You’ve been the DM for a long time (maybe even Forever!) and one of your players has finally said those magic words: “I think I wanna run a game.” So, with all your wisdom, all your experience, all your skills – how do you help the new DM along in the game so that they … Read more
Greetings, 3WD-verse! DM Chris here. One of the cornerstones of DMing is preparation. In many ways, you’re the tour guide for your players in the campaign world, so you need an understanding deep enough that you can help them learn and discover it. You’re more than just a narrator – you’re the weaver of possibilities, … Read more
Possession. Dominate. Alignment shifts. There are a multitude of times where the rules make the DM take control of one of the player characters in the game. But, is that a good thing? In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave sit down to discuss an issue that came up in DM Chris’ Tales of the … Read more
Greetings gamers from all systems, places and timelines! For DM Dave’s birthday game (which, yes, is one of our trademarks), we broke out the Top Secret: New World Order system. We took on the role of a spy on their first mission, just like any other 1st-level party. But instead of trying to clear out … Read more
Top Secret: New World Order. That’s right, for DM Dave’s Birthday Game (of which we are quickly becoming well-versed), DM Chris ran our gaming group through the update to the TSR classic espionage RPG, Top Secret from TSR, Inc. by Merle Rasmussen. In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave sit down to review the system, … Read more
Artificial Intelligence is a polarizing topic these days. From Skynet-style flights of fancy to the very real implications for content creators, it’s an evolving technology that isn’t going away anytime soon. But free from worrying about profiting off of others’ work, using AI at the game table can help provide you with a set of … Read more
Back in September of 2022, I wrote an article that asked the question, “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?” In it, I discussed how we had transitioned in the all-girl’s … Read more
Terrain. Maps. Minis. Music. Handouts. TTRPGs aren’t movies and television and we can’t rely on moving pictures to help immerse our players, so what are some ways that you can help the imagination Build This City in your players’ minds? In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave sit down to revisit our discussion with The … Read more
Greetings, 3WD-verse! DM Chris here. While working on the magical treasure index for our new Lord of the Rings Roleplaying campaign, I was reminded of an idea I’d used for my earlier Tomb of Annihilation campaign. Balancing between rewarding your players while still keeping magic items meaningful and special can be a bit of a … Read more
Cobbler’s tools. Weaver’s tools. Glassblowing. There are a host of proficiencies that are part of building a character in D&D that seem strange at first for someone who is going out on adventures. For a lot of players, it just becomes something that you picked during character creation. We’ve come to call these the “orphan” … Read more
