Mastering Dungeons

Episode 314 of Mastering Dungeons!

Main topic: Caves of Chaos and Keep in the Heroes of the Borderlands 5.5 Starter Set!

We dive into the heart of the starter set. See how the updated Caves of Chaos and Keep on the Borderlands drive open play experiences!

News: Dan Ayoub Elevated to WotC President, Lyla Fujiwara Joins D&D, The Price is Right for D&D, Is Challenge Rating a Lost Cause, and more!

Contents
00:00 Mike Shea Segment
01:48 From one RPG to Another?
11:18 Dan Ayoub Elevated to Pres of Wizards
16:18 Lyla Fujiwara Joins D&D Team
20:42 Brooke Whitney Cosmere Project Lead
21:10 Warcraft D&D Releases with Delays
22:28 The Price is Right for D&D
23:44 Improved DDB Search
25:37 Palladium Ends Mutant Ninja Turtles
27:13 Is Challenge Rating a Lost Cause?
33:11 Dwarven Forge Perilous Frontiers
34:56 Heroes of the Borderlands pt2
37:28 Keep on the Borderlands Booklet
41:41 The Keep as Open Town
47:26 Focusing Player Tendencies
01:03:27 Using Quests to Drive Play
01:08:16 The Caves of Chaos and 1st Cave
01:13:07 Cave Lairs
01:23:37 Birthday Cake and Cave Links
01:32:07 Obligatory Stirge Encounter
01:33:10 Shrine of Evil Chaos
01:37:45 One Desired Improvement
01:39:03 Shout-Outs

Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon.

Show Search Engine: https://mdsearch.alphastream.org/ 

Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.

Episode 314 of Mastering Dungeons!

Main topic: Best of Heroes of the Borderlands 5.5 Starter Set!

One year after 5.5 launched – was it worth the wait? We look at this innovative starter set and how it updates the classic Keep on the Borderlands!

News: Hasbro and D&D’s Q3 Revenue Growth, D&D Wallpaper, Misplaced Monsters, and more!

Contents
00:00 Gamehole Memories
01:38 Go See Wildwood Movie!
02:57 Tastiest Monster?
05:46 What Should Aspiring GMs Read?
13:53 Hasbro's Huge Q3 2026
18:58 Wizards' Record Q3 for Magic
22:24 D&D Revenue Estimate
24:14 Estimating 2026 and 5.5 Impact
26:10 Misplaced Monsters V2
26:56 Sad Bioware News
28:43 D&D Wallpaper at Target
30:31 Army Painter D&D Paints and Academy
31:20 Pacific NW RPG Fest
33:23 Heroes of the Borderlands Starter Set
36:58 History of Starter Sets
39:56 What Makes This Different
46:03 What's Inside?
55:03 Credits and 2025 Releases
57:35 Premise and Approach
01:02:54 Every Player Can DM
01:05:37 Wilderness Booklet and Road
01:19:06 Woods, Fens, and Tamarack Stand
01:23:16 Balancing Brevity, Open Play, and DM Info
01:28:49 Random Encounters
01:29:54 Shout-Outs
01:33:57 What Are We Gonna Do Now?

Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon.

Show Search Engine: https://mdsearch.alphastream.org/ 

Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.

Episode 313 of Mastering Dungeons!

Main topic: James Introcaso on Crows, Draw Steel, and MCDM! Live from Gamehole Con!

The incredible James Introcaso discusses the last six years at MCDM, including the creation of Draw Steel and Crows, plus insights into being a creator in the industry.

(No separate News segment this week!)

Contents
00:00 Live from Gamehole!
01:36 Excited for Dark Sun?
03:16 If Universes Beyond is Most Poplular?
05:16 Knitting Like the DMs Guild?
08:30 James Introcaso and MCDM's Transformation
12:12 Designing for Hope & Fear
14:51 Advantages of Full-Time Employment
16:52 Product Line and Enjoying Victories
20:59 Crows RPG
23:28 Crows Gameplay
26:05 Motivation in Crows
28:02 Crows as a Big MCDM Change
31:03 Playtest and Revision Approach
34:34 Adventure Design Rut?
38:05 Stretching Crows and an OGL?
40:18 Mechanics vs Narrative for New RPG?
45:44 Playtesting Higher Levels?
49:35 New RPGs and Flexibility?

Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon.

Show Search Engine: https://mdsearch.alphastream.org/ 

Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.

Episode 312 of Mastering Dungeons!

Main topic: Remonstered! Keith Ammann Updates The Monsters Know What They’re Doing!

Keith joins Teos to discuss his innovations for running great monsters, how 5.5 monsters have changed, and the best new and updated monsters!

News: D&D and Magic Joining Union, PH 5.5 Errata, Star Wars and Dark Sun Previews, Project Lamordia Review, and more!

Contents
00:00 Rapping with Keith
02:29 Sirrangia Update
03:04 Is Turn-Loss Educational?
11:25 D&D and Magic Joining Union
19:42 Project Lamordia Launched
24:14 5.5 PH Errata Update
25:25 Star Wars and Dark Sun News
29:46 D&D Staff DMing at Gamehole
31:26 Ohlen Launches Malborn
34:06 Encounter Organization
40:53 Microscope 2E
42:51 Threats of the Timescape
44:33 Job Trail
45:52 Keith Ammann
47:45 Keith's Origin Story
49:40 Why Books?
53:50 Has Success Changed Keith's Game?
56:55 What Remonstered Offers
01:00:42 New Innovations
01:07:56 Shenanigans
01:17:56 Best New and Updated Monsters
01:21:55 Monster Type Changes
01:27:05 The Flumph and Alignment
01:33:04 Where to Buy Keith's Books
01:36:39 Shout-Outs
01:41:11 What Are We Gonna Do?

Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon.

Show Search Engine: https://mdsearch.alphastream.org/ 

Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.

Episode 311 of Mastering Dungeons!

Main topic: Best of Dragons of Stormwreck Isle and the 3rd Starter Set!

5E’s 3rd Starter Set brings fewer components, a lower price point, and all the dragons! See why we harpy about why this is ghoul enough for you.

News: Free Warcraft D&D Adventure, D&D Professions and Factions in WoW, Lamordia Modern Ravenloft, and more!

Contents
00:00 Swim Any Day in November
03:28 Designer Peer Group?
12:05 Impact of Creator's Voice?
20:24 Free World of Warcraft Adventure
21:09 First Look at Wow Professions
25:03 WoW Factions and Renown
26:08 Ravenloft Project Lamordia
27:40 October D&D Drops Review
31:55 Disability Pride Dice
33:03 Renegade Loses Wolf Gains Hasbro
34:30 Critical Role Grunge Video Game
35:00 WizKids Hiring Marketing
35:43 Draw Steel Hooked on Crafting
36:49 Blacksmith's Guild and Iridoss Campaign
38:18 Dragons of Stormwreck Isle
39:14 Product History
43:33 '80s Tie-In
46:30 Other 2022 Products
48:12 Premise and Approach
50:29 Personal Goals
55:04 First Encounter Consequences
01:04:12 Zombie Resurgence
01:06:33 Quest Overviews
01:09:44 Exploration Encounters
01:13:13 Seagrow Caves
01:15:47 Cursed Shipwreck
01:20:01 Clifftop Observatory
01:28:10 Conclusion
01:32:42 Shout-Outs
01:36:50 What Are We Gonna Do?

Thank you for listening! Get the full show notes with links on Patreon.

Show Search Engine: https://mdsearch.alphastream.org/ 

Our intro and outro music is Metropolis Fanfare, provided royalty-free by Tabletop Audio (https://tabletopaudio.com) under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

MP3 file metadata populated with Online MP3 Podcast Chapter Editor, built by Dominik Peters. https://mp3chapters.github.io/ and customized for Mastering Dungeons by Vladimir Prenner from Croatia.