Listen – becomingDM

	Ep100: Behind the Scenes December 5, 2024 It’s episode 100!!! Join John and Danielle as they take a look behind the scenes of the first 100 episodes of the show. You can find out how the show actually got started, how Danielle was selected to be co-host and you can even get a look into the gear that’s used to record the… Read more
	Ep99: Handling Missing Players November 21, 2024 Throughout the course of your game you will have players that will occasionally not show up from time to time. Preparing for handling those missing players and how the character, story, and treasure experience changes as a result are really important to define before this happens so players and DM are all on the same… Read more
	Ep98: Creating Exciting Chase Scenes November 7, 2024 Chases! Whether the party is trying to get away from the town guard or trying to prevent an enemy from escaping they can add a sense of excitement to the game. But how do you make a chase more exciting for everyone at the table? In this episode of becomingDM John and Danielle talk about… Read more
	Ep97: Adding Inspiration to Your Game October 24, 2024 Do you find yourself wanting to encourage certain behaviors in players? Whether it’s roleplaying, heroics, or something different adding the Inspiration optional rule to your game may be just what you’re looking for. Join us as John and Danielle talk through on the episode requested by listener Ryan Ross! We talk about some of the… Read more
	Ep96: Running Games for Large Groups (Part 2) October 10, 2024 Part 2 is here! If you were waiting for the second half of our episode on running games for large groups, this is it! Join Danielle, John, and Robert as they continue the discussion and touch on skill checks, combat, and more for large parties at the table. Also learn why Danielle is a monster… Read more
	Ep95: Running Games for Large Groups (Part 1) September 26, 2024 Our episode about running games for large groups was so large we had to split it into two parts! In the first part of this discussion, Robert Spann joins John and Danielle to talk about whether you really need to have such a large group and some tips and tricks to keep players engaged if… Read more
	Ep94: Running Heists September 12, 2024 Heists can be a great way to add a sense of intrigue. But how do you add them to your game in a meaningful way? And how do you do so without it ending up being “the rogue show”. John and Danielle talk about working backwards from the objective to plan out a heist adventure… Read more
	Ep93: Helping New Players Choose a Class August 22, 2024 Join us as John and Danielle discuss this topic that was suggested by listener Robert Spann! If you’re getting new players to your table, they probably don’t know or understand the differences between the various classes that they can choose from. In this episode, we discuss different strategies and techniques to help players settle on… Read more
	Ep92: Ending the Game June 27, 2024 At some point you may need to end your campaign. Maybe you’ve come to the logical conclusion of the story for these characters, maybe people are needing to move away. Whatever the reason, how you end your game can have a big impact on how people look back on the game and you as a… Read more
	Ep91: Laws and Morality May 30, 2024 If you think about the world that your characters are moving through, there is probably some sort of legal structure that says what is allowed and what’s not allowed. Within communities of the world there may be a moral structure that is in line with or counter to the laws of the land. In this… Read more
	Ep90: Running Large Scale Battles Part 2 May 16, 2024 In part 2 of our Running Large Scale Combat episodes we continue the conversation digging deeper into what happens when the party members take on leadership roles in the military. Join us as John and Danielle further explore this topic! Got an idea for a future episode? We’d love to hear it! Go to https://becomingDM.com/ideas… Read more
	Ep89: Running Large-Scale Combat April 25, 2024 Are there large armies clashing in your world? If so, then eventually you may have the party getting involved with fighting them, so knowing how to run large scale combat is a useful skill for DMs. In this episode of becomingDM, John and Danielle talk about some options for how to run large scale combat… Read more
	Ep88: Running Theater of the Mind Combat April 11, 2024 Sometimes you don’t have time to create a map for your combat encounters. Sometimes the players do something unexpected and get into a fight that you weren’t prepared to put on the table in front of you. Sometimes you just don’t have enough space to run the combat that you would like with minis and… Read more
	SQ6: How Much Time Does it Take to Plan a Session April 5, 2024 We have seen several people curious about how long it actually takes to plan out a session lately. In this becomingDM side quest, John looks at the factors that can influence how long session planning takes and then reveals his average prep time. Join us for the side quest!
	Ep87: Running Play By Post Games March 14, 2024 Are you finding that you have trouble scheduling games with your group and no one seems to be available at the same time? Or maybe you don’t have the time to dedicate to a single long session. If that’s the case, consider running play by post games. In this episode of becomingDM, John and Danielle… Read more
	SQ5: Finding Local Games March 8, 2024 Having trouble trying to figure out where to look for players for your game or where to find a game that you can play in or run? In this becomingDM side quest, John talks about some of his favorite places to look for people for local games. Join us to find your next game! Got… Read more
	Ep86: Campaign Management February 29, 2024 There is a lot of stuff that happens in your games every session. If you don’t stay on top of managing your campaign, you could end up with players asking to revisit an NPC that you haven’t thought about in months and don’t really remember anything about. In this episode of becomingDM, John and Danielle… Read more
	SQ4: The Feast February 22, 2024 Spend enough time getting people together for game sessions and they’re going to want to have some food. In this becomingDM side quest, John talks about the things to consider for food at the table and goes through some of the items that he has found have gone over well with the table. Join us… Read more
	Ep85: Getting Unstuck – Part 2 February 15, 2024 This week we continue our discussion about getting your game unstuck. Whether you are still stuck on setting, your players are being an issue or anything else, we’ll cover it and strategies to get yourself and your game unstuck. Additionally, John learns the term, “faffing about”! Join us for this week’s episode! Got an idea… Read more
	SQ3: Play Something Different – Parsely February 8, 2024 In this becomingDM side quest, John talks about a new game that you can use to play something different! Get ready for a game that mimics 80s style text-based computer games, but needs no computer with the game Parsely. If you want to get a copy of Parsely for yourself, make sure to go to… Read more
	Ep84: Getting Unstuck February 2, 2024 Is your game filling you with a sense of dread when it’s coming up, or even when you’re running it? Do you find that you or your players just aren’t having fun? In this episode of becomingDM, John and Danielle discuss the ways that DMs (and players) can get stuck in the game and how… Read more
	SQ2: 5E Optional Rules for Flanking January 25, 2024 In this becomingDM Side Quest, John delves into optional rules for D&D 5e and talks about flanking. One of the standard rules that was left out from older versions of D&D and even pathfinder was how to handle when the party (or enemy) flanks their opponent. Check out this episode to see how the optional… Read more
	Ep83: DM Screens January 18, 2024 The age old question of whether you, as a DM, should use as a DM screen. What are the benefits? What are the drawbacks? What are some neat cool things you can do with them? In this episode of becomingDM we dive into the topic of DM screens with two different viewpoints: Danielle who is… Read more
	SQ1: I, Toaster January 11, 2024 In this becomingDM Side Quest, John talks about playing something different with the game I, Toaster. This will be a quick overview of the system with some highlights of the game play without getting into the nitty gritty details of the system. Get your copy of I, Toaster here: https://plusoneexp.itch.io/toaster
	SQ0: Introducing becomingDM Side Quests January 7, 2024 We’re introducing something a little new here at becomingDM. Over the past several years we have found that there have been several topics that have come up that just didn’t warrant a full episode. An introduction to a new game system, niche or custom rules, and a number of other topics have all fallen into… Read more
	Ep82: Do You Need That Skill Check? December 22, 2023 Tabletop role-playing games rely heavily on rolls to determine if characters are able to accomplish a task. Unfortunately, that can sometimes mean that DMs can be overzealous on asking for rolls for actions. In this episode, John and Danielle talk about some of the questions to ask yourself to determine if you really need that… Read more
	Ep81: Adding Crafting to Your Game December 7, 2023 Whether it’s a unique tool, a specialized non-magical weapon or something entirely different adding the custom crafting to your game is way to better engage your players in your game. Join Danielle and John as they talk about things to think about when you look at adding crafting to your game from both the DM… Read more
	Ep80: Decoding the Stat Block November 23, 2023 Have you found that your players deal with the enemies you set up a lot more easily than you would expect? Maybe it’s just a matter of how you’re reading the enemy stat blocks and incorporating them into your game. In this episode of becoming DM, John and Danielle walk through and show how decoding… Read more
	Ep79: Tabletop RPG Jargon November 9, 2023 If you spend enough time around a group of people that play tabletop RPGs, eventually you’ll find yourself in a situation where a variety of jargon is being used that you may not understand. This is especially prevalent in online forums where people talk about running games. In this episode of becomingDM, John and Danielle… Read more
	Ep78: Running Games With a Co-DM October 19, 2023 Running games with another DM can be a fun and exciting way to split up some of the work of a tabletop RPG. But how do you make sure that both you and your co-DM are on the same page? Or that you have an acceptable division of the work? In this episode of becomingDM… Read more
	Ep77: Moving From Player to DM September 28, 2023 Have you been a player for awhile and decided that you wanted to give it a shot and move to being a DM? Whether it’s looking for things that you didn’t think about in the “job” of being a DM or just wanting some guidance on where to start, this episode is for you! Join… Read more
	Ep76: Making Combat Interesting September 14, 2023 After the thirtieth miss rolled by both you and the players you decide to end combat for the night because it just keeps dragging on. It doesn’t have to be this way! In this episode of becomingDM, John and Danielle explore strategies to make combat more interesting. Whether it’s adding to your descriptions, thinking tactically… Read more
	Ep75: Running Evil Campaigns Part 2 August 24, 2023 Haven’t gotten enough evil yet? That’s ok, we’re not done! In part 2 of our discussion about running evil campaigns, Daniell and John continue talking about factions in evil games and about how to make sure that things are staying fun. Join us for the conclusion of our discussion on running evil campaigns! We want… Read more
	Ep74: Running Evil Campaigns Part 1 August 10, 2023 Sometimes your players are tired of being the good guys. Sometimes they just want to create a little mayhem and ignore the plight of the villagers. Sometimes they event want to BE the plight of the villagers! In this episode of becomingDM we’re going to be talking about Running Evil Campaigns and the things that… Read more
	Ep73: AI Tools for DMs July 27, 2023 Whether it’s helping to create a stat block for an NPC you hadn’t anticipated being part of your campaign or generating a list of items that the party found in a Goblin’s pockest, AI tools allow DMs to add things to their game that would normally require a large amount of effort. In this episode,… Read more
	Ep72: Make Exposition Fun July 13, 2023 There’s so much information to share with players about your world, especially with a new campaign. It may be tempting to just give players a massive document to get them up to speed, but don’t do it! It’s just as important how you deliver your exposition as it is what is in it. In this… Read more
	Ep71: Building the Table June 29, 2023 There’s a lot of different ways that you can increase and add to immersion in your table. In past episodes, we have made reference to a table that John built with a TV in the middle. In this episode, Danielle takes on the MC role and interviews John about questions she’s always wanted answered when… Read more
	Ep70: Running Resource Restricted Games June 15, 2023 Whether it’s time, money, food and water, or other resources, running a resource restricted game can add a new dimension at your table. In addition to making player choices matter, restricting resources can cause combat to be more challenging. Join John and Danielle to hear about the ways you can add restrictions into your game! … Read more
	Ep69: Encouraging Player Collaboration June 1, 2023 When players don’t get along, it can make your session take forever to get anywhere. Whether it’s simply buying in that everyone is on the same team or having a decision mechanism when players don’t agree on something, encouraging player collaboration is critical. In this episode, John and Danielle talk about the tips and techniques… Read more
	Ep68: My Favorite Monster – The Good Guys January 20, 2023 Join us for another episode of our occasional series, My Favorite Monster. In this episode we’re talking about good-aligned monsters that you can put against your evil party. Whether it’s the always classic Unicorn or the lesser known Guardian Naga, we’ve got something that you can challenge your players with. So join John and Danielle… Read more
	Ep67: Play Something Different December 23, 2022 As hard as it may be to believe, D&D isn’t the only tabletop roleplaying game around. So it’s possible that you’ll end up in a place where you want to play something different at your table. In this episode of becomingDM, John and Danielle discuss the things to consider when changing game systems. From the… Read more
	Ep66: When Players Leave Your Table December 9, 2022 Eventually you will have a situation where players need to leave the table that you’re running a game at. Whether it’s because of life changes that don’t give them as much time for games or because of a personality conflict or one of the many other reasons, when a player leaves there are several things… Read more
	Ep65: It’s a Trap! November 10, 2022 Want to add a little more variety and challenge as the players move up to the final encounter of a dungeon? Adding a trap, or more than one, to your dungeon can increase immersion, and cause your players to think twice about where they step. In this episode of becomingDM, John and Danielle talk about… Read more
	Ep64: Running Games for First Time Players October 27, 2022 Maybe you’ve had some co-workers that you’ve been trying to get to play a game with you for some time. Or maybe some friends knew that you run games and just recently watched something that raised their interest in tabletop gaming. Whatever the reason, if you’re running games for first time players there are a… Read more
	Ep63: Running Thanksgiving Themed Games October 7, 2022 Gobble gobble! It’s the time of year when many DMs think about running Thanksgiving Themed Games! In this episode of becomingDM, John and Danielle discuss some things to keep in mind if you’re wanting to create a themed game as well as suggestions of possible story themes. Whether it’s helping to save dinner or having… Read more
	Ep62: Intimate Encounters September 22, 2022 Sometimes you’ll end up running a game where the players want to have some intimate encounters. Whether this is because they are trying to flirt with the local governor to get their way or dealing with a succubus or maybe they have tried to start a sexual relationship with one of your PCs this is… Read more
	Ep61: When Characters Buy Property September 8, 2022 Eventually, your characters will get enough money that they want to do something with it. Rather than figuring out how much an army costs, you can redirect them to look at buying property. In this episode of becomingDM, John and Danielle talk about what happens when characters buy property. We go over a number of… Read more
	Ep60: Are DMs Always Right? August 26, 2022 Rule zero gets quoted a lot for role playing games: where the rules aren’t in charge, the DM is. But is that really the case? In this episode of becomingDM, John and Danielle discuss homebrewing rules: when you shouldn’t homebrew, when you should consider it, as well as other things to consider when changing up… Read more
	Ep59: Running Games With Neurodiverse Players April 28, 2022 From a listener suggestion we are hosting an episode on running games for neurodiverse players. Guest co-host Adam Kabatoff joins us to discuss the topic and we give tips and suggestions to consider. But be aware, there is no one size fits all advice for any player at your table, this episode is designed as… Read more
	Ep58: Getting Paid Part 2 March 31, 2022 In the part 2 of our getting paid series, John and Danielle continue the discussion around things to consider when becoming a paid DM. This time we continue the discussion around choosing your pricing model and venture into topics like setting expectations with customers on what you will and won’t tolerate in a paid game. … Read more
	Ep57: Getting Paid Part 1 March 3, 2022 They always say if you love your job then you’ll never work a day in your life. So if your job is being a DM, what does that mean? In this episode of becomingDM, John and Danielle talk about the details of getting paid as a DM. Whether it’s understanding what it means to be… Read more
	Ep56: Dimensional and Time Travel February 17, 2022 We’re continuing our deep dive into travel! If you’re players have been considering going to another plane or dimension, or maybe you have plans for time travel, then this is the episode for you. John and Danielle talk about how players can participate in dimensional travel as well as get into a brief discussion about… Read more
	Ep55: More Travel February 3, 2022 In this episode of becomingDM, we’re talking more about Travel. You may recall that in episode 19 we talked about how to make travel more interesting. In this episode, the first of a two part episode, we talk about the nuts and bolts of travel and how it can work in your game. Whether you’re… Read more
	Ep54: Dealing With: Clerics January 20, 2022 In our latest episode of our occasional series, “Dealing With”, we’re digging into what makes Clerics tick! If you’re looking for better ways to challenge your cleric players, or simply want to make them more tightly integrated with your story, then join us! John and Danielle discuss it all as well as their individual experience… Read more
	Ep53: Running a Session Zero December 23, 2021 If you’re wanting to understand what a new group of players hopes to get out of the game. Or maybe you’ve never played with someone before and need to know if there are topics that they won’t play in a game with. Possibly you just want to set the scene before you start playing so… Read more
	Ep52: Challenge Your Players With Conditions December 9, 2021 Finding yourself not to do when a creature provides an effect of petrified? Or maybe you’re just looking for a way to put a different twist on combat by introducing blindness. Whatever the reason, conditions can be a good way to challenge your players, whether in combat or out. In this episode, John and Danielle… Read more
	Ep51: My Favorite Monster 4 November 25, 2021 It’s time for another episode of My Favorite Monster! In the fourth episode of this series, we are talking about Dinosaurs and Cockatrices. Join us and John and Danielle talk about some of the specifics of these monsters and how you might use them in your game. We always want to hear feedback! If you… Read more
	Ep50: Games With Familiars, Animal Companions, and Pets November 11, 2021 Whether it is a character feature that grants players the ability to have a familiar or an animal companion or you have players that just want to befriend every potential pet they encounter, the game you run can change significantly with these additions. In this episode of becomingDM, John and Danielle talk about how to… Read more
	Ep49: Running Games With Little or No Prep – Part 2 October 28, 2021 In the second part of our two part series, John and Danielle continue their discussion on running games with little or no prep. In this part, they cover how to get out of trouble you may have created (overpowered magic items, unintended plot lines) as well as some additional improv tips. Join use for more!… Read more
	Ep48: Running Games With Little or No Prep – Part 1 October 14, 2021 Sometimes you don’t have time to put together a plan for your next session. Life gets in the way, or maybe you even got writers block. Whatever the reason, if you’re a DM, at some point you will find yourself needing to run a session with little or no prep. In this episode, John and… Read more
	Ep47: Adding Downtime to Your Games September 30, 2021 Let’s face it, your adventurers can’t go from quest to quest indefinitely. Eventually they are going to find a town where they need to take a little break, recover, maybe even do some research or build their own business. Adding downtime to your games is an important piece of making your world feel like a… Read more
	Ep46: Planning and Running One Shots September 16, 2021 One shot adventures can be a great way to break up a campaign if you need some time off from the main story line. They can also be a good way to introduce players that haven’t played together before or just try out a new type of adventure with your group. But how do you… Read more
	Ep45: Improving Your Descriptions August 19, 2021 Whether it’s the dark spooky forest just outside of town or the raucous bar that the characters find themselves in, having the right description so that players understand what’s going on around them is extremely important. That’s why, in this episode of becomingDM John and Danielle are talking about tips and trips to guide you… Read more
	Ep44: Implementing Games of Chance and Gambling August 5, 2021 Do your players yearn to lose some money at a casino? Or maybe they are just looking for an illicit back room card game. Do they want a game of chance or would they prefer to use their skills at a gambling to win some money? In this episode, John and Danielle talk about implementing… Read more
	Ep43: Keeping Players Engaged July 22, 2021 When you have players that stop paying attention when it’s not their turn, that’s a problem. But if they aren’t following the storyline at all and have been checking out, that’s a huge problem! Join Danielle and John in this episode of becomingDM where they talk about strategies for keeping your players engaged and excited… Read more
	Ep42: Leveling Up July 8, 2021 Eventually your players are going to get to the point where they are interested in leveling up their characters. But maybe you have questions on how they get to that point or even what happens when the character is ready for the next level. Join Danielle and John as we discuss options for leveling up. … Read more
	Ep41: Holidays and Calendars June 24, 2021 Holidays and calendars? No, we’re not talking about creating homemade gifts, it a new episode of becomingDM! This time John and Danielle talk about using holidays to create unique experiences within towns and also to represent the passage of time. They also talk about calendars and determining whether or not creating a calendar makes sense… Read more
	Ep40: DM Burnout June 10, 2021 Are you feeling unmotivated when it comes to planning out your games? Do you get more frustrated with your players than usual? Have you stopped caring about the outcomes of your game sessions? If so, you may be experiencing DM Burnout. Join us in this episode of becomingDM as John and Danielle talk about identifying… Read more
	Ep39: Creating Interesting Shopping Experiences May 27, 2021 Maybe you’ve been stuck and all of the shops in your world look the same. Or maybe you skip over the shopping experience altogether. Whatever the reason, John and Danielle are ready to help you create more interesting shopping experiences for your world. Join us as we talk about everything from creating the shop itself,… Read more
	Ep00: Welcome to becomingDM Again! May 23, 2021 We’ve said our farewells to Felicia, now let’s get acquainted with Danielle and the show! becomingDM is a podcast devoted to tabletop role-playing games and helping DMs and GMs have a better experience in their game. In the trailer we’ll talk about the qualifications of our two hosts, John and Danielle and have a little… Read more
	Ep38: The Consequences of Notoriety April 1, 2021 If your players stay in an area long enough, chances are they will become known for something. That something could be for their good deeds or for doing bad deeds as well. The consequences of gaining notoriety is sometimes something that DMs don’t include when building out their world. In this episode of becomingDM, John… Read more
	Ep37: Dealing With: Monks March 18, 2021 Whether they are using their kung fu skills or mastering the mystic forces of Ki, a good number of DMs have not had the experience of running games for Monks. So if a Monk joins their game, they may be at a loss for how to better integrate them into and challenge them with their… Read more
	Ep36: Upping Your Treasure Game March 4, 2021 Are your players tired of finding short sword after short sword? Has it gotten to the point where gold doesn’t even excite them anymore? Then maybe you need to look at upping your treasure game. In this episode of becomingDM, John and Felicia talk about treasure that your players can discover that isn’t just weapons,… Read more
	Ep35: Dealing With: Fighters February 18, 2021 In the latest release of our Dealing With series, we’re talking all about Fighters! Even though they have been a part of role playing games since pretty much the beginning, fighters can sometimes stump DMs when they start to blow through your carefully constructed combat scenarios. Or sometimes DMs are looking for additional ways to… Read more
	Ep34: Adding Factions to Your Game – Part 2 February 4, 2021 In this episode we continue our conversation with Malcolm about adding factions to your game! We get further into faction creation in discussing how the factions are organized, creating methods by which players can attempt to join factions, and even touch on how to create storylines that rely on your factions. Join us to hear… Read more
	Ep33: Adding Factions to Your Game – Part 1 January 21, 2021 The players in your games don’t have to be the only ones that bond together for a common cause! Adding factions to you game allows you to create groups that can have goals that align with or counter to the goals of your party. Whether it’s a government, a criminal syndicate, a mages college, adding… Read more
	Ep32: Running a Published Module January 7, 2021 The first episode of becomingDM in 2021 features a listener requested topic of running published modules. Join us as John and Felicia cover choosing the appropriate published module to run, what to do when you first get started, key things to look out for in your modules, and even how to deal with missing elements… Read more
	Ep31: My Favorite Monster Part 3 December 24, 2020 Are you looking for that next monster to populate your dungeon with? Maybe you need something to throw at your players as they are traveling across a wooded area. In the latest episode of becomingDM we are continuing out series on My Favorite Monster where John and Felicia discuss many of the monsters they have… Read more
	Ep30: Improv When Your Players Go Off the Map December 10, 2020 We’ve always said that preparation is one of the best ways to be able to pivot and improv when your game goes an unexpected direction. But what happens if the players make such a radical decision that if feels they’ve left the map entirely and are forging a completely new way? In this episode of… Read more
	Ep29: Finding the Right Players for Your Game November 26, 2020 Whether you are starting a new game, expanding the group you currently play with, or replacing someone that has left, finding the right player for your game is critical to ensure it’s continued fun and success. In this episode of becomingDM, John and Felicia talk about things to consider when looking for new players as… Read more
	Ep28: Dealing With: Rogues November 12, 2020 They’re always sneaking up on the enemies and sneak attacking them! How do you hide in the middle of combat? What exactly does uncanny dodge do? If you have a rogue in your game, chances are that you may have said one of these things at this point. In this episode of becomingDM, John and… Read more
	Ep27: When Characters Die October 29, 2020 If you run role-playing games long enough, you will eventually experience the death of one of the characters in the game. Whether it’s intentional when a player is leaving the game or the result of bad luck on rolls or just simple stupid mistakes, death always brings the question to your game of, “what’s next?” … Read more
	Ep26: Low and No Magic Campaigns October 15, 2020 Have you gotten tired of magic always coming to the rescue of your players? Maybe you just want less magic in your campaign because Joe always tries to get a +5 battle axe of head severing. Whatever the reason, running a low or no magic campaign can be a way to change up things from… Read more
	Ep25: Running a Halloween Themed Game October 1, 2020 It’s that time of year! With Halloween right around the corner, a lot of DMs are thinking about running Halloween themed or horror games. But where does an enterprising DM start? Have no fear, in the first episode after returning from a break John and Felicia talk about the different kinds of games that you… Read more
	Ep24: Dealing With DM Imposter Syndrome July 9, 2020 You’ve just wrapped up a session of you’re favorite role playing game and you start feeling a sensation of dread. “Did the players have fun? Was my story even interesting? They probably thought that I don’t know what I’m doing because I don’t know the rules as well as some of the players”. If you’re… Read more
	Ep23: My Favorite Monster Part 2 June 25, 2020 Looking for new monsters to try out in your game? Or maybe you’ve got that perfect monster and don’t know quite the way to use it to make an interesting or challenging scenario for your players. In the latest installment of our every-so-often series, My Favorite Monster, John and Felicia are talking a whole new… Read more
	Ep22: Critical Successes and Failures June 11, 2020 Critical success and critical failures can make your favorite role playing game more exciting or nerve wracking, but what does it actually mean to have a critical success or critical failure. In this episode of becomingDM, John and Felicia talk about rolling nat 20s and nat 1s, what the rules say about them as well… Read more
	Ep21: Skills Clarification May 28, 2020 Do you know the difference between the acrobatics and athletics skills? What about survival and nature? How about bluff and diplomacy? In this episode of becomingDM, John and Felicia talk about skills that may give DMs some trouble when trying to determine what’s best to use in a given situation. They will go over the… Read more
	Ep20: Options for Setting the Scene May 14, 2020 Combat and exploration is a big part of running a tabletop role playing game, so carefully considering how you set the scene for those situations can determine how invested your players are in the game. In this episode of becomingDM, John and Felicia talk about the four main options for setting the scene in your… Read more
	Ep19: Making Travel Interesting April 30, 2020 Whether you’re running a game of political intrigue or an epic hack n slash campaign, sometimes traveling between points A and B can fall a bit flat. Sure, everyone wants to keep the story going, but sometimes having the story broken up by unexpected trips during travel can make the game that enjoyable. In this… Read more
	Ep18: Running Games for Kids April 16, 2020 You’ve been waiting for years and you feel like the day is finally here. Your kids have gotten old enough to actually play in your favorite tabletop role playing game! But wait, how do you make sure that their first experience keeps them wanting to come back for more? This week on becomingDM, John and… Read more
	Ep17: Playing From Exile April 2, 2020 With all of the news about COVID-19 going around, it’s easy to understand why so many in person games may have been cancelled in order to stay in line with social distancing and stay at home orders. But don’t fret! You don’t have to push the pause button on your campaign! In this episode, we… Read more
	Ep16: My Favorite Monster 1 March 19, 2020 We’re starting a new “every so often” series here at becomingDM called “My Favorite Monster” where Felicia and John discuss some of their favorite monsters to throw against players at their tables. Each new episode in the series will cover new monsters, talk about some specific traits that are important for them and how they… Read more
	Ep15: Integrating Puzzles Into Your Game March 5, 2020 Puzzles can be a great addition to you game to get players more involved, unless they aren’t. In this episode of becomingDM, John and Felicia talk about a number of things to consider when integrating puzzles into your tabletop role playing game. They will cover determining whether or not your players will even enjoy having… Read more
	Ep14: Key Skills for DMs February 20, 2020 Whether you are just starting out running games or you’ve been a DM for a quarter century there are probably skills that you could identify that you feel are important for running a quality game. Is it the ability to smile during adversity? Or maybe being able to fold origami swans that you can throw… Read more
	Ep13: Problem Players February 6, 2020 Even though role playing games are times when people come together to create a story together, sometimes it’s not all harmony. Some players actively destroy the balance of harmony and can make games take significantly longer, upset other players, and in the worst cases completely torpedo the game. This week, John and Felicia talk about… Read more
	Ep12: Build Your Own Nemesis January 23, 2020 It’s the last episode of the build your own series! When it comes to building out a campaign, building a nemesis can be a big undertaking. In addition to determining whether your characters will end up choosing their own nemesis because of their own actions, you have to concern yourself with a big personality, back… Read more
	Ep11: Build Your Own Story January 9, 2020 In the next episode of our continuing series discussing building your own campaign, we cover building your own story. Whether its dungeon diving or palace intrigue, every role playing game has some sort of story, but where do you begin? Whether you need help just getting the ball rolling or you need to understand story… Read more
	Ep10: Build Your Own Setting (Part 2) December 26, 2019 Religions and Governments and Races, oh my! Knowing the what the map looks like and some of the other basics in your world is great, but what if you want to get more nitty gritty details that you can build stories with and get your players even more involved in the setting? In the third… Read more
	Ep9: Build Your Own Setting (Part 1) December 12, 2019 Where your story happens can be just as important as the story itself. If you’re planning on running a game in a country, a region, or even just a single city the content of those locations can enrich and enhance the story that your players will be a part of. In the second episode in… Read more
	Ep8: Before You Build Your Own November 28, 2019 Whether it’s the stories they tell or the worlds that their players exist in, many DMs often decide it’s time to build their own adventure. But the question is, where do you start? In this episode of becomingDM we will talk about the things to do before you get started building your own campaign. John… Read more
	Ep7: The Holiday Gift Guide November 14, 2019 Do you have someone that plays role playing games and you don’t know what gift will really hit the mark? Have you been through year after year of buying crappy gifts that end up in the trash and just don’t know what to do? Never fear, dear listener, becomingDM is here to help you roll… Read more
	Ep6: Creating Compelling NPCs October 31, 2019 Whether it’s someone that you had planned for your party to interact with or someone that they randomly chose out of the crowd, creating NPCs that help give your story extra depth is important for any role playing game. But sometimes it can seem daunting to tackle the different personalities, backgrounds and motivations that come… Read more
	Ep5: Do We Really Need Alignment? October 17, 2019 When players create new characters the fill out stats, they add points to skills, they choose weapons and all of these things have specific times where they are called upon again through the course of game play. But with alignment, you fill it out and there isn’t typically a specific check for it. With this… Read more
	Ep4: Incorporating Monsters and Treasures Into Your Campaign October 3, 2019 Are you having trouble deciding what monsters to put your players up against? Do you struggle with trying to figure out whether or not you’ll decimate your players with the monsters you’ve chosen? Or maybe you’re concerned that you’re giving out too much treasure when your players succeed. Making the right choices around monsters and… Read more
	Ep3: Tools to Amp Up Your RPG Experience September 19, 2019 We’ve all been there, sometimes you want to bring something new to your role playing game experience to give it that extra bit of special. Whether it’s improving your miniatures game, giving your players tools to make their game more enjoyable, or technology and organizational tools we’ve got something for you. Join us this week… Read more
	Ep2: When Players Break Your Story. September 5, 2019 Your players just killed the NPC that you spent hours creating and now your story’s been ripped off track! This week, we’ll discuss those times when players go astray with the story line and how to get them back on track, and if that’s even the right course! Is your story broken on purpose because… Read more
	Ep1: They Asked You to Be Dungeon Master, Now What? August 22, 2019 You just got invited to a new tabletop role playing session, and guess what? You’re the dungeon master! This week we’re going to discuss what do do when it’s your first time dungeon mastering a game, whether it’s your first time with role playing games, the first time dungeon mastering a system you’ve played before,… Read more
	Ep0: Welcome to becomingDM! August 17, 2019 Thank you for considering listening to becomingDM, a podcast devoted to tabletop role-playing games and helping dungeon masters and players to have a better experience. In this episode, we introduce the show as well as the qualifications of our two hosts, John Welsh and Felicia Martinez. We hope you stick around for our every-other-week show. … Read more