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Master Manual — Games & Hobbies
Master Manual

Harmontown’s “Dungeon Master to the Stars” Spencer Crittenden and game designer Cohen Edenfield discuss the finer points of leading a role-playing session in this surprisingly accessible advice show.

Latest Episodes:

Canned Punch Jan 22, 2019

Show notes

The Masters Manual talk about Star Trek some more, and brainstorm how a swarm of rats could be something different than that. What to do when retiring an old PC to DM a campaign? Find out now, on Master Manu-L!

Sponsored by Tivo*

just to be clear these are all jokes*
**Sponsored by Canned Punch

Questions Answered:

I'm gonna stop playing in my campaign to DM but what should I do with my character?!

Can I learn to play and learn to DM while adapting DND5E for a star trek setting?

Have you tried any of the D&D-lite systems, like Dungeon World or Beyond The Wall? If not, what is it about the rules of D&D that keeps you loyal?

Loot Table:

Fairy Does

Mood Ring

Monster: Swarm of Rats (Rat Kings)

Bureaucrabcy Jan 15, 2019

Show notes

The Masters Manual are back on a cheerful Chuesday evening to talk playing DnD with kids, getting high in character, as well as Keyforge, a new card game! How will they alternate Displacer Beasts? What's a Dreamfruit Tree? All will be revealed! At the very least, some.

Sponsored by The Brand Wizard

Note: Vacuum Sounds may be audible

Questions Answered:

How do I do smart things even if I'm playing a not-smart character? Do I just not do anything?

My 5 year old seems into DnD. Should I try to get him involved?

How do you feel about characters getting high on drugs in a campaign?

Brute Fable:

Bureaucrabcy

Dreamfruit Tree

Monster: Displacer Beasts

Relevant Links:

https://www.splcenter.org/

Portal Potty Jan 08, 2019

Show notes

The boys are running late and record a weekendisode covering Mimics, Mage Movements, Metal Slug and more! Find out how to run modules that your players have done before and how to avoid spectacle creep!

Sponsored by Portal Potty, the Toilet of Tomorrow

Questions Answered:

How do I run classic modules if I'm worried my players have played them already?

How do I avoid spectacle creep as a DM?

Loot Table:

Hammer of Crucibles

Back Pocket Universe

Gamestorming: Gauntlet

Monster: Mimics Incorporated

Relevant Links:

Cthulhu Mythos for 5e

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/petersengames/sandy-petersens-cthulhu-mythos-for-5e

The Hobbit of Holiday Cheer Jan 01, 2019

Show notes

The boys seem to think it's Christmas as they talk Cthulhu, Red Dead Redemption, and Desert Eternals in this very special New Years Episode. What's a Wood Woad, and who are the Enlightenmen? Find out!

Sponsored by Billson's Beetle Bottles

Questions Answered:

I’m curious how to make a campaign truly terrifying. I am currently running a lovecraftian based game, but many lovecraftian horrors are unnameable, indescribable, and unknownable...

I've been running a game for 5 players for a while now, and the players are around level 12. How can I keep combat challenging without making it boring or taking away all their stuff?

Brute Fable:

Enlightenmen

Foulcan

Monster: Desert Wood Woad

Relevant Links:

Heroes Of Horror

https://www.amazon.com/Dungeons-Dragons-Fantasy-Roleplaying-Supplement/dp/0786936991

Volo's Guide to Monsters (has a section on Krakens, also the Curse of Strahd book has one page about being scary as a DM)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/0786966017/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_U_nHxkCbXCNQ3DY

Article about the intersection of Lovecraftian Stories and the Kraken Section of Volo's Guide; discusses how to build a lovecraftian adventure

https://geekandsundry.com/the-lovecraftian-mystery-in-volos-guide-to-monsters/

Zeno's Parasocks Dec 25, 2018

Show notes

The Masters Manual are sick and sloppy but struggle through all the same as they discuss splitting the party, one-trick ponies, and Super Smash Bros, in this, a very Mastery Christmas.

Sponsored by Blood Batteries

Spencer’s note: If it sounded like I was being sarcastic about the cleaning guy interrupting us that wasn’t my intent I was earnestly trying to express my dismay at potentially preventing him from cleaning the office because when we record we are trying not to disrupt the normal office functions LOL

Questions Answered:

Recently a player quit, saying the game was "too on rails," but I don't think it was! Should I worry about this, or try to find out what went wrong, or what?

How do you handle splitting the party?

How do you handle characters building around a single mechanic? At what point does that become a distraction?

Loot Table:

Zeno's Parasocks

Worrywarts

Gamestorming: Super Smash Bros. Ultimate

Monster: iStone XS Max

Relevant Links:

Rich Malena

https://twitter.com/rmalena

Kithkin

https://mtg.gamepedia.com/Kithkin

Faerie Fire

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1586134783/faerie-fire-a-5e-supplemental

Hell Dwarves Dec 18, 2018

Show notes

What do champagne elementals, hell dwarves, and Vector Man all have in common? They're all discussed in this episode. Yeah, I don't blame you for being disappointed, it's kinda a cop-out answer. They're also all motile, and capable of death. That do anything for you?

Sponsored by Tomina’s Iron-on Explosive Glyphs and Runes

Questions Answered:

My party has 3 mages and the fighter is always at risk of getting one-shotted. What do I do?

how do you handle experience and leveling?

How do I get my PCs to roleplay interactions with each other more?

Loot Table:

Tunnel Visor

Sham Pain

Gamestorming: Vector Man

Monster: Hell Dwarves

Stancho Polaris Dec 11, 2018

Show notes

Cohen and Spencer discuss their recent happenings and blast into more Season 2 goodness as they try to turn Mario Kart into a dungeon and riff more fantasy stuff.

Sponsored by Grapes of Wrath (From the Makers of Goodberry)

Questions Answered:

How can i mix in more RP elements without losing the attention of my hack and slash players?

Do you have any suggestions for coming up with DC’s on the fly?

Any advice on how to nudge them into downtime research without shoving it in their faces?

Brute Fable:

Hard Cluck

Somnolites

Gamestorming: Mario Kart 64

Monster: Enforcement Paws

Agapomancy Dec 04, 2018

Show notes

The Masters Manual are back in the Studio for another Bone-Flickin' Season of Fantasy Make-em-ups. Check out a fresh new take on Goblins involving potatoes and electricity.

Sponsored by SpellBrain's Summoning Strings

How do you deal with the urge to coddle your players?

How can someone who has never GMed keep a group of new players with a short attention span interested?

How do I handle a player, new to tabletop, that will inject some metagame/literary criticism of the narrative during play?

Loot Table:

AdderAllchemy

Agapomancy

Gamestorming: Zelda

Monster: Goblin Shock Troops

Links:

https://www.dmsguild.com/product/170937/The-Wild-Sheep-Chase--A-SingleSession-Adventure

THE LOST EPISODE -1 - 1: Frostio Glass Nov 27, 2018

Show notes

It's a long lost episode, excavated and dug up just for you. Season 2 should kick off next week!

Alternate Title: Cohen’s Campaign of Lies

Sponsored by Letters From Dead People

Loot Table:

Dream Weaver

Gloomprints

Monster: World Turtle

Special Edition Interview with Dungeon Master Bodie Nov 20, 2018

Show notes

Spencer forgot Cohen and just did an interview with Bodie, a cool artist and Dungeon Master living the dream and arting around abroad.

Monster: Wolf-In-Sheep's-Clothing

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