Author Archives: Ostron

This article was first broadcast in Episode Ninety Four on 30th October 2019. Lennon: Hey Ostron, I have a question Ostron: No, it is not possible to use Peaches as a ramp for your bicycle if she angles her tail the right way. Ryu: No abusing my dinosaur! I will allow her to eat you! Lennon: Okay, that wasn’t the question, though thank you for ruining my fun once again. My actual question is why are we starting this short rest with psionics in 3rd edition? Doesn’t it make more sense to start with 1e? Ostron: Oh, well, psionics from 1st and 2nd edition had convoluted and problematic rules that make it fairly easy to see how the common complaints of “psionics is pointless” and “psionics is broken” began entering common usage. However as D&D continued to improve, so did psionics…usually. Mechanical balance was theoretically a more central focus of 3rd edition. That, along with the introduction of…

Read more

This article was first broadcast in Episode Ninety Three on 23rd October 2019. Ostron: Really? You guys really want to do this? Ryu: Look, everyone keeps going on and on about psionics- Ostron: I don’t. I try to avoid it, actually Lennon: Yes, but that’s the point; people don’t quite know why. What’s wrong with psionics, why is it such a touchy subject? Ostron: All right, fine, follow me. Libby: Book Ostron: Thanks. Here. Ryu: …why do you have all of this information summarized for us already? Ostron: Do you want to ask questions or do you want information? Lennon: Um…okay. Like 4th edition, spelljammer, and warlocks- Ryu: Oh will you give it up about warlocks already? Psionics is a topic that causes a lot of controversy in D&D. Interestingly enough, this literally goes all the way back to the beginning, as the original staff of TSR (the inventors of D&D) were divided about it. As far as our research beholders have verified,…

Read more

This article was first broadcast in Episode Ninety One on 2nd October 2019. Mikey: Oooooh, this is what Ryu meant by “that big, magic-mechanical monstrosity starts using big words at us”! ROSTRO: While her intent with the labeling was no doubt pejorative, the choice of vocabulary was interestingly accurate. Mikey: … I see what she means. ROSTRO: I would also bring to your attention that given the topic being discussed, my participation could be considered verisimilitudinous. Lennon: Actually, that is a point. Huge machine run by magic is very Eberron. As we discussed previously, Eberron as a setting represents a significant departure from playing in the Forgotten Realms version of the game. However, lest you think everything was a lore shift that just allowed for dinosaur-riding halflings and people trudging up mountain pathways to seek wisdom from an orc, Eberron actually introduces some alternate rule mechanics to the game as well. We’ll start with the historical impact when…

Read more

This article was first broadcast in Episode Ninety on 25th September 2019. Ryu: All right, so lets cover this again. The Blood War is not… Lennon: A thumb war where both people have pricked their thumbs. Ryu: And it’s also not Lennon: A water balloon fight where the balloons are filled with red-colored water. Ostron: Someone misinterpret the topic again? Lennon: Well are you going to tell us what the Blood War *is* then? Ostron: Gladly As we mentioned in our primer on the Nine Hells, Avernus is the front line in the eternal conflict between Devils and Demons known as the Blood War. For the most part, the aggressors are the demons, who are constantly trying to push out of the Abyss and assault the Nine Hells, and the Devils are reacting to these offensives and pushing them back, occasionally counterattacking and taking the fight to the Abyss. The war is mostly a cosmic stalemate. The demons are a…

Read more