The Next Session

Next Session Help: 

RivTinker is back and her players are gearing up to fight the Goddess of Chaos. They will need to gain the favor of the existing pantheon: Goddess of Nature, God of War and God of Magic and needs some help to come up with the trials and rewards for their tasks.

Flowerkefir’s players keeps cutting hands off of enemy spellcasters……. ಠ_ಠ

Ask a GM: 

Assault_Duck wants to know if it is a bad thing to give a boss a second stage. Not at all!

Use That Spell: Gift of Alacrity

Thanks for listening!

Next Session Help: 

Nanotheawsome needs to know how to convince their players to stop trying to weaponize a Beholder statue meant as a gag. 

Ask a GM: 

Tyrmidden asks, “What do you think about players having a chat group without the DM to talk about plans and strategies?” 

Rusty99Arabian wants to know if players can manipulate where they fall with featherfall. 

Use That Spell: Beacon of Hope 

Thanks for listening!

Special Guest Justin Lewis, the host of How to Be a Better DM podcast, joins us this week!

Next Session Help: 

Allovertheshop is asking why their Fey NPC would be collecting monsters for a non-combat tournament?

Ask a GM: 

Admirable_Scarcity74 wants to know what we would do differently if we ran a campaign with sessions once a month versus once a week?

Empty-School7479 is asking about 5 Room Dungeons which Adam has basically been doing, but didn't know that is what it was called. Gotta love learning things together!

Search The Room: Nature’s Mantle 

Thanks for listening!

We're finishing what we started with the second-parter to our Session 0 discussion! This time we go over Character Creation, Map Building, and World Building!

Search The Room: Spellwrought Tattoo

Thanks for listening!

Next Session Help: 

Pretty_Papaya2256 needs help coming up with consequences for their players, especially in regards to an angry pirate crew hunting them down. 

NoDirection6223 has let the players discover some stones in an enemies bag. What could they be?

Ask a GM: 

Deadra_Churl wants to create an encounter where the players would run into an enemy and as they fight it the characters would be aged by it. 

Use That Spell: Arms of Hadar

Thanks for listening!

Next Session Help:  DarkestMoose is not having fun running their campaign anymore and needs help giving closure while they end.  Stunning-Ad9453 is running Tomb of Annihilation and has a character in a no-win situation. What should they do? 

Ask a GM:  Massaman955 wants to know how much poison a level 2 player can extract from a Giant Poisonous Snake.

Use That Spell: Jim's Magic Missile Thanks for listening!

Next Session Help: 

AaLion95 is trying to figure out how to do an arena fight for a single player while the rest of the party sits out. 

Isaar42 needs some help populating their in-game Goblin Casino.

Ask a GM: 

Spetzell asks, “Does Empowered Evocation apply to each round of a duration spell?”

Use That Spell:  Abi-Dalzim’s Horrid Wilting 

Thanks for listening!

Next Session Help: 

TheBlackIbis is back with a question about running a Nilbog. We ask, “what is a Nilbog?” And then we looked it up and answered the first question. 

Ask a GM: 

MrSillybiscuits asks “How do I become a less adversarial GM?”

Take It Or Leave It: We go into the Rumor System

Search The Room: The Necklace of Adaptation

Thanks for listening!

Next Session Help:

Brown6214 needs help including a player who can not speak for some time. 

Weaverco is a D&D Dad and wants some tips on using D&D as play therapy. Good thing Adam wrote the book on that! 

Ask a GM:

SuppleGhost wants to know “Can you cast a level spell and an innate spell as a bonus action?”

Use That Spell: Id Insinuation

Thanks for listening!

Ask a GM: 

VoulKanon wants to know if the inhabitants on a Morkoth island know they forget things? What’s a Morkoth? What’s a Morkoth with you?! 

BarNo3385 is dying to know if their puzzle was too complicated.

Puzzleheaded-Dragon needs a ruling on a crossbow expert. 

Use That Spell: Otiluke's Resilient Sphere

Thanks for listening!

Next Session Help:

VigilantRex1 wants advice on stealing some equipment from their Players 

Kauzoka has a cool idea for a campaign involving a crime family of Beholders 

Ask a GM: 

Micnos12 wants to know how to determine when a player triggers a trap.

Use That Spell: Nathair's Mischief

Thanks for listening!

Next Session Help:

DancingwithaMop is planning to start their campaign with the characters shackled to a wagon headed for prison. 

Ask a GM: 

BuddhaNews is going to run a dungeon crawl but needs some tips and tricks on how to go about it. 

Take it or Leave it: 

Shot-in-the-mouth has some good advice on subverting your own expectations. 

Use That Spell: Primal Savagery

Thanks for listening!

Next Session Help:

Flubbajubba2 has created an in-game way to cover for out-of-game absences, but needs to know how it all ties together.

Ask a GM: 

M4p80y wants to know “How do I make a big city feel bigger without building literally every building”

JustDarnGood27 asks “How broken/unbalanced would allowing a PC to pull a character in with a grappling hook as a bonus action?”

Search The Room: Dark Shard Amulet

Thanks for listening!

Next Session Help:

TheBlackIbis is asking if they should retcon the outcome of the last fight since the players were supposed to win it. We say no way! 

Ask a GM: 

Belolonadalogalo wants to know if a monster with multi-attack can replace one of those attacks with something like a shove.

Use That Spell: Rime’s Binding Ice

Thanks for listening!

Next Session Help:

Trogdor_98 wants some help with his Wild West campaign and introducing a plot point naturally. 

Lame_hurricane has us brainstorm on some subtle good things that can happen to their Lucky character.

Ask a GM: 

Miz_Tsunami is running a D&D game with 7 players over video chat and needs some advice!

Use That Spell: Lightning Bolt 

Thanks for listening!

Next Session Help:

Wellbentbanana asks about a possible phantom zone, where the players can start in and all be resurrected at the same time, for the beginning of his mystery campaign. 

DanteWrath would like us to brainstorm on unique sacrifices for rituals. 

Ask a GM: 

GD might have an overpowered Polearm Master on his hands. Should he just make more powerful encounters or nerf his character? 

Search the Room: Pearl of Power 

Thanks for listening!

Next Session Help:

Raider1213 has us go over their adventure to see if the plot twist is too confusing. 

Ask a GM: 

PettitNice asks “Is it a bad idea to make a creature Immune to crits?”

Felaric wants to know how we warm up before a game.

Use That Spell: Immolation

Thanks for listening!

Next Session Help:

Elrothir’s party made a deal with a hag and now they want out of it. 

RivTinker is planning a campaign arc with the God of chaos but on a smaller scale, there is a ship with sunken cargo they need to figure out what it could be. Should it tie into the greater arc? 

Take it or Leave it: 

Atomfullerene has a mechanic they are offering up for underwater battles in shark infested waters. 

Use That Spell: Hellish Rebuke

Thanks for listening!

Next Session Help:

EarlyMayRabbit’s players have been carrying around a duck egg and it is finally going to hatch! What should be in it?

OneDesign5063 is letting a player carbonate their healing potion, but should it do something extra? 

Ask a GM: 

ZhenomaDM asks, “Can magic circle trap a night hag on the ethereal plane?”

Use That Spell: Dream of the Blue Veil

Thanks for listening!

Next Session Help:

Aozth has a player who has turned into a loot goblin and the rest of the party is on the verge of PVP murder. Super tense situation that we will try and unpack!

Misophoniasucksdude is creating a one-shot where a goblin just cast Wish - but what did they wish for?

Ask a GM: 

Holycrabe wants to know “what’s the consensus on Counterspell against healing?”

Brianne's DM doesn't want her to play a unicorn.

Search the Room: Galder’s Bubble Pipe

Thanks for listening!

A&A are back with Special Guest Diet Toothpaste!

Next Session Help:

TheDoon has 4 players with water walk cast on them and are inside a Kraken's mouth while the Kraken is submerged underwater - What will happen?

Ask a GM: 

Yryel wants to know if Tritons can conjure water and heal themselves with that water?

DJ_Uwawah has a question on how attacking with ranged spells into water works.

Search the Room: Weapon of Certain Death 

Thanks so much for listening!

Next Session Help:

Furious_cactus has set their players on a quest to kill a god…. But how would they even go about achieving such an ambitious goal? 

QuillontheFae’s players killed a 5th level spell caster and the wizard recovered his spell book. Does that mean they get all the spells now? 

Ask a GM: 

BenManGinger asks “Create or Destroy Water says that it can destroy fog, and Cloudkill is described as fog, so... can it destroy that fog?”

Use That Spell! Knock 

Thanks for listening!

Next Session Help:

Nz8drzu6 wants to know how to prevent a player from eldritch blasting everything in the room to detect mimics.

iNogle gave their players a lantern of revealing several sessions ago but needs help coming up with invisible things that can be revealed. 

Ask a GM: 

Irishgrapes is struggling with a younger player (12) and wants us to brainstorm if having initiative out of combat would be an effective tool. 

Use That Spell! Enervation

Thanks for listening!

Next Session Help:

Raddude557 has a scenario where they need to prove someone is noble without paperwork/ references. The A&A brain trust is on it!

Mango He's players thwarted the plans of the BBEG's from taking a legendary item but now needs to find a new hiding place for it without rail roading the players into it.

Take it or Leave it: 

 Xx_swagatron_xX offers some advice on a strategy turn during combat.  

Search the _Homebrew_ Room: 

Next Session Help:

Mithrandir2056 has set a quest for the Players to retrieve the Heart of a Nixie for a potion, however one of the players does not want to kill a Nixie. Let’s brainstorm!

MorphinRiddle has a player who decided to drink a random potion that everyone is sure is acid. So…… they dead right? 

Ask a GM: 

FullHealthCosplay NEEDS to know how to handle Unseen Attacker. 

Use That Spell! Nystul's Magic Aura

Thanks for listening!

Next Session Help:

Koi8008 Has a player whose character is uninterested in everything. Thee end of the world is nigh and they could care less! What should they do? 

Ask a GM: 

_Xantamn asks, “Can a familiar cast dragon’s breath on itself?”

Mesalikes wants to know what some of the things blinded monsters can still and will do. 

Use That Spell! Uncommon Glamerweave

Thanks for listening!

Next Session Help:

Badgerbaroudeur Needs some quests (not heists) that their party can do while visiting a museum in the big city they are visiting. Night at the Museum anyone? 

Ask a GM: 

Veena_Schnitzel wants to know how to handle a rogue’s failed skill check. Just let them keep trying until they succeed? 

BeBoppaloopa has never heard about Flanking, and that is okay! But should they use it? 

Use That Spell! Mass Heal

Thanks for listening!

Next Session Help: 

Peanutsbrittles has a soul transfer that goes wrong. What else slips in during the invocation ritual?

Ask a GM: 

Afullgrowngrizzly Wants to know ways for a “scout” to feel cool without just bypassing/trivializing combat encounters?

Demodius needs advice on in game consequences for a player using multiple concentration spells

Use That Spell! Secret Chest

Thanks for listening!

Next Session Help:

xParagon needs to kill their PC next session! Don’t worry they are in on it. How do they do it without the other PCs trying to save them?

Ask a GM:

xHayz asks “Does a monster know what spell effect something is before it chooses to use a legendary resistance?” We answer this question and Adam gives some insight as to how he runs Counter Spell. 

Search the Room! Knave's Eye Patch

Thanks for listening!

Next Session Help:

Baker Turtle  Needs some ideas for keeping their players interested and engaged at a festival in Neverwinter so that a murder mystery can begin.

Ask a GM:

DrakeHeartscale wants to know what’s our take on background music during gameplay?

Search the Room! Pipes of the Sewer

Thanks for listening!

Next Session Help:

ControbutionUsual106's little brother and some of his friends are gonna play D&D and they need some quick, easy to understand missions/ ideas that they could do.

Diet Toohpaste wants to design a one shot where everyone will be making and playing evil characters. 

Ask a GM:

Scary-Safety-89 is running a horror themed campaign and wants to make an adventure in a more spelunking like cave setting and get the players to feel claustrophobic. 

Use That Spell! Heward's Handy Haversack

Thanks for listening!

Next Session Help:

Cafeaubae's players killed and made boots out of a Giant Crocodile and they would like to reward the players by making them magical. Adam and I about came to blows on this one but we successfully attempted to answer it!

Mute8 needs to figure out why a wizard who has an amulet of cloning would ever need help from the party. 

Ask a GM:

DJDarwin93 made a puzzle in a different language and then didn't let the warlock use Comprehend Languages. Was that okay....????

Use That Spell!  Conjure Volley

Thanks for listening!

Next Session Help:

Wafersnap Has sent their players into a ring of Hell that is based on the deadly sin of Lust. What encounters or places can we think up? 

Ask a GM:

SirCranburry's girlfriend says that the NPC is not eff-able enough. Discuss! 

Next Session Help:

Weltschmerzwonder has a mystery house that the player’s are finally going to get in…. But what is inside?

Ask a GM:

BananasGod Needs some help with making a mountain climb less boring for themselves and their players.

Use That Spell!  Mordenkainen’s Faithful Hound

Thanks for listening!

Next Session Help:

oofatality has a player that wants their character to have multiple personalities. It’s up to oofatality to choose when they change characters and they need some ideas!

Ask a GM:

Mr_Picky has a player that has become their favorite since the player’s backstory fits nicely into the world and has given Mr_Picky lots to work with. How do they balance with the rest of the party and stop playing favorites?

Use That Spell!  Catapult

Thanks for listening!

It’s another mini-sode!

Next Session Help:

Njeshko has a player that won’t give up a demon sword and Njeshko wants to “mess with them.”

Search the Room!  Dissonant Whispers

Thanks for listening!

Short episode today! 

Next Session Help:

Plixels' players helped an evil wizard dispose of a shape-shifting spell gone wrong by dumping it into the local river where the trout were mating. Now they need help coming up with consequences. 

Ask a GM:

Yasutsuna96 wants some advice on how not to bog down combat with too many different types of enemy units

Search the Room!  Talking Doll

Thanks for listening!

Next Session Help:

Foxgoose21 has a player who wants to plant a tree in the middle of their airship. How should they go about this?

Jmlwow123’s wizard player has just ran out of luck and hit the effect of wish where he can no longer cast it. Now he wants it back. Is this possible?

Ask a GM:

YortMaster has a player who likes to Grapple and wants to shove them down to prone. YortMaster ruled that the player must go prone with them. Was that right? We rule on this question and also the word Grapple loses all meaning.

Search the Room!  Animated Shield

Thanks for listening!

Next Session Help: 

• dnddigest gave their players a tome with a cryptic message and wants to know what we think!

Ask a GM: 

• Art by Adam needs some help rebooting his game and getting the players pumped to come back. 
• daPWNDAZ has a player that insists that magical flight removes the stealth penalty from heavy armor. Are they nuts? (Almonds that is.)

Use That Spell! Tenser’s Floating Disk.

Thanks for listening!

It's Season 3 y'all!

Next Session Help:

• RandomDude92919 is setting up a fight and wants to know, one troll or two?
• MajorMuff1n is running a bottle episode and we talk WAY too long about it.

Use That Spell! Crown of Stars

Riddle Me This!*

A new segment there we discuss generic concepts in D&D. This episode we dive into cheating in D&D. The different reasons why and how someone might cheat, and what you can do about it.

Thanks for listening!