The GM's Guide

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In-depth podcast on how to improve your campaign, focusing on the adventure, world and character design. We apply proven and practical game design techniques to the world of running pen and paper campaigns. There's a lot to get into, so let's get started.

Dan Felder


    • Jun 25, 2021 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 45m AVG DURATION
    • 51 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from The GM's Guide

    I'm Releasing a Game!

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 25, 2021 36:12


    Trail of the Behemoth is an game about hunting giant monsters, a TTRPG you can bring to a boardgame night. I'm working on it with Seamus Allen, and we're going to talk about what we're doing and when it might be finished. I might even hand out some playtest files to listeners. If your interested, contact me on twitter @designerdanf. 

    Dealing with Evil PCs (and Paladins)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 31, 2021 31:42


    A listener sent me a question on how to deal with evil PCs, and how to deal with lawful-stupid paladins. I answer.

    Designing Your Own RPG System (Part 3)

    Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2021 41:48


    How do you identify an inherently fun mechanic anyway? What's this 'Decision Engine' thing Dan loves so much and how do you make one yourself? Listen and find out.

    How to GM for New Players

    Play Episode Listen Later May 1, 2021 31:00


    Want to run RPGs for new players? Want to get them hooked on this hobby we love? Here's how Dan does it.

    Live World Building Part 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 9, 2021 84:17


    The second part of Dan and Reuben's live world building session. This time we're digging into Adventure Hooks and Sample Locations in the Necropolis.

    Live World Building!

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 2, 2021 71:08


    Dan and Reuben recorded a live session of their world building. They had fun recording it. Will you have fun listening to it? Let's find out.

    Designing Your Own RPG System (Part 2)

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 26, 2021 49:45


    We didn't finish everything about this topic in one podcast? Huh, who would've thought? Game Designer Dan Felder breaks down how he starts working on a game and the common pitfalls new designers get stuck in when starting a project. 

    Designing Your Own RPG System

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 21, 2021 53:06


    I get a lot of requests to talk about designing and hacking TTRPG systems, so here we go! I make my own systems for nearly every campaign I run. It's a huge topic, so today we're going to lay the foundation. 

    Content Forge - The Gardens of Ynn

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 15, 2021 51:55


    First example of the Content Forge, where we talk about a setting, system, or adventure we've found inspiring and pulled pieces from to use in our own games. Sometimes it'll be the royal we, but this time we're joined by Reuben Covington to talk about the whimsical and creepy Gardens of Ynn. Check out The Gardens of Ynn And the Gardens of Ynn Generator

    Boss Battles

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 12, 2021 56:21


    Designer Reuben Covington returns to chat about designing Boss Fights in TTRPGs. The two give some advice, and tell a LOT of stories about memorable boss battles they've made and played against. Feel free to steal them (like always). 

    Prepare to Improvise!

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 7, 2021 70:11


    Dan and guest Reuben Covington break down how to design and run Dynamic Adventures, where the GM role is treated more like a player than a job. Link to the adventure notes: Cold-Blooded

    One-Page Settings

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 7, 2021 35:06


    Prepare a full adventure setting, a full region of your world, with just a single page of notes. This format, the one-page setting, is what I use to prepare vast open worlds with diverse and interesting regions with just a little bit of work.

    Let's Build a Sandbox!

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 1, 2021 30:36


    A great sandbox campaign is incredibly fun to play in, and it's a great introduction for new players. I often start new groups in sandboxes rather than carefully constructed narrative games. It's a simple pitch: Here's a fantastical wilderness filled with monsters, treasures, dungeons, and dragons. Want to go explore it? However, while sandboxes can be a lot of fun to play in, they can be intimidating to think about building. Preparing one adventure is hard enough, how are you going to prepare dozens? In fact, I think a sandbox campaign is actually much easier to build than a linear campaign and takes me much less work to set up. There are a lot of tricks I use in my own sandbox campaigns and we're going to go through the big ones today.

    Give Players a Chance to Shine

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 31, 2021 13:45


    I love making combat encounters. I have a lot of advice on how to make them, but there's one point that I come back to more than any other: Attack the players' STRENGTHS, not their weaknesses

    Designing Great Random Encounters

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 31, 2021 32:22


    Random Encounters are a classic element of TTRPGs, but most aren't fun in practice. Often the table just turns up entries like "2d4 wolves" or "two gnomes are arguing about which way the nearest town is".  Here's the secret: Random Encounters are Micro-Adventures.

    GM's Guide 36 - LIch-Disney Magic

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 10, 2018 64:58


    Part 2 of our epic Disney World adventure.

    GM's Guide 35 - We're Going to Disney World!

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 5, 2018 46:26


    GM's Guide 34 - Lore Dungeons with Gabe!

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 9, 2018 72:10


    Lore Dungeons are a concept that have worked out incredibly well for my circle of gaming friends. We're talking about them. It's fun. Gabe's here too.

    GM's Guide 33 - The Most Common Mistake

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 18, 2018 34:55


    The most common mistake GM's and adventure designer's make, and how to avoid it.

    GM's Guide 32 - Plot Twists and How to Write Them

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 6, 2017 39:29


    The GM's Guide is a podcast all about writing and game design through the lens of RPGs and how to run a great game. Today we're tackling Plot Twists, one of the most powerful and easy to misuse devices there is. We go through the five essential criteria of executing a good plot twist with examples from my own games and mass media. Sound fun? Then you're the strange type of person that I can get along with. Let's get started!

    GM's Guide 31 - Building Ravenshadow's Characters

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 3, 2017 62:26


    We apply the principles of how to create great characters and start building Ravenshadow's key NPCs.

    GM's Guide 30 - Ravenshadow Continues

    Play Episode Listen Later May 21, 2017 61:22


    GM's Guide 29 - More Worldbuilding with Mark

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 5, 2017 38:59


    Part 2 of the great conversation with the creator of Primordia about world-building.

    GM's Guide 28 - Conversation with Mark Yohalem

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 30, 2017 50:48


    The brilliant Mark Yohalem, brilliant writer and designer of the cult classic Primordia, drops by for a chat about world building.

    GM's Guide 27 - The Final Player and Destroying Writer's Block

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 22, 2017 48:52


    We establish our final adventurer's character arc, then lay out the core process I use to destroy writer's block and build the materials for my campaigns. We even start putting together a soundtrack. 

    The GM's Guide 26 - The Unworkable Character

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 26, 2016 37:01


    Not all characters are easy to work with. Even the best players sometimes pitch spitballs at a GM. Chad's character was a nightmare for the campaign. While the character would be great for a novel, in an RPG it featured an unworkable inner conflict that would be a weak experience to roleplay. Worse, Chad's own joys as a roleplayer ran directly counter to my campaign's setting and theme. Here's how we made it work.

    The GM's Guide 25 - Building Campaigns Around Your PCs

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 20, 2016 35:57


    Premade Adventures train us to build a campaign first, then figure out how to 'hook' a group of players and drag them into it. Here's how you can build a campaign where your players are truly the main characters. They aren't the random action heroes sucked into the story, they belong here. It's their story. The results can be absolutely extraordinary.

    GM's Guide 24 - The Triumphant Tragedy

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 12, 2016 37:26


    We return to building a campaign step by step and create the core character and history of the setting's arch-villain, as well as many of the important locations we'll use throughout the campaign. In the process, we break down what makes great tragedies work and why so many inexperienced writers fail when they try to create unhappy endings.

    GM's Guide 23 - Black Holes and Intimidation

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 23, 2016 47:46


    How do you make something scary to your players, when they know they're the heroes? We develop the core concept of the camapign's key setpiece and build Ravenshadow's creative playlist.

    GM's Guide 22 - Gothic Horror and Hallowed Ground

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 16, 2016 42:33


    We start creating the foundation of Ravenshadow's world and design a way to get the most out of our player's characters.

    The GM's Guide 21 - Michael Bay D&D

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 11, 2016 37:37


    The beginning of my richest stories was within the ashes of transformers style action.

    The GM's Guide 20 - Building a New World

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2016 21:25


    It's time to play god.

    The GM's Guide 19 - Bringing your World to Life

    Play Episode Listen Later May 23, 2016 41:39


    We all have worlds we love. Let's make them feel as real as possible.

    The GM's Guide 18 - The Great Debate about PCs

    Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2016 38:11


    "Why would anyone play a human fighter?" "Why would anyone ever play anything else?"

    The GM's Guide 17 - Dan Makes an Adventure

    Play Episode Listen Later May 1, 2016 73:09


    Dan designs an adventure from scratch live on the podcast.

    The GM's Guide 16 - Villainous Practices

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 8, 2016 56:55


    Tips and tricks and example villains.

    The GM"s Guide 15 - Creating Great Villains

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 5, 2016 50:56


    Three principles go into making a great villain for a heroic campaign.

    The GM's Guide 14 - Traps I've Made

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 24, 2016 41:11


    Here's a bunch of traps I've made and run for my players. Feel free to introduce them to your own players.

    The GM's Guide 13 - Puzzles and Traps

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 20, 2016 43:17


    Traps have a huge history in RPGs and they're a MOUNTAIN of missed opportunity.

    The GM's Guide 12 - Adventure Deep Dive

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 13, 2016 63:29


    Dan takes apart some of his adventures to show how they work. It's also an example for how Climactic Event Structure and Four Act Adventure Structure work in practice. Feel free to take any of these ideas for your home games.

    The GM's Guide 11 - Dungeon Design

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 6, 2016 39:03


    When new GM's ask me for advice on how to build a great dungeon, this is the foundation of it all.

    The GM's Guide 10 - Four-Act Adventures

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 28, 2016 53:15


    When new GM's ask me how to create great adventures, this is what I go through first. No, it's not the hero's journey.

    The GM's Guide 9 - Story Structure

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 21, 2016 34:05


    We're back! Story Structure is one of my favorite topics and I've spent more time studying it than probably anything else. If there's anything I can give to new GM's to help them set up great adventures, it's this basic Story Event Structure.

    The GM's Guide 8 - High Difficulty, The Epic Finale!

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 25, 2015 33:19


    It's The GM's Guide's Christmas gift: The third and final installment of the epic difficulty trilogy!  Today we dig into the secret of weaving in the benefits of high difficulty adventure design into any campaign, while sidestepping the problems that sometimes pop up. We also answer some listener questions. It's good stuff.

    The GM's Guide 7 - High Difficulty is Still Awesome

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 17, 2015 23:08


    One podcast wasn't enough. Today we dig further into why High Difficulty is the sonic screwdriver of rpg adventure design and how to implement it successfully into a campaign.

    The GM's Guide 6 - Why High Difficulty is Awesome

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 13, 2015 32:06


    High Difficulty is the sonic screwdriver of RPG design. While not technically necessary, it does SO many things, comes with SO many advantages to make your games extremely difficult that I can barely imagine a running a game without it.

    The GM's Guide 5 - Environment of a Battle

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 5, 2015 22:54


    Don't set your encounter in an empty box. 

    The GM's Guide 4 - Combat Encounters

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 26, 2015 42:54


    Why does D&D's own Creative Manager include "Throw out what the rulebooks say about building encounters" in his advice to new DMs? Because the rulebooks have been leading us wrong for years. Tune in to find out how you can shake things up and make your players scream. Whether it's in delight or terror is up to you.

    The GM's Guide 3 - Creating Awesome NPCs

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 19, 2015 53:55


    DMs have to create tons of characters to fill their world. Here's how to make them interesting and memorable.

    The GM's Guide 2 - Derailing Part 2

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 17, 2015 54:28


    Players want meaningful choices that determine what happens in their adventures. Here's how you can add them to your game without needing to create lots of extra content.

    The GM's Guide 1 - Derailing

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 17, 2015 41:20


    The Dungeon Master's Guide provides useful and practical advice on how to deal with a DM's greatest challenges. In the process, we learn about game design. It's as awesome as it sounds.Derailing is like any crime, it needs motive and opportunity. Here's how to solve it.

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