It’s A Mimic!

Five different stages of story.   Seven different plots.  Seventeen stages of a hero's journey.  And two unique one-shot ideas.  This episode is jam packed with ideas and techniques to flesh out story beyond the standard goblin-smashing, MacGuffin-snatching, dragon-seducing elements of Dungeons & Dragons.  Join Dan and Adam for one more week of Storytelling tips before Terry and the rest start to trickle back into the Guildhouse.  And don't forget to pick up the four books we talk about this episode:

 

The Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations, by Georges Polti
The Seven Basic Plots, by Christopher Booker
The Hero with a Thousand Faces, by Joseph Campbell
How Many Trucks Can a Tow Truck Tow, by Charlotte Pomerantz

 

Available On: iTunes | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube

Don’t forget to Like/Follow/Subscribe/Whatever when you listen!

Social: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Reddit

Email: info@itsamimic.com

Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe

Logo by: Kate Skidmore

This week, the It's A Mimic! podcast grabs inspiration from a famous work about writing, and looks at a multitude of plot hooks and conflicts that can add drama to a campaign arc.  These are great tools to have for when a player inadvertently opens up a potential subplot or side quest, so that you - as a Dungeon Master - can capitalize on the appropriate theme.  Additionally, these are great options for players to bring to their DM's as themes and experiences that they'd like to explore.

 

1 Supplication
2 Deliverance
3 Crime pursued by vengeance
4 Vengeance taken for kin upon kin
5 Pursuit
6 Disaster
7 Falling Prey to cruelty or misfortune
8 Revolt
9 Daring Enterprise
10 Abduction
11 The Enigma
12 Obtaining
13 Enmity of Kin
14 Rivalry of kin
15 Murderous Adultery
16 Madness
17 Fatal Imprudence
18 Involuntary crimes of love
19 Slaying of kin unrecognized
20 Self-sacrifice for an ideal
21 Self-sacrifice for kin
22 All sacrificed for passion
23 Necessity of sacrificing loved ones
24 Rivalry of superior vs inferior
25 Adultery
26 Crimes of love
27 Discovery of the dishonour of a loved one
28 Obstacles of love
29 An enemy loved
30 Ambition
31 Conflict with a god
32 Mistaken jealousy
33 Erroneous Judgement
34 Remorse
35 Recovery of a lost one
36 Loss of loved ones

 

Available On: iTunes | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube

Don’t forget to Like/Follow/Subscribe/Whatever when you listen!

Social: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Reddit

Email: info@itsamimic.com

Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe

Logo by: Kate Skidmore

Guess who's back!  Back again!  Terry's back!  Tell a friend!  In this mailbag episode, Dan and Adam finally get some company in the Guildhouse again, and it's back to business as usual!   The questions that were asked this time round were submitted by:

 

@avatar_idalia
@colton_adrian
u/fuckoffitsathrowaway
@hexdm
@jacky_rackem
u/KingOfRott
@m.v.willms
@mattyyiangou
@nick._.long
@pepperina_sparklegem
@theriffraff
u/Roll_or_Dice
@spidey_rich
u/SuperfluousDyrth
@upthe_hall

 

Available On: iTunes | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube

Don’t forget to Like/Follow/Subscribe/Whatever when you listen!

Social: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Reddit

Email: info@itsamimic.com

Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe

Logo by: Kate Skidmore

This episode covers the Wizards of the Coast publication Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft.  Seventeen featured Domains of Dread!  Twenty-two additional domains!  New races!  Dark gifts!  Bard and Warlock subclasses!  New backgrounds!  New NPC's!  Terrifying monsters!  A guide to horror campaigns!  And how to make your own pocket dimension!

Should you buy it?  Is it worth your money?  Join our DM's as they go over their opinions of the overall usefulness of this book. 

 

Available On: iTunes | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube

Don’t forget to Like/Follow/Subscribe/Whatever when you listen!

Social: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Reddit

Email: info@itsamimic.com

Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe

Logo by: Kate Skidmore

This week, the It's A Mimic! podcast continues the departure from the standard 5th Edition discussions, and offers some more strong opinions about how Hollywood should mix with Dungeons & Dragons.  Last week they played writers, but this week Dan and Adam play casting directors.  Will you agree with all their choices?  And can you count the number of times they say the word "gravitas"?

 

Also, don't forget to support Doulos12 and his humanitarian project at https://www.patreon.com/bePatron?u=54866719&redirect_uri=https%3A%2F%2Fwyrmworkspublishing.com%2Fabout%2F&utm_medium=widget

 

Also, don't forget to jump over to https://www.reddit.com/r/ItsaMimic/ to join in the casting discussion!

 

Available On: iTunes | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube

Don’t forget to Like/Follow/Subscribe/Whatever when you listen!

Social: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Reddit

Email: info@itsamimic.com

Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe

Logo by: Kate Skidmore

This week's episode of the It's A Mimic! podcast takes a break from the usual 5th Edition discussion, and takes a look at one of the darkest chapters in D&D history: the films.  Dan and Adam do their best to break down each of the three Dungeons and Dragons movies in existence, and then turn their attention to three hypothetical projects they'd like to se get made...  One of which is real...

 

So what makes a bad film, what can we learn about the missteps that were taken in the past, and what do we hope for in the future?  And would you rather see a traditional fantasy storyline in a D&D setting with capable direction and talent, or a wacky heist movie with a comedic bend?  There are some big disappointments and some big dreams in this episode.  How would your campaign fare as a feature film?

 

Available On: iTunes | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube

Don’t forget to Like/Follow/Subscribe/Whatever when you listen!

Social: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Reddit

Email: info@itsamimic.com

Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe

Logo by: Kate Skidmore

This week's episode of the It's A Mimic! podcast transitions from discussing low intelligence solo-type monsters to discussing intelligent creatures and their strategies and tactics.  Dan and Adam systematically work their way through the 14 creature subtypes, giving general insights on how and when to run barely-sentient to hyper-intelligent monsters..

The conversation ranges from the definition of the Intelligence stat block to utilizing one of the most overlooked DM tools: patience.  It's not all just evil monologues and deadly duels!  Despite the simplicity of 5th Edition's ruleset, there is quite a lot of interesting flavour in the details, if you know where to look...

 

Available On: iTunes | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube

Don’t forget to Like/Follow/Subscribe/Whatever when you listen!

Social: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Reddit

Email: info@itsamimic.com

Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe

Logo by: Kate Skidmore

This week's episode of the It's A Mimic! podcast bucks the trend of discussing mob monsters, and instead focuses on the solo monsters your adventurers might encounter out in the wilderness.  Dan and Adam systematically work their way through 11 of the 14 creature subtypes, giving general insights on how and when to run monsters with low intelligence.

Conversation ranges from capitalizing on unique movement types to embracing the purpose and in-world design of some creatures.  It's not all just gnashing fangs and a fight to the death!  Despite the simplicity of 5th Edition's ruleset, there is quite a lot of interesting flavour in the details, if you know where to look...

 

Available On: iTunes | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube

Don’t forget to Like/Follow/Subscribe/Whatever when you listen!

Social: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Reddit

Email: info@itsamimic.com

Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe

Logo by: Kate Skidmore

This episode covers the Wizards of the Coast publication Candlekeep Mysteries.  Seventeen modular stories!  A new Forgotten Realms location!  New monsters!  New items!  New Puzzles!  New NPC's!  A dragon ghost!  Demi-planes and pocket dimensions!  A new tear-away map!  And book after book after book!

 

Should you buy it?  Is it worth your money?  Join our DM's as they go over their opinions of the overall usefulness of this book. 

 

Available On: iTunes | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube

Don’t forget to Like/Follow/Subscribe/Whatever when you listen!

Social: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Reddit

Email: info@itsamimic.com

Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe

The It's A Mimic! podcast awaits the return of the friends abroad, as we finish up the conversation on Mob Mentalities (for now).  Starting off with a retrospective, we look back at the last 21 weeks of episodes, before touching briefly on six more mob-type creatures that have too little variety and lore to warrant their own spotlights.  These are Blights, Mephits, Modrons, Myconids, Vegepygmies, and Fey creatures in general.  Then, Dan and Adam wrap up with general tips about running mob creatures that have unique functions, before finally setting aside these armies of Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition.

 

Dan's MVPs:
Orc Hand of Yurtrus
Barghest
Kobold Inventor
Leucrotta
Frost Giant Zombie
Skeletal Swarm
Lizardfolk Render
Yuan-ti Anathema
Wereboar
Sahuagin Baron
Merrow Shallowpriest
Kuo-toa Archpriest

 

Adam's MVPs:
Tanarukk
Hobgoblin Warlock
Winged Kobold
Gnoll Hunter
Tyrannosaurus Zombie
Skeleton Key
Lizardfolk Shaman
Yuan-ti Anathema
Werebear
Sahuagin Hatchling Swarm
Triton Shorestalker
Kuo-toa 

 

Available On: iTunes | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube

Don’t forget to Like/Follow/Subscribe/Whatever when you listen!

Social: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Reddit

Email: info@itsamimic.com

Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe

Logo by: Kate Skidmore