Start A Quest!

This sheet is not your D&D character; it's just a stat block

D&D character sheets are supposed to help us play the game — but what if we’ve been designing them backwards? We look at D&D character sheet design, playtesting, and what

Can we please argue about The Blue Prince for 35 minutes

Spoilers start early in this one — it's all about The Blue Prince. We talk dead runs, red herrings, the lack of a journal, Room 46, and why this is somehow both a 10/10 g

What should D&D learn from Japanese RPGs?

What if a tabletop RPG captured the best parts of JRPGs — big damage numbers, trivial random encounters, grinding— without just reskinning D&D as Final Fantasy? Watch th

D&D expects every player to contribute (even if they don't want to)

How should TTRPGs decide whose turn it is? From fixed D&D initiative to Daggerheart’s conversational spotlight, we dig into player agency, spotlight sharing, and why some

Free Parking proves homebrewing sometimes makes D&D worse

Why did everyone ignore D&D's potion rules? What can Monopoly's Free Parking house rule teach us about homebrew? We explore game design, player behavior, and why the rule

Why does modern D&D still use boxed text?

If the format of D&D modules were reconstructed from first principles, there's NO WAY boxed text would survive. Why does modern D&D still use boxed text? It's an unskippa

Quantum ogres? Meet the quantum SECRET

In this episode, we have a genuine argument about whether Dumbledore is actually gay. Because if a character's secret isn't revealed, was it ever true? Or is it a kind of

Missed a session? Your GM should send you a love letter

What do you do when a player misses a session? We talk session zero, love letters from Apocalypse World, and how Blades in the Dark solves RPG scheduling by rethinking th

Rory's Story Cubes are better than any random table

Rory Story Cubes are more than random tables — they’re RPG tools for asking better questions, building character backstory, and creating shared fiction in session zero. T

Leveling up is great, but it can be BETTER.

What does levelling up actually mean in D&D? Let’s talk XP, classes, fictional weight, Skyrim crabs, Warhammer careers, and how to make character progression feel better

Why was the D20 invented?

Dice aren’t just about luck—they’re about uncertainty. In this episode of the Start a Quest podcast, we explore why the d20 exists, why the humble d6 still shines, and ho

Some game's tools STOP you from actually playing.

Are digital tools making your Dungeons & Dragons game better… or worse? We're looking at Foundry VTT, D&D Beyond, and smaller tools for specific TTRPGs, What's the REAL d

D&D spell cards should be more like UNO

We break down TTRPG card mechanics through real examples. From Daggerheart and Zombie World to UNO and Index Card RPG. But why do most D&D spell cards miss the point? Wa

Which RPG has the BEST chase rules?

Why do most RPG chase scenes feel tedious? Because they focus on speed and distance instead of obstacles. In this episode we break down the difference between a chase and

Fair combat does not exist in D&D

Is D&D combat ever fair? We break down what “fair combat” actually means, how Dungeon Masters decide what monsters do on their turn, and why contest, challenge, and narra

Why doesn't D&D have a timer?

Compared to other TTRPGs, like Blades in the Dark, Shadowdark, or 13th Age, D&D does not have an integrated timer mechanic. Why not? This podcast discusses how it could b

Destroy your Monster Manual.

Imagine there is only ONE Beholder in your D&D setting, and when it is defeated, you award XP and loot, you place your Monster Manual on the table and invite the player w

Your D&D setting needs fewer swords with better names.

Less is more in worldbuilding, because TOO MUCH completely sucks. If you want to make your items, locations and creatures really pop, you need to make them scarce and giv

HELP! I gave my level 1 players a Vorpal Sword!

D&D is weird because when you give the players loot, it feels like you can do it WRONG. Take a look at the Vorpal Sword; if you crit with this thing, you instakill your t

Here's what Goodberry says about challenges in D&D

Isn't it weird how a D&D player can cast the Goodberry spell and decide for the entire group that foraging and rations will not be a feature of this campaign? Or how abou