Show Notes This week, Fiona and guest co-host Mira do a deep delve into all things food-related with the new official D&D cookbook - 'Heroes' Feast'! From the authors behind 'Art and Arcana', this cookbook invites fantasy lovers to learn about their favorite fictional cultures through their unique cuisines and lifestyles. All eighty dishes — developed by a professional chef — are described as 'delicious, easy to prepare, and composed of wholesome ingredients readily found in our world'. Book...
Feb 10, 2021•55 min
Show Notes This week, Ryan and Fiona discuss creating sidekicks - minor characters who join and help your player characters on their quests. In particular, we look at the reasons why we might include sidekicks in our games and how to create the 3 different types of sidekicks: Expert, Spellcaster, and Warrior. Chapter discussed: 'Sidekicks' (p142 - 147) in 'Ch. 4: Dungeon Master's Tools' Book: 'Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything' by Wizards of the Coast, November 2020. Use the offer code "DMBC" to ge...
Feb 03, 2021•45 min•Season 2Ep. 2
Show Notes This week to start off the brand new season, Ryan and Fiona check out all things origin-related in the latest book from Wizards of the Coast: 'Tasha' Cauldron of Everything' (as well as a quick look at the new feats)! Chapter discussed: 'Customised your origin' (p7 - 8) and 'Feats' (p79 - 82). Book: 'Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything' by Wizards of the Coast, November 2020. Use the offer code "DMBC" to get 10% off any purchase from 3rd Space Gaming! Consider using our affiliate link when...
Jan 27, 2021•57 min•Season 2Ep. 1
Show Notes This week, in the second in a two-parter special, Fiona takes Ryan, Sam, and David on a special holiday-inspired one-shot to tied us over during our season break, using the homebrew setting of Holder-on-Hill. Use the offer code "DMBC" to get 10% off any purchase from 3rd Space Gaming! Consider using our affiliate link when using DM's Guild! #SupportyourFLGS Credits The DM's Book Club is hosted, recorded, edited, and produced by Ryan Cook ( UrsaRyan ) & Fiona Howat ( @WAIR_Podcast ...
Jan 20, 2021•1 hr 8 min
Show Notes This week, in the first in a two-parter special, Fiona takes Ryan, Sam, and David on a special holiday-inspired one-shot to tied us over during our season break, using the homebrew setting of Holder-on-Hill. Use the offer code "DMBC" to get 10% off any purchase from 3rd Space Gaming! Consider using our affiliate link when using DM's Guild! #SupportyourFLGS Credits The DM's Book Club is hosted, recorded, edited, and produced by Ryan Cook ( UrsaRyan ) & Fiona Howat ( @WAIR_Podcast )...
Jan 13, 2021•1 hr 3 min
Show Notes This week, in the first in a two-parter special, Fiona takes Ryan on a tour of the pantheon of gods who guide religious life on Theros, a Greek-inspired campaign setting for the 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons, originally created for Magic: The Gathering back in September 2013. In this second episode, we look at: 4th Generation of the Pantheon: Athreos - the god of passage Iroas - the god of victory Mogis - the god of slaughter Ephara - the god of polis Karametra - the god of harve...
Jan 06, 2021•41 min•Season 1Ep. 24
Show Notes This week, in the first in a two-parter special, Fiona takes Ryan on a tour of the pantheon of gods who guide religious life on Theros, a Greek-inspired campaign setting for the 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons, originally created for Magic: The Gathering back in September 2013. In this first episode, we look at: The background and unique campaign features of Theros Piety score The general structure of the pantheon 1st Generation of the Pantheon: Mortal Fears made real as Titans 2nd...
Dec 30, 2020•38 min•Season 1Ep. 23
Show Notes This week, in the second in a two-parter special, Ryan takes Fiona through the process of creating her very first session as a DM from scratch. In this episode, we're particularly looking at creating a whole campaign setting for mid-tier characters, using the on-the-spot example of 'Agatebourgh'. Chapter discussed: Selections from 'Chapter 1: A World Of Your Own' (p9 - 42) Book: 'Dungeon Master's Guide' published by Wizards of the Coast, December 2014. Additional source: 'Appendix B: ...
Dec 23, 2020•1 hr 5 min•Season 1Ep. 22
Show Notes This week, in the first in a two-parter special, Ryan takes Fiona through the process of creating her very first session as a DM from scratch. In this episode, we're particularly looking at creating starting settlements for first-level characters, using the on-the-spot example of 'Holder-On-Hill'. Chapter discussed: Selections from 'Chapter 1: A World Of Your Own' (p9 - 42) Book: 'Dungeon Master's Guide' published by Wizards of the Coast, December 2014. Additional source: 'Appendix B:...
Dec 16, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 21
Show Notes This week, Fiona and guest co-host Sam discuss three different and distinctive player race options which are presented in Volvo's Guide to Monsters: Firbolg - Forest guardians who prefer peaceful methods to protect their homes but take up arms if they must. Kenku - Cursed bird folk who have a sinister reputation for working as criminals. Tritons - Guardians of the ocean depths who sometimes join people on land in the battle against evil. Chapter discussed: 'Firbolg' (p106 - 107), 'Ken...
Dec 09, 2020•49 min
Show Notes This week, Ryan and Fiona talk all things Giff, the 7-foot-tall, hippopotamus-headed humanoids attired in gaudy military uniforms, with gleaming pistols and muskets. These space-faring mercenaries are renowned for their martial training and their love of explosives. Chapter discussed: 'Giff' (p204) from 'Chapter 6. Bestiary'. Book: 'Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes' published by Wizards of the Coast, May 2018. Use the offer code "DMBC" to get 10% off any purchase from 3rd Space Gaming! Con...
Dec 02, 2020•44 min•Season 1Ep. 20
Show Notes This week, Ryan and Fiona talk more alternative rules which could be used in your RPG campaigns or one-shots, including: Honor and Sanity as Ability Scores Rules for Fear & Horror to help sustain an atmosphere of dread in a campaign Alternative healing rules: Healer's Kit Dependency, Healing Surges, Slow Natural Healing Rest variants such as Epic Heroism or Gritty Realism Explosives & Firearms and Alien Technology Plot points for collaborative DMing Chapter discussed: 'New Abi...
Nov 25, 2020•56 min•Season 1Ep. 19
Show Notes This week, Fiona and guest co-host David talk about Barbarians, a playable class in Dungeons and Dragons, who come alive in the chaos of combat and use their rage as their drive and motivation as part of their adventuring life. Chapter discussed: 'Barbarians' (p46 - 49) from 'Chapter 3: Classes'. Book: 'Player's Handbook' published by Wizards of the Coast, August 2014. Additional sources mentioned: 'Barbarians' (p121 - 122) from 'Chapter 4: Classes' in 'Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide'...
Nov 18, 2020•1 hr 15 min
Show Notes This week, Ryan and Fiona talk about combat combat combat! Looking at the main and variant ways of tracking initiative during a combat encounter, improvising damage, adjudicating areas of spell effects, handling mobs and alternative adventurer actions such as Disarm. Chapter discussed: 'Combat' (p247 - 250) and 'Combat Options' (p271 - 272) Book: 'Dungeon Master's Guide' published by Wizards of the Coast, December 2014. Use the offer code "DMBC" to get 10% off any purchase from 3rd Sp...
Nov 11, 2020•49 min•Season 1Ep. 18
Show Notes This week, Ryan and Fiona talk about all things treasure-related! Including magic items and the placement of treasure in an adventure. Chapter discussed: 'Chapter 7: Treasure' (p133 - 149) Book: 'Dungeon Master's Guide' published by Wizards of the Coast, December 2014. Use the offer code "DMBC" to get 10% off any purchase from 3rd Space Gaming! Consider using our affiliate link when using DM's Guild! #SupportyourFLGS Credits The DM's Book Club is hosted, recorded, edited, and produced...
Nov 04, 2020•57 min•Season 1Ep. 17
Show Notes This week, Ryan and Fiona talk about the ' Combat Wheelchair ' homebrew rules created by RPG designer Sara Thompson ( @mustangsart ). The ' Combat Wheelchair ' describes itself as 'supportive and intuitive, designed for both daily activity and the pressures of combat during one's adventures'. The rules allow for characters with disabilities to travel and adventure in Dungeons & Dragons. Chapter discussed: ' Combat Wheelchair ' by RPG designer Sara Thompson ( @mustangsart ). Check ...
Oct 28, 2020•43 min•Season 1Ep. 16
Show Notes This week, Ryan and Fiona talk about how to go about using monstrous races, including, Bugbears, Goblins, Hobgoblins, Kobolds, Orcs and Yuan-Ti as adventurers in an RPG setting! Chapter discussed: 'Monstrous Adventurers' (p118 - 120) in 'Ch. 2: Character Races' Book: 'Volo's Guide to Monsters' published by Wizards of the Coast, November 2016. Use the offer code "DMBC" to get 10% off any purchase from 3rd Space Gaming! Consider using our affiliate link when using DM's Guild! #Supportyo...
Oct 21, 2020•52 min•Season 1Ep. 15
Show Notes This week, Fiona and guest co-host Sam talk about Saltmarsh, a sleepy fishing village nestled on the coast of the Azure sea and is one of the main campaign locations for 'Ghosts of Saltmarsh'. Chapter discussed: 'Ch. 1: Saltmarsh' (p7 - 35) Book: 'Ghosts of Saltmarsh' published by Wizards of the Coast, May 2019. Use the offer code "DMBC" to get 10% off any purchase from 3rd Space Gaming! Consider using our affiliate link when using DM's Guild! #SupportyourFLGS Credits The DM's Book Cl...
Oct 14, 2020•59 min
Show Notes This week, Ryan and Fiona talk about the four brand new races made canon for the Eberron setting: Changelings - a humanoid race of shapechangers. Kalashtars - a compound race created from the union of humanity and renegade spirits from the plane of dreams. Shifters - humanoids with bestial aspects. Warforged - humanoid constructs created through powerful rituals. Chapter discussed: Changelings (p17 - 19), Kalashtar (p29 - 31), Shifters (p33 - 35) and Warforged (p35 - 37) from 'Ch. 1: ...
Oct 07, 2020•49 min•Season 1Ep. 14
Show Notes This week, Ryan and Fiona talk about the first two instalments in the 'Around Khorvaire in Fifty Days' encounters of the week series on DnD Beyond: 'Departure from Skydock Six' and 'Storm over the Howling Peaks'. Articles discussed: ' Departure from Skydock Six ' and ' Storm over the Howling Peaks ', both by James Haeck. Use the offer code "DMBC" to get 10% off any purchase from 3rd Space Gaming! Consider using our affiliate link when using DM's Guild! #SupportyourFLGS Credits The DM'...
Sep 30, 2020•43 min•Season 1Ep. 13
Show Notes This week, Fiona and guest co-host David talk about Paladins, a playable class in Dungeons and Dragons which swears to uphold justice and righteousness, to stand with the good things of the world against the encroaching darkness, and to hunt the forces of evil wherever they lurk. Chapter discussed: 'Paladin' (p82 - 88) from 'Chapter 3: Classes'. Book: 'Player's Handbook' published by Wizards of the Coast, August 2014. Additional sources mentioned: 'Paladin' (p131 - 133) from 'Chapter ...
Sep 23, 2020•56 min
Show Notes This week, Ryan and Fiona talk about how to go about making your own custom monsters (and related stat blocks) in D&D, using the Dungeon Master's Guide's 'Creating a Monster Stat Block' process. Chapter discussed: 'Creating a monster' (p273 - 283) from 'Chapter 9: Dungeon Master's Workshop'. Book: Dungeon Master's Guide published by Wizards of the Coast, December 2014. Use the offer code "DMBC" to get 10% off any purchase from 3rd Space Gaming! Consider using our affiliate link wh...
Sep 16, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 12
Show Notes This week, Ryan and Fiona talk about the Outer Planes, a subset of the known planes of existence in various cosmology models used in the Forgotten Realms. Chapter discussed: 'Outer Planes' (p57 - 67) from 'Chapter 2: Creating a Multiverse'. Book: Dungeon Master's Guide published by Wizards of the Coast, December 2014. Use the offer code "DMBC" to get 10% off any purchase from 3rd Space Gaming! Consider using our affiliate link when using DM's Guild! #SupportyourFLGS Credits The DM's B...
Sep 09, 2020•50 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Show Notes: This week, Fiona and guest co-host Jacob talk about the different company positions in a franchise as described in the Acquisitions Incorporated sourcebook: Cartographer, Decisionist, Documancer, Hoardsperson, Loremonger, Obviator, Occultant and Secretarian. Chapter discussed: 'Company Positions' (p18-33) Book: 'Acquisitions Incorporated' created in partnership with Penny Arcade Inc and published by Wizards of the Coast, June 2019. Use the offer code "DMBC" to get 10% off any purchas...
Sep 02, 2020•57 min
Show Notes This week, Ryan and Fiona talk about 'I.S.T.A.R Facilities', a short D&D experience that captures the details of Patrick Rothfuss’s one-shot adventure run at the Acquisitions Incorporated live game at PAX East 2016. Chapter discussed: ' ISTAR Facilities ' by Patrick Rothfuss. Available on the Dungeon Masters Guild . Use the offer code "DMBC" to get 10% off any purchase from 3rd Space Gaming! Consider using our affiliate link when using DM's Guild! #SupportyourFLGS Credits The DM's...
Aug 26, 2020•54 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Show Notes This week, Ryan and Fiona talk about all things ship, looking at the optional rules for using ships in play, managing the officers and crew needed to run a ship, creating your own ships and islands and environmental hazards. Chapter discussed: 'Appendix A: Of Ships and the Sea' (p186 - 228) Book: 'Ghosts of Saltmarsh' published by Wizards of the Coast, May 2019. Use the offer code "DMBC" to get 10% off any purchase from 3rd Space Gaming! Consider using our affiliate link when using DM...
Aug 19, 2020•57 min•Season 1Ep. 9
CW/TW: Memory Loss/Forgetfulness Show Notes This week, Fiona and guest co-host Sam talk about the Oblex, an extraordinarily intelligent ooze created by Mind Flayers that fed on other creatures' memories. They are capable of using the memories which they had absorbed to create replicas of their victims, which they used to further hunt and feed. Chapter discussed: 'Oblex' (p217-219) from 'Ch. 6: Bestiary' and ' Oblex Tactics ' by Keith Ammann ( @KeithAmmann ) Book: 'Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes' pu...
Aug 12, 2020•48 min
Show Notes This week, Ryan and Fiona talk about the Artificer class, a playable character class which first appeared the 3.5 edition of D&D and is a unique base class that reflects many of the core themes of the Eberron campaign setting. Chapter discussed: 'Class: Artificer' (p54 - 63) from 'Ch.1: Character Creation' Book: 'Eberron: Rising From The Last War' published by Wizards of the Coast, November 2019. Use the offer code "DMBC" to get 10% off any purchase from 3rd Space Gaming! Consider...
Aug 05, 2020•52 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Show Notes This week, Ryan and Fiona talk about high-level combat, and what happens when your character reaches Level 20! Featuring epic boons and 3 case studies of hard and deadly encounters: Astral Dreadnought, Zariel the Arch Devil, and the infamous Tarrasque. Chapter discussed: 'Epic Boons' (p231 DMG), 'Astral Dreadnought' (p117 MToF), 'Zariel' (p180 MToF) and 'Tarrasque' (p286 MM). Book: Dungeon Master's Guide, Monster Manual and Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes published by Wizards of the Coast...
Jul 29, 2020•57 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Show Notes This week, Ryan and Fiona talk about Tortles, a race of intelligent tortoise-like humanoids indigenous to southern Chult in the Forgotten Realms (as depicted in the Tomb of Annihilation supplement 'The Tortle Package'). Chapter discussed: ' The Tortle Package: Tomb of Annihilation supplement ' published by Wizards of the Coast, September 2017. Use the offer code "DMBC" to get 10% off any purchase from 3rd Space Gaming! Consider using our affiliate link when using DM's Guild! #Supporty...
Jul 22, 2020•52 min•Season 1Ep. 6
