Adventurer’s Journal: Removing the Gamey Smell of Feats
This article was first broadcast in Episode One Hundred Twelve on 25th March 2020. Libby: Book. Lennon: No thanks, my multi-eyed friend, I've got this. I can find whatever I'm looking for completely on my own. Ostron: You do know Libby already has a book for you, right? Lennon: That's not the book I want. Ryu (quietly, to herself): But is it the book you need? Ostron: Look, why are you suddenly interested in finding your own books in the annex? Lennon: I've been practicing my passive perception! If I just walk through the stacks here, I'll notice the book I want out of the corner of my eye! Ostron: I didn't know you could practice passive perception...
Adventurer’s Journal: Characters: Just make it up!
This article was first broadcast in Episode Eighty Five on 21st August 2019. Lennon: Ha! In your face ROSTRO RaeRae: You know it doesn't have a face. Lennon: Whatever, the point is, I just created an entirely new race and class to play in D&D, and I didn't have to touch my calculator once! Behold my Fire Giant Alchemical Archer! Ostron: Okay, so I'm assuming this is an Artificer with the Alchemist specialty and using a crossbow, that's Unearthed Arcana but still valid, but Fire Giants aren't a playable race. Is it balanced? Lennon: Pah! Forget balanced. There isn't a single homebrewed rule in here. Ostron: That's not possible. Lennon: It's perfectly possible. You just...
Adventurer’s Journal: Blending Your Character’s Story Into the DM’s Story
This article was first broadcast in Episode Eighty Four on 14th August 2019. Ostron: *sound of firebolt and then burning* Aaaaand boom. That's all set now. Ryu: Please tell me that was a mathematical summary we don't have to discuss in the Gnomish Workshop Ostron: No, that was one of my players' backstories. Lennon: That thing was like 20 pages, who do you have as a player, George RR Martin? Wait, no, that backstory was finished...
Backstories: Back to Basics
This article was first broadcast in Episode Eighty Three on 7th August 2019. Lennon: Ugh, come on, not again! Ryu: Did you miss the knife throwing target again? I told you, wrist flick. Lennon: No, it's...
Adventurer’s Journal: Preparing for your First Ever Game
This article was first broadcast in Episode Seventy Four on 29th May 2019. Ryu: Yeah, HR said they want to “have a word with” KayDee about how we can’t farm new employees for kidneys. Ostron: I'm sorry, what? Lennon: Doesn’t matter. Speaking of new employees, can you guys look over what I've got so far? Ryu: Sure Sitting down for your first ever session of D&D can be a daunting prospect for a lot of people. Assuming you looked through the basic rules or player's handbook (which, hint, you should have done) you know there's a lot of information and rules involved with this, and it's very...
Adventurer’s Journal: Helpful Helping
This article was first broadcast in Episode Sixty-Eight on 10th April 2019. Ryu: Lennon...
Adventurer’s Journal: Flawed Personas
This article was first broadcast in Episode Sixty-Two on 20th February 2019. Ryu: Blah. Okay, time to kill some characters. Lennon: We hid the hat again, just so you're aware. Ryu: Yeah that never matters, but anyway, I'm not going to need KayDee's help for this one; I've got another player that's decided "annoying edgelord" is a cool character concept, and they've come up with mechanics where they're in such mental anguish that even brief moments of happiness count as a short rest for them because they're so rejuvenating. "Rejuvenating" isn't "resurrecting," though, so that character isn't going to see a session two. Ostron: You know you're asking to just...
A Short Rest: Adventurer’s Journal: Multiclassing
This article was first broadcast in Episode Forty-Three on 3rd October 2018. Mikey: I’m just saying it gives me more versatility Ostron: Have you ever heard “Jack of all trades, master of none”? Ryu: Ostron, you know what happens if you bother Mikey. Suddenly we all sound like chipmunks. Well...
Adventurer’s Journal: Merely Casting Rains
This article was first broadcast in Episode Forty-One on 19th September 2018. Ryu: Oh not again...
Adventurer’s Journal: Bardic Frustration
This article was first broadcast in Episode Forty on 12th September 2018. Ryu: Hey guys? I was talking to KayDee a little bit ago- Lennon: Who? Did you hire someone? That has to go through HR you know. Ryu: The Killer DM. Kay, Dee? Get it? I thought it was cute. Lennon: I have several worrying questions about this...
Adventurer’s Journal: Nobody Likes Warlocks
This article was first broadcast in Episode Thirty-Nine on 5th September 2018. Ryu: Look, we need to deal with this Lennon: No we don't, because there's no problem Ostron: Okay, you keep saying that nobody likes warlocks but it's honestly just you. Lennon: Ryu is on my side! Ryu: The Killer DM is more on your side than I am and really she hates everyone so that's not a good basis. Ostron: Do you even have any legitimate complaints? Lennon: Do I need them? Ostron: … Yes. Lennon: Alright. You might want to take a seat though, we’ll be here a while. Warlock is one of those classes that make people nervous. If the Monk is a confusing and...
Adventurer’s Journal: Monking Around
This article was first broadcast in Episode Thirty-Eight on 29th August 2018. Ryu: I really don't think they're worth it. Lennon: Well I don't think they exist just because someone was bored Ostron: What are you two arguing about Ryu: Monks. I don't get them. Lennon: And...
Adventurer’s Journal: Go Heal Yourself
This article was first broadcast in Episode Thirty-Six on 15th August 2018. Killer DM: Where's the numbers guy? Lennon: Oh...
Adventurer’s Journal: Elemental Wizards
This article was first broadcast in Episode Thirty-One on 11th July 2018. Ostron: Lennon? Did you take my dictionary out of the gnomish workshop? Lennon: I did, and then the research beholders took it. Ryu: Weren't you working on elemental wizards? Ohhh you meant to grab a spellbook and ended up with the dictionary instead didn't you? Lennon: No!...
Adventurer’s Journal: Efficient Use of Infernal Influence
This article was first broadcast in Episode Thirty on 27th June 2018. Killer DM: Is it “die” when there’s more than one? Or is it “dice”? One die, two dice? I always forget. Anyway, 15 people are dead. Lennon: I'm not sure what that has to do with anything, but tell me why did Ryu decide to put the Killer DM hat on? Killer DM: Well, Ryu knew you were talking about Devils and I've always done some of my best work with them, so I...
Listen, Good People
This article was first broadcast in Episode Twenty-Three on 9th May 2018. Ryu: Okay, no more weddings. Lennon: I didn't realize you were ordained. Ryu: No, I mean I added an arranged marriage plot to my campaign and my characters started fighting about how the "good" aligned characters would react. Ostron: That can get tricky. Ryu: I didn't even know how to rule it myself. I just play my characters, I usually don't think too much about alignment. Well, unless I'm wearing the hat… Lennon: No Hat! Ostron: It's okay, don't need the hat. I've got a quick primer on being good here. Depending on the crowd of players at the table, the announcement that...
You Are What You Eat (or Drink)
This article was first broadcast in Episode Twenty-Two on 2nd May 2018. Boldan the Dragonslayer strode into the tavern; known throughout the land for his many heroic deeds, he had no shortage of tables offered to him. The tavern owner hurried over and asked, “Good master, whatever we can offer is yours! What would wish to dine on tonight?” Graciously nodding to his host, he replied, “Uh, I don’t know. Food, I guess? I should probably drink something too…” D&D is a game about heroes, villains, adventure, monsters, and magic. There can be so much epicness happening in a game it’s easy to...
Divine Soul vs Life Cleric
Sometimes, the party's success depends on getting the most bang for your divine buck in healing prowess, but should you be reaching for a Life domain Cleric or a Divine Soul? Guest blogger Gath Memvar does the math to see which class is the champion of heals!...
Switching Characters
This article was first broadcast in Episode Seventeen on 28th March 2018. Ostron: One of my players used the sending stone, they want to change characters AGAIN. It's something like the fourth time and I have no idea what to do here. Lennon: What are they now? Ostron: Gnome Cleric Lennon: And they're switching to… Ostron: Goliath Barbarian Ryu: That's...
Are You Evil?
This article was first broadcast in Episode Fifteen on 14th March 2018. Lennon: Really? You just GAVE her the hat? Ostron: Look, it's not like The Killer DM causes chaos or anything. She's Lawful Evil, that's manageable. Killer DM: Do I hear the sounds of overconfidence? Lennon: Not from me Ostron: We were just saying you're a good source of information for players that want to play evil characters Killer DM: Oh my goodness yes. There are soooo many posers out there that think they're SO evil and still go to puddles when there are a bunch of kittens around. Pull up a chair, people. At some...
Skill Ineptitude: It’s Good to Be Bad (At Something)
This article was first broadcast in Episode Thirteen on 28th February 2018. “The battle had been hard-fought, but the necromancer’s tower now lay in ruins. On the morrow they would return to the queen to inform her the threat to her nation was ended, but tonight, they rested. Brother Elmont knew his companions had fared worse than he, and prepared their simple evening meal without being asked. It had taken the party twelve hours to win through and cast down the necromancer. ...
Party Composition
This article was first broadcast in Episode Twelve on 21st February 2018. Lennon: That was close! Ryu: Next time we go to Ixalan, we should probably balance our party better. Ostron: Now we're safe backstage, let’s take a Short Rest...
Getting familiar with Familiars
This article was first broadcast in Episode Two on 6th December, 2017. “You did well in your scouting, Sir Fluffykins, though I could have used less detail about that mouse’s nest you found,” Aristobulus grinned at his familiar. “Meow,” replied Sir Fluffykins wittily, because he was a cat and only had 3 intelligence. 5e’s Find Familiar is a useful spell, allowing a spellcaster to summon a magical animal companion to assist them in their adventuring, as well as letting the character partake in a fine storytelling and magical tradition going back millennia. However, while many literary familiars are intelligent and capable of speech,...
Aarakocran Druids
This article was first broadcast in Episode One on November 29th, 2017. Lennon: So, you’ll have to forgive me. As a Brit, we don’t have “Thanksgiving” over here, so I’m not really familiar with it. When “Thanksgiving” comes up, what do you think of? Ryu: Druids! Ostron: Aarakocra! Lennon: I’ve got to be honest, that doesn’t seem quite right, but who am I to argue? I guess we’ll talk about Aarakocran Druids then...