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When players don't get along, it can make your session take forever to get anywhere.  Whether it's simply buying in that everyone is on the same team or having a decision mechanism when players don't agree on something, encouraging player collaboration is critical.  In this episode, John and Danielle talk about the tips and techniques that they use to get players to work together. Don't forget! We want to hear from you!  If you have an idea for a new episode topic, go to https://becomingDM.com/Ideas and let us know!

Join us for another episode of our occasional series, My Favorite Monster.  In this episode we're talking about good-aligned monsters that you can put against your evil party.  Whether it's the always classic Unicorn or the lesser known Guardian Naga, we've got something that you can challenge your players with.  So join John and Danielle for this latest episode of becomingDM!

As hard as it may be to believe, D&D isn't the only tabletop roleplaying game around.  So it's possible that you'll end up in a place where you want to play something different at your table.  In this episode of becomingDM, John and Danielle discuss the things to consider when changing game systems.  From the why you're changing to the aspects of the new game you might consider, we're covering it, so please join us!  We'd love to hear what you'd like for us to talk about in a future episode!  Go to https://becomingDM.com/ideas to let us know your idea for a new topic!

Eventually you will have a situation where players need to leave the table that you're running a game at.  Whether it's because of life changes that don't give them as much time for games or because of a personality conflict or one of the many other reasons, when a player leaves there are several things that you need to plan for.  In this episode of becomingDM, John and Danielle talk about working through player departure, what to do with their character, how to handle the player leaving, and much more.  If you've got an idea for an episode, we'd love to hear about it!  Go to https://becomingDM.com/ideas to let us know what you'd like us to talk about in a future episode!

Want to add a little more variety and challenge as the players move up to the final encounter of a dungeon?  Adding a trap, or more than one, to your dungeon can increase immersion, and cause your players to think twice about where they step.  In this episode of becomingDM, John and Danielle talk about the different aspects to consider when looking to place traps.  Got an idea for a future episode?  We'd love to hear about it!  Go to https://becomingDM.com/ideas to share your ideas and let us know what you'd like to hear about!

Maybe you've had some co-workers that you've been trying to get to play a game with you for some time.  Or maybe some friends knew that you run games and just recently watched something that raised their interest in tabletop gaming.  Whatever the reason, if you're running games for first time players there are a number of things that you need to consider.  Join John and Danielle as we discuss how to let new players know what to expect from a game, how to build a character, how to talk about rules, and so much more!  Got an idea for a future episode?  Let us know!  Go to https://becomingDM.com/ideas to submit your episode idea today!

Gobble gobble!  It's the time of year when many DMs think about running Thanksgiving Themed Games!  In this episode of becomingDM, John and Danielle discuss some things to keep in mind if you're wanting to create a themed game as well as suggestions of possible story themes.  Whether it's helping to save dinner or having a rousing game of football, we've got something to help add flavor to your Thanksgiving themed game. We would love to hear your ideas for future episodes!  If you've got an idea for a future episode, please go to https://becomingDM.com/ideas and let us know!

Sometimes you'll end up running a game where the players want to have some intimate encounters.  Whether this is because they are trying to flirt with the local governor to get their way or dealing with a succubus or maybe they have tried to start a sexual relationship with one of your PCs this is something to approach with a level of caution.  In this episode of becomingDM, John and Danielle talk about suggestions on starting games that may have intimate encounters as well as things to consider when implementing them in your game.  This episode was suggested by one of our listeners and you can submit your ideas too!  Simply go to https://becomingDM.com/ideas to submit your idea for a new episode now!

Eventually, your characters will get enough money that they want to do something with it.  Rather than figuring out how much an army costs, you can redirect them to look at buying property.  In this episode of becomingDM, John and Danielle talk about what happens when characters buy property.  We go over a number of resources, including Danielle's most favorite RPG book of all time, and help you as a DM start to think about what needs to be addressed if this happens in your game.   As always, if you have an idea for a future episode of becomingDM, please let us know!  Go to https://becomingdm.com/ideas and let us know what you've got!

Rule zero gets quoted a lot for role playing games: where the rules aren't in charge, the DM is.  But is that really the case?  In this episode of becomingDM, John and Danielle discuss homebrewing rules:  when you shouldn't homebrew, when you should consider it, as well as other things to consider when changing up the rules for your game.  Whether you've never changed a rule before or you've changed so many you've practically created your own game, this episode is for you!  If you've got suggestions for a future episode topic, let us know!  Go to: https://becomingDM.com/ideas to submit your idea! We'd also like to hear what you think about this episode, you can contact us through one of the following:   Web: https://becomingDM.com  Facebook: https://facebook.com/becomingDM  Twitter: https://twitter.com/becomingDM  Instagram: https://instagram.com/becomingDM 

From a listener suggestion we are hosting an episode on running games for neurodiverse players.  Guest co-host Adam Kabatoff joins us to discuss the topic and we give tips and suggestions to consider.  But be aware, there is no one size fits all advice for any player at your table, this episode is designed as a starting point to stimulate thought for your game. What do you think?  Let us know how you feel about this or any episode by contacting us through one of the following methods:   Web: https://becomingDM.com  Facebook: https://facebook.com/becomingDM  Twitter: https://twitter.com/becomingDM  Instagram: https://instagram.com/becomingDM 

In the part 2 of our getting paid series, John and Danielle continue the discussion around things to consider when becoming a paid DM.  This time we continue the discussion around choosing your pricing model and venture into topics like setting expectations with customers on what you will and won't tolerate in a paid game.  Join us as we wrap up this two-part series diving into the details on running paid games. What do you think?  Let us know how you feel about this or any episode by contacting us through one of the following methods:   Web: https://becomingDM.com  Facebook: https://facebook.com/becomingDM  Twitter: https://twitter.com/becomingDM  Instagram: https://instagram.com/becomingDM 

They always say if you love your job then you'll never work a day in your life.  So if your job is being a DM, what does that mean?  In this episode of becomingDM, John and Danielle talk about the details of getting paid as a DM.  Whether it's understanding what it means to be a paid DM, determining how you price your offering or what things you may want to consider including as part of an paid DM engagement,we're covering it.  Join us for part 1 of this two-part series! If you have something that you'd like us to know about this episode or any suggestions for future episodes, please reach out!  Contact us from one of the methods below!   Web: https://becomingDM.com  Facebook: https://facebook.com/becomingDM  Twitter: https://twitter.com/becomingDM  Instagram: https://instagram.com/becomingDM 

We're continuing our deep dive into travel!  If you're players have been considering going to another plane or dimension, or maybe you have plans for time travel, then this is the episode for you.  John and Danielle talk about how players can participate in dimensional travel as well as get into a brief discussion about the different types of planes.  Then we wrap up with a discussion on time travel and there is lots of conversation around paradoxes! We'd love to hear what you think.  If you have any comments on this or another episode, let us know with one of the following methods:   Web: https://becomingDM.com  Facebook: https://facebook.com/becomingDM  Twitter: https://twitter.com/becomingDM  Instagram: https://instagram.com/becomingDM 

In this episode of becomingDM, we're talking more about Travel.  You may recall that in episode 19 we talked about how to make travel more interesting.  In this episode, the first of a two part episode, we talk about the nuts and bolts of travel and how it can work in your game.  Whether you're looking for discussions around overland chases, using mounts or a sea voyage we're covering it in our episode about more travel! We always want to know what you think.  If you have a suggestion for this or any episode or you have an idea for a future episode topic, let us know!  Contact us with one of the following methods: Web: https://becomingDM.com  Facebook: https://facebook.com/becomingDM  Twitter: https://twitter.com/becomingDM  Instagram: https://instagram.com/becomingDM 

In our latest episode of our occasional series, "Dealing With", we're digging into what makes Clerics tick!  If you're looking for better ways to challenge your cleric players, or simply want to make them more tightly integrated with your story, then join us!  John and Danielle discuss it all as well as their individual experience in games with Cleric player characters. We want to know what you think!  If you have a comment about any episode or an idea for a future episode, please reach out!  You can find becomingDM at one of the following locations: Web: https://becomingDM.com  Facebook: https://facebook.com/becomingDM  Twitter: https://twitter.com/becomingDM  Instagram: https://instagram.com/becomingDM 

If you're wanting to understand what a new group of players hopes to get out of the game.  Or maybe you've never played with someone before and need to know if there are topics that they won't play in a game with.  Possibly you just want to set the scene before you start playing so that everyone understands what they are getting into.  Whatever the reason, running a session zero can help ensure a smooth start to your next campaign.  Join Danielle and John as they talk about some of the topics that you may want to bring up in this session of your game. We want to know!  Let us know any suggestions you have for the show or if you've got ideas for future episodes!  You can reach out to becomingDM one of the following ways:   Web: https://becomingDM.com  Facebook: https://facebook.com/becomingDM  Twitter: https://twitter.com/becomingDM  Instagram: https://instagram.com/becomingDM 

Finding yourself not to do when a creature provides an effect of petrified?  Or maybe you're just looking for a way to put a different twist on combat by introducing blindness.  Whatever the reason, conditions can be a good way to challenge your players, whether in combat or out.  In this episode, John and Danielle talk about the different types of conditions that can be added to players and how and why to use them. If you have a suggestion for a future episode, let us know!  You can reach out to us using one of the following ways:   Web: https://becomingDM.com  Facebook: https://facebook.com/becomingDM  Twitter: https://twitter.com/becomingDM  Instagram: https://instagram.com/becomingDM 

It's time for another episode of My Favorite Monster!  In the fourth episode of this series, we are talking about Dinosaurs and Cockatrices.  Join us and John and Danielle talk about some of the specifics of these monsters and how you might use them in your game. We always want to hear feedback!  If you have comments or suggestions for us, please use one of the following contact methods below:   Web: https://becomingDM.com  Facebook: https://facebook.com/becomingDM  Twitter: https://twitter.com/becomingDM  Instagram: https://instagram.com/becomingDM 

Whether it is a character feature that grants players the ability to have a familiar or an animal companion or you have players that just want to befriend every potential pet they encounter, the game you run can change significantly with these additions.  In this episode of becomingDM, John and Danielle talk about how to integrate these creatures into your game, as well as the differences between familiars, animal companions, and pets.   If you have a comment about this or any other episode, please let us know!  You can find becomingDM in the following locations:   Web: https://becomingDM.com  Facebook: https://facebook.com/becomingDM  Twitter: https://twitter.com/becomingDM  Instagram: https://instagram.com/becomingDM