D&D Story Building Podcast

Carl comes back from a long break and discusses 3 tools that every DM should consider using for online play.

In this episode, Carl talks about using realism in your D&D game. Realism is one of those things that every DM will probably think about, but use differently. But are there some things we can bring into our games with realism, that makes it interesting?  Find out in this episode and let's get into it!

In this episode, Carl talks about history!  History is full of amazing people and events that we can use as inspiration. With this inspiration, we can enrich our games and worlds like you wouldn't believe. Let's get into it!

What do you do when your D&D goes static and your players get bored? This is every Dungeon Masters greatest fear, but don't worry, you're going to be prepared! In this episode Carl walks you through some tips & tricks you can do in order to get your players engaged and interested in the story you're all telling. Let's get into it!

You know what they say...the only thing consistent in the universe is inconsistency....not when it comes to this game we love! Being consistent with playing D&D is a little known key to longterm success playing D&D....sometimes....maybe most of the times. In this episode, Carl talks about the importance of consistency in your D&D games. Let's get into it!

There's a type of player every DM will have to reconcile with......the RULES LAWYER. However, is being a Rules Lawyer a bad thing? Isn't that what a Dungeon Master is? All these questions are answered in this episode as Carl shares his tips and thoughts about Rules Lawyers.

This is the final part of the DM 101 mini series. In this episode, Carl shares with you the ultimate secret to being a Dungeon Master! Hint: This is definitely a clickbait episode.

This is part 4 of the DM101 mini series! In this episode, Carl shares his tips and what you need to know on how you can keep your D&D games going from week to week.

We continue into part 3 of the DM 101 mini series! In this episode Carl does a D&D story analysis on Eragon and breaks down some awesome story tips. Eragon is filled with inspiration for Dungeon Masters to pull from to bring their games to the next level.

Welcome to part 2 of the DM 101 mini series brought to you by D&D Story Building. In this episode, Carl gives you advice on everything you need in order to be ready for your first session.

This is the first part of our mini series DM 101! In this episode, Carl lists out the things you need in order to run a D&D game as a DM. It's not as long as you would think. Basic D&D Rules Carl's Twitter D&DSB Twitter

Sometimes stuff happens...and sometimes that stuff will keep you from being able to play your D&D games or go to game night. What do you do? What should you do? After a short break, Carl is here to give you advice on this topic and walk you through what to do when life keeps you from your game. Let's get into it.

Learning the ins and outs of being a dungeon master is easy. But it's always a great idea to look at what other dungeon masters are doing and learning from the best. Which is why Carl shares some story lessons he learned from the Adventure Zone podcast. Griffin McElroy is an amazing storyteller, DM, and podcaster that we can all learn a thing or two from. Let's get into it!

Sometimes life gets in the way of fun....and D&D is no exception. Things come up and players will sometimes not be able to make it to game night. What do you do? Find out in this episode of D&D Story Building!

Wynonna Earp is a fun TV show and the perfect kind of story to inspire Dungeon Masters. In this episode we talk about the lessons from Wynonna Earp and how to use character backstory to get them hooked on the campaign.

Playing a long-term D&D game comes with amazing story moments and memories. But once in a while it may seem to come to a stand still and your players may not know what to do. In comes the MacGuffins! MacGuffins are a narrative tool/term that every DM should know and Carl shares his advice on how to use them in your game.

Playing D&D every week with a play group is awesome! But sometimes it can be too much of a good thing. When this happens, don't worry! It's actually a good thing. In this episode, Carl talks about why it's good and the things you can do when your group takes a break from D&D. Here's the one-shot Carl recommends - Blue Alley

When your players slay a dragon they expect gold, magic items, and glory. But why not land, followers, or a lordship? In this episode Carl talks about different ways you could reward your players for their heroic deed and give them a homebase.

Dungeons and Dragons is filled with monsters, adventure, and treasure......but sometimes even heroes need go shopping. Carl shares some of the ways he runs "shopping sessions" and how you could make them more exciting than a trip to the mall.

Having a new player come into your D&D campaign can either be simple or extremely complicated. But Carl has 2 (really 3) approaches for you to easily add a new player to your game without any worry.

How to Train Your Dragon is an incredible movie by Dreamworks and one of Carl's all time favorites. It's chock-full of amazing story beats and moments that Dungeon Masters everywhere could use in their games. Carl does a D&D story analysis and shares with you some awesome encounters inspired by this amazing movie!

Metagaming can take a lot of forms in D&D and RPGs in general. But how do we as Dungeon Masters deal with it if it becomes a problem? Carl shares the three pieces of advice from his experience with talking with players about metagaming. He also throws in some examples of when metagaming can be a good thing....Let's get into it!

In this episode of D&D Story Building we look at Stranger Things for D&D story tips. Stranger Things is an amazing TV show that has brought a lot of attention to Dungeons & Dragons as a whole. There are a lot of hidden gems for storytelling throughout Stranger Things that could help bring some mystery and horror to your games. Let's get into it!

Roll20 is a browser based platform that provides play groups with a virtual tabletop. It's a resource that Carl has been using for about 2 years (from the release of this episode). He shares with you the things you need to know about Roll20 and why it's a service you should use in your D&D games.

To celebrate the Fourth of July, we wanted to do it the D&D Story Building way. So Carl shares his thoughts on why you should add celebrations in your D&D games.

Starting out as a Dungeon Master seems like a lot of work and a tremendous amount of pressure. But that is far from the truth and you really don't need that much to get started. In this episode of D&D Story Building, Carl shares the 3 things you need in order to be a DM and start running your very own D&D games. Basic D&D Rules DnD Story Building  Carl's Twitter 

Pokemon is an incredible game that millions around the world love. It just so happens to have a BUNCH of awesome story tips and lessons we can use in Dungeons & Dragons!  Rachel, our very own Pokemon Queen, is here to walk us through these awesome story lessons from Pokemon and how we, as DMs, can bring them into our games.  Where to find Rachel:  Twitter: @ragnerrok Instagram: ragnerrok.art

Players in Dungeons & Dragons want a lot of things....Money, treasure, magic items, and PETS! But what does this mean for Dungeon Masters? Is it more work? Or could we use this to our advantage... Find out in this episode of D&D Story Building where Carl brings on his first guest, Rachel (his longtime player and also his sister) onto the show.  Where to find Rachel?  Twitter: @ragnerrok Instagram: ragnerrok.art

The Wheel of Time book series, by Robert Jordan, is simply a fantasy staple of the genre. Which is why we are going to do a D&D Story Analysis on his first book, The Eye of the World. Carl is going to lay out three "encounters" for you to use in your Dungeons and Dragons sessions. These are based on events in The Eye of the World, so spoiler alert!

Dungeons and Dragons can get off the rails very easily...we've all been there. However, we can bring some order to the chaos and make memories we'll never forget. Tina Fey, in her book Bossypants, outlines her four rules of improv. These four rules are applicable for acting, business, but more importantly, for dungeon masters. Let's get into it!

Today Carl walks you through a D&D Story Analysis of HBOs drama miniseries Chernobyl. Chernobyl was a tragic disaster in our world's history and HBO was able to produce an amazing drama full of lessons we all should learn. Some of these lessons can be used by Dungeon Masters to bring a very interesting dramatic premise inspired by this miniseries to your games. Let's get into it!

There are so POWERFUL monsters in D&D...sometimes too powerful. Which is why as Dungeon Masters we can give certain monsters "video game weaknesses." By doing this, you'll be able to bring in the strong and iconic monsters that D&D are known for, no matter the level of your players.

Darth Vader is one of the most iconic characters of all time. He's a villain we love to hate and has an incredible story. Which is why having a character like this in your D&D game could lead to some awesome encounters! How you ask? Listen to this episode and find out.

Being a dungeon master is more than just running a Dungeons & Dragons adventure. To celebrate our 20th episode, we discover what it takes to be behind the screen and run this awesome game.  

In this episode, Carl looks at a few battles in Game of Thrones to see what story tips we can learn to make encounters much more epic. Battle scenes in TV shows, like Game of Thrones, are impressive feats of cinematography but there are a lot of little details you may have miss. It's these little details that we'll be discussing and that you can bring into your games! 

Finding your party to go on adventures with isn't always that easy. Carl's here to share his story on how he found his fellow nerds to play D&D with and how you can find your very own party of heroes to adventure with. 

This is a D&D story analysis on Daenerys Targaryen and the kinds of things YOU can do to bring an amazing NPC like her into your games.  Game of Thrones is an amazing story for dungeon masters to pull ideas from and introducing a character like Daenerys into your game could really breathe some fire in it.  In this episode we look at the character arch of Daenerys Targaryen and how we, as Dungeon Masters, can use a similar character to interact with our players.  Let's get into it! 

Outlines are a great tool for storytellers to use and Dungeon Masters are no exception! Carl gives you his three tips on what you need to consider before making your campaign outline. Preparing a campaign can seem really daunting, but it doesn't have to be. Dungeons & Dragons is a game where you and your friends get to go on adventures and forge amazing stories. Keeping that in mind, preparing/making a campaign for your friends should be fun and easy! 

D&D Story Building presents a D&D story analysis of the Hobbit! This classic fantasy novel has a lot to teach us Dungeon Masters. Carl picks his three favorite "lessons" that he discovered while analyzing the hobbit for D&D tips.

Today we talk about the different ways you can prepare for the beginning of your campaign. Are you an intense world builder? An off the cuff improviser? Or do you like to be just prepared enough? Starting a campaign can seem a little daunting but there is not just one right way. And the best way for you to get started...is the way you want!

Today we're going to do a D&D Story Analysis on the Night King from Game of Thrones. The Night King is a fierce force of nature and incredibly evil. But what can we learn from the Night King to make our D&D games epic?

This is the first episode of the D&D CAMPAIGN BUILDING series! Carl dives into the different types of campaigns you can run with your friends. Where are the places you'll go? D&D Story Building is THE podcast for nerds who want to become Dungeon Masters and make remarkable stories with their friends. 

Carl goes into how to prep combat encounters and what you need to keep in mind when making them. Let's get into it!

What is a combat encounter? Carl goes into what they are and just how important they are to your games!

Are D&D Adventure books worth getting? Find out in this episode in D&D Story Building where Carl gives you the pros and cons of what these books have to offer you. 

Today Carl answers the question, is D&D a story telling game? This seems to be a question that often pops up on Reddit and Twitter. The short answer is yes...but the long answer is also yes. 

In episode 007, Carl talks about building up to the villain of your campaign and the importance of "bread crumbs" early on.  

Carl talks about making a mentor for your players that's just enough to be helpful without being OP. 

Carl talks about why your players are the most important story element in your games. 

In this episode, Carl brings all three acts from the previous episodes and talks about how they all come together. 

Carl takes you through the journey of some basic story structure, starting with ACT I.