The Compendm's Podcast

This mini episode will cover the basics of D&D coins to help clarify how money works in the world of Dungeons and Dragons

Join me on a sidequest as I investigate the topic of D&D and escapism. The CoVid-19 pandemic has uprooted many of our normal routines, and most of us have found ourselves in new and strange circumstances we are having to interface with. I wanted to explore the idea of using D&D as a way to cope with these challenges through the idea of escapism, so I talked with a licensed mental health professional about the topic. Listen in to learn about how D&D can not only help you pass some, but can also be a powerful tool to help you through challenges in your life.

 

Here are a few resources if you're interested in learning more about what Cheryl mentions in our interview (You can learn more about her by visiting www.couchandpen.com):

 

Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy: 
https://ifs-institute.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdZZ7sTX840

 

Art Therapy:

https://arttherapy.org/

https://www.ieata.org/

 

"Sandtray" Therapy:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_24MzxFkYY

https://www.pcsandtray.com/

https://www.sandtraytherapyinstitute.com/

(Note that the terminology for this mode of therapy is not standardized, so it may be referred to differently by some therapists)

 

Therapists using D&D as a form of Therapy:

https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/how-tabletop-games-like-dungeons-dragons-can-be-therapeutic-for-players

https://erraticus.co/2019/07/10/dungeons-dragons-popular-communal-therapy/

 

And here are some YouTube videos with Megan Connell, the psychologist using D&D in sessions

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Megan+A.+Connell++dungeons+and+dragons

 

Please note that you should speak with a licensed mental health professional who is certified in the above topics before attempting to use any of the aforementioned methods to work through challenges in your life.

Listen to the full-length recording of character skills and abilities with some additional content not included in the individual reference episodes.

There are exceptions to every rule in D&D. Learn a little about some additional nuances of Abilities and Skills in this episode of The CompenDM.

Sometimes you won't need to roll for an ability, and sometimes the group has to complete tasks together, meaning they all need to roll. Learn what passive ability scores are, and how to determine group ability checks in this episode of The CompenDM.

What are skills, and how are they different from abilities? In this episode, you'll find out.

Let's take a closer look at what it means if your character is 'proficient' in something.

Learn more about what abilities are when it comes to character building; an overview of abilities, an easy-to-understand definition of each of the six ability categories - Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Wisdom, Intelligence, and Charisma - and then how to stat them out for your character and apply those stats into ability bonuses during game play.

This full-length episode includes all the mini segments as well as some bonus discussion not included in the individual reference episodes; so don't miss out!

Now that you know what abilities are and how to stat them out on your character sheet, we dive into discussing how they are used in game play. Listen in to learn about how to calculate your ability bonus from your ability score, and how those bonuses are used during your D&D campaign sessions.

There are a few different ways to assign your character's ability scores; in this mini segment of Episode 2, Jason and I talk about the most common methods, as well as some pros and cons of each.