RPGBOT.Podcast

Ever outrun a demon deer with too many teeth, watched a mine explode for reasons you definitely didn't cause, and then discovered a whistle that works like a horror movie pause button? No? Then you haven't listened to Part 3 of the Old Gods of Appalachia charity stream, where the RPGBOT crew learns the hard way that in Williams Holler, even the local wildlife deserves a GM intrusion. Support MD Anderson Your donation today could help save someone's tomorrow. The RPGBOT team streamed this series to support the MD Anderson Cancer Research Center, a world leader in cancer treatment, research, and prevention. You can continue that mission right now by visiting  https://mdanderson.donordrive.com/participants/9351. Every dollar fights for better treatments and a future free of cancer. In Part 1, Jessie and Isaiah arrived in Williams Holler and learned two things: the town is (1) deeply superstitious, and (2) definitely full of supernatural creatures. After a chilly sermon and a backyard horror encounter, the party descended into the mine for "community service." In Part 2, things got darker underground—literally and metaphorically. Armed with lanterns, folk tales, and a little moonshine, the group met Tommyknockers, broke into an ancient part of the mine, found cursed artifacts, and narrowly escaped through collapsing tunnels. Now, in Part 3, they face what's waiting above ground: hungry not-deer, orchard-bound protections, and a whole new misunderstanding about what they unleashed beneath the mountain. Let's grab our rifles, run uphill, and hope Jam's whistle can save us again. Show Notes Recorded live as part of a charity stream benefiting MD Anderson Cancer Research, this episode continues the flight for survival through Old Gods of Appalachia, using the Cypher System. As Jessie, Isaiah, and Jam escape through the woods, they're hunted by not one but two things that are not deer—abominations with antlers, claws, and too many reasons to drag trespassers back into the mountain. Episode highlights include: Clue the dog becoming the true MVP A silent whistle that scares off eldritch horrors Evidence that the orchard is protected by something older, and possibly hungrier, than anything underground Jessie's moment of terror in the creek, reminding us how trauma echoes The return of Mr. T and his legendary rifle skills Hard questions about why ancient boundaries were broken—and who (or what) wants to mend them Key Takeaways Environmental horror works best when nothing is safe – Water, dirt, light, and air all become points of tension. Player intrusions build cinematic moments – The ability to introduce surprise allies or repel enemies makes scenes feel like horror films. Animals matter – Clue the dog's ferocity creates bond and bravery, giving the party both plot and emotional stakes. The orchard hints at deeper power – Something about the trees turns horrors away, but no one knows if it's a shield or a cage. Group trauma drives the narrative – Jessie's flashback and Isaiah's guilt contextualize the horror on a personal level, not just a cosmic one. Mr. T is officially the coolest person in Williams Holler – Long rifles, gold chains, dead-eyed deer standoffs: what more do you want? Shout Out to the Old Gods and Monte Cook Games Huge thanks once again to Steve Shell, Cam Collins, and the entire DeepNerd Media team for creating Old Gods of Appalachia, and to Monte Cook Games for bringing the series to the table with the Old Gods of Appalachia Roleplaying Game. To experience this world for yourself: Listen to Old Gods of Appalachia wherever you get your podcasts Buy the RPG at montecookgames.com/old-gods-of-appalachia-rpg Bring some "not a deer" terror into your next campaign The Old Gods are whispering. Let them in—in your ears, and at your table. Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you. Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players. Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings. Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community. Meet the Hosts Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix. Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme. Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy. Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos. How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

Ever had that moment when you realize your party has been talking to the same "new guy" for weeks... but no one can remember his name? Welcome to the world of the False Hydra, the D&D monster that gaslights your characters harder than a reality TV producer. Join the RPGBOT crew as they peel back the layers of this memory-munching menace and ask the big questions: how did we miss this thing, and is it too late to blame the bard? Show Notes In this episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, we unravel the mystery of the False Hydra, a terrifying and unforgettable (ironically) monster from the world of Dungeons & Dragons. Known for its eerie ability to manipulate memory and perception, the False Hydra is a favorite among Dungeon Masters looking to inject psychological horror into their campaigns. The hosts discuss how to introduce the False Hydra into your tabletop RPG campaign, explore the creature's disturbing lore, and offer practical tips for roleplaying terrifying monsters. They share advice on how to design suspenseful encounters, how to pace scenes using the False Hydra's memory-altering abilities, and how to keep your players on their toes without losing them entirely to existential dread. Whether you're building a mystery-laden campaign or just looking for fresh monsters to terrify your adventurers, this episode is packed with insights on how the False Hydra can reshape your game world, and possibly your players' trust in NPCs forever. Key Takeaways The False Hydra is a monster that alters player character memories, making it an ideal choice for mystery-themed RPG campaigns. It uniquely blends psychological horror with traditional Dungeons & Dragons encounters. Roleplaying the False Hydra well involves pacing, dramatic reveals, and managing player paranoia. The creature is a powerful tool for Dungeon Masters who want to explore unconventional storytelling structures. Adding monsters like the False Hydra can create a compelling shift in tone, altering how players interact with the game world. Tips include using background music, shifting NPC behaviors, and introducing new "facts" mid-session to keep the players guessing. Ash Ely, Gamemaster on Startplaying.games If you're ready to experience mind-bending monsters like the False Hydra in your own campaign, hire Ash Ely to run a game for you on StartPlaying.games. Ash specializes in weaving unforgettable stories and unforgettable horrors... or are they just what he wants you to remember? Book Ash Ely today and level up your tabletop experience. Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you. Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players. Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings. Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community. Meet the Hosts Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix. Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme. Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy. Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos. How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

Ad Free Listening on the RPGBOT Patreon Want more episodes like this, plus early access, live recordings, or ad-free listening? Join our Patreon at patreon.com/rpgbot and help us keep the mics on (and the ghosts at bay). Every little bit helps us roll with advantage! Show Notes In this episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, the crew dives deep into Ghosts in tabletop RPGs—both as monsters and as masterful storytelling tools. From the mechanics of possession and rejuvenation to the raw narrative potential of ghost encounters, Tyler, Randall, and Ash explore how ghosts have changed across editions of Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder 2e, and what makes them so uniquely haunting at the table. The RPGBOT crew kicks things off with a hilariously chaotic session involving the Deck of Many Things—complete with birthday gifts, legendary armor, spontaneous Feywild portals, and even a Strahd ventriloquist doll that summons a sorrow sworn. From there, they dive into what exactly defines a ghost in RPGs, how it differs from related undead like poltergeists and banshees, and how various game systems handle them. The hosts break down 5e's ghost mechanics, including the often-overlooked possession rules, wisdom saves against horrifying visages, and the now-removed aging effect. They also contrast ghosts in Pathfinder 2e, touching on templates, telekinetic assaults, and rejuvenation mechanics that bring them back after destruction. Along the way, they explore how to homebrew ghost encounters, emphasizing NPC potential, unfinished business as story hooks, and the role of safety tools when handling possession and tragic backstories. Key Takeaways Ghosts are more than incorporeal monsters—they're great vehicles for storytelling and emotional stakes. Possession is a powerful narrative and mechanical tool, but requires trust, consent, and player agency. Ghost rejuvenation mechanics in PF2e make them durable story elements rather than one-and-done foes. Using ghosts as NPCs or tragic quest-givers deepens the campaign world and encourages non-combat solutions. Cosmic horror, ghostly bargains, and unfinished business can dramatically raise the stakes of your story. Try dScryb for Ghostly Flavor! Looking to bring your ghost encounters to life—or unlife? Check out dScryb.com for rich, system-neutral descriptive text and soundscapes that make every haunting feel real. Use code RPGBOT at checkout for 5% off your first subscription and unlock the narrative power of evocative boxed text. Perfect for your next possession scene or haunted house crawl! Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you. Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players. Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings. Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community. Meet the Hosts Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix. Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme. Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy. Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos. How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

Have you ever gotten up for a full day's work in a haunted coal mine and thought, "Boy, I really hope that bird in a cage doesn't stop singing and doom us all"? No? Then you clearly weren't with the RPGBOT crew in Part 2 of our Old Gods of Appalachia charity stream—where coal dust has claws, headlamps are your best friend, and it turns out you can get shot-in-the-foot vibes without ever firing a gun. Buckle up, y'all. Things are getting deep, dark, and very dusty. Support MD Anderson Cancer Research Before we go further, remember: this campaign was part of a live charity event supporting MD Anderson Cancer Center, one of the top cancer hospitals in the world. Their mission is simple but critical: end cancer for patients everywhere through advanced research, treatment, and compassionate care. You can still make a difference. Donate today at https://mdanderson.donordrive.com/participants/9351 — every dollar helps bring hope, healing, and lifesaving treatment to real people in the fight for their lives. Previously, on the RPGBOT charity stream: Jessie and Isaiah arrived in Williams Holler—an Appalachian company town where coal mine doom meets fire-eyed-almost-deer and fatal sermons about salvation through suffering. After a run-in with a not-deer and a meet-and-greet with Mister T and his questionable Applejack theology, our heroes found themselves deep in the mines for mandatory community service, hammering rocks for redemption. Episode 2 picks up right where we left off: with moonshiner chaos, clumsy pickaxe injuries, Tommyknocker rituals, and a collapsing mine shaft that proves this town is as deadly belowground as it is above. In this episode of the RPGBOT Podcast, the gang digs deeper into Old Gods of Appalachia—both narratively and literally—as they're sent into the bowels of the Williams Holler coal mine to "earn their keep" under the watchful eye of foreman Josh CC. Join Jessie and Isaiah as they: Learn about Tommyknockers—ghostly Appalachian mine spirits who love pennies and hate eye contact. Perform citation-needed rituals involving canaries, fish bits, and whispered thanks. Fail basic pickaxe maneuvers (looking at you, Isaiah) and experience the dark gift of GM intrusions, brought to you by generous donors. Discover strange, ancient artifacts deep underground—hint: they might belong to the town's ominous apple orchard daughter. Encounter a creature that definitely isn't a dog made of coal and bad vibes. Try desperately to outrun physics, collapse, and tiny angry men with stone axes through lightless tunnels. All while raising money for MD Anderson Cancer Research, whose work helps real people—unlike some podcast characters we could name. Key Takeaways Horror is better underground: Claustrophobic tunnels, unstable lanterns, and monster-dust dogs? That's premium Appalachian fear. Cypher System shines in survival tension: Speed and might rolls build both narrative and actual sweat. Tommyknockers are the coal miner's cryptid: They warn you with knocks—if you leave them snacks and don't embarrass them. GM intrusions are extra spicy during charity games: The more you donate, the more you make the players quietly panic. Jessie can shoot, quip, and pull people out of holes: The perfect outlaw protagonist energy. This mine is getting worse by the minute: Strange artifacts, broken elevators, dead canaries? It's all very "maybe we leave now." Basket of weird fruit: The orchard, Mr. T, and a thing calling itself "the green" are part of a cosmic tug-of-war that's barely begun. Thank You to the Old Gods and Monte Cook A huge thank-you to Steve Shell, Cam Collins, and the DeepNerd Media team for creating the masterwork that is Old Gods of Appalachia. Their audio drama is the gold standard of Appalachian horror storytelling—and the Old Gods of Appalachia Roleplaying Game, built on Monte Cook Games' Cypher System, brings that dread to your table with terrifying finesse. Want to experience this world for yourself? Listen to Old Gods of Appalachia wherever you get your podcasts Buy the RPG at montecookgames.com/old-gods-of-appalachia-rpg Bring some "not a deer" terror into your next campaign Let the Old Gods whisper you home. Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you. Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players. Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings. Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community. Meet the Hosts Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix. Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme. Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy. Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos. How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

Have you ever stared at your D&D character sheet, wondering if you picked the right fighting style, and suddenly felt like someone out there was judging you? That's because they were—and it was your DM, silently counting how many times you could've picked Defense instead of Dueling. But worry not, because in this episode, we're unlocking your character's true martial potential faster than a fighter can Action Surge after a long rest. Join the RPGBOT Patreon Want to hear Tyler, Randall, and Ash critique character builds in real-time, or maybe even share your hottest takes live? Join the RPGBOT Patreon today. You'll get ad-free episodes, access to live recordings, bonus content, and maybe even the secret to getting the most out of the Two-Weapon Fighting style without regretting your life choices. Show Notes In this episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, the hosts take a deep dive into fighting styles in Dungeons & Dragons, unpacking how these choices can optimize your martial build and define your character's combat identity. They explore the classic styles available to Fighters, Rangers, and Paladins, and evaluate how each style synergizes with class features, feats, and weapon choices—especially in the new landscape of D&D 2024. They analyze popular choices like Dueling, Great Weapon Fighting, Archery, Defense, and why Protection either makes you the party MVP or the target of everyone's complaints. Along the way, they offer practical advice on build planning, weapon synergies, narrative flavor, and how fighting styles impact your role in combat and the party dynamic. Whether you're building a min-maxed Fighter, a divine smiting machine Paladin, or a bow-wielding Ranger with dreams of Legolas-tier accuracy, this episode arms you with the knowledge to bring out your character's best in the battlefield. Key Takeaways Fighting styles are a crucial decision point for martial characters like Fighters, Paladins, and Rangers in Dungeons & Dragons, defining your combat specialty. Different styles fit different builds and playstyles. Archery is amazing for ranged builds, while Dueling and Great Weapon Fighting shine for melee smiters and strikers. Some fighting styles synergize with specific feats or class features, especially in D&D 2024 where changes may affect how much value you get from styles like Two-Weapon Fighting. Optimization matters—Defense may look boring, but +1 AC goes a long way in making your character survivable, especially at low levels. Don't forget the roleplaying opportunities: the story behind your fighting style can give your character depth beyond combat efficiency. Loved this conversation about martial mastery? Like and subscribe to the RPGBOT.Podcast on your favorite podcast platform to stay up to date with the latest D&D strategy, character building tips, and tabletop RPG goodness. And remember—your build matters, but listening to this podcast might just give you the edge you need to crit in both combat and creativity.

Ever wondered what happens when you cross a high-fantasy campaign setting, a Louisiana bayou, and a magical eel with moonshine for blood? The RPGBOT crew found out the hard way when they sat down with Drew Foulke, the founder of Norse Foundry and Hexed Publishing, to talk about his new system-agnostic roleplaying world: Titanskeep. It's a world where gods and titans feud like divorced parents with cosmic custody issues, and adventurers are just trying to survive long enough to figure out whether the lich-titan is actually the good guy. Join the RPGBOT Patreon Want to hear episodes like this ad-free and before anyone else? Join the RPGBOT Patreon today. Get early access to recordings, bonus discussions, and the chance to listen live as Tyler, Randall, and Ash interview RPG creators like Drew Foulke, Keith Baker, and more. Your support helps keep the dice rolling (and the Billy Eels wiggling). Show Notes In this episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, hosts Randall James, Tyler Kamstra, and Ash Ely sit down with Drew Foulke, founder of Norse Foundry and Hexed Publishing, to explore the upcoming Titanskeep campaign setting — a high-fantasy, system-agnostic world designed for Dungeons & Dragons (5e/2024), Pathfinder 2e, and beyond. Titanskeep, set in the living world of Kalidor, pits gods against titans in a divine power struggle that reshapes the world's fate. Players can join guilds, align with deities, or swear loyalty to mighty titans — and every choice changes the ongoing narrative. Built to support convention-based raid events, local game store play, and ongoing modular releases, Titanskeep promises a living campaign ecosystem that evolves through player decisions. Drew discusses Hexed Publishing's approach to system-agnostic design, collaboration with industry legends like Ed Greenwood, Keith Baker, B. Dave Walters, and Deven Rue, and his goal of producing a constantly supported RPG world rather than a one-and-done campaign book. Tyler shares his own experience designing monsters for the Houdan region, a New Orleans-meets-Venice bayou crawling with illusion-magic, giant bugs, and the now-legendary Billy Eel — complete with random mutations and "moonshine in its veins." Throughout the conversation, the hosts and Drew dive into: The challenge of creating a 5e and Pathfinder 2e compatible RPG setting. The use of guild systems, living world events, and player-driven raids. The design philosophy of Norse Foundry: making dice and props that players actually use. The plan for Titanskeep's Kickstarter (October 2026), free Patreon content, and playtesting rewards. The future of Hexed Publishing, from Gazetteers to modular adventure paths, and how community playtesting shapes their development. Key Takeaways System-Agnostic Design: Titanskeep bridges 5e, 2024 D&D, and Pathfinder 2e, with future support for systems like Daggerheart, Savage Worlds, and Fate. High Fantasy, Low Tech: Magic drives Titanskeep's world; technology exists only where titans allow it. Living World Structure: Players influence world events through guilds, deities, and Titan allegiance — shaping global outcomes. Convention Integration: The setting includes a raid-style convention system, where multiple tables impact shared encounters and titanic battles. Collaborative Worldbuilding: Drew enlisted industry veterans like Ed Greenwood, Keith Baker, B. Dave Walters, Jay Foster, Deven Rue, and Crystal Sully. Player Rewards: Free adventures, Patreon-exclusive ancestries, and physical props (like keys, pins, and holy symbols) connect the digital world to your table. The Billy Eel Legacy: A chaotic creature from the Houdan region, proof that player imagination and worldbuilding can get delightfully weird. Ongoing Support: Titanskeep isn't a single book — it's a long-term evolving campaign world with modules, Gazetteers, and live play updates. Community-Driven Playtesting: Players providing feedback can win $50 Norse Foundry gift cards. Kickstarter 2026: The official launch of Titanskeep will include free metal D20s for backers from the Patreon or newsletter list. Explore Titanskeep & Norse Foundry Ready to step into a world where gods and titans wage endless war — and you might just become one? Visit Titanskeep.com and join the Patreon at patreon.com/HextRPG for free playtest content, ancestries, and adventures. Check out Norse Foundry for premium metal dice, RPG accessories, and updates on upcoming Titanskeep Kickstarter 2026 releases. Support the creators, roll some legendary dice, and remember — if your eel starts sweating moonshine, maybe it's time to roll for Constitution. Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you. Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players. Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings. Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community. Meet the Hosts Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix. Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme. Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy. Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos. How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

The RPGBOT crew descends into the haunted hollers of Appalachia—where faith, fire, and coal run deep, and the locals don't much care for outsiders asking questions. Between GM intrusions, cursed deer, and whiskey-soaked theology, our heroes quickly learn that in Old Gods of Appalachia, salvation's a dangerous business. Welcome to the mines, y'all—hope you brought your holy water and your lucky charm. Support the MD Anderson Cancer Center If you're looking to make a meaningful impact today, please consider donating to MD Anderson. Your gift supports cutting-edge cancer research, world-class patient care, and education & prevention efforts — all part of their mission to "Make Cancer History®." MD Anderson Cancer Center MD Anderson treats patients from around the globe, advances new therapies through clinical trials, and drives programs that prevent cancer before it starts.

You know that moment when your players spend ten minutes searching a room, roll a 5, and you sigh before saying, "You find… nothing"? Yeah, we're done with that. In this episode, the RPGBOT crew grabs the Dungeon Master's Guide by the binding and asks the real questions: Why are searches so boring, and why do your players keep looting every chair leg like it's the Ark of the Covenant? It's time to make treasure exciting again — and maybe throw in a cursed spoon or two for good measure. Show Notes In this episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, the hosts dive into using random treasure and how to make it fun. Not ready for the burden of homebrewing every magical baubel the players find? Still want treasure to feel cool and exciting instead of handing out 2d4 silver pieces? Grab a random treasure table and listen in. They cover: How to curate random treasures so rewards feel tailored, not tacked on. Procedural generation and OSR-style loot tables for DMs who want surprise without chaos. The psychology of reward design—why a potion of healing can feel more exciting than a +1 sword. How Pathfinder 2e's treasure parcel system solves common D&D loot issues. Turning random loot into story hooks that feed back into your worldbuilding. Whether you're running a gritty hexcrawl, a dungeon delve, or a modern urban fantasy, you'll walk away with tools to hoard of treasure hoards and make every treasure feel earned. Key Takeaways Roll less, describe more. Replace meaningless Perception checks with interactive exploration and sensory clues. Random doesn't mean meaningless. Curate your treasure tables around your campaign's themes. Passive Perception is your pacing tool. Use it to keep exploration snappy without robbing players of agency. Economy matters. Gold, consumables, and downtime rewards all affect campaign health. Player engagement > item rarity. Surprise players with creativity, not just loot value. Procedural tools save prep time. Random tables and generators can be incredible when you understand their purpose. Reward discovery, not just dice. Make your players feel clever when they find something hidden — even if you planned it all along. If you've ever caught yourself saying "You find nothing," it's time to level up your DM game. Head to RPGBOT.net for guides on treasure design, reward pacing, and exploration mechanics, and don't forget to subscribe to the RPGBOT.Podcast on your favorite platform. Rate and review to help other GMs find the show — and maybe, just maybe, help us all stop handing out 17 identical potions of healing. Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you. Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players. Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings. Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community. Meet the Hosts Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix. Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme. Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy. Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos. How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

Ever had that moment when you realize you've become the "veteran adventurer" in your own party? The RPGBOT crew sure has. In this episode, we channel that energy straight into the Unearthed Arcana Arcane Subclasses, dissecting the Enchanter, Necromancer, and Transmuter Wizards from D&D 2024. Expect laughter, existential dread, and a healthy dose of spell slot math as we ask the real question: Can Wizards of the Coast enchant us again, or are we just too old for these saving throws? Show Notes In this episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, the hosts continue their deep dive into the Unearthed Arcana Arcane Subclasses playtest for Dungeons and Dragons (D&D 2024). They explore the evolution of several wizard subclasses: the Enchanter Wizard, Necromancer Wizard, and Transmuter Wizard, and analyze how these changes impact gameplay mechanics, class balance, and overall player experience. The discussion begins on a lighthearted note, as the hosts reflect on aging and nostalgia through stories about concerts and generational shifts in music. This leads naturally into a conversation about how nostalgia and design evolution shape our experiences with tabletop RPGs like D&D. From there, the hosts dig into the details of the Unearthed Arcana wizard subclasses: The Enchanter Wizard's new enchantment mechanics spark a conversation about free will, consent, and how these ethical themes play out in gameplay. The Necromancer Wizard gets a significant rework, with temporary hit points for undead minions, exploding skeleton mechanics, and other game design improvements that enhance tactical and thematic play. The Transmuter Wizard's Transmuter Stone, polymorph mechanics, and restoration spells see meaningful updates that make the subclass more versatile and rewarding to play. Throughout the episode, the hosts consider the balance between fun and mechanics, chain reaction gameplay, and hit dice damage calculations, all while highlighting how Wizards of the Coast is actively listening to player feedback in shaping the upcoming D&D 2024 rules. If you love D&D class analysis, wizard subclass deep dives, and thoughtful conversations about game design and player engagement, this episode of the RPGBOT Podcast is a must-listen. Key Takeaways Feeling nostalgic? The hosts open with a candid reflection on aging, concerts, and how nostalgia connects to our love of gaming. The Enchanter Wizard subclass has evolved to offer richer roleplay opportunities and more engaging mechanics—but not without debate around split enchantment and ethical implications. The Necromancer Wizard gains thematic depth with undead minion improvements, temporary hit points, and a delightfully destructive exploding undead mechanic. The Transmuter Wizard subclass sees significant improvements—its Transmuter Stone now provides more tactical flexibility, while polymorph and restoration mechanics enhance its role in party support. Hit dice and chain reaction gameplay significantly affect how damage and encounters unfold, underscoring the importance of thoughtful class balancing. The Unearthed Arcana playtest demonstrates Wizards of the Coast's responsiveness to player feedback and commitment to refining D&D 2024 subclass design. The hosts highlight that balancing fun vs. optimization remains key to an enjoyable Dungeons and Dragons experience. Ultimately, this discussion celebrates both nostalgia and innovation in tabletop RPG design, showing how evolving rules can breathe new life into classic classes. If this episode made you laugh, groan, or question your saving throws, then cast Subscribe as a ritual spell and join us every week for more deep dives into D&D 2024 and beyond. Head to RPGBOT.net for our full class guides, optimization breakdowns, and Unearthed Arcana analyses. Want to hear episodes like this live? Join the RPGBOT Patreon to listen in during recording sessions, chat with the hosts, and share your own tales of necromantic nostalgia. And while you're at it, drop us a rating and review on your favorite podcast platform—it's the best way to help other adventurers find the show. After all, even a veteran Wizard needs a little Inspiration now and then. Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you. Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players. Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings. Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community. Meet the Hosts Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix. Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme. Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy. Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos. How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati  

Nothing says Dungeons & Dragons like a heated debate over baseball stats and spell slots. Before diving into Unearthed Arcana updates, the RPGBOT crew takes a wild detour through the world of snacks, sports, and sore losers. Tyler shows off his prized Seattle Sounders memorabilia, Ash relives the heartbreak of a bad inning, and Randall celebrates the Cubs like they just crit a dragon. Then, in true RPGBOT fashion, the conversation magically transforms into an analysis of the Arcane Archer subclass—because when life throws curveballs, we cast Magic Missile. Help Creators Roll a Natural 20 Hey listeners! Before we start slinging arrows and conjuring elementals, remember: your ratings and reviews are the Inspiration Points of podcasting. Whether on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen, take a moment to rate, review, and share RPGBOT.Podcast. Every five-star review powers our continued quest for knowledge, chaos, and crunchy D&D rules analysis. And yes, Randall's giving away loot—because adventurers who leave reviews always find better treasure. Show Notes In this episode, the RPGBOT crew slides from sports talk to spellcraft in record time. After sharing their favorite baseball rivalries—including Red Sox vs. Yankees heartbreaks and the Cubs' long-awaited triumph—they pitch a new conversation: Dungeons & Dragons Unearthed Arcana updates for Arcane Archer, Tattooed Warrior, and Conjurer Wizard. The hosts analyze the Arcane Archer subclass redesign, exploring how ranged attacks now interact with spells and how the subclass feels more satisfying to play in D&D 5e. They then unpack the Tattooed Warrior—a mystical martial archetype that trades spellcasting for permanent magical ink, bringing new abilities like Beast Tattoos and Celestial Tattoos into play. Finally, they summon up the Conjurer Wizard subclass, praising the new Durable Summons and Splintered Summons mechanics that make conjuration magic both tactical and terrifying. The group discusses the ongoing struggle for martial class balance in D&D 5e, the Weapon Mastery updates coming in 2024, and the limitations of customization in tabletop RPGs compared to other systems. Despite the in-depth mechanics, the humor never fades—Tyler laments his dice luck, Ash declares summoning "a sport," and Randall insists that snacks are the foundation of all creative builds. Key Takeaways The Arcane Archer Unearthed Arcana update finally gives martial ranged classes something to cheer about. Tattooed Warrior's redesign focuses on unique, flavorful combat options without relying on spells. Conjurer Wizard subclass updates—especially Durable Summons and Splintered Summons—enhance battlefield control and flexibility. Martial vs. spellcaster balance remains a point of debate, though Weapon Mastery in 2024 shows promise. Customization in D&D 5e is still more limited than in systems like Pathfinder 2e or Starfinder 2e. Listener reviews and engagement are vital to helping independent RPG podcasts thrive. The RPGBOT crew proves that humor, rivalry, and camaraderie make even a mechanics-heavy discussion worth the listen. "Get in the Game" Next time you're watching the big game, grab your dice bag. Draft your own fantasy team of Arcane Archers, Tattooed Warriors, and Conjurer Wizards—because the only thing better than a walk-off home run is landing a critical hit from 600 feet away. Play ball, roll initiative, and remember: no one likes a foul ball… unless it's a fireball. Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you. Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players. Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings. Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community. Meet the Hosts Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix. Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme. Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy. Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos. How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

Cold Open It's the end of the world as we know it—and the party's still arguing about who's carrying the rations. In this episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, we prepare for the Fall of Humanity the only way we know how: by taking notes, rolling dice, and arguing about whose apocalypse prep list includes "50 feet of rope" and whose just says "vibes." Whether your campaign ends with zombies, eldritch gods, or a total collapse of civilization, we're here to help you face the end times like true heroes—confused, underprepared, and hilariously optimistic. The RPGBOT.net Christmast Gift Recommendation Are Coming! Fall is in the air, and that means two things: pumpkin spice and impending doom in your campaign notes. But before the frost settles and your dice freeze in place, don't forget—the annual RPGBOT.net Christmas Gift Recommendations are just around the corner. We've scoured the multiverse to find the best gifts for your favorite gamer, GM, and dice-hoarding friend, so keep an eye on RPGBOT.net for the upcoming list! Show Notes In this episode, the RPGBOT crew explores how to prepare for the fall of humanity in tabletop RPGs—and how to do it with style, panic, and at least one functioning flashlight. We dive into post-apocalyptic campaign design, survival mechanics, and how to create compelling worldbuilding after the apocalypse that still leaves room for hope, laughter, and player chaos. We discuss how to run post-apocalyptic campaigns in D&D, Pathfinder, or other TTRPG systems, how to integrate survival challenges and resource scarcity into storytelling, and how to design meaningful player choices in settings where civilization has completely collapsed. Expect dark humor, dramatic flair, and at least one debate about whether your cleric can purify canned beans. This episode is packed with game master advice on creating factions, managing tone in grimdark worlds, and finding emotional balance between despair and determination. We'll also talk about how to keep your players invested in a setting that's literally falling apart around them—because even after the world ends, you still need teamwork, trust, and a good initiative roll. Topics Covered: How to run post-apocalyptic campaigns in D&D or Pathfinder Preparing players for civilization collapse and survival challenges Building believable factions after the fall of humanity Integrating scarcity, resource management, and desperation into storytelling Balancing tone and tension in grimdark and survival RPGs Creating hope and emotional stakes in despair-driven worlds Using worldbuilding to reinforce narrative consequences Why the end of the world is the perfect time to make new friends (and enemies) Key Takeaways Survival is more than hit points. Post-apocalyptic storytelling shines when moral dilemmas and emotional endurance matter as much as physical survival. Factions are the new nations. The fall of humanity gives rise to new power structures, ideologies, and conflicts that define your worldbuilding. Hope matters. Even in despair-driven worlds, small acts of kindness or faith can make your campaign unforgettable. Tone is everything. Knowing when to inject humor—or withhold it—keeps players engaged and the story grounded. Scarcity drives creativity. Limiting resources forces inventive problem-solving and adds depth to gameplay. Player agency is crucial. The choices your characters make when everything is lost reveal who they truly are. And While You're Thinking About Gifts! While you're thinking about the perfect gifts for your favorite gamers, don't overlook Randall's novella Malecon—a thoughtful, evocative story about identity, reflection, and finding light in the darkness. It's the perfect stocking stuffer for anyone who loves a good narrative arc—and it pairs nicely with a warm drink and the quiet hum of a dying generator. Pick up Malecon today, and remind yourself that even after the end of the world, good stories endure.

What happens when Dungeons & Dragons decides to give psionics another shot? The RPGBOT.Podcast dives headfirst into the Unearthed Arcana Psion Update: an experiment in psychic power, spell mechanics, and a whole lot of questionable design choices. From the disappointing Life Inversion Field to the glorious chaos of Psychic Scream, the crew breaks down what works, what doesn't, and what might just melt your brain. Join the RPGBOT Patreon Want to listen live as the RPGBOT.Podcast records new Masterclass episodes with tabletop legends like Keith Amman? Join the RPGBOT Patreon and get behind-the-scenes access to discussions, early content drops, and the chance to ask questions during live tapings. Patreon supporters help shape the future of RPGBOT's deep dives into D&D, Pathfinder, and other TTRPG systems. Show Notes In this second half of the RPGBOT.Podcast review of Wizards of the Coast's Unearthed Arcana Psion Update, the hosts dissect the expanded spell list and the mechanics that define the psionic experience. The conversation begins with casual banter (complete with birthday wishes for Randall's mom) before diving deep into D&D's psychic frontier. Each spell gets the RPGBOT treatment, with careful attention to balance, design, and playability. The hosts critique heavy hitters like Abidalzim's Horrid Wilting, explore new mechanics in Bleeding Darkness and Ectoplasmic Trail, and question whether Ego Whip deserves a spot in anyone's spellbook. They also highlight bright spots like Enemies Abound and Intellect Fortress, praising their clarity and efficiency. The discussion doesn't shy away from tough critiques: Life Inversion Field and Life Siphon both fall flat, while the nerf to Mental Prison earns collective groans. Yet, redemption arrives in the form of Psionic Blast and Psychic Scream, which the hosts hail as excellent examples of balanced, high-impact design. Along the way, they examine how intelligence saving throws affect game balance, the evolution of psionics in D&D 5e, and the potential for homebrew fixes. Whether you're a dungeon master looking to integrate psionics or a player hunting for the next big spell combo, this episode offers insight, humor, and deep-cut analysis that only RPGBOT can deliver. Key Takeaways Abidalzim's Horrid Wilting remains underwhelming, suffering from outdated mechanics. Bleeding Darkness and Ectoplasmic Trail raise confusion about their effects and visuals. Ego Whip is compared to Silvery Barbs but feels weaker in execution. Enemies Abound and Intellect Fortress stand out as clear, effective designs. Life Inversion Field and Life Siphon fail to live up to their thematic potential. Mental Prison has been toned down, losing much of its utility. Psionic Blast and Psychic Scream emerge as the strongest new spells. Rolotham's Psychic Lance remains a problematic favorite for DMs. Healing spells in combat continue to suffer from low efficiency. Intelligence saving throws risk skewing spell balance toward niche builds. Telekinetic Crush introduces a new dynamic for psychic damage dealers. The hosts explore spell synergy and suggest tweaks to improve design consistency across psionic abilities. Buy Keith Amman's New Book! Before you wrap your mind around psionics, grab something that's guaranteed to sharpen your tactical instincts—Keith Amman's new book, Making Enemies. It's the perfect gift for DMs, tacticians, and anyone who loves the art of monster strategy. Order it now and surprise your gamer friends this Christmas with the best tool a Game Master can have. Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you. Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players. Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings. Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community. Meet the Hosts Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix. Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme. Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy. Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos. How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

When you stare too long into the darkness, sometimes the darkness stares back—and then asks about your dice pool. In this episode, the RPGBOT.Podcast team sits down to answer your burning questions about Hunter: The Reckoning, exploring the mechanics, the danger system, and how desperation turns ordinary people into extraordinary survivors in the World of Darkness. Listen to More "How to Play" Episodes If you're enjoying our dive into Hunter: The Reckoning, don't forget that the RPGBOT.Podcast has a full library of "How to Play" episodes. From character creation deep dives to storytelling techniques, our series covers everything you need to master the rules and refine your table craft across dozens of RPG systems. Check them out wherever you get your podcasts or at RPGBOT.net. In this episode, the RPGBOT.Podcast team returns to the streets of the World of Darkness to tackle your questions about Hunter: The Reckoning 5th Edition. We explore the tension-filled systems that make this RPG shine—how desperation and danger drive character decisions, how touchstones shape humanity, and how advancement challenges players to think beyond combat. Whether you're a seasoned storyteller or a new recruit in the Vigil, this conversation breaks down how to make every session more immersive, terrifying, and narratively rich. From balancing narrative structure and GM adaptability to handling willpower, character death, and supernatural threats, the hosts share insights from their own gameplay experiences. The discussion emphasizes how the game rewards creative problem-solving, highlights the cost of recklessness, and reminds us that survival in the World of Darkness is never guaranteed—but the story is always worth telling. Key Takeaways Comfort and Familiarity: Players familiar with World of Darkness mechanics will find Hunter: The Reckoning intuitive and adaptable. Character Creation Depth: Builds are diverse, allowing players to create unique characters tied to strong personal motivations. Strategic Gameplay: The system encourages planning, investigation, and social maneuvering over brute force. Desperation and Danger: These twin systems heighten tension, push risk-taking, and shape the tone of each session. Touchstones Matter: These connections to humanity define character motivation and are key to long-term survival. Advancement and Pacing: Growth is deliberate, rewarding sustained engagement and narrative reflection. Narrative Engagement: Player investment in the story directly affects the tone and momentum of play. Recklessness as a Theme: The system tempts players toward dangerous choices, reinforcing the tone of moral decay and survival. Party Synergy: Character variety encourages complementary roles and interdependent strategies. Storytelling is Core: The emotional and thematic narrative remains the heart of any World of Darkness game. Join the RPGBOT Patreon If you want to listen live as we record episodes of the RPGBOT.Podcast—complete with unfiltered insights, in-jokes, and behind-the-scenes discussion—join the RPGBOT.Patreon. Patrons can tune in every Sunday and Tuesday to hear episodes as they're recorded, interact with the hosts, and become part of the creative process. Support the show, help us grow, and experience the RPGBOT.Podcast in real time. Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you. Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players. Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings. Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community. Meet the Hosts Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix. Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme. Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy. Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos. How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

You know that moment when your players say, "We want to be the bad guys"? Yeah, this is the episode where we let them. Pull up your black cloaks, pour a glass of something red (preferably not from the paladin), and join us as we wander into the mists of the Domains of Dread—where even your dice fear to roll. Spooktober Returns! It's Spooktober on the RPGBOT.Podcast, and the shadows are thick with story hooks! Whether you're brewing up your own Ravenloft horror campaign or just love watching your players question their morality, we've got the perfect tricks and treats for your tabletop this season. Catch all Spooktober episodes wherever you listen to podcasts, and be sure to leave us a review—if you dare. Show Notes In this chilling episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, the hosts descend into the Domains of Dread, exploring what it takes to create a Dungeons & Dragons campaign centered on irredeemably evil characters. From the tortured moors of Ravenloft to homebrewed horror realms, they discuss how to balance story tension, sustain player engagement, and manage moral complexity in games that venture beyond good and evil. Topics include: Campaign Design for Evil Characters – Building motivation and narrative cohesion for villainous parties without descending into chaos. Moral Ambiguity in RPGs – Turning "evil" from caricature into compelling character arcs. The Art of Gothic Horror – Using atmosphere, pacing, and dread to make fear part of the gameplay loop. Domains of Dread in 5e – Exploring Ravenloft, the Darklords, and what makes each domain a reflection of its master's sin. Fear and Power Dynamics – Leveraging fear mechanics and temptation systems to reinforce the campaign's tone. Session Zero for Evil Campaigns – Establishing safety tools and boundaries before diving into depravity. The discussion blends humor, horror, and hard-earned DM wisdom—making this an essential listen for anyone who's ever wondered what would happen if their party actually joined Strahd's HR department. Key Takeaways Evil Doesn't Mean Chaotic – The most compelling villains have goals, loyalties, and internal logic; chaos for chaos' sake burns out fast. Atmosphere Is a Mechanic – In horror RPGs, tone-setting is as crucial as initiative rolls. Lighting, music, and description carry mechanical weight. Safety Tools Are Sacred – Lines and veils aren't optional—they're essential in games exploring darkness and corruption. The World Reflects the Villains – Domains of Dread are metaphors in motion; the land mirrors its Darklord's sins and failures. Power Has a Cost – The higher your characters climb, the closer they draw to their own damnation. Let Players Build the Horror – Player backstories, vices, and obsessions fuel the dread better than any monster stat block. Evil Campaigns Need Boundaries – Trust, tone, and transparency keep the horror immersive, not harmful. Visit the Domains of the Living If this episode sent a chill down your spine (and it should have), then do something warm: visit RPGBOT.net for guides, tools, and advice to make your next horror campaign unforgettable. And when you're done weaving nightmares, tell your friends about the RPGBOT.Podcast—because nothing spreads fear like word of mouth. Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you. Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players. Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings. Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community. Meet the Hosts Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix. Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme. Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy. Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos. How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

Somewhere between the high deserts of New Mexico and the psychic wastelands of Unearthed Arcana, the RPGBOT crew discovered two great truths: Albuquerque has better tacos than Los Angeles, and psionics might finally make sense in Dungeons & Dragons. We know some of you thought the Psion episode was lost forever (vanished into the Astral Plane or eaten by a mind flayer), but good news! The missing RPGBOT.Podcast episode on the Psion Unearthed Arcana has been recovered and is now live on your favorite podcatcher. Catch up and join the conversation before your DM rewrites the subclass again. Show Notes In this episode, the RPGBOT.Podcast team takes a psychic deep dive into the latest Unearthed Arcana update to the Psion class for Dungeons & Dragons. Between discussions of New Mexico's high desert climate, Albuquerque's local cuisine, and Taos skiing, the crew explores how psionics, multiclassing, and new subclass mechanics are reshaping D&D's design space. Listeners will hear insights on how Wizards of the Coast reworked the Scion (now Psion) class, making psionic energy and subclass features more flexible and accessible. From the Metamorph's Fleshweaver feature to the Psychonetic's telekinesis and the Telepath's support abilities, the team analyzes gameplay impact, balance, and flavor. The discussion also touches on the rebalancing of level 20 features, improvements to psionic spellcasting, and how multiclassing interacts with hit dice mechanics. As always, the hosts bring humor, personal stories, and some surprising local insight from their rediscovery of Albuquerque's food culture—because apparently, "better tacos" is a universal truth worth multiclassing for. Key Takeaways Unearthed Arcana brings a refined Psion to D&D, improving class balance, subclass diversity, and psionic flavor. Psionic energy mechanics now scale smoothly across levels and subclass paths. The Metamorph subclass gains major survivability boosts with its Fleshweaver feature. The Psychonetic subclass emphasizes mobility, telekinesis, and damage versatility. The Telepath subclass leans into party support, battlefield control, and communication. Level 20 features expand psionic dice and late-game impact without overwhelming balance. Multiclassing with Psion no longer punishes hit dice mechanics, making hybrid builds more viable. New Mexico's food culture, from Albuquerque green chile to Taos tacos, inspires reflection on community and quality—much like balanced game design. Listener engagement continues to be key: reviews and ratings help keep RPGBOT's brainwaves strong. Wizards of the Coast's open development process hints at more innovative subclasses and psionic expansions ahead. Visit the Land of Enchantment If this episode left your mind buzzing like a psychic storm, channel that energy into a trip to the beautiful state of New Mexico. Explore the ski slopes of Taos, savor Albuquerque's legendary tacos, and discover why the Land of Enchantment is the perfect place to rest, recharge, and maybe even roll a few dice under the desert stars. We invite the State of New Mexico to sponsor the RPGBOT.Podcast and help us share the Land of Enchantment's stunning landscapes, vibrant food culture, and adventurous spirit with tabletop gamers around the world. Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you. Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players. Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings. Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community. Meet the Hosts Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix. Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme. Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy. Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos. How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

Nothing says "modern monster hunting" like breaking into a corporate lab armed with sarcasm, trauma, and a tranquilizer dart you don't fully understand. In this Actual Play of Hunter the Reckoning, our would-be heroes confront the horrors of both the supernatural and the bureaucratic. There's teamwork, betrayal, and just enough humor to make you wonder if laughter really is the best armor in a tabletop role-playing game where everything wants to eat you. Like and Subscribe to the RPGBOT.Podcast If you're enjoying our blend of monster hunting, chaotic teamwork, and tabletop RPG storytelling, do us a favor—like, subscribe, and follow the RPGBOT.Podcast wherever you listen. Every click helps us keep rolling dice, surviving combat, and making bad choices sound professional. Show Notes In this thrilling conclusion to the Hunter the Reckoning Actual Play podcast, the crew faces their most intense challenge yet—a monster hunt gone wrong that tests their wits, courage, and questionable decision-making skills. The episode opens with personal updates and a recap of previous adventures, then dives into an investigation filled with corporate malfeasance, supernatural horror, and moral dilemmas. As the hunters pursue Monster X, they wrestle with trust, deception, and the consequences of violence in a world where every action has a reaction. From improvised weapons to tactical combat, and from suspenseful narrative beats to moments of dark humor, this Actual Play showcases the evolving character relationships, emotional storytelling, and fast-paced action that define modern tabletop RPGs. If you've ever wondered how trauma, teamwork, and truth collide in a high-stakes role-playing game, this episode delivers. Expect monster mayhem, quick thinking under pressure, and the occasional heartfelt confession—followed immediately by poor tactical decisions. Key Takeaways Character Backstories Matter: Personal history shapes every decision—and every regret—in role-playing games. Humor Balances Horror: Even in supernatural horror RPGs, a well-timed joke can relieve the tension (or make it worse). Teamwork Saves Lives: Coordination, trust, and a bit of luck turn chaos into survival. Improvised Weapons Are Underrated: Sometimes the best weapon is whatever's in reach. Player Choices Shape the Narrative: Every moral decision, every risk, every mistake—builds the story's emotional weight. Technology Meets Terror: Social media and digital tools add realism and danger to modern storytelling. Violence Has Consequences: Whether emotional or physical, every blow leaves a mark. Quick Thinking Matters: Split-second reactions can mean the difference between success and tragedy. Moral Dilemmas Deepen the Story: The best RPGs force players to choose between what's right and what's necessary. Every Action Has a Reaction: In the chaos of monster hunting, nothing happens in isolation. Support Ash's West Marches Campaign If you loved the suspense, teamwork, and character-driven storytelling in this episode, you'll absolutely want to join Ash Ely's West Marches game on StartPlaying.Games. Experience improvised combat, moral choices, and emotional roleplay in an ongoing world run by one of RPGBOT's own Game Masters. Bring your courage, your dice, and your best broom—just in case. Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you. Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players. Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings. Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community. Meet the Hosts Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix. Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme. Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy. Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos. How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

RANDALL: "They say people fear public speaking more than death. Which means that, statistically, most players would rather TPK than deliver an in-character monologue." ASH: "Honestly? Same." TYLER: "So today we're doing the impossible—convincing gamers that pretending to be a half-elf sorcerer in front of their friends doesn't have to be terrifying." Show Notes In this episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, the hosts dive into one of tabletop gaming's most universal fears: speaking in character. Whether it's performing a heartfelt speech to rally the party, negotiating with a dragon, or just trying to remember your bard's accent, encouraging roleplay can feel like public speaking in front of a judgmental lich. The hosts explore why roleplaying in tabletop RPGs like Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) and Pathfinder often triggers the same nerves as giving a speech—and how to overcome it. Drawing from years of experience as Dungeon Masters, players, and accidental thespians, they break down how to build confidence, improve storytelling, and make roleplay fun for everyone at the table. Learn how public speaking skills and improv techniques can enhance your D&D roleplay, how to encourage shy players without pressure, and how a supportive group dynamic transforms tabletop gaming into something deeper and more memorable. Whether you're a veteran DM or a first-time player who'd rather hide behind your dice, this episode helps you turn stage fright into character insight—one awkward monologue at a time. Topics discussed include: How public speaking anxiety translates into roleplaying hesitation Techniques to encourage roleplay among shy players Using improv and acting tips to bring characters to life Building player confidence and group trust Balancing storytelling and game mechanics in tabletop RPGs Making Dungeons & Dragons sessions more expressive and inclusive Why roleplay and performance make better campaigns Strategies for Dungeon Masters to create safe spaces for expression RPGBOT.Podcast Episodes Dice Math – RPGBOT.Podcast S2E92 Other Stuff GiffyGlyph Key Takeaways Encouraging Roleplay Builds Community: Players open up more when the table feels safe, supportive, and judgment-free. Public Speaking and D&D Go Hand-in-Hand: Overcoming stage fright at the table often translates to confidence outside of it. Start Small: Begin with simple gestures, dialogue, or motivations instead of full speeches. Dungeon Masters Lead by Example: If the DM embraces roleplay, players will follow. Improv Skills Improve Immersion: Using "yes, and…" and character-driven reactions make for more dynamic storytelling. Failure Is Funny: Embrace mistakes—they're often the best part of the story. Practice Makes Presence: The more you speak as your character, the easier it gets to slip into their voice and mindset. Collaboration Over Competition: Roleplay isn't about performance—it's about connection, creativity, and shared narrative. Want to be part of the conversation while it's happening? By joining the RPGBOT Patreon, you can listen to episodes as they're recorded live, get early access to discussions, and even share your own questions and experiences about D&D, roleplay, storytelling, and game mechanics with the hosts. Want to listen to the RPGBOT.Podcast recorded live? Want to be part of the conversation while it's happening? By joining the RPGBOT Patreon, you can listen to episodes as they're recorded live, get early access to discussions, and even share your own questions and experiences about D&D, roleplay, storytelling, and game mechanics with the hosts. Visit patreon.com/RPGBOT and help us keep bringing you tips, laughter, and occasionally awkward in-character speeches every week. Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you. Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players. Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings. Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community. Meet the Hosts Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix. Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme. Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy. Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos. How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

BIG IMPORTANT NOTE: This episode covers the first UA Psion version. We have an upcoming episode discussing the updated version. Wizards of the Coast is back at it again with another Unearthed Arcana, this time dropping the Psion class on our laps. It's psionics, but not like you've ever seen before—or maybe exactly like you've seen before if you remember the Mystic. Is this bold new innovation, or are we just telepathically dragging a corpse of old ideas across the table? Either way, we've got thoughts, strong feelings, and maybe some psychic damage to hand out." Join the RPGBOT Discord Looking for a place to debate game mechanics, share your homebrew subclasses, or complain about the Telepath subclass with like-minded nerds? The RPGBOT.Discord is your new psionic hive mind. Join our community, ask rules questions, swap builds, and chat directly with the RPGBOT team. Come for the optimization, stay for the memes. Show Notes Note that we recorded this episode for the first UA Psion and it didn't get through the release queue until we got the updated UA. Stay tuned for another round of Psion discussion! In this episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, we dive into Wizards of the Coast's latest Unearthed Arcana release: the Psion class, the long-awaited return of psionics to Dungeons & Dragons. The hosts break down the mechanics, subclasses, and overall design philosophy, while debating whether psionics should feel truly distinct from traditional spellcasting. From reclaiming language in gaming communities to cancel culture in tabletop RPGs, we go beyond crunch to talk about the culture of gaming itself. Along the way, we unpack how resource management systems can either enhance or bog down gameplay, and why community feedback is essential in shaping Unearthed Arcana content. The Psion's subclasses get a critical spotlight: The Metamorph subclass shines as a creative standout (though oddly misplaced). The Psywarper and Psykinetic subclasses leave us underwhelmed and wishing for more. The Telepath subclass earns the dubious honor of "worst in show," with lackluster mechanics and little to inspire players. The verdict? Psionics in D&D need innovation, not imitation. The Psion is a step in the right direction, but its mode resource system and subclass design need reevaluation to deliver the unique identity players crave. Key Takeaways Reclaiming language matters: language in RPGs reflects broader culture, and reclaiming terms can empower communities. Cancel culture impacts tabletop: even beloved creators and mechanics can suddenly face backlash. Psionics should feel distinct: the Psion class needs stronger separation from traditional spellcasting. Resource management is tricky: the mode pool system is seen as overly complex and clunky. Community feedback is critical: Unearthed Arcana exists to refine designs, and this playtest needs serious revision. Subclass performance varies widely: Metamorph is a bright spot, while Cywarper, Psykinetic, and especially Telepath fall flat. Innovation drives class design: breaking free from spell slot mechanics could create exciting new possibilities. Class identity is essential: without uniqueness, psionics risk feeling like "just another caster." Hope for the future: the hosts remain optimistic that psionics can evolve into something fresh and balanced in future iterations. Support Friends of the Podcast If you like what we do, support the folks who make the tabletop RPG community stronger: DM Adamantine – Book unforgettable professional GM sessions on StartPlaying.games. DungeonFlow.app – Level up your campaign prep with smart tools for encounters, traps, and dungeon building. TTRPG Creators & Friends – From indie developers to community artists, support the people making your games richer and more fun. By supporting our friends, you're helping keep the tabletop ecosystem thriving. Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you. Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players. Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings. Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community. Meet the Hosts Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix. Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme. Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy. Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos. How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

"You ever notice how in RPGs, dreams are either profound visions of destiny... or just you wandering through a medieval Taco Bell with your sword drawn? Spoiler alert: tonight, it's the first one. Probably. Unless the monster wants your kidneys, in which case—Taco Bell is still on the table." Watch Tyler's Tiny Videos on TikTok – If you want quick-hit RPG advice, absurdly funny hot takes, and maybe the occasional existential crisis about dice rolls, check out Tyler's Tiny Videos on TikTok. Perfect for when you only have 60 seconds to ruin your party's dungeon crawl. Show Notes In this gripping episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, the hosts dive deep into the world of Hunter the Reckoning, exploring the supernatural mysteries surrounding Vertexa—a pharmaceutical company with more skeletons in the closet than a necromancer at a yard sale. The team faces new monsters, tangled corporate malfeasance, and a web of investigation that blurs the line between science and the supernatural. As the session unfolds, the characters encounter dreams that conceal terrible truths, face the horrors of organ theft, and grapple with the chilling experiments tied to Monster X. Along the way, they confront Dr. Talbot, unravel sinister medical trials, and cross paths with the enigmatic Kadir Mana, all while balancing humor, paranoia, and nail-biting suspense. This episode combines classic movie references, cultural commentary, character development, and horror RPG storytelling into a chilling-yet-funny ride. From game mechanics like hacking to moral dilemmas about science gone wrong, it's a story that will leave listeners laughing nervously... and double-checking their insurance policies. Key Takeaways Encountering new monsters keeps RPG gameplay thrilling and unpredictable. Character development is key for immersive horror storytelling. Classic movies and cultural references enrich roleplaying sessions. Investigations in RPGs often lead to surprising, unsettling connections. Corporate malfeasance and supernatural horror mix for compelling narratives. Character sheets, hacking, and social media mechanics enhance roleplay depth. Dreams and nightmares serve as powerful storytelling devices. Dr. Talbot's medical trials and Vertexa's clinical experiments raise ethical questions. Monster X and organ theft drive the horror and suspense. The balance of humor and dread makes the experience memorable. The story closes on a cliffhanger, ensuring players and listeners are hooked. If you enjoyed this episode, like and subscribe to the RPGBOT.Podcast. Share it with your party, your GM, and even that one player who keeps rolling Nat 1s on Insight checks. Help us keep bringing you terrifying monsters, corporate conspiracies, and too many jokes about organ theft. Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you. Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players. Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings. Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community. Meet the Hosts Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix. Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme. Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy. Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos. How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

Have you ever noticed that in real life, you can't just say, "I take a long rest" and wake up eight hours later fully healed, your fridge restocked, and your inbox cleared? If only. Instead, you wake up groggy, your cat's screaming, and somehow your wizard spell slots are still gone. Well, tabletop RPGs aren't much better. Pacing and rest mechanics are the part of D&D, Pathfinder, and other RPGs where your party argues for 30 minutes about whether to camp in the murder dungeon, or limp back to town because someone stubbed their toe. And let's be honest—no one wants to play the "Five Minute Adventuring Day" where your heroes spend more time napping than actually adventuring. In this episode, we're tackling the eternal question: how do you keep the action exciting without turning your campaign into a sleep study? Listen to RPGBOT.Podcast on YouTube Before we dive in—did you know the RPGBOT.Podcast has a massive archive of episodes now available on YouTube? Whether you missed our deep dives on D&D subclasses, Pathfinder tactics, Stormlight Archive RPGs, or Spooktober monstrosities, or you just want to binge the chaos from the beginning, the archive's got you covered. Hit up YouTube.com/@RPGBOT and subscribe so you never miss an old favorite—or a new disaster. Show Notes Every Dungeon Master, Game Master, and table of players eventually wrestles with one of the most elusive beasts in tabletop RPGs: pacing. How do you keep the story moving, the tension high, and the action balanced—while still letting your players rest their weary hit points and spell slots? In this remastered episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, Tyler, Randall, and Ash dive into pacing and rest mechanics in tabletop RPGs, exploring how rules like short rests and long rests in Dungeons & Dragons, or Encounter Mode vs Exploration Mode in Pathfinder 2e, shape the tempo of campaigns. We'll dig into the ways pacing affects encounter design, narrative arcs, and character development, and how rest mechanics in Pathfinder and D&D can make or break the flow of the game. From gritty survival pacing where every rest is a gamble, to fast-paced cinematic RPG storytelling where players hardly stop to breathe, we cover strategies for keeping your table engaged without letting fatigue—or rules confusion—drag the campaign to a crawl. If you've ever asked yourself: "How many encounters should happen before a long rest in D&D?" "How do I keep players from spamming the five-minute adventuring day?" "What's the balance between story pacing and resource management?" …this episode has you covered. Whether you're a seasoned DM running epic campaigns in D&D 5e, a Pathfinder 2e GM wrangling Encounter Mode pacing, or just curious how to keep your RPG sessions balanced and fun, this discussion will give you tools, laughs, and maybe a little existential dread about resting in real life. Key Takeaways Pacing is everything: The tempo of encounters, story beats, and rests directly impacts campaign flow. Rest mechanics shape tension: Rules like short vs long rests in D&D or daily recovery in Pathfinder 2e can either encourage resource management or invite "rest spamming." Encounter pacing drives drama: How many encounters players face before resting sets the stakes—whether it feels like a survival grind or a cinematic sprint. Balance mechanics with story: Great pacing blends mechanical tension (hit points, spell slots, conditions) with narrative urgency (villains, clocks, or looming disasters). The 5-minute adventuring day problem is real: Creative pacing strategies help DMs push beyond it. Different RPG systems, different solutions: What works for D&D pacing may not work for Pathfinder rest mechanics or other TTRPGs—adapt to your system. Player expectations matter: Some groups love slow-burn exploration, others want fast action. Pacing tools let you tune the campaign to your table. Stop Pirating PDFs and Buy Your GM a Sandwich Tabletop RPGs don't just fall out of the sky like loot drops—they're created by real human beings who need to pay rent, eat food, and occasionally buy dice they don't actually need. If you love D&D, Pathfinder, or any of the countless indie RPGs out there, do the right thing: support the developers who make them. Buy the books. Back the Kickstarters. Leave glowing reviews. Tell your friends about the cool stuff you've found. And yes—buy your GM a sandwich once in a while. Because without these hardworking designers and storytellers, we'd all still be pretending that Monopoly is a roleplaying game. Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you. Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players. Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings. Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community. Meet the Hosts Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix. Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme. Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy. Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos. How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

Welcome to Cyprus Hollow, population: probably doomed. The kind of town where the local gossip travels faster than Wi-Fi, the Daybreak Motel smells like it should come with a tetanus shot, and the only thing scarier than the crime scene is the Yelp review section. Our Hunters didn't come here looking for trouble—they came here because trouble left a one-star review and posted grainy video evidence to TikTok. In a place where urban legends haunt the Wi-Fi signals and even social media influencers can't spin a death into something palatable, the only certainty is this: you can run from monsters, but you can't escape the RPGBOT.Podcast How to Play series. Show Notes In this episode, Tyler, Randall, and Ash pack up their old apartment and move into Cyprus Hollow, a small town that's part "true crime Netflix docuseries" and part "urban legend Reddit thread gone wrong." Our actual play session of Hunter the Reckoning kicks off with character creation and backstories, because nothing says "ready to fight monsters" like explaining why your Hunter still owes student loans. The crew investigates the mysterious death at the Daybreak Motel, where mace, missing witnesses, and suspicious managers collide with social media drama and grainy video evidence. As the team digs deeper into this RPG mystery investigation, they battle improvised technology, dead-end leads, and the eternal horror of teenagers who refuse to answer questions. Banter and humor lighten the heavy mood (sort of), but the looming presence of a mysterious figure and a cliffhanger ending keep everyone guessing. This is Hunter the Reckoning actual play podcast content you didn't know you needed: equal parts suspense, role-playing humor, and supernatural horror investigation. Grab your flashlight, load your tulpas, and get ready for the How to Play series that dares to explain both mechanics and memes. Key Takeaways Character backstories in RPGs aren't just flavor—they're weapons against existential dread. Setting the scene in Cyprus Hollow shows how place and atmosphere drive great RPG storytelling. Investigating crime scenes in role-playing games demands attention to detail and patience with unreliable NPCs. Urban legends and social media aren't just modern clutter—they become story hooks in mystery RPG sessions. Technology in RPG storytelling is both a blessing and a curse (especially when it glitches harder than Foundry VTT on patch day). Humor in dark RPG campaigns helps keep tension playable instead of crushing. Tulpas, mysterious figures, and cliffhangers make for suspense-heavy actual play drama. Collaboration in RPG investigation storytelling is essential—though sometimes it just means arguing about who has the flashlight. The Daybreak Motel crime scene has more red flags than a bad Tinder date. Ending on a Hunter the Reckoning cliffhanger ensures you'll come back for Part 2, whether you want to or not. Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you. Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players. Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings. Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community. Meet the Hosts Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix. Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme. Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy. Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos. How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

Welcome back, brave listeners, to another chilling chapter of the RPGBOT.Podcast. Tonight, we descend into the fog-choked alleys of Hunter: The Reckoning, where your best defense against the supernatural isn't garlic, holy water, or even a decent sushi roll—it's your character sheet. So sharpen your pencils, whisper your redemption arcs to the moon, and for the love of barbecue—don't botch that Willpower check, or you'll end up as brisket for the monsters lurking in the dark. Randall's Novella Malecon Before we roll dice and ruin lives—have you checked out Malecon, Randall's newest novella? It's a story steeped in atmosphere and strange corners of humanity, much like the touchstones and redemption arcs in roleplaying games we're exploring tonight. Unlike your Hunter characters, it doesn't need a Creed to keep it grounded. Available now on Amazon and as an audiobook narrated by Ash—because nothing says haunting like Ash whispering prose directly into your skull. Show Notes In this episode, the RPGBOT.Podcast crew dive fang-first into Hunter: The Reckoning RPG character creation. Tyler, Randall, and Ash guide you through building determined mortals and defining your drives, creeds, attributes, flaws, and skills. They explore the collaborative process of character creation in tabletop RPGs, showing how preparation can shape the narrative and survival of your characters. The conversation shifts between mechanics and storytelling, from equipment, health, and willpower management to the significance of touchstones that anchor humanity. Along the way, the team detours into sushi cravings, seafood adventures, and debates about American barbecue styles—because every tabletop gaming podcast needs flavor outside the dice. By the end, listeners will gain a complete understanding of how to create compelling Hunter: The Reckoning characters, balance narrative with mechanics, and prepare for a Spooktober season of survival horror at the table. Key Takeaways Preparation in RPG sessions leads to stronger characters and smoother gameplay. Collaborative character creation in tabletop games makes for deeper stories. Sushi, seafood, and American cuisine fuel as much table debate as dice rolls. Touchstones in Hunter: The Reckoning anchor humanity and provide character depth. Redemption arcs are essential for compelling roleplaying and character progression. Attributes, skills, edges, and flaws enhance both RPG mechanics and storytelling. Behind-the-scenes podcasting requires coordination, just like running a good RPG session. Dive into Hunter: The Reckoning Spooktober is here—and there's no better time to dive into Hunter: The Reckoning. Tell your friends, spread the word, and remind them that October isn't about pumpkin spice lattes—it's about survival horror, dice on the table, and collaborative tabletop roleplaying games. Bring your group together, create characters that matter, and play Hunter this Spooktober. Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you. Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players. Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings. Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community. Meet the Hosts Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix. Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme. Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy. Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos. How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

Gather ‘round, adventurers, and mind the cackling in the corner. Tonight, the RPGBOT coven summons forth the secrets of hags in Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. These monsters aren't just creepy old ladies with a fondness for curses—they're the nightmare consultants you never asked for but always fear. Clipboards, cauldrons, and catastrophic contracts await… Welcome to Spooktober 2025! Spooktober is here! All month long we're unearthing horror monsters in D&D campaigns and spooky RPG villains you can use to haunt your tables. For more terrifyingly good advice, visit RPGBOT.net and sharpen your stakes. RPGBOT.Podcast Episodes Playing Druids Naturally – DnD 5e – RPGBOT Other Stuff Kobold Press' Deep Magic Show Notes Welcome to another chilling installment of Spooktober, where the monsters are spooky, the lore is thick, and the jokes are terrible. In this remastered episode from Spooktober 2023, the RPGBOT.Podcast coven of Tyler Kamstra, Randall James, and Ash Ely crack open their cauldron to stir up the horrors of hags in Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. If you've ever thought your adventuring party could benefit from a management consultant with a taste for children and curses, then a hag is exactly what you're looking for. We'll dig into their monster lore, explore how they serve as spooky RPG villains, and brainstorm ways to roleplay hags as the creepy consultants no group asked for but every group fears. Expect a mix of hag encounters in tabletop RPGs, practical tips for Dungeon Masters running horror campaigns, and enough cackling to summon your HOA president. Whether you want to know how to roleplay hags in D&D, need advice for Pathfinder 2e hag encounters, or you're just here for some Halloween RPG fun, we've got you covered. Because at the end of the day, what's scarier than a hag? …A hag with a clipboard. Key Takeaways Hags are more than just creepy old ladies: They're one of the most iconic horror monsters in D&D campaigns, bringing curses, bargains, and terrifying influence. Hag covens = nightmare fuel: Three hags working together can break your campaign faster than an over-optimized wizard. Consultant joke actually works: Hags thrive on manipulation, “process improvements,” and long-term influence—making them perfect for roleplay as nightmarish consultants. RPG versatility: From Dungeons & Dragons hag lore to Pathfinder 2e hag encounters, they're adaptable to nearly any tabletop horror campaign. Player engagement: Hag encounters work best when tied to storytelling and character drama, not just combat. Spooktober vibes: This episode doubles as a Halloween RPG podcast treat—perfect for GMs looking to add spooky monsters to their seasonal one-shots. If you enjoyed this episode of Spooktober, share it with your gaming group, summon a friend to the RPGBOT coven, and leave us a review wherever you listen to podcasts. And remember: always read the fine print before signing a hag's contract… Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you. Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players. Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings. Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community. Meet the Hosts Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix. Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme. Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy. Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos. How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

It began, as all things do in a flawed cosmos, with paperwork. You signed something — you don't remember what — but now you're contractually obligated to care about Starfinder 2E. The GM Core isn't a rulebook; it's a transmission, half game manual, half government-issued dream. Every chapter reads like a psychological evaluation, every margin note like a warning label. The hosts attempt to explain mechanics, but what you hear are riddles from another dimension: Galactic Hero Points? Coupons for existential dread. Starship hazards? IRS audits with missiles. Cultural representation? Proof that even in fantasy, bureaucracy finds you. Somewhere between hacking subsystems and train safety PSAs, the line between rules discussion and cosmic paranoia blurs. Packed Worlds lore presses down like a filing cabinet from another timeline. Still — the art is great. Starfinder 2e GM Core (affiliate link) Content from RPGBOT.net Starfinder Content RPGBOT.Podcast Episodes Starfinder 2e Galaxy Guide Starfinder 2e Player Core Join the RPGBOT.Patreon The simulation is breaking down. Dice rolls are suspiciously consistent, starships keep failing their insurance inspections, and the algorithm hungers. There's only one way to hold reality together: join the RPGBOT Patreon. For just a few credits a month, you gain access to ad-free episodes, direct communion with the hosts on Discord, and the knowledge that you're funding humanity's last defense against bad game design. Higher tiers may or may not include secret transmissions from the Packed Worlds, but we can neither confirm nor deny that. Support us on Patreon. Keep the podcast alive. Keep the simulation from collapsing. Join the RPGBOT Patreon today Perfect — here's the complete package: a Philip K. Dick–style cold opening stitched directly into the Show Notes and Key Takeaways, with all your short- and long-tail keywords seamlessly included for SEO. Show Notes It began, as all things do in a flawed cosmos, with paperwork. You signed something — you don't remember what — but now you're contractually obligated to care about Starfinder 2E. The GM Core isn't a rulebook; it's a transmission, half game manual, half government-issued dream. Every chapter reads like a psychological evaluation, every margin note like a warning label. The hosts attempt to explain mechanics, but what you hear are riddles from another dimension: Galactic Hero Points? Coupons for existential dread. Starship hazards? IRS audits with missiles. Cultural representation in RPGs? Proof that even in fantasy, bureaucracy finds you. Somewhere between hacking subsystems and train safety PSAs, the line between rules discussion and cosmic paranoia blurs. Packed Worlds lore presses down like a filing cabinet from another timeline. Still — the art is great. From there, the hosts dive deeper: Health history and train safety are treated as RPG mechanics in disguise. The Starfinder GM Core review reveals familiar Pathfinder 2E mechanics, hinting that both games might be written in the same shadowy basement. Cultural sensitivity in game design is explored as a firewall against stereotypes, essential for meaningful fantasy cultural representation. Packed Worlds lore unfolds like interstellar IKEA instructions: dazzling but occasionally missing pieces. Starship mechanics and vehicle rules read more like cosmic DMV manuals than adventure prompts. Hacking mechanics in Starfinder 2E echo IT support nightmares — less cyberpunk, more password reset purgatory. Bridging Pathfinder and Starfinder GM Cores feels like bureaucracies endlessly passing the same form back and forth. Key Takeaways It starts with the suspicion that the game you're playing isn't a game at all. It's paperwork, bureaucracy, and cosmic satire stitched together with dice rolls. And yet, Starfinder 2E GM Core still feels like home. Starfinder 2E GM Core review: familiar Pathfinder mechanics wrapped in galactic bureaucracy. Cultural sensitivity in RPG design: vital to prevent fantasy from becoming caricature. Packed Worlds lore: a rich backdrop that doubles as cosmic IKEA assembly instructions. Galactic Hero Points: space-themed coupons for narrative survival. Hacking mechanics in Starfinder 2E: IT helpdesk nightmares with dice rolls. Starship hazards and vehicle mechanics: like fighting your insurance provider in zero-G. Bridging Pathfinder and Starfinder GM Cores: two systems in an endless paperwork feedback loop. Community engagement in RPG podcasts: less about fun, more about appeasing the algorithm overlords. Language evolution in tabletop gaming: proof the simulation is glitching when players argue about “GIF.” Check Out Rocco's Starfinder Optimization Guides The paperwork is endless. The Starfinder GM Core is thicker than a government dossier, and every starship hazard feels like a tax audit in space. You could try to optimize your character on your own… but the bureaucracy will eat you alive. That's why Rocco's Starfinder Optimization Guides exist on RPGBOT.net. They're the forbidden blueprints hidden in the cosmic filing cabinet — breakdowns of classes, feats, starship mechanics, and everything else you'll need to survive the Packed Worlds without accidentally min-maxing yourself into oblivion. Don't trust the dice. Don't trust the GM. Trust Rocco. Visit RPGBOT.net and bend the simulation to your will. Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you. Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players. Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings. Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community. Meet the Hosts Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix. Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme. Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy. Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos. How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati    

The lights flicker. The basement smells faintly of stale pizza and dread. Somewhere in the distance, a door creaks — or maybe that was just Randall adjusting his chair. Tonight, we're stepping into the World of Darkness, where average people stumble into a nightmare of vampires, monsters, and game mechanics that hit harder than a ghost with a grudge. In this episode, we invite you to join us for the first chapter of our How to Play Hunter: The Reckoning series. Expect desperation, danger, and just enough emotional depth to make you wonder if your dice are haunted. If you've ever wanted to play D&D but with more existential dread and less fireball spam, this is the episode for you. Support Ash on StartPlaying If listening to Ash wrangle dice, monsters, and Tyler's rules arguments has you thinking, “I need this chaos in my life,” then good news: you can. Ash Ely is running games on StartPlaying.Games, and he'll happily lead you into the World of Darkness (or any world, really) — no flashlight required. Support Ash, book a session, and experience firsthand what happens when your emotional depth meets his desperation mechanics. Just… don't be surprised if your character cries before you do. Show Notes Welcome to the very first episode in our How to Play Hunter: The Reckoning series — or as Tyler kept calling it before coffee, “Hunter the Gathering.” In this kickoff, your hosts Tyler, Randall, and Ash dive fang-first into the World of Darkness, exploring the emotional depth of role-playing games and why letting your character cry on-mic is sometimes the most powerful game mechanic of all. We'll peel back the layers of Hunter: The Reckoning's history, from its complicated editions to its enduring reputation as “the game where average people fight vampires, demons, and the IRS.” Along the way, we'll tackle the unique desperation and danger mechanics that make every dice roll feel like a bad Tinder date, and unpack how creeds and organizations give hunters wildly different vibes — from religious zealots to conspiracy theorists with poor Wi-Fi. Expect detours into D&D, vampire hunting jokes that are definitely not OSHA-approved, and at least one argument about whether lighting in performance art really matters when you're sitting in a dimly lit basement with a bag of Cheetos. Key Takeaways Emotional depth matters: vulnerability in RPG storytelling makes for unforgettable campaigns. Average people, extraordinary stakes: Hunter: The Reckoning lets you role-play regular humans versus supernatural horrors. Creeds and organizations define hunters: conflicting goals keep character drama spicy. Mechanics that hurt (in a good way): desperation and danger rules crank up tension like horror movies with jump scares. Monster design isn't about stats: creating monsters with real motivations makes them terrifyingly relatable. Storytelling as a mirror: RPGs like Hunter reflect players' inner conflicts and emotional experiences. Hunter history is messy: multiple editions, controversies, and fan debates make for excellent nerd fights. Lighting matters… apparently: whether on stage or at the table, atmosphere changes how the story hits. Tyler Tiny Videos Want even more advice on how to play tabletop roleplaying games without committing to a three-hour lecture or a fifty-page rulebook? Tyler Kamstra's got you covered with his Tiny Videos on social media. They're short, sharp, and just chaotic enough to make you laugh while actually learning something useful for your next D&D or Hunter: The Reckoning session. Go watch Tyler's Tiny Videos — because good tabletop tips should fit between scrolling memes and doomscrolling the news. Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you. Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players. Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings. Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community. Meet the Hosts Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix. Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme. Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy. Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos. How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

Once upon a gaming table dreary, while we plotted, weak and weary, Came a whisper from the shadows: “What if your dice betray you with fear?” Not the fear of a natural one, nor the dread of forgetting your spell slots, But a terror woven deep into the very fabric of the game— A mechanic that chills the marrow, bends the will, And makes the bravest paladin cry out like a startled kobold. In this remastered episode, the hosts of RPGBOT dare to unearth the fear mechanics in tabletop RPGs, revealing how Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder 2e, and horror RPGs turn trembling hands and quivering voices into unforgettable stories. Laughter, like a ghast's grin, stalks alongside the horror, for even in terror, there is comedy— and nothing delights the Raven more than watching adventurers quail at shadows. Spooktober 2025 Darkness creeps, dice rattle, and somewhere in the night a gelatinous cube slurps ominously. That can only mean one thing: Spooktober has returned to the RPGBOT.Podcast! All month long, Tyler, Randall, and Ash will drag monsters out of the shadows, crack open cursed tomes of rules, and laugh nervously in the face of fear mechanics, horror RPGs, and terrifying tabletop tales. Expect scares, expect strategy, and—because it's us—expect plenty of bad jokes that would make even Vecna groan. So light a candle, gather your party, and prepare for Spooktober 2025, where the only thing scarier than a natural one… is realizing the bard is the party's front line. Show Notes Fear is the mind-killer… but it's also the story-spicer, the dice-breaker, and the thing that makes your bard suddenly remember they left the oven on back in Waterdeep. In this remastered episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, Tyler, Randall, and Ash pull apart the fear mechanics in tabletop RPGs and show how terror—whether in Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder 2e, or your favorite horror RPGs—can be hilarious, horrifying, and occasionally pants-wetting. We explore how game masters use fear to enhance storytelling, why fear mechanics in TTRPG combat hit different than a fireball to the face, and how player immersion through fear turns even seasoned adventurers into nervous wrecks. Along the way, we'll laugh about sanity systems, cry about saving throws, and prove that nothing bonds a party like collectively screaming at shadows. So sharpen your pencils, stock up on torches, and maybe bring a spare set of trousers—this is Fear Mechanics at its funniest and most frightening. Key Takeaways Fear isn't just for horror RPGs—it's a versatile mechanic that spices up any campaign, from Pathfinder 2e fear rules to homebrew sanity systems. Game masters can use fear to enhance storytelling, creating tension that makes victories sweeter (and failures funnier). Fear effects in TTRPG combat and roleplay can shift strategies, forcing players to think beyond hit points and damage dice. Player immersion through fear mechanics keeps everyone invested, even when nothing is actively trying to eat them… yet. Horror at the table works best when balanced: scary enough to thrill, funny enough to keep people coming back for more. If you enjoyed this remastered dive into fear mechanics in tabletop RPGs, spread the fright—share this episode with your party, whisper it to your GM in the dead of night, and make sure you're subscribed to the RPGBOT.Podcast so you don't miss the rest of Spooktober 2025. The monsters are waiting, and trust us… they're funnier than you think. Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you. Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players. Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings. Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community. Meet the Hosts Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix. Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme. Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy. Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos. How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

The Stormlight Archive RPG is not a game one simply plays—it is a crucible where story and steel collide. In its halls, Shardblades and Shardplate redefine combat, while talent trees, sprens, and player choices shape destinies with every decision. Today, we step back from the battlefield to reflect on the system's triumphs, its perils, and the stories it carves into those who dare to wield it. In every world, heroes rise not by chance, but by choice—and by the wisdom that guides those choices. At RPGBOT.net, you'll find tomes of knowledge crafted by real adventurers, not faceless scribes, to help you hone your characters, balance their strengths, and master the rhythm of the dice. If you would walk into battle prepared—whether wielding a Shardblade or a humble dagger—step into the archives of RPGBOT.net, where the path to optimization is written for those bold enough to seek it. Show Notes In this final chapter of our Stormlight Archive tabletop RPG deep dive, Tyler, Randall, and Ash gather to reflect on their experiences with the Cosmere RPG. The group examines the lethal combat mechanics, the distinctive role of Shardblades and Shardplate, and the balance between combat dynamics and narrative storytelling. The hosts discuss the joys and pitfalls of character creation within this new RPG system, exploring how talent trees shape character development and player choices, while also challenging players who take on support roles. From the punishing nature of combat to the complexities of adapting Stormlight Archive narrative into RPG gameplay, the episode explores what makes the system engaging, unique, and occasionally brutal. Expect insights on world-building in the Cosmere, the role of sprens in character growth, and how the system stacks up against others, including a comparison of Cosmere RPG vs. Daggerheart. Whether you're curious about balancing party roles, future session design, or simply want to hear the hosts' session impressions, this wrap-up delivers a thoughtful and entertaining sendoff to the series. Key Takeaways The Cosmere RPG feels highly lethal, with combat punishing poor builds and careless play. Combat mechanics can overshadow narrative if not carefully balanced by the GM. Character creation and talent trees allow diverse playstyles but risk unbalanced parties. Shardblades and Shardplate mechanics add unique tactical depth. Support classes present distinct challenges in Stormlight RPG play. Sprens play a vital role in character growth and development. Player choices within talent trees impact both narrative and gameplay satisfaction. Balancing party roles and party size is essential for enjoyable encounters. Adapting Stormlight Archive's narrative into tabletop RPGs requires thoughtful design. Compared to other RPG systems like Daggerheart, the Cosmere RPG offers a unique, immersive blend of lore, combat, and character-driven storytelling. Stories are meant to be shared, and adventures grow brighter when told among friends. If you've enjoyed this journey through the Stormlight Archive and beyond, tell your fellowship about the RPGBOT.Podcast—let them walk beside you in laughter, lore, and dice-rolled destiny. And if you would stand with us in every chapter yet to come, subscribe now on your favorite podcast platform, so the tale never leaves you behind. Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you. Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players. Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings. Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community. Meet the Hosts Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix. Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme. Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy. Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos. How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati  

"The storm is both battleground and teacher. In the high storm's fury, we discovered not merely survival checks or combat mechanics, but the weight of choice. Humor became a shield, laughter our shardplate, as the Shardblade in hand revealed itself to be more than a weapon. Against the chasm fiend's relentless rhythm, the bond between friends became the only path to victory. The storm needs a guide. Ash Ely is that guide. Some stories wait for the storm to pass. Others demand a guide who will lead you into its very heart. A Game Master is more than a storyteller — they are a Shardbearer of narrative, a wielder of dice and destiny. Ash Ely is such a guide. On StartPlaying.Games, Ash shapes campaigns where camaraderie becomes steel and laughter binds tighter than plate. Their table is not just a game; it is a high storm of story, where each choice carries weight, and each player becomes part of something greater. If you seek tabletop RPG adventures, if you wish to test your courage in battle against chasm fiends, or to weave tales of character development, teamwork, and role-playing, then step into Ash's storm. The path begins here: StartPlaying.Games — Ash Ely "I saw how tactical decisions, combat strategies, and even failed dice rolls wrote a story more enduring than steel. This was no simple role-playing game; it was a tale of character development, teamwork, and storytelling woven into the very stormlight itself." — From the journals of a forgotten scout, on the eve of battle Shownotes This second half of the Stormlight Archive RPG actual play begins with grounding moments: life updates, the struggles of moving, and even the grudges of pets that mirror the stubbornness of men. These personal stories remind us that whether in Dungeons and Dragons, tabletop gaming, or life itself, the storms we weather shape who we become. The session then surges into epic tension. The looming high storm, the enigma of Shardblade bonding, and the terror of a chasm fiend boss fight create a crucible for both game mechanics and storytelling. Every player choice feels sharp, every dice roll a heartbeat. Humor, often chaotic, interlaces with danger, proving that friendship and camaraderie in role-playing games can hold fast even in the fiercest winds. The players grapple with combat strategies, team dynamics, and the consequences of their actions. Critical hits, failed rolls, and unexpected outcomes shift the battle's tide, while persuasion and leadership test not only the characters but the trust among players. Through it all, the narrative storytelling of the Stormlight Archive RPG shines — a reminder that fantasy adventures are not just about survival, but about the truths revealed when we choose together. Key Takeaways Life mirrors the game: Moving, pets, and family stories parallel the challenges of tabletop RPGs and character development. Humor in the storm: Laughter and camaraderie in role-playing games lighten even the heaviest encounters. Shardblades as destiny: Shardblade bonding and mechanics test both characters and players, demanding patience and commitment. The chasm fiend fight as crucible: A true boss monster encounter forces combat strategies and tactical decisions. Choice as stormlight: Every dice roll, persuasion attempt, and player choice illuminates the narrative. Friendship as armor: Teamwork and communication in RPGs are more powerful than steel. The rhythm of mechanics: Fast and slow turns, survival checks, and RPG game mechanics create tension and triumph. Story as aftermath: Critical hits, moral dilemmas, and unexpected alliances linger beyond the session, becoming part of the shared fantasy adventure. "A story is not complete until it is shared. Storms are faced together, and victories mean little without companions to witness them. If this tale has moved you — if the laughter, the choices, and the clash of Shardblade against chasm fiend struck true — then carry it outward. Tell a friend. Invite them to listen. Let them stand with us in the storm, dice in hand, part of the fellowship that makes role-playing more than a game. For in unity lies strength, and in shared story lies immortality." Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you. Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players. Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings. Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community. Meet the Hosts Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix. Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme. Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy. Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos. How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

Lo, from the stagnant mire there arose a croak most dreadful, heralding the advent of creatures born of chaos and slime. In this remastered Spooktober hour from 2023, we unmask the Slaad—horrible monsters of Dungeons & Dragons whose laughter curdles into terror. Hark, dear listeners, and let the tolling of the midnight bell stir your marrow— for once more the veil thins, and once more the chill breath of Spooktober draws near. The year wanes, the light falters, and in the gathering gloom we bid you prepare: the 2025 season of RPGBOT.Podcast's Spooktober is nearly upon us. Expect not merely tales of monsters, but phantasms of horror and mirth entwined; expect not idle chatter, but whispers of Dungeons and Dragons and tabletop RPG horrors, woven with the laughter of the damned and the counsel of the grave. Steel your heart, sharpen your dice, and ready your soul for the chaos to come— for in the creeping hours of October, we shall descend together once more into that grotesque carnival of terror and delight… and the monsters shall be waiting. Show Notes In this mournful season of Spooktober, the RPGBOT.Podcast hosts descend into the abyss to reveal the Slaad, one of the most horrible monsters in tabletop RPGs. From the dim vaults of Dungeons and Dragons lore and the infernal margins of the Pathfinder RPG, these chaos beasts emerge—creatures neither wholly comic nor wholly terrifying, but abominations caught between laughter and despair. The discussion charts the evolution of the Slaad lore in Dungeons and Dragons, tracing their spawn from earlier editions through to the present, while casting their warped shadows upon Pathfinder 2e Slaad monster analysis. Their essence is chaotic neutral vs. chaotic evil monsters in RPGs, shifting masks of unpredictability, forever croaking of corruption and madness. These horror monsters serve not only as combatants, but as symbols: infestation, decay, and the slow erosion of body and spirit. To Dungeon Masters yearning for the macabre, the hosts provide counsel on roleplaying tips for using Slaad in campaigns—how to balance absurdity with terror, how to weave dread into encounters, how to stage the crawling metamorphoses of flesh that birth new horrors. This is no idle musing, but a true Spooktober monster deep dive podcast, a lantern held aloft in the darkness for all who dare run horror themed creatures for D&D adventures. RPGBOT.Podcast Season 2 Episode 1 – Variant Rules RPGBOT.Podcast Season 2 Episode 2 – The Move Toward Inclusion in Tabletop Gaming Key Takeaways The Slaad are chaos incarnate, their essence shifting between chaotic neutral vs. chaotic evil monsters in RPGs. Their mark is body-horror most grotesque: infestation, spawning, and vile metamorphosis. They are the perfect choice for Spooktober monster deep dive podcasts and horror themed creatures for D&D adventures. The hosts trace Slaad lore in Dungeons and Dragons and expand into Pathfinder RPG differences. Practical roleplaying tips for using Slaad in campaigns show how to balance comedy with grotesque menace. The episode offers guidance on how to run Slaad encounters in TTRPGs, ensuring dread without monotony. These creatures become living metaphors: corruption, chaos, and despair, bound in the grotesque tapestry of fantasy lore. When placed in a campaign, the Slaad engrave themselves in memory, a croaking echo in the dark—an eternal reminder that in roleplaying games, the most horrible monsters linger long after dice have stilled. Now Go forth, dear traveler, and whisper in trembling tones to those you hold dear: Spooktober is coming. Let not your comrades remain unprepared for the horrors and laughter that await.Bid them gather round the flickering lantern, bid them tune their ears to the RPGBOT.Podcast, that together you may descend into the abyss of dice and dread. For what is terror, if not shared? What is laughter in the dark, if not echoed by many? Spread the word, spread the warning...tell your friends, your table, your fellowship: the season of fright returns, and none shall escape its shadow. Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you. Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players. Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings. Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community. Meet the Hosts Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix. Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme. Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy. Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos. How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

In this wandering dissection of the 2025 Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set, the hosts circle through memory and mechanics, weighing cardboard against imagination, and finding, amid the tokens and rules, not a doorway into wonder but the echo of all the starter sets that came before, fuller, deeper, better. Starter Set: Heroes of the Borderlands (affiliate link) Randall has written Melancon, a novella that lingers like the dusk on a Southern porch, where memory and shadow wrestle in the same long sentence; you will read it in print upon Amazon, or hear it carried on Ash's voice in the audiobook, the cadence of the tale winding as though the story itself remembered you before you found it. Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Show Notes There is a starter set, and though the box is new, the echoes within are old, older than dice or leveling mechanics, older than the crafting of character sheets and the fragile permanence of tokens, and it bears the mark of Wizards of the Coast as if that brand were a lineage stretching back to the dim histories of Dungeons and Dragons, and we, who have seen the 2024 starter set, the 2014, the 1983, and all the ones before that, sit and hold this one in our hands and feel the weight of it, and the hollowness, too. The hosts circle round like storytellers on a porch, voices interwoven, sometimes bantering, sometimes harsh in judgment, and they speak of game mechanics, of adventure design, of character creation, and of the difference between a board game's bones and the living marrow of a tabletop RPG. And as they speak, one sees the ghost of better boxes, more cohesive adventure modules, more patient stories. There is praise for the components—tokens and maps, the paper like a relic of promises—but criticism too, for what is an adventure review if not an elegy for what might have been? The adventure structure is straight as an arrow and as empty, the plot like a house without rooms, and though it may shelter the new player, it does not nourish them. And so the tale winds: the physical versus digital experience, the cruel disappointment of shallow design, the lingering hope that future offerings may redeem this one. It is the story of a set that wanted to be Dungeons & Dragons, but settled, instead, for something less. Key Takeaways The 2025 D&D Starter Set carries the name but not the soul of its predecessors; the history of D&D starter sets looms over it like a shadow. Its adventure modules are linear and lack the depth that breathes life into role-playing games. Though the physical components—tokens, sheets, crafted bits of board-game echo—serve their purpose, they cannot mask the thinness of the adventure design. Character creation and leveling mechanics receive mention but not reverence; they are steps without dance. The box is priced like a promise (“a $50 product”) but delivers less than it should. The hosts weigh the player experience and declare that better paths exist for those beginning their journey into Dungeons and Dragons. In comparing starter sets, the verdict is clear: this one feels less like a gateway into wonder and more like a door that does not open all the way. And so if you have followed us through this wandering road of tokens and rules and promises unkept, then carry it further: share this podcast with the ones at your own table, let them hear our voices as you have, and rate and review us upon the great digital ledgers—Apple Podcasts, Spotify, all the places where stories are measured not in pages but in stars and numbers—so that others, lost or searching, may stumble into this circle of talk and stay a while. Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you. Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players. Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings. Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community. Meet the Hosts Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix. Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme. Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy. Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos. How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

The RPGBOT crew brave technical glitches, angry chasm fiends, and their own questionable tactics in the Stormlight Archive TTRPG—somehow surviving long enough to bond a Shardblade and argue about the rules. Want to roll dice with Ash Ely? You can! Ash is running games right now on StartPlaying.games — sign up to join his tables and bring your own chaos straight to the adventure. Show Notes What happens when a group of seasoned RPG players and podcasters try to explore the Stormlight Archive TTRPG gameplay while also fighting their greatest nemesis: technical difficulties? Chaos, laughter, and some surprisingly good strategy. In this episode, the RPGBOT crew dive into Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere RPG session and tackle everything from collaborative character creation to survival strategies in tabletop campaigns. Along the way, they explore the chasms of Roshar, narrowly avoid becoming lunch for a chasm fiend, and stumble their way into a Shardblade bonding that changes the party forever. This is not just a deep dive into fantasy adventure game mechanics and Cosmere lore, it's also a reminder that sometimes the biggest boss fight is your own internet connection. Expect plenty of table banter, a mix of strategy and combat in Stormlight Archive RPG, and the occasional rules lawyer moment when someone tries to figure out exactly how healing and recovery in RPG combat works mid-fight. If you've ever wanted to know how storytelling through Cosmere role-playing feels when the stakes are survival, or if you just enjoy hearing gamers yell “We did it!” after almost dying in the chasms, this episode is for you. Key Takeaways Technical difficulties are the real BBEG – even the most prepared podcasters get crit-hit by audio gremlins. Collaborative character creation isn't just fun; it sets up all the chaos and heroics that follow. Lore-driven gameplay in fantasy RPGs adds immersion and weight—knowing the world changes how you play it. Chasm fiend encounters in tabletop RPGs are terrifying, hilarious, and an excellent way to test teamwork. Combat in Stormlight Archive RPG is as much about strategy as it is about rolling well. Survival strategies in tabletop campaigns matter—sometimes “run away” is the best spell. Healing and recovery in RPG combat are clutch; without them, the only thing you're bonding with is the afterlife. Storytelling through Cosmere role-playing proves why Sanderson's worlds are so good for the tabletop. Shardblade bonding in role-playing games changes character dynamics—and makes players feel way cooler than they deserve. The unpredictability of RPGs keeps every session fresh, funny, and full of unexpected discoveries. Like what you heard? Support the show by sharing this episode with your fellow adventurers, leave us a review on your favorite podcast app, and don't forget to check out more RPG, Dungeons and Dragons, and Cosmere TTRPG content at RPGBOT.net. Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you. Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players. Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings. Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community. Meet the Hosts Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix. Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme. Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy. Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos. How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati  

Lolth's Not Your Mom, But She's Definitely Disappointed in You Follow Ash Ely on social media for more tabletop mischief, hot takes, and behind-the-scenes RPGBOT energy. Want to do more than just listen? You can play in his games directly—Ash runs tables on StartPlaying.games where you can sign up, roll dice, and probably regret trusting that one suspicious NPC he voices just a little too well. Show Notes In this Spooktober installment, Tyler, Randall, and Ash descend into the Underdark to talk about everyone's favorite spider-themed frenemies: the drow. But don't expect a simple “they're all evil” hot take—this conversation is about how to use drow effectively and responsibly at the table. Highlights include: History lesson (with bite): From Scottish folklore to Gygax's caverns, the word “drow” has been through some things. The big problem: Why “evil by biology” is lazy design and a headache for modern tables. The fix: Treat drow as cultures, factions, and ideologies rather than one-note villains. Tactics and terror: How to make them scary with ambushes, traps, lair design, and coordinated squads instead of tired stereotypes. DM toolbox: Drow of the Underdark (3.5e) for rich lore and mechanical bits. Keith Ammann's The Monsters Know What They're Doing and MOAR for tactical framing. The RPGBOT Masterclass on How to Defend Your Lair for designing unforgettable encounters. Adventure seeds: Trade cartels, perpetual-darkness devices, and drow coup-plots that give your players moral choices beyond “roll initiative.” RPGBOT.Podcast Episodes How to Defend Your Lair with Keith Ammann – RPGBOT.Masterclass S2E95 How to Defend Your Lair with Keith Ammann – RPGBOT.Masterclass S2E95 Other Stuff Drow of the Underdark (3.5) (affiliate link) MOAR The Monsters Know What They're Doing (affiliate link) The Monsters Know What They're Doing (affiliate link) Key Takeaways Scary ≠ racist: Make drow terrifying by leaning on culture, politics, and goals—not skin color or species. Design like defenders: Build lairs that use elevation, darkness, traps, and chokepoints to punish rash adventurers. Run them as a team: Drow squads should coordinate roles like special ops, not fight as isolated stat blocks. Texture matters: Factionalize your drow societies—zealots, moderates, and opportunists—to create story oxygen. Bring the right books: Ammann's tactics, 3.5e's Drow of the Underdark, and RPGBOT's own lair-design masterclass turn “complicated” into “compelling.” If you enjoyed this dive into the Underdark, share the RPGBOT.Podcast with your gaming group. Tell your GM. Tell your rogue. Heck, tell that one friend who always wants to play a brooding elf in black leather. The more you spread the word, the more we can keep producing guides, laughs, and lair-defense strategies. Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you. Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players. Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings. Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community. Meet the Hosts Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix. Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme. Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy. Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos. How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati  

Building Heroes, Breaking Dice, and Blaming Foundry VTT" (A deep dive into character creation for the Stormlight Archive RPG, with more heroic paths than your GM bargained for.) RPGBOT is now on TikTok with funny Tiny Videos. If you've ever wanted quick takes on tabletop gaming, absurd jokes about TTRPG character creation, or a one-minute guide to why your heroic path matters, we've got you covered. Find us on TikTok and share the chaos with your party. Show Notes In this episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, the hosts dive into the nuts and bolts of Stormlight RPG character creation. Whether you're building in Foundry VTT, or just curious about the mechanics of the Stormlight Archive role-playing game, this episode covers everything from choosing ancestries and cultures to shaping heroic paths, distributing attributes, and developing personal goals. Along the way, expect plenty of humor, a few strong opinions about TTRPG character building, and some good-natured roasting of dice that never roll high enough. The crew emphasizes how collaborative character development in tabletop RPGs creates better stories, and why the Cosmere setting makes role-play more immersive. You'll hear practical insights into how ancestry and culture choices impact gameplay, why attributes and skills are essential for effective character building, and how heroic paths in the Stormlight Archive RPG add unique abilities and playstyles. Plus, they dig into why Foundry VTT tools for Stormlight RPG make the whole process smoother, even if you occasionally click the wrong button and accidentally delete your character sheet. Highlights include: Why role-playing games are secretly just an excuse for group storytelling. What it really means to define a character's personal goals beyond “survive.” How the Stormlight RPG offers character advancement beyond level 20, and why you'll need more caffeine if you try it mid-campaign. Why collaborative character creation in TTRPGs is the real key to having fun. Key Takeaways Character building is collaborative and creative, especially in the Stormlight Archive RPG. Foundry VTT enhances character creation with tools that make the process smoother and more engaging. Choosing ancestry and culture in tabletop RPGs significantly impacts gameplay and role-play. Heroic paths in the Stormlight RPG shape playstyle and unlock unique abilities. Attributes and skills for effective character building are essential for both new and seasoned players. Defining personal goals in character development provides depth and narrative hooks. The Stormlight RPG character creation guide demonstrates how players can evolve beyond level 20. Immersion in the Cosmere setting makes role-play more rewarding and hilarious. Call to Action If you enjoyed this discussion of Stormlight RPG character creation, share the episode with your friends in the gaming community. Post it in your tabletop gaming group chat, bring it up at your next TTRPG session, or recommend it to that one friend who always takes three hours to finalize their character sheet. Because building characters is better when you build them together. Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you. Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players. Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings. Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community. Meet the Hosts Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix. Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme. Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy. Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos. How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

Hydra fights, Dark Sun dilemmas, Unearthed Arcana chaos—what could go wrong? Want more Unearthed Arcana deep dives? The RPGBOT.Podcast has you covered. You can find our backlog of episodes on every major podcast platform, where we break down the latest D&D playtest material and show you how to wrangle it into your campaigns without summoning your own TPK. Show Notes In this episode, the RPGBOT.Podcast crew saddles up for an apocalyptic romp through Pathfinder Hydra encounters, the gritty survival world of Dark Sun, and the latest Unearthed Arcana subclasses. We start by revisiting a Hydra battle that demanded every ounce of tactical brilliance (and a fair bit of screaming). From there, we dive deep into Dark Sun—where scarcity, moral dilemmas, and Mad Max vibes dominate play. The hosts then dig into new subclass content: the eco-warrior Circle of Preservation Druid, the crowd-pleasing Gladiator Fighter, the life-siphoning Defiled Sorcerer, and the fear-driven Sorcerer King. Along the way, we tackle the eternal question of whether Strength is viable for Intimidation, explore multi-classing optimization, and share DM tips for balancing player knowledge with campaign secrets. It's a mix of theorycrafting, subclass reviews, and a healthy dose of comedy—because what's Dark Sun without a laugh before the water runs out? Key Takeaways Hydra encounters in Pathfinder = epic, sweaty, and strategy-heavy. Dark Sun campaigns bring unique challenges: scarcity, moral dilemmas, and Mad Max vibes. Circle of Preservation Druids = conservationists with a vengeance. Gladiator Fighters use charisma as a weapon (and crowd engagement as a combat mechanic). Defiled Sorcerers introduce life-draining spellcasting mechanics. Sorcerer King subclasses lean into control, fear, and psionics. Strength for intimidation is officially fun again. Multi-classing optimization remains a go-to for tactical players. Campaign success = good mechanics + solid DM/Player communication. Subclass excitement shows Unearthed Arcana is moving in a promising direction. If you enjoyed this episode, like and subscribe to the RPGBOT.Podcast on your favorite platform. Share it with your tabletop roleplaying friends—because nothing says friendship like convincing them to fight a Hydra in Dark Sun with only a rusty dagger and a half-baked subclass build. Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you. Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players. Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings. Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community. Meet the Hosts Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix. Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme. Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy. Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos. How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

So Your Players Think They're Safe? Release the Aboleth! Want more Dungeons & Dragons monster tips, horror encounter design, and campaign advice? Visit RPGBOT.net—where real humans craft real tools for roleplayers and dungeon masters. Show Notes The RPGBOT.Podcast crew takes a deep dive into one of the most disturbing D&D monsters ever created: the Aboleth. These ancient aquatic horrors are more than slimy tentacle-fish—they're campaign-defining villains that bring cosmic horror, body horror, and psychological dread to any tabletop RPG. The hosts break down: How to use Aboleths in D&D campaigns as long-term masterminds instead of one-off encounters. Why their perfect memory makes Aboleths terrifying villains who can twist your world's history. The nastiest Aboleth lair actions and encounter design tactics to challenge even high-level adventurers. How to run underwater adventures in 5e without losing tension or immersion. Tips for roleplaying Aboleth thralls and the body-horror impact of their mucus-breathing curse. How to weave Aboleths into cosmic horror storylines that rival Lovecraftian nightmares. This episode blends mechanics, lore, and villain design into a perfect toolkit for dungeon masters who want to unleash aquatic monster encounters their players will never forget. Key Takeaways Aboleths are best used as campaign villains, not just combat encounters. Their lore and psychic abilities can reshape a world. Body horror is central—their mucus curse forces players to roleplay slime-breathing, making encounters unforgettable. Aboleths shine in cosmic horror campaigns where memory, paranoia, and legacy matter. Their lair actions and psychic domination make them one of the most dangerous aquatic monsters in TTRPGs. Dungeon masters can elevate horror games by pairing Aboleths with underwater settings, forgotten history, and long-term psychological threats. Ready to terrify your players? Subscribe to the RPGBOT.Podcast and visit RPGBOT.net for more D&D monster guides, tabletop RPG horror tips, and encounter design advice. Because nothing ruins game night quite like discovering your lungs now breathe slime. Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you. Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players. Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings. Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community. Meet the Hosts Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix. Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme. Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy. Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos. How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

Strap on your Shardplate and call your Spren—Episode 2 of our How to Play Stormlight Archive RPG series takes a lore-heavy dive into the Cosmere, exploring worldbuilding, Knights Radiant, and everything you need to roleplay in Roshar's storm-tossed setting. Our archive episodes of the RPGBOT.Podcast are now available on YouTube! Relive every tangent, deep dive, and Shardblade-sharpened insight while YouTube autoplay keeps you binging. Show Notes In this second episode of the Stormlight Archive RPG series, the RPGBOT crew explores the lore of Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere and how it translates into tabletop roleplaying games. If Episode 1 was about concepts and themes, Episode 2 is all about the deep cuts—ancient oaths, cosmic forces, and worldbuilding that makes campaigns shine. We discuss the Knights Radiant, their broken history, and the role of Heralds in shaping the moral landscape of the world. From the caste system of Alethi culture to the gender-based taboos that define everyday life, players will discover how to use social structures as storytelling tools. The conversation covers iconic magical elements like Shardblades and Shardplate, how Spren bonds give Radiants their powers, and the dangers of the Everstorm. We also dive into Shadesmere—the Cognitive Realm—and how it offers surreal roleplaying opportunities. Finally, we examine the influence of Honor, Cultivation, and Odium, and the shocking revelation that the Parshendi are the Voidbringers, reframing the conflict of Roshar in ways ripe for campaign drama. This is your guide to using Stormlight Archive lore in tabletop RPGs—whether you're designing your own system, adapting 5E, or just looking for inspiration to roleplay in the Cosmere. Key Takeaways Cosmere lore fuels storytelling: Stormlight Archive's worldbuilding is more than flavor—it's a blueprint for RPG campaigns. Alethi society and caste systems: Lighteyes vs. darkeyes and cultural taboos create ready-made roleplaying conflict. Heralds and Radiants in RPGs: Legendary figures and broken oaths inspire both heroic arcs and tragic backstories. Shardblades & Shardplate explained: More than magic gear—they're political, cultural, and narrative game-changers. Spren bonds in roleplaying: Spren are like emotional support familiars with snark—perfect for deep roleplay dynamics. Shadesmere and the Cognitive Realm: A surreal alternate plane for campaigns, complete with “dead-eyed” Shardblades. The Everstorm as a narrative clock: A looming apocalyptic threat that keeps tension high in every story. Honor, Cultivation, and Odium in RPG storytelling: Cosmic forces that anchor themes of growth, oaths, and destruction. Singers, Parshendi, and Voidbringers: Lore that reframes morality, turning NPCs into complex factions for campaigns. If you want to roleplay in the Stormlight Archive or bring Cosmere lore into your tabletop RPG, this episode is your deep dive into the storm. Listen now, then explore guides and mechanics at RPGBOT.net, where real humans craft real tools for roleplayers. If you enjoy the show, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. It's a quick, free way to support the podcast, and helps us reach new listeners. If you love the show, consider joining us on Patreon, where backers at the $5 and above tiers get ad free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT.Podcast, can chat directly to members of the RPGBOT team and community on the RPGBOT.Discord, and can join us for live-streamed recordings. Support us on Amazon.com when you purchase products recommended in the show at the following link: https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ Meet the Hosts: Tyler Kamstra – The tactical mind behind RPGBOT.net, Tyler sees the Pathfinder action economy like Neo sees the Matrix. Randall James – Technologist, lore enthusiast, and fully prepared to duel Peter Jackson over which LotR edition reigns supreme. Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare. Fueled by sarcasm and sweet, sweet table-flipping energy. How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

Snacks, Ghosts, and Shardblades: How to Play Stormlight Archive RPG (Part I)” Because nothing says “epic fantasy” like kettle chips, Cajun cuisine, and the looming threat of narrative-driven permanent injuries. Want to dive deeper into tabletop roleplaying games? Whether you're a first-time player or a veteran rules lawyer, visit RPGBOT.net for guides, advice, and resources to make your games smarter, funnier, and way more effective. In this first installment of How to Play the Stormlight Archive RPG, the hosts take listeners on a whirlwind ride from snack aisle recommendations to Southern Gothic ghost stories before plunging headfirst into the mechanics of the Stormlight RPG. The episode opens with food talk—everything from dill pickle kettle chips and Louisiana's famous Zapp's Voodoo chips to gas station fried chicken and boudin blanc. With a dash of humor and cultural flavor, the conversation eases into spooky tales of Savannah and New Orleans before pivoting into the main course: the Stormlight RPG's unique mechanics. Listeners get an in-depth look at how the game emphasizes both strategic combat and narrative storytelling. From the mysterious plot die to heartbeat-linked Shardblade summoning, the mechanics elevate roleplay by weaving tension and consequence into every roll. Combat in Stormlight plays out with distinctive pacing—10-second rounds, strategic positioning, and careful maneuvering—creating a rhythm that rewards tactical play. The hosts also break down status effects, the permanence of injuries, and the recovery mechanics that keep characters on the razor's edge of risk and survival. The balance between crunch and narrative immersion is front and center, showing how this RPG captures the scope and stakes of Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere setting. Key Takeaways Snack wisdom: Dill pickle kettle chips and Zapp's Voodoo chips are peak gaming fuel; Chick-fil-A fries are their only redeeming quality. Food detour: Louisiana and New Orleans offer unforgettable culinary experiences—from gas station chicken to boudin blanc. Spooky vibes: Savannah earns the title of America's most haunted city, grounding the episode's Southern Gothic interlude. Plot die: A signature mechanic that introduces unexpected twists and narrative complications. Combat pacing: Unlike D&D's 6-second rounds, Stormlight's 10-second rounds encourage more complex decisions. Shardblades: Summoning is tied to the rhythm of heartbeats, adding tension to critical combat moments. Tactical movement: 25-foot standard speed, with penalties for firing ranged attacks up close. Status conditions: Meaningful and potentially crippling, shaping the flow of battle. Injury and death: Permanent injury or character death can raise narrative stakes dramatically. Rest and recovery: Players can restore health and focus through both solo recovery and tending to allies, creating teamwork-driven downtime. Design philosophy: Striking a balance between mechanical complexity and accessible storytelling makes the game compelling. Loved this discussion? Be sure to subscribe to the RPGBOT.Podcast, share the episode with your gaming group, and check out RPGBOT.net for more guides, insights, and tools to sharpen your tabletop adventures. And remember—next time you roll initiative, bring snacks that live up to your Shardblade. If you enjoy the show, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. It's a quick, free way to support the podcast, and helps us reach new listeners. If you love the show, consider joining us on Patreon, where backers at the $5 and above tiers get ad free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT.Podcast, can chat directly to members of the RPGBOT team and community on the RPGBOT.Discord, and can join us for live-streamed recordings. Support us on Amazon.com when you purchase products recommended in the show at the following link: https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ Meet the Hosts: Tyler Kamstra – The tactical mind behind RPGBOT.net, Tyler sees the Pathfinder action economy like Neo sees the Matrix. Randall James – Technologist, lore enthusiast, and fully prepared to duel Peter Jackson over which LotR edition reigns supreme. Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare. Fueled by sarcasm and sweet, sweet table-flipping energy. How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

Turning Your TTRPG Into a Chemically Enhanced Nightmare (for the Players, Not the GM) Missed an episode? Accidentally ingested a memory-erasing toxin? No worries! Archived episodes of the RPGBOT.Podcast are now available on YouTube. Binge the banter, savor the strategy, and relive every rules argument—now with video thumbnails. Show Notes Welcome to the episode where the RPGBOT.Podcast crew rolls a Constitution save against bad design decisions and fails—deliberately. In this delightfully dangerous deep dive, Tyler Kamstra, Randall James, and Ash Ely explore one of the most tragically underused tools in the Game Master's arsenal: poison. Not the “ha ha, you take 1d4 damage and feel kind of bad” kind—no, we're talking the really nasty stuff. The stuff that makes players sweat, forget what color their dice are, and suddenly develop a deep appreciation for the paladin's aura of protection. Join the crew as they: Dissect why poison is so often mechanically boring despite being conceptually metal. Share hilarious war stories about poorly-timed venomous traps and failed fortitude saves. Explore how different TTRPG systems handle poison: from D&D's "mild inconvenience" to Pathfinder's "goodbye, pancreas." Offer deliciously evil advice for GMs looking to flavor their campaigns with a little more toxic attitude. Brainstorm better mechanics for poisons that do more than just slap a couple HP off your barbarian and call it a day. Create fictional poisons on the fly—some of which should never be spoken of again. Looking at you, Ash's Spiteful Slime Surprise. Debate whether ingesting a cursed Hot Pocket counts as a magical poison effect (spoiler: it does, and it bypasses resistance). Key Takeaways: D&D poison mechanics are weaker than a kobold's slap fight. It's time for GMs to spice things up with custom creations. Pathfinder 2e offers a better structure, but still leaves room for homebrewed horrors. Poisons should be scary, situational, and strategic. They can shape encounters, plotlines, and even the economy. "Save or suck" poison effects? Lazy. Instead, give toxins progressive effects or interactable consequences. Players love meaningful danger. If your rogue wants to coat their dagger in acid-laced possum venom, let them—then make them regret it just a little. GM tip: If the party stops eating anything in-game, congratulations. You've weaponized cuisine. Bonus insight: Nothing ruins a tavern meal like realizing the stew is a dexterity check away from cardiac arrest. Call to Action: Feeling inspired to poison your friends in the most entertaining and legally safe way possible? Subscribe to the RPGBOT.Podcast wherever you listen, and check out our archives now on YouTube. Share the show, leave a review, and let us know your favorite toxin-laced TTRPG tales. Because nothing says “game night” like a little slow-acting doom in your fantasy casserole. If you enjoy the show, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. It's a quick, free way to support the podcast, and helps us reach new listeners. If you love the show, consider joining us on Patreon, where backers at the $5 and above tiers get ad free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT.Podcast, can chat directly to members of the RPGBOT team and community on the RPGBOT.Discord, and can join us for live-streamed recordings. Support us on Amazon.com when you purchase products recommended in the show at the following link: https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ Meet the Hosts: Tyler Kamstra – The tactical mind behind RPGBOT.net, Tyler sees the Pathfinder action economy like Neo sees the Matrix. Randall James – Technologist, lore enthusiast, and fully prepared to duel Peter Jackson over which LotR edition reigns supreme. Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare. Fueled by sarcasm and sweet, sweet table-flipping energy. How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

Can You Survive a Highstorm with Just a Character Sheet and Poor Life Choices? We Tried the Cosmere RPG. Missed an episode? Don't worry—archive episodes of the RPGBOT.Podcast are now available to listen to on YouTube. Whether you're a veteran listener or just discovering us, you can now catch up on every rules breakdown, hot take, and character optimization deep dive. Just search for RPGBOT.Podcast on YouTube and hit subscribe! Show Notes: In this episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, the hosts crack open the covers of Brotherwise Games' Cosmere RPG, diving headfirst into the Stormlight Handbook and World Guide. From spren to highstorms, the episode is packed with crunchy mechanics, deep lore, and just enough existential dread to make Brandon Sanderson proud. The gang begins with a brief height-based tangent (because no TTRPG is complete without weirdly tall characters), before delving into the key mechanical and narrative innovations of the system. Topics include: The Plot Die, a unique mechanic that lets narrative tension escalate like a Shardbearer duel. A look at the Personal Goals system, designed to reward character growth beyond “I punch it harder now.” The complexity curve compared to D&D 5e and Pathfinder—spoiler alert: this one's for the lore nerds and narrative junkies. Character creation as a journey through Roshar's cultures, forms, talents, and Radiant oaths. Magic systems in the Cosmere—ambitious to adapt, but steeped in storytelling potential. The fear of breaking someone else's toys when homebrewing in a tightly structured setting like the Cosmere. From audience engagement to the challenge of niche game design, the episode hits on what makes this RPG exciting, where it might fall flat for some players, and how deeply it leans into the lore-rich worlds of Brandon Sanderson's imagination. Cosmere RPG Way of Kings (affiliate link) Wu Chang RPGBOT.Podcast Episodes CRAFTING THE COSMERE w/ Andrew Fischer and Lydia Suen: Adapting Brandon Sanderson's Fantasy World into an Epic RPG Key Takeaways: The Cosmere RPG is rich in narrative design, rewarding players who invest deeply in character goals and world lore. Understanding the Cosmere is essential—newcomers may feel lost, while superfans will feel right at home. The Plot Die is an innovative mechanic that injects narrative control and surprise into gameplay. The system's mechanics echo other RPGs, but with enough unique twists to stand out. Character progression is closely tied to personal goals, not just combat or loot. The game leans hard into world-building, making Roshar feel alive and immersive. Homebrewing in the Cosmere can be intimidating, especially for GMs concerned about canon. This TTRPG is ideal for dedicated Sanderson fans, narrative-focused groups, and players who want an experience that feels emotionally and thematically weighty. RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT.Podcast are made from 100% real humans, not processed generative AI paste. Our team thinks critically, jokes frequently, and sometimes argues about whether gelatinous cubes have a sense of fashion. We're proud of the content we create, because it's built on passion, research, and the occasional poorly-timed dad joke. Ready to explore more RPG deep dives, mechanics breakdowns, and ridiculous tangents? Head to RPGBOT.net for optimization guides, homebrew inspiration, and every episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast. Whether you're storming Roshar or surviving a tavern brawl, we've got your back. If you enjoy the show, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. It's a quick, free way to support the podcast, and helps us reach new listeners. If you love the show, consider joining us on Patreon, where backers at the $5 and above tiers get ad free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT.Podcast, can chat directly to members of the RPGBOT team and community on the RPGBOT.Discord, and can join us for live-streamed recordings. Support us on Amazon.com when you purchase products recommended in the show at the following link: https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ Meet the Hosts: Tyler Kamstra – The tactical mind behind RPGBOT.net, Tyler sees the Pathfinder action economy like Neo sees the Matrix. Randall James – Technologist, lore enthusiast, and fully prepared to duel Peter Jackson over which LotR edition reigns supreme. Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare. Fueled by sarcasm and sweet, sweet table-flipping energy. How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

Welcome to Gehenna: It's Like Hell, but With Worse Real Estate and More Bureaucracy” Announcement: Missed an episode? Repent your sins and redeem yourself on YouTube, where archived episodes of The RPGBOT.Podcast are now available for your listening pleasure. Come for the laughs, stay for the existential dread. Show Notes – Episode Title: “Gehenna: Evil Slopes and Infernal Bureaucracy” Summary: In this infernal episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, the hosts return from Gen Con only to plummet straight into the burning basalt slopes of Gehenna—a plane so depressing it makes the Shadowfell look like Disneyland. They dive into the lore of the plane's inhospitable geography, wildly impractical city design, and the kinds of inhabitants that only a sadistic game designer could love. Along the way, we meet Nymicry (a city that wants to eat you), the Tower of Arcana (where bureaucracy is tattooed into your skin), and the city of Portent (built on a corpse, because why not). The hosts explore the goddess of torture, debate whether the Rogue class needs therapy or just a rebrand, and try to answer the ultimate question: “Why would anyone go to Gehenna… on purpose?” 2014 Dungeon Master's Guide (affiliate link) 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide (affiliate link) Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes (affiliate link) Forgotten Realms Wiki - Gehenna Ghengis Sean  RPGBOT.Podcast Episodes The Abyss Archeron Arcadia The Beastlands Bytopia Carceri Celestia The Ethereal Plane The Feywild Hell Part 1 Hell Part 2 Limbo Mechanus Pandemonium The Shadowfell Key Takeaways: Gehenna is the DMV of the multiverse—agonizingly slow, unbearably hostile, and absolutely full of paperwork. Gen Con was great! Unlike Gehenna, which is a hostile volcanic rockslide with a bad attitude. Every layer of Gehenna slopes downward, because gravity hates you too. Nymicry is a mimic the size of a city, proving once again that your GM can be too creative. The Tower of Arcana is where contracts are etched into skin, because parchment is for cowards. Portent is a yugoloth-shaped city with a throne that whispers spoilers into your ear. The only native species are bar guests, who seem suspiciously like people who got stuck at Gen Con after dark. Leviatar, the goddess of torture, rules with cruelty and creativity—think “Hellraiser meets HR onboarding.” Torch is a city where crime is a feature, not a bug. Bonus: there's a blood swamp. Rogues are cool, but maybe need a PR team—they're mechanically solid but struggle to stand out. Gehenna is full of flavor, if your flavor is emotional suffering and lava. At RPGBOT.net and The RPGBOT.Podcast, our brains are made of real meat. We are not the fever dream of a rogue algorithm trying to understand humor. We are, tragically, real people—with dice in one hand and sarcasm in the other. RPGBOT: It's Soylent Green for the RPG crowd—made from actual humans, not generative AI. Want more planar deep-dives, class analysis, and volcanic despair? Visit RPGBOT.net for guides, breakdowns, and the kind of nerdy brilliance that even Gehenna can't melt. If you enjoy the show, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. It's a quick, free way to support the podcast, and helps us reach new listeners. If you love the show, consider joining us on Patreon, where backers at the $5 and above tiers get ad free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT.Podcast, can chat directly to members of the RPGBOT team and community on the RPGBOT.Discord, and can join us for live-streamed recordings. Support us on Amazon.com when you purchase products recommended in the show at the following link: https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ Meet the Hosts: Tyler Kamstra – The tactical mind behind RPGBOT.net, Tyler sees the Pathfinder action economy like Neo sees the Matrix. Randall James – Technologist, lore enthusiast, and fully prepared to duel Peter Jackson over which LotR edition reigns supreme. Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare. Fueled by sarcasm and sweet, sweet table-flipping energy. How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

Bask in the divine glow (and probably a few judgmental stares) as we ascend into the celestial tiers of tabletop gaming. Wings, halos, and passive-aggressive deities await. Did you miss out on our earlier, holier episodes? Good news! RPGBOT.net is now uploading archived episodes of the RPGBOT.Podcast to YouTube. That means you can binge our past wisdom, war crimes, and winged lectures while pretending to work or praying for better dice rolls. Subscribe now, and receive one free celestial side-eye from a planetar of your choice. SHOW NOTES Summary: The team cracks open the heavens and explores all things Celestial—those upper-planar beings with immaculate vibes and judgmental glowing eyes. From the serene beauty of devas to the bureaucratic nightmare of Inevitables, this episode dissects how Celestials work in your TTRPGs: their lore, how to use them as plot devices, and what happens when your party tries to seduce them (again). With their signature blend of encyclopedic knowledge and chaotic sarcasm, the RPGBOT crew explores: What even is a Celestial? (Hint: It's not just a cleric who moisturizes.) The pantheon of celestial creatures — from unicorns to couatls to things that make angels look like interns. How to use Celestials in your campaigns as guides, gatekeepers, or judgmental ex-boyfriends from the Upper Planes. Playing Celestial-adjacent characters without becoming the party's shining buzzkill. Why DMs love Celestials as moral speed bumps, divine errand runners, and "plot with wings." Alignments, ethics, and radiant damage—aka, “why your murderhobo has trust issues.” Campaign concepts involving Celestials: The angelic war in heaven, the paladin's divine caller ID, and the fallout from killing something with a name like "Seraph of Eternal Grace." KEY TAKEAWAYS: Celestials aren't just pretty faces with glowing swords—they can be plot-critical entities with vast powers and even vaster egos. They work great as moral foils, quest-givers, or that one NPC who insists on “just talking things out.” Radiant damage is what happens when light therapy goes wrong. Celestials in tabletop games should feel alien, awe-inspiring, and occasionally bureaucratic—like divine HR. If your party sees wings and decides to fight first, you might be the problem. The line between “savior” and “divine stalker” is thinner than an astral thread. Couatls are snakes that glow, fly, read your thoughts, and judge your fashion choices. Not all angels are good, not all demons are evil, and not all players understand subtlety. If you enjoy the show, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. It's a quick, free way to support the podcast, and helps us reach new listeners. If you love the show, consider joining us on Patreon, where backers at the $5 and above tiers get ad free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT.Podcast, can chat directly to members of the RPGBOT team and community on the RPGBOT.Discord, and can join us for live-streamed recordings. Support us on Amazon.com when you purchase products recommended in the show at the following link: https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

Battlecry!, Bigatures, and the Tank Fallacy: Pathfinder 2e's New Expansion Yells Into the Void (And We Love It!) You can now listen to archive episodes of the RPGBOT.Podcast on YouTube! Catch up on past adventures, deep dives, and spicy takes—now just a click away. Show Notes: In this episode, Tyler Kamstra, Randall James, and Ash Ely sound the alarm for Battlecry!, the latest Pathfinder 2e expansion that drops more mechanics than a dwarven siege engine. The Commander class steals the spotlight, offering the kind of battlefield support that makes your bard feel inadequate. Meanwhile, the Guardian shows up to shout "Taunt!" like it's 2004, then dares you to punch it in the face. New ancestries like the Jotunborn get critiqued (spoiler: they're tall, but not necessarily compelling), and the hosts break down how Pathfinder continues to make tactical party play both crunchy and fun. Also: AI voice acting is ruining everything, and Tyler wants his dang bigatures back. PF2 Battlecry Paizo Blog: Diamond Bankruptcy Update West Virginia Radio Quiet Zone Key Takeaways: Radio Silence Zone: It's real, it's weird, and it's the perfect setting for your next post-apocalyptic one-shot. AI is coming for your dice: The rise of AI in creative industries has the hosts (rightfully) worried—and not just about the quality of CGI. Battlecry is awesome: It brings bold new options with the Commander and Guardian classes, plus new ancestries, archetypes, and updated warfare mechanics. The Commander Class: A tactician's dream—boost allies, manage actions, and scream commands like a fantasy Napoleon. The Guardian Class: Not a traditional tank, but it taunts like one. Understanding the “tank fallacy” is key to using this class well. Reactions matter: Timing is everything. Pathfinder's layered action economy shines even brighter with these new mechanics. New archetypes = spicy builds: There's a lot to chew on for optimizers and roleplayers alike. Magic items and warfare: Updated systems offer more fun without bogging the game down. Diamond Comics' bankruptcy: A reminder of how fragile RPG distribution really is. The LotR extended editions debate: Nobody is neutral. Randall might duel Ash in a Cracks of Doom showdown. Call to Action: If you're a Pathfinder player, Battlecry is more than just a shout—it's a full-blown battle hymn. Whether you're a tactical mastermind or just here for the yelling, grab a copy of Battlecry, roll up a Commander or Guardian, and make your table tremble. Don't forget to subscribe to the RPGBOT.Podcast wherever you get your podcasts, and check out our archive of episodes now available on YouTube! Whether you're catching up or diving deep, we've got all the crunchy game mechanics, hot takes, and spicy builds you crave. Listen, laugh, optimize. If you enjoy the show, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. It's a quick, free way to support the podcast, and helps us reach new listeners. If you love the show, consider joining us on Patreon, where backers at the $5 and above tiers get ad free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT.Podcast, can chat directly to members of the RPGBOT team and community on the RPGBOT.Discord, and can join us for live-streamed recordings. Support us on Amazon.com when you purchase products recommended in the show at the following link: https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ Meet the Hosts: Tyler Kamstra – The tactical mind behind RPGBOT.net, Tyler sees the Pathfinder action economy like Neo sees the Matrix. Randall James – Technologist, lore enthusiast, and fully prepared to duel Peter Jackson over which LotR edition reigns supreme. Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare. Fueled by sarcasm and sweet, sweet table-flipping energy. How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

Strap in, space cadets—we're about to hyperjump into a galaxy where healing is done with stickers, rats are adorable, and gravity is optional. Past episodes of the RPGBOT.Podcast are now available on YouTube! Revisit our greatest hits, deepest takes, and most unhinged tangents with your eyeballs and your earholes. Just search for “RPGBOT.Podcast” on YouTube or follow the links from RPGBOT.net to join the chaos chronologically. Episode Summary: In this cosmic critique, the RPGBOT crew beams aboard the Starfinder 2e Player Core, phasers set to “analysis.” Between Randall's family hijinks and Ash's surprise character death, we dive deep into the shiny new mechanics, ancestries, and classes of Paizo's sci-fi sequel. We break down the gear, the grit, and the glorious Vesk while exploring how the Pathfinder-compatible system tries to balance heavy armor with heavier expectations. Whether you're building a star-powered Solarian or arguing with your GM about mixing Mystics into your Pathfinder campaign, this episode explores how Starfinder 2e hits orbit and what could still use a systems check. Starfinder 2e Player Core Starfinder Galaxy Guide (affiliate link) Paizo Blog: Diamond Bankruptcy Update Content from RPGBOT.net Starfinder 2e Articles RPGBOT.Podcast Episodes Starfinder 2e Galaxy Guide Review Key Takeaways: Randall's Weekend: Begins with dad jokes and ends with accidental inspiration for a space opera. Ash's Casual Casualty: Reminds us that player death is just character growth…with extra paperwork. Starfinder 2e Overview: It's not Pathfinder in space—it's Pathfinder adjacent with lasers. New Ancestries: Vesk: Lizardfolk? Yes. Fashion icons in power armor? Also yes. Isoki: Ratfolk who are more adorable than lethal—until they're not. Core Classes Breakdown: Envoy: Space Bard meets morale manager. Mystic: Heals, hurls psychic blasts, looks mysterious in low lighting. Operative: Basically John Wick in zero-g. Solarian: Wields the power of the sun like it's a casual Tuesday. Soldier: Power armor, big guns, and bigger “pew pew” energy. Gear Mechanics: No more "+3 laser rifles." It's about quality tiers, not raw numbers. Healing System: Bye-bye potions, hello med patches. It's healing… but make it cyberpunk. Cross-Compatibility: Yes, Starfinder 2 and Pathfinder 2e can play nice—but only if your GM survives the sanity check. If you enjoy the show, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. It's a quick, free way to support the podcast, and helps us reach new listeners. If you love the show, consider joining us on Patreon, where backers at the $5 and above tiers get ad free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT.Podcast, can chat directly to members of the RPGBOT team and community on the RPGBOT.Discord, and can join us for live-streamed recordings. Support us on Amazon.com when you purchase products recommended in the show at the following link: https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

Oops, All Corpses: Making TPKs Fun, Fair, and Hilariously Devastating Now on YouTube! That's right—RPGBOT.net is bringing the RPGBOT.Podcast archive to YouTube, so now you can re-live your favorite episodes or finally hear all the ones you missed while you were rolling death saves. Whether you're commuting, cooking, or crying over your latest character sheet, we've got you covered with full episodes, remastered for maximum tabletop chaos. Episode Notes In this hilariously grim episode, the RPGBOT.Podcast crew puts the "fun" back in "TPK." That's right—we're talking about Total Party Kills: when the dice betray you, the GM stops pulling punches, and your entire party is wiped out like yesterday's initiative order. Tyler, Randall, and Ash dissect the delicious disaster of a good ol' fashioned TPK—from the tactical errors that cause them to the storytelling opportunities they unlock. Whether your death was noble, stupid, or hilariously ironic, the gang's got hot takes and hard truths about why sometimes, failure is the most fun you can have with your character sheet still smoking. Also: funeral pyres, surviving by plot armor, and the one time someone definitely had it coming. RPGBOT.Pocast Episodes RPGBOT.Podcast Episode 10 – Horror RPGBOT.Podcast Episode 9 – Death RPGBOT.Podcast S2E10 – Session 0 Mörk Borg Cult: Heretic – RPGBOT.News S2E32 Fate of the Norns – RPGBOT.News S3E33 Doomed Forgotten Realms – RPGBOT.News S2E50 Content from RPGBOT.net Fate of the Norns – A Review DnD 5e – Practical Guide to Summoning Spells Other Stuff Leroy Jenkins Planescape: Torment Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft (affiliate link) Topics Covered: What actually qualifies as a TPK (spoiler: one wizard running off doesn't count). When to kill 'em all—and when to fudge the dice. How to make character death meaningful and not just “you slipped in a trap again.” Player buy-in and embracing the end like a dramatic Shakespearean hero. GM tips for turning a TPK into a launchpad for the next arc (or next party). The glory of high-stakes gameplay—because sometimes, you really should fight the dragon at level 3. Key Takeaways: Not all TPKs are bad: A well-earned TPK can be an epic finale, a new beginning, or a group-wide punchline. Fairness matters: If you're going to kill the party, make sure they had a fighting chance—or at least a cool last stand. Story is king: A good TPK should feel like a narrative climax, not just a punishment for bad tactics (though sometimes it's both). Session Zero helps: Set expectations early—if your GM is a killer DM, your group should know they're not here for storytime with Elmo. Debrief after death: Processing character loss together helps the group move forward—and maybe even laugh about it. Use TPKs creatively: Whether as a tragic end, a heroic sacrifice, or the cursed prequel to the real campaign, lean into the drama. Reincarnation is a thing: In fantasy RPGs, death might not be the end—unless it really needs to be. If you enjoy the show, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. It's a quick, free way to support the podcast, and helps us reach new listeners. If you love the show, consider joining us on Patreon, where backers at the $5 and above tiers get ad free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT.Podcast, can chat directly to members of the RPGBOT team and community on the RPGBOT.Discord, and can join us for live-streamed recordings. Support us on Amazon.com when you purchase products recommended in the show at the following link: https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

A candy dungeon, a dragon cult, and a bag that eats you—what could go wrong? You asked. We delved. You can now listen to past and present episodes of the RPGBOT.Podcast on YouTube! Whether you're deep cleaning your dice bag or prepping tonight's game, catch every optimization hot take and dragon-fueled derailment in high-def audio (and our beautiful logo in glorious static 1080p). Subscribe at YouTube.com/@RPGBOT — because dragons sound better at 1.25x speed. Episode Summary: The RPGBOT crew cracks open Dungeon Delves, the newest D&D 5E adventure anthology packed full of dragons, dungeons, and just enough whimsy to leave your party questioning reality. From solo player escapades to pastry-themed peril, the hosts review each of the anthology's adventures, exploring what works, what doesn't, and what got eaten by a Bag of Devouring. Spoiler alert: It's not just gear. Along the way, they celebrate user-friendly design, lament undercooked storylines, and argue over which dragon deserves to headline the next Broadway musical. Art and Arcana (affiliate link) Dragon Delves (affiliate link) Fizban's Treasury of Dragons (affiliate link) Key Takeaways: Adventure anthologies are great modular tools for GMs looking to plug-and-play without months of prep. Solo character adventures introduce exciting mechanical wrinkles and make a case for letting that one friend who always plays rogues just go for it. Hoard magic items are flavorful, fun, and make players feel very important. Art and layout are top-tier. Even the dragons look like they moisturize. Death at Sunset and The Will of Orcus are clear standouts—fun, well-paced, and full of dragon drama. A Copper for a Song and Sandstone City left the crew hungry for more danger and depth (and less polite puzzle-solving). Good adventure design balances meaningful player choices with challenge. Not every dungeon needs a TPK, but it should at least try. Remember: If a Bag of Devouring starts to wiggle, you're already dead. If you enjoy the show, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. It's a quick, free way to support the podcast, and helps us reach new listeners. If you love the show, consider joining us on Patreon, where backers at the $5 and above tiers get ad free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT.Podcast, can chat directly to members of the RPGBOT team and community on the RPGBOT.Discord, and can join us for live-streamed recordings. Support us on Amazon.com when you purchase products recommended in the show at the following link: https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

Warlocks, Mystic Arcanum, and Our Deeply Cursed MySpace Past – Now Optimized for Maximum Emotional Damage! Tired of forgetting what Tyler said about multiclassing back in 2021? Want to relive the glory days of your favorite hot takes, Warlock rants, and deeply cursed jokes? Good news! RPGBOT.net is proud to announce that archived episodes of the RPGBOT.Podcast are now available on YouTube. That's right—every mispronounced spell, every wizard tangent, every moment of Tyler realizing he's said something horrible is now accessible. Search “RPGBOT Podcast” on YouTube and hit that play button like it owes you an Eldritch Invocation. A huge thanks to our guest, Gabe Greenspan — actor, writer, professional chaos gremlin, and the only person brave enough to optimize Warlocks and still talk about MySpace unironically. Gabe's insight runs as deep as his playlist is unhinged, and if you enjoyed this episode, you need to check out his other work: Total Party Skill – where razor-sharp theorycraft collides with chaotic actual play Tabletop Tunes – the ultimate soundtrack for your bard, your boss fights, or your brooding warlock vibes And learn more about Gabe at gabegreenspan.com, where the comedy's punchy, the projects are plentiful, and the bio page probably isn't haunted. Probably. Because let's be honest—every optimized Warlock deserves a killer theme song and a guest appearance from someone cooler than their DM. Show Notes This episode, we go from Dial-Up to Die-Resonance. The RPGBOT crew welcomes back Gabe Greenspan for part 2 of the Warlock optimization series using the D&D 2024 ruleset. After a brief trip down memory lane to the pixelated glory of MySpace Top 8s and AIM away messages, the conversation dives headfirst into Warlock mechanics from level 10 all the way to 20. Tyler, Randall, and Ash—plus Gabe—discuss spell selection, Mystic Arcanum picks, Eldritch Invocations, and the emotional weight of choosing your level 20 capstone. There's an alarming amount of love for spells that make you omnipresent, and maybe a bit too much nostalgia for the early internet. You'll laugh, you'll optimize, and you might question your teenage social media presence. From the philosophical (“What does it mean to be a Warlock?”) to the practical (“Why is Misty Step still doing so much work?”), this episode gives you the strategy, humor, and memes you need to build a Warlock that slaps—whether you're blasting, hexing, or sipping potions made of regret. Key Takeaways MySpace Trauma is Real: The team explores how early internet experiences shaped their current personalities... and also their spell lists. Spell Selection Is Everything: Choosing the right spells is like curating your Top 8—deeply personal, slightly toxic, and possibly game-breaking. Mystic Arcanum = Late Game Power: Learn which spells will turn your Warlock from “mysterious loner” into “arcane juggernaut.” Leveling with Purpose: Level 10 through 20 contains major decision points that define how your Warlock handles endgame content, narrative moments, and group synergy. Multiclass Temptations: Warlocks continue to be the gateway class for players who want to dip a toe in every magical pond. Warlock 2024 Is Glowing Up: The new rules breathe life into a class that was already beloved. Now it's leaner, meaner, and finally makes sense at higher levels. Meta Humor + Mechanics = RPGBOT: Balancing crunchy optimization with existential jokes is our specialty—and also the entire episode. If you enjoy the show, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. It's a quick, free way to support the podcast, and helps us reach new listeners. If you love the show, consider joining us on Patreon, where backers at the $5 and above tiers get ad free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT.Podcast, can chat directly to members of the RPGBOT team and community on the RPGBOT.Discord, and can join us for live-streamed recordings. Support us on Amazon.com when you purchase products recommended in the show at the following link: https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

We're Not Saying You Should Jump… But Here's How to Survive When You Inevitably Do RPGBOT.net Presents Past Mistakes in Glorious 1080p Want to see how deep the rules rabbit hole really goes? Or maybe you just miss hearing Tyler's voice explain gravity damage like it's a TED Talk about falling down stairs. Either way, rejoice! Past episodes of the RPGBOT.Podcast are now available on YouTube. That's right—you can watch us talk about jumping in TTRPGs while quietly judging our dice rolls and decisions. Head to YouTube and search RPGBOT.Podcast, or visit RPGBOT.net to catch up on all the physics-defying, rules-lawyering, gravity-defying goodness. Show Notes – Jumping (Yes, Really) In this remastered episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, the gang takes a long, hard leap into the mechanics of jumping in tabletop role-playing games. Whether you're trying to cross a chasm, leap onto a moving cart, or just escape your problems with a dramatic rooftop exit, this episode breaks down how jumping actually works—and how it should work—across Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder systems. Tyler, Randall, and Ash discuss the rules-as-written, the rules-as-abused, and the physics-as-ignored, covering how different systems treat vertical leaps, long jumps, and gravity's cruel embrace. Expect intense debates on standing jumps, running starts, and whether barbarians are just kangaroos in plate mail. And yes, Tyler did the math. Again. Key Takeaways: D&D 5e's jump rules are deceptively simple, which means players either forget they exist or completely break them with Strength scores that shouldn't be legal. Pathfinder 2e offers more structured mechanics, but the math still gets wild when people start asking how fast someone can fall upward. Movement matters. A running start can double your jump distance—unless you forgot you're wearing heavy armor and just did a faceplant off a ledge. Gravity always wins. Unless you're a monk, a bird, or someone with Feather Fall queued up like an escape clause. Vertical jumps are not your friend. Want to leap 10 feet straight up? Better bring a ladder or a wizard. Fall damage is a harsh mistress. DMs often improvise gravity as punishment for clever ideas. Ash thinks jumping is overrated. Also, he doesn't trust horses. This is probably unrelated, but important. Randall's Rule of Cool: If a cinematic leap sounds awesome, do it—and then figure out the rules after you land. Tyler's Law of Calculated Regret: Always check your jump distance before describing your character leaping across a 30-foot canyon. DMs should know the jump rules—but also know when to throw them out the window like a rogue with a running start and nothing to lose. If you enjoy the show, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. It's a quick, free way to support the podcast, and helps us reach new listeners. If you love the show, consider joining us on Patreon, where backers at the $5 and above tiers get ad free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT.Podcast, can chat directly to members of the RPGBOT team and community on the RPGBOT.Discord, and can join us for live-streamed recordings. Support us on Amazon.com when you purchase products recommended in the show at the following link: https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

A warlock, a podcaster, and a spider walk into a subclass draft. Guess which one survives? Tired of forgetting what Tyler said about multiclassing back in 2021? Want to relive the glory days of your favorite hot takes, Warlock rants, and deeply cursed jokes? Good news! RPGBOT.net is proud to announce that archived episodes of the RPGBOT.Podcast are now available on YouTube. That's right—every mispronounced spell, every wizard tangent, every moment of Tyler realizing he's said something horrible is now visually accessible. Search “RPGBOT Podcast” on YouTube and hit that play button like it owes you an Eldritch Invocation. A huge thanks to our guest, Gabe Greenspan — actor, writer, professional chaos gremlin, and the only person brave enough to optimize Warlocks and still talk about MySpace unironically. Gabe's insight runs as deep as his playlist is unhinged, and if you enjoyed this episode, you need to check out his other work: Total Party Skill – where razor-sharp theorycraft collides with chaotic actual play Tabletop Tunes – the ultimate soundtrack for your bard, your boss fights, or your brooding warlock vibes Because let's be honest—every optimized Warlock deserves a killer theme song and a guest appearance from someone cooler than their DM. Episode Notes In this episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, the crew dives headfirst into the infernal depths of Warlock optimization using the 2024 D&D rules—and they bring backup. Special guest Gabe Greenspan, co-host of Total Party Skill, joins Tyler, Randall, and Ash for a warlock subclass draft with high stakes, dark bargains, and more tactical wizardry than your average infernal patron would allow. The team begins with an inside look at their podcast dynamics (spoiler: there's a countdown and Tyler's fear of spiders) before summoning Gabe to the virtual table. What follows is a strategic subclass showdown where each host selects Warlock builds using the updated 2024 rules. Along the way, they explore new features like Magical Cunning, enhanced invocations like Agonizing Blast (yes, you can double dip), and freshly buffed staples like Fiendish Vigor. They highlight the tactical benefits of spells like Bane, Fairy Fire, and Protection from Evil and Good, while also emphasizing the narrative fun of backgrounds, species, and Awakened Mind-fueled party banter. If you've ever wanted to optimize a Warlock who can hide in plain sight, strike fear into the hearts of fiends, and psychically text their party mid-fight, this episode's for you. Steinhardt's Guide to the Eldritch Hunt Sublime (the band) Key Takeaways Gabe Greenspan brings big optimizer energy and podcast finesse to the table. Tyler really hates spiders. Like, a lot. You can take Agonizing Blast more than once in the 2024 rules, and yes, it's worth it. Fiendish Vigor got a glow-up and now comes preloaded with better survivability. Bane is lowkey busted now—enemy saves are easier to tank in the new rules. Invisibility-on-demand is real, thanks to improved invocations. Warlocks can now customize their playstyle far more than in previous editions. Party synergy matters, especially when everyone is making dark deals for spell slots. Spell selection is more important than ever, with crowd control and tactical choices front and center. The team shares character backstories that range from whimsical to unhinged (looking at you, TORTAL). Character drafts are a great way to explore subclass features in a fun and collaborative format. If you enjoy the show, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. It's a quick, free way to support the podcast, and helps us reach new listeners. If you love the show, consider joining us on Patreon, where backers at the $5 and above tiers get ad free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT.Podcast, can chat directly to members of the RPGBOT team and community on the RPGBOT.Discord, and can join us for live-streamed recordings. Support us on Amazon.com when you purchase products recommended in the show at the following link: https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

TPK'd by Boredom: The Unearthed Arcana Wizard Review You Didn't Know You Needed (But Absolutely Deserved) This episode is sponsored by Dungeonflow.app — your one-stop shop for prepping tabletop RPGs without needing a Philosopher's Stone or a necromantic ritual. Whether you're building combat encounters, crafting creepy room descriptions, or generating traps that scream "this is absolutely a mimic," DungeonFlow helps you get from “session prep” to “actual fun” faster than a wizard can say Teleport. Try it today and let your players think you actually planned all that chaos. Show Notes: In this second arcane-infused episode of our Unearthed Arcana 2025 Arcane Subclass Review, the RPGBOT.Podcast crew digs into the grimy, glittery, and occasionally disappointing world of Wizard subclasses in Dungeons & Dragons. With a recent brush with TPK in Pathfinder fresh in their minds, the hosts pivot hard into analyzing how these newest subclass offerings stack up in the evolving landscape of tabletop RPG mechanics. We cover the Necromancer and Transmuter in painstaking detail—because someone had to—and explore what happens when spellcasting flavor is buried under generic mechanics. You'll hear: Our collective lamentation over how the 2014 Necromancer outshines its 2025 counterpart like a lich at a zombie-themed talent show. Thoughts on summoning mechanics and why “quantity over quality” isn't cutting it in modern RPG gameplay. How enchantment magic still feels like it belongs in the villain starter pack, and whether that stigma is deserved. A breakdown of the Transmuter's identity crisis—do we really need another subclass pretending to be Fullmetal Alchemist Lite? The case for letting polymorphing shine, and why Split Transmutation sounds way cooler than it actually is. A not-so-gentle rant about teleportation fatigue—yes, it's cool, but must every subclass get a blink-and-you're-there feature? Why holding a spellbook to use subclass features feels like the worst homework assignment in tabletop gaming. And, of course, a discussion on the balance between fun and mechanics, the impact of community feedback, and the ever-ongoing quest for innovative gameplay design in D&D and beyond. Unearthed Arcana: Arcane Subclasses Content from RPGBOT.net UA: Arcane Subclasses Review Key Takeaways: Preparation matters—whether you're avoiding a TPK or building a viable subclass. Necromancers deserve unique summons, not recycled skeletons with a new paint job. Enchantment continues to struggle with its PR campaign. It's not always evil, but it's rarely exciting. Summoning mechanics need a redesign that favors creativity and flavor over sheer volume. Teleportation overload is turning arcane subclasses into a game of magical leapfrog. Holding your spellbook to unlock powers is a mechanic best left in the "Why?" folder. The 2014 Necromancer had more thematic weight and better gameplay synergy. The Transmuter subclass lacks a clear identity and desperately needs a polymorph glow-up. Wondrous Enhancement is a rare bright spot, making Enhance Ability actually feel worth casting. Overall, the Unearthed Arcana material feels like wasted potential—players crave excitement, not just another stack of mechanics. Community feedback is essential—without it, subclasses like these risk fading into obscurity like a wizard failing a concentration check. If you enjoy the show, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. It's a quick, free way to support the podcast, and helps us reach new listeners. If you love the show, consider joining us on Patreon, where backers at the $5 and above tiers get ad free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT.Podcast, can chat directly to members of the RPGBOT team and community on the RPGBOT.Discord, and can join us for live-streamed recordings. Support us on Amazon.com when you purchase products recommended in the show at the following link: https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

Knowledge skills: because sometimes knowing what's in the dungeon is more important than knowing how to kill it. In this episode, the RPGBOT.Podcast crew breaks down the often-overlooked but mechanically vital Knowledge skills in tabletop RPGs like Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder. The gang explores how these skills function in the game, how they've changed over editions, and why your party's lore nerd is secretly carrying your campaign. They explore how Knowledge checks can enrich worldbuilding, deepen immersion, and add mechanical weight to player choices. Whether you're identifying a creature, recalling ancient lore, or flexing your Arcana at a smug wizard, the right knowledge at the right time can mean the difference between survival and a total party kill. The episode also dives into how different systems handle knowledge, including Pathfinder 1e's granular Knowledge skills, D&D 5e's streamlined Intelligence-based skills, and how GMs can reward players for investing in information-gathering instead of just smiting things with swords or spells. Key Takeaways: Knowledge skills are essential for both roleplay depth and mechanical advantage. They can be undervalued by players but are a powerful tool when supported by the GM. Systems vary widely in how they handle knowledge – make sure to know what's available to you. GMs should reward curiosity and learning with story reveals, tactical insight, and world connection. Players who invest in knowledge can shift the direction of the story, avoid deadly fights, and impress powerful NPCs. Lore-focused characters add richness and versatility to any party—especially in exploration-heavy campaigns. If you enjoy the show, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. It's a quick, free way to support the podcast, and helps us reach new listeners. If you love the show, consider joining us on Patreon, where backers at the $5 and above tiers get ad free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT.Podcast, can chat directly to members of the RPGBOT team and community on the RPGBOT.Discord, and can join us for live-streamed recordings. Support us on Amazon.com when you purchase products recommended in the show at the following link: https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

Hexblades, Tattoos, and AI—Oh My! The Unearthed Arcana Subclass Roast Begins! This episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast is sponsored by our friends at DungeonFlow.app — the fastest way to go from “I have five minutes to prep” to “My players think I'm a genius.” Generate dungeons, traps, room descriptions, and now combat encounters with just a few clicks. It's like having a magical AI intern that doesn't eat your snacks or argue about flanking rules. Check it out today! In this episode, the RPGBOT crew puts on their wizard hats and dives face-first into the latest batch of Unearthed Arcana content from Wizards of the Coast. What's on the menu? A buffet of subclasses that range from “pretty okay” to “who let this out of playtesting?” The team kicks things off by discussing the role of AI in gaming, including its growing influence, its potential for humor, and whether it can generate a subclass that doesn't suck (spoiler: jury's still out). Then, the hosts dive into some of the new arcane-themed subclass options currently in public playtest. From the Arcana Domain Cleric's handy new toolkit to the Arcane Archer's complete renovation (now with fewer reasons to cry), they explore the good, the bad, and the “seriously, why does the Tattooed Warrior Monk need a short rest for this?” They also take aim at the Ancestral Sorcery subclass, which is trying to make "spiritual déjà vu" a core mechanic. Meanwhile, everyone wrestles with the realization that the once-iconic Hexblade may have lost its edge (both literally and figuratively). Finally, the crew speculates wildly (as tradition demands) about future D&D releases, including whether Elminster is due for a gritty reboot and if spellcasters can finally just have one subclass that doesn't explode under scrutiny. Unearthed Arcana: Arcane Subclasses Content from RPGBOT.net UA: Arcane Subclasses Review Key Takeaways: AI in TTRPGs can enhance gameplay—and jokes—when used well. The Arcana Domain Cleric gets quality-of-life boosts that feel earned and fun. Arcane Archer is no longer just sad Legolas with homework; resource management changes help a lot. Tattooed Warrior Monk has style points but flops on execution—it's got big “cool tattoo, bro” energy with little payoff. Ancestral Sorcery adds flavor but not much else—do sorcerers really need more ancestry? Balancing class features is hard, but essential to avoid power creep or boredom. The Hexblade, once a fan favorite, now feels more like “that guy who peaked in 5E launch week.” Passive features are fine, but active abilities are what keep players engaged. Concentration mechanics continue to frustrate spellcasters everywhere. (Can we please have a nap?) Player feedback is shaping the next generation of D&D—keep yelling (constructively). The crew remains hopeful about future releases, including a potential return to iconic characters like Elminster. Want a second helping of subclass critiques and wizard-fueled speculation? Stay tuned for Part 2! If you enjoy the show, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. It's a quick, free way to support the podcast, and helps us reach new listeners. If you love the show, consider joining us on Patreon, where backers at the $5 and above tiers get ad free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT.Podcast, can chat directly to members of the RPGBOT team and community on the RPGBOT.Discord, and can join us for live-streamed recordings. Support us on Amazon.com when you purchase products recommended in the show at the following link: https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati