Staff Picks for Dungeon Master Appreciation Month
February - the month of love. Whether you’re showing love for a partner, love for your game master, or love for your friends, we have prepared a list of great games for your festivities!
Or if you’re missing a player this week or want to spice up your campaign a bit, try out some great indie role playing games. Twenty Sided Dungeon Master, Richard Ruane has suggested a few of his favorites. When you purchase these games from Twenty Sided Store, you will also get the free PDF through Bits & Mortar!
Everyday is Valentine’s Day Party Games
Games for Galentine’s, singles night, couple’s night, when someone can’t make the D&D session and everything in between!
Win the love of the princess, using a strange cast of characters to pass along a love letter. Act with subtlety however or someone may win her heart first.
The party game of awful dates, Red Flags has you create almost-perfect partners for your friends. A judge will determine whether “loves dogs” and “is a famous musician” makes up for the fact that they’re “trying to kill you” or that they have “the body of a dumpster.”
Take turns playing a Tofu Prince trying to find his Tofu Princess! Ask questions, offer lies, and try to find the princess with up to 7 other people!
Date Night | 2 Player Roleplaying Games
For when you're in the mood to play a RPG game but only one person can make it, or if you'd like to play a one on one game with a friend or loved one!
Mars Colony and Mars Colony 39 Dark
In Mars Colony, you and another player will control the fate of Kelly Perkins, a politician chosen to turn things around on the collapsing Mars civilization. One pushes towards competence and honesty while the other works towards deception and failure.
The struggle continues in 39 Dark where you and another player control the fate of community chosen Lane Novak, the leader of a great resistance.
Dead Friend A Game of Necromancy
This 2-player game of friendship and death can range from the intimate to the absurd, as one of you tries to contact the other, your dead friend. The game requires the use of a tarot deck.
Parsely featuring Action Castle & Other Adventures
Parsely simulates the experience of a text adventure game, with one person acting as the computer and everyone else “entering” commands. Play this one on one, or with an entire crowd of people!
Get Started with these Starter Boxes
If your Dungeon Master is the sort to take deep dives into new games, consider a beginner box to give them everything they need to start a new campaign. We recommend the Call of Cthulhu Starter Set, Legend of the Five Rings Beginner Box and the Star Trek Adventures Starter Set.
Systems to Spice it Up
Itching to try out a new system? Want a new flavor of game to play between campaigns? We have a few recommendations for great new games with unique styles.
Tried and True Favorites
In Monsterhearts explore the teenage horror and drama with an ever-changing body of a monster. According to our resident RPG expert Richard, “It is both a breakthrough RPG and simply one of the best Powered by the Apocalypse games.” Teen angst, love triangles, sexy monsters - need we say more?
The Quiet Year is a post-apocalyptic map game about building a new life after a catastrophe - “A fantastic way to kick off a campaign!”
Dread is a suspense, horror RPG that employs the use of a Jenga tower instead of dice. Designed to actually create a sense of tension and dread, it’s the perfect game for the DM with a darker side.
Systems with Gorgeous Artwork
Some systems aren’t just fun, and interesting, and new… they’re also beautiful. Ryuutama takes a new look at the hero’s adventure by sending typical NPC characters on a fantastical journey. Beautiful Japanese artwork make the world come alive. In Fall of Magic, you and other players work to keep Magus, and by extension magic itself. Gorgeous artwork leads and inspires you along the journey.
Adventures & Campaigns
For the nostalgic DM Into the Borderlands is a 5e update of two classic 1970s adventures - In Search of the Unknown and The Keep on the Borderlands. Give the gift of adventures created by the Great Gygax himself!
Twenty Sided Adventures : Salton Lake & Smoke Mountain Lodge
Check out original creative content by Twenty Sided Store with these two amazing adventurers! Each adventure is system neutral so you can run them with your favorite.
Salton Lake is about going home for your 10 year high school reunion and uncovering the mystery of the disappearance of your best friend on prom night
In Smoke Mountain Lodge a madness comes over the guests at the Annual Winter Solstice Celebration and the giftmaker flees into the depths of the mountain.
Explore the City of Splendors in some of the newest D&D 5e adventures, Dragon Heist (levels 1-5) and Dungeon of the Mad Mage (levels 5-20), using maps and DM Screen to supplement your adventures.
Everyone Loves New Monsters
The Ninth World Bestiary and Bestiary 2 are beautiful, inspiring monster books, even if you aren’t using Numenera system. The Baby Bestiary Handbook Volume 1 and Volume 2 explore the rarely discussed phenomenon of baby monsters, providing rules for raising these adorable creatures as well.
Home Brew Essentials
Designers & Dragons is a cool, fun history of the creators and companies that created the hobby, perfect for the DM who can’t get enough of the game.
Beating the Story is a great guide to storytelling - teaching you how to track, map, and understand the rhythm of a story - whether or not you’ve been DM-ing forever or running your first one-shot!
Improv for Gamers introduces improv exercises to stretch your ability to build a story moment by moment! Great for DMs and players alike!