Show Notes This week, Fiona and Hamilton give their first impressions of the long-awaited ' Spelljammer: Adventures in Space ' boxset! From the ' Spelljammer: Adventures in Space ' bio: 'Spelljammer: Adventures in Space presents the Astral Plane as a Dungeons & Dragons campaign setting unlike any other. Home of the stars and gateway to the heavens, the Astral Plane teems with excitement and possibility. With the help of magic, spelljammers can cross the oceans of Wildspace, ply the silvery v...
Aug 24, 2022•1 hr 16 min•Season 4Ep. 8
Show Notes This week, Fiona and Hamilton chat about some of the biggest D&D reveals and announcements from the 'Wizards Presents 2022' Showcase Livestream! Reveals include: One D&D: The Future of Dungeons & Dragons - three initiatives shaping the next generation of the tabletop roleplaying game. More D&D Book Announcements - The entire 2023 lineup of major book releases including a Planescape theme book! A Dragonlance Book and Board Game on the Horizon - Dragonlance: Shadow of th...
Aug 21, 2022•44 min
Show Notes This week, Fiona interviews freelance game designer, author and professional DM, Kat Kruger about her latest book: ' How to Be More D&D '. ' How to Be More D&D ' invites fantasy lovers and fans of Dungeons & Dragons to celebrate and incorporate different elements of this iconic tabletop game in their lives and help them live their best, geekiest life. Whether it is building your real world “character,” harnessing the three pillars of play for everyday use, or using rolepla...
Aug 17, 2022•37 min
Show Notes This week, Fiona and Hamilton interview Matthew Whitby ( @WhitbyWrites ), game & narrative designer, host of ' Dungeon Master's Guild House ' show and the main writer behind ' Doomed Forgotten Realms: Sword Coast Gazetteer ' - a new D&D 5e setting book! From the book's bio: ' Has your group ever lost a Dungeons & Dragons adventure like Storm King’s Thunder, Tomb of Annihilation, or Descent Into Avernus? What would the world look like if you lost all of them? Doomed Forgott...
Aug 10, 2022•52 min
Show Notes Ahead of the official release of Journeys Through The Radiant Citadel , Fiona and Hamilton drop everything to review the unlockable preview of the book's first chapter - 'The Radiant Citadel'. From the press release: 'The Radiant Citadel is a city that serves as a bastion of hope for the weary and the displaced. Adventurers journey here to rest between quests and to learn from peoples that have moved here from across the multiverse.' Chapter discussed: 'The Radiant Citadel' Book: 'Jou...
Aug 03, 2022•36 min•Season 4Ep. 7
Show Notes With the release of the new trailer of ' Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Amongst Thieves ', our hosts Fiona and Hamilton take on the challenge of casting the ULTIMATE D&D movie, featuring some of the most famous and infamous NPCs and Villians from the Forgotten Realms! 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 produc...
Jul 27, 2022•1 hr 34 min•Season 4Ep. 6
Show Notes This week, Fiona and Hamilton explore playtest material from the latest Unearthed Arcana ' Giant Options '. This playtest document presents a variety of character options related to the magic and majesty of giants, including: The Path of the Giant subclass : Barbarians who draw strength from the primal forces that are the Giants and their elemental ilk. The Circle of the Primeval subclass : Druids who summon and bond with the spirit of a primeval behemoth through tapping into the time...
Jul 20, 2022•1 hr 9 min•Season 4Ep. 5
Show Notes This week, Fiona chats to professional dungeon master and TTRPG writer Beth the Bard (@itsBeththeBard) about her best-seller DnD supplement ' She Is The Ancient: A Genderbent Curse of Strahd '. ' She is the Ancient ' is a reference guide to the NPCs of the Curse of Strahd campaign book with descriptions, connections, and suggestions for roleplay, as well as story changes and alternate encounters. While marketed as "A Genderbent Curse of Strahd", ' She Is The Ancient ' is a bit more th...
Jul 13, 2022•39 min
Show Notes This week, Fiona and guest host Rob from the Realm of Fire podcast take a deep dive into ' Treasure Hunt ', the first AD&D adventure ever to present general rules for 0-level characters! From the ' Treasure Hunt ' bio: ''The Island of Viledel, the mighty Sea King, was sacked by a pirate army 60 years ago. It's destruction was so complete that even the location of the island was lost and forgotten. Despite rumours of immense treasures still hidden in the ruined stronghold, no one e...
Jul 06, 2022•56 min
Show Notes This week, Fiona and guest host Rob from the Realm of Fire podcast check out the Ruins of Undermountain ; an infamous über -dungeon setting for AD&D 2nd Edition campaign play. Considered the oldest, largest, and deadliest dungeon-crawl in the Forgotten Realms, Undermountain is a multi-tiered dungeon, comprised of several inter-connected chambers and lairs located deep beneath the city of Waterdeep and its namesake mountain. From the ' Ruins of Undermountain ' bio: '' Undermountain...
Jun 29, 2022•52 min
Show Notes This week, Fiona and Hamilton start their exploration of Ravnica, a worldwide cityscape filled to the brim with adventure and intrigue. Within this vast sprawling city, 10 powerful guilds compete and vie for power and status, each faction responsible for some important aspect of everyday life. In this episode, the guilds discussed are: The Izzet League - A science-based guild is responsible for the world-city's civil engineering works and new magical developments. The Orzhov Syndicate...
Jun 22, 2022•1 hr 43 min•Season 4Ep. 4
Show Notes This week, Fiona and Hamilton start their exploration of Ravnica, a worldwide cityscape filled to the brim with adventure and intrigue. Within this vast sprawling city, 10 powerful guilds compete and vie for power and status, each faction responsible for some important aspect of everyday life. In this episode, the guilds discussed are: Azorius Senate - the police force, legislative and judicial body of Ravnican bureaucracy. Boros Legion - a standing army that protects the Guildpact an...
Jun 15, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Season 4Ep. 3
Show Notes This week, Fiona and guest host Rob from the Realm of Fire podcast explore the world of Al-Qadim, a 2nd edition DnD campaign setting which draws on 'One Thousand and One Nights' for inspiration. Set in the land of Zakhara, also known as the Land of Fate, the setting is a thematic blend of the historical Muslim Caliphates, the stories of legend, and a wealth of Hollywood cinematic history. The basic campaign setting was divided between two game products: Al-Qadim: Arabian Adventures - ...
Jun 08, 2022•1 hr 2 min
Show Notes This week, Fiona and guest host Rob from the Realm of Fire podcast go back in time to check out possibly the first-ever campaign setting of Dungeons and Dragons - Originally evolved in the early 1970s as the personal setting of Dave Arneson, the co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons, Blackmoor was first used for Arneson's miniature wargames, then as an early testing ground for what would become D&D. Blackmoor is the longest continuously played fantasy role-playing campaign in exist...
Jun 01, 2022•1 hr 8 min
Show Notes This week, Fiona and Hamilton do a quick double-take - another Unearthed Arcana for the upcoming Dragonlance campaign setting? After studying player feedback, Wizards have released a revised UA document for 'Hereos of Krynn', amending the kender race, the Knight of Solamnia and Mage of High Sorcery backgrounds, and several feats for characters from the world of Krynn. Supplement discussed: ' Unearthed Arcana 2022: Heroes of Krynn Revisited ' published by Wizards of the Coast, April 20...
May 25, 2022•31 min•Season 4Ep. 2
Show Notes This week, Fiona and Hamilton draw inspiration from their music collection and pick their top 3 music albums/soundtracks to use when writing or running tabletop roleplaying games! Hamilton's choices: Burnt Offering by The Budos Band Amputechture by The Mars Volta Skyrim Exploration Suite by TheSagaris2/PredicamentMusic Fiona's choices: Tron Legacy by Daft Punk Doctor Who Series 5 by Murray Gold The Ocean At The End Of The Lane by Jherek Bischoff Use the offer code "DMBC" to get 10% of...
May 18, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Season 4Ep. 1
Show Notes This week, Fiona and guest host Dee embrace their inner wild shapes and discuss Druids, a playable character class which is an embodiment of nature's resilience, cunning, and fury. Druids claim no mastery over nature, but see themselves as extensions of nature's indomitable will. We also take a deeper look into the Druid circle subclasses, including: Circle of Dreams Circle of Spores Circle of Starts Circle of the Land Circle of the Moon Circle of the Shepherd Circle of Wildfire Chapt...
May 11, 2022•54 min
Show Notes This week, Fiona and guest host Rob from the Realm of Fire podcast talk about one of Fiona's favourite DnD discoveries - Modrons! Modrons are beings of absolute law that adhere to a hive-like hierarchy. They inhabit the plane of Mechanus and tend its eternally revolving gears, their existence a clockwork routine of perfect order. Chapter discussed: 'Modrons' (p224 - 226) Book: 'Monster Manual' published by Wizards of the Coast, September 2014. Use the offer code "DMBC" to get 10% off ...
May 04, 2022•58 min
Show Notes This week, Fiona chats with two members of the creative team behind the latest instalment of the Uncaged Anthology series: Art director David Markiwsky ( @DavidMarkiwsky ) and writing director Jessica Marcrum ( @Miss_Jess03 ). Uncaged is a groundbreaking, critically acclaimed collection of myth- and folklore-themed adventures written for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition. Each original adventure subverts tropes around a female mythological creature or monster including hags, harpies,...
Apr 27, 2022•38 min
Show Notes In this impromptu/'rough and ready' bonus episode, Fiona and Hamilton share their initial thoughts and reactions to the DnD Direct announcement showcase which premiered on Thursday 21st April 2022! From showcase's bio: ' Learn about the exclusive reveals made across the world’s greatest roleplaying game, books, video games, entertainment, and more! This has been one jam-packed show debuting April 21, 2022! ' Use the offer code "DMBC" to get 10% off any purchase from 3rd Space Gaming! ...
Apr 22, 2022•30 min
Show Notes: This week, Fiona chats to freelance writer and D&D 5e content-creator Ben Ragan ( @NeverNotDM ) about his latest Kickstarter project, ' Professor Gilroy's Heavenly Handbook '! Ben specialises in creating dynamic monsters, cinematic subclasses, and unique magic items for Dungeon Masters to share with their table! His previous Kickstarter project, ' Professor Gilroy's Guide to Fey ' is currently a silver best seller on DrivethruRPG . Ben’s latest Kickstarter, ' Professor Gilroy's H...
Apr 20, 2022•1 hr 1 min
Show Notes In our final episode of S3, Fiona and Hamilton delve into the Blood Hunter, an unofficial playable character class created by Critical Role's Matthew Mercer. Willing to suffer whatever it takes to achieve victory, these adept Blood Hunter warriors have forged themselves into a potent force dedicated to protecting the innocent. We also take a (brief) look into the Blood Hunter orders, including: Order of the Ghostslayer Order of the Lycan Order of the Mutant Order of the Profane Soul C...
Apr 13, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Season 3Ep. 22
Show Notes This week, Fiona and Hamilton pick their top 3 monsters to create urban encounters in order to add depth and flavour to any city or township setting! Monsters discussed: Shadows and Shadow Assassin - Undead that resemble dark exaggerations of humanoid shadows (Monster Manual p269/Waterdeep: Dungeon of the Mad Mage p316). Gray Ooze - An ooze which is stone turned to liquid by chaos (Monster Manual p243). Stone Golem - Magical constructs cut and chiseled from stone to appear as tall, im...
Apr 06, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Season 3Ep. 21
Show Notes This week, Fiona and Hamilton explore playtest material from the latest Unearthed Arcana ' Heroes of Krynn '. This playtest document presents a variety of character options from the Dragonlance setting: The Kender: A lineage of short-statured beings have a knack for producing the right tools in every situation. Lunar Magic subclass: A sorcerer archetype that allows sorcerers to explore deeper ties to moons. The Knight of Solamnia and Mage of High Sorcery: Backgrounds that provide acce...
Mar 30, 2022•1 hr 13 min•Season 3Ep. 20
Show Notes This week, Fiona and guest co-host John ( @AutomaticDodd ) take a closer look at the ancient history and lore behind Dwarves & Duergar, as written about in Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes! Bold and hardy, dwarves are known as skilled warriors, miners, and workers of stone and metal. Though they stand well under 5 feet tall, dwarves are so broad and compact that they can weigh as much as a human standing nearly two feet taller. Their courage and endurance are also easily a match for an...
Mar 23, 2022•1 hr 3 min
Show Notes This week, Fiona and guest co-host Matt (editor-in-chief of Dragon+ Magazine ) give their spoiler-free first impressions of Critical Role: Call of the Netherdeep - the latest book collaboration between Wizards of the Coast and Critical Role ! From the book's bio: ' Can You Change Fate? An epic Critical Role campaign for the world’s greatest roleplaying game! The greed of mortals has awakened a powerful entity long thought destroyed. For eons, this mighty champion of the gods has been ...
Mar 16, 2022•46 min
Show Notes This week, Fiona and Hamilton check out one of the most (in)famous magic items which can derail any D&D campaign: The Deck of Many Things! Also known as the deck of hazards, The Deck of Many Things is an assortment of magical cards or metallic plates enchanted with great magic. Each card is adorned with a unique portrait that shimmers with a radiance of power. When a card is drawn from the pack, its magic immediately takes effect, before fading into oblivion and reappearing as par...
Mar 09, 2022•1 hr 7 min•Season 3Ep. 19
Show Notes This week, beauty is truly in the eye of the beholder as Fiona and Hamilton look at the classic D&D monster - the Beholder! These large, orb-shaped aberrations have ten eyestalks and one central eye, each containing powerful magic. Aggressive, hateful, and greedy, Beholders are among the greatest threats to the world, dismissing all other creatures as lesser beings, toying with them or destroying them as they choose. Chapter discussed: 'Beholders: Bad Dreams Come True' from 'Ch. 1...
Mar 02, 2022•1 hr•Season 3Ep. 18
Show Notes This week, Fiona and guest host Rob from the Realm of Fire podcast take a deep breath and dive into one of the most ambitious single-author RPG campaign setting ever, Monte Cook's ' Ptolus: The City By The Spire !' A place of mysteries, secrets, and dark histories, Ptolus lies forever in the shadow of a towering stone spire reaching impossibly high into the sky, an enigma and a reminder of evil long past. Moreover, the city sits atop a seemingly endless network of ancient dungeons tha...
Feb 23, 2022•1 hr
Show Notes This week, Fiona and Hamilton attempt to create their own world setting, inspired by prompts from ' 30 Days of Worldbuilding: An Author’s Step-by-Step Guide to Building Fictional Worlds ' (2nd Edition) by bestselling indie author, Angeline Trevena . From the bio: '30 Days of Worldbuilding breaks the task into manageable chunks. By following 30 creative prompts, this book will guide you from idea, to full world.' 'By completing just one prompt each day, you can have a fully created fan...
Feb 16, 2022•56 min•Season 3Ep. 17
