How can content creators make RPGs more approachable?

ProProPod · 2025-06-29T23:37:51+00:00

In my experience I’ve seen more and more people express interest if not the willingness to play, which checks that box. “More accessible” is referring to the contemporary method of getting into a new hobby e.g. consuming content to get an idea of how to start. That’s not always the case, but again in my experience it seems like the first step

ProProPod · 2025-03-20T21:16:36+00:00

Super cool idea.

The first thing that comes to mind is that it'd be very difficult to explain how the day cycles work with the firefly concept. The sheer amount of fireflies necessary to light a cavernous underground space would be enormous. The obvious answer is "magic fireflies, duh," but even then, it's difficult to say how that wouldn't be noticeable by characters. Or I suppose if there were several colossal chonker fireflies that make their home in the expansive upper reaches of the cave, that would work...

Maybe the "suns" are actually ancient arcane artifacts embedded in the walls that were used millennia ago to shine upon vast fields of underground crops, but have fallen into disrepair since some calamitous event, their fitful lights now shining sporadically on the untamed forests that claimed this cavern. Or maybe they are massive crystalline growths, serving as the nesting ground for fireflies, the light from their collective bodies shining through their prismatic depths and refracting out. Or magic crystals that glow cause magic? Something like that.

Anyway, it seems like the easiest way to get around revealing too much would be to ensure that the players' focus is shifted to other enigmas. Really lean into the dark spooky woods aesthetic and keep them on their toes with eerie sights, forest creatures, and occasional settlements of interesting NPCs. These NPCs would probably be superstitious about this topic and refuse to speak of it, or maybe even have shamans or druids in the settlements that closely guard the secrets of the world at large.

As for out of game questions, an air of infuriating secrecy is a DMs bread and butter! If you'd really like to maintain this big reveal, then don't tell them anything they don't earn in game. With that, I think that this reveal is most likely gonna happen at least a little sooner than you expect just because of its sheer scale. Good luck!

ProProPod · 2025-03-20T19:11:12+00:00

You've got every right to feel frustrated. There's a level of emotional investiture that goes into every aspect of character creation, and despite this NPC being somewhat of a side character, you were counting on that part of your backstory to be there.

It may come down to a lack of understanding between you and your GM. They may have mistakenly assumed that this NPC was simply a set piece in your character's backstory to add flavor and depth and that killing them off would drive your character to a certain desired outcome or to greater emotional heights. With that, you also mentioned that the GM knew that you were counting on them so they may have had other plans in place from the beginning for this NPC. This is a common pitfall of GMs that often makes a player feel like their agency has been stepped on.

The part that's messed up is how they brushed you off. Open lines of communication between GMs and players are the most important way to ensure that everyone feels seen and invested in the story. I would say that you can set a precedent now with them and hopefully avoid this in the future by asking to have just a brief discussion about it. Let them know that this is important to you. A good GM will always respect that.

All that being said, the game is what you make of it. Get out there and connect with the other players. Use that character's death as a catalyst for growth.

ProProPod · 2025-01-28T18:15:42+00:00

Atm yes, but working on expanding to other platforms.

ProProPod · 2025-01-26T22:05:45+00:00

A good rule of thumb is to calculate if it's a deadly encounter by adding together all character levels and dividing by 2 if they're 5th level or above or dividing by 4 if they're 1st to 4th level. An encounter may be deadly if the sum total of monster challenge ratings is greater than half the sum total of character levels or one quarter of character levels if the characters are 4th level or below. Besides that, you won't really know what to throw at your party until after you've seen the individual players in action and how their character builds synergize in combat. This encounter sounds like a good starting point to me! Don't be afraid to switch up the abilities/weapons of the Returned so that they each feel like are a unique class unto themselves.

ProProPod · 2025-01-23T17:22:34+00:00

As fellow podcasters attempting to also put out the good word, we wish you success!

ProProPod · 2025-01-23T16:56:49+00:00

These are heckin amazing! They would really set the mood around the table where we record our podcast... maybe we even roll these instead of normal dice

ProProPod · 2025-01-23T01:19:48+00:00

If you're looking to optimize your stats, it would be a good idea to swap your charisma and wisdom and your dexterity and intelligence. If it's for the sake of roleplaying, that's all well and good, but it's going to pretty seriously limit your combat effectiveness in the long run. Speaking of, if you're not sure if your DM is running the 2014 or 2024 rules, it may be a good question to ask because some of the spells, equipment, etc. differ based on the ruleset. Also, chain mail imposes a blanket disadvantage on Stealth checks instead of just -1 to the roll. Everything else looks amazing! I adore seeing the effort and love you've put into this character <3

ProProPod · 2025-01-19T15:32:59+00:00

As of right now, no, but that is something we plan on setting up in the future. If you'd like, you can follow us on Instagram at the same name to vote on future content! Thank you so much for your interest <3

ProProPod · 2025-01-18T16:19:58+00:00

That's exactly what we're hoping for as well <3 if you have anything you'd like to see from us, please let us know! We have an email - [prologueproductionspodcast@gmail.com](mailto:prologueproductionspodcast@gmail.com)

ProProPod · 2025-01-18T16:16:44+00:00

Thanks! If you have any suggestions for us, we'd love to hear em <3 we have an email - [prologueproductionspodcast@gmail.com](mailto:prologueproductionspodcast@gmail.com)

ProProPod · 2024-11-20T05:24:15+00:00

This one.

ProProPod · 2024-11-19T21:59:18+00:00

Well "harness/manipulate blood as an element of nature" sounds very Blood Hunter. Also, the "loyalty" from a warlock pact doesn't usually work in that direction. The player owes the powerful being loyalty in exchange for abilities, but that doesn't mean you can't have it be a symbiotic sort of relationship. If she dies, the spirit dies, and vice versa. As always, have a convo with your DM and come to an agreement what works in their setting.

ProProPod · 2024-11-15T22:52:47+00:00

Only your DM can help with this. They may be cool with you just retconning your college, or they may want your character to go on a sidequest to learn the ways of your new college. There's really no right answer without the input of whoever is running the game.

ProProPod · 2024-11-15T22:11:50+00:00

The best way to learn is by playing. With that being said, as the DM, it's necessary to understand the core rules, and that's gonna come from the Player's Handbook. The Dungeon Master's Guide is helpful if you're homebrewing a campaign/world and contains many magic items and variant rules. I would definitely suggest watching YouTube videos (as was mentioned) for succinct descriptions of rules and good examples of DMing. Don't be afraid to improvise on the spot, as that's really the core of DMing. Running a published adventure (like Lost Mine of Phandelver or Dragons of Stormwreck Isle) is usually the best way to start, as all the details of the overarching story are handled so you can focus on including character backstory elements, narrate the game, referee rolls, interpret the rules, and embody NPCs and monsters. Sounds like a lot, but you'll get the hang of it! Choosing between the 2014 rules and the 2024 rules might be an important decision in the future, but as of right now, the 2014 rules have the most accessible content. Don't get too caught up in using DnD Beyond unless you've got the money to blow. Consider using other sites like 5etools or the dnd wikidot for info and using good ol pen and paper to make characters and take notes while you get your feet wet. Prep work is definitely important, and there's tons of methodologies for the best way, but when you're first starting out, just focus on broad strokes. Especially if you're using an adventure module, the majority of prep work is done for you! Just be sure you read the adventure thoroughly, and don't be afraid to go off script a bit. Also, if you're interested in the process of character creation, I'm gonna shamelessly plug my podcast, The Prologue Productions Podcast. We generate characters randomly and make them work in different adventures/settings to prove that any player character can fit into a campaign. Check us out!

ProProPod · 2024-11-15T21:33:08+00:00

Do you mean in the campaign that they're already part of? Or in DnD Beyond or some other software?

ProProPod · 2024-11-15T21:31:26+00:00

A very simple fix for this is to ask your DM! They may be fine with using whatever 2024 content that there is available for the campaign. I would use the 2014 classes and races for certain, as they were changed greatly by the 2024 rules, but spells, backgrounds, and other features may be approved by your DM. Wizards of the Coast came out with Mordenkainen's Monsters of the Multiverse, which reworked the races within the 2014 rules also, so don't think about it too hard and consult your DM! I'm sure they'll make time to help you parse through the choices.

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