What happens when a bloated, drooling, eye-stalk-covered, laser-beam shooting, evil, narcissistic, floating eyeball with a maw of jagged teeth goes some how more wrong? We make another Beholders episode! In this week's It's a Mimic! podcast, Adam, Megan, and Terry discuss the malicious malcontents from the great beyond again, but this time it's the twisted variants. Whether they be a Zombie, Death Tyrant, Gauth, or Death Kiss, the floating eyeball of death clan is chock-a-block full of fun, twis...
Oct 27, 2020•1 hr 48 min•Ep. 172
In this new series, two Dungeon Masters sit down and go through what can be expected in the published books for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition. This first episode sees Dan and Adam dig through the latest release, Icewind Dale, Rime of the Frostmaiden. Should you buy it? Is it worth your money? Join our DM's as they go over their opinions of the overall usefulness of this book. Topics discussed include art, disclaimers, contents page, seven chapters of adventures, and appendices. They also br...
Oct 22, 2020•1 hr 30 min•Ep. 171
Grab your holy symbol and draw your mace! It's time for pious violence and holy death in this week's episode of the It's A Mimic! podcast. In our third episode of our discussion on Clerics, the panel of Dungeon Masters cover the three best candidates for evil cleric subclasses in Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition! Whether it's the popular War Domain, the misunderstood Grave Domain, or the NPC Death Domain from the Dungeon Masters Guide, there's a lot to discuss about how to bring the nastiest of ...
Oct 20, 2020•1 hr 57 min•Ep. 170
It is Sunday, October 13th, 1918, and the Great War is on the brink of ending in Europe. The world is deeply scarred and families have been irreparably shattered. But for one young woman named Louise Knox, all of that seems very far away. For she is sitting in a horse-drawn buggy that is driving through a dying, backwater town named Amelia in the heart of the bayou in southern Louisiana. Her strange uncle Manford passed away five months ago, and the deed to his home is in question. The bank is l...
Oct 13, 2020•3 hr 11 min•Ep. 169
Time to get out your dark tomes, reach out to dark knowledge and scream "Klaatu Barada Nitko"! Its time for Evil Wizards. In this week's episode of the It's a Mimic! podcast, Dan, Adam, and Megan sit for a spell and cover the final three core wizarding schools, Enchantment, Necromancy and War Magic. And that's when the conversation gets good. After a brief discussion on which spell school is the most inherently evil, they wrap up by discussing evil wizards and offering tips and tricks into runni...
Oct 13, 2020•1 hr 57 min•Ep. 168
In this episode of Touring the Multiverse, Dave and Adam say farewell to Eberron as they cover all the info that players may want to know. From the new class, the Artificer, to the many races and Dragonmark options, there's a wealth of information, and a plethora of mechanical details. And instead of wrapping up with a monster, it's finally time for our two DM's to cover the different kinds of unique transportation that are available in Khorvaire! Lightning rails, airships, and more await the pa...
Oct 08, 2020•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 167
Pull up a stool, grab a pint, and drop those eaves... Its time for Halflings! This wonderous, lore-rich racial option of Dungeons and Dragons 5e are among the most beloved of standard fantasy lore. The panel of DMs - Adam, Megan, and Brad - break down the histories and mysteries of these half-pint dynamos before transferring over to the surprisingly powerful mechanical stats these brilliant little guys bring. The episode wraps up with some interesting character builds. All in all, its a love let...
Oct 06, 2020•1 hr 52 min•Ep. 166
Cue the creepy organ music and add some existential dread! It's time to talk about Barovia! In this week's episode of the It's A Mimic! podcast, the panel of DM's crack open Curse of Strahd and discuss all about the lore and story around Strahd's own personal slice of the Shadowfell. Adam, Dan and Terry then throw bones about the new monsters available in the (arguably) best adventure path produced for Dungeons and Dragons 5e, and try to divine which are great additions to any campaign, which ar...
Sep 29, 2020•1 hr 34 min•Ep. 165
We've reached the top of the draconic mountain to finally gain wisdom from the shiniest of dragons: the gold. Adam, Dan, and Terry take on these icons of ideals of Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition, breaking down the mechanics and the combat strategies before addressing the social interactions with the most rare and isolated of all dragon kind. The panel of Dungeon Masters then digs into some campaign ideas and some interesting options for these au-fully dreamy dragons. It's all hilarity and in...
Sep 22, 2020•1 hr 49 min•Ep. 164
When is condition not a "Condition"? When it's something that afflicts you, but isn't listed with the standard Condition Effects in the core books. What are we babbling about? Well, in this episode of the It's A Mimic! podcast, Adam, Dan, and Dave get into diseases, curses, scarring and more! Why does lycanthropy feel cheap in 5e? Where does Lay on Hands leave your plotlines dangling? When are one of these medieval weapons going to leave a permanent mark? This week brings on the pain and sufferi...
Sep 15, 2020•1 hr 59 min•Ep. 163
In the first part of our discussion on Beholders, the panel of Dungeon Masters at the It's A Mimic! podcast sits down to review the (in)famous creature that is so iconic that it graces the cover of the 5th Edition Monster Manual itself. Terry, Dave, and Adam go over not just the mechanics and battle strategies of these aberrant nightmares, but also the breakdowns and differences when it comes to Spectators and Gazers. Normally, I'd try to fill these show notes with puns, but it felt like low-han...
Sep 08, 2020•1 hr 49 min•Ep. 162
Get out your instrument and strum it! It's time for another round of bards! In this second episode of coverage of the marvelous minstrel, the inspirational instrumentalist, and the guy always trying to bone a dragon, Adam, Dan, and Terry attempt to shed some light onto new options presented in Xanathar's Guide to Everything for your bard's chart topper, their instrument of choice, the thing that inspires them, and the thing that they run from. After making their way through the options, the It's...
Sep 01, 2020•1 hr 49 min•Ep. 161
Its time to get psychological with your favourite do-gooders - The Paladin. Always prone to be those paragons of order and goodness, this weeks episode of the It's a Mimic podcast decides to do it a bit different offering up our second episode by dashing the notions of the sentinals of the selfless and displaying a little bit of fanfaronade. We have the "holier-than-thou" mom of the group, the Oath of Redemption; the braggadocios Oath of Glory; and the " totally not evil you guys " Oath of Conqu...
Aug 25, 2020•1 hr 33 min•Ep. 160
In this week's episode, Megan, Dan, and Dave discuss the concept of half-humans in Dungeons and Dragons 5e by highlighting the "good" and the "bad" poster children of the concept. The hosts go into the mechanics that both races bring to the table, as well as the four variants (Aquatic, Drow, Wood, and High Elves) offered up for those Half-Elven players who want a little more depending on their pointy-eared heritage. Orcs be Orcin' just one way I guess. The panel then discusses some roleplay and ...
Aug 18, 2020•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 159
In this week's episode, the panel of DM's are stunned to tackle another round of Condition Effects. This time though, they are paralyzed with fear of having their agency removed with all those pesky effects that make your characters turn's go by way quicker than you had ever planned: Stunned, Paralyzed, Incapacitated and Petrified. Adam, Dave, and Megan chat about their likes and their dislikes about these action-removing statuses and some of the monsters from Dungeons and Dragons 5e that will u...
Aug 11, 2020•1 hr 38 min•Ep. 156
As we wrap up our discussion on The City of Towers, Dave takes Adam on a tour of the entertainment district, some religious temples, and the dangerous fringes of society. But how effective are the law enforcement agencies in Sharn, where are the best places to avoid, and what evil lurks beneath the deepest ruins below? Quarters: Central Plateau Dura Menthis Plateau Northedge Tavick's Landing Landmarks: The Dagger River The Hilt Skyway The Cogs The City of the Dead Menthis Plateau Districts: The ...
Aug 11, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 158
So much of our favourite pop culture is based upon destroying the status quo, making a hair-brained scheme, and then fighting the insurmountable odds, but in D&D the hair-brained scheme is often overlooked. So how do you offer opportunity and agency without having the session go wildly off the rails? Adam and Dan walk you through what it means to go from storyteller to audience, and why Dungeon Masters should not necessarily be concerned with the realism surrounding player schemes. Takeaways...
Aug 11, 2020•58 min•Ep. 157
Theros is all about big personas, gifts from gods, epic monsters, and heroic journeys, and in this episode of the It's A Mimic! podcast, the titans on the panel of Dungeon Masters clash together to Gather the Magic and go on a odyssey of mythic proportions as they explore the newest campaign setting for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition. But even it all seems Greek to you now, there's enough divine insight in the episode to raise your knowledge to epic levels. So step aboard the chariot and pre...
Aug 04, 2020•2 hr 11 min•Ep. 155
In this first half of the discussion on Sharn, City of Towers, Dave leads Adam through the basic layout of the city, and does a tour of both the richest and poorest areas of the city. Remember that the neighbourhoods are called "Quarters", each neighbourhood includes three vertical regions called "Wards", and each ward has multiple "Districts". Quarters: Central Plateau Dura Menthis Plateau Northedge Tavick's Landing Landmarks: The Dagger River The Hilt Skyway The Cogs The City of the Dead Centr...
Aug 03, 2020•56 min•Ep. 154
Aha! Bet you didn't see it coming! Out of nowhere, here comes an episode on the worst kind of surprises in D&D: Betrayals! This episode sees Dan and Adam break down the why, when, and how of using effective, meaningful betrayals in your Dungeons & Dragons campaign. Takeaways: - Some players will blame the Dungeon Master for a betrayal, and focus on the DM as the adversary. The best way to avoid this is by having the betrayal be plausible. - Squash the impulse to talk about the betrayal a...
Aug 03, 2020•56 min•Ep. 153
In this week's episode, the panel of DM's goes chrome. That's right, this is the week Dan has been waiting for as the It's A Mimic! podcast finally details Silver Dragons. The goodest of the good, Silver Dragons cause a great divide between the hosts, and spurns on the debate about what is good and how it is allowed to affect your party. All this while inspiring some shiny combat and social encounters. So listen in as the hosts tackle the paragons of goodness for Dungeons and Dragons 5e, and try...
Jul 28, 2020•1 hr 38 min•Ep. 151
This episode rambles about the planes of Eberron nearly as much as our hosts ramble about other topics and bad jokes. But one thing is certain: This planar landscape is very different from the Forgotten Realms' planes. So bear with Dave and Adam as they traverse these multiple landscapes and try to find parallels and theories about why these planes exist in the ways that they do. Planes: Danvi, The Perfect Order Dol Quor, The Region of Dreams Dolurrh, The Realm of the Dead Fernia, The Sea of Fir...
Jul 28, 2020•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 152
Overland travel, wilderness encounters, and chases aside, there's another common kind of activity in the wild: Scouting. On this episode of the Campaign Builder, Dan and Adam encourage their players to get proactive and take the fight to their enemies. Takeaways: - Scouting relies on stealth, self-sufficiency, strategy, and speed - Patrols and guards are the direct opposition to scouts. - The frequency of patrols are dependent upon a number of factors, including landscape, enemy, and alertness. ...
Jul 28, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 150
This week, Dave and Adam get pious, faithful, and organized in another episode of Touring the Multiverse. But, like all things in Eberron, things are not as straightforward as they seem at first. From the appropriate use of hashtags to dirty hippy sects and a couple of happy takes on necromancy, there's something for everyone to get behind in this campaign setting! Sovereign Host - Aureon - Arawai - Balinor - Boldrei - Dol Arrah - Dol Dorn - Kol Korran - Oliadra - Onatar The Dark Six - The Devou...
Jul 21, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 149
In this week's episode, the Dungeon Masters rock out to the gale force winds and let the engulfing waves wash over them like it was the 21st night of September (Yes, thats an Earth, Wind, and Fire joke). Thats right, this week on the It's a Mimic podcast, we're covering the biggest and baddest of all the Elementals; the Leviathan, Zaratan, and the Elder Tempest! But don't you worry, fans of the more fiery of our feathered friends. The Pheonix also makes an appearance, coming back from the ashes ...
Jul 21, 2020•1 hr 38 min•Ep. 148
Cooperative Game. Collaborative Storytelling. Teamwork. On this episode of the Campaign Builder, we sit down together and shine the light on different aspects of tabletop roleplaying games that new Dungeon Masters should think about when prepping for sessions. It's never too late to start promoting cohesion among the party members, and a lot of the time, there are things that DM's can do to help encourage the party to work as a single unit. Takeaways: - Degrees of success and failure are key asp...
Jul 20, 2020•54 min•Ep. 147
What does a novice Dungeon Master need to know about leveling? How should new players think about alignment? And how closely should a party watch their consumable items like ammo and spell components? The panel of DM's sit down to answer these questions for this season's Instagram giveaway winner, @eeyowensdoodles! So buckle up as Dan, Terry, and Adam have another go at these topics and each other! And thank you again to everyone who entered this contest! We love almost all of you (you know who ...
Jul 15, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 146
In this week's episode, Adam, Dan and Megan discuss the options found in Xanathar's for the fast-fighting, fast-running, fast-drinking, fast... Look, they're just fast. It's the Monk. As with every second pass-through for the classes, we cover the flavour options from XGE first, this time discussing the merits and flaws of the monastery, the token, and the master. Next, the Dungeon Masters take a deep drink and step up to dance with the Drunken Master, pull forth our weapons and spar with the Ke...
Jul 14, 2020•1 hr 43 min•Ep. 144
In this episode of Touring the Multiverse, Dave and Adam finish their discussion about Dragonmark Houses. Travel, rivalries, and the combinations of industries begin to reveal the complexities of the beloved world of Eberron! House Cannith - The Mark of Making Humans led by three different leaders: Baron Zorlan d'Cannith in Korth Enclave, Karrnath Baron Jorlanna d'Cannith in Aundair Enclave, Aundair Baron Merrix d'Cannith in Cannith Tower, Breland Emblem is the Gorgon House Lyrandar - The Mark o...
Jul 13, 2020•57 min•Ep. 145
Well, the party has been captured and all hope is lost... I guess the only thing left to do is... ESCAPE! In this episode of the Campaign Builder, Dan and Adam run you through the ins and outs of running a manhunt and keeping the party on the run! Takeaways: - Applying degrees of success and failures is incredibly useful when dealing with a scenario as reliant upon skill checks as escape - Players choose characters because of the characters' strengths, so don't punish ignore the base factors of ...
Jul 09, 2020•1 hr•Ep. 143
