?

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Like many children of the 80s, one of my first exposures to the sword and sorcery genre was from the original He-Man cartoon. This wildly popular show was filled with Sci-Fi and magic and yet still managed to teach lessons of morality. And while it’s not surprising that the franchise was later rebooted, it seemed likely that it would play out in two ways … So, let’s get to the bottom of this and determine if the show does indeed have the power or should be banished to the dungeons of Snake Mountain. 

It Takes a Village: 19 Tips for Building Towns and Cities for Your RPG Campaigns

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What do you need to make a town or city for your RPG campaign? A place for your PCs to hang their hats and rest their weary feet? Stores and taverns for them to unload their loot and pick up new quests? We have warned you not to get caught up in building towns and cities before, but this time a listener asked what needs to be in them when you have to do it. The 3 Wise DMs came up with 19 tips to help you do it in pretty much any RPG.

Will You Answer the Call of Cthulhu? 8 Reasons It May or May Not Be Right for Your Group

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Is the Call of Cthulhu RPG as maddening as its reputation suggests? The system offers a  journey into the Lovecraftian world of mystery and macabre. Because who’s not up for an evening filled with suspense and shoggoths? We put together some points to help you determine if the stars are right for you to introduce the Call of Cthulhu to your players.

Dinner With the Devil: Horror Gaming in 5e’s Curse of Strahd

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discussion centered around the costume dinner party I threw when the players finally accepted the dinner invitation from the Master of Ravenloft, Count Strahd von Zarovich. With all of the players buying in and coming in costume, the table was set for what is, arguably, THE set piece for the entire adventure. What followed was a wonderful session full of tension, dread, laughs and a knock-down, drag-out Round 1 to the epic conclusion of our Curse of Strahd. Here are some points to consider when really playing up the immersion during your horror games.

Horror Gaming for Halloween: How We Squeeze Scares Out of Players Around the RPG Table

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It’s the scary season around our gaming tables, and that brings up one of the age-old questions about DMing: Can you reasonably expect to scare adult roleplaying gamers? Maybe, maybe not. But what you can definitely do is remove the illusion that they’re in control. Undermine that false comfort that their characters will be OK. Whether you’re threatening their hit points, sanity or character attachments, if you can shake the players’ sense of security, then you can scare them — and that’s what Halloween gaming is all about.

6 Ideas to Make D&D 5E Combat More Interesting for Martial Characters

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One problem I have with 5E D&D is that martial combat isn’t that interesting. When I look at the hundreds of years people were fighting with arms and armor, I just see a lot more interesting things we could do with the martial side of the game that I think would add depth and make it more fun.

29 DM Ideas for Spicing Up D&D 5E: New Twists for Campaigns, Combat, Equipment, Magic and More!

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From campaign setting ideas to new weapon rules, combat formations, vampire and dragon age categories, and more, in this episode, Thorin, Tony and Dave pitch the craziest D&D house rules and setting features they’d love to play with in the future.

Patrons, Powers and Punishments in D&D 5E: So Many Classes Get Their Powers From a Higher Power … But at What Price?

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Patrons and punishments have been a part of D&D since 1st Edition’s paladins had to toe the line or get busted down to fighter status by an angry deity. But with so many classes drawing their powers from gods, devils and monsters in 5e — and not really getting any better deal than the wizard who studied, sorcerer who was born with it, barbarian who’s too angry to die, or the bard who just has to rock out with his glockenspiel out — how can the DM handle these patron relationships in a way that feels cool but doesn’t become unfair compared to the other classes?

RPG Weather, Puzzles and Ritual Challenges: 3 Ways to Make Your Campaign World More Immersive

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We’re all looking for ways to make sure our players have fun, but also have new experiences in the game that make it feel more like characters living out a story and less like tabletop Diablo. Thorin, Tony and Dave dig into three messages asking about different ways to make your RPG world a bit less hack-n-slash and a bit more immersive with interesting puzzles, rituals, and weather mechanics.

I’m on a Boat! Running Sea-Faring, Space-Faring and Other Ship-Based RPG Campaigns

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When you take your RPG campaign to the high seas (or under the seas, outer space or anywhere else they need a ship to survive), all bets are off. Sure, you could run it like any land-based campaign using the ship for fast travel, but is that really what a ship-based campaign is all about? Or are they about ship-to-ship combat, unlimited freedom, and unimaginable treasure? Here’s what Thorin, Tony and Dave think nautical gaming is all about and how they bring it to life for their players.