Running Off The Rails

Jul 01 2024 6

Running Off The Rails Podcast artwork

Ray and Ariel equip new and experienced tabletop RPG players with actionable tips and tricks to bring their game to the next level. We have been playing Dungeons and Dragons for years now and truly believe that tabletop RPGs offer a unique life experience that everyone should enjoy. Find out how you can adapt your game to your players and ensure a successful adventure at your table.

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Freelance RPG Writing and the Armorer's Handbook Kickstarter

Jul 01 2024 41 mins

Last Summer Ray collaborated as a co-author on a book of 20 Armorers and the 200 pieces of magical armor that they offer. Ray discusses what the experience of writing the ~35,000 words was like and what the book has to offer players and Dungeon Masters.

Catching Up

Mar 01 2024 78 mins

Ray and Ariel play 2024 catch up. We discuss what has been going on in our lives and chat about books and media we've been consuming. We will return to topic-focused, prepared content next episode. Website: https://runningofftherails.com Emery's Physical Copy: https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/397328/Emerys-Log-of-Legendary-Eminences Emery’s Log of Legendary Em

Notoriety in D&D | Why One Piece is Better Than Gloomhaven

Jan 02 2024 46 mins

Ray and Ariel discuss how to make your players feel like they are as infamous as Robin Hood or Geralt of Rivia in their own fantasy worlds. Unfortunately, these cherished characters from fiction are also infamous, and risk being chased out of any town they enter. So we need a system of notoriety for our games that still allow the PCs to walk through the world even after they've

Kick The Dog | A Guide To Dastardly Villains

Dec 01 2023 55 mins

Ray and Ariel discuss how to make a villain that your characters will care about—specifically care about killing them ASAP. This episode covers a classic screenwriting technique called "Kick the Dog" which establishes the bad guy by having them hurt a helpless character in the world. Ray and Ariel review two great examples of Dog Kicking from the new One Piece series a

Sentient Magic Items | Sapient VS Awakened Vs Alien

Nov 04 2023 55 mins

Ray and Ariel discuss the different categories of sentient magic items that appear in popular fiction and Dungeons and Dragons. From Nightblood to the One Ring, we deconstruct their sentience so that you can use the pieces to build your own items at your own tables. Website: https://runningofftherails.com Emery’s Log of Legendary Eminences: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/

The Medium | Previewing Ariel's Class for the Planescape

Oct 01 2023 48 mins

Ray and Ariel discuss Ariel's homebrew class he first played seven(!) years ago that is in its final stages before publishing to the DMSGuild. The Medium is a fortune-telling, multi-verse traveling class for 5th edition inspired by all kinds of plane-shifting experiences from Stranger Things to Everything Everywhere All at Once. Ray and Ariel go over the process of homebrewing,

Playtesting a Boss Battle

Sep 02 2023 81 mins

Ray and Ariel have a more casual conversation this episode discussing the playtest Ray ran for the Emery's kickstarter stretch goal, featuring Za'ul the Lich King. They discuss what to prioritize for a major boss battle, and how to inject some new mechanics into minion fights with Za'ul's magical golems as examples. Ray and Ariel also tease the next episode where th

New Tradeoffs, Counters, Hands, and Throws For Your Game of DnD

Aug 01 2023 53 mins

Ray and Ariel provide mechanics that address specific criticisms they made of 5e in the previous episode. Here are some short rules that will... Prompt players to choose between a more diverse set of weapons Inspire new rivalries between different types of spellcasters Help you to present more varied loot and rewards to your players. Three design tools modern games use to make in

D&D Decisions are Dull | Using Video Games to Create Fun Choices

Jul 04 2023 40 mins

Ray and Ariel discuss the three design tools modern games use to make interesting encounters: power budgets, counters, and hands/throws. Dungeons and Dragons falls short in implementing these design principles sometimes for the sake of simplicity, but often because it is catering to a different experience than a video game with instantaneous game-matching and player feedback. Ray a

Finding Fantastic Familiars ft. The Fox from Worlds Beyond Number

Jun 01 2023 35 mins

Ray and Ariel discuss how to spice up the Find Familiar spell in dungeons and dragons. Familiars can often feel like a spell effect in our campaigns rather than fully fledged characters. Ray and Ariel were both inspired the hilarious fox familiar in Worlds Beyond Number to think up different ways DMs can create memorable familiars for their players. Ray and Ariel present mechanics