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 forget that your characters are still people too. They eat, they drink, they sleep, they put their pants on one leg at a time…well, except for old Artalax and his trousers of efficiency +2 of course. Even though many players can tell you exactly what bonuses to…
Probability
This article was first broadcast in Episode Twenty-One on 25th April 2018. Ryu: Are you sure about this? Lennon: I think we have to Ryu: I’m getting the hat Lennon: No, no… Let’s just let him have this one. Ryu: You’re REALLY sure? I mean, last time some people didn’t wake up for days. Lennon: Well, we can dress it up as a public service. Insomnia is a real issue for a lot of people. Now, breathe in… and out… ok, go get em! Ryu: Okay… Hey Ostron? What’cha been working on in the Gnomish Workshop? With all of this talk of Mordenkainen’s Mayhem, and the Mike Mearls Happy Fun Hour, it got us thinking about designing creatures, and then how much chance the players had to defeat them. You see, there’s a quote about Las Vegas that comes from comedian Penn Jillette: Las Vegas is a city…
Alternate Rewards
This article was first broadcast in Episode Twenty on 18th April 2018. Ryu: So yeah, that last time the Killer DM killed Ostron pretty much wiped us out. The Cleric upped his rates Lennon: I told Ostron we’d have some gold for him because of the whole kidney thing Ryu: Don’t worry, I’ve got it covered. Not all characters are played in the same way. That’s sort of a given unless the same person is controlling all of them, but we’re mostly talking about how characters deal with their bank accounts. While some characters will be able to stockpile money, looking for the chance to make a big purchase that will advance their character’s capabilities or status, others find themselves continually starved for coin. Wizards spend money to add spells to their spellbooks or craft scrolls, clerics buy powdered silver for the creation of holy water, and…
Five Room Dungeon Design
This article was first broadcast in Episode Nineteen on 11th April 2018. Ryu: Hey Ostron! Good to see you back in one piece! Whatchya doing there? Ostron: Oh, trying to come up with something for my next session. I know the players are likely to make it to a dungeon, but I have no inspiration for layout, monsters, or even what’s lighting the walls. Ryu: Well, you could always use the Five Room Dungeon technique Ostron: Isn’t five rooms a little restrictive? Lennon: Not if you do it right. See, whilst you may look at modules, even the shorter ones like those presented in Tales from the Yawning Portal, it can be a little overwhelming to create something of your own and follow in that example; but you needn’t create a 110 chamber monstrosity like the Doomvault from Dead in Thay to give your players an exciting session,…
Are We Going To Die?
This article was first broadcast in Episode Eighteen on 4th April 2018. Ryu: So, we’re in the Gnomish Workshop… Why are we going to die? Ostron: Well, I’ve got this piece about dice math I’ve written.. Ryu: Okay, nevermind, I get it now. Ostron: Oh come on, dice math is fun! Besides, it might not be that easy. Lennon: We can’t use the sweet embrace of death to escape your dice math? Ostron: Not always… … you see, D&D is not considered a game where death of a character is likely. Assuming the DM isn’t actively trying to make it happen, permanent death of a character requires some extra effort. But Dungeon Masters and players alike may wonder “exactly how hard is it to die?” Fortunately, as with most things in the workshop, math has an answer for us. Getting Killed Anyone who’s read the appropriate section of…
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…um…that’s quite a jump. Lennon: Might not be insurmountable though. He’re some pointers. Even the most carefully crafted character can eventually become more of a burden than a companion. Most players have experienced the conflict of approaching a D&D session and realizing that they’d rather not play the character whose sheet they’re looking at. Unless you have some assurance that the current campaign is wrapping up in another few sessions, this situation can be a recipe for conflict and confusion. Fortunately, we’re here to help. First of all, before…
To Add A Dragon
This article was first broadcast in Episode Sixteen on 21st March 2018. Raerae: So were you guys debating dragons this week? Ryu: No Raerae: Why not? Ryu: Because there isn’t a debate. Ostron: No, the point is that we’re asking if you should add dragons to a campaign or not. Ryu: I don’t understand the question. Ostron: I’m not sure how to rewrite that Ryu: Look, here, guys, why don’t we just read over this paper I wrote up on dragons instead, huh? Dragons are probably the most iconic creatures in the entire D&D mythos. I mean, they’re the second “D” in the name; it’s hard to argue they aren’t significant. That said, there’s sometimes confusion about how exactly they fit into the stories. Part of this confusion stems from dragons being part of so many different mythologies through millennia. We aren’t going to go into all the details of…
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 point in many a D&D player’s mind, they say “I think I want to be evil.” The thought could have come from a number of places; maybe there was a really charismatic villain in a book or show you want…
Healing Without Healing
This article was first broadcast in Episode Fourteen on 7th March 2018. Lennon: Ok, so I’ve been thinking about our Ixalan adventure… well, mis-adventure… and I think I’ve gotten to the bottom of it. We need a cleric. Ryu: No we don’t Ostron: Right — a paladin would probably be better. They can absorb more damage. Ryu: Wrong again Lennon: Ok, well what do you suggest? Ryu: Well, I find that depends on how you look at it. The easiest way to guarantee blind panic in most players is to drain the group’s healer of spell slots or hit points. Some players refuse to engage in a fight or even a campaign unless there is a dedicated healer ready to go when things get violent. However, having someone ready with Healing Word isn’t the only way to mitigate damage in combat. Now, you might be asking why we’re talking…
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. …it took the party another three days to recover from the food poisoning afterwards, divine punishment for forgetting exactly why Brother Elmont was not allowed near the cooking gear.” You see, the D&D world is filled with experts. Aside from mastery of the skills connected to their class, there are cooks who can prepare feasts, athletes that can swim great distances, survivalists that can be blindfolded, spun…