Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Professor Dungeon Master built a fantasy RPG in 2026 with no magical healing in it, and tonight on Talking Crit he explains why. Deathbringer, Death Dice, dying three times, and what fifteen years of telling other people how to run games does to you when you finally have to ship your own.
🔥 JOIN THE MINIONS: youtube.com/@TenkarsTavern/join
Live tonight (Wednesday, August 5th) at 8PM ET. Jim Kitchen and Bad Mike lead the interview; I'm on chat, and your questions get asked — drop them in the chat and I'll pull them.
Professor Dungeon Master has spent years on Dungeon Craft arguing for darker, faster, leaner games. Deathbringer is that argument as a rulebook: his own system, compatible with Shadowdark, built to drop into an OSR game without a conversion document. Characters can die up to three times, each death unlocking Prestige Talents. Death Dice give a player a lifeline when the reaper shows up. And there's no magical healing anywhere in it.
What we're getting into:
— Why build a new system instead of writing another supplement
— What removing magical healing does to the shape of a session
— How you keep a lifeline mechanic from quietly refunding the danger the rest of the system charges for
— Whether Deathbringer is an attrition game or a set-piece game
— What he deliberately did NOT take from old-school design
— The Ultimate Dungeon Terrain, and how it started with a lazy Susan
— Publishing with Roll For Combat, and how that contributor roster came together
DISCLOSURE: Professor Dungeon Master is our guest and his Deathbringer crowdfunding campaign is live on BackerKit through August 13, 2026. Nobody is paying for this and nothing here is sponsored. I haven't played the game — that's exactly why I'm asking rather than reviewing.
🗡 DEATHBRINGER ON BACKERKIT (funding through August 13th, 2026)
backerkit.com/c/projects/roll-for-combat/deathbringer-ttrpg-by-professor-dm
📺 DUNGEON CRAFT — Professor Dungeon Master's channel
youtube.com/@DUNGEONCRAFT1
🎲 TUESDAY'S VIDEO — the design argument this conversation came out of
Old School D&D Lethality Was Never About Dying — Professor DM's Deathbringer Proves It
youtu.be/tUfHIiJG4tU
The Tavern Rules: We’re here for B/X and OSR gaming. I use AI as a tool to help organize and format my notes, but every ruling and opinion is 100% Tenkar. Keep it civil, keep it old-school, or the bouncer will show you the door.
Basic Rules (Moldvay) PDF & Print - drivethrurpg.com/en/product/110274/d-d-basic-set-rulebook-b-x-ed-basic?src=newest_print&affiliate_id=1446
Expert Rules (Marsh/Cook) PDF & Print - drivethrurpg.com/en/product/110792/d-d-expert-set-rulebook-b-x-ed-basic?affiliate_id=1446
Join The Tavern’s Discord Server (It's Free):
discord.gg/fReGmuD
Buy me a Beer!
ko-fi.com/tenkar
The Tavern uses affiliate links - using our affiliate links supports the channel without costing you anything extra.
Humble Bundle: humblebundleinc.sjv.io/da4WJ2
The Tavern’s Amazon Storefront: amzn.to/41Jm0oG
DriveThruRPG: drivethrurpg.com/en/?affiliate_id=1446
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The Tavern uses Restream for its livestreams and its long-form videos. You can too! restream.io/join/g5Qpgr
The Tavern also uses VidIQ: vidiq.com/TenkarsTavern
Master Minion: mortgagemike77, Randt Chrockett, Eric Fox, The Veteran DM, Cathulhu17, Don Bakke, DoubleDeuce, skink, Kore44, Louis Feurino, Craig Aylward, Anthon Kron, Ijimisan, Terry Taylor, blahlbinoa, Arbiter's Archive, Dean Salsberry, DM Angelo, Douglas Pearson, James Spahn, Mathew Sherman, Agile Monk
Companion Minions: Andrey Zharinov, Brett C, Spode Racing, Tacoloco787, Adam Lovell, Plush Cthulhu, DM_Sahrenyth, Gabe Guerrero, Chris Charlton, Chris Blatnick, Nicodemus ShadowCaster, Christopher Beattie, No one, Stephen Klow, Mark the Shark, Eupolemos, Jay, Martin Penny, tim cafferty, Rubens Barrichello, Curt Gould, Estaban Vasquez, Glen K. Amo
youtube.com/channel/UCIdpAASpAI7vu-bZx6pP_mQ
#OSR #DnD #BXDnD #TTRPG #TenkarsTavern #Deathbringer
Professor Dungeon Master built a fantasy RPG in 2026 with no magical healing in it, and tonight on Talking Crit he explains why. Deathbringer, Death Dice, dying three times, and what fifteen years of telling other people how to run games does to you when you finally have to ship your own.
🔥 JOIN THE MINIONS: youtube.com/@TenkarsTavern/join
Live tonight (Wednesday, August 5th) at 8PM ET. Jim Kitchen and Bad Mike lead the interview; I'm on chat, and your questions get asked — drop them in the chat and I'll pull them.
Professor Dungeon Master has spent years on Dungeon Craft arguing for darker, faster, leaner games. Deathbringer is that argument as a rulebook: his own system, compatible with Shadowdark, built to drop into an OSR game without a conversion document. Characters can die up to three times, each death unlocking Prestige Talents. Death Dice give a player a lifeline when the reaper shows up. And there's no magical healing anywhere in it.
What we're getting into:
— Why build a new system instead of writing another supplement
— What removing magical healing does to the shape of a session
— How you keep a lifeline mechanic from quietly refunding the danger the rest of the system charges for
— Whether Deathbringer is an attrition game or a set-piece game
— What he deliberately did NOT take from old-school design
— The Ultimate Dungeon Terrain, and how it started with a lazy Susan
— Publishing with Roll For Combat, and how that contributor roster came together
DISCLOSURE: Professor Dungeon Master is our guest and his Deathbringer crowdfunding campaign is live on BackerKit through August 13, 2026. Nobody is paying for this and nothing here is sponsored. I haven't played the game — that's exactly why I'm asking rather than reviewing.
🗡 DEATHBRINGER ON BACKERKIT (funding through August 13th, 2026)
backerkit.com/c/projects/roll-for-combat/deathbringer-ttrpg-by-professor-dm
📺 DUNGEON CRAFT — Professor Dungeon Master's channel
youtube.com/@DUNGEONCRAFT1
🎲 TUESDAY'S VIDEO — the design argument this conversation came out of
Old School D&D Lethality Was Never About Dying — Professor DM's Deathbringer Proves It
youtu.be/tUfHIiJG4tU
The Tavern Rules: We’re here for B/X and OSR gaming. I use AI as a tool to help organize and format my notes, but every ruling and opinion is 100% Tenkar. Keep it civil, keep it old-school, or the bouncer will show you the door.
Basic Rules (Moldvay) PDF & Print - drivethrurpg.com/en/product/110274/d-d-basic-set-rulebook-b-x-ed-basic?src=newest_print&affiliate_id=1446
Expert Rules (Marsh/Cook) PDF & Print - drivethrurpg.com/en/product/110792/d-d-expert-set-rulebook-b-x-ed-basic?affiliate_id=1446
Join The Tavern’s Discord Server (It's Free):
discord.gg/fReGmuD
Buy me a Beer!
ko-fi.com/tenkar
The Tavern uses affiliate links - using our affiliate links supports the channel without costing you anything extra.
Humble Bundle: humblebundleinc.sjv.io/da4WJ2
The Tavern’s Amazon Storefront: amzn.to/41Jm0oG
DriveThruRPG: drivethrurpg.com/en/?affiliate_id=1446
Fantasy Grounds VTT: affiliates.fantasygrounds.com/388855/15958
The Tavern uses Restream for its livestreams and its long-form videos. You can too! restream.io/join/g5Qpgr
The Tavern also uses VidIQ: vidiq.com/TenkarsTavern
Master Minion: mortgagemike77, Randt Chrockett, Eric Fox, The Veteran DM, Cathulhu17, Don Bakke, DoubleDeuce, skink, Kore44, Louis Feurino, Craig Aylward, Anthon Kron, Ijimisan, Terry Taylor, blahlbinoa, Arbiter's Archive, Dean Salsberry, DM Angelo, Douglas Pearson, James Spahn, Mathew Sherman, Agile Monk
Companion Minions: Andrey Zharinov, Brett C, Spode Racing, Tacoloco787, Adam Lovell, Plush Cthulhu, DM_Sahrenyth, Gabe Guerrero, Chris Charlton, Chris Blatnick, Nicodemus ShadowCaster, Christopher Beattie, No one, Stephen Klow, Mark the Shark, Eupolemos, Jay, Martin Penny, tim cafferty, Rubens Barrichello, Curt Gould, Estaban Vasquez, Glen K. Amo
youtube.com/channel/UCIdpAASpAI7vu-bZx6pP_mQ
#OSR #DnD #BXDnD #TTRPG #TenkarsTavern #Deathbringer
