Ep 78: Battle has been joined on the Sea of Grass as the Witani face one of the Reaver's armies. The Heroes of Arden find themselves in a desperate fight, not only for their lives, but for those of an entire people. Join us now to hear the exciting conclusion of our second season! ----- Stack o' Dice is an official affiliate of Dice Envy. Use this special link, https://diceenvy.com/stackodice , to buy your next set of dice, and you'll also help support our show! Our new spots for Dice Envy and B...
Jul 20, 2020•1 hr 11 min•Season 2Ep. 150
Creation Corner: Hang in there, Stackers! This is our last Creation Corner episode for the season, and next week we'll close it out with the final actual play episode for Season 2. This week, Thane and Rhett meet again to show the process for timeline and narrative driven town building with a from-scratch walkthrough as we create a brand-new town. It's a lot of fun, and we hope you'll enjoy it, too. You can find the town map in our online storage location. ----- Stack o' Dice is an official affi...
Jul 13, 2020•43 min•Season 2Ep. 149
Creation Corner: We're in the middle of travel season, so we're filling the time with another special episode. This time, Thane and Rhett discuss the lowly random encounter. Instead of just another fight, these special occasions can become a welcome and enriching part of your game and your world. Check out ways to rethink your use of random encounters now! ----- Stack o' Dice is an official affiliate of Dice Envy. Use this special link, https://diceenvy.com/stackodice , to buy your next set of d...
Jul 06, 2020•28 min•Season 2Ep. 148
Ep 77: Dawn breaks, and with it comes a forbidding day and a looming battle. Join us now to see how the heroes take on the foe! ----- Stack o' Dice is an official affiliate of Dice Envy. Use this special link, https://diceenvy.com/stackodice , to buy your next set of dice, and you'll also help support our show! Our new spots for Dice Envy and Battlebards use music from Battlebards! We hope you like our use of: Urban Center - Village of Gnomes - Score Music by Moises Alvarez Capital City - Middle...
Jun 29, 2020•46 min•Season 2Ep. 147
Ep 76: Having arrived back at the Witani camp, Tira, Bash, and Peter have formed a plan with the Witani rulers. Now, on the eve of battle, they must make final preparations before the onslaught. Join us now in this penultimate episode of Season Two. ----- Stack o' Dice is an official affiliate of Dice Envy. Use this special link, https://diceenvy.com/stackodice , to buy your next set of dice, and you'll also help support our show! Our new spots for Dice Envy and Battlebards use music from Battle...
Jun 15, 2020•47 min•Season 2Ep. 146
Creation Corner: More quarantine fare while we try to wait out COVID. We think the end may be in sight! In this episode, Thane and Rhett take some time to go over ways to spice up the narrative in your games. The great thing is, it works for both Dungeon Masters AND players! Check it out, and share your thoughts with us. Thanks for your continuing patience. We'll be back to actual play episodes soon! ----- Stack o' Dice is an official affiliate of Dice Envy. Use this special link, https://diceen...
Jun 08, 2020•50 min•Season 2Ep. 145
Creation Corner: More quarantine fare while we try to wait out COVID. In this episode, Thane and Rhett dive into cities. We often take these locations for granted, but they can become an incredibly rich part of any campaign. Listen in now to find out how! Here are links to some of the resources we reference in this week's episode: Differences between different road types: https://lifehacker.com/the-difference-between-streets-boulevards-avenues-an-1789115850 Medieval jobs: http://arcana.wikidot.c...
Jun 01, 2020•44 min•Season 2Ep. 144
Special: Last week we talked a bit about the firsthome concept that applies to the dwarves in our world of Vardalon. This week, Rhett expands on the concept with a 1.5 hour writing challenge that shares the creation of the Ironstag Clan's firsthome. We hope you enjoy it, and if you're inspired to draw what it looks like, we'd love to share it! Catch us on our Twitter and Instagram feeds @stackodice, or by email at stack.o.dice@gmail.com. ----- Stack o' Dice is an official affiliate of Dice Envy....
May 25, 2020•18 min•Season 2Ep. 143
Creation Corner: More quarantine fare while we try to wait out COVID. In this episode, Thane and Rhett talk about ways Dungeon Masters can get a feeling of comfort in running D&D games. But it's not just all about DMs--players can take part in adding a feeling of comfort and ownership of a game world as well. We also mention a great podcast that's sure to get you hooked on puzzles and escape rooms--check out Escape This Podcast for some excellent listening. Listen now to find out more! -----...
May 18, 2020•34 min•Season 2Ep. 142
Creation Corner: More quarantine fare while we try to wait out COVID. In this episode, we finish exploring the heroic cycle as laid out by Joseph Campbell in his classic 1949 book, The Hero with a Thousand Faces. The excerpts we read in this episode come from the Wikipedia article on the heroic cycle; if you're interested, do check it out! We also mention a special document that covers Epic Level Characters on the DM's Guild. If you want to take your players beyond what's covered in the core rul...
May 11, 2020•44 min•Season 2Ep. 141
Creation Corner: More quarantine fare while we try to wait out COVID. In this episode, we start exploring the heroic cycle as laid out by Joseph Campbell in his classic 1949 book, The Hero with a Thousand Faces. The excerpts we read in this episode come from the Wikipedia article on the heroic cycle; if you're interested, do check it out! ----- Stack o' Dice is an official affiliate of Dice Envy. Use this special link, https://diceenvy.com/stackodice , to buy your next set of dice, and you'll al...
May 04, 2020•50 min•Season 2Ep. 140
Creation Corner: We've recently seen a bump in the number of social media posts on how distance and travel are a challenge for Dungeon Masters. If this describes you, pull up a chair and get ready to share some time with Rhett as he breaks down the distances and speeds of the various forms of travel! In this episode, we provide a handy spreadsheet that pulls together the various references in both the Player's Handbook and the Dungeon Master's Guide into a single handy place. We also share an in...
Apr 27, 2020•42 min•Season 2Ep. 139
Special: Some recent questions from Stackers have asked about supporting the show. Meredith and Rhett take some time to share the best ways to do just that. There are ways to help right now, and some ways to help in the future. We hope you'll be excited about them, and we especially want to hear from you! ----- Stack o' Dice is an official affiliate of Dice Envy. Use this special link, http://diceenvy.com/stackodice , to buy your next set of dice, and you'll also help support our show! We're gla...
Apr 25, 2020•14 min•Season 2Ep. 138
Special: After so much time in a game, the lowly character sheet becomes a piece of nostalgia as level after level of character history transforms it. We continue our mini-series with Michael, who reminisces with Rhett about the items in his inventory, sharing where they came from and what they mean to him and to Peter. Plus, mystery yams! Stackers, what are your favorite invenstories? The items on our character sheets can represent great adventures, devious plots, and lost love; we'd love to kn...
Apr 20, 2020•20 min•Season 2Ep. 137
Special: After so much time in a game, the lowly character sheet becomes a piece of nostalgia as level after level of character history transforms it. We continue our mini-series with Thane, who reminisces with Rhett about the items in his inventory, sharing where they came from and what they mean to him and to Peter. Stackers, what are your favorite invenstories? The items on our character sheets can represent great adventures, devious plots, and lost love; we'd love to know about your top ones...
Apr 18, 2020•29 min•Season 2Ep. 136
Special: After so much time in a game, the lowly character sheet becomes a piece of nostalgia as level after level of character history transforms it. Meredith takes some time this week to talk with Rhett about the items in her inventory, sharing where they came from and what they mean to her and to Tira. Stackers, what are your favorite invenstories? The items on our character sheets can represent great adventures, devious plots, and lost love; we'd love to know about your top ones. ----- Stack...
Apr 12, 2020•34 min•Season 1Ep. 135
Special: Esymires has been an ongoing non-player character through the course of our adventure. This week, we take a look at a bit of his history and get to know him better. We hope you'll enjoy this exclusive peek, and that you'll share your thoughts with us on Twitter and Instagram. ----- Stack o' Dice is an official affiliate of Dice Envy. Use this special link, http://diceenvy.com/stackodice , to buy your next set of dice, and you'll also help support our show! We're glad you're sharing our ...
Apr 06, 2020•20 min•Season 2Ep. 134
Special: ARE YOU READY TO. . . test character concepts against each other? That's exactly what we intend to do this summer in a bracketed tournament-style contest that will pit characters against each other. We're still working out the details, but this teaser episode gives you some ideas that we're taking into account. ----- Stack o' Dice is an official affiliate of Dice Envy. Use this special link, http://diceenvy.com/stackodice , to buy your next set of dice, and you'll also help support our ...
Apr 04, 2020•3 min•Season 1Ep. 133
Special: While we're hunkered down in light of a very real and dangerous virus, we thought we might use the time to flesh out a part of Peter's past--one that's only been mentioned in passing so far. In this special episode, we develop the circumstances around the great Blisterfoot epidemic that raged through Vondheide about a decade ago, and how Peter played a part in fighting its spread. Tune in now for all the details! ----- Stack o' Dice is an official affiliate of Dice Envy. Use this specia...
Mar 30, 2020•37 min•Season 1Ep. 132
Special: As Tira and Bash take part in the planning for the upcoming battle, they find their reflections are helping them to grow in ability. Join us to see what they pick up in this special mini-episode. ----- Stack o' Dice is an official affiliate of Dice Envy. Use this special link, https://diceenvy.com/stackodice , to buy your next set of dice, and you'll also help support our show! We're glad you're sharing our story; we really appreciate your support and hope you enjoy what we've created t...
Mar 28, 2020•10 min•Season 2Ep. 131
Ep 75: ----- Stack o' Dice is an official affiliate of Dice Envy. Use this special link, https://diceenvy.com/stackodice , to buy your next set of dice, and you'll also help support our show! Our new spots for Dice Envy and Battlebards use music from Battlebards! We hope you like our use of: Urban Center - Village of Gnomes - Score Music by Moises Alvarez Capital City - Middlegate - Score Music by Shams Ahsan And our recap uses this Battlebards song: Downtime - Blood Eagle - Score Music by Alexa...
Mar 23, 2020•47 min•Season 2Ep. 130
Ep 74: The party has done important work for the Wulf Witani, and now it's time to try to convince them of the need to unite with their long-divided brethren to face the Reaver's threat. Is Tira up to the task? Can she sway a people who want only to live in peace? Find out now in the next episode of our ongoing story! The rough images from this episode are available online , as well as on Twitter and Instagram. ----- Stack o' Dice is an official affiliate of Dice Envy. Use this special link, htt...
Mar 16, 2020•48 min•Season 2Ep. 129
Special: Peter's experiences have led him to a new level of ability--level 9! Join us to see what he picks up in this special mini-episode. ----- Stack o' Dice is an official affiliate of Dice Envy. Use this special link, https://diceenvy.com/stackodice , to buy your next set of dice, and you'll also help support our show! 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 wee...
Mar 14, 2020•4 min•Season 2Ep. 128
Ep 73: The last echoes of the fight against the otherworldly creature in the collapsed caverns die away, and Tira, Bash, and Peter are left trying to figure out how to move a massive piece of starstone. Time is ticking, so they have to get moving. Find out what happens next right now! ----- Stack o' Dice is an official affiliate of Dice Envy. Use this special link, https://diceenvy.com/stackodice , to buy your next set of dice, and you'll also help support our show! Our new spots for Dice Envy a...
Mar 09, 2020•45 min•Season 2Ep. 127
Ep 72: In the last episode the weird hill in The Hollow challenged each member of the party. Now they must regather themselves and press on to the south end of this mysterious place. With only the vaguest notion of what lies in store, they must have faith in each other's abilities. Find out what happens next right now! ----- Stack o' Dice is an official affiliate of Dice Envy. Use this special link, https://diceenvy.com/stackodice , to buy your next set of dice, and you'll also help support our ...
Mar 02, 2020•1 hr 21 min•Season 2Ep. 126
Ep 71: Emerging from the swamp, the party must press further into The Hollow, where unknown things await. It's a different world down here where the Wulf Witani have chosen to dwell, but Tira, Bash, and Peter are committed to finding a way to bring them together. What awaits them? Find out now! ----- Stack o' Dice is an official affiliate of Dice Envy. Use this special link, https://diceenvy.com/stackodice , to buy your next set of dice, and you'll also help support our show! We're glad you're s...
Feb 24, 2020•1 hr 7 min•Season 2Ep. 125
Special: NPCs can help make or break a game. Rhett faces off against one of his many weak areas as a DM, and shares his thoughts on a new way to prepare NPCs to make them more robust and flexible in interactions with player characters. ----- Stack o' Dice is an official affiliate of Dice Envy. Use this special link, http://diceenvy.com/stackodice , to buy your next set of dice, and you'll also help support our show! We're glad you're sharing our story; we really appreciate your support and hope ...
Feb 20, 2020•11 min•Season 2Ep. 124
Special: The cutscenes have become a favorite part of our games. Rhett walks through his reasoning for including them, and we'd love to hear from you, Stacker, to know if you use them and how. ----- Stack o' Dice is an official affiliate of Dice Envy. Use this special link, http://diceenvy.com/stackodice , to buy your next set of dice, and you'll also help support our show! We're glad you're sharing our story; we really appreciate your support and hope you enjoy what we've created together. We'r...
Feb 19, 2020•7 min•Season 2Ep. 123
Special: Early last week, Rhett got to spend some time chatting with Pat Eyler of Foot of the Mountain Adventures. If you love maps, and want to get in touch with an artist who creates hand-crafted, custom maps, you'll want to check out Pat's work! You can find him at @mountain_foot on Twitter, or on his Patreon page. After spending some time working through A Pattern Language , Rhett plotted out a new version of the map of Arden. In this special episode, he walks through the new elements, and t...
Feb 18, 2020•15 min•Season 2Ep. 122
Special: Early last week, Rhett got to spend some time chatting with Pat Eyler of Foot of the Mountain Adventures. If you love maps, and want to get in touch with an artist who creates hand-crafted, custom maps, you'll want to check out Pat's work! You can find him at @mountain_foot on Twitter, or on his Patreon page. There are some neat world building tools out there, but who'd have thought there'd be one from 1977? Join us as we dig into A Pattern Language , a gem of a book that looks at how t...
Feb 17, 2020•32 min•Season 2Ep. 121
