Not Another D&D Podcast D&D Court: Overpopulated Academies, Unsent Texts and Pop-Punk Homework
Mar 6, 2026
A courtroom-style roundtable debates tricky table etiquette, from unsent messages that reveal DM collusion to whether holiday one-shots fit after character grief. They tackle a crowded adventuring college campaign and a DM asking players to prep by listening to a pop-punk album. Chaotic romance plots, deleveling disputes, and last-minute death save changes spark lively judgment.
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When Your Campaign Becomes A One-Person Show
- Anecdote: A three-year Strixhaven-like campaign became a spectator show with 16 NPC students and detailed sporting-rule PDFs, leaving players feeling sidelined.
- The DM ran multi-hour class lectures and an in-world sport with a 14-page rulebook while PCs rarely adventured.
Deprioritize A Game Quietly If It Won't Change
- Do privately deprioritize or politely step back from a campaign that monopolizes time if speaking up hasn't helped.
- Panel suggested telling the group you're too busy for that specific game or trimming to two games to avoid direct conflict.
Offer Cliff Notes When You Ask For Prep Work
- Do ask players to prep with short, reasonable material but offer cliff notes for those who can't commit to full listening.
- Extremely High Elf asked players to listen to Green Day's American Idiot; panel said it's fair but to provide summaries for busy or uninterested players.