Game Master's Journey

Lex returns to his in-depth discussion of the Dungeon Master’s Guide. This week he discusses how to modify a monster and how to create quick monster stats. If you want to make a custom monster for your game, you might be able to make some minor modifications to an existing monster. Lex also shows how you can quickly create a monster of a given CR on-the-fly during play. Finally, this episode lays the groundwork for creating a completely new and unique monster from scratch. Anyone can do this, and Lex walks you through the process. The next episode in this series will go into creating a unique monster from scratch.

Lex discusses Matt Mercer’s Heroic Chronicle system from Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount. This is a great system for fleshing out PC backstories and grounding them in the setting of your campaign. This system is especially fantastic for DMs using their own homebrewed campaign settings, but DMs using published settings will also find inspiration in the application of these ideas. Lex discusses how to take this system and adapt it for your campaign so you can better tie in the PCs to your setting of choice.

Lex discusses how he would approach running an adventure for PCs who are significantly higher level than the adventure assumes. He also gives his thoughts on dealing with a problem player who’s out to ruin the fun for everyone else at the table. Finally, Lex ponders how he’d handle a character who gets advantage on perception checks using smell and disadvantage on perception checks using sight.

The PCs battle the forces of Arkhan the Cruel. We are using elements of the published adventure, Descent Into Avernus, so there will be spoilers for that adventure.

The PCs travel to Arkhan’s Tower in search of the blood of Tiamat. We are using elements of the published adventure, Descent Into Avernus, so there will be spoilers for that adventure.

This session begins with a recap of the campaign so far. We will be using elements from the published adventure, Descent Into Avernus, so there will be spoilers for that adventure. The PCs have returned to the village of Dianara’s Rest just in time for all hell to break loose!

Lex & Brett return to their in-depth discussion of the Dungeon Master’s Guide. This week they continue their exploration of combat options. Today’s topics include hitting cover, cleaving through creatures, lingering injuries, massive damage and morale.

Lex & Brett return to their in-depth discussion of the Dungeon Master’s Guide. This week is all about combat options! First, they cover initiative variants, including initiative score, side initiative and speed factor. Next they go through some additional options for actions in combat—climb onto a bigger creature, disarm, mark, overrun, shove aside and tumble.

This session begins after the PCs have had a month of downtime in the city of Elandria. The players discuss their downtime activities, and the characters compare notes of what they’ve learned in their various research. The PCs turn their attention to solving the mystery of the fate of Willim the Wondrous, a human sorcerer and lover of the dryad Anna who disappeared 50 years ago.

Lerissa meets with her mother, Amanda Victoria, and learns more about her erinyes father. Later, Fir joins Lerissa, Amanda and Dahlia at the spa and more surprising revelations unfold.

Lex & Brett return to their in-depth discussion of the Dungeon Master’s Guide. They begin with the optional rules of fear and horror. Then they explore some healing and rest variants. They briefly discuss adding firearms, explosives and/or alien technology to your D&D game. Finally they discuss the three different variants of the plot points optional rule. They’re especially fans of the “gods must be crazy variant” and are really looking forward to trying that in a campaign!

Lex & Brett return to their in-depth discussion of the Dungeon Master’s Guide. This week’s topics include hero points, honor and sanity. They might have also stumbled on a compelling alternative to alignment if you’re looking for a different way to play with morality in your D&D game. Finally, they revisit skill variants from episode 264, giving some examples of when they might be just the thing to use.

Lex & Brett return to their in-depth discussion of the Dungeon Master’s Guide for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition. This week they begin exploring Chapter 9: Dungeon Master’s Workshop. They begin with some general guidelines for considering optional and variant rules for your game. Then the ability option of using proficiency dice. Next up are some skill variants, including ability check proficiency, background proficiency and personality trait proficiency.

Lex gives a thorough review of the D&D Essentials Kit. This is a great introduction to the game for new DMs and is a definite upgrade of the previous Starter Set.

Lex & Brett wrap up their discussion of chapter 8 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide—Running the Game. Today they cover combat in D&D, chases, siege equipment, diseases, poisons and madness. They also talk about dealing with (or not dealing with) experience points at the table. What do you do about missing players if you use xp? Finally, they explore the pros and cons of leveling using xp, milestone leveling or hand-waved leveling.

Lex & Brett return to the Dungeon Master’s Guide to discuss exploration in D&D. Topics covered include travel pace, visibility, noticing other creatures, tracking, social interactions, changing NPC attitudes, roleplaying, engaging players and damaging & destroying objects.

Lex & Brett discuss the various aspects of using dice in a D&D game: using ability scores, saves, DCs, proficiency bonus, advantage & disadvantage, inspiration, resolution & consequences.

Lex & Brett discuss the various aspects of using dice in a D&D game: using ability scores, saves, DCs, proficiency bonus, advantage & disadvantage, inspiration, resolution & consequences.

Lex and Brett discuss their latest D&D campaigns—what they got right, what they got wrong, and what they’ve learned from the process. The also hit on some other topics including: using xp versus milestones versus hand-waving PC leveling; giving strongholds to the PCs; and whether or not to tell the players the difficulty number of a roll.

Lex returns to his exploration of the Dungeon Master’s Guide to discuss treasure and other types of rewards the player characters can earn through adventuring. Coins, gems, art objects and magic items are covered, as well as sentient magic items and artifacts. Lex also talks about other rewards PCs can receive, including blessings, charms, marks of prestige and epic boons.