Campaigns & Coffee

Our cozy Saturday morning podcast about role-playing games, fueled by our morning cup of joe.

A horrific beholder - eyes drifting at odd angles - appears in the background of the show teaser.

Shadowdark Impressions (Campaigns & Coffee)

After venturing into the dark with only a torch to guide their way, the Campaigns & Coffee crew talks about their experiences playing the ShadowDark RPG (where they ARE very likely to be eaten by a grue). They discuss the dungeon-delving, old-school-inspired game’s real-time torch mechanics, its focus on fast-paced and high-stakes decision-making. They also […]

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Build Better Cities – Campaigns and Coffee

Building immersive cities for RPGs takes center stage on this episode, with inspiration from real-world examples like San Antonio’s Alamo and Chicago’s reversed river. We dive into tools and techniques for making cities that evolve, feel lived in, and resonate as characters within campaigns. From quirky city rivalries to handling disasters, this episode offers creative

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A dragon steers menacingly at the viewer.

Ignite Your Next D&D Campaign – Campaigns & Coffee

In this episode, we brainstorm ways to launch your campaign without resorting to “they meet in a bar”. Providing fodder and inspiration is Greyhawk ’76, Ken’s upcoming D&D 2024 test drive campaign, and David’s just launched open table ShadowDark campaign. We talk about how to engage players through immediate conflict, emphasizing choice, and balancing proactive

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An undead lich threatens the viewer

Steal These D&D Campaign Ideas! – Campaigns & Coffee

Own more Dungeons & Dragons campaign books than you’ll ever run? On this episode, we talk about stealing ideas from those books for use in your own D&D adventures. Source books we look at include: Chapter List 0:00 Intro1:00 Why Mine D&D Sourcebooks?3:00 The Blackrazor Guild’s Obsidian Maze6:45 Jungle Adventures and Tomb of Annihilation9:30 Storm

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A game notebook, printed notes, and a bunch of dice, with the title Campaign Prep Tips

Campaign Prep Tips – Campaigns & Coffee

Campaign prep is something every dungeon master a needs to do … even if “prep” is something you throw together five minutes for the session starts. On this episode, we talk about our individual game prep strategies, from structured approaches like Chris’s multi-phase plan to Ken’s adrenaline-fueled last-minute inspiration. Josh and Erin share insights into

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The text "Restarting Your RPG Campaign" over a reboot history log from Linux.

Restarting an RPG Campaign – Campaigns & Coffee

So your Dungeons & Dragons campaign went on hiatus … how do you restart it? In this episode of Campaigns & Coffee, Ken, Chris, and Josh talk about how to re-engage with a not-quite-dead-yet role-playing game campaign. They dive into how a game can lose momentum, with real-life interruptions causing campaigns to stall or be

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A picture of a red-eyed crow and the teaser text Cyberpunk RED takes a murderous turn.

Cyberpunk Red takes a MURDEROUS Turn – Campaigns & Coffee

Chapter 8 of our Broken Loop campaign for Cyberpunk RED ended with a cliffhanger as the edgerunners faced an unexpected … enemy? Friend? Belligerent hivemind hell bent on stripping everyone of their chrome? In this episode of Campaigns & Coffee, we talk about that actual play session, it’s unexpected turns, and how we rolled with

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A view of the GenCon game floor in Lucas Oil Stadium and the text Gen Con Tips for Newcomers

Gen Con Tips for Newcomers – Campaigns and Coffee

In this episode of “Campaigns and Coffee,” hosts David, Josh, and Erin dive into convention season, offering tips and sharing personal experiences. The trio discusses their preparation rituals, with Erin highlighting her dedication to the Sparks campaign—a Star Wars role-playing game using the West End Games D6 system. Josh shares his strategy for attending Gen

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Overland Exploration in D&D, fearing a woman in the outdoors, getting ready to pull back the hood of her cloak.

Overland Exploration in D&D – Campaigns and Coffee

In this thrilling episode of Campaigns and Coffee, David and Ken delve into Ken’s epic Elemental Apocalypse D&D campaign. The heroes are on a quest to reunite a fallen angel with its lost sun sword amidst a world torn apart by elemental forces. Ken shares his creative process, discussing map-making with Incarnate, integrating skill challenges

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The text Cyberpunk, but Different, with the cover are for the Cities Without Number

Cyberpunk, But Different – Campaigns & Coffee

Our cozy, Saturday morning show continues with a discussion of cyberpunk, but different from our usual cyberpunk. Instead of the dystopian future of R. Talsorian’s Cyberpunk RED, hosts David, Ken, and Chris talk about Chris’s homegrown, Cleveland-based, cyberpunk campaign which uses the Cities without Number rule set. We explore the challenges of learning different systems

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