s2e7: Gently Slapped by a Baby

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We continue hexcrawling in the under-Underdark, and all’s well. Everything is fine, really, and the campaign takes a wacky turn into romantic comedy!

Out of Context D&D: 

  • “Thub-nub is my slave name.”
  • “Objectively, it subjectively went fine.”
  • “They don’t like being gently slapped by a baby.”
  • “Jim: You’re gonna have to do a lot of drinking on a lot of lonely nights to get rid of this imagery. Asa: I’m doing that anyway.”
  • “You remind me of a winter treat.”
  • “Dungeon Snap!”
  • “Let’s hold hands and run.”
  • “I love weird magic stuff. At least I know what I’m dealing with when I’m dealing with unknown magic stuff.”
  • “For our listeners: Tim is explaining a trashbag.”

We reference Kung Fury at some point. If you haven’t seen it: http://www.kungfury.com/.

“Pixelland”
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

s2e6: Undersurgery

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Journey to the Danklake interrupted by hilariously improvised field surgery.

“We’re living in the Underdark right now! Wake up, sheeple!”

s2e3: Romancing the Mushroom

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We execute our plan to get—wait for it—out of the abyss. 

“I’m his egg; he’s my chicken.”

CAST & BUILDS

Jim: Dungeon Master

Daniel: Gaul (human druid 1)

For my free human feat at level 1, I chose sentinel, which makes me pretty tanky.

My plan is to class up to druid 2 in order to get wild shape, and then hit up monk for some levels.

This is to make a kung fu panda build, in which I turn into a panda (or whatever) and use kung fu.

Tim: Igneum (human sorcerer 1)

Tim was going for a full on fire fire fire all the time fire draconic sorcerer build.

The action algorithm was something like this: if (fire) or not (fire) then fire.

Apparently, this build gets a bonus to fire bolt. So, yeah. It’s a thing you can do if you like burninating the countryside and/or the peasants.

Asa: Thub-nub (halfling bard 1)

Asa was going for the standard (for our group) heal+debuff bard, I think. But, as you will find out in the next few episodes, this build took a turn for the weiiiiirrrrd.

“Crunk Knight” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

s2e2: Think Before We Think

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We are bad at planning prison breaks — somehow we settle on an escape plan — actual D&D.

This episode is more like a documentary on how people come up with goofy D&D plans. It’s half an hour of us figuring out what in the world to do next. It seems to be mostly a process of throwing out the worst ideas we can think of and gradually trying to work out way up. 

CAST

Jim: Dungeon Master

Daniel: Gaul (human druid 1)

For my free human feat at level 1, I chose sentinel, which makes me pretty tanky.

My plan is to class up to druid 2 in order to get wild shape, and then hit up monk for some levels.

This is to make a kung fu panda build, in which I turn into a panda (or whatever) and use kung fu.

Tim: Igneum (human sorcerer 1)

Tim was going for a full on fire fire fire all the time fire draconic sorcerer build.

The action algorithm was something like this: if (fire) or not (fire) then fire.

Apparently, this build gets a bonus to fire bolt. So, yeah. It’s a thing you can do if you like burninating the countryside and/or the peasants.

Asa: Thub-nub (halfling bard 1)

Asa was going for the standard (for our group) heal+debuff bard, I think. But, as you will find out in the next few episodes, this build took a turn for the weiiiiirrrrd.

“Crunk Knight” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

s2e1: Maggot Mama

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Starting Out of the Abyss proper — we’re all going crazy — sure hope you like maggots. 

This season, we’re splitting our session into chunks so that we can have a more regular release schedule and also edit the episodes a little more thoroughly, which is to say, edit them at all.

So this episode ends right as we are about to begin coming up with our escape plan.

Here’s the video that I took my awful sound clip from:


CAST

Jim: Dungeon Master

Daniel: Gaul (human druid 1)

For my free human feat at level 1, I chose sentinel, which makes me pretty tanky.

My plan is to class up to druid 2 in order to get wild shape, and then hit up monk for some levels.

This is to make a kung fu panda build, in which I turn into a panda (or whatever) and use kung fu.

Tim: Igneum (human sorcerer 1)

Tim was going for a full on fire fire fire all the time fire draconic sorcerer build.

The action algorithm was something like this: if (fire) or not (fire) then fire.

Apparently, this build gets a bonus to fire bolt. So, yeah. It’s a thing you can do if you like burninating the countryside and/or the peasants.

Asa: Thub-nub (halfling bard 1)

Asa was going for the standard (for our group) heal+debuff bard, I think. But, as you will find out in the next few episodes, this build took a turn for the weiiiiirrrrd.

“Crunk Knight” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

s2e0: Out of the Abyss Intro

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Time for season 2. 

This season, we have a DM switch. Jim is taking over the holy seat, and I’m playing a character.

I’m scared.

We talk about the upcoming campaign, optional / house rules, what to expect, and go over the starting PCs.

LINKS

CAST

  • Jim (DM)
  • Asa
  • Daniel
  • Tim

Episode 24: Review of Princes of the Apocalypse

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“RECRAP more like it” — 4E-ver — good start, not so great follow through — average damage for monsters is good — fan cuts of the Hobbit movies and the SW prequels — is only low level play good? — the Shackled City adventure path good at higher levels? — game companies need a user experience editor — destroy your PC’s mini upon death, great idea — need better hooks, no “you are caravan guards” business — stop having rituals interrupted at climactic moment — changes for season 2 — there can be only one listener.

Cast:

  • Daniel (GM)
  • Jim
  • Tim
  • Asa
“RECRAP more like it”
We ended up not liking it.
4E-ver
Because it seemed like a 4E module once you get into the dungeons. The dungeons tend to be physical spaces for fights to happen in.
good start, not so great follow through
Early levels were fun and had some variety. But once the structure of the adventure becomes apparent, interest wanes. 
average damage for monsters is good
I love using it. When you run a lot of fights (as you must here), it really speeds things along.
is only low level play good?
I think so. Higher level play doesn’t seem like real D&D to me, more like a supers game.
game companies need a user experience editor
Absolutely this is true. Someone needs to go through the book, and, at each moment, ask, “Would this be a hassle to do if I were actually running this?” You know all the supplemental material DMs have to make? They shouldn’t have to for big time publications like this. 
need better hooks, no “you are caravan guards” business
Seriously. Stop it. Any start to an adventure is better. Lost Mines of Phandelver starts exactly in this way. Hoard of the Dragon Queen is basically the same as well. 
stop having rituals interrupted at climactic moment
Lazy.