Taking 20 Podcast

Ep 67 - Making Magic Items Feel Special

Magic items are supposed to be these powerful relics that can make your PCs harder, better, faster, and stronger (we'll miss you Daft Punk).  So why does it feel like most players react with, "Oh, another +1 scimitar."  How do you make magic items feel special in your high-magic or low-magic campaign?

Ep 66 - Getting Into Character Roleplay

Hack and slash games are fun where you don't have to worry about the emotional state of the players or NPCs and you can just throw dice.  Suppose you are going to be part of a roleplay heavy campaign or want to learn to be a better role player?  Here are a lucky set of 13 tips and tricks you can use to help give your character some depth.

Ep 65 - Ruins and Ancient Civilizations

What is it about ruins that make them so good for DMs and players?  How do ruins come to be?  How can a GM use ruins in a campaign and what are some tips to do so?  Grab your favorite drink and let's talk about it!

Ep 64 - Monster Series - Beholders - The Eyes Have It

Continuing the monster series, this time Jeremy tackles the iconic Beholder, a potential floating Total Party Kill with eyestalks.  What are these creatures and how should DMs use them in an adventure?  Come on in and find out!

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Ep 63 - High vs Low Magic Campaigns

You may have heard the terms "High Magic" and "Low Magic" when describing adventure settings but what does that even mean?  Is LSD involved?  Where would I even score any at 8:33 a.m. on a Sunday?  Good news is that it's just a way of thinking about the prevalence of magic in your campaign.  Just come on in and have a listen.

Ep 62 - Vetting Players and DMs

Once you find a potential DM or players, how do you know they will be the right ones for your game?  How do you know the game will be the right one for you?  In this episode Jeremy discusses questionnaires, interviews, and meetings to find a good match.

Ep 61 - Improve Your Cliffhangers with These 3 Strategies

Should you use cliffhangers to entice your players?  If so, how and how often?  Fear not.  This short episode has got all of that covered.  Give it a listen and don't forget to subscribe and provide comments and feedback!

Ep 60 - Monster Series - Lich Better Have My Money

Happy Valentine's Day!  The Monster Series resumes this time focusing on those alpha dogs of the necromantic RPG world:  liches.  How do DMs use them in their campaign?  What tactics should they take on the battlefield?  Tune in and find out.

Ep 59 - Alignment and the Loss of Inherently Evil Creatures

Wizards of the Coast and Paizo have wisely removed some of the problematic depictions of ancestries and ethnicities, adding nuance to those previously portrayed as universally evil.  How does that change our games and what does it mean for DMs?    

Ep 58 - The Evil Campaign

Sometimes it's good to be bad.  Evil campaigns can be amazing adventures unto themselves and can allow good role players to really stretch their wings and embrace being horrible people.  There are traps and potential gotchas to both running and being in a campaign.  Here's how to avoid them.