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How to DM a Spelljammer Campaign

Dragon Talk, Episode #398

Dragon Talk #398!

I was a guest on Dragon Talk, the official D&D podcast! You can hear host Shelly Mazzanoble and I discuss tips on running Spelljammer on episode #398. (Note: the episode number seems to have changed to now be 362?)

Dragon Talk #392 – Indrani Ganguly (Desis & Dragons) Dragon Talk – An Official Dungeons & Dragons Podcast

Indrani Ganguly (she/they) is the co-founder of Desis & Dragons, India's largest tabletop RPG community. Under the moniker Nonagon Dice, she also became India's first handmade dice maker. Indrani is also a fledgling game designer. She is based out of Mumbai, India. Through Desis & Dragons, Indrani, and her two co-founders have worked to spread international awareness about India’s TTRPG creators, as well as grow the nascent hobby within India. Indrani’s game-changing work within the Indian game industry has been featured in multiple reputable newspapers and magazines such as Polygon, Wired, IGN India, and Mid-Day India. Indrani is a part of The Game Awards Future Class of 2022, a cohort of 50 individuals that "represent the bright, bold, and inclusive future of video games". For general inquiries or show messages, please email dragontalk@sirensound.co Dragon Talk is executively produced by Greg Tito, Shelly Mazzanoble & Wizards of The Coast. Show production by Lisa Carr & Ryan Marth of Siren Sound. Podcast recording, editing, mixing and mastering by Ryan Marth & Siren Sound.———-Here's your guide to when each segment begins:Show open with Greg Tito and Shelly Mazzanoble – 0:00Interview with Indrani Ganguly – 4:52Outro – 1:02:50———-Greg Tito Twitter – twitter.com/gregtitoShelly Mazzanoble Twitter – twitter.com/shellymooIndrani Ganguly – https://mainpage.me/indraniDesis & Dragons – https://linktr.ee/DesisNDragonsWelcome To Dragon Talk – https://uipress.uiowa.edu/books/welcome-dragon-talkSpelljams – https://pocp.co/spelljamsDragon Talk Show Page – https://dnd.wizards.com/dragon-talk/podcast-hubSiren Sound – www.sirensound.coRyan Marth – bio.site/ryanmarthLisa Carr – twitter.com/yelizavetacarrLatest D&D Products – https://gtly.to/SVs8W_2f8D&D Official Discord – https://discord.com/invite/dnd

DMing Spelljammer

As you can see from the many articles about Spelljammer on this site, I am a huge fan of the setting! On Dragon Talk I shared why this setting resonates for me, and how I find it provides a lot of flexibility for Dungeon Masters – we can finally use anything on our gaming shelf and toss it into a Spelljammer campaign.

I cover the areas I consider key for DMing a Spelljammer campaign, including how I approach ship combat. I can’t share much now, but I was recently involved in a project where I worked on ship combat rules. I am super excited for the project to be announced, and I think it will provide Spelljammer DMs with many fun options.

Here is a quick outline of what we covered:

  • Choosing your genre
    • High fantasy, swashbuckling pulp, comedy, horror, etc.
  • Traveling through space
    • Spelljamming basics, ship roles, tricks with air quality
  • Spelljamers and Ship Combat
    • Siege weapons, clear encounter goals, encounter distance
  • Exploration and Wildspace Encounters
    • STNG model, travel is fast, weaving travel and stops into plot
  • A Home Base
    • Rock of Bral, astral sea, the ship as a base, patrons/organizations

Are you running Spelljammer? What tips would you share with other DMs?

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This entry was posted on September 27, 2022 by and tagged , , .

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