Plus One to Gaming: Recent Episodes
Plus One to Gaming
Plus One to Gaming is about bringing more magic to your games through thoughtful discussion and actionable tips on running games, creating characters, role-playing, storytelling, and more. Like magic item buffs, these +1s add up to help you focus on what matters; creating great stories together.
In each episode, we dive into topics and themes from our favorite role-playing games, how they can elevate your game, and ways to implement them.
Maude, Kea, and Flibbit have escaped the Scrape and return to town. Kea is given a job opportunity but also stumbles on magic she's never experienced before, giving us a clue to her past.
In this post, we'll explore why play by post DnD is the cure for the LFG blues. Click to learn more about the exciting asynchronous method of play by post!
Getting ahold of a surged artifact was the easy part. Now our two rummagers have to escape the Scrape before the Scra-Clops catches up with them! And Kea meets an unlikely new ally!
In this post, we explore some of the most important details you as a DM need to know about your party before a campaign.
Kea aids Maude back to full health. The smart move would be to leave the Scrape, but the allure of powerful Pastworld tech has our two rummagers thinking of a different tactic. Sometimes the only way through is up!
Kea delves deeper into the Scrape to investigate the scream she heard. But any good rummager knows that the higher up you go, the more difficult it will be, and getting to the scream might not prove as simple as it seems. Danger awaits!
We’re stoked to share that the Dadventurous Podcast has joined Plus One to Gaming as contributors!Dadventurous is a family-friendly Dad & Daughter Dungeons & Dragons Actual Play podcast chock full of whimsy and adventure. Check out their first episode here and subscribe for future releases!Step into Elsewhere, where wild magic mingles with forgotten tech. Join Kea, a Rummager from the town of Map's Edge, as she ventures into the nearby ruin to look for magical artifacts. What secrets and mysteries await her in the Scrape?
Seamlessly navigate any storytelling and world-building situation your players throw at you with this handy DM improv guide!
Wildfire spreads across the ship as Omega Squad finds themselves squaring off against grain bandits on their way to Granitos. Will they douse the flames in time to save the grain, or will their cover story go up in smoke? Find out in this week's session!
Omega Squad embarks on their next mission disguised as merchant marine guards on a clandestine mission to Granitos.
Wowsers! It's been months since we last played, so we wanted to refresh ourselves with an interlude recap.
Omega Squad has three short days before their incognito mission to Granitos. Find out what Umren, Lord Wizardclaws, and Xyzal do with their free time leading up to the mission in this Eoan Interlude!
Are you looking for fire damage 5e rules to manage DnD fire? This master guide to fire damage 5e rules will turn up the heat on your fire-based encounters.
Our DnD 5e Encounter Builder is the fastest way to ensure your encounters are just right for your game.
Our DnD character backstory template is the fastest way to create a compelling player character for your next Dungeons & Dragons campaign.
Giving your D&D character personality can be an exciting and enriching experience. To help get you started, here are some D&D character personality ideas on creating a personality for your character.
We're jumping right into the Light of Xaryxis Spelljammer 5e campaign after wrapping up our session zero with guest DM, Loki.
We're kicking off our Spelljammer 5e actual play campaign with Loki at the helm as he leads us through session zero before blasting into space!
To kick off our new channel around roleplaying & artificial intelligence, we’ll explore how to use AI in DnD 5e to accelerate your creativity and elevate your games.
The internet is ablaze with animosity toward Wizards of the Coast and parent company Hasbro with the recent leaked updates to the Open Gaming License.In this episode, Chris, Erik, and Mark talk at length about the new OGL and what it means for the community and content creators who make their living from Dungeons & Dragons.
If you're new to Dungeons & Dragons, you may feel overwhelmed and unsure how to approach the game, especially when playing with more experienced players. Here are a few tips for D&D table etiquette for new players!
In the final episode of our Miner Issue campaign, Omega Squad finds themselves caught up in a potential planar conspiracy as they debrief the City Council on their latest mission. Find out where they’ll be sent next in this epilogue of A Miner Issue!
Here are some quick updates on what we have planned for the show so you know what to expect from us over the coming year!
A break in combat gives Omega Squad time to recuperate and prepare for the final battle. Find out who lives - and dies - in this penultimate chapter of A Miner Issue!
Running your first campaign presents many challenges, even for an experienced player, so Mark shares a few things he wishes he had known to make your first time DMing a little easier.
Are you a new player looking for DnD roleplaying tips to improve your game? If so, you’ve come to the right place!Here are some DnD roleplaying tips to get you started on your journey into the world of roleplaying.
Sealed from escape, Omega Squad ventures deeper into the mines to look for their lost companion, Cal. Will they stage a heroic rescue, or has he become spider food?
The onslaught continues as our heroes fend off these strange crystalline spider creatures. Will they be overrun? Will they notice someone is missing? Find out in this week's episode!
The holidays are around the corner! Stuff your favorite roleplayer’s stocking with something they’ll absolutely adore with our list of unique Dungeons and Dragons Gift Ideas for 2022, curated by all of us at Plus One to Gaming.
Omega Squad kicks into action after a tremor in the mine interrupts their rest. But things quickly go from bad to worse as they investigate the sealed entrance to the ominous Black Depths… Find out what happens in this week’s session of A Miner Issue!
Omega Squad reconnects with the caravan guard to rest and regale them with tales of their recent battle. But their downtime is interrupted by an unexpected tremor. Find out what’s uncovered in this episode of A Miner Issue!
Omega Squad continues their patrol through the mines in Green Four Two. But their rounds are interrupted by an unexpected visitor. Find out who - or what - they encounter in session two of A Miner Issue!
In this episode, we explore how to explain D&D to new players by breaking down different ways to relate to them. If you've ever struggled to explain D&D to new players, then this post is for you!
Are you looking for D&D downtime activities to fill the often-boring space between adventures? Check out this post on D&D downtime activities to light the fires of inspiration!
Excited to blast off into space, but don't know what race to play? In this post, we explore and rank all six new playable races in Spelljammer to help you pick the species that's right for your next character.
Learn how to write a D&D campaign start to finish from professional game writer and designer George 'Loki' Williams.
Check out our master guide on how to write a tabletop campaign to learn how to efficiently outline, plan, and execute your next Dungeons & Dragons adventure.
It hasn't been a month since the release of Spelljammer 5e, and revisions have already been written into the errata. Most notably are changes to the Hadozee species and their controversial backstory. In this episode, we discuss those changes and what we can do as players and DMs to keep our games inclusive, safe spaces to have fun.
Are you excited to explore fantasy space but don’t know how to run Spelljammer campaigns in D&D 5e? We sit down with game designer, writer, and Spelljammer veteran, George ‘Loki’ Williams about helping new players get into spelljamming.
What is Spelljammer? We ask the award-winning game designer and fantasy writer George ‘Loki’ Williams that question and more as we prepare ourselves for the Dungeons & Dragons Spelljammer 5e expansion.
A solid D&D campaign template helps you efficiently prepare for your next session or campaign. Download our free template and follow along to streamline your game planning!
Villains in D&D can take many forms, from disorganized goblins robbing caravans to Beholder masterminds ruling entire cities and everything in between.
Regardless of what villains oppose the party in your campaign, developing motivations for them gives your antagonists depth and add richness to your world. In this post, I’ll explore villain motivations and how to use them to create compelling opposition for your players.
Every year, tabletop gamers flock to Indianapolis to attend one of the largest tabletop gaming convention: Gen Con! But what is Gen Con, and more importantly, is it worth your hard-earned money? Find out in this week’s episode as we debrief with Mark and Billy, two Gen Con alumni.
The role of Dungeon Master can be intimidating, so we created this list of our top 10 first-time DM tips for D&D 5e to help new players get started.
We're picking back up where we left off in our Tales of Eoa series with a new adventure! The Omega Squad reassembles in the Adventurer's Guild office for their next mission: seven days of mine patrol. Find out what's in store for them underground in this week's episode!
Filling out character sheets for D&D can be equal parts mystifying and overwhelming for new players. In this post, Billy introduces a new character concept to the party, and we work together to fill out the character sheet, which ended up being a fun and collaborative experience. Check it out in this week’s episode!
Omega Squad takes a break from note-gathering and adventuring in our first interlude session. Umren discovers a clue bringing him closer to the mysteries of Mithrilspine, Lord Wizardclaws receives an ominous message, and Xyzal gets paid a visit by the Flowerfield boys. Find out what happens and more in this Eoan Interlude!
Fresh off the heels of locating Greystock's notes, Omega Squad investigates one final mystery in the late wizard's manse. Find out what they uncover (and whose dignity they insult) in this week's final session of Greystock's Notes!
Considering multiclassing in D&D 5e? Chris, Erik, and Billy talk at length about various way to approach multiclassing in-game and offer up organic ways to integrate this confusing feature in your game.
Omega Squad finds themselves face-to-face with another incorporeal denizen of Greystock’s manse. Find out what happens to them as they square off with this perturbed poltergeist in Session five of Greystock’s Notes!
We pick up with Omega Squad resuming their search for Bailey’s watchful eye to find Greystock’s laboratory key. Find out what they actually find in session four of Greystock’s Notes!
In the third installment of Greystock's Notes, the Omega Squad gains entrance to Greystock Manor. But the eccentric wizard's manse holds a dragon's horde of mysteries. Find out what they uncover - and who they meet - in this week's adventure!
After an intense standoff with the local Ferrier, the Omega Squad learns some macabre information surrounding Durgan Greystock and his wards. Find out what they uncover in this week’s episode!
Editor's Note Sorry for the erratic posting, everyone! For whatever reason, Spotify has not been registering this episode and I've been troubleshooting all week. Thank you so much for your patience!
We're kicking off our first session in the Tales of Eoa series by assembling the party at the Adventurer's Guild for their first mission! What sort of quest does Guild Leader Bucky have for our bargain-bin adventurers? Find out in this session of Greystock's Notes!
We're kicking off our first session in the Tales of Eoa series by assembling the party at the Adventurer's Guild for their first mission! What sort of quest does Guild Leader Bucky have for our bargain-bin adventurers? Find out in session I of Greystock's Notes!
Our next campaign is set in the homebrew world of Eoa as part of a long-term collaborative worldbuilding project. In this episode, we take some time to flesh out the world’s origins and the approach we want to take to worldbuilding for our campaigns.
All of us here at Plus One To Gaming are collaborating to create Eoa as we go, and we invite you to partake in filling out the world details, too! Join us as we dive deeper into our characters and flesh out the world a little more. You can see the framework of Eoa on our WorldAnvil page.
In this episode, we dive into a zero session to prepare for our upcoming homebrew adventure, Greystock's Notes, as part of a longer overarching campaign.
One of the most fun aspects of playing tabletop roleplaying games like Dungeons & Dragons is being able to mold and shape the world while playing. But shared storytelling can sometimes be a messy process. In this episode, we dive into our process and share our collaborative worldbuilding tips for DnD and other roleplaying games.
Let’s get real - being completely original is tough. And not all of us are Chris Perkins when it comes to building compelling characters, stories, and settings. This is why borrowing inspiration from other sources becomes such a powerful shortcut for roleplaying games. In this episode, we dispel some common myths about stealing ideas and offer legitimate methods for taking inspiration.
Time is typically a loose concept in roleplaying games. Usually, we aren’t tracking seconds and minutes in-game. That is, until combat starts. Which begs the question - how long is a turn in DnD?
As a group that bonds over roleplaying, we understand that getting more friends into D&D is an exciting prospect. Or sometimes it’s a way to meet new friends in a social environment. Either way, we as veteran players have an obligation to new players to guide them on their journey without tainting their experience. In this episode, we talk about ways to help newer players get into the game in a way that makes them want to come back to the table!
Join us for an impromptu discussion dissecting the character and storytelling elements of our favorite bounty hunter's divisive series, The Book of Boba Fett.
As folks emerge from isolation and get back to work, a lot of folks are wondering how to make the time they spent playing D&D in quarantine look productive. In this week's episode we cover how to put Dungeons & Dragons on your resume, but discuss the more important question - should you?
We’ve wrapped up our fourth adventure in Candlekeep Mysteries, and now it’s time for a review of A Deep & Creeping Darkness (AD&CD). In this episode, we reflect on the campaign, provide constructive criticism, and offer tips on how to run the game at your table.
Please note that this review might contain minor spoilers for players who haven’t completed this adventure.
In the final session of our Star Wars 5e actual play of A Deep & Creeping Darkness, the party strikes at the heart of the Fearnoc lair. Will their combined efforts be enough to keep them from succumbing to the Fearnoc's torment? Tune in to find out!
The party’s nightmares spill over into reality in our seventh actual play of A Deep & Creeping Darkness. As Aurick, Bidu, and Gubt face their tormentors head-on, the fear of failure sinks in amongst the party. Find out what happens in this week’s session!
In our sixth actual play of A Deep & Creeping Darkness, Aurick, Bidu, and Gubt find themselves beset by terrible nightmares. But when they wake, they discover reality is far more terrifying. Find out what happens in this week's session!
This week’s episode is an impromptu discussion before a session as we discussed how to bring storytelling elements - particularly from cinema - into Dungeons and Dragons games.
It was fun as filmmakers and storytelling nerds discussing how the beats used onscreen can make our games more dramatic and we hope you enjoy this conversation.
Build a deeper D&D character backstory by giving your DM more ways to stab you in the back. Learn how to balance the DM/PC relationship when it comes to world-building and storytelling using Knife Theory.
In our fifth actual play of A Deep & Creeping Darkness, our rag-tag group of spacers continue their trek to the lost mining town of Vermeillion. But an unexpected discovery causes them to question their present course. Find out what they decide to do in this week's episode!
This week’s episode is an after-session conversation we had where Mark presented some DM questions to the group. Working through this stuff is important when you’re learning to DM, so we thought it would be valuable to share. If you’re a new DM, we hope that gave you some insights you can roll into your game.
It’s boots on the ground in session four of our A Deep & Creeping Darkness Star Wars 5e actual play. Aurick, Bidu, Gubt make landfall on the remote mining moon of Marin and begin making their way to Vermillion. Find out what they uncover in this week’s episode!
In our third actual play of A Deep & Creeping Darkness, Aurick, Bidu, and Gubt head for an unnamed moon on the outskirts of the galaxy. A sense of unease weighs on the party as they draw closer to the tale's origin. Find out what happens next in this week's episode!
Aurick, Bidu, and Gubt head off-world with the Book of Woe to chase a lead on information that can save the DDG operation. What awaits them on the next planet? Find out in this Star Wars 5e actual play of A Deep and Creeping Darkness.
We’re officially into our A Deep and Creeping Darkness Star Wars 5e campaign. Picking up from our prologue, the party make their respective ways back to DDG headquarters. Find out what awaits Aurick, Bidu, and Gubt in our first session!
After fleshing out our characters and backstories in session zero of our Star Wars 5e adventure, we jumped into a prologue session to get the falumpaset moving. Find out what Aurick, Bidu, and Gubt are up to before being recalled by the Duskoga Deep Ground Galactic Mining Group contracting them.
A lot has changed with player characters since our first zero session for A Deep & Creeping Darkness, adventure four in Candlekeep Mysteries. Check out where the party landed with their unique spacers for our upcoming Star Wars D&D 5e adventure!
One thing every player asks themselves at some point is, “How do I get better at D&D?”. What ‘better’ means is different for everyone so in this episode, we talk about the approaches we’ve taken to develop as players and DMs over the years. We hope these tips help you grow into the player you want to be!
Wizards of the Coast recently announced a new core ruleset in 2024, which most folks are calling 6e at the moment. The announcement stated the new rules would be 5e compatible and more of an overhaul, making it more like 5.5e. But what can we expect from this new version of Dungeons & Dragons? Chris and Erik discuss what the future could hold for our beloved roleplaying game and run through our wish list of what we want to see.
In this Behind The Screens, we dive into an impromptu discussion around character creation for our upcoming A Deep & Creeping Darkness Star Wars 5e campaign. This chat took place right after our talk on reskinning D&D and covers the races, classes, and other features we’re playing around with as we bounce ideas off each other. It’s a great reminder of how fun and collaborative group character creation can be.
One of the main things we love about D&D 5e is it provides a solid framework for collaborative storytelling that can apply to settings outside medieval fantasy. But reskinning can be a daunting task. In preparation for our Star Wars 5e campaign, we’re talking about ways to streamline reskinning, re-flavoring, and homebrewing D&D 5e to get the most out of your re-skin.
Worlds collide in the fourth campaign of Candlekeep Mysteries, A Deep and Creeping Darkness. Join us as Mark takes the reins as DM for the first time ever and prepares us for an epic Star Wars D&D adventure in this session zero!
We’ve wrapped up the third adventure in Candlekeep Mysteries, and now it’s time for a review of Book of the Raven (BotR).
Like our other reviews, we celebrate what was great, dissect what didn’t, and offer up tips and tricks you can use to run the adventure smoothly.
Please note that this review might contain spoilers for players who haven’t completed this adventure.
In our final Book of the Raven live play session, Leander, Stardew, and Soaanz return to the material plane to find their allies have met a grisly fate. Who are these foreboding intruders? Is this the end of Stardew’s quest? Find out in this week’s episode!
In our fourth Book of the Raven live play session, Leander, Stardew, and Soaanz find themselves in the eerie darkness that is the Shadowfel. But as Stardew comes closer to finishing her quest, a ghastly voice calls out. What does this mysterious voice want? Find out in this week’s episode!
In our third Book of the Raven live play session, Leander, Stardew, and Soans continue their exploration of Chalet Brantifax, slowly piecing together its dark history. As they draw closer to their goal, unforeseen forces converge on the party. What are the intentions of the denizens of the chalet and what will happen when their paths cross? Find out in this week’s episode!
In our second Book of the Raven live play session, Leander, Stardew, and Soans continue on their journey to locate the treasure at the end of their map. After happening upon an abandoned chalet teeming with ravens, the party learns they are not alone as they explore inside...
Join us behind the screens as we dive into a post-game review after our first session of Book of the Raven. In this episode we geek out on some of the Roll20 features that streamline our games, figuring out character voices, roleplaying decisions, and highlight the things the DM and players did to make this adventure special, at least for us.
In this episode, we’re finally kicking off our Book of the Raven live playthrough. Billy takes the reigns as DM, picking up right where we left off in our Zero Session.
Character creation is a magical time where players create the avatars they’ll be slipping into to tell a collaborative story. But creating a fun and interesting character isn’t always easy, and a lot can go wrong in the character creation process. We put together this guide of practical character creation tools and tips to help you level up your character creation.
Billy takes on the role of DM as we gear up for adventure three in Candlekeep Mysteries - Book of the Raven. We're doing something different for each campaign, and this one is no different. For this adventure, we've created characters for each other and will be introducing them to each other for the first time. It's an exciting way to kick off this next journey!
Chris, Billy, and Mark dive headfirst into first-time DM tips for Dungeons & Dragons 5e. Specifically, we'll be discussing the things we've learned and apply to our games that keep them fun and moving along.
In this episode, Chris, Erik, and Billy discuss ways to make combat encounters in D&D 5e more efficient, effective, and interesting for both the players and DM.
We’ve wrapped up our second adventure in Candlekeep Mysteries, and now it’s time for a review of Mazfroth’s Mighty Digressions (MMD).
This episode picks up immediately after we finished the game and contains some of our visceral thoughts on the campaign.
Please note that this review might contain minor spoilers for players who haven’t completed this adventure.
In part four of our Mazfroth's Mighty Digressions live play, Houdini, Tesla, and Twain set a plan to investigate for more clues. But, as they explore the seedy back alleys of Black Gate they are accosted by a familiar voice...
In part three of our Mazfroth's Mighty Digressions playthrough, Houdini, Tesla, and Twain venture through shifting desert sands to find the source of these monstrous books. But, the quiet desert is full of peril and dangers for the traveling trio...
In session two of Mazfroth’s Mighty Digressions live play, Houdini, Tesla, and Twain do some investigating to figure out the mystery of the transforming books. Join them on their sleuthing mission to root out the source of these dangerous monstrosities…
It’s time for the next adventure in Candlekeep Mysteries with Mazfroth’s Mighty Digressions. In this campaign, Erik is taking a different approach to the setting by re-skinning the adventure in the 1890’s Gilded Age.
D&D, Dungeons & Dragons, 5e, Candlekeep Mysteries, Mazfroth's Mighty Digressions, live play, actual play, podcast
It’s time for the next adventure in Candlekeep Mysteries with Mazfroth’s Mighty Digressions. In this campaign, Erik is taking a different approach to the setting by re-skinning the adventure in the 1890’s Gilded Age.
We’ve wrapped up our first session in Candlekeep Mysteries, and now it’s time for a review of The Joy of Extradimensional Spaces. In this episode, we reflect and share our thoughts on the first one shot in this new D&D adventure book. Please note that this review might contain some spoilers for players who haven’t played this adventure.
In this final episode of our actual playthough of Candlekeep Mysteries - The Joy of Extradimensional Spaces, our party learns that this mansion has even more secrets stored for them...
In the part four of our play through of the Joy of Extradimensional Spaces, the party sets forth trying to find the command word. However, there are still a few surprises left for Kammi and the Full Spectrum. What sort of inanimate object will attack them next? Find out in this next session of the Joy of Extradimensional Spaces.
We’re back with part three of our play through The Joy of Extradimensional Spaces. We pick up right where we left off from our last adventure, in the library of a mysterious mansion about to fight a swarming book monster!
We’re back with part two of our actual play of Candlekeep Mysteries, The Joy of Extradimensional Spaces. Our story picks up with our party in a bit of a pickle. Stranded alone in the foyer of a mysterious mansion, the party begins their search for a way out…
Candlekeep Mysteries is finally here! In this episode, we embark on the first adventure contained in this new tome. Join us as we crack open the binding and jump right into an actual playthrough of the Joy of Extradimensional Spaces.
What does a Joy of Extradimensional Spaces Zero Session look like? Well, we're figuring it out, too! Join us as we switch gears into playing mode as we prepare for our upcoming Candlekeep Mysteries campaign series.
It’s March, and you know what that means! In just a couple weeks we’ll have Wizards of the Coast’s new D&D adventure book, Candlekeep Mysteries. We’ve got some fun live-play content planned around this new book, but in the meantime, we’re going to talk about what CKM is, what we’re excited about, and how we’re getting ready for this new and mysterious tome!
When creating a character, one area that’s often underdeveloped is the background. But what is it and how does it impact your character? In the seventh installment of our Character Creation Toolkit, Erik and Chris talk about how important backgrounds are, how to pick them, and ways they can boost your game.
Armor Class is simple on the surface but has nuances that can be confusing. In this AC primer, Chris defines armor class, how to calculate it, and shares some ways to flavor it in-game.
In D&D, ability scores are the numerical measure of your character’s abilities. But picking the ‘right’ ability scores for your character can be a daunting task. In episode five of our Character Creation Toolkit, Chris explores the different attributes that make ability scores, methods for assigning them, and different approaches to find what works for you.
Class in D&D is arguably the most important decision you can make for your character. With 13 classes and nearly three dozen subclasses to choose from, it can be overwhelming to find the right class for your character. In this multi-part series, we discuss different approaches and mindsets to come to the class that's right for you and your character. In part two, we'll dive into the main classes in the Player's Handbook and how to parse through the many options.
Class in D&D is arguably the most important decision you can make for your character. With 13 classes and nearly three dozen subclasses to choose from, it can be overwhelming to find the right class for your character. In this multi-part series, we discuss different approaches and mindsets to come to the class that's right for you and your character. In part two, we'll dive into the main classes in the Player's Handbook and how to parse through the many options.
The expanding world of D&D is full of interesting races, creatures, and monsters to play as. It can be overwhelming trying to sift through all those stat blocks and lore! In the next part of our Character Creation series, we discuss different ways to choose and role-play the races in Player’s Handbook.
Welcome to episode zero of Plus One to Gaming! In D&D and other tabletop games, zero sessions are a way to set the tone for the game, align the group, and hash out other details before playing. They are hands down the easiest way to +1 your games from the very beginning.
2020 has been one helluva year. We’ve all taken hits, though some much worse than others. It’d be easy to spiral into despair and wallow in everything that’s happening, but nay! Not us, not today. We’re excited to create something positive and new going into 2021.
PlusOne to Gaming is about creating great role-playing game experiences. Our quest is sharing +1's you can use as a player or DM to take your sessions to the next level. Subscribe to the +1tG newsletter for bonus content and geek out with us on D&D and other games.