The DM‘s Book Club

Show Notes

This week, Fiona and Hamilton look at one of Hamilton's favourite prompt tools for creating character backstories: 'Better Backstories'.

Better Backstories is a card-based brainstorming system for authors, role-players, educators, songwriters, and more! Created by Jay Stilipec, Better Backstories is genre-neutral and system independent, so it works it can provide inspiration for any setting or any role-playing game.

Find out more on the Better Backstories website!

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Show notes

Welcome to The GM's Book Club, from the hosts of The DM's Book club! A new(ish) monthly(ish) show where hosts Fiona and Hamilton take a roleplaying game, read it cover to cover, and rate, review and discuss what they think about it.

In this episode, Fiona and Hamilton discuss 'Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (WFRP)': a role-playing game set in the Warhammer Fantasy setting, originally published by Games Workshop (with the current/4th edition published by Cubicle 7)

Prepare yourself for the struggle of the gutter, to fight for your survival...

Show notes

This week, Fiona and Hamilton go through one of the most recent Unearthed Arcana playtest document, 'Forgetten Realms Subclasses', featuring eight new Dungeons & Dragons subclasses that will appear in the upcoming Forgotten Realms Player's Guide.

From the 'Forgetten Realms Subclasses' bio:

'In this new Unearthed Arcana document, we explore material designed for upcoming books, using rules from the 2024 Player’s Handbook. This playtest presents revised subclasses for the Cleric (Knowledge Domain), Fighter (Purple Dragon Knight), and Wizard (Bladesinger), along with new subclasses for the Bard (College of the Moon), Paladin (Oath of...

Show notes

To start of our latest season, co hosts Fiona and Hamilton check out 'Hold Back the Dead': a promotional adventure for 5th-edition Dungeons & Dragons released on February 5, 2025, as a free digital-only product on D&D Beyond (as of this episode's release - it is no longer available to download)

From 'Hold Back The Dead' bio:

'Ironspine Keep is all that stands before a monstrous horde sent by the villainous lich Szass Tam. The heroes must defend a section of the fortress walls from encroaching monsters and internal spies, or the region...

Show notes

This week, Fiona and guest co-host Shaghik delve into the dungeon-crawling, story-forward TTRPG Heart: The City Beneath!

From the award-winning designers which brought you Spire, Heart is a roleplaying game about delving into a nightmare undercity that will give you everything you’ve ever dreamed of – or kill you in the process. It focuses on what characters have to lose in pursuit of their dreams in the chaotic darkness beneath the world.

Sharing a setting with Spire, Heart expands the unreal world beneath it. It uses an expanded and updated version of t...

Content Warning: Fascism, War, Nazis, Blood, Ultraviolent and Vampires.

Show notes

Welcome to The GM's Book Club, from the hosts of The DM's Book club! A new(ish) monthly(ish) show where hosts Fiona and Hamilton take a roleplaying game, read it cover to cover, and rate, review and discuss what they think about it.

In this first episode, Fiona and Hamilton discuss 'Eat the Reich': a tabletop roleplaying game in which you, a vampire commando, are coffin-dropped into occupied Paris and must cut a bloody swathe through nazi forces en route to...

Show notes

Note: Yes Hamilton's mic gain was indeed set too high and could not be fixed in post. Apologies for the audio quality in advance.

This week, Fiona and Hamilton check out a land full of fairytale creatures great and small with 'Monstrous Compendium Vol. 4: Eldraine Creatures', based on the Magic the Gathering set: 'Wilds of Eldraine'.

From the 'Monstrous Compendium Vol. 4: Eldraine Creatures' bio:

'Enter the Storybook World of Eldraine! Add 25 new and unique creatures inspired by the Wilds of Eldraine to your campaign and watch your players fight...

Show notes

Note: This episode was recorded prior to the updated Unearthed Arcana 2025: Eberron Update release.

This week, Fiona and Hamilton head back to Unearthed Arcana to look at one of the latest playtest document: The Artificer, which presents a revised Artificer article to go with the 2024 Rulebooks.

From The Artificer Unearthed Arcana bio:

'This playtest document presents a revised Artificer, along with 4 revised subclasses: Alchemist, Armorer, Artillerist, and Battle Smith. It also presents a new spell and a number of new magic items.'

Unearthed Arcana discussed: The...

Show notes

This week, Fiona and Hamilton read through 'Scions of Elemental Evil', one of the free adventures made available as part of a yearlong celebration of Dungeons & Dragons and its 50th anniversary. Spoilers: They didn't like it.

From the 'Scions of Elemental Evil' bio:

'Beneath the Temple of Elemental Evil lies a labyrinth of tombs and ritual chambers. For years, these dungeons have lain in ruin. Now forsaken souls return, raising an army of evil to destroy the world.

Scions of Elemental Evil is a single-session adventure that spotlights the...

Show notes

This week, Fiona and Hamilton wrap up warm and head out to explore Ten-Towns, a loose confederation of frontier villages found in Icewind Dale in the western Frozenfar, as described in 'Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden'.

The communities of the Ten Towns attracted those people of Faerûn determined to find a life for themselves, and those desperate to leave their former lives behind.

Chapter discussed: 'Chapter 1: Ten-Towns'

Book discussed: 'Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden' published by Wizards of the Coast (September 2020)

Check out Hamilton's...