Mastering Dungeons

Mastering Dungeons
Mastering Dungeons

RPG veterans and game designers Teos Abadía and Shawn Merwin look at the game and the hobby of D&D from a variety of viewpoints: reporting the news, understanding the business, reviewing the products, and illuminating the design. Whether you’re a fan, a player, a DM, or a designer, Shawn and Teos cover topics of interest to you!

  1. 2 DAYS AGO

    The Psychology of D&D with Dr. Jamie Madigan (MD 221)

    Episode 221 of Mastering Dungeons!  Main topic: The Psychology of D&D! Dr. Jamie Madigan joins Teos and Shawn to explain that their dice aren’t cursed, the benefits of online vs in-person gaming, hot hand fallacy, and much more! Check out Jamie’s new book: https://www.psychologyofdnd.com/ News: Kobold Press Finances, Artificer on Unearthed Arcana, Goodbye Dark Alliance, and more! Contents00:00 We Got You a Jamie Gift03:18 Build World With Players?08:32 Death Saves Proposal?23:43 Unearthed Arcana Artificer35:19 D&D Secret Level Review40:47 Cyberpunk VG Adds RPG41:56 Kobold Press 2024 Finances45:14 Draw Steel Core Rules to Patrons45:54 Goodbye Dark Alliance47:17 Vote for Most Anticipated RPG49:45 Psychology of D&D50:19 Dr. Jamie Madigan52:06 Writing and Publishing Process55:22 Book Approach58:10 Psychology of Dice Randomness01:00:28 Gambler's Fallacy01:02:28 Hot Hand Fallacy01:04:45 Psychology of Game Choices01:08:37 Fewer Compensatory Options01:10:02 Satisficers vs Maximizers01:13:49 Benefits of Play01:16:25 Online vs In-Person Benefits01:24:59 Shout-Outs01:27:34 Find Dr. Jamie Madigan 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.

    1h 31m
  2. DEC 11

    Recent Game Design Lessons (MD 219)

    Episode 219 of Mastering Dungeons!  Main topic: Recent Game Design Lessons! Shawn and Teos share what they learned from recent projects, from late 3E, 4E, and beyond. News: New Greyhawk OP Campaign, AI Takes Down Itch.io, Talking Exploration, and more! Contents00:00:00 We're 93!00:01:38 Redesign Gnomes?00:10:08 Encourage in Character?00:17:10 Adventure Opening?00:22:14 Legends of Greyhawk and MagicCon00:25:28 AI Takes Down Itch.io00:26:57 12 Days of Beyond00:29:06 Everyone's Talking Exploration00:31:49 2024 Magic Item Changes00:33:39 Kickstarter Project Finances00:37:19 Recent Game Design Lessons00:39:16 Form and Function00:44:05 Know the Medium00:46:08 The Audience00:50:58 Xendrik Expeditions00:55:09 Living Forgotten Realms00:59:19 Ashes of Athas01:03:01 Getting Noticed01:04:34 Playtesting and New Editions01:05:56 Understanding Companies01:09:19 D&D Encounters01:12:09 Full-Time Work01:13:09 Balancing Freelance and Self01:16:02 Other Paths01:17:25 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.

    1h 22m
  3. DEC 4

    Lessons Learned from Our Early Projects (MD 218)

    Episode 218 of Mastering Dungeons!  Main topic: Lessons Learned from Our Early Projects! Shawn and Teos share what they learned from the days when they started as designers, back in the 2000s and the 3E era. News: Exodus is Hasbro’s Newest RPG, Lord of the Rings and Illrigger on Beyond, PAX Unplugged, and more! Contents00:00 Snow Job02:24 DM Types?08:57 Exciting Sandbox Pace?18:55 Exodus Video Game Gets RPG30:45 Lord of the Rings on DDB34:57 MCDM's Illrigger on DDB38:19 D&D at PAX Unplugged39:20 Combo Encounters40:59 Mearls Teaching at UW41:29 Monstrous Menagerie II43:21 Lessons Learned from Early Projects44:31 Build a Community?49:47 Starting in 2000 and the LG Era52:54 Organized Play Lessons56:57 Learning is Investment01:00:02 Changing Social Media01:02:59 Clear and Concise Language01:04:01 Understanding Industry Pay01:05:27 Great Success is Rare01:07:30 There is No Perfection01:13:58 The Product that Isn't01:16:31 Edition Change Challenges01:18:31 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.

    1h 23m
  4. NOV 27

    Qualities RPG Companies Look for in an RPG Designer (MD 217)

    Episode 217 of Mastering Dungeons!  Main topic: Qualities RPG Companies Look for in an RPG Designer! Shawn and Teos review the qualities companies say they look for in an RPG designer. News: Investors Sue Hasbro, Hasbro Abandons Movies, Juggling Teenagers, and more! Contents00:00 Hello World02:11 Adopt Rules More Quickly?13:22 Juggling Teenagers?21:01 Hasbro Shifts from Movies24:43 Investors Sue Hasbro27:10 Social Media Changes32:31 Post Office D&D Flyer33:30 Winter Fantasy34:13 Goodman Games Con35:10 Roll20 Bastion Contest35:58 DM David's D&D Wish List39:39 Cupcake Dragon Card Game40:56 Iskandar Explorer's Journal41:50 What Publishers Look For42:51 Standardized Job Descriptions?45:25 Wide Skill Range49:53 Reliability and Communication58:32 Curiosity01:01:23 Style Guides01:04:06 Excitement01:05:45 Mindfulness and Compassion01:09:11 Big Bold Ideas01:11:28 Courage01:17:30 2 Designers01:23:37 Praise01:24:48 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.

    1h 30m
  5. NOV 13

    What Publishers Want in a D&D Designer (MD 215)

    Episode 215 of Mastering Dungeons!  Main topic: What Publishers Want in a D&D Designer! Shawn and Teos review two D&D job postings and break down the skills and job functions a publisher looks for in a D&D Designer and Product Architect. News: DMG Preorder Debacles, Weapon Masteries 101, PAGE Convention, and more! Contents00:00 Surviving00:53 Writing Same Old Stuff?08:02 Teaching Like Lazy DM?14:41 D&D Beyond on Campaigns and Adventures18:11 Critical Role Minis Canceled20:23 DMG Preorder Debacles23:13 Weapon Masteries 10130:49 PAGE Convention Near Philly33:05 State of the Mongoose35:20 Lessons from Meetup37:43 Jeff Stevens Steals Christmas38:40 What Publishers Want in a D&D Designer40:27 Growing Into a Position42:13 D&D Designer - What You Do56:08 Representing the Company58:55 What You Bring01:02:47 D&D Product Architect01:11:22 Shout-OutsThank 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.

    1h 16m
  6. NOV 6

    Looking Back on Gamehole Con ‘24 (MD 214)

    Episode 214 of Mastering Dungeons!  Main topic: Memories of Gamehole Con! Shawn and Teos look back on all of the events they attended and lessons from attending conventions. Hear why Gamehole is so special. News: Claim Elemental Evil, Maps Adds Encounters, Audio-Only Drizzt, and more! Contents00:00 Stealing Credit Cards03:08 Cleric Subclasses Setting Only?09:21 Good Design Not Obvious?13:57 Claim Scions of Elemental Evil16:26 D&D Maps Adds Encounters19:26 Audible-Only Drizzt Novel20:32 Discord D&D Collection21:41 Ars Magica Definitive Collection23:25 Rodney Thompson List and Games25:04 MT Black World War Weird26:08 Thunder Road Vendetta RPG27:36 Draconis Peaceful 5E28:57 Gamehole Revisited29:32 Whether to Attend Conventions33:05 Wednesday Pre-Con Gatherings38:15 Thursday's Events47:32 Making the Most of Friday59:27 Packed Saturday01:04:28 Thankful Sunday Finish01:06:39 Shout-OutsThank 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.

    1h 11m
4.7
out of 5
165 Ratings

About

RPG veterans and game designers Teos Abadía and Shawn Merwin look at the game and the hobby of D&D from a variety of viewpoints: reporting the news, understanding the business, reviewing the products, and illuminating the design. Whether you’re a fan, a player, a DM, or a designer, Shawn and Teos cover topics of interest to you!

More From Misdirected Mark Productions

You Might Also Like

To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

Stay up to date with this show

Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes, and get the latest updates.

Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada