Special: Tira the barbarian is covered in the blood of her enemies--and herself. But she's not too distracted to benefit from her accruing experience, so she's gonna level up now. Tune in now to find out what she picks up! ----- Our spot for Battlebards uses music from Battlebards! We hope you like our use of: Capital City - Middlegate - Score Music by Shams Ahsan We're glad you're sharing our story; we really appreciate your support and hope you enjoy what we've created together. We're having f...
Aug 14, 2023•7 min•Season 5Ep. 300
Special: Everyone's favorite mystic has hit a milestone, reaching level 15 after a grueling battle. Tune in now to find out what he picks up! ----- Our spot for Battlebards uses music from Battlebards! We hope you like our use of: Capital City - Middlegate - Score Music by Shams Ahsan We're glad you're sharing our story; we really appreciate your support and hope you enjoy what we've created together. We're having fun sharing our adventure with you each week, and we'll only get better with time!...
Aug 07, 2023•4 min•Season 5Ep. 299
Ep 149: Welcome to the thrilling conclusion of Season 5! The sea cave battle continues to rage, and nothing is guaranteed. What nefarious tricks will The Eel employ? Will Michael remember what he was trying to do? Find out what happens next by listening now! ----- Our spot for Battlebards uses music from Battlebards! We hope you like our use of: Capital City - Middlegate - Score Music by Shams Ahsan We're glad you're sharing our story; we really appreciate your support and hope you enjoy what we...
Jul 24, 2023•1 hr 39 min•Season 5Ep. 298
Ep 148: Waves lap the shore of the ocean cavern below the abandoned temple, and a sinister longboat bobs in the choppy water as The Eel approaches the party. A fight is brewing, and it'll try the party like nothing they've faced yet. Find out what happens next by listening now! ----- Our spot for Battlebards uses music from Battlebards! We hope you like our use of: Capital City - Middlegate - Score Music by Shams Ahsan We're glad you're sharing our story; we really appreciate your support and ho...
Jul 17, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Season 5Ep. 297
Ep 147: The battle outside the abandoned temple has come to an end, and now the party must figure out how to proceed. With a redoubtable enemy so close at hand, time is of the essence, but differing objectives may pose an issue. Find out what happens next by listening now! ----- Our spot for Battlebards uses music from Battlebards! We hope you like our use of: Capital City - Middlegate - Score Music by Shams Ahsan We're glad you're sharing our story; we really appreciate your support and hope yo...
Jul 10, 2023•1 hr•Season 5Ep. 296
Creation Corner: It's so easy to let game mechanics feel, well, mechanical. But they don't have to be! D&D and other RPGs draw from rich sources, and if we know a little more about them, we can find ways to use the extra detail to enrich our games. In this episode, we consider the 5e Rogue class feature of thieves' cant, and its shadowy origins as revealed through English literature from the 15 and 1600s. We'll look at how it was used, other specialized speech and writing designed to allow d...
Jun 26, 2023•20 min•Season 5Ep. 295
Creation Corner: It's so easy to let game mechanics feel, well, mechanical. But they don't have to be! D&D and other RPGs draw from rich sources, and if we know a little more about them, we can find ways to use the extra detail to enrich our games. In this episode, we consider the 5e barbarian's rage, and how it seems to draw from the tradition of the Norse berserker. We'll look at some aspects that may be familiar, and some that may be not so familiar, and then consider a couple ways to use...
Jun 19, 2023•19 min•Season 5Ep. 294
Ep 146: The party has reached the relative safety of the island of Boraion. Will a warm welcome await the women of the Kalligalas family? What else lurks on this seeming paradise? Listen now to find out what happens next! ----- Our spot for Battlebards uses music from Battlebards! We hope you like our use of: Capital City - Middlegate - Score Music by Shams Ahsan We're glad you're sharing our story; we really appreciate your support and hope you enjoy what we've created together. We're having fu...
Jun 12, 2023•1 hr 20 min•Season 5Ep. 293
Ep 145: After locating the rest of the Kalligalas family, the party must now move to the next stage of the exfiltration mission. Things are about to get...interesting. Find out what happens next now! ----- Our spot for Battlebards uses music from Battlebards! We hope you like our use of: Capital City - Middlegate - Score Music by Shams Ahsan We're glad you're sharing our story; we really appreciate your support and hope you enjoy what we've created together. We're having fun sharing our adventur...
Jun 05, 2023•1 hr 19 min•Season 5Ep. 292
Ep 144: To preserve the status quo in the troubled city of Karavi, the party has made an uncomfortable alliance with local crime syndicate, the Kalligalas family. The heroes start to make good on their part of the agreement, and must now find where Papa Nico's immediate family has gone to ground. What awaits our friends? Listen now to find out! ----- Our spot for Battlebards uses music from Battlebards! We hope you like our use of: Capital City - Middlegate - Score Music by Shams Ahsan We're gla...
May 22, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Season 5Ep. 291
Special: We rejoin Herald as he recounts more about the early life of Edelenn's favorite hero (?). In this partial installment, we see the first of young Dieter's notable deeds. ----- Our spot for Battlebards uses music from Battlebards! We hope you like our use of: Capital City - Middlegate - Score Music by Shams Ahsan We're glad you're sharing our story; we really appreciate your support and hope you enjoy what we've created together. We're having fun sharing our adventure with you each week, ...
May 15, 2023•17 min•Season 5Ep. 290
Creation Corner: After getting the taste for our Creation Corner series again, we share another this week. This time, we take on drawing a map of the city of Karavi, where the current story centers. Sit down with Rhett as he draws a wobbly sketch of the city living in his head. Listen now (and follow along on Discord) to see how it's laid out. During this episode, we reference several things that we'd like to link to here. Be sure to check these out to enhance your listening experience: Check ou...
May 08, 2023•21 min•Season 5Ep. 289
Creation Corner: It has been A LONG TIME since we last put together a Creation Corner episode, so it's high time! Join us in this episode as we look at a book that is full of all sorts of great ideas for Dungeon Masters who are trying to build rich worlds. The Survey of Cornwall was published in 1602, and captures what life was like at the time; mining the text for details could help you round out parts of your world to make for a better play experience. It's worth a read, and we'd love to know ...
May 01, 2023•21 min•Season 5Ep. 288
Ep 143: The meeting with the Kalligalas family head concluded, the party has bunked back down in its hidden location, but the world continues to operate outside. Dmitri has more work he wants to do to help figure out what happens next, and the rest of the party has new toys to get to know. What happens next is ready for you to check out now! ----- Our spot for Battlebards uses music from Battlebards! We hope you like our use of: Capital City - Middlegate - Score Music by Shams Ahsan We're glad y...
Apr 24, 2023•1 hr 19 min•Season 5Ep. 287
Special: We step aside briefly to consider and advance a couple story elements as we prepare for the release of the next actual play episode next week. Join us as we look westward and northward at a couple familiar figures. ----- Our spot for Battlebards uses music from Battlebards! We hope you like our use of: Capital City - Middlegate - Score Music by Shams Ahsan We're glad you're sharing our story; we really appreciate your support and hope you enjoy what we've created together. We're having ...
Apr 17, 2023•11 min•Season 5Ep. 286
Ep 142: In the last episode the team put aside the recreational activities to meet with Papa Nico Kalligalas. We resume with that conference, and what results. The only way to learn what happens next? You guessed it--listen now. ----- Our spot for Battlebards uses music from Battlebards! We hope you like our use of: Capital City - Middlegate - Score Music by Shams Ahsan We're glad you're sharing our story; we really appreciate your support and hope you enjoy what we've created together. We're ha...
Apr 10, 2023•57 min•Season 5Ep. 285
Special: This special episode is a little bit of everything--special content outside the normal game, actual play, and just plain zaniness. Welcome to the one-page RPG called Adventure Skeletons, a fun little system that is helping us to explore events in another part of Edelenn. Join Lefty, Slim, and Scabby as they're given a special mission, and find out what happens. As Rhett notes in the intro to this episode, Adventure Skeletons is a great little game that doesn't take long to figure out. W...
Apr 03, 2023•1 hr 13 min•Season 5Ep. 284
Ep 141: A day of downtime adventures in the busy city of Karavi hasn't been enough for the heroes. Now it's time to gear up and visit Papa Nico at the midnight meeting. What awaits the party there? You know the drill--listen now to find out! ----- Our spot for Battlebards uses music from Battlebards! We hope you like our use of: Capital City - Middlegate - Score Music by Shams Ahsan We're glad you're sharing our story; we really appreciate your support and hope you enjoy what we've created toget...
Mar 27, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Season 5Ep. 283
Ep 140: The worldbuilding effort continues as the party passes time before a big meeting with Papa Nico Kalligalas. What will they find to fill the time? How will Karavi grow through the players' imagination? You're just going to have to listen to find out. ----- Our spot for Battlebards uses music from Battlebards! We hope you like our use of: Capital City - Middlegate - Score Music by Shams Ahsan We're glad you're sharing our story; we really appreciate your support and hope you enjoy what we'...
Mar 20, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Season 5Ep. 282
It's a party as everyone's favorite Ancestral Guardian barbarian hits a new level! Join us now to find out what Tira picks up at level 14, and as she remembers some past benefits that may not have stayed on her radar. (#UseYourStuffTira) ----- Our spot for Battlebards uses music from Battlebards! We hope you like our use of: Capital City - Middlegate - Score Music by Shams Ahsan We're glad you're sharing our story; we really appreciate your support and hope you enjoy what we've created together....
Mar 18, 2023•8 min•Season 5Ep. 281
Ep 139: A tense showdown in the marketplace of Karavi has left the heroes in an uncertain position. What will happen once the dust clears and the people of the city have a chance to react? Listen now to find out! ----- Our spot for Battlebards uses music from Battlebards! We hope you like our use of: Capital City - Middlegate - Score Music by Shams Ahsan We're glad you're sharing our story; we really appreciate your support and hope you enjoy what we've created together. We're having fun sharing...
Mar 13, 2023•1 hr 15 min•Season 5Ep. 280
Special: We're going to take a week off of our main story to give ourselves a little breathing space. In the meantime, we hope you'll enjoy this unusual take on a few of the things going on around the world. As Rhett mentioned, here's the text for what appears in this episode: Loose Threads 1 The purple-dark sky is sown with stars above the wave-tossed shores of Karavi. They are flowers in an eternal field, distant and intangible as they peer down upon the world below. It is tempting to reach up...
Mar 06, 2023•18 min•Season 5Ep. 279
Special: Wamberbash stands in the shambles of what was once the Midnight Market. He's stunned by what's just happened, but not so much that he can't appreciate his ever-growing power. Join us as we talk through what Michael picks up for his favorite character! ----- Our spot for Battlebards uses music from Battlebards! We hope you like our use of: Capital City - Middlegate - Score Music by Shams Ahsan We're glad you're sharing our story; we really appreciate your support and hope you enjoy what ...
Mar 01, 2023•5 min•Season 5Ep. 278
Ep 138: The Midnight Market is in full swing, and the party has been browsing the wares. It's a vibrant place, full of new things to experience and enjoy. But a distant voice calls out a strange name--Chiropoulos. What could it portend? Listen now to find out! ----- Our spot for Battlebards uses music from Battlebards! We hope you like our use of: Capital City - Middlegate - Score Music by Shams Ahsan We're glad you're sharing our story; we really appreciate your support and hope you enjoy what ...
Feb 27, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Season 5Ep. 277
Ep 137: Night has fallen over the sleeping friends as they recover from a long, long day of adventure. They awaken to the hushed sounds of a night market in the island town of Karavi. It's a new place, just waiting for the party to discover it. And somewhere nearby is one of the pillars for which they seek... Join us now to find out what happens next! ----- Our spot for Battlebards uses music from Battlebards! We hope you like our use of: Capital City - Middlegate - Score Music by Shams Ahsan We...
Feb 20, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 5Ep. 276
Special: The biography of Edelenn's favorite hero (?) continues in this week's special episode. In this partial installment, get a glimpse of Dieter's mysterious origins. ----- Our spot for Battlebards uses music from Battlebards! We hope you like our use of: Capital City - Middlegate - Score Music by Shams Ahsan We're glad you're sharing our story; we really appreciate your support and hope you enjoy what we've created together. We're having fun sharing our adventure with you each week, and we'...
Feb 13, 2023•16 min•Season 5Ep. 275
Ep 136: Another pillar ascended, another Bard freed, another portal chosen. The steamy jungles of Muwaka are fading into the background as the sparkling seas of Kassara beckon. What adventure awaits the party on the other side? Listen now to find out! ----- Our spot for Battlebards uses music from Battlebards! We hope you like our use of: Capital City - Middlegate - Score Music by Shams Ahsan We're glad you're sharing our story; we really appreciate your support and hope you enjoy what we've cre...
Feb 06, 2023•57 min•Season 5Ep. 274
Ep 135: After facing the latest challenge, the party waits for the steam to settle so they can evaluate what to do next. Problem is, there are even more challenges to take on, and time is ticking. Join us now to find out what happens next in our ongoing story! ----- Our spot for Battlebards uses music from Battlebards! We hope you like our use of: Capital City - Middlegate - Score Music by Shams Ahsan We're glad you're sharing our story; we really appreciate your support and hope you enjoy what ...
Jan 30, 2023•1 hr•Season 5Ep. 273
Ep 134: Faced with a fearsome being, the party must now figure out if it's up to the task of salvaging the situation. There's a lot of work to do, so listen now to see how everyone contributes to the cause! ----- Our spot for Battlebards uses music from Battlebards! We hope you like our use of: Capital City - Middlegate - Score Music by Shams Ahsan We're glad you're sharing our story; we really appreciate your support and hope you enjoy what we've created together. We're having fun sharing our a...
Jan 23, 2023•51 min•Season 5Ep. 272
Ep 133: After a nasty surprise in the steam-shrouded lake cavern in Muwaka's giant crater jungle, the party finds itself face to face with a formidable being. It's a tense encounter, and the only way you'll get to know what happens next in our ongoing story is to listen now! ----- Our spot for Battlebards uses music from Battlebards! We hope you like our use of: Capital City - Middlegate - Score Music by Shams Ahsan We're glad you're sharing our story; we really appreciate your support and hope ...
Jan 16, 2023•42 min•Season 5Ep. 271
