Podcasts about crit academy

Dice and Dialogue Episode 12 | Furhaven Campaign Overview & Additional Tips to Enhance Your Game The Furhaven campaign takes place in the town of Furhaven, where tensions between two factions, the Furs and the Feathers, are escalating. The players, a group of young adventurers known as the Younglings, are caught in the middle of a conspiracy! Throughout the campaign, the players uncover clues and face various challenges. The campaign highlights themes of betrayal, loyalty, and the struggle for power. It offers opportunities for stealth, combat, and problem-solving. With its engaging story, suspenseful moments, and a mix of urban and wilderness exploration, the Furhaven campaign offers players a thrilling and memorable adventure in a world filled with intrigue and danger.

In the immortal words of The Bard… “To roll or not to roll, that is the question…” Rolling dice is the cornerstone of TTRPGs, because without them, as DM Chris says, we're just telling a story as we play with our GI Joe's in the backyard. So, when you're running a session, when do you decide to haventhe players, and yourself, pick up the dice? In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave springboard off a listener question that deals with trying to speed the game up in a homebrewed superhero campaign. From here, the 3 Wise DMs delve deeper into the big question of when to roll and when not to roll.And when you are rolling dice… head over to our affiliate link at FanRoll Dice and receive 10% off your entire order!2:45 Static Damage: The difference between players and DMs.9:30 The “DM Decision Helper”: Using dice to decide who's attacking who.13:00 Using dice to bring characters back into the action.15:00 When too much rolling can lead to inevitable failure.17:20 Using dice to avoid “Roleplay Slog.”18:30 “Dungeon Crawl Lubricant”: Easing decisions in a dungeon crawl to move the session forward.19:40 The Return of Castle Greyhawk!23:30 Our tangent into the issues with Hexcrawls within 5e.25:40 Rolling dice to affect the Slog Trinity: Combat, Roleplay, or Exploration.32:50 Rolling dice to avoid the DM soliloquy: An example from our Dragonlance campaign.36:30 The time not to roll: Random Treasure.37:40 Final Thoughts – Capes and Crooks from Crit Academy.

Dice and Dialogue Episode 11 | Furhaven: Character Creation and Furry Adventures Enter Furhaven, a realm where sentient animals roam and thrive. Choose your fur type and delve into a world brimming with rich lore and diverse cultures. Unleash your creativity as you craft a unique character, blending fur traits, backstory, and mechanics for an unforgettable journey in this vibrant setting.

Dice and Dialogue Episode 10 | Introduction to Fate's End: Furhaven The World of Aloria is a place of mystery and danger where adorable characters undertake dangerous quests to protect their families and homes. The main hub of commerce and civilization is the settlement of Furhaven, a large community of humble Furs from throughout the forests, pastures, and sunny spaces. Furhaven is an exciting campaign setting for 5th Edition, full of colorful characters, magical items and spells, new races, and daring adventures.

Dice and Dialogue Episode 9 | Advanced Techniques and Tips for Mastering Monster of the Week  Have you ever struggled with keeping your players engaged and invested in your campaigns? Monster of the Week offers a unique approach to storytelling that can help. Listen in to learn how to create memorable moments and build tension in your games.

Dice and Dialogue Episode 7 | Introduction to Monster of the Week Have you ever wanted to hunt monsters like Buffy the Vampire Slayer or the Winchesters from Supernatural? Join us as we explore Monster of the Week, the tabletop roleplaying game that lets you do just that! Get More Details Here: https://www.critacademy.com/post/Introduction-to-Monster-of-the-Week Crit Academy: Dice and Dialogue is a TTRPG Discussion Podcast. Join us as we try out a variety of tabletop games and then share our experiences with you. We will discuss what makes each game special, what we feel could use improvement, and what aspects you can integrate into other TTRPG games. We will also talk system agnostic tips and tricks that you can bring to your game table. From the team that brought you 300 episodes of Crit Academy A Dungeons and Dragons Discussion podcast, comes a new show: Crit Academy: Dice and Dialogue with hosts Justin, Ian, Brandon, and Aelx. Our hosts each bring different experiences, viewpoints, and styles to the games and discussions. New episodes are released bi-weekly on all major podcast platforms. Follow us now and never miss an episode!   --------------------------------

Dice and Dialogue Episode 6 | Mastering the Shadows: Advanced Gameplay in Blades in the Dark Get ready to level up your Blades in the Dark game! We're diving into advanced gameplay techniques to enhance your experience. From fiction-first gaming to supernatural elements, we'll explore important aspects of playing at a high level. Join us as we discuss Doskvol's history and culture, advanced abilities, and more. So grab your dice and let's dive in!  

Dice and Dialogue Episode 5 | Creating Characters and Crews in Blades in the Dark Get ready to dive into the gritty and thrilling world of Blades in the Dark! In this episode, we're discussing the crucial elements of character and crew creation and why they're so important for gameplay. Join us as we explore the seven unique playbooks, the process of creating a crew and selecting standard items, and the various crew types, including our own. We'll also be delving into crew upgrades, managing cohorts, and much more. Don't miss out on this exciting introduction to Blades in the Dark! 

Dice and Dialogue 4 | Step into the World of Blades in the Dark for Thrilling RPG Heists Step into the dark and dangerous world of Doskvol with our Blades in the Dark mini-series. Join us as we guide you through the seedy underbelly of this gritty city and experience thrilling heists, dangerous encounters, and nail-biting action. Whether you're a seasoned gamer or a newcomer to the world of RPGs, our podcast will keep you on the edge of your seat and leave you craving for more. Are you ready to roll the dice and take on the shadows?

Dice and Dialogue Episode 3 | Cypher System Rules & Mechanics to Enhance your TTRPG Experience Join us as we explore the Cypher System rules and learn how to use its unique mechanics to enhance your tabletop RPG experience. From using Cyphers to introducing GM Intrusions, we'll show you how to tailor the rules to fit any table and create memorable stories with your players. Whether you're a seasoned RPG veteran or a newcomer to the genre, the Ninth World and the Cypher System RPG offer an exciting and immersive gaming experience that is sure to captivate and inspire. So grab your dice and join us as we create some characters!

Dice and Dialogue Episode 2 | Character Creation in Numenera and the Cypher System Join us as we discuss our first-hand experience creating characters for the first time in Numenera and the Cypher System, a tabletop roleplaying game set in a far-future world. From choosing your character Type and Descriptor to assigning pools and choosing abilities, equipment, and Cyphers, this podcast will guide you through the process of bringing your character to Life. Whether you're a seasoned RPG veteran or a newcomer to the genre, the Ninth World and the Cypher System RPG offer an exciting and immersive gaming experience that is sure to captivate and inspire. So grab your dice and join us as we create some characters!

Crit Academy is joined by Ferruccio to discuss Blod and Doom, a dark fantasy tabletop roleplaying game. The players take on the role of adventurers in a doomed world where the influence of malevolent cults is slowly corrupting the land and its people, with secrets and danger lurking around every corner.

Crit Academy: Dice and Dialogue is a TTRPG Discussion Podcast. Join us as we try out a variety of tabletop games and then share our experiences with you. We will discuss what makes each game special, what we feel could use improvement, and what aspects you can integrate into other TTRPG games. We will also talk system agnostic tips and tricks that you can bring to your game table. From the team that brought you 300 episodes of Crit Academy A Dungeons and Dragons Discussion podcast, comes a new show: Crit Academy: Dice and Dialogue with hosts Justin, Ian, Brandon, and Aelx. Our hosts each bring different experiences, viewpoints, and styles to the games and discussions.  New episodes are released bi-weekly on all major podcast platforms. Follow us now and never miss an episode! Visit us at www.critacademy.com Follow us on Social Media: @critacademy Subscribe to your Youtube Channel

Crit Academy shares memories of 7 years of Dungeons and Dragons content. All the host talk about their favorite memories from the show, games, and more. Even managed to bring Austin and Ryan for their favorite memories. Get notified when Dice and Dialogue goes live.

DSCRYB.com is an essential website for game masters and players of role-playing games such as Dungeons and Dragons. The website offers a wide range of tools and resources to enhance the gaming experience, including descriptive text, maps, and even voice-over.

So you're looking to try a new roleplaying game not owned by back-stabbing thieving rogues eh? Well, lucky for you, there are plenty of great games that have been overshadowed by the multimillion-dollar budget thieves guild. Join us today as we get SAVAGE with the critically acclaimed Savage Worlds. Get your copy here! 

Get your copy here! https://www.critacademy.com/critstore/p/extraordinary-player-options 

A dangerous destination is not a place most regular folk would want to go (though, there are certainly some intrepid adventurers with little regard for their own safety). The realms of fantasy are full of challenge, darkness, and peril. Adventurers are, to a large degree, as admired as they are because of their willingness to go to these places, to deal with that which threatens the peace of the land. Without danger, there's no adventure. So, what are these places, where are they, and what is happening there? That is what this book will help you discover.

With the guys off on a holiday vacation, Justin was invited to join Aelxbomb on her Twitch Channel to talk about her upcoming project Alex's Bombastic Oddities, written by Aelx herself and published by Crit Academy. This book is filled to the brim with a collection Aelx herself has created over the years of GMing, of things, stories, jokes, and more designed to do one thing: spark something. That's the real purpose of this book, not to tell you what to create but to lead you to create it all on your own. Her hope is that the things in this book serve as anchor points that propel your mind into the sea of life abundant and allow the spark of inspiration to burst into a cataclysm that can only be tamed by furious writing of your newfound ideas.

D&D Advice: Frame Job! | Unearthed Tips and Tricks Podcast Some of the best encounters in Dungeons & Dragons revolve around political intrigue and espionage. Give a listen as we give a great Player tip on turning a crappy cantrip into a surprisingly useful tool. Listen as Crit Academy drops a new encounter, monster, magic item, and tips and tricks to help improve your Dungeons and Dragons game. Please give a listen as we top you off with much more DnD goodness to bring with you on your next adventure.

Embark on a journey that might involve dungeons, might involve dragons, and is guaranteed to be unlike anything you've ever experienced. It's a unique, unpredictable adventure that's never the same quest twice. Dive into this raucous comedic explosion full of riddles, puzzles, combat, and more — the story's in your hands and YOU must decide our heroes' fate. Laugh along and choose between over thirty playable characters as they explore dozens of different rooms and race toward an incredible, one-of-a-kind ending based on your actions and decisions. At THE TWENTY-SIDED TAVERN, you are not merely an audience member; you are an adventurer ready to change the fate of the world around you, and the story will never be the same again. “The reigning expert on bringing the role-playing experience to the stage.” – Neil Patrick Harris

D&D Advice: Smite Shards, More Smite Fuel! | Unearthed Tips and Tricks Podcast The world of fantasy RPGs is full of magical artifacts, created by accident. So what happens when a high-level celestial touches the mortal realm? They leave a divine smite shard. Perfect for fueling your favorite paladin ability. Listen as Crit Academy drops a new encounter, monster, magic item, and tips and tricks to help improve your Dungeons and Dragons game. Please give a listen as we top you off with much more DnD goodness to bring with you on your next adventure.

Do your characters look forward to seeing some of your NPCs again? Well, strap in! Today we discuss how to fill your world with Cute and Lovable NPCs that the players will love.

D&D Advice: Becoming the Characters' Biggest Fan | Unearthed Tips and Tricks Podcast When it comes to Dungeons and Dragons, it can be easy to get caught up in our own stories as Dungeon Masters. It's important to remember, for a game to be truly great, you must become the character's biggest fan. Listen as Crit Academy drops a new encounter, monster, magic item, and tips and tricks to help improve your Dungeons and Dragons game. Please give a listen as we top you off with much more DnD goodness to bring with you on your next adventure.

Better Backgrounds is a 5e book full of backgrounds that give you fun new things to spend your hit dice on. You could take the ordinary boring Soldier background from the PHB, which gives you two skill proficiencies and a bunch of other junk you'll never use, or you could take the Soldier background from this book, which gives you the same two skills but also lets you spend hit dice on Battlemaster tactics or extra attacks. The noble background can spend hit dice as a reaction to mimic the Leadership ability that you see in NPC stat blocks sometimes, and a folk hero can permanently reduce their hit dice - but not their HP - for additional save proficiencies. Get Better Backgrounds Here

D&D Advice: Papa Smurf Gonna Whoop that Ass | Unearthed Tips and Tricks Podcast Crit Academy drops a new encounter, monster, magic item, and tips and tricks to help improve your Dungeons and Dragons game. Our monster the arctic tinkerer looks a bit like papa smurf, let the derail begin. Give a listen as we top you off with so much more DnD goodness for you to bring with you on your next adventure.

Arguably one of the best parts of any Dungeon Master's prep in Dungeons and Dragons is the design, creation, and fleshing out of a great and thrilling adventure. This can be a struggle for some DMs, while for others it's as natural as breathing. Well, I'm not gifted in this respect, so I rely on guides and tools to ensure I put together fun and engaging stories for my players. For this, I scour the books I've collected over my 20+ years of D&D. During this search I uncovered a solid bit of advice from one of the most hated versions of the game, Fourth Edition. Join us live as we go into detail on each of these points further on our Youtube Channel.

Today is a mini-listener mailbag episode addressing two major aspects of horror games, tension at the table and corruption in your game world.  Please listen in as Jeremy discusses two questions from listeners like you.   #DMTips #DnD #DungeonsandDragons #Pathfinder   Resources: 3D Crafts and Curios on Facebook:  https://www.etsy.com/shop/3DCraftsAndCurios  3D Crafts and Curios on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/3dcraftscurios/  Fairy Tower we are giving away:  https://www.etsy.com/listing/1146552166/fairy-dice-tower-fates-end-tabletop?click_key=39401705e45a55583044da45f50f127cf7c5c466%3A1146552166&click_sum=ca4d715d&ga_search_query=fairy&ref=shop_items_search_2&frs=1&sts=1   Tension Pool - https://theangrygm.com/definitive-tension-pool/ Crit Academy - https://www.youtube.com/c/CritAcademy/videos John Fourr on Building Tension - https://www.roleplayingtips.com/rptn/6-more-exciting-ways-to-create-tension/ Trajectory of Fear by Ash Law - https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BzBGv7T2YMphdjlZNFVKa1pQZjg/view?resourcekey=0-kJSbTSzALd8aKnHMv8pKQg

Do you love hunting massive monsters and using their corpses to craft rare and fantastical weapons? Do you wish D&D 5e included good details for this? Well, strap in as we delve into Amellwind's Guide to Monster Hunting! As part of its core gameplay, players use loot gained from slaying monsters, gathering resources, and quest rewards to craft improved weapons, armor, and other items that allow them to face more powerful monsters. Pick up Amellwind's Guide to Monster Hunting here!

Lair actions, introduced in D&D 5th Edition, give shape to epic battles by introducing new gameplay mechanics which the players will associate with a boss monster for years to come. However, despite the fact that player characters face off against boss monsters at every tier of play, only a small portion of creatures, most of which in the 3rd and 4th tiers of play, were given lair actions. Homefield Advantage provides a collection of over 250 unique sets of lair actions, covering more than 320 of the most iconic D&D creatures, so that you can create thrilling boss battles for every tier of play, and breathe new life into some of your old favorites. Get Home-field Advantage!

D&D Advice: Points of Interest | Unearthed Tips and Tricks Podcast 3 Crit Academy drops a new monster, magic item and tips and tricks to help improve your Dungeons and Dragons game. Our monster, the Shadowborn undead will hunt down the bastard who betrayed it while it was still living. No matter who gets in its way...

The best information adventurers in Dungeons and Dragons seek isn't found in a Tavern or an Inn but inside a seedy dive. Stick around as we delve into how to create a great seedy dive for your more unscrupulous characters to gather information or pass their downtime.

Unearthed Tips and Tricks Podcast 2 Crit Academy talks about the multiple benefits of using animate dead spells that are more than just zombie meat shields and so much more.

How to create your own alphabet for your stories and campaigns. Have you ever designed your own fictional alphabet for your Dungeons and Dragons world? Well, strap in as we discuss doing just that. These simple steps will bring a level of awesome to your campaign that you will never forget.

In 5e the single largest lackluster choice is the weapon. There isn't much in the way of uniqueness to separate them, except for maybe the damage die and a few restricting traits. Not to mention, some of the weapons are literally EXACTLY the same (looking at you polearms). Today we discuss Exotic Equipment Perks! Make your choice of weapon and armor matter!

Wizards have announced the next evolution of Dungeons and Dragons, and it isn't a new Edition! Today we discuss the first of many pieces of playtest material for the 2024 update for the Player's Handbook for the world's greatest roleplaying game, Character Origins. As always, the Unearthed Arcana material is playtest and is subject to change. Should mechanics and concepts pass onto the next steps of developing their strength with being rebalanced to have an appropriate level of power when compared to similar characteristics. The Crit Academy Team delves into these changes and provides some of our own thoughts on it.

How do I Run Monster Hordes in D&D? Looking to pit your characters against the creatures of hell flooding through a rift? Well, today we teach you a simple technique to do just that. Join us as we share How to Run Monster Hordes in Dungeons & Dragons.

Building an entire world for your roleplaying game is a HUGE amount of work. What if, with a click of a button you could have a world map, regions, cities, towns, villages, and more all created in just seconds? Well, with Azgaar's Fantasy Map Generator, you can do just that! There are thousands of map generators in the world. But few in our experience can provide as much detail as Azgaar's. So, what does it do? Well, it of course automatically creates an entire world map. Immediately the map is created and an overview is given. In the overview, we can see all of the major kingdoms and their borders. The map and the details take on a watercolor-like art style, which is really nice. The different kingdoms have slightly varying colors that really stand out quite well. Right from here, the brain can start processing the vastness of the world. One that was created in seconds. Each of the names can easily be edited so you can add in your own special names where your stories take place, but reduces the extra workload. We can think of this entire creation as a template if we want. Of course, most map generators can do this much. So let's dig into what really sets apart Azgaar's map generator.

The Wonders of the Multiverse continue to grow! The new Unearthed Arcana playtest is here! Stick around as we delve into a new race, the fate domain cleric, backgrounds, feats and more.

Looking to scratch that Dungeons and Dragons itch while you wait for your next session? Well, Solasta: Crown of Magister is here to relieve that uncomfortable irritation. We are going to delve into the game and how it compares to its tabletop counterpart, as well as what it doesn't do quite well.

Hidden behind closed doors and lurking in unseen strongholds, dark forces gather. Today we reveal some of their secrets in Loresmyth's Remarkable Cults and their Followers.

The world of Dungeons & Dragons has hundreds, even thousands of monsters for a Dungeon Master to choose from. But, we can often find ourselves using some of the same monsters on a regular basis. A goblin, kobold, and orcs to name a few. But there are so many more interesting monsters to flesh out your adventures and stories with. We polled our audience and discovered what are some of the most underused monsters in D&D. This is a continuation of a previous blog and youtube video right here. Not only will we discuss some of these monsters, but we will also delve into the myriad of different ways you can get the most out of them in your D&D game.

The world of Dungeons & Dragons has hundreds, even thousands of monsters for a Dungeon Master to choose from. But, we can often find ourselves using some of the same monsters on a regular basis. A goblin, kobold, and orcs to name a few. But there are so many more interesting monsters to flesh out your adventures and stories with. We polled our audience and discovered what are some of the most underused monsters in D&D. This is a continuation of a previous blog and youtube video. Not only will we discuss some of these monsters, but we will also delve into the myriad of different ways you can get the most out of them in your D&D game.

How do we create fun and interesting villains in our stories? Villains, every story needs one. The heroes of a Dungeons & Dragons campaign are likely to face dozens of villains before the campaign runs its course. Coming up with that many memorable villains can challenge any DM's imagination. To help with that, we offer this extensive list of villainous attributes and characteristics. The purpose of these lists is not to roll out a ready-to-play villain, although they could be used that way. They can steer your creativity onto pathways that you wouldn't take otherwise. We all fall into creative patterns. Allowing a chance to play a role in the creative process helps to break those patterns and produces ideas that we'd never turn out purely on our own.

Are your Dungeons and Dragons settlements as wondrous and captivating as your complex dungeons? No? Well then, stick around as we delve into our Guide for Worldbuilding Settlements in your Dungeons & Dragons game. The D&D world is a wide and wondrous place, filled with monsters and magic. However, most people live in relatively safe communities, and even bold adventurers need safe-havens. Such areas are points of light in a dark world, and they share common traits. When you think about the civilized areas of your world, consider these questions: Full Blog: https://www.critacademy.com/post/dnd-worldbuilding-tips-settlements

What is SceneGrinder? SceneGrinder is the first browser-based, 3D Virtual Tabletop. It can manage any Role-Playing Game System Ruleset, including our favorite, Dungeons & Dragons. This platform is visually stunning, mobile-friendly, and will be easy-to-use, with no server setups or application downloads. Full Blog: https://www.critacademy.com/post/scenegrinder-3d-virtual-tabletop

Do you want to play your githyanki to frightening effect? Well, let's delve into these legendary Dungeons & Dragons monsters so that your Spelljammer campaign combat is everything your characters deserve. To the delight or potential misery of their players. Full Blog: https://www.critacademy.com/post/dnd-monster-tactics-githyanki

Dynamic Combat with Monster Roles So you want to design dynamic combat encounters in Dungeons and Dragons? You know, the kind that they will never forget? Well, luckily we've got exactly what you need. Today we will delve into giving you exactly the tools you need in a simple and easy-to-use way. Are you ready to learn how to build dynamic combat encounters using monster roles? There is no arguing the key to designing interesting and varied combat encounters is having just as varied groups of monsters. By further breaking down monsters into roles, we can design even more fantastic and memorable combat encounters. What are Monster Roles? Roles is the term we will be using to describe what the particular monster or NPC's job is during the encounter. While some monsters can fit into multiple categories. We are going to focus on what we think they do best, over what they might do best in a particular encounter. Full Blog: https://www.critacademy.com/post/d-d-how-to-build-dynamic-combat-with-monster-roles

Create Amazing Battlemaps for your RPG in seconds with Dungeon Alchemist What is Dungeon Alchemist? It's an AI-powered map-making application on Steam that enables you to make high-quality content faster than ever! It is as simple as you can get. If you're anything like me, time is a precious commodity. So a powerful tool like this is a game-changer. It is quite literally as simple as determining the map size and one of their themes. Once that is done, you just drag a cursor and make it the size that you want, then BOOM! Artificial intelligence automatically creates the rooms and populates them with all sorts of objects to bring them to life.

What is Iron Kingdom Requiem? Embark upon a journey of adventure and intrigue in a world where steam power and gunpowder meet sword and sorcery. Armed with mechanika and accompanied by mighty steamjacks, explore the soot-covered cities of the Iron Kingdoms and the aftermath of the otherworldly invasion of the infernals. Take on the persona of unique character classes, like the gun mage, who combines powerful magic with a deadly acumen for firearms, or the steamjack-commanding warcaster, who can command 10-ton autonomous machines of war with just a thought. Explore a fantastic world rebuilding itself after an apocalypse as it marches onward with its industrial revolution for your 5th Edition Dungeons and Dragons game.