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Artwork for Mastering Dungeons

Mastering Dungeons

Mastering Dungeons
Dungeons & Dragons
Shadowdark RPG
Planescape
Shadowdark
Role-Playing Games
RPG Game Design
Blade Runner Starter Set
World Building
D&D
Player Engagement
Village Setting
NPC Development
Dungeon Mastering
Campaign Design
Adventure Design
Wizards Of the Coast
Game Mechanics
Adventure Hooks
5th Edition
Blade Runner RPG

RPG veterans and game designers Teos Abadía and Shawn Merwin look at the game and the hobby of D&D from a variety of viewpoints: reporting the news, understanding the business, reviewing the products, and illuminating the design. Whether you’re a fan, a player, a DM, or a designer, Shawn and Teos cover topics of interest to you!

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes534Founded10 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
LeisureGames

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Artwork for Mastering Dungeons

Latest Episodes

Episode 259 of Mastering Dungeons!

Main topic: Draw Steel Character Classes, Careers, and Cultures!

Teos and Shawn create two characters, reviewing how Draw Steel creates engagement through complex classes, careers, and create-your-own cultures!

N... more

Episode 258 of Mastering Dungeons!

No News Segment this week!

Main topic: Inside Heroes of the Borderlands: Justice Arman on creating D&D’s new starter set!

Justice led the project to create a new Starter Set updating the famed module B2, The Keep... more

Episode 257 of Mastering Dungeons!

Main topic: Draw Steel Character Generation!

Shawn and Teos discuss character generation approaches, then plunge into Draw Steel’s first character generation steps!

News: Wizards CEO on Franchises, AI, and Video ... more

Episode 256 of Mastering Dungeons!

Main topic: Mike Balles and Spanish Language RPGs!

Mike Balles and Teos examine the state of Spanish-language play and support across companies, conventions, and creator spaces. Mike shares the programs he is invo... more

Key Facts

Contact Information
Podcast Host
Number of Listeners
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Similar Podcasts

Recent Guests

Justice Ramin Arman
Managing game designer on the D&D game design team
Wizards of the Coast
Episode: Inside Heroes of the Borderlands: Justice Arman on creating D&D’s new starter set! (MD 258)
Chris Honkala
He's known as Treantmonk, a popular YouTuber focusing on D&D content.
Treantmonk's Temple
Episode: Treantmonk and Mike Balles! (MD 256)
Mike Balles
Co-founder of Latin Lounge, focuses on integrating Latin cultural elements into gaming.
Latin Lounge
Episode: Treantmonk and Mike Balles! (MD 256)
Shelly Mazzanoble
Author and former Senior Brand Manager for Dungeons and Dragons
Wizards of the Coast
Episode: How to DM Parenting with Shelly Mazzanoble! (MD 253)
James Introcaso
Game designer and lead designer for MCDM's Draw Steel RPG
MCDM
Episode: Draw Steel and Introducing New RPGs! (MD242)
Graham Ward
Creator of 100 Dungeons
Episode: Hundred Dungeons and the OSR! (MD 234)
Dr. Jamie Madigan
Psychology PhD, author of The Psychology of Dungeons and Dragons
psychologyofgames.com
Episode: The Psychology of D&D with Dr. Jamie Madigan (MD 221)
Ben Byrne
Creative Content Director at Ghostfire Gaming and co-host of the Eldritch Lorecast
Ghostfire Gaming
Episode: Embracing Dark Fantasy (MD 216)
Hannah Rose
Game designer and editor, co-founder of Horizons Magazine
Wildmage Press
Episode: Horizons Magazine with Hannah Rose! (MD 211)

Hosts

Shawn Merwin
Co-host and RPG game designer with extensive experience in Dungeons & Dragons, bringing insights from his multiple roles in the gaming industry.
Teos Abadía
Co-host and RPG game designer known for his work within the Dungeons & Dragons community, providing valuable context and industry insights.

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 384 ratings
  • The #1 TTRPG Podcast

    if you like TTRPG discussions, Mastering Dungeons is head and shoulders above all the others. So many TTRPG podcasts have too much banter and not enough fact. MD always does their homework first, and they often take deep dives into new game systems. Plus the hosts, Shawn Merwin and Teos Abadia, are working designers who have written for Wizards of the Coast, Ghostfire Gaming, MCDM, and other large publishers, so their opinions come from a well of deep experience.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Mister Lou
    United Statesa month ago
  • Great show!

    I love this show and their approach to explaining the DM process to me. I’m a new player and a never DM. I’m certainly DM curious and I have found that listening to these two over the past few months has been extremely insightful. Like everyone else I’m Daggerheart intrigued and this recent episode on the Spotlight was very helpful to understand. I’m actually listening for the third time as it’s hard to understand without playing it.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Thorlik
    United States3 months ago
  • Great Content, but…

    First off, both Hosts are knowledgable and full of RPG stories, but please STOP apologizing so profusely for the 50 year old content that neither of you even wrote. We all know that the industry is changing to be more inclusive and diverse, but one simple trigger warning when the show starts would suffice. On the Greyhawk episodes Shawn spent over 5 minutes apologizing for the term “Race” and for the fantasy Greyhawk civilizations expansionism. I would rather have those 5 minutes hearing about G... more

    Apple Podcasts
    1
    Wormholer_joe
    United States4 months ago
  • My favourite D&D podcast

    Smart, levelheaded, experienced… this show is my “comfort food”.

    Thank you Shawn and Teos!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Rimsh0t
    Canada5 months ago
  • THE BEST

    This podcast is great for new insights and learning more about DND one of my most listened to podcasts

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Insightful-goose24
    Canada6 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Feedback highlights a welcoming community atmosphere that encourages diverse perspectives in gaming discussions.
Listeners appreciate the insightful analysis into game design and industry trends, praising the hosts for their depth of knowledge.
Critics have suggested minimizing certain apologies during discussions while remaining informative. Many appreciate the dialogue's balance between humor and substantial content.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#90
United States/Leisure/Games
Apple Podcasts
#31
United Kingdom/Leisure/Games
Apple Podcasts
#202
United Kingdom/Leisure
Apple Podcasts
#210
Canada/Leisure/Games
Apple Podcasts
#57
Italy/Leisure/Games
Apple Podcasts
#190
Australia/Leisure/Games

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Inside Heroes of the Borderlands: Justice Arman on creating D&D’s new starter set! (MD 258)
Q: Did you look solely at B2 for the original version or pull from other editions?
The guiding source was the original module, Keep on the Borderlands, but we also looked at other versions for context.
Inside Heroes of the Borderlands: Justice Arman on creating D&D’s new starter set! (MD 258)
Q: What were the goals for the new D&D starter set?
The goals included using components to teach players how to play and DM, decreasing the time it takes to start playing, allowing players and DMs to switch roles, and presenting the adventure in a way that highlights exploration, combat, and social interaction.
Draw Steel Character Generation! (MD 257)
Q: What are your thoughts on Daggerheart?
Teos expresses uncertainty about its simplicity and the long-term appeal of character options.
Treantmonk and Mike Balles! (MD 256)
Q: What makes a good subclass?
A subclass should provide both originality and interesting mechanics, along with being engaging in gameplay.
Treantmonk and Mike Balles! (MD 256)
Q: How do you approach analyzing Unearthed Arcana?
Chris mentions that his primary focus is on originality first, then analyzing power levels in depth.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
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Frequently Asked Questions About Mastering Dungeons

What is Mastering Dungeons about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Covering a wide range of topics in the tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) landscape, discussions are largely centered around Dungeons & Dragons and various RPG systems. The hosts analyze game design, provide insights from industry veterans, and explore both classic and new gaming experiences. Notably, there's an emphasis on community engagement and player experience, making the content accessible for newcomers yet profound enough for seasoned gamers. This podcast uniquely blends news reporting with in-depth product reviews, offering listeners a well-rounded perspective on the evolving world of tabletop gaming.

Where can I find podcast stats for Mastering Dungeons?

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How many listeners does Mastering Dungeons get?

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What are the audience demographics for Mastering Dungeons?

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To see how many followers or subscribers Mastering Dungeons has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

How many episodes of Mastering Dungeons are there?

Mastering Dungeons launched 10 years ago and published 534 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Mastering Dungeons?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

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What guests have appeared on Mastering Dungeons?

Recent guests on Mastering Dungeons include:

1. Justice Ramin Arman
2. Chris Honkala
3. Mike Balles
4. Shelly Mazzanoble
5. James Introcaso
6. Graham Ward
7. Dr. Jamie Madigan
8. Ben Byrne

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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