What does order look like, and what are some fundamental kinds of laws and orders that a Dungeons & Dragons party might run into? In this week's episode of the Campaign Builder, Dan and Adam dig into their unique definitions of law, and how they think about applying rules within their D&D worlds. Because, after all, rules are meant to be broken... Different Kinds of Law and Order: - Religious Law - Legal Law - Organization Law - Customs - Status (Honour) - Popularity (Reputation) - Moral...
Apr 23, 2020•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 112
In this special mailbag episode, the panel of Dungeon Masters has a pointed discussion about the recent Unearthed Arcana addition: Magical Tattoos. Things get a bit needly as they try to draw clear conclusions, but before the ink dries on this topic, you'll be able to see the whole picture. Thanks to everyone who participated in the Giveaway, and stay tuned for more opportunities to control the flow of an episode's conversation! The Tattoos: Absorbing Tattoo Barrier Tattoo Coiling Grasp Tattoo E...
Apr 22, 2020•2 hr 21 min•Ep. 111
This episode of the It's A Mimic! podcast sees Adam, Dan, Terry take a look at some common conditions in Dungeons & Dragons 5E. All five of the conditions listed impede or disrupt the player's agency in some way, so how do we make these fun and interesting at the table? How can we keep the roleplay rolling and the combat coming? Blinded, Deafened, Poisoned, Charmed, and Frightened all leave something to be desired, but is homebrewing additional consequences too cumbersome? Or do we need a li...
Apr 21, 2020•1 hr 54 min•Ep. 110
In Dungeons & Dragons, nNot every day is a walk in the park, and not every walk in the park happens during the day. The frightening, the weird, and the outright malicious lay just around the corner of most adventures, but how do you raise the tension and build horror around the table? This week, the Campaign Builder focuses on how to bring horror to your table, even at low levels. It's not just ghosts and ghoulies in this episode. Adam and Dan talk about pushing boundaries, reading the table...
Apr 16, 2020•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 109
In this week's episode, we say thank you very mucho, Mr. Roboto to our favorite mechanical (or magical?) constructed horrors of Dungeons and Dragons 5E, the Constructs. Adam, Dan and (of course) Dave, chime in in an ordered fashion about the general rules and flavor of Constructs. And, like clockwork, have some disagreements about the nature of constructs to the plane devoted to all things construct, Mechanus (how do you say that word?). Then, the panel of DM's breaks down three top tier mechani...
Apr 14, 2020•2 hr 2 min•Ep. 108
Riots! Urban unrest! Mobs and crowds and chaos! This episode focuses on what happens when an urban environment descends into chaos and how to disrupt the status quo! Dan and Adam are at it again, this time with angry and frightened citizens, insane religious leaders, and overwhelmed city officials! It's mayhem, havoc, and disruption as far as they eye can see, so brace yourselves for another episode of the Campaign Builder. Because things are about to get messy! Takeaways: - A world-shaking even...
Apr 09, 2020•57 min•Ep. 107
The panel of DM's dives back behind the pulpit to further discuss some of the divine domain choices of the Cleric in Dungeons and Dragons 5E. Before they do that, however, they break down what a holy site or temple could look like, the depth a keepsake could bring and what kind of drama a secret could add to your tables. Finally, once that's all through, they try to capture the power behind the Trickery domain, uncover the hidden secrets of the Knowledge domain and challenge themselves to unlock...
Apr 07, 2020•2 hr 5 min•Ep. 106
Dynamic Encounters can add chaos and complications... for good or for ill. So how do you keep it on the side of good? In this episode, Dan and Adam run through the common issues that they've run into with designing and managing dynamic encounters and how they've managed to troubleshoot these issues. From downtime to puzzles to interrupting a conversation with combat, they cover the gamut of dynamic encounters and even cover when to bail on the encounter and just move on. Takeaways: - Variety is ...
Apr 02, 2020•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 105
Happy April Fool's Day! It's been a year, and that means it's time for another bout of roundtable DMing in this sequel to episode W001, the infamous Wizard's Tower episode. Big Ivan is back, and he's looking to put together a new crew. His last gang is dead or missing, but the Philosopher's Stone has been relocated to a Wizard's Bank: Ulhemanzerfindle's Spectabulous Depository of Dangerful Know-ables and Five-boding Scriptances. Those that live will be founding members of a new gang. Those that ...
Apr 01, 2020•4 hr 15 min•Ep. 104
The panel of DM's return to the trail oft-overlooked in Dungeons and Dragons 5E: The Ranger. This time, they are tackling the subclasses available in Xanathar's Guide to Everything: The Horizon Walker, The Gloom Stalker, and the Monster Slayer. Even though they faun over these subclasses, they have slightly different opinions about the flavour suggestions available in XGtE, and offer other inspirations for your far-travelling Rangers. From mechanical power creep to underwhelming flavour options,...
Mar 31, 2020•2 hr 5 min•Ep. 103
Beginnings and endings are the same thing in early levels, as Dan and Adam resolve the first mission and launch the campaign, blurring the two together. Rewards, accolades, foreshadowing, and mystery greet our party when they return back to town with their ward, and the players will have more opportunities to discover their place in the guild, the town, and the religious landscape! Takeaways: - Resolving the first mission can give a lot of insight to the player types around the table. - Early it...
Mar 26, 2020•54 min•Ep. 102
In this week's episode, the panel of Dungeon Masters wraps up the discussion on elves, and covers those who stuck to the shadows, those misunderstood and put down, and those too chaotic to stay in one form for too long. That's right! Today is all about the Shadar-kai, Drow, and Eladrin subraces of elf. From fluid genders to Gloomy Gus's, the panel backs down from nothing when examining the most long-lived of all the Dungeons & Dragons 5e races. The DM's cover tips on roleplaying, and whether...
Mar 24, 2020•2 hr 17 min•Ep. 101
It's Springtime again, and apparently that means it's time for a mailbag episode! But one of the hosts is drunk, one of the hosts can't pronounce listeners' names, and one of the hosts quotes the Dungeons & Dragons movie... So it's utter anarchy with bouts of profanity and heckling, and a few surprisingly deep moments... You know. The usual. Questions were submitted by: @alexander_anotherskip_davis @bonaviadaniele @colton_adrian @datboicapp @garakeli202 @gelatinousclub @kain_morewind @mattyy...
Mar 19, 2020•1 hr 53 min•Ep. 99
This week, we meet the potion merchant in need of help, Zelmar Alviante, the Summer Eladrin, and his gigantic (and tempermental) Iguana named Jim. But the party is still level one, so how much help can they give? Quite a lot, it would seem, as the desert is fraught with dangers, opportunities, and challenges that will make these early levels both fun and memorable. Takeaways: - There needs to be a reason why the person/object needs to be escorted - Escorted NPC's should have stronger personaliti...
Mar 19, 2020•44 min•Ep. 100
On this week's episode of the It's A Mimic! podcast, Dan takes Adam and Dave through the most brutal of all the 5e official settings: Avernus, the first layer of The Nine Hells. So rev up your engines, and load your pockets with soul coins, because the warlords are calling and Zariel herself is lurking about the River Styx! From ravenous demon lords to abandoned angelic swords, the discussion in this episode focuses on inspiration to use this setting outside of just the published book, Baldur's ...
Mar 17, 2020•2 hr 3 min•Ep. 98
The party is squishy, but that doesn't mean you can't challenge them. From untrustworthy NPC's to various creatures looking for a meal and an environment that works against you, life beyond the safety of home is fraught with peril. Join Dan and Adam this week as they provide inspiration and insight about how to keep low-level travel both interesting and engaging. Takeaways: - The world beyond the city walls should be immediately dangerous. - Subtly setting themes and ideas early is a good idea. ...
Mar 12, 2020•46 min•Ep. 97
In this week's episode, the panel of DM's pops the cork, pours some glasses, pulls out the charcuterie platter, and discusses (at length) the only dragon that will kill you by only talking; the Brass Dragon. The It's A Mimic Podcast finally crosses the alignment border into the good-aligned metallic dragons in Dungeons and Dragons 5e, and discusses these ultimate collectors, as well as their lairs, allies, and how to use them in your campaigns as both ally and villains. On-Air Shoutout: Save For...
Mar 10, 2020•1 hr 33 min•Ep. 96
Every campaign begins somewhere, and when the meta discussions are over and Session Zero has come and gone, it's time to roll dice. But is Session One too early to introduce dynamic encounters? Of course not! Dan and Adam each discuss three examples of dynamic encounters for Session One in their own campaign, and demonstrate that more complex encounters can add intrigue and depth, even in the opening moments of a campaign. Takeaways: - Quest-givers should be complex characters that can provide m...
Mar 05, 2020•42 min•Ep. 95
In this week's episode of the It's A Mimic! podcast, the panel of Dungeon Masters discusses some optional mechanics offered in Dungeons and Dragons 5e and why you should include - or not include - them into your games. Dan, Adam, and Megan take a stab at Honour and reputation, try to wrap their minds around Sanity, and dive into the age-old argument about the right and wrong of alignment. From a passionate disagreement about Batman, to a few half-baked homebrew twists on some old mechanics, Mega...
Mar 03, 2020•1 hr 55 min•Ep. 94
Dynamic Encounters are encounters that have more than a single action, and add depth beyond normal Dungeons & Dragons scenarios that players have seen before. They provide an infinite number of opportunities for surprises, improv, and creative reactions by players and dungeon masters alike. In this episode, Dan and Adam discuss the following: Dynamic Encounters: - combat-to-combat - combat-to-exploration - combat-to-roleplaying - exploration-to-combat - exploration-to-exploration - explorati...
Feb 27, 2020•1 hr 24 min•Ep. 93
This week's episode sees the panel of Dungeon Masters tackle the biggest of Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition's most twisted and deformed arcane mistakes-- I mean, creations; Monstrosities. Starting with the titans that rival the power levels of even gods, Adam, Dan, and Dave take a good hard look into the magical beasts that not even Dan and his ADHD could miss: those gargantuan behemoths that tower above the party in both power level and stature. Listen in as the DM's dive deep into the dep...
Feb 25, 2020•1 hr 47 min•Ep. 92
Campaign Builder continues building the basic foundation of their campaign, by looking to factions, and creating a guild from the ground up. With a smattering of NPCs and a constant eye on what opportunities may be presented to the party, the Dungeon Masters . Keeping it simple, they lay out a basic breakdown of interesting environments to the North, South, East, and West, as well as important landmarks in each of these directions. And while they discuss the reasons for their decisions, they als...
Feb 20, 2020•1 hr 19 min•Ep. 91
In this episode of the It's A Mimic! podcast, the panel of Dungeon Masters returns to Eberron and discusses the newest official Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition class, The Artificer. These crafting, building, attunement-laden heroes add a new aspect of party support, and are even powerful enough to be front and center in most combat encounters. With Adam on Alchemists, Terry on Artillerists, and Brad on Battle Smiths, the DM's tear into the ins and outs, cautioning new Dungeon Masters and player...
Feb 18, 2020•1 hr 57 min•Ep. 90
The third episode of the It's A Mimic! Campaign Builder has the hosts set aside the what and who, and start looking at the where. Keeping it simple, they lay out a basic breakdown of interesting environments to the North, South, East, and West, as well as important landmarks in each of these directions. And while they discuss the reasons for their decisions, they also make certain to discuss themes, the necessity of variety, and limitations. Takeaways: - Contrast leads to exciting adventuring. -...
Feb 13, 2020•1 hr•Ep. 89
Like Rocky, we're going for another round against the Clubber Lang of base classes, the BARBARIAN! This time around on this episode of the It's A Mimic Podcast, the panel looks at interesting flavour to add to your barbarians, made available in Xanathar's Guide to Everything. Superstitions, tattoos, and personal totems can lead to amazing characteristics that might just make your barbarian the legend that he or she deserves to be! In this episode, Dan, Adam, and Dave tear open the Zealot, the An...
Feb 11, 2020•1 hr 58 min•Ep. 88
In the second episode of the It's A Mimic! Campaign Builder, the hosts go from WHAT the plot is going to be, to WHO the the conflicts will be with. Deciding to focus on one arch enemy, and four lieutenants (one per tier), Dan and Adam discuss some unorthodox options and why they like them. So sit tight and listen to what we have to say about our five different villains, including a couple of famous Dungeons & Dragons enemies and three unique concepts for enemies! Takeaways: - There are many ...
Feb 06, 2020•51 min•Ep. 87
Available On: iTunes | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube Don’t forget to Like/Follow/Subscribe/Whatever when you listen! Social: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter Email: info@itsamimic.com Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe Shout Out Music by: Isaac Callender Logo by: Kate Skidmore...
Feb 04, 2020•2 hr 10 min•Season 1Ep. 86
In the first episode of the It's A Mimic! Campaign Builder, the hosts have to sit down and determine WHAT they want to build so they know WHY they are going to build sessions in a particular way. Knowing your overarching plot points from the beginning is a powerful tool that allows you to ask: What are the broad strokes, how can we get there, and why is it important to do it in this way? Takeaways: - Your overarching plot should be simple enough to summarize in a few words. - Your secondary plot...
Jan 30, 2020•51 min•Ep. 85
One year. Three hosts. Twenty questions. And a twist. It's been an amazing first year at the It's A Mimic! podcast, and we are grateful for all the love and support we've received. As a result, Adam, Dan, and Terry have decided to celebrate the year (and the fans), by taking an episode off and not recording a special. Wait. ... What? So sit down, listen up, dig in, and chill out. The It's A Mimic! podcast takes a break from itself and gives you what you all want: D&D tips, character assassin...
Jan 29, 2020•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 84
You called and we came answering in our elemental-powered airship. In this episode, the panel of DM’s says thank you very mucho, Mr. Warforged-O, as we cover Eberron. Some minds are changed, and some are made more resolute as we push through one of the densest source books to date. From new races to obscure secret societies to the history of the land itself, this episode of the It’s A Mimic! podcast looks at the campaign setting of Eberron and how to best set a game in it (or at the very least, ...
Jan 28, 2020•1 hr 53 min•Ep. 83
