Dungeon Musings

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Idle thoughts on roleplaying games, and the folks what play them. See more of me on the Dungeon Musings YouTube channel, available at fine internets everywhere.

Dungeon Musings


    • Dec 9, 2021 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 58m AVG DURATION
    • 68 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Dungeon Musings

    The State of Play at the End of the Year

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 9, 2021 89:51


    In this episode, I talk about the games we have been playing over on the Dungeon Musings YouTube channel, including a terrific experience we had with Modiphius' new Achtung! Cthulhu 2d20, and some of the games that I plan to get to the table in the new year.

    Lessons from Horror Video Games for Tabletop RPGs

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 31, 2021 53:20


    In this episode, I share my frustration with the Resident Evil 7 video game and discuss lessons that might be drawn from such video games that are applicable to TTRPGs.

    The End of Summer Update

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 27, 2021 151:35


    In this episode, I discuss the games that we have been playing on the Dungeon Musings YouTube channel and some games in the pipeline.

    Canon

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 30, 2021 57:02


    In this episode, I discuss a history of nerd canon, from comics to Star Wars to Dungeons and Dragons, and share thoughts on Wizards of the Coast's new statement on D&D canon.

    Falling In and Out of Love (with Games)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 7, 2021 58:51


    In this episode, I discuss some of the changes I have made to the line up of games on the Dungeon Musings YouTube channel, and my reasons for those changes.

    The Musers' Marathon 2021

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 9, 2021 60:42


    In this episode, I provide an analysis of the planning, execution, and aftermath of this year's gaming marathon on the Dungeon Musings YouTube channel.

    In Defense of the Unplanned Ongoing Campaign

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 12, 2021 65:20


    In this episode, I discuss the lessons that can be drawn from the early decades of the Marvel Comics Universe amd how they relate to ongoing RPG campaigns that have no planned ending.

    Mailbag Questions!

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 13, 2021 66:53


    In this episode, I dig into the mailbag and offer my answers to questions about player absences, metagaming, and other "table rules" issues.

    One More For The Road

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 23, 2020 75:38


    In this episode, I discuss the stats I drew from my overview of the Dungeon Musings YouTube channel's games played, and lessons that I may draw from the past year.

    Goodbye 2020

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 16, 2020 113:01


    In this episode, I discuss the games I have run this year, the games currently demanding my attention, and the games coming up in 2021.

    The State of Play: October 2020

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 22, 2020 59:34


    In this episode, I discuss some of the ongoing campaigns we have on the Dungeon Musings YouTube channel and some of the one-shot adventures and sessions we have played. I also discuss some issues with adapting material from one RPG to another.

    A Long Delayed Update

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 29, 2020 114:20


    In this episode, I discuss many of the awesome games that we have played over the past two months, my thoughts on same, and discuss plans for upcoming shenanigans.

    The State of Play: Summer 2020

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 2, 2020 62:52


    In this episode, I discuss the games I have been reading and running in the months of July and August 2020.

    Beginnings, Change, Vision, and Threads

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 5, 2020 74:50


    In this episode, I use the themes from the first four days of RPGaDay 2020 to consider my ongoing games, my recent one-shots, and games to consider for the near future.

    The State of Quarantine Play

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 17, 2020 45:14


    In this episode, I give an update on the State of Play on the Dungeon Musings YouTube channel, and talk about the hybrid play that comes from combining modern sensibilities with an old school game, successfully.

    Also Rans for the Gaming Marathon

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 5, 2020 54:25


    In this episode, I discuss some of the games that came close to making the cut for this year's gaming marathon.

    The Play is the Thing: Emergent Story, Narrative Structures, and Setting Lore/Trivia in TTRPGs

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 2, 2020 112:48


    In this episode, I offer a state of play on all of my ongoing campaigns, as well as my recent gaming marathon running Sixmorevodka's post-apocalyptic RPG, Degenesis. In the course of this, I touch on the relationships between emergent story, narrative structures, and setting information (making a distinction between trivia and lore).

    Back to the Barrowmaze

    Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2020 47:51


    In this episode, I discuss my reason for leaving behind the Scarlet Heroes rules for the Barrowmaze, and provide an update on the State of Play of our AD&D 2e games (including a discussion of how I adapted some Pathfinder RPG content to my AD&D 2e campaign).

    The Reverse Honeymoon

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 30, 2020 10:59


    In this episode, I forgo talking about gaming to discuss my recent experience with moving, and the reverse honeymoon that I experienced as a result, and propose a strategy for recognizing and managing that phenomenon.

    Lessons from the Night Below

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 27, 2020 69:23


    In this episode, I answer a viewer's question from the Dungeon Musings YouTube channel, about the lessons I have learned from running the Night Below campaign with AD&D 2nd edition.

    Bookkeeping and Emergent Play in RPGs

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 26, 2020 68:01


    In this episode, I discuss the topic of bookkeeping in emergent play or sandbox games and provide a state of play with respect to my AD&D 2e and Astonishing Swordsmen and Sorcerers of Hyperborea campaigns.

    Breaking the Ludonarrative Dissonance Impass by Sacrificing Babies

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 21, 2020 59:11


    In this episode, I discuss strategies to circumvent ludonarrative dissonance by making compromises in each of the dissonant parts. I also talk about some future games I would like to run, once the current crisis is over.

    Dungeons and Dragons and Degenesis

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 20, 2020 70:24


    In this episode, I give an update on the state of play on the Dungeon Musings YouTube channel, including the two AD&D 2nd edition games we have on the go, and discuss my recent obsession with Six More Vodka's mind-blowing Degenesis RPG.

    History as a Consequence of Mechanics in Modern and Old School Games

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 31, 2020 74:47


    In this episode, I discuss how the mechanics of different games, particularly the pace with which a character recovers resources, has a consequence on the time that passes in the game, and how that impacts the story developing therein.

    Play in the Time of Pandemic

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 19, 2020 77:40


    In this episode, I discuss some recent games I have run, including AD&D 2nd edition, Astonishing Swordsmen and Sorcerers of Hyperborea, Masks: A New Generation, Kult: Divinity Lost, and City of Mist. I also discuss gaming strategies for the housebound.

    Teen Heroes and Tactical Crunch

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 11, 2020 40:06


    In this episode of the podcast, I focus on the games I have been running and those soon to come.

    Storytelling in a Sandbox with Setting

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 3, 2020 64:30


    In this episode, I discuss strategies for using setting elements in a sandbox RPG campaign to reinforce a wider story. I also get caught up with this week's games in my State of Play segment.

    A Little Bitta Love

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 25, 2020 27:46


    The last few episodes of this podcast have been a bit more negative than normal, so here is my discussion of some of the RPGs that I am or will be running that have me VERY excited. :)

    The Function of Level in Non-Combat Scenes

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 25, 2020 74:49


    In this episode, I discuss the consequences of linking all aspects of game play in tabletop RPGs to character level.

    Mechanical Support: Adapting Rules to Suit the Fiction

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 19, 2020 67:07


    In this episode, I discuss my recent experiences with using homebrew rules to support a specific type of play experience, and how that approach might be applied in other games. I also provide a debrief of our recent Zweihander experience.

    The October Faction RPG

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2020 58:08


    In this episode, I discuss my approach to designing an RPG one-shot based on Netflix's October Faction tv series, and how I came up with a custom set of rules for the session tailored to the sensibilities of the show.

    Strategies for Campaign Management

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2020 57:35


    In this episode, I discuss the strategies I use to manage my ongoing campaigns and provide an update on the state of play on the Dungeon Musings YouTube channel.

    Considering Adventure Design

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 30, 2020 80:21


    In this episode, I discuss the topic of adventure design and how it relates to choice of game. I also give an example of adventure design, using the upcoming October Faction one-shot I will be running as an example. Warning: SPOILERS for October Faction (the series) and my one shot are in segments 3 and 4, so skip those if you want to avoid spoilers.

    War Stories

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 20, 2020 41:29


    In this episode, I discuss a flashback technique I use in my RPG campaigns and provide an assessment of the state of play of my ongoing campaigns.

    Hello 2020

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 13, 2020 71:58


    In this episode, I discuss the games run, and lessons learned, in 2019.

    The Holistic Game

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 6, 2019 113:16


    In this episode, I discuss how the game mechanics of tabletop RPGs determine the overall experience of ongoing campaigns.

    Overview and Review of the One Ring RPG

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 18, 2019 56:46


    In this episode, I share some recent experiences I had with Cubicle7's terrific The One Ring RPG and provide my thoughts on same.

    The Value of Muscle Confusion in the DM Brain

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 20, 2019 44:36


    In this episode, I discuss some lessons I feel I drew from my first successful effort at running a Story-focused or Narrative-focused game, in this case Son of Oak Game Studios' awesome City of Mist RPG.

    What have you been up to Kev? What do you have planned?

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 7, 2019 41:12


    In this episode, I discuss the games I have run in the past month and what I have planned for the final quarter of 2019.

    Campaign Corner: Starfinder - Against the Aeon Throne

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 11, 2019 47:21


    In this episode, I chat about my ongoing campaign running Paizo Publishing's awesome science fantasy RPG, Starfinder

    Story Choices and Framing Your Heroes

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 26, 2019 57:29


    In this episode, I discuss how choices in setting/story can have a structural effect on character ethics, and how that relates to RPG campaigns.

    Campaign Corner 2: Pathfinder 2nd Edition - Back in the Barrowmaze

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 9, 2019 65:42


    In this episode, I discuss the approach I am taking on my second effort at running a Pathfinder 2nd Edition campaign set in Greg Gillespie's awesome megadungeon adventure, Barrowmaze Complete.

    campaign pathfinder barrowmaze complete
    Managing the Guests in Your Garden

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 29, 2019 36:08


    In this episode, I take some call-ins and then share some thoughts on negative online interactions and strategies for dealing with same.

    Death in RPGs: Explicit and Implicit Rules and Assumptions

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 18, 2019 71:12


    In this episode, I tackle the issue of Player Character mortality in RPGs, how campaign design affects the impact of PC death, and how systems can influence how death is presented in the games.

    Games in Play, Games on Deck, and Games on the Bedside Table

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 13, 2019 99:02


    In this episode, I talk about the slate of games I am currently running, some of the games coming soon to the Dungeon Musings YouTube channel, and my love for the ugly stepchild that is the Mechwarrior 3rd edition RPG (aka the Classic Battletech RPG).

    Campaign Corner 1: Astonishing Swordsmen and Sorcerers of Hyperborea - Beneath the Boneyard

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 15, 2019 48:35


    In this episode, I discuss one of my current ongoing campaigns, Beneath the Boneyard, which is played using a heavily houseruled version of Astonishing Swordsmen and Sorcerers of Hyperborea to play a Gothic Mystery Pathfinder adventure.

    The Roadrunner Rules

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 14, 2019 41:08


    In this episode, I discuss the lessons that can be learned from Chuck Jones' Roadrunner Rules and how they can be applied to RPG campaign design, using one example from my own list of "to do" games.

    The Promise of Old School Play and the Virtue of Simplicity

    Play Episode Listen Later May 26, 2019 91:46


    In this episode, I talk about some of the lessons learned from the past year's exploration of the OSR movement and how they have impacted on my plans for the next six months of gaming.

    Finding Your Voice as a Dungeon Master

    Play Episode Listen Later May 10, 2019 25:52


    In this episode, I talk about the importance of running games in a manner that is authentic to your personality and preferences.

    Write for the Session, Not the Campaign: Lessons from DC's Doom Patrol

    Play Episode Listen Later May 5, 2019 18:46


    In this short episode, I share some lessons I feel can be drawn from the new Doom Patrol TV series, currently on DC's streaming service.

    Sudden Starts and Fiery Finishes: Advice on Starting and Ending Campaigns

    Play Episode Listen Later May 2, 2019 36:21


    Pretty much says it all in the title. :)

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