Pacing vs Player Agency | Guiding the Game Without Railroading | Wandering DMs S07 E38
Dan and Paul discuss the art of pacing a tabletop RPG session without taking away player agency. How can a GM speed up play when the group burrows into side plots, or slow things down when players sprint straight toward the finale? When should you intervene to shape the tempo, and when should you simply let the party set the pace themselves?
They also compare how pacing concerns differ between one-shot adventures and long-term campaigns, and explore ways to maintain momentum while still allowing players the freedom to explore, wander, and surprise the GM.
Listen to Jason and Tom's take on Fear of a Black Dragon here
Check out The Black Wyrm of Brandonsford here
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West Marches Campaigns | Freedom, Exploration, and Chaos in D&D | Wandering DMs S07 E37
Dan and Paul dive into the world of West Marches campaigns - a style of play built around open exploration, rotating players, and player-driven adventure. With Critical Role's new campaign borrowing some West Marches ideas, it’s the perfect time to ask: what problems does this format solve, what new ones does it create, and when does it really shine?
We'll share our own experiences running West Marches-inspired games, where they succeeded, where they fell apart, and what lessons we’ve learned along the way.
Read Ben Robbins's original post about West Marches here
Read more about Critical Role Campaign 4's use of West Marches here
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Making Enemies in D&D | With Keith Ammann | Wandering DMs S07 E36
Dan & Paul get to chat with Keith Ammann -- renowned author of The Monsters Know What They're Doing -- about his newest book on D&D monsters, Making Enemies. This time Keith explores everything that goes into creating monsters from the ground up: size, number, and level of challenge; monster habitats; monster motivations; monsters as metaphors; monsters and magic; the monstrous anatomy possessed by real-world organisms; and how to customize monsters for your own tabletop roleplaying game adventuring party to confront. Not just for 5E, but any edition of D&D, and other TTRPGs as well! Get ready to surprise and delight your players—and terrify their characters—again and again.
Paul & Dan unwrap the state of Mummies in Dungeons & Dragons. What makes them unique compared to other undead monsters? How have they changed over the editions? What's the best way to use these ancient horrors in your games?
Read Dan's blog on Mummies Through the Ages here
Dan & Paul chat with D&D historian Shannon Appelcline -- who's back with his most ambitious work to date. A sprawling 4-volume Origins set, providing a detailed look at every single product created in the early days of official Dungeons & Dragons publications. Including all of Original D&D, Basic D&D, and Advanced D&D 1st Edition, everything is here! We'll join forces with Shannon to see what was good, bad, and ugly in those most adventurous days.
Check out Shannon's visual timelines here
And join the Backerkit for Origins here
South Africa