Game Master's Journey - podcast cover

Game Master's Journey

Lex Starwalker•lexstarwalker.com
Games & Hobbies
Other Games

Game Master’s Journey is a discussion podcast for GMs and players of Dungeons & Dragons and other tabletop RPGs hosted by Lex Starwalker. The show explores strategies players and GMs can use to enhance the gaming experience for everyone at the table. Lex also discusses the creation of his homebrew D&D setting, Primordia, providing a valuable worldbuilding resource for DMs creating their own setting.

Last refreshed: ⓘ
Follow this podcast in the Metacast mobile app to refresh it and see new episodes.
Follow on
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
RSS
YouTube
Overcast
Pocket Casts
Episodes.fm
Download Metacast podcast app
Podcasts are better in Metacast mobile app
Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more

Episodes

Game Master's Journey 74 - Primordia AP 02: Character Creation & Backgrounds

We introduce the characters and tell a little about their backgrounds. Dwayne as Iorek, a Tiefling Wild Magic Sorcerer; Nathan as Samson, a Human Order of the Immortal Psion; Steve as Raith, an Eladrin Bladesinger Fighther/Wizard; Kyle as Sprout, a Goliath Nature Cleric of Primordia; and Chrissy as Azriel, an Aasimar Great Old One Warlock.

Dec 16, 2015•1 hr 9 min•Season 4Ep. 74

Game Master's Journey 73 - Primordia AP 01: Psionics & The Order of the Butterfly

Nathan and I discuss the psion/mystic class, which he is going to playtest. We talk about how psionics will work in Primordia, and how it will interact with magic. We also discuss his character, Samson, and the Order of the Butterfly. Nathan does a great job of coming up with new lore in the world to support an Order of the Immortal psion.

Dec 16, 2015•53 min•Season 4Ep. 73

Game Master's Journey 71 - GM 101: Pacing, Session Notes, and Making Combat Fast & Interesting

Today I set off again on the Obsidian Monolith to respond to your feedback and do my best to answer your questions about game mastering. These questions inculde: How do I control the pacing of my game? How do I make session notes that are easy to reference during play? How do I make published adventures not feel like a railroad? How do I make combat fast and interesting without feeling like a separate mini-game?

Dec 12, 2015•1 hr 9 min•Season 4Ep. 71

Game Master's Journey 70 - GM 101: Session Zero, House Rules, Worldbuilding & Thinking on Your Feet

Today I set off again on the Obsidian Monolith to answer the question, “How do I become a game master?” In the second of my series of GM 101 episodes, I respond to your feedback and do my best to answer your questions about game mastering. I discuss session zero, speeding up and slowing down combats, when to house rule (and when not to), worldbuilding and thinking on your feet.

Dec 09, 2015•1 hr 4 min•Season 4Ep. 70

Game Master's Journey 69 - GM Aids for Encounters & NPCs

Running a game requires a lot of creativity and thinking on your feet. So what do you do when you’re out of ideas? Today I set off again on the Obsidian Monolith to share three resources that can help you out when your creative well has run dry. These products can be invaluable to you during your prep, and even during play.

Dec 08, 2015•42 min•Season 4Ep. 69

Game Master's Journey 68 - GM 101: So You're Thinking About Becoming a Game Master

For a show about game mastering, there are precious few episodes about how to BE a game master. That ends now. Today I set off again on the Obsidian Monolith to answer the question, “How do I become a game master?” In this first of my series of GM 101 episodes, I will do my best to share what I’ve learned in my over 20 years of experience as a game master.

Nov 30, 2015•46 min•Season 4Ep. 68

Game Master's Journey 67 - Instant Adventures with John Marvin

John Marvin of Dread Unicorn Games joins me on the show today to discuss the art of game mastering. We discuss his recent series of blog post articles in which he unpacks the instant adventure format for designing and running adventures. We also talk about third party publishing in RPGs and John’s upcoming 13th Age supplement, Gods and Icons.

Nov 26, 2015•43 min•Season 4Ep. 67

Game Master's Journey 65 - Building D&D Encounters Part 2

One of the many things I love about D&D fifth edition is the ease with which you can create balanced encounters. Today I set off again on the Obsidian Monolith to create the first encounters in my new D&D campaign, and I take you along for the ride.

Nov 20, 2015•53 min•Season 4Ep. 65

Game Master's Journey 64 - Building D&D Encounters Part 1

One of the many things I love about D&D fifth edition is the ease with which you can create balanced encounters. Today I set off again on the Obsidian Monolith to create the first encounters in my new D&D campaign, and I take you along for the ride.

Nov 18, 2015•50 min•Season 4Ep. 64

Game Master's Journey 63 - Worldbuilding 8: Building My First City Elandria

One of the best parts of being a game master is creating your own world. The fifth edition of D&D has inspired me to finally take the plunge. Today I set off again on the Obsidian Monolith to discuss my new D&D world, Primordia. I’ll discuss the Adventurers’ Guild in my world, how the portals work, and my first city, Elandria.

Nov 17, 2015•46 min•Season 4Ep. 63

Game Master's Journey 62 - Worldbuilding 7: The Primordia Campaign Begins

One of the best parts of being a game master is creating your own world. The fifth edition of D&D has inspired me to finally take the plunge. Today I set off again on the Obsidian Monolith to discuss my new D&D world, Primordia. I’ve begun running a campaign in the world, so I’ll discuss the first session. I’ll also talk about why I think starting small with your worldbuilding is the way to go and some more about my deities.

Nov 12, 2015•46 min•Season 4Ep. 62

Game Master's Journey 61 - Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide Review

Wizards of the Coast has recently released our first non-adventure supplement to D&D fifth edition, the Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide. Today I set off again on the Obsidian Monolith to discuss this supplement. I’ll tell you exactly what is (and isn’t) in this book and help you decide whether it’s for you.

Nov 10, 2015•45 min•Season 4Ep. 61

Game Master's Journey 60 - Worldbuilding 6: Welcome to Primordia

I've finally chosen a name for my D&D world! I also discuss how cities work in the world, more about the night sky of Primordia, and how the planets and moons relate to the deities. I also talk about how the gods are perceived and how I tightened up my pantheon.

Nov 03, 2015•48 min•Season 4Ep. 60

Game Master's Journey 59 - My Edge of the Empire Campaign Part 2

I get a lot of questions from listeners about worldbuilding and adventure and campaign design. There’s also been quite a bit of interest in my new Star Wars campaign. Today I set off again on the Obsidian Monolith to continue my discussion of my Edge of the Empire campaign. I talk about the characters the players created, and what I came up with for the first adventure.

Oct 28, 2015•1 hr•Season 4Ep. 59

Game Master's Journey 58 - My Edge of the Empire Campaign Part 1

Sometimes the best way to learn is by example. I’ve had quite a few requests from listeners to discuss my new Edge of the Empire campaign. Today I set off again on the Obsidian Monolith to do just that. In the first of a series of episodes about my new Edge of the Empire campaign, I discuss the inspirations, ideas and thoughts I had going into the campaign. Once I have a clear idea of what I want to accomplish, I’m ready for session zero with the players.

Oct 26, 2015•38 min•Season 4Ep. 58

Game Master's Journey 57 - Worldbuilding 5: Back to the Drawing Board

This week I really get under the hood of designing my own D&D setting. I ask myself some tough questions about if and why I want to build my own world and what exactly I want to accomplish with it, and I share the answers to those questions with you.

Oct 23, 2015•1 hr 9 min•Season 4Ep. 57

Game Master's Journey 56 - Game Preparation

A good GM should always be prepared. No matter what your RPG of choice is, game preparation is very important. Preparation can make the difference between an excellent GM and a terrible one. Prep can also make the difference between feeling awesome during and after a session versus not so much. Today I set off again on the Obsidian Monolith to discuss game preparation with the aid of an excellent GM resource—Never Unprepared by Phil Vecchione.

Oct 20, 2015•47 min•Season 4Ep. 56

Game Master's Journey 55 - Choose Your Own Adventure Path

Published RPG campaigns can be a great resource for GMs with busy lives. However my experiences with them has taught me that they have a lot of drawbacks. Today I set off again on the Obsidian Monolith to share my experiences with published campaigns and why I now feel they’re not for me. I also explore my other options in the search for that ever elusive “sweet spot”.

Oct 13, 2015•42 min•Season 4Ep. 55

Game Master's Journey 54 - Communication & Dealing with Problem Players

A very important aspect of our hobby that is sometimes overlooked is establishing and maintaining clear communication with your players. In every way from setting player expectations to resolving conflicts among the people at the table, communication is key. Today I set off again on the Obsidian Monolith to address a listener’s problems with power-gaming players and reflect on some insights I’ve gained from my own groups lately.

Oct 06, 2015•59 min•Season 4Ep. 54
← PrevNext →
For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android