01/30/2026 Happy Friday, and welcome back to Tabletop Thoughts! At some point in your DM career, you’ve probably done this: You asked for backstories.Your players delivered absolute… Read more “Making Player Backstories Matter (Beyond Hooks)”
Category: DM Advice
Your World Is Better Than Your Notes
01/23/2026 Happy Friday, and welcome back to Tabletop Thoughts! Today I want to talk about conversation vs. exposition at the table—and why I think your campaign world… Read more “Your World Is Better Than Your Notes”
Don’t Run the Caves of Chaos — Steal Them
01/16/2026 Happy [Day], and welcome back to Tabletop Thoughts! One of the smartest old-school adventures ever written is B2: The Keep on the Borderlands, and specifically the… Read more “Don’t Run the Caves of Chaos — Steal Them”
Getting New Players & GMs Up to Speed with Shadowdark
01/09/2026 Happy Friday, and welcome back to Tabletop Thoughts! Today I want to talk about something that comes up every single time Shadowdark hits the table: getting… Read more “Getting New Players & GMs Up to Speed with Shadowdark”
Running Factions Without Losing Your Mind
12/19/2025 Happy Friday, and welcome back to Tabletop Thoughts! One of my favorite ways to make a TTRPG world feel alive—even when the party isn’t looking—is to… Read more “Running Factions Without Losing Your Mind”
Who’s Carrying the Torch? Using Hirelings in Your Shadowdark Campaign
12/12/2025 Happy Friday, and welcome back to Tabletop Thoughts! Today I want to talk about something that doesn’t always get the spotlight in our dungeon-delving sessions, but… Read more “Who’s Carrying the Torch? Using Hirelings in Your Shadowdark Campaign”
Speak Friend and Enter: Adding Language Learning to Your Shadowdark Campaign
12/05/2025 Happy Friday, and welcome back to Tabletop Thoughts! This week, I’ve been tinkering with something small-but-mighty for Shadowdark tables: a simple, player-friendly method for learning new… Read more “Speak Friend and Enter: Adding Language Learning to Your Shadowdark Campaign”
Petitions of Power: How Priests Research Spells in Shadowdark
11/21/2025 Happy Friday, and welcome back to Tabletop Thoughts! Last Friday, we forged arcane power in the Shadowdark, crafting spells the old-school way — with ink, grit,… Read more “Petitions of Power: How Priests Research Spells in Shadowdark”
Forging New Spells in the Shadowdark: A Wizard’s Guide to Arcane Creation
11/14/2025 Happy Friday, and welcome back to Tabletop Thoughts! One of the things I’ve always loved about Shadowdark is how clean and quick the magic system is…… Read more “Forging New Spells in the Shadowdark: A Wizard’s Guide to Arcane Creation”
Notes, Rumors, and Rewards: The Tavern Bulletin Board
11/12/2025 Happy Thursday, adventurers, and welcome back to Tabletop Thoughts! Let’s talk about something I’ve come to love in my campaigns — the bulletin board. You know… Read more “Notes, Rumors, and Rewards: The Tavern Bulletin Board”
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