Unearthed Mundana: Exotic Royalty
This article was first broadcast in Episode Forty-Two on 26th September 2018. Ryu: I’m so sick of kings and queens Lennon: No European vacation for you then? Ryu: No, I mean, I don’t mind them as people but every campaign you run into the land is ruled over by “king” this or “queen” that. Even when we were running through this jungle of sentient monkey-lizards they ended up being led by “Duke Longtail.” It was kind of disappointing. Ostron: Oh, well, a little bit of linguistic modification is in order then. Along with scenery and inhabitants, names have a huge impact on immersion and characters’ sense of displacement. Characters are more quickly put at ease if they wander into town and see an “Inn” sign hanging outside of a building; they automatically know where to go for food, lodging, and possibly local rumors. But if characters are well off the beaten path, it’s sometimes helpful…
Adventurer’s Journal: Merely Casting Rains
This article was first broadcast in Episode Forty-One on 19th September 2018. Ryu: Oh not again… Lennon: What? Ryu: Well you’ve got a fishing rod and lures so obviously something’s going on with wizards or sorcerers. Lennon: … I’m not seeing how you got that at all. Ryu: It doesn’t matter how I got there, but you do have a question about them, right? Lennon: Actually, yes. Ostron, you’re a wizard, right? Ostron: Nominally Lennon: So what’s the difference between you and a sorcerer. I mean, I get that sorcerers are 20% cooler, but, like, when you get down to it, what’s the difference? Ostron: Well, see, I’m the product of careful study and appreciation of the magical arts, while sorcerers are flashy hacks that claim they just “know things” and don’t need to bother with careful study. Ryu: I’m sensing some bitterness there? Do you want to talk to someone about it? I could get the hat! Lennon: Why don’t we…
Heroes Rise, forty-first entry: Dragonmark Z
Welcome, brave adventurers… to the forty-first entry into the Heroes Rise chronicle. This episode was recorded on Saturday, 15th September 2018, and made available for download on Wednesday, 19th September 2018 at heroesrisepodcast.com
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… Ostron: Was there something specific she said? Anything about needing organs, for example? Ryu: Well not really but she really seems to hate Bards. Lennon: Yeah, I can see that Ryu: Well it confused me. Bards seem like a great class. Ostron: Oh, they are, but not if you’re a DM Despite not being one of the classes available in original editions of D&D, the Bard has since evolved to be one of the core classes in the game. Mentally a lot of people think of Bards as comical characters if not outright farces; terminal optimists who bring a mandolin to…
Heroes Rise, fortieth entry: Dragondeep Water Heist
Welcome, brave adventurers… to the fortieth entry into the Heroes Rise chronicle. This episode was recorded on Saturday September 8th 2018, and released Wednesday September 12th 2018 at heroesrisepodcast.com
Heroes Rise, thirty-ninth entry: Laziness Disincorporated
Welcome, brave adventurers… to the 39th entry into our chronicle, recorded on Saturday September 1st 2018, and made available for download Wednesday September 5th 2018 at heroesrisepodcast.com
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 complex class for physical combatants, the warlock is the equivalent on the spellcasting side. While they still cast spells, one look at their class table in the players’ handbook will clue you in that something very different is going on…
Heroes Rise, thirty-eighth entry: Hand/Eye/Mouth Coordination
Welcome, brave adventurers… to the thirty-eighth entry into our chronicle, recorded on Saturday August 25th 2018, and released Wednesday August 29th 2018 at heroesrisepodcast.com
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…to be honest I don’t really know any Ostron: Oh monks are great Ryu: Of course you’d say that; as soon as you look at how to become one you have a bunch of weird calculations to do. Ostron: Well….okay, you’re not wrong. For most of the classes in D&D people have a vague idea of what their purpose is just based on popular fantasy tropes. Druids make plants and animals do weird things, wizards blow things up, warlocks hurt things and are creepy, fighters hit things, barbarians hit things but angrier, and so on. But when you get to monks, most people give a vague answer along the lines of “don’t they…
A Short Rest: Wisdom from the Masters: Background Races
This article was first broadcast in Episode Thirty-Seven on 22nd August 2018. [squeaky contraption going by] Ostron: Lennon, what are you doing… and what on earth are you wearing?! Lennon: Oh, yeah, I couldn’t get my indoor trainer down here so I rigged my road bike up to this thing I found in the Gnomish Workshop as a kinda static trainer so I could warm up. And I’m wearing lycras. Ostron: Do I want to know why? Lennon: Seriously? For aerodynamics — I’m not going to ride a road-bike in baggies… You said we were racing? Ostron: Okay first of all, I said we were discussing races, not racing, and I meant the OTHER races. You know, half-orc, goblin, elves? Lennon: Ooooooh! [dinosaur roar] Ryu: Wooooooah there! Lennon: WHAT IN THE NINE HELL — Ryu… Are you riding a dinosaur?! Ryu: Yep! I’ve been in Chult recently, and Ostron said we were off to the races, so I brought…