Ship of the Dead Podcast Elements of Great RPG adventures feat. Professor Dungeon Master and Brad Kerr
Mar 25, 2026
Professor Dungeon Master, a Dungeon Craft YouTuber and RPG designer, and Brad Kerr, adventure writer and OSR podcaster, swap GM tips and design tricks. They dig into Deathbringer and compact pamphlet adventures. They debate what makes sessions hum, prep tools, seeding rumors, encounter design, and how players drive memorable play.
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Road Testing Deathbringer For 14 Hours
- Dungeon Master road-tested Deathbringer at PAGE running 14 hours and the Fungus Licking Cannibal Cult scenario repeatedly.
- That repeated running revealed changes and will include the scenario in the Deathbringer book.
Write Pamphlets By Designing Gaps
- When writing short pamphlet adventures, leave intentional gaps for GMs to fill and focus on 'writing holes'.
- Brad says the challenge is giving enough to run while trusting the GM to supply missing connective details.
Adopt Simple Mechanics To Speed Play
- Reuse proven mechanics to speed design and reduce cognitive load at the table.
- Dungeon Master adopted Shadowdark's no-strength-to-damage mechanic and exploding damage to simplify monster blocks and accelerate play.
