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A Dungeons & Dragons podcast, where a rotating panel of DM’s provides insight and inspiration for Players and Dungeon Masters.
Episodes
Tuesday Apr 07, 2020
Tuesday Apr 07, 2020
The panel of DM's dives back behind the pulpit to further discuss some of the divine domain choices of the Cleric in Dungeons and Dragons 5E. Before they do that, however, they break down what a holy site or temple could look like, the depth a keepsake could bring and what kind of drama a secret could add to your tables. Finally, once that's all through, they try to capture the power behind the Trickery domain, uncover the hidden secrets of the Knowledge domain and challenge themselves to unlock the storm with Tempest Clerics.
From crazy cults, to Midsommer communes, to crazy paladins with pet rocks; Dan, Megan and Adam attempt to do the Cleric and the options made available in Xanathar's Guide to Everything justice all while positing some interesting characters, both PC and NPC worthy, to inject into your games. They also discuss the merits of being divinely chosen, or choosing the divine!
On-Air Shoutout: Welland Gaming Group by Matt W.
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Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe
Shout Out Music by: Isaac Callender
Logo by: Kate Skidmore
Thursday Apr 02, 2020
Thursday Apr 02, 2020
Dynamic Encounters can add chaos and complications... for good or for ill. So how do you keep it on the side of good? In this episode, Dan and Adam run through the common issues that they've run into with designing and managing dynamic encounters and how they've managed to troubleshoot these issues. From downtime to puzzles to interrupting a conversation with combat, they cover the gamut of dynamic encounters and even cover when to bail on the encounter and just move on.
Takeaways:
- Variety is the spice of life for encounters.
- Know the difference between dwindling resources and character fatigue.
- Occasionally tempting or goading the players forward can have their own agency drag them into the next part of a dynamic encounter.
- Understand what your triggering action is, and why it will trigger.
- At higher levels, when the players are operating like experts and superheroes, start to require combinations of skill checks to pass some encounters.
- Not every failure has to be life and death. But every failure - and every success - does need to have a consequence.
Available On: iTunes | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube
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Email: info@itsamimic.com
Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe
Logo by: Kate Skidmore
Wednesday Apr 01, 2020
Wednesday Apr 01, 2020
Happy April Fool's Day! It's been a year, and that means it's time for another bout of roundtable DMing in this sequel to episode W001, the infamous Wizard's Tower episode.
Big Ivan is back, and he's looking to put together a new crew. His last gang is dead or missing, but the Philosopher's Stone has been relocated to a Wizard's Bank: Ulhemanzerfindle's Spectabulous Depository of Dangerful Know-ables and Five-boding Scriptances. Those that live will be founding members of a new gang. Those that die or arrested will be forgotten and disavowed. The new crew is comprised of:
Parindmoor the Tortle Druid (played by Dan)
Vash the Kalashtar Bard (played by Adam)
Ron Thacker the Halfling Barbarian (played by Terry)
Pandandion "Dandy" the Dragonborn Cleric (played by Dan)
Terrance Daniels the Changeling Rogue (played by Adam)
Julia Featherleather the Gnome Wizard (played by Terry)
The riddle/poem included is:
In the line with glory, the elders paced,
And sought the story of this wondrous place,
But when they stood lost and bewildered,
Thrice they yelled out to their wonderful wizard,
He stretched out and snickered to himself with pride,
And down his hand traveled to his side,
And with a flick of the wrist the landscapes hissed,
And made plain where the elders should stride.
All donations through the website will be used to help pay for the poor Minotaur family's medical bills and ongoing psychotherapy.
Available On:
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Email: info@itsamimic.com
Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe
Shout Out Music by: Isaac Callender
Logo by: Kate Skidmore
Current Gear:
Microphone (USA) - https://amzn.to/2WWuCsz
Microphone (CAN) - https://amzn.to/2WTZ69G
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Tuesday Mar 31, 2020
Tuesday Mar 31, 2020
The panel of DM's return to the trail oft-overlooked in Dungeons and Dragons 5E: The Ranger. This time, they are tackling the subclasses available in Xanathar's Guide to Everything: The Horizon Walker, The Gloom Stalker, and the Monster Slayer. Even though they faun over these subclasses, they have slightly different opinions about the flavour suggestions available in XGtE, and offer other inspirations for your far-travelling Rangers.
From mechanical power creep to underwhelming flavour options, Dan, Dave, and Adam trade ideas back and forth for new inspirations, unique characters, and alternative perspectives on this class. Not all rangers are created equal, and this episode lays bare that truth from the outset.
On-Air Shoutout: @swgamingsociety
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Email: info@itsamimic.com
Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe
Shout Out Music by: Isaac Callender
Logo by: Kate Skidmore
Thursday Mar 26, 2020
Thursday Mar 26, 2020
Beginnings and endings are the same thing in early levels, as Dan and Adam resolve the first mission and launch the campaign, blurring the two together. Rewards, accolades, foreshadowing, and mystery greet our party when they return back to town with their ward, and the players will have more opportunities to discover their place in the guild, the town, and the religious landscape!
Takeaways:
- Resolving the first mission can give a lot of insight to the player types around the table.
- Early item rewards can help mitigate minor unwanted game mechanics.
- Having the party members reward each other can be a satisfying way to bring the party together.
- Resolutions can be excellent opportunities to provide foreshadowing and tonal hints.
- Not every mystery needs to have a clear answer, and NPC's may have conflicting information and hunches.
- Establishing mechanics early will allow you to focus on plot and not mechanics at later levels.
Available On: iTunes | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube
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Email: info@itsamimic.com
Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe
Logo by: Kate Skidmore
Tuesday Mar 24, 2020
Tuesday Mar 24, 2020
In this week's episode, the panel of Dungeon Masters wraps up the discussion on elves, and covers those who stuck to the shadows, those misunderstood and put down, and those too chaotic to stay in one form for too long. That's right! Today is all about the Shadar-kai, Drow, and Eladrin subraces of elf. From fluid genders to Gloomy Gus's, the panel backs down from nothing when examining the most long-lived of all the Dungeons & Dragons 5e races.
The DM's cover tips on roleplaying, and whether or not they like these subraces as playable characters and NPC options. It's mechanical stumbling blocks, intrinsic challenges, and handcuffed backstories as far as the eye can see, as Terry, Megan, and Adam discuss where in the fantasy world, Terry's hypothetical goth girlfriend would end up.
On-Air Shoutout: Mythica @iammythica
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Email: info@itsamimic.com
Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe
Shout Out Music by: Isaac Callender
Logo by: Kate Skidmore
Thursday Mar 19, 2020
Thursday Mar 19, 2020
It's Springtime again, and apparently that means it's time for a mailbag episode! But one of the hosts is drunk, one of the hosts can't pronounce listeners' names, and one of the hosts quotes the Dungeons & Dragons movie... So it's utter anarchy with bouts of profanity and heckling, and a few surprisingly deep moments... You know. The usual.
Questions were submitted by:
@alexander_anotherskip_davis
@bonaviadaniele
@colton_adrian
@datboicapp
@garakeli202
@gelatinousclub
@kain_morewind
@mattyyiangou
@nicedicebaby
@nick._.long
@pepperina_sparklegem
@spidey_rich
@spooky_maiq
@the.zombie.knight
@yaboisebby_
... and Mailroom Slave Brad.
Available On:
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Don’t forget to Like/Follow/Subscribe/Whatever when you listen!
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Email: info@itsamimic.com
Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe
Shout Out Music by: Isaac Callender
Logo by: Kate Skidmore
Thursday Mar 19, 2020
Thursday Mar 19, 2020
This week, we meet the potion merchant in need of help, Zelmar Alviante, the Summer Eladrin, and his gigantic (and tempermental) Iguana named Jim. But the party is still level one, so how much help can they give? Quite a lot, it would seem, as the desert is fraught with dangers, opportunities, and challenges that will make these early levels both fun and memorable.
Takeaways:
- There needs to be a reason why the person/object needs to be escorted
- Escorted NPC's should have stronger personalities than regular NPC's, because the party is far more likely to have multiple interactions with them
- A successfully escorted NPC may be an opening to future quests or a source of information.
- NPC's needing protection are inherently sympathetic.
- Retreading familiar territory should present recognizable - if different - encounters that build off of previous themes or scenarios.
- Escort missions change the game from offense to defense.
Available On: iTunes | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube
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Email: info@itsamimic.com
Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe
Logo by: Kate Skidmore
Tuesday Mar 17, 2020
Tuesday Mar 17, 2020
On this week's episode of the It's A Mimic! podcast, Dan takes Adam and Dave through the most brutal of all the 5e official settings: Avernus, the first layer of The Nine Hells. So rev up your engines, and load your pockets with soul coins, because the warlords are calling and Zariel herself is lurking about the River Styx!
From ravenous demon lords to abandoned angelic swords, the discussion in this episode focuses on inspiration to use this setting outside of just the published book, Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus. There is a lot to mull over with planar shenanigans, and it's more than just low-level devils wandering around. Archdevils, corrupted fey, and even mortals walk these dangerous lands, and the front lines of the Blood War looms around every corner...
Huge thanks to Podcorn for sponsoring this episode. Explore sponsorship opportunities and start monetizing your podcast by signing up here: https://podcorn.com/podcasters/
Shoutout: Logan Beam and his release "Displaced of a Distant Plane: Fae Migrants" on drivethrurpg.com
Available On: iTunes | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube
Don’t forget to Like/Follow/Subscribe/Whatever when you listen!
Social: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Email: info@itsamimic.com
Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe
Shout Out Music by: Isaac Callender
Logo by: Kate Skidmore
Wednesday Mar 11, 2020
Wednesday Mar 11, 2020
The party is squishy, but that doesn't mean you can't challenge them. From untrustworthy NPC's to various creatures looking for a meal and an environment that works against you, life beyond the safety of home is fraught with peril. Join Dan and Adam this week as they provide inspiration and insight about how to keep low-level travel both interesting and engaging.
Takeaways:
- The world beyond the city walls should be immediately dangerous.
- Subtly setting themes and ideas early is a good idea.
- Challenge your party, but don't go for the kill at Level One.
- The environment itself can hold dangers and secrets.
- Even seemingly random encounters can provide opportunities for follow-ups and sequels.
Available On: iTunes | Spotify | Podbean | YouTube
Don’t forget to Like/Follow/Subscribe/Whatever when you listen!
Social: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Email: info@itsamimic.com
Intro/Outro Music by: Cory Wiebe
Logo by: Kate Skidmore