Podcasts about d d

Stop balancing D&D encounters and start engineering them. This episode gives Dungeon Masters a simple four-part framework, DICE, for building unique encounters on demand, no math required.You'll learn the four parts of every encounter (Doing, Incentive, Conflict, Effect), see the math behind why you'll never run out of ideas, and watch a brand new encounter get built live from a random combination. Want more encounter design tools in your inbox? Grab the Dungeon Master Level Up Guide: https://session0studios.com/newsletterTopics covered in this episode: why encounter balance is overrated and often wastes prep time, what actually defines an encounter versus a non-event, the role of approach and avoidance motivation (a real psychological theory) in game design, and a full breakdown of the DICE framework for building D&D encounters: Doing (the verb, like Get, Avoid, Destroy, Preserve, Convince, or Build), Incentive (what's at stake, like a person, item, place, reputation, or piece of knowledge), Conflict (what's standing in the way), and Effect (the feel the encounter produces at the table, which falls directly out of the other three).You'll also hear the math behind just how many unique encounters this framework can generate, and watch a brand new encounter, called Out of Control, get built live and unscripted from a randomly generated combination.This episode is for Dungeon Masters and Game Masters looking for D&D encounter design tips, 5e encounter ideas beyond combat, TTRPG game design frameworks, social encounter ideas, chase and puzzle encounter design, and ways to build more varied, less combat-only encounters without spending hours balancing stat blocks.Thanks for listening to today's show. If you like our stuff and want to support us, here are some sponsor links and links to our other stuff:Worldsmith: http://session0studios.com/worldsmithHire a Professional Dungeon Master: https://session0studios.com/dungeon-master-for-hire/Discord: http://session0studios.com/discordPatreon: https://session0studios.com/patreonDungeon Master Level Up Guide: https://session0studios.com/newsletter

Welcome to the Ninth World, where civilization has ended eight times, nobody understands how anything works, and sufficiently advanced technology is mostly an excuse to point at a laser pistol and yell, "Magic!" In this first part of our How to Play Numenera series, Randall attempts to explain a billion years of lost civilizations, Ash discovers that physics are apparently optional, and Tyler starts asking the dangerous questions about Edge. Before long, we have ancient nanotechnology, mysterious artifacts, cyphers that might explode if you hoard them, stat pools that double as hit points, and a GM who can literally bribe you with XP to make your life more interesting. Also, we say "moist" far too many times while explaining a d20 mechanic. We regret nothing. Well, some of us regret quite a lot. Show Notes We're kicking off our How to Play Numenera series with a tour of the Ninth World and the Cypher System mechanics that make this wonderfully strange science fantasy RPG work. Randall walks Ash and Tyler through the Numenera setting, a version of Earth roughly a billion years in the future after eight unimaginably advanced civilizations have risen and disappeared. Their technology is everywhere, but the people of the Ninth World understand so little of it that ancient machinery might as well be magic. That gives Numenera its central science fantasy theme: sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. We dig into the Steadfast, the Beyond, and the increasingly strange places beyond civilization, along with the remnants left behind by previous worlds. Those remnants include reusable artifacts, one-use cyphers, mysterious oddities, and massive ancient structures that the characters may have absolutely no idea how to operate. Sometimes the players know they have discovered an elevator. Their characters definitely do not. From there, we get into how to play Numenera and the Cypher System core mechanics. Tasks have difficulty levels from 0 to 10, with the target number determined by multiplying the difficulty by three. Instead of piling bonuses onto a d20 roll, characters make challenges easier through training, specialization, assets, and Effort. Effort introduces one of Numenera's most interesting resource-management decisions. Might, Speed, and Intellect are not simply ability scores. They are pools that power abilities, fuel Effort, and absorb damage. Spend too aggressively and you may discover that the resource you just used to succeed is also the thing keeping your character alive. Then there's Edge, which reduces the cost of spending points from those pools. Naturally, Tyler immediately begins investigating whether enough Edge will allow him to achieve his ultimate character build: the Edge Lord. We also explore one of the signature Cypher System RPG mechanics, GM intrusions. The GM can offer XP to introduce an unexpected complication, while players can spend XP to reject intrusions, reroll critical checks, create temporary skills, trigger player intrusions, or advance their characters. The goal is not simply to punish players. A good GM intrusion makes the story more interesting, creates new opportunities, and occasionally puts something cool behind the wall that just collapsed on you. By the end, we've covered the Numenera setting, cyphers and artifacts, task difficulty, Effort, Edge, stat pools, XP, GM intrusions, player intrusions, and the basics of character advancement. It's a surprisingly streamlined system hiding underneath one of the strangest tabletop RPG settings we've explored. Key Takeaways Numenera takes place on Earth roughly one billion years in the future, after eight previous civilizations have risen and disappeared. The Ninth World mixes science fiction and fantasy by treating incomprehensibly advanced technology like magic. Numenera includes artifacts, one-use cyphers, oddities, and enormous remnants of ancient civilizations. The Cypher System uses a d20, but characters generally reduce task difficulty instead of adding large numerical bonuses to rolls. Task difficulty ranges from 0 to 10, with the target number equal to the difficulty multiplied by three. Training, specialization, assets, and Effort can ease difficult tasks and bring otherwise impossible rolls within reach. Might, Speed, and Intellect are resource pools used for abilities and Effort, but they also function as your character's health. Damage normally reduces Might first, followed by Speed and then Intellect. If all three pools reach zero, things have gone very badly. Edge reduces the cost of spending points from a stat pool and becomes increasingly powerful as characters advance. In the Cypher System, the GM generally does not roll dice. Players make both offensive and defensive rolls. GM intrusions let the GM introduce complications in exchange for XP, turning unexpected problems into part of the game's advancement economy. XP can be spent on rerolls, player intrusions, temporary skills, and permanent character advancement, creating a constant choice between helping yourself now or saving for later. Numenera encourages creativity over strict simulation. Sometimes the explanation really is, "Ancient technology did it." Most importantly, never tell the RPGBOT Discord you are trying to keep the math "moist." They cannot be trusted with that information. 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 https://ashelydm.com/ https://ashelydm.com/ Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

Welcome to the Ninth World, where civilization has ended eight times, nobody understands how anything works, and sufficiently advanced technology is mostly an excuse to point at a laser pistol and yell, "Magic!" In this first part of our How to Play Numenera series, Randall attempts to explain a billion years of lost civilizations, Ash discovers that physics are apparently optional, and Tyler starts asking the dangerous questions about Edge. Before long, we have ancient nanotechnology, mysterious artifacts, cyphers that might explode if you hoard them, stat pools that double as hit points, and a GM who can literally bribe you with XP to make your life more interesting. Also, we say "moist" far too many times while explaining a d20 mechanic. We regret nothing. Well, some of us regret quite a lot. Show Notes We're kicking off our How to Play Numenera series with a tour of the Ninth World and the Cypher System mechanics that make this wonderfully strange science fantasy RPG work. Randall walks Ash and Tyler through the Numenera setting, a version of Earth roughly a billion years in the future after eight unimaginably advanced civilizations have risen and disappeared. Their technology is everywhere, but the people of the Ninth World understand so little of it that ancient machinery might as well be magic. That gives Numenera its central science fantasy theme: sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. We dig into the Steadfast, the Beyond, and the increasingly strange places beyond civilization, along with the remnants left behind by previous worlds. Those remnants include reusable artifacts, one-use cyphers, mysterious oddities, and massive ancient structures that the characters may have absolutely no idea how to operate. Sometimes the players know they have discovered an elevator. Their characters definitely do not. From there, we get into how to play Numenera and the Cypher System core mechanics. Tasks have difficulty levels from 0 to 10, with the target number determined by multiplying the difficulty by three. Instead of piling bonuses onto a d20 roll, characters make challenges easier through training, specialization, assets, and Effort. Effort introduces one of Numenera's most interesting resource-management decisions. Might, Speed, and Intellect are not simply ability scores. They are pools that power abilities, fuel Effort, and absorb damage. Spend too aggressively and you may discover that the resource you just used to succeed is also the thing keeping your character alive. Then there's Edge, which reduces the cost of spending points from those pools. Naturally, Tyler immediately begins investigating whether enough Edge will allow him to achieve his ultimate character build: the Edge Lord. We also explore one of the signature Cypher System RPG mechanics, GM intrusions. The GM can offer XP to introduce an unexpected complication, while players can spend XP to reject intrusions, reroll critical checks, create temporary skills, trigger player intrusions, or advance their characters. The goal is not simply to punish players. A good GM intrusion makes the story more interesting, creates new opportunities, and occasionally puts something cool behind the wall that just collapsed on you. By the end, we've covered the Numenera setting, cyphers and artifacts, task difficulty, Effort, Edge, stat pools, XP, GM intrusions, player intrusions, and the basics of character advancement. It's a surprisingly streamlined system hiding underneath one of the strangest tabletop RPG settings we've explored. Key Takeaways Numenera takes place on Earth roughly one billion years in the future, after eight previous civilizations have risen and disappeared. The Ninth World mixes science fiction and fantasy by treating incomprehensibly advanced technology like magic. Numenera includes artifacts, one-use cyphers, oddities, and enormous remnants of ancient civilizations. The Cypher System uses a d20, but characters generally reduce task difficulty instead of adding large numerical bonuses to rolls. Task difficulty ranges from 0 to 10, with the target number equal to the difficulty multiplied by three. Training, specialization, assets, and Effort can ease difficult tasks and bring otherwise impossible rolls within reach. Might, Speed, and Intellect are resource pools used for abilities and Effort, but they also function as your character's health. Damage normally reduces Might first, followed by Speed and then Intellect. If all three pools reach zero, things have gone very badly. Edge reduces the cost of spending points from a stat pool and becomes increasingly powerful as characters advance. In the Cypher System, the GM generally does not roll dice. Players make both offensive and defensive rolls. GM intrusions let the GM introduce complications in exchange for XP, turning unexpected problems into part of the game's advancement economy. XP can be spent on rerolls, player intrusions, temporary skills, and permanent character advancement, creating a constant choice between helping yourself now or saving for later. Numenera encourages creativity over strict simulation. Sometimes the explanation really is, "Ancient technology did it." Most importantly, never tell the RPGBOT Discord you are trying to keep the math "moist." They cannot be trusted with that information. 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 https://ashelydm.com/ https://ashelydm.com/ Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

#podcast #veterans #memes Jay, Joe, and Jon sit down for another wide-ranging DD 214 Network conversation covering Prime Time, Robert Pattinson, TV and streaming, sports, military service, injuries, life after the Army, and everything in between. The conversation eventually gets more personal as the crew talks about the long-term realities of military service and closes with an important reminder to reach out, talk to someone, and not face the hard moments alone.DD214 Network PodcastDirected & Produced by Jonathan ‘Clean' SanchezHosted by Joe Squillini & Jay CampbellEdited by Clean Sanchez Media, LLCMusic by Shrieks666 ("Shadow Surfing," "Voices Getting Louder") – Check them out on Bandcamp!Website: CleanSanchezMedia.comAffiliate LinksGovee - https://govee.sjv.io/CLEANStreamLabs - https://streamlabs.pxf.io/CleanHemper -https://www.hemper.co/DD214Disclaimer: This Podcast contains adult language. Adult Supervision is advised.Fair Use Disclaimer:The content provided on this podcast may include material subject to copyright protection. In accordance with the principles of "fair use" as defined in Section 107 of the Copyright Act of 1976, the use of copyrighted material on this podcast is for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research.The determination of whether the use of copyrighted material constitutes fair use is made on a case-by-case basis, taking into account various factors outlined in Section 107. The inclusion of such material is not an endorsement by the DD214 Network Podcast or Clean Sanchez Media, LLC, but is meant to enrich and contribute to discussions within the specified purposes of fair use. All copyrights and trademarks are the property of their respective owners.Shop official merch for DD214 Network: http://www.CleanSanchezMedia.com

In this episode of ScaleUp Radio, host Kevin Brent is joined by entrepreneur Rachel Hill, whose journey takes us from building and selling a multi site childcare business to breathing new life into a closed model village and launching a new consumer brand almost by accident. Rachel started Hillside Childcare at just 26, converting a granny flat into a 16 place nursery as a way of helping to pay a new mortgage. That first nursery eventually became a four site operation looking after 299 children. What makes Rachel's story particularly interesting is not simply the growth. It is what she learnt about making a business repeatable, creating a strong culture, managing one of the largest costs in a people intensive business and, ultimately, building a company capable of operating without her. That last point became particularly important when Rachel decided to sell. After years of being the person everyone turned to when something went wrong, the pressures following COVID left her questioning whether she still wanted to be the one responsible for fixing every problem. The decision to sell came remarkably quickly. During a dog walk, Rachel decided it was time. Rather than formally taking the business to market, she approached an established buyer directly through LinkedIn. Five months later, the deal was complete. Rachel handled much of an intensive due diligence process herself because she wanted to protect her staff and families from unnecessary uncertainty. She also rejected the first offer, negotiated a price she was comfortable with and ultimately achieved a clean exit with a one off payment and no requirement to remain with the business. One of the standout lessons from the conversation is this: A business that can operate without its owner is not only easier to run. It can also be considerably more valuable when the time comes to sell. Rachel had developed systems, policies, procedures and a management structure that meant Hillside was not completely dependent upon her day to day involvement. That independence became an important asset during the sale. But selling Hillside did not mean Rachel stopped being entrepreneurial. While the sale was taking place, she bought Bondville Model Village, a closed and run down one acre attraction containing around 200 miniature buildings. Rachel saw the potential in an underdog. After months of renovation, Bondville reopened, but the first version of the business model was not right. Trying to operate throughout the year meant the winter numbers simply did not work. Rather than persist with the original plan, Rachel changed it. Bondville became a seasonal attraction, creating a business model better suited to customer behaviour and the economics of the site. That willingness to change direction appears again in Rachel's latest venture. Unable to find the right candles for Bondville's gift shop, she created her own. The result was 45 by Rachel Hill, a range of candles inspired by the model village, each incorporating a miniature keepsake and its own story. They repeatedly sold out, leading Rachel to explore how the range could grow beyond Bondville through a dedicated Shopify store. In this episode Kevin and Rachel discuss: • How a 16 place nursery became a four site childcare group serving 299 children • Why replication and strong operating systems were critical to growing Hillside • How Rachel maintained consistency as the business expanded across multiple locations • Why staffing became one of the toughest challenges in the business, particularly after COVID • The importance of culture and creating genuine buy in from the team • Why Rachel closely monitored staff wages as a percentage of turnover • The pressures that come when the founder remains the organisation's ultimate problem solver • What finally prompted Rachel to sell Hillside • Why she chose an off market approach rather than putting the business openly up for sale • How she approached a potential acquirer directly through LinkedIn • What five months of due diligence looked like from the seller's side • Why Rachel kept the sale confidential from the wider team during the process • How she valued the business using profit multiples and property values • Why being prepared to reject the first offer mattered • The value of building a company capable of running without its owner • Why Rachel bought a closed model village while simultaneously selling another business • How Bondville was renovated and relaunched • Why Rachel abandoned the original year round operating model • The importance of accepting quickly when the economics of an idea do not work • How a product created to solve a problem in Bondville's gift shop became a new business opportunity • Why Rachel believes entrepreneurs should benchmark themselves against the best rather than simply comparing themselves with local competitors • The value of hiring people who are stronger than you in the areas where you are weak The one key thing Build the business so that it does not need you. Rachel's experience with Hillside demonstrates why owner independence matters long before an exit is being considered. Systems, procedures, capable managers and a strong culture helped Rachel grow across multiple sites. They also meant that when she eventually decided to sell, the buyer was acquiring a functioning business rather than simply buying Rachel's job. For any owner manager thinking about ScaleUp, that creates an important question: If you disappeared from the business for three months tomorrow, what would stop working? The answers are likely to point directly towards the systems, people and responsibilities that need attention next. Rachel's ScaleUp philosophy Rachel describes her approach as "go big or go home." Rather than benchmarking yourself only against the businesses around you, she believes in looking at the organisations doing something exceptionally well and asking what can be learnt from them. Equally, founders do not have to be good at everything. Rachel recognises her own strengths as creative and entrepreneurial and brings in people who can handle areas where she is weaker, including technology. That allows the founder to spend more time doing the things where they can create the greatest value. Before you listen Most founders I speak to feel busy but frustrated. Plenty is happening, but they are frustrated that they are not moving forward at the rate they want to. Their success creates more options, pulling them and their teams in different directions. Here is what more than 500 interviews on ScaleUp Radio have taught me: The founders who scale choose less, and deliver all of it. That is what the G90 Summit is for. It is a structured half day where we cut through everything competing for your attention, agree the three to five things that must happen in the next 90 days and build the rhythm to make sure they do. From the frustration and chaos of more, through the discipline of less, to the rhythm of done. Quarterly. Virtual. £97 a seat. Visit Smart90.co.uk/summit Listen to the episode Listen to the full conversation with Rachel to hear the story behind Hillside Childcare, the realities of selling a business, the reinvention of Bondville and the entrepreneurial thinking behind 45 by Rachel Hill. Make sure you do not miss future episodes by subscribing to ScaleUp Radio wherever you listen to your podcasts. And if you know somebody with an interesting ScaleUp story, you can nominate them as a future guest for ScaleUp Radio. Intro recording script The required ScaleUp Radio opening, G90 Summit message and closing make this longer than a genuine 60 second read, so I've prioritised retaining the wording and message you specified rather than artificially rushing it. Hi there and welcome back to another edition of ScaleUp Radio, the podcast brought to you by Smart90, inspired by the Entrepreneurial ScaleUp System and designed to make navigating our ScaleUp journeys that little bit easier by learning from others' experiences. I'm Kevin Brent and in today's episode I'm joined by Rachel Hill. Rachel's entrepreneurial journey has taken her from starting a 16 place nursery at the age of 26 to building Hillside Childcare into a four site business looking after 299 children, before selling it in an off market deal completed in just five months. And there's a really important ScaleUp message in Rachel's story. One of the things that made Hillside valuable was that the business had been built to operate without Rachel. We talk about the systems and culture that made that possible, the reality of managing staffing in a people intensive business, what due diligence was really like and why Rachel was prepared to reject the first offer. We also hear what happened next, because while selling Hillside Rachel bought and revitalised Bondville Model Village, changed its business model when the original numbers did not work and has since created another venture, 45 by Rachel Hill. Rachel's philosophy is simple: go big or go home. Look beyond the competition immediately around you, learn from the best and hire people who are better than you in the areas where you are weak. Before we get into it, most founders I speak to feel busy but frustrated. Plenty happening, but frustrated that they are not moving forward at the rate they want to. This is because their success leads to more options, pulling them and their teams in different directions. Here's what more than 500 interviews on this show have taught me: the founders who scale choose less, and deliver all of it. That's what the G90 Summit is for. A structured half day where we cut through everything competing for your attention, agree the three to five things that must happen in the next 90 days, and build the rhythm to make sure they do. From the frustration and chaos of more, through the discipline of less, to the rhythm of done. Quarterly, virtual, £97 a seat. Smart90.co.uk/summit. Make sure you don't miss any future episodes by subscribing to ScaleUp Radio wherever you like to listen to your podcasts, and why not give us a follow. You can also nominate a guest for ScaleUp Radio if you know someone with an interesting ScaleUp story. You can find how in the shownotes. For now, continue listening for the full discussion with Rachel. Social media collateral Could your business still run properly if you disappeared for three months? That question sits at the heart of my latest ScaleUp Radio conversation with Rachel Hill. Rachel started Hillside Childcare at 26 with a 16 place nursery. She went on to build it into four sites supporting 299 children before selling the business in an off market deal completed in just five months. There are some strong lessons here for any SME owner manager thinking about Business Strategy, Leadership Development and building a company that is less dependent on its founder. A few that stood out: ✅ Build systems before you need them Policies, procedures and a capable management team allowed Rachel to replicate the Hillside model while protecting consistency across multiple locations. ✅ Founder dependency affects value One of Hillside's strongest assets at sale was its ability to operate without Rachel. If everything still comes back to you, you may have created a demanding job rather than a genuinely scalable business. ✅ Know the numbers and change course When Rachel discovered Bondville's year round model was not financially sustainable, she changed it rather than defending the original plan. Good Business Strategy sometimes means admitting the model needs to change. ✅ Hire around your weaknesses Rachel knows where she creates value and brings in people who are stronger in areas where she is not. That is a valuable Leadership Development lesson as a company grows. And perhaps the biggest takeaway: The founders who create the most valuable businesses gradually make themselves less essential to the everyday operation of them. There is plenty more in the episode, including the sale process, due diligence, staffing challenges, negotiation, Bondville Model Village and the creation of 45 by Rachel Hill. Listen to the full Rachel Hill episode of ScaleUp Radio here: [EPISODE LINK] #ScaleUpRadio #Smart90 #StopTheDrift #G90Summit #BusinessStrategy #LeadershipDevelopment #90DayPlanning #SMEGrowth ScaleUp Radio LinkedIn Business Page ScaleUp Radio's latest episode features entrepreneur Rachel Hill, founder of Hillside Childcare and the entrepreneur behind Bondville Model Village and 45 by Rachel Hill. The conversation covers scaling Hillside from a 16 place nursery to four sites serving 299 children, developing systems and teams, managing staffing challenges and preparing a business to operate without its owner. Rachel also discusses the five month off market sale of Hillside, the due diligence and negotiation process, and the lessons she has applied to her subsequent ventures. Listen to the episode and explore the ScaleUp Radio archive here: [ARCHIVE LINK] Single promotional message / key takeaway: The one key thing is to build a business that can run without you. The systems and people that reduce founder dependency today can become some of the most valuable assets in the business tomorrow.   ScaleUp Radio Rachel Hill - September 01 VIEW RECORDING - 65 mins (No highlights) Meeting Purpose Interview Rachel Hill on her entrepreneurial journey and business sale. Key Takeaways Built & Exited Hillside Childcare: Grew a single 16-place nursery into a 4-site, 299-child operation, then sold it in a 5-month, off-market deal to protect staff and families. Acquired & Revitalized Bondville: Purchased a closed model village, transforming it into a profitable, nostalgic attraction by pivoting from a failed year-round model to a seasonal one. Launched "45 by Rachel Hill": Created a successful candle brand for the Bondville gift shop, inspired by the village and featuring miniature keepsakes, with plans for a Shopify store. Core Philosophy: "Go big or go home"—benchmark against global leaders, not local competitors, and hire for weaknesses (e.g., IT) to focus on creative strengths. Topics Hillside Childcare: Building & Scaling Origin: Started at age 26 by converting a granny flat into a 16-place nursery to pay a new mortgage. Growth Strategy:  Replication: Applied a proven operational model to new sites. Acquisition: Bought out two failing nurseries, converting a 16-place operation into a 299-child business across four sites. Systems: Used robust policies and procedures to ensure brand consistency across all locations. Success Drivers:  Passion: Deep personal care for staff and families. Efficiency: Maintained a 60–70% staff wage-to-turnover ratio, a key profit driver. Culture: Created a family-like environment with strong team buy-in. Key Challenge: Staffing was the hardest part, especially post-COVID, due to a decline in candidate quality. Exiting Hillside Childcare Motivation: Burnout from being the sole "problem solver" and a feeling of no longer being able to fix issues post-COVID. Sale Process:  Decision: Impulsive; made on a dog walk and executed immediately. Method: Off-market; contacted a specific, established acquirer directly via LinkedIn. Timeline: 5 months from decision to completion. Due Diligence (DD):  Challenge: Handled the intense DD process alone to protect staff and families from uncertainty. Tactic: Framed DD requests to managers as a "thorough health check." Negotiation & Terms:  Valuation: Used industry formulas (e.g., 4x profit) and building values to set a price. Outcome: Rejected the first offer to secure a higher, satisfactory price. Structure: One-off payment, not staged. No stay-on requirement. Key Asset: The business's ability to run without the owner was a major value enhancer. Current Ventures: Bondville & "45 by Rachel Hill" Bondville Model Village:  Acquisition: Purchased a closed, run-down model village (1 acre, 200 buildings) while selling Hillside. Revitalization: Saw the "underdog" potential and spent months on renovation before reopening. Lesson: Pivoted from a failed year-round model to a seasonal one after realizing winter revenue was unsustainable. "45 by Rachel Hill" (Candle Brand):  Origin: Created candles for the Bondville gift shop after failing to find suitable products. Product: Three scents inspired by the village, each with a miniature keepsake and a story card. Performance: High demand; sold out repeatedly. Future: Launching a Shopify store to scale production and sales. Next Steps Rachel Hill:  Launch the "45 by Rachel Hill" Shopify store. Scale candle production to meet high demand. Continue building the Bondville Model Village brand on social media.   Additional Resources Websites and Social Media Rachel Hill's own account: Instagram - @Rachel_Merry_Hill Connect with Bondville Model Village Bondville Model Village (VisitBondville.com) Instagram - @BondvilleModelVillage_ Facebook – Bondville Model Village

Most nonprofits think to raise more you have to do more. “We need to raise 25% next year so we need to do another fundraiser.” Except that has a quick ceiling AKA an exhaustion ceiling, and you're limited by how many events you can do, how many people you can get there, and it only scales by adding hours into your work day. How do you raise more money without adding hours into your work week? What if your workweek is maxed out?I've helped 652 nonprofits raise $101M - teams of 1 or 2 - and I use a simple strategy that raises $300K more without adding more hours of work every week.Here's what I cover in this episode:What obstacles are in the way of our warmest, biggest opportunitiesHow my client raised a $10k gift from a donor who had only ever given $100 in one conversationHow my director development client got 70 new donors in 7 months from board intros (the same board made only 5 intros the year before)What I did to help my board chair raise $225,000 from their network in 12 monthsWhy you can't see the six-figures uncaptured in your current community of supportersWhy the way you're doing events isn't raising more moneyThe one thing you can change to raise more from the same donorsThe strategy that raises bigger gifts in 40 minutes without more time-consuming, heavy special eventsWhat opportunities might you be overlooking because you're just too close to it?It's not that you're bad at this, or that you aren't working hard enough. Good grief, you're THE HARDEST WORKING PERSON. It's a different roadmap entirely.The roadmap you've been using is taking you where you've already been. If you want to get somewhere new, you need a new route. And you need a guide who's been there before. Stop trying to go it alone. We all have blind spots. The biggest difference between nonprofits that stay flat and the ones that grow a new roadmap, the skills to walk the path and a guide who can show you the way.Want 15 leads in 5 minutes? DM me "Breakfast burrito" on LinkedIn and I'll send you a pdf and 6-minute training to help you generate 15 leads for your nonprofit in minutes. It's totally free. All you need is an email to sign up. DM me "Breakfast burrito" - I'm from Texas, what can I say? - to get your pdf and mini training.If you're an ED or DD of a $1M+ making a difference in your community and you're ready to make bigger, bolder asks, then DM me “CL” on LinkedIn and I'll share details.

Roll up with a couple friends, a couple dice and all the snacks you can muster because this week we're gathering around the table top with performer, game designer and theatre creator, Julian Frid (he/him) to discuss his experience as a player and creator of INDIE TABLETOP ROLE PLAYING GAMES! We chat about the joy of mutual hallucination, why more failure is more fun, swords vs. can openers, genre specific win conditions and some wonderfully weird game mechanics that use everything from text messages to candles to Jenga towers. Plus, we learn how Julian and his writing partner went from playing their own homebrew D&D campaign to publishing a TTRPG of their very own.  To learn more about Julian's game Sine, check out the Kickstarter https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/oxgamettrpg/sine-a-story-driven-rpg The Fandom Show Podcast is available wherever you get your podcasts and you can also watch on The From Superheroes YouTube Channel Want to learn more about this as well as all our episodes, and get access to even more fandom? Check us out at Patreon.com/TheFandomShow Produced by Andrew Ivimey as part of The From Superheroes

Welcome back to the Underdark, where the mushrooms are telepathic, the fish can invent gods, and magical radiation apparently has the terrifying power to give you a headache and ruin your wine. This week, Unearthed Arcana Underdark Options 2 gives us a Freedom Cleric that desperately wants you to move around, a Spores Druid that has discovered the tactical value of exploding zombies, and a Faerzress Sorcerer built around creating a 40-foot cube of mild inconvenience. We also get playable Driders, almost-Mind-Flayers, god-making fish people, communal mushroom skills, and several moments where Ash seriously considers personally redesigning the Sorcerer. So grab your darkvision, protect the cheese from magical radiation, and try not to stand too close to the zombies. We're going back underground. UA Underdark Options Accompanying Blog Post RPGBOT.Podcast Episodes UA Underdark Options 1 Show Notes Unearthed Arcana Underdark Options 2 takes us back below the surface for another batch of D&D 5e playtest subclasses and playable Underdark species. This time we're looking at the Freedom Domain Cleric, Circle of Spores Druid, Faerzress Sorcery Sorcerer, Deep Imaskari, Drider, Illithidkin, Kuo-toa, and Myconid. The Freedom Domain Cleric starts with a promising idea: a high-Dexterity cleric built around mobility, escaping restraints, breaking debilitating conditions, and helping allies get out of trouble. Invoke Liberty can remove conditions and reposition the party without provoking opportunity attacks, while Unencumbered Grace turns the Cleric into something resembling a shield-carrying monk. Unfortunately, the later features lean heavily on difficult terrain, movement bonuses, and Dexterity checks, leaving us wondering when the subclass is supposed to get its next interesting button to push. Then we get the revised Circle of Spores Druid, and things get significantly better. Wizards addresses several long-standing complaints about the D&D Circle of Spores by improving its action economy and making Symbiotic Entity a bonus action. Halo of Spores now provides value whether the enemy succeeds or fails its save, and Fungal Body remains delightfully creepy. But Explosive Burst is where things get wonderfully ridiculous. As written, an undead creature you created explodes when it dies. That wording potentially includes creatures created with Animate Dead, which immediately inspires the completely reasonable strategy of surrounding an enemy with injured zombies and starting a fungal chain reaction. Is that probably getting rewritten before publication? Yes. Is exploding an army of disposable zombies extremely funny? Also yes. Unfortunately, the Faerzress Sorcery Sorcerer brings the mood crashing back down. The subclass revolves around creating areas of Faerzress that interfere with divination, long-distance teleportation, and a handful of other magical effects. The problem is that most enemies simply do not care. Instead of dangerous magical radiation, the subclass frequently feels like it has created a large zone where somebody might have trouble scrying on you. There are pieces worth saving. The concept of an Underdark radiation Sorcerer has potential, and the discussion quickly turns toward mutations, crystal growths, radiant damage, exhaustion, and other mechanics that could make Faerzress actually feel hazardous. As presented, though, the subclass spends a lot of time solving problems that rarely appear in combat. The playable species in Unearthed Arcana Underdark Options 2 fare considerably better. Deep Imaskari blend human traits with Faerzress mutations and radiant abilities. Driders finally offer the opportunity to crawl across ceilings as a giant spider person. Illithidkin provide telepathy, psychic resistance, and a collection of appropriately Mind-Flayer-adjacent abilities. Kuo-toa may be the standout simply because Deific Manifestation is wonderfully strange. Their familiar can borrow actions, reactions, or traits from other familiar options, opening the door to creations like weapon-wielding weasels and other tiny violations of common sense. It feels exactly like the sort of bizarre mechanical playground Kuo-toa deserve. Finally, the Myconid gives D&D players a playable mushroom creature with telepathy and Skill Meld, allowing a group to share a skill or tool proficiency after a long rest. Sharing Stealth, Perception, or another useful proficiency with the whole party is mechanically interesting and perfectly fits the communal Myconid fantasy, even if letting Myconids speak normally raises some questions. By the end, our feelings on this D&D Unearthed Arcana are all over the Underdark. Circle of Spores feels close to ready, especially once Explosive Burst gets clarified. The Freedom Domain Cleric has a worthwhile theme but needs more interesting features. Faerzress Sorcery needs considerably more work, but magical radiation, mutations, crystals, and Underdark corruption could still become a fantastic Sorcerer concept. The ideas are here. Some of them just need to be dug up, dusted off, and exposed to slightly more dangerous radiation. Key Takeaways The Freedom Domain Cleric has a strong concept built around mobility, condition removal, and escaping restraints, but several later abilities feel too passive or situational. Invoke Liberty is the highlight of the Freedom Cleric and could provide useful party repositioning in addition to condition removal. Circle of Spores Druid gets meaningful D&D 2024 improvements, particularly the bonus-action Symbiotic Entity and revised Halo of Spores. Explosive Burst could potentially create hilarious zombie chain reactions unless its wording is narrowed to Fungal Infestation zombies. The revised Circle of Spores is the subclass the hosts felt was closest to being ready for publication. Faerzress Sorcery struggles because its central zone interferes with abilities that many D&D monsters and encounters never use. The Faerzress Sorcerer concept could be much stronger if it leaned into magical radiation, mutation, radiant damage, crystals, poisoning, or exhaustion. Deep Imaskari, Drider, Illithidkin, Kuo-toa, and Myconid add some genuinely unusual playable Underdark species options. Kuo-toa Deific Manifestation offers particularly entertaining familiar customization and plenty of room for player creativity. Myconid Skill Meld lets characters temporarily share skill or tool proficiencies, reinforcing the species' communal identity. Underdark Options 2 has several strong themes, but the episode's recurring message is simple: keep the concepts, improve the execution, and please make magical radiation more threatening than spoiled wine. 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 https://ashelydm.com/ https://ashelydm.com/ Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

Welcome back to the Underdark, where the mushrooms are telepathic, the fish can invent gods, and magical radiation apparently has the terrifying power to give you a headache and ruin your wine. This week, Unearthed Arcana Underdark Options 2 gives us a Freedom Cleric that desperately wants you to move around, a Spores Druid that has discovered the tactical value of exploding zombies, and a Faerzress Sorcerer built around creating a 40-foot cube of mild inconvenience. We also get playable Driders, almost-Mind-Flayers, god-making fish people, communal mushroom skills, and several moments where Ash seriously considers personally redesigning the Sorcerer. So grab your darkvision, protect the cheese from magical radiation, and try not to stand too close to the zombies. We're going back underground. UA Underdark Options Accompanying Blog Post RPGBOT.Podcast Episodes UA Underdark Options 1 Show Notes Unearthed Arcana Underdark Options 2 takes us back below the surface for another batch of D&D 5e playtest subclasses and playable Underdark species. This time we're looking at the Freedom Domain Cleric, Circle of Spores Druid, Faerzress Sorcery Sorcerer, Deep Imaskari, Drider, Illithidkin, Kuo-toa, and Myconid. The Freedom Domain Cleric starts with a promising idea: a high-Dexterity cleric built around mobility, escaping restraints, breaking debilitating conditions, and helping allies get out of trouble. Invoke Liberty can remove conditions and reposition the party without provoking opportunity attacks, while Unencumbered Grace turns the Cleric into something resembling a shield-carrying monk. Unfortunately, the later features lean heavily on difficult terrain, movement bonuses, and Dexterity checks, leaving us wondering when the subclass is supposed to get its next interesting button to push. Then we get the revised Circle of Spores Druid, and things get significantly better. Wizards addresses several long-standing complaints about the D&D Circle of Spores by improving its action economy and making Symbiotic Entity a bonus action. Halo of Spores now provides value whether the enemy succeeds or fails its save, and Fungal Body remains delightfully creepy. But Explosive Burst is where things get wonderfully ridiculous. As written, an undead creature you created explodes when it dies. That wording potentially includes creatures created with Animate Dead, which immediately inspires the completely reasonable strategy of surrounding an enemy with injured zombies and starting a fungal chain reaction. Is that probably getting rewritten before publication? Yes. Is exploding an army of disposable zombies extremely funny? Also yes. Unfortunately, the Faerzress Sorcery Sorcerer brings the mood crashing back down. The subclass revolves around creating areas of Faerzress that interfere with divination, long-distance teleportation, and a handful of other magical effects. The problem is that most enemies simply do not care. Instead of dangerous magical radiation, the subclass frequently feels like it has created a large zone where somebody might have trouble scrying on you. There are pieces worth saving. The concept of an Underdark radiation Sorcerer has potential, and the discussion quickly turns toward mutations, crystal growths, radiant damage, exhaustion, and other mechanics that could make Faerzress actually feel hazardous. As presented, though, the subclass spends a lot of time solving problems that rarely appear in combat. The playable species in Unearthed Arcana Underdark Options 2 fare considerably better. Deep Imaskari blend human traits with Faerzress mutations and radiant abilities. Driders finally offer the opportunity to crawl across ceilings as a giant spider person. Illithidkin provide telepathy, psychic resistance, and a collection of appropriately Mind-Flayer-adjacent abilities. Kuo-toa may be the standout simply because Deific Manifestation is wonderfully strange. Their familiar can borrow actions, reactions, or traits from other familiar options, opening the door to creations like weapon-wielding weasels and other tiny violations of common sense. It feels exactly like the sort of bizarre mechanical playground Kuo-toa deserve. Finally, the Myconid gives D&D players a playable mushroom creature with telepathy and Skill Meld, allowing a group to share a skill or tool proficiency after a long rest. Sharing Stealth, Perception, or another useful proficiency with the whole party is mechanically interesting and perfectly fits the communal Myconid fantasy, even if letting Myconids speak normally raises some questions. By the end, our feelings on this D&D Unearthed Arcana are all over the Underdark. Circle of Spores feels close to ready, especially once Explosive Burst gets clarified. The Freedom Domain Cleric has a worthwhile theme but needs more interesting features. Faerzress Sorcery needs considerably more work, but magical radiation, mutations, crystals, and Underdark corruption could still become a fantastic Sorcerer concept. The ideas are here. Some of them just need to be dug up, dusted off, and exposed to slightly more dangerous radiation. Key Takeaways The Freedom Domain Cleric has a strong concept built around mobility, condition removal, and escaping restraints, but several later abilities feel too passive or situational. Invoke Liberty is the highlight of the Freedom Cleric and could provide useful party repositioning in addition to condition removal. Circle of Spores Druid gets meaningful D&D 2024 improvements, particularly the bonus-action Symbiotic Entity and revised Halo of Spores. Explosive Burst could potentially create hilarious zombie chain reactions unless its wording is narrowed to Fungal Infestation zombies. The revised Circle of Spores is the subclass the hosts felt was closest to being ready for publication. Faerzress Sorcery struggles because its central zone interferes with abilities that many D&D monsters and encounters never use. The Faerzress Sorcerer concept could be much stronger if it leaned into magical radiation, mutation, radiant damage, crystals, poisoning, or exhaustion. Deep Imaskari, Drider, Illithidkin, Kuo-toa, and Myconid add some genuinely unusual playable Underdark species options. Kuo-toa Deific Manifestation offers particularly entertaining familiar customization and plenty of room for player creativity. Myconid Skill Meld lets characters temporarily share skill or tool proficiencies, reinforcing the species' communal identity. Underdark Options 2 has several strong themes, but the episode's recurring message is simple: keep the concepts, improve the execution, and please make magical radiation more threatening than spoiled wine. 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 https://ashelydm.com/ https://ashelydm.com/ Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

Last time, we built Wizards who could survive long enough to become dangerous. That was apparently a mistake. Treantmonk is back as we take our 2014 D&D 5e Wizard builds from level 8 all the way to 20, where spell selection stops being a question of how to win a fight and becomes a question of how creatively we would like to ruin reality. Tyler is operating his floating spellbook like a magical Predator drone. Ash has discovered Bigby's Hand and immediately found exactly the wrong way to describe it. Randall continues turning Magic Missile into a personal philosophy. And Chris is here trying to explain responsible Wizard optimization while the rest of us draft spells specifically to hurt each other's feelings. By the time we reach ninth-level spells, Wish almost goes undrafted. That sentence alone should tell you how this episode goes. Welcome back to the RPGBOT.Podcast. We made it to level 20, nobody died, and reality is now more of a suggestion than a rule. Treantmonk on YouTube Content from RPGBOT DnD 5e Wizard Handbook DnD e Wizard Spells Guice Show Notes Treantmonk returns for Part 2 and the conclusion of our 2014 D&D 5e Wizard optimization builds, picking up at level 8 and taking our Wizards all the way to level 20. At this point, the training wheels are gone. Fifth-level spells bring Wall of Force, Bigby's Hand, Wall of Stone, and increasingly aggressive spell drafting. By sixth level, the choices get even nastier, and picking the right spell becomes almost as important as making sure someone else doesn't get it first. Contingency gets selected partly because it is useful and partly because denying Tyler something he wants is apparently a valid optimization strategy. That pretty much sets the tone for the rest of the episode. As our D&D 5e Wizard builds move into the high levels, each character leans harder into their particular brand of nonsense. Ash embraces illusions, confusion, and magical hands. Randall continues finding ways to make Magic Missile everybody else's problem. Treantmonk builds around control, restraint, and smart high-level Wizard spell selection. Tyler keeps sending his Manifest Mind into places he absolutely does not intend to visit personally. Then we reach seventh, eighth, and ninth-level Wizard spells, where things get properly ridiculous. Maze, Sunburst, Demiplane, Foresight, Shapechange, Power Word Kill, Meteor Swarm, and Wish all enter the conversation as the builds start moving from battlefield control into reality control. And somehow Wish almost doesn't get picked. We also get into one of the most interesting parts of high-level 5e Wizard optimization: Spell Mastery. Unlimited access to carefully chosen first and second-level spells opens up some disgusting combinations, especially when Shield, Web, Tasha's Mind Whip, Vortex Warp, Phantasmal Force, and other low-level favorites no longer need spell slots. Finally, we hit level 20 and Signature Spells, where everyone chooses their third-level favorites and collectively realizes that the Wizard's actual capstone might not feel nearly as exciting as what they received two levels earlier. After two episodes of ability scores, feats, subclasses, Wizard spell selection, optimization, and increasingly questionable tactical decisions, our Treantmonk Wizard builds are complete. The Wizards have reached level 20. The spellbooks are full.The laws of physics have filed a formal complaint. Key Takeaways High-level Wizard optimization is less about dealing more damage and more about having exactly the right tool when everything goes wrong. Spell selection gets increasingly competitive as the builds advance. There are plenty of good Wizard spells, but everyone starts wanting the same exceptional ones. Wall of Force remains exactly the kind of spell an optimized Wizard hates leaving on the table. If nobody else takes it, somebody eventually has to. Sixth-level spells show just how different optimized Wizards can become. Mental Prison, Contingency, Mass Suggestion, Disintegrate, and other options push each build further into its own playstyle. High-level D&D 5e Wizards stop merely controlling encounters and start controlling circumstances. Maze, Demiplane, Shapechange, Foresight, Wish, and similar spells fundamentally change what the party can accomplish. Wish is incredibly powerful, but the discussion with Treantmonk highlights the practical problem with having nearly every lower-level spell available on demand: you still need to remember those spells exist when you actually need them. Spell Mastery may be one of the strongest pieces of the entire Wizard class. Turning excellent first and second-level Wizard spells into effectively unlimited resources creates some absurd possibilities. Shield becomes even more ridiculous when you can cast it without spending spell slots, especially if Randall is nearby with Magic Missile and bad intentions. At level 20, Signature Spells are useful, but after getting Spell Mastery at level 18 they do not exactly feel like the grand finale of becoming one of the most powerful spellcasters in Dungeons & Dragons. The biggest lesson from the complete Treantmonk Wizard build is that there is no single correct way to optimize a 2014 D&D 5e Wizard. Control, illusions, damage, summons, utility, mobility, and general magical nonsense can all work if the spell choices support the character you actually want to play. And if all else fails, become a Wizard with a remote-controlled spellbook, hide around a corner, and make the dungeon somebody else's problem. 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 https://ashelydm.com/ https://ashelydm.com/ Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

Last time, we built Wizards who could survive long enough to become dangerous. That was apparently a mistake. Treantmonk is back as we take our 2014 D&D 5e Wizard builds from level 8 all the way to 20, where spell selection stops being a question of how to win a fight and becomes a question of how creatively we would like to ruin reality. Tyler is operating his floating spellbook like a magical Predator drone. Ash has discovered Bigby's Hand and immediately found exactly the wrong way to describe it. Randall continues turning Magic Missile into a personal philosophy. And Chris is here trying to explain responsible Wizard optimization while the rest of us draft spells specifically to hurt each other's feelings. By the time we reach ninth-level spells, Wish almost goes undrafted. That sentence alone should tell you how this episode goes. Welcome back to the RPGBOT.Podcast. We made it to level 20, nobody died, and reality is now more of a suggestion than a rule. Treantmonk on YouTube Content from RPGBOT DnD 5e Wizard Handbook DnD e Wizard Spells Guice Show Notes Treantmonk returns for Part 2 and the conclusion of our 2014 D&D 5e Wizard optimization builds, picking up at level 8 and taking our Wizards all the way to level 20. At this point, the training wheels are gone. Fifth-level spells bring Wall of Force, Bigby's Hand, Wall of Stone, and increasingly aggressive spell drafting. By sixth level, the choices get even nastier, and picking the right spell becomes almost as important as making sure someone else doesn't get it first. Contingency gets selected partly because it is useful and partly because denying Tyler something he wants is apparently a valid optimization strategy. That pretty much sets the tone for the rest of the episode. As our D&D 5e Wizard builds move into the high levels, each character leans harder into their particular brand of nonsense. Ash embraces illusions, confusion, and magical hands. Randall continues finding ways to make Magic Missile everybody else's problem. Treantmonk builds around control, restraint, and smart high-level Wizard spell selection. Tyler keeps sending his Manifest Mind into places he absolutely does not intend to visit personally. Then we reach seventh, eighth, and ninth-level Wizard spells, where things get properly ridiculous. Maze, Sunburst, Demiplane, Foresight, Shapechange, Power Word Kill, Meteor Swarm, and Wish all enter the conversation as the builds start moving from battlefield control into reality control. And somehow Wish almost doesn't get picked. We also get into one of the most interesting parts of high-level 5e Wizard optimization: Spell Mastery. Unlimited access to carefully chosen first and second-level spells opens up some disgusting combinations, especially when Shield, Web, Tasha's Mind Whip, Vortex Warp, Phantasmal Force, and other low-level favorites no longer need spell slots. Finally, we hit level 20 and Signature Spells, where everyone chooses their third-level favorites and collectively realizes that the Wizard's actual capstone might not feel nearly as exciting as what they received two levels earlier. After two episodes of ability scores, feats, subclasses, Wizard spell selection, optimization, and increasingly questionable tactical decisions, our Treantmonk Wizard builds are complete. The Wizards have reached level 20. The spellbooks are full.The laws of physics have filed a formal complaint. Key Takeaways High-level Wizard optimization is less about dealing more damage and more about having exactly the right tool when everything goes wrong. Spell selection gets increasingly competitive as the builds advance. There are plenty of good Wizard spells, but everyone starts wanting the same exceptional ones. Wall of Force remains exactly the kind of spell an optimized Wizard hates leaving on the table. If nobody else takes it, somebody eventually has to. Sixth-level spells show just how different optimized Wizards can become. Mental Prison, Contingency, Mass Suggestion, Disintegrate, and other options push each build further into its own playstyle. High-level D&D 5e Wizards stop merely controlling encounters and start controlling circumstances. Maze, Demiplane, Shapechange, Foresight, Wish, and similar spells fundamentally change what the party can accomplish. Wish is incredibly powerful, but the discussion with Treantmonk highlights the practical problem with having nearly every lower-level spell available on demand: you still need to remember those spells exist when you actually need them. Spell Mastery may be one of the strongest pieces of the entire Wizard class. Turning excellent first and second-level Wizard spells into effectively unlimited resources creates some absurd possibilities. Shield becomes even more ridiculous when you can cast it without spending spell slots, especially if Randall is nearby with Magic Missile and bad intentions. At level 20, Signature Spells are useful, but after getting Spell Mastery at level 18 they do not exactly feel like the grand finale of becoming one of the most powerful spellcasters in Dungeons & Dragons. The biggest lesson from the complete Treantmonk Wizard build is that there is no single correct way to optimize a 2014 D&D 5e Wizard. Control, illusions, damage, summons, utility, mobility, and general magical nonsense can all work if the spell choices support the character you actually want to play. And if all else fails, become a Wizard with a remote-controlled spellbook, hide around a corner, and make the dungeon somebody else's problem. 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 https://ashelydm.com/ https://ashelydm.com/ Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

Welcome to Thay, where the dress code is red, the government is run by homicidal wizards, and your spy agency's severance package is either magical memory loss or death. Arcana Unleashed: Deadfall takes D&D 5e from cloak-and-dagger espionage to rebel wizards, pirates, demon-powered skeletons, legendary magic items, and eventually a full-scale assault on Szass Tam's evil wizard lair. Along the way, we discover that the real secret to saving Faerûn is apparently making friends with pirates, hoarding magic items, and knowing when not to punch the lich who can cast Finger of Death whenever he feels like it. Also, there's a dragon turtle named Bitey. Obviously, this is serious espionage. Arcana Unleashed (affiliate link) Arcana Unleashed: Deadfall (affiliate link) Forgotten Realms Wiki Szass Tam Show Notes We're wrapping up our Arcana Unleashed review with Deadfall, a high-level D&D 5e adventure that drops characters into Thay for an espionage campaign involving Red Wizards, political scheming, undead armies, absurd amounts of magic, and the small problem of Szass Tam attempting to take control of everything again. Before the spying begins, we dig into Thay itself, including the Zulkirs, Red Wizard society, Szass Tam's long history of being spectacularly evil, and why living in Thay mostly involves keeping your head down and desperately pretending you didn't see anything. Deadfall also offers advice for running a D&D espionage adventure, complete with secret identities, codenames, magical disguises, compromised covers, hidden bases, and consequences when the party inevitably decides subtlety is for NPCs. Once the campaign gets moving, Deadfall becomes a rapid-fire series of covert missions. The party hunts spies, blackmails messengers, recruits dissident Red Wizards, collects increasingly ridiculous magic items, befriends pirates, meets a dragon turtle named Bitey, and watches their earlier choices come back in meaningful ways. The adventure even accounts for the traditional player solution of murdering someone important to the plot, which earns it considerable respect from the group. The campaign moves quickly from level 11 to level 20, giving characters access to legendary equipment and some genuinely dangerous high-level D&D encounters. The final stretch turns the spy thriller into a full assault on Szass Tam's stronghold, culminating in a brutal boss fight involving powerful undead, demons, environmental effects, necrotic damage, and consequences tied directly to allies the characters helped or ignored earlier in the campaign. We also talk about why Deadfall works surprisingly well as more than a single adventure. Its missions can be pulled apart and used as D&D one-shots, adapted into an anthology-style campaign, or mined by Dungeon Masters looking for a useful Thay campaign setting reference. There are a few missed opportunities, particularly with some disappointing monster design, but the amount of usable material, meaningful player choice, high-level treasure, and contingency planning left us pleasantly surprised. If you're looking for an Arcana Unleashed Deadfall review, a D&D 5e high-level adventure, ideas for running an espionage campaign in Dungeons and Dragons, or an excuse to send level 20 characters after Szass Tam and the Red Wizards of Thay, there's a lot here worth stealing. Preferably before the players steal it first. Key Takeaways Deadfall is a level 11 to 20 D&D 5e espionage adventure set in Thay, centered on stopping Szass Tam and his latest extremely reasonable plan for world domination. Thay gets enough background material that the book can double as a useful Red Wizards of Thay campaign reference for Dungeon Masters. The espionage mechanics include disguises, codenames, secrecy, compromised identities, hidden bases, and ways to recover after blowing your cover. Player choices matter. Allies, side missions, failures, and earlier decisions can significantly change later encounters and even the difficulty of the final battle. The adventure anticipates players going off-script surprisingly well, including what happens when important NPCs die or the party chooses violence over diplomacy. Deadfall hands out a huge amount of high-level D&D magic items, including very rare, legendary, and even artifact-level equipment. The adventure's monster design occasionally disappoints, especially when flavorful concepts turn out to use fairly ordinary existing stat blocks. The campaign moves extremely quickly through high-level play, making the proposed session count ambitious for groups that like exploring every corner. The final Szass Tam encounter actually feels dangerous, with multiple enemies, nasty environmental effects, and consequences based on what the characters accomplished earlier. Deadfall can work as a complete campaign, a collection of connected D&D one-shots, or a source of missions and ideas for a homebrew espionage adventure. Most importantly, make friends with the pirates. Seriously. Make friends with the pirates. 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 https://ashelydm.com/ https://ashelydm.com/ Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

Welcome to Thay, where the dress code is red, the government is run by homicidal wizards, and your spy agency's severance package is either magical memory loss or death. Arcana Unleashed: Deadfall takes D&D 5e from cloak-and-dagger espionage to rebel wizards, pirates, demon-powered skeletons, legendary magic items, and eventually a full-scale assault on Szass Tam's evil wizard lair. Along the way, we discover that the real secret to saving Faerûn is apparently making friends with pirates, hoarding magic items, and knowing when not to punch the lich who can cast Finger of Death whenever he feels like it. Also, there's a dragon turtle named Bitey. Obviously, this is serious espionage. Arcana Unleashed (affiliate link) Arcana Unleashed: Deadfall (affiliate link) Forgotten Realms Wiki Szass Tam Show Notes We're wrapping up our Arcana Unleashed review with Deadfall, a high-level D&D 5e adventure that drops characters into Thay for an espionage campaign involving Red Wizards, political scheming, undead armies, absurd amounts of magic, and the small problem of Szass Tam attempting to take control of everything again. Before the spying begins, we dig into Thay itself, including the Zulkirs, Red Wizard society, Szass Tam's long history of being spectacularly evil, and why living in Thay mostly involves keeping your head down and desperately pretending you didn't see anything. Deadfall also offers advice for running a D&D espionage adventure, complete with secret identities, codenames, magical disguises, compromised covers, hidden bases, and consequences when the party inevitably decides subtlety is for NPCs. Once the campaign gets moving, Deadfall becomes a rapid-fire series of covert missions. The party hunts spies, blackmails messengers, recruits dissident Red Wizards, collects increasingly ridiculous magic items, befriends pirates, meets a dragon turtle named Bitey, and watches their earlier choices come back in meaningful ways. The adventure even accounts for the traditional player solution of murdering someone important to the plot, which earns it considerable respect from the group. The campaign moves quickly from level 11 to level 20, giving characters access to legendary equipment and some genuinely dangerous high-level D&D encounters. The final stretch turns the spy thriller into a full assault on Szass Tam's stronghold, culminating in a brutal boss fight involving powerful undead, demons, environmental effects, necrotic damage, and consequences tied directly to allies the characters helped or ignored earlier in the campaign. We also talk about why Deadfall works surprisingly well as more than a single adventure. Its missions can be pulled apart and used as D&D one-shots, adapted into an anthology-style campaign, or mined by Dungeon Masters looking for a useful Thay campaign setting reference. There are a few missed opportunities, particularly with some disappointing monster design, but the amount of usable material, meaningful player choice, high-level treasure, and contingency planning left us pleasantly surprised. If you're looking for an Arcana Unleashed Deadfall review, a D&D 5e high-level adventure, ideas for running an espionage campaign in Dungeons and Dragons, or an excuse to send level 20 characters after Szass Tam and the Red Wizards of Thay, there's a lot here worth stealing. Preferably before the players steal it first. Key Takeaways Deadfall is a level 11 to 20 D&D 5e espionage adventure set in Thay, centered on stopping Szass Tam and his latest extremely reasonable plan for world domination. Thay gets enough background material that the book can double as a useful Red Wizards of Thay campaign reference for Dungeon Masters. The espionage mechanics include disguises, codenames, secrecy, compromised identities, hidden bases, and ways to recover after blowing your cover. Player choices matter. Allies, side missions, failures, and earlier decisions can significantly change later encounters and even the difficulty of the final battle. The adventure anticipates players going off-script surprisingly well, including what happens when important NPCs die or the party chooses violence over diplomacy. Deadfall hands out a huge amount of high-level D&D magic items, including very rare, legendary, and even artifact-level equipment. The adventure's monster design occasionally disappoints, especially when flavorful concepts turn out to use fairly ordinary existing stat blocks. The campaign moves extremely quickly through high-level play, making the proposed session count ambitious for groups that like exploring every corner. The final Szass Tam encounter actually feels dangerous, with multiple enemies, nasty environmental effects, and consequences based on what the characters accomplished earlier. Deadfall can work as a complete campaign, a collection of connected D&D one-shots, or a source of missions and ideas for a homebrew espionage adventure. Most importantly, make friends with the pirates. Seriously. Make friends with the pirates. 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 https://ashelydm.com/ https://ashelydm.com/ Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

Amanda is joined by GWJ alumni Chris O'Regan to discuss PAXWest 2026 and the state of the convention space. Games: Woodo, Wanderberg, Dungeon Settlers, Castlevania: Belmont's Curse, Sigilfarer, Deadroot, Dungeon Lurker, Song of Maka, TileShire, Malice in Wonderland, The Jeff Paradox, D&D's Legends of Greyhawk. To contact us, email call@gamerswithjobs.com! Send us your thoughts on the show, pressing issues you want to talk about, or whatever else is on your mind. Links & Show Notes.

  Isaiah 31:1 (NLT) – “What sorrow awaits those who look to Egypt for help, trusting in their horses, chariots, and charioteers, and depending on the strength of human armies instead of looking to the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.”   In this episode of Daily Devotions, Pastor David Sumrall challenges believers to evaluate where their ultimate trust lies when facing life's challenges. Drawing from Isaiah, he notes that while it is easy to rely on God when we have nothing, prosperity can subtly tempt us to depend on human armies, wealth, banks, or personal connections instead of our Heavenly Father.   Pastor Sumrall explains that our personal relationship with God is what makes every place we sow seed good ground, ensuring His blessing regardless of surrounding economic or social chaos. He encourages believers to put their complete dependence back on the Lord, knowing that He remains our sure foundation and provides a rich store of salvation, wisdom, and peace in every season. ---- Don't forget to like, subscribe to Cathedral of Praise TV https://www.youtube.com/c/cathedralofpraiseTV/?sub_confirmation=1,and hit the bell icon

You value relationships. You genuinely care about your donors.And then it's time to ask for $100,000 and suddenly you're saying:“Whatever you can give would be great!”Would it, though?Your mission requires serious money.In this episode of the Nonprofit CourageLab podcast, we're talking about the fear that making a big ask will damage the donor relationship—and what might actually be hiding underneath it.We're getting into:What your real fear is and it's likely not talking about moneyThe difference between relationship building and people pleasing and how to know which one you're doingWhy clear is not the same as coerciveHow to stop budgeting donor's philanthropy for themWhy your relationship with “No” matters more than you thinkHow to handle when things go sidewaysWhy avoiding discomfort is costing you big giftsYour job is to tell the truth about what your organization needs, make the ask, and let another grown adult decide what they want to do. That's it.If you've been needing some mindset coaching around major gifts and support to stop backing down at the most important moment - when it's time to ask - then this episode is for you.Want 15 leads in 5 minutes? DM me "Breakfast burrito" on LinkedIn and I'll send you a pdf and 6-minute training to help you generate 15 leads for your nonprofit in minutes. It's totally free. All you need is an email to sign up. DM me "Breakfast burrito" - I'm from Texas, what can I say? - to get your pdf and mini training.If you're an ED or DD of a $1M+ making a difference in your community and you're ready to make bigger, bolder asks, then DM me “CL” on LinkedIn and I'll share details.

Marines often blame toxic leadership, their unit, or the military for why they've stopped caring—but what happens when their own behavior is part of the problem?In this episode of the Meech Speaks Podcast, Meech breaks down what it really means to be a “shitbag Marine,” how those behaviors appear at every rank, and the difference between making a mistake and consistently becoming a detriment to your team.This conversation examines accountability in the Marine Corps, poor leadership, negative attitudes, declining performance, and the consequences of becoming known as someone who cannot be trusted. Meech also shares his experience as a problem Marine who had to rebuild his reputation and earn back the trust of his leadership.Sometimes the unit really is toxic. Sometimes leadership really does fail Marines. But receiving your DD-214 won't automatically fix the habits you developed while wearing the uniform. The same lack of accountability can follow you into the civilian workforce, your relationships, your business, and your home.Being a shitbag doesn't have to become your permanent identity—but changing begins with asking an uncomfortable question:Am I making my environment better, or am I making it worse?Subscribe for honest conversations about Marine Corps culture, military leadership, accountability, veteran life, and the transition out of the military.

Mike Sarraille—former special operations leader, Chief Talent Officer at a veteran-owned company, and the man behind Fox Nation's Final Flight: The Men of Extortion 17—joins the MTNTOUGH Podcast on what companies still get wrong about veteran talent, why eight guys from the same platoon now work under one roof, and why a soldier dies twice: once in the field, and again when his name is spoken last. He covers the seven-continent skydive with Andy Stumpf, building brotherhood after the DD-214, the harsh cost of high performance (divorce, empty tank, no “balance”), his forthcoming book Teams, and why telling other men's stories is the work he wants to do for a lifetime.Join Dustin Diefenderfer, Founder of MTNTOUGH Fitness Lab and creator of the MTNTOUGH+ Fitness App in the top podcast for Mental Toughness and Mindset. (P.S.

We survived the subclasses. We survived the wizard subclasses. Now Arcana Unleashed Part 3 asks the truly dangerous questions: What if every wizard got a Pokémon? What if every magical faction agreed that the Ninth Quill sucks? And what if an invisible imp could carry your entire adventuring party through a wall while you relax inside a genie lamp like the world's most heavily armed first-class passengers? This week, we're digging into the rest of Arcana Unleashed, including new backgrounds, feats, spells, magical factions, evolving magic items, monsters, and a dungeon puzzle whose greatest challenge is apparently identifying which end of a snake has the head. Welcome aboard Infernal Air. Please keep your arms, legs, and extraplanar vessels inside the familiar at all times. Arcana Unleashed (affiliate link) Arcana Unleashed: Deadfall (affiliate link) Fizban's Treasure of Dragons (affiliate link) AmateurJack.com - Recovery Long Rest - Cozy D&D Business Sim Show Notes We've covered the Arcana Unleashed subclasses. We've given Tyler an entire episode of wizard content. Now it's time to dig through everything else Wizards of the Coast packed into the book, and there is a lot more here than we expected. We start with the new Arcana Unleashed backgrounds and origin feats, where the results range from flavorful-but-forgettable to options that could seriously change how characters are built. Familiar Friend immediately gets our attention, especially once the rest of the familiar feats enter the picture. Arcane Warrior opens wizard cantrips to characters with Fighting Styles, while the new school-specific Adept feats offer spellcasters ways to steal spells and tricks from outside their usual class options. Then things get weird. Battle Familiar might be one of the strongest new D&D 2024 spells in Arcana Unleashed. It looks suspiciously like Summon Beast, except it does not require concentration, which means there is very little reason not to have one running whenever possible. Add familiar feats, Conjurer interactions, Necromancer options, and Pact of the Chain nonsense, and suddenly your adorable magical pet is an active participant in breaking the action economy. We also discover that Otherworldly Familiar lets a familiar move through walls, which naturally leads to an invisible imp carrying a Genie Warlock's vessel, and potentially the entire party, directly through the dungeon. Congratulations. You have invented Infernal Air and apparently solved dungeon crawling. The new Arcana Unleashed spells keep the chaos going. Detonation inspires the return of bag-of-rats logic, Mordenkainen's Lucubration provides an expensive way to trade higher-level spell slots for lower-level ones, and Summon Dinosaur requires very little explanation because sometimes the spell name is already doing all the work. Beyond character options, Arcana Unleashed includes advice for building magic-heavy campaign settings, creating magical traditions, defining society's relationship with magic, and using group patrons. The magical faction system expands that idea with organizations tied to each school of magic, complete with goals, renown rewards, relationships, player options, and Bastion facilities. Some are noble. Some are creepy. The Crucible Keepers apparently treat magical disasters like sporting events. The Bringers of the Cosmic Dawn have decided transmutation needed more body horror. The Covenant of the Grave gives necromancy a surprisingly thoughtful treatment. And nearly everybody hates the Ninth Quill because, as it turns out, being an organized magical crime syndicate is not a great way to make friends. We also dig into the new D&D evolving magic item rules. There are several premade examples, a simple system for upgrading items into higher-rarity versions, and a more flexible framework for adding new powers as an item grows. The concept is useful, particularly for DMs building long-term rewards, even if we wish the book gave us a lot more material to work with. Arcana Unleashed also brings back creatures like the baelnorn, introduces archmages themed around the schools of magic, and includes the level 1 adventure Tomb of the Shadow Serpents. Venger has apparently created a multiversal dungeon-based recruitment program where surviving a few traps and assembling three pieces of a snake qualifies you for employment in an evil organization. Which explains a lot about Venger's career. By the end of our Arcana Unleashed Part 3 review, the mechanics remain the strongest part of the book. The feats offer some genuinely interesting character-building options, the familiar material could have a major impact on D&D 5e character optimization, and the spells contain several standouts. The magical factions and worldbuilding material provide useful starting points for DMs, while the evolving magic item system feels like a good idea that we wish had been given more room to grow. And Battle Familiar probably needs concentration. Seriously. Key Takeaways Arcana Unleashed adds ten backgrounds and origin feats, with Familiar Friend standing out because it dramatically improves familiar survivability and unlocks the book's additional familiar feats. Arcane Warrior gives Fighters, Paladins, Rangers, and other characters with Fighting Styles access to wizard cantrips, opening up plenty of new D&D 2024 character build options. The school-specific Adept feats provide new spells and magical abilities, effectively offering lightweight versions of the eight schools of magic to characters outside the Wizard class. Battle Familiar is one of the biggest mechanical standouts in the book. Its lack of concentration creates extremely powerful interactions with familiars, summoners, Conjurer Wizards, Necromancer Wizards, and Pact of the Chain Warlocks. The Arcana Unleashed magical factions give DMs ready-made organizations for Abjuration, Conjuration, Divination, Enchantment, Evocation, Illusion, Necromancy, and Transmutation, complete with renown rewards and faction-specific Bastion facilities. The new evolving magic item rules provide a solid framework for D&D campaigns where weapons, armor, wands, and other magical equipment grow alongside their owners, although the system could use more examples and options. Tomb of the Shadow Serpents is a simple level 1 dungeon crawl built around Venger recruiting adventurers for future schemes. The loot is surprisingly generous, the encounters are straightforward, and the snake puzzle may be the greatest threat ever posed to player overthinking. Overall, Arcana Unleashed Part 3 reinforces the book's biggest strength: mechanics. The feats, spells, familiar options, and character customization tools are much stronger than the lighter worldbuilding material, and several options look likely to become significant parts of the D&D 5e 2024 optimization landscape. 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 https://ashelydm.com/ https://ashelydm.com/ Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

We survived the subclasses. We survived the wizard subclasses. Now Arcana Unleashed Part 3 asks the truly dangerous questions: What if every wizard got a Pokémon? What if every magical faction agreed that the Ninth Quill sucks? And what if an invisible imp could carry your entire adventuring party through a wall while you relax inside a genie lamp like the world's most heavily armed first-class passengers? This week, we're digging into the rest of Arcana Unleashed, including new backgrounds, feats, spells, magical factions, evolving magic items, monsters, and a dungeon puzzle whose greatest challenge is apparently identifying which end of a snake has the head. Welcome aboard Infernal Air. Please keep your arms, legs, and extraplanar vessels inside the familiar at all times. Show Notes We've covered the Arcana Unleashed subclasses. We've given Tyler an entire episode of wizard content. Now it's time to dig through everything else Wizards of the Coast packed into the book, and there is a lot more here than we expected. We start with the new Arcana Unleashed backgrounds and origin feats, where the results range from flavorful-but-forgettable to options that could seriously change how characters are built. Familiar Friend immediately gets our attention, especially once the rest of the familiar feats enter the picture. Arcane Warrior opens wizard cantrips to characters with Fighting Styles, while the new school-specific Adept feats offer spellcasters ways to steal spells and tricks from outside their usual class options. Then things get weird. Battle Familiar might be one of the strongest new D&D 2024 spells in Arcana Unleashed. It looks suspiciously like Summon Beast, except it does not require concentration, which means there is very little reason not to have one running whenever possible. Add familiar feats, Conjurer interactions, Necromancer options, and Pact of the Chain nonsense, and suddenly your adorable magical pet is an active participant in breaking the action economy. We also discover that Otherworldly Familiar lets a familiar move through walls, which naturally leads to an invisible imp carrying a Genie Warlock's vessel, and potentially the entire party, directly through the dungeon. Congratulations. You have invented Infernal Air and apparently solved dungeon crawling. The new Arcana Unleashed spells keep the chaos going. Detonation inspires the return of bag-of-rats logic, Mordenkainen's Lucubration provides an expensive way to trade higher-level spell slots for lower-level ones, and Summon Dinosaur requires very little explanation because sometimes the spell name is already doing all the work. Beyond character options, Arcana Unleashed includes advice for building magic-heavy campaign settings, creating magical traditions, defining society's relationship with magic, and using group patrons. The magical faction system expands that idea with organizations tied to each school of magic, complete with goals, renown rewards, relationships, player options, and Bastion facilities. Some are noble. Some are creepy. The Crucible Keepers apparently treat magical disasters like sporting events. The Bringers of the Cosmic Dawn have decided transmutation needed more body horror. The Covenant of the Grave gives necromancy a surprisingly thoughtful treatment. And nearly everybody hates the Ninth Quill because, as it turns out, being an organized magical crime syndicate is not a great way to make friends. We also dig into the new D&D evolving magic item rules. There are several premade examples, a simple system for upgrading items into higher-rarity versions, and a more flexible framework for adding new powers as an item grows. The concept is useful, particularly for DMs building long-term rewards, even if we wish the book gave us a lot more material to work with. Arcana Unleashed also brings back creatures like the baelnorn, introduces archmages themed around the schools of magic, and includes the level 1 adventure Tomb of the Shadow Serpents. Venger has apparently created a multiversal dungeon-based recruitment program where surviving a few traps and assembling three pieces of a snake qualifies you for employment in an evil organization. Which explains a lot about Venger's career. By the end of our Arcana Unleashed Part 3 review, the mechanics remain the strongest part of the book. The feats offer some genuinely interesting character-building options, the familiar material could have a major impact on D&D 5e character optimization, and the spells contain several standouts. The magical factions and worldbuilding material provide useful starting points for DMs, while the evolving magic item system feels like a good idea that we wish had been given more room to grow. And Battle Familiar probably needs concentration. Seriously. Key Takeaways Arcana Unleashed adds ten backgrounds and origin feats, with Familiar Friend standing out because it dramatically improves familiar survivability and unlocks the book's additional familiar feats. Arcane Warrior gives Fighters, Paladins, Rangers, and other characters with Fighting Styles access to wizard cantrips, opening up plenty of new D&D 2024 character build options. The school-specific Adept feats provide new spells and magical abilities, effectively offering lightweight versions of the eight schools of magic to characters outside the Wizard class. Battle Familiar is one of the biggest mechanical standouts in the book. Its lack of concentration creates extremely powerful interactions with familiars, summoners, Conjurer Wizards, Necromancer Wizards, and Pact of the Chain Warlocks. The Arcana Unleashed magical factions give DMs ready-made organizations for Abjuration, Conjuration, Divination, Enchantment, Evocation, Illusion, Necromancy, and Transmutation, complete with renown rewards and faction-specific Bastion facilities. The new evolving magic item rules provide a solid framework for D&D campaigns where weapons, armor, wands, and other magical equipment grow alongside their owners, although the system could use more examples and options. Tomb of the Shadow Serpents is a simple level 1 dungeon crawl built around Venger recruiting adventurers for future schemes. The loot is surprisingly generous, the encounters are straightforward, and the snake puzzle may be the greatest threat ever posed to player overthinking. Overall, Arcana Unleashed Part 3 reinforces the book's biggest strength: mechanics. The feats, spells, familiar options, and character customization tools are much stronger than the lighter worldbuilding material, and several options look likely to become significant parts of the D&D 5e 2024 optimization landscape. 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 https://ashelydm.com/ https://ashelydm.com/ Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

Treantmonk joins us to talk about Wizards, which means we're about to spend an unreasonable amount of time discussing concentration saves, initiative bonuses, spell selection, and why standing anywhere near the enemy is a terrible lifestyle choice. We're taking the 2014 Wizard from levels 1 through 7, starting with a fragile academic who can be killed by an aggressively thrown sandwich and ending with a battlefield-control monster who can Web half the room, Fireball the other half, and still have enough magic left over to argue about which subclass is best. Along the way, we discover the Muscle Wizard, question why Medicine is still a skill, turn a spellbook into an arcane Predator drone, and once again prove that the strongest Wizard strategy is simple: Go first. Stay far away. Don't lose concentration. Easy. Show Notes Treantmonk joins Tyler, Ash, and Randall as we start building the 2014 D&D 5e Wizard from levels 1 through 7. We kick things off with ability scores, skills, defenses, and the eternal Wizard question: how much effort should you put into not immediately dying? That leads naturally into armor dips, Constitution saves, initiative, and why keeping concentration is often more important than squeezing out a little more damage. Then we get into subclasses. War Magic gets plenty of attention for its defensive tools and initiative bonus, Divination continues being Divination, Illusion gives Ash plenty to work with, and Order of Scribes eventually lets Tyler use his spellbook like a magical surveillance drone. Transmutation is also discussed. We'll leave it at that. Then comes the real Wizard experience: picking spells. Shield, Mage Armor, Find Familiar, Absorb Elements, and Magic Missile get us started before the gloves come off and everyone starts fighting over Web. From there we hit Fireball, Hypnotic Pattern, Slow, Fear, Counterspell, Tiny Hut, Summon Undead, Arcane Eye, Sickening Radiance, Greater Invisibility, Banishment, Polymorph, and enough other spells to remind everyone why building a Wizard takes three hours and a spreadsheet. By the end, one thing is very clear: Wizards don't need to solve every problem with damage. But they absolutely can. Key Takeaways The Wizard's biggest class feature is still its spell list. Your subclass matters, but your spell choices matter more. Protect your concentration. Positioning, Constitution saves, Shield, Absorb Elements, and simply refusing to stand next to angry monsters will keep your best spells running. Going first is incredibly powerful. War Magic gets a lot of love because dropping battlefield control before the enemy gets moving can completely change a fight. The classic Wizard staples are classics for a reason. Shield, Find Familiar, Mage Armor, Absorb Elements, Magic Missile, and rituals give you a ridiculous amount of mileage at low levels. Web is excellent. Everyone knows Web is excellent. This becomes a problem when multiple people are drafting spells and everybody wants Web. Third-level spells are where the Wizard really starts showing off. Fireball is Fireball, but Slow, Hypnotic Pattern, Fear, Counterspell, and other control options can be even more important depending on the fight. Don't build around a single saving throw or status effect. Having multiple ways to attack a problem keeps you useful when monsters inevitably refuse to cooperate with your favorite spell. Utility spells are a huge part of what makes Wizards so good. Scouting, teleportation, rituals, summons, battlefield control, and information gathering often solve problems before initiative is even rolled. Order of Scribes gets wonderfully weird once Manifest Mind enters the picture. Your floating spellbook can scout and act as the point of origin for your spells, turning your Wizard into a magical drone operator. And remember: dealing damage is technically a form of support if the thing threatening your party is no longer alive. 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 https://ashelydm.com/ https://ashelydm.com/ Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati  

Treantmonk joins us to talk about Wizards, which means we're about to spend an unreasonable amount of time discussing concentration saves, initiative bonuses, spell selection, and why standing anywhere near the enemy is a terrible lifestyle choice. We're taking the 2014 Wizard from levels 1 through 7, starting with a fragile academic who can be killed by an aggressively thrown sandwich and ending with a battlefield-control monster who can Web half the room, Fireball the other half, and still have enough magic left over to argue about which subclass is best. Along the way, we discover the Muscle Wizard, question why Medicine is still a skill, turn a spellbook into an arcane Predator drone, and once again prove that the strongest Wizard strategy is simple: Go first. Stay far away. Don't lose concentration. Easy. Show Notes Treantmonk joins Tyler, Ash, and Randall as we start building the 2014 D&D 5e Wizard from levels 1 through 7. We kick things off with ability scores, skills, defenses, and the eternal Wizard question: how much effort should you put into not immediately dying? That leads naturally into armor dips, Constitution saves, initiative, and why keeping concentration is often more important than squeezing out a little more damage. Then we get into subclasses. War Magic gets plenty of attention for its defensive tools and initiative bonus, Divination continues being Divination, Illusion gives Ash plenty to work with, and Order of Scribes eventually lets Tyler use his spellbook like a magical surveillance drone. Transmutation is also discussed. We'll leave it at that. Then comes the real Wizard experience: picking spells. Shield, Mage Armor, Find Familiar, Absorb Elements, and Magic Missile get us started before the gloves come off and everyone starts fighting over Web. From there we hit Fireball, Hypnotic Pattern, Slow, Fear, Counterspell, Tiny Hut, Summon Undead, Arcane Eye, Sickening Radiance, Greater Invisibility, Banishment, Polymorph, and enough other spells to remind everyone why building a Wizard takes three hours and a spreadsheet. By the end, one thing is very clear: Wizards don't need to solve every problem with damage. But they absolutely can. Key Takeaways The Wizard's biggest class feature is still its spell list. Your subclass matters, but your spell choices matter more. Protect your concentration. Positioning, Constitution saves, Shield, Absorb Elements, and simply refusing to stand next to angry monsters will keep your best spells running. Going first is incredibly powerful. War Magic gets a lot of love because dropping battlefield control before the enemy gets moving can completely change a fight. The classic Wizard staples are classics for a reason. Shield, Find Familiar, Mage Armor, Absorb Elements, Magic Missile, and rituals give you a ridiculous amount of mileage at low levels. Web is excellent. Everyone knows Web is excellent. This becomes a problem when multiple people are drafting spells and everybody wants Web. Third-level spells are where the Wizard really starts showing off. Fireball is Fireball, but Slow, Hypnotic Pattern, Fear, Counterspell, and other control options can be even more important depending on the fight. Don't build around a single saving throw or status effect. Having multiple ways to attack a problem keeps you useful when monsters inevitably refuse to cooperate with your favorite spell. Utility spells are a huge part of what makes Wizards so good. Scouting, teleportation, rituals, summons, battlefield control, and information gathering often solve problems before initiative is even rolled. Order of Scribes gets wonderfully weird once Manifest Mind enters the picture. Your floating spellbook can scout and act as the point of origin for your spells, turning your Wizard into a magical drone operator. And remember: dealing damage is technically a form of support if the thing threatening your party is no longer alive. 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 https://ashelydm.com/ https://ashelydm.com/ Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati  

(02:00): Kan man få beboerne på Kærshovedgård til at betale for tandlæge? Medvirkende: Frederik Waage, Professor i forfatnings- og forvaltningsret ved Syddansk Universitet. (16:00): Bliver Amanda Heitmann smidt ud af venstre? Medvirkende: Anders Langballe, Politisk kommentator for Ekstra Bladet. (30:00): Hvad sker der når en dansker går på Nørrebro? Medvirkende: Kristoffer Storm, EP-medlem for DD. (40:00): Hvad kan Vladimir Putin overhovedet bruge det her valg til? Medvirkende: Charlotte Flindt Pedersen, Generalsekretær for CISU (Civilsamfund i udvikling). Værter: Peter Marstal og Mathias Wissing. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Most DMs treat session zero as step one. It's not — it's where prep pays off. Professional DM Justin Lewis breaks down five conversations to have with your D&D players before session zero ever starts.From setting expectations to building real excitement to a player brief people actually reread, this is a practical guide to getting your table ready before the dice hit the table. For more, grab the Dungeon Master Level Up Guide: https://session0studios.com/newsletterCovers: what session zero actually is, setting player expectations one-on-one, the DM/player promise, building excitement with new and experienced players, onboarding brand-new TTRPG players, writing a player brief, setting table norms and culture ahead of time, sending backstory and character questions before session zero, and a real story of a DM breaking his own promise mid-campaign in Out of the Abyss. Useful for D&D 5e groups, homebrew campaigns, and any tabletop RPG table looking to run a better session zero.Thanks for listening to today's show. If you like our stuff and want to support us, here are some sponsor links and links to our other stuff:* Worldsmith: http://session0studios.com/worldsmith* Hire a Professional Dungeon Master: https://session0studios.com/dungeon-master-for-hire/* Discord: http://session0studios.com/discord* Patreon: https://session0studios.com/patreon* Dungeon Master Level Up Guide: https://session0studios.com/newsletter

Four Wizards walk into Arcana Unleashed. One teleports around insisting that swapping places is exciting. One looks like somebody's tiefling dad going through a stage-magic phase. One brings an army of disposable skeletons specifically so he can blow them up. And the last one turns into a T-Rex and starts casting Disintegrate. Somehow, this is still a more functional party than most adventuring groups we've played in. Welcome back to Arcana Unleashed, where today's lesson is simple: Wizards apparently needed more things to do. Show Notes Part Two of our Arcana Unleashed review is all Wizards, all the time, and Tyler finally gets his moment. We start with the Conjurer, which continues its identity crisis between "master summoner" and "person who is really, really enthusiastic about Misty Step." Benign Transposition and its upgrades make teleportation useful, especially once Randall figures out how to combine swapping places with summoned monsters. But the real excitement comes later, when Durable Summons, Focused Conjuration, and Splintered Summons finally let the subclass lean into what everyone actually came here for: putting more creatures on the battlefield. Then we meet the Enchanter, whose artwork immediately gets described as a middle-aged tiefling dad who took up stage magic during a midlife crisis. The subclass gets better social skills, a much more playable version of Hypnotic Gaze, and some frustratingly limited spell-twinning. Things improve considerably at higher levels, especially when Alter Memories turns magical manipulation into full-on fantasy Men in Black nonsense. Necromancer is where things get wonderfully irresponsible. Undead familiars can finally contribute, Animate Dead gets stronger, summoned undead become tougher and hit harder, and eventually your disposable corpse army becomes a collection of walking necrotic grenades. Tyler tries repeatedly to explain the mathematical shortcomings of undead attack bonuses while Ash tries repeatedly to enjoy himself despite Tyler's best efforts. Finally, the Transmuter arrives with the traditional Transmuter's Stone, some questionable attempts to make Alter Self exciting, and a substantially improved Empowered Transmutation. Things really come alive with Shapeshifter, which lets the Wizard Polymorph themselves while keeping their mental abilities and continuing to cast qualifying Transmutation spells. Which leads to the discovery nobody knew they needed: T-Rex. Casting. Disintegrate. Arcana Unleashed (affiliate link) Arcana Unleashed: Deadfall (affiliate link) Fizban's Treasure of Dragons (affiliate link) AmateurJack.com - Recovery Long Rest - Cozy D&D Business Sim Key Takeaways Conjurer is much better when it remembers that people choosing Conjurer probably want to summon things, not just teleport slightly differently. Enchanter has some weak spots, but Instinctive Charm and Alter Memories offer genuinely fun tools for manipulation, infiltration, and absolutely horrifying roleplay possibilities. Necromancer may be the standout of the bunch. Stronger undead, useful familiars, better Animate Dead support, and exploding minions finally deliver the "commander of the dead" fantasy. Transmuter still has an unhealthy emotional attachment to its rock, but Empowered Transmutation and Shapeshifter give the subclass some genuinely exciting options. The most important rules discovery of the episode is that turning into a T-Rex apparently does not prevent you from solving problems with high-level Wizard magic. Tyler likes Wizards. Ash would like Tyler to stop explaining why the things Ash likes aren't as good as Ash thinks they are. 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 https://ashelydm.com/ https://ashelydm.com/ Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

Four Wizards walk into Arcana Unleashed. One teleports around insisting that swapping places is exciting. One looks like somebody's tiefling dad going through a stage-magic phase. One brings an army of disposable skeletons specifically so he can blow them up. And the last one turns into a T-Rex and starts casting Disintegrate. Somehow, this is still a more functional party than most adventuring groups we've played in. Welcome back to Arcana Unleashed, where today's lesson is simple: Wizards apparently needed more things to do. Show Notes Part Two of our Arcana Unleashed review is all Wizards, all the time, and Tyler finally gets his moment. We start with the Conjurer, which continues its identity crisis between "master summoner" and "person who is really, really enthusiastic about Misty Step." Benign Transposition and its upgrades make teleportation useful, especially once Randall figures out how to combine swapping places with summoned monsters. But the real excitement comes later, when Durable Summons, Focused Conjuration, and Splintered Summons finally let the subclass lean into what everyone actually came here for: putting more creatures on the battlefield. Then we meet the Enchanter, whose artwork immediately gets described as a middle-aged tiefling dad who took up stage magic during a midlife crisis. The subclass gets better social skills, a much more playable version of Hypnotic Gaze, and some frustratingly limited spell-twinning. Things improve considerably at higher levels, especially when Alter Memories turns magical manipulation into full-on fantasy Men in Black nonsense. Necromancer is where things get wonderfully irresponsible. Undead familiars can finally contribute, Animate Dead gets stronger, summoned undead become tougher and hit harder, and eventually your disposable corpse army becomes a collection of walking necrotic grenades. Tyler tries repeatedly to explain the mathematical shortcomings of undead attack bonuses while Ash tries repeatedly to enjoy himself despite Tyler's best efforts. Finally, the Transmuter arrives with the traditional Transmuter's Stone, some questionable attempts to make Alter Self exciting, and a substantially improved Empowered Transmutation. Things really come alive with Shapeshifter, which lets the Wizard Polymorph themselves while keeping their mental abilities and continuing to cast qualifying Transmutation spells. Which leads to the discovery nobody knew they needed: T-Rex. Casting. Disintegrate. Arcana Unleashed (affiliate link) Arcana Unleashed: Deadfall (affiliate link) Fizban's Treasure of Dragons (affiliate link) AmateurJack.com - Recovery Long Rest - Cozy D&D Business Sim Key Takeaways Conjurer is much better when it remembers that people choosing Conjurer probably want to summon things, not just teleport slightly differently. Enchanter has some weak spots, but Instinctive Charm and Alter Memories offer genuinely fun tools for manipulation, infiltration, and absolutely horrifying roleplay possibilities. Necromancer may be the standout of the bunch. Stronger undead, useful familiars, better Animate Dead support, and exploding minions finally deliver the "commander of the dead" fantasy. Transmuter still has an unhealthy emotional attachment to its rock, but Empowered Transmutation and Shapeshifter give the subclass some genuinely exciting options. The most important rules discovery of the episode is that turning into a T-Rex apparently does not prevent you from solving problems with high-level Wizard magic. Tyler likes Wizards. Ash would like Tyler to stop explaining why the things Ash likes aren't as good as Ash thinks they are. 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 https://ashelydm.com/ https://ashelydm.com/ Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

Like we did with Rogues back in episode 746, the Dorks are taking a look at bards and bard-like characters across all of media! From the very obvious and standards like Edward from Final Fantasy 4 and Jaskier from the Witcher to more speculative possibilities, we're digging around to see who we can find. What actually makes a character a bard? We're starting at D&D and going from there! Be sure to let us know who we missed and why we're wrong! Come join us in the future! The show is live on Thursdays around 8pm(ish) Eastern time on Twitch. Become a Lifeguard on Patreon! – patreon.com/themanapool Podcast RSS Feed: themanapool.libsyn.com/rss YouTube: youtube.com/TheManaPool The Deep End: youtube.com/@TheDeepEndTMP TMP Streams Archive: youtube.com/@TMPStreams Twitch: twitch.tv/themanapool Discord: discord.gg/7da7T6s BlueSky: themanapool.bsky.social Instagram: TheManaPool Threads: @TheManaPool Email: dorks@themanapool.com Intro & Outro Music: Diamond by Swift – https://open.spotify.com/artist/0vAs5HIBkUPbuoN5b5GWTE

You're told to raise more you need to do more. I “did more”, raised $1.1M, and I lost sleep, and my hair fell out. I met the goal, but it cost me my health. 8 years later, I raised $2,500,000 and was vibrant and healthy. The difference was a different strategy and skill set.Of course, there was still stress. But there's a difference between stressed and burnt out.In this episode of the @Nonprofit CourageLab podcast, I share a glimpse into the typical nonprofit revenue model and the real cost vs. raising 2x more with a simplified model.I'm tired of hearing:“The gala nearly killed me” or“We're doing too much, and it's not sustainable”Here's what I cover:Why doing more keeps revenue flat and what to do insteadHow people-pleasing is killing revenue growthYour authentic role as a fundraiser and how to reclaim itRevenue growth models that lead to burnout and complexityHow complexity is the ultimate growth killerMy own story of raising bigger gifts from fewer people without a galaHow selling more stuff, bells and whistles actually repels your best donorsHow your view of yourself impacts your fundraising resultsWhy the most sustainable strategy is offensively simpleWhat to do when your strategy is designed for burnoutIf you feel pressure to do more and execute on every idea that comes across your desk to raise 12% more than last year, this episode is for you.Share it with a friend, colleague, and your team.Fair warning: I get real fired up in this, so if you are a sensitive flower, it may be too much for ya.I'm mad. And when I'm mad, I fight. The fight in me is for you. For your health. For your impact. For your legacy. For your time with loved ones. For the vacation you deserve. For the results.Slide Deck From This Episode: Big Gifts for Operations Workshop Slide DeckWant 15 leads in 5 minutes? DM me "Breakfast burrito" on LinkedIn and I'll send you a pdf and 6-minute training to help you generate 15 leads for your nonprofit in minutes. It's totally free. All you need is an email to sign up. DM me "Breakfast burrito" - I'm from Texas, what can I say? - to get your pdf and mini training.If you're an ED or DD of a $1M+ making a difference in your community and you're ready to make bigger, bolder asks, then DM me “CL” on LinkedIn and I'll share details.

Michael P. Howell's journey into brewing started young — the Navy at 18, an Irish pub in a Maine shipyard town, a homebrew mead recipe, and an unlikely detour through a Viking living-history guild. It all came together on one D&D night with friends, when a passing idea turned into a business plan — and an LLC within the month. In this episode, Michael sits down to tell the full story, including the wild tale of twenty Czech brewers showing up at the taproom to help rebuild one of his beers from scratch, decoction process and all. He talks through his theory on why classic beer styles never really go out of style, shares the moment a German naval officer swore his hefeweizen tasted like the real thing, and closes things out with a Chasing the Muse collab conversation you won't want to miss. Watch all episodes of the Dedicated to the Craft Podcast Spotify / Apple Podcasts Follow Ballast Point Brewing on social:  IG: @ballastpointbrewing FB: BallastPoint ballastpoint.com Follow Barley & Sword on social: IG: @barleyandsword FB: barleyandswordbrewingcompany barleyandsword.com Please Explore Responsibly ™ Ballast Point Brewing Co, San Diego, Ca About the show:  Dedicated to the Craft is a celebration of loving what you do every day. In this space, we will talk to everyone from breweries to artists and musicians. There's nothing we love more than raising a glass with guests who are as passionate about their craft as we are about beer. Join us as we share brewing tips, stories, and lots of laughs – all over a few of our favorite brews. Chapters: 18:30 - The D&D Greenlight — "You have my sword, you have my axe," an LLC in under a month 25:12 - Coddiwomple — where "enjoy the journey" came from 38:00 - The Pendulum Thesis — classic styles, two to three years ahead 40:59 - "That's Validation" — the German naval officer and the hefeweizen 42:44 - The Liberation Story Begins — 20 Czech brewers arrive in the taproom 48:13 - "Peter Loses His Mind" — no decoction, rebuilding the process live, the 10.5-hour brew day 1:00:25 - Chasing the Muse — the collab origin, Ballast Point as the classic-style cornerstone

In the Old Quarter, black isn't camouflage—it's a declaration. Karch arrives expecting anonymity and finds suspicion, ready cudgels, and a man who sees far too much.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We explore the playtest material for Neon Odyssey, or "What if D&D was a candy-colored rock opera in space?" Check out Neon Odyssey's excellent animated trailer. 

Arcana Unleashed is here, bringing new subclasses, spells, feats, magic items, and—most importantly—fresh opportunities for Tyler to find loopholes Wizards of the Coast absolutely did not intend. In Part 1, we discover that Clerics can apparently wizard better than Wizards, the Arcane Archer has finally been upgraded from "why?" to "okay, I guess," Monks can punch people and cast spells at the same time, and Warlocks can carry around the fading remains of a dead god like a supernatural emotional-support animal. Also, somewhere at Wizards of the Coast, an editor just felt a disturbance in the Force because Tyler realized you can shoot a magical darkness arrow into someone's shield. Show Notes We kick off our review of Arcana Unleashed, the new setting-agnostic collection of character options, rules, spells, magic items, factions, monsters, and other magical nonsense for D&D. The book isn't quite Tasha's-sized, but there's plenty here to keep us busy—which is why this review is absolutely becoming a series. Part 1 is all about subclasses, starting with the Arcana Domain Cleric. The old "what if my Cleric wanted to be a Wizard?" concept finally feels like it knows what it wants to be. Great Wizard spells, a nasty saving-throw penalty through Channel Divinity, and eventually access to high-level Wizard spells make this an extremely strong hybrid. Tyler immediately starts planning for Contingency and Wish, because of course he does. Then we revisit everyone's favorite subclass to forget exists: the Arcane Archer. It is unquestionably better than the 2014 version, which unfortunately clears a bar located somewhere beneath the basement. More Arcane Shot uses, better utility ammunition, and some genuinely cool later-level abilities help, but the subclass still struggles to generate much excitement. We also spend far too long discovering that Darkening Ammunition can apparently stick to any "solid surface," which means shields, possibly whales, and whatever other nonsense your table is willing to litigate. The Warrior of Mystic Arts Monk fares much better. Mechanically, it's essentially the Monk answer to the Eldritch Knight: punch things, cast Sorcerer spells, and eventually do both with increasingly ridiculous efficiency. The old Tattooed Warrior concept may have been more flavorful, but the finished version is clean, effective, and potentially terrifying once its spellcasting and Monk abilities start feeding into each other. Finally, we meet the Vestige Patron Warlock, where your patron is also your pet because apparently the traditional Warlock power dynamic wasn't complicated enough. Your Vestige can shift between Celestial, Fiend, and Undead forms, bringing different abilities along with it, and eventually gets some impressive summoning upgrades. Ash begins thoroughly uninterested and ends up won over almost entirely by the possibility of worshipping the forgotten god of toads. Which, frankly, is the strongest possible argument for the subclass. We wrap things up before reaching the Wizard subclasses, mostly because making Tyler wait another episode to talk about Wizards is funny. Stuff for the Show Notes Arcana Unleashed (affiliate link) Arcana Unleashed: Deadfall (affiliate link) Fizban's Treasure of Dragons (affiliate link) AmateurJack.com - Recovery Long Rest - Cozy D&D Business Sim Key Takeaways Arcana Domain Cleric is excellent. It finally delivers the Cleric/Wizard hybrid fantasy without feeling like somebody stapled a spellbook onto a holy symbol. Arcane Archer is substantially improved, but "best Arcane Archer ever" still isn't the ringing endorsement Wizards probably hoped for. Darkening Ammunition should never have included the phrase "solid surface" anywhere Tyler Kamstra could see it. Warrior of Mystic Arts trades some of the Tattooed Warrior's flavor for straightforward mechanics, but those mechanics are very, very good. Spellcasting plus Monk action economy gets increasingly ridiculous at higher levels, and everybody seems fine with that. Vestige Patron is mechanically solid, narratively weird, and significantly better once you realize your patron can be the forgotten god of toads. The subclasses covered so far are generally simple, approachable, and effective without introducing a pile of unnecessary new systems. Wizards are next, assuming Ash eventually stops tormenting Tyler and allows him to talk about them. 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 https://ashelydm.com/ https://ashelydm.com/ Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

Arcana Unleashed is here, bringing new subclasses, spells, feats, magic items, and—most importantly—fresh opportunities for Tyler to find loopholes Wizards of the Coast absolutely did not intend. In Part 1, we discover that Clerics can apparently wizard better than Wizards, the Arcane Archer has finally been upgraded from "why?" to "okay, I guess," Monks can punch people and cast spells at the same time, and Warlocks can carry around the fading remains of a dead god like a supernatural emotional-support animal. Also, somewhere at Wizards of the Coast, an editor just felt a disturbance in the Force because Tyler realized you can shoot a magical darkness arrow into someone's shield. Show Notes We kick off our review of Arcana Unleashed, the new setting-agnostic collection of character options, rules, spells, magic items, factions, monsters, and other magical nonsense for D&D. The book isn't quite Tasha's-sized, but there's plenty here to keep us busy—which is why this review is absolutely becoming a series. Part 1 is all about subclasses, starting with the Arcana Domain Cleric. The old "what if my Cleric wanted to be a Wizard?" concept finally feels like it knows what it wants to be. Great Wizard spells, a nasty saving-throw penalty through Channel Divinity, and eventually access to high-level Wizard spells make this an extremely strong hybrid. Tyler immediately starts planning for Contingency and Wish, because of course he does. Then we revisit everyone's favorite subclass to forget exists: the Arcane Archer. It is unquestionably better than the 2014 version, which unfortunately clears a bar located somewhere beneath the basement. More Arcane Shot uses, better utility ammunition, and some genuinely cool later-level abilities help, but the subclass still struggles to generate much excitement. We also spend far too long discovering that Darkening Ammunition can apparently stick to any "solid surface," which means shields, possibly whales, and whatever other nonsense your table is willing to litigate. The Warrior of Mystic Arts Monk fares much better. Mechanically, it's essentially the Monk answer to the Eldritch Knight: punch things, cast Sorcerer spells, and eventually do both with increasingly ridiculous efficiency. The old Tattooed Warrior concept may have been more flavorful, but the finished version is clean, effective, and potentially terrifying once its spellcasting and Monk abilities start feeding into each other. Finally, we meet the Vestige Patron Warlock, where your patron is also your pet because apparently the traditional Warlock power dynamic wasn't complicated enough. Your Vestige can shift between Celestial, Fiend, and Undead forms, bringing different abilities along with it, and eventually gets some impressive summoning upgrades. Ash begins thoroughly uninterested and ends up won over almost entirely by the possibility of worshipping the forgotten god of toads. Which, frankly, is the strongest possible argument for the subclass. We wrap things up before reaching the Wizard subclasses, mostly because making Tyler wait another episode to talk about Wizards is funny. Stuff for the Show Notes Arcana Unleashed (affiliate link) Arcana Unleashed: Deadfall (affiliate link) Fizban's Treasure of Dragons (affiliate link) AmateurJack.com - Recovery Long Rest - Cozy D&D Business Sim Key Takeaways Arcana Domain Cleric is excellent. It finally delivers the Cleric/Wizard hybrid fantasy without feeling like somebody stapled a spellbook onto a holy symbol. Arcane Archer is substantially improved, but "best Arcane Archer ever" still isn't the ringing endorsement Wizards probably hoped for. Darkening Ammunition should never have included the phrase "solid surface" anywhere Tyler Kamstra could see it. Warrior of Mystic Arts trades some of the Tattooed Warrior's flavor for straightforward mechanics, but those mechanics are very, very good. Spellcasting plus Monk action economy gets increasingly ridiculous at higher levels, and everybody seems fine with that. Vestige Patron is mechanically solid, narratively weird, and significantly better once you realize your patron can be the forgotten god of toads. The subclasses covered so far are generally simple, approachable, and effective without introducing a pile of unnecessary new systems. Wizards are next, assuming Ash eventually stops tormenting Tyler and allows him to talk about them. 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 https://ashelydm.com/ https://ashelydm.com/ Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

At level 5, the Barbarian unlocks a revolutionary new combat technique: hitting the problem twice. From there, things escalate exactly as responsible game design intended. Randall gambles his way through Wild Magic, Tyler perfects the ancient martial art of being an unbearable pain in the ass, and Ash becomes a house-sized fairy with tiny butterfly wings, a returning elemental pike, and enough reach to poke somebody from the next county. Then Brutal Critical shows up and somehow the math becomes angrier than the Barbarian. Grab your greataxe, start screaming, and remember: if smashing something once didn't work, the rules now officially support smashing it again. Show Notes We're back with the second half of our 2014 D&D 5e Barbarian builds, taking Randall's Path of Wild Magic, Ash's Path of the Giant, and Tyler's Path of the Ancestral Guardian from level 5 all the way to 20. Extra Attack immediately delivers exactly what everyone came for: more smash. From there, the builds start developing very different personalities. Randall embraces the chaos of Wild Magic and Great Weapon Master, Tyler becomes increasingly obnoxious to anything trying to hurt his friends, and Ash discovers that being a flying, increasingly enormous fairy with a throwable elemental pike is every bit as ridiculous as it sounds. We dig into Instinctive Pounce, subclass features, feat choices, Relentless Rage, Persistent Rage, and the glorious absurdity of Primal Champion. We also spend a healthy amount of time asking why Brutal Critical is supposed to be exciting when critical hits refuse to happen on command. By the end, we have battlefield control, flying giants, magical gambling, angry ancestors, Polearm Master shenanigans, and Barbarians who are extremely difficult to kill. Basically, the class gets tougher, weirder, and significantly better at solving problems with repeated applications of a large weapon. Key Takeaways Level 5 is huge. Extra Attack effectively doubles the Barbarian's basic offense, while Fast Movement helps get the angry person into smashing distance faster. Instinctive Pounce is an excellent quality-of-life feature, letting you Rage and immediately move toward whatever has made the poor decision to exist nearby. Ash's Giant Barbarian becomes increasingly ridiculous. Elemental Cleaver turns his pike into a returning elemental weapon, and later features let his flying fairy become enormous, extend his reach, and attack enemies from extremely inconvenient places. Randall's Wild Magic Barbarian is built around controlled chaos. Bolstering Magic helps attacks and ability checks, while later features let him reroll Wild Magic effects and improve his odds of getting something useful. Tyler's Ancestral Guardian becomes an excellent defender. Spirit Shield reduces damage to allies, and Vengeful Ancestors eventually makes enemies regret hurting anyone except Tyler. Brutal Critical is the problem child. The crew likes the fantasy of gigantic Barbarian crits but argues that the feature arrives too rarely and scales too poorly to carry high-level damage. Polearm Master, Great Weapon Master, and eventually Sentinel turn the builds into increasingly nasty melee threats, particularly when combined with Reckless Attack and extended reach. Relentless Rage keeps Barbarians standing after hitting zero hit points, Persistent Rage finally makes Rage easier to maintain, and Primal Champion delivers a genuinely satisfying capstone with massive Strength and Constitution boosts. The overall verdict: Barbarians remain wonderfully straightforward at their core, but the subclasses are doing a lot of the heavy lifting at higher levels. Fortunately, sometimes all you really need is Rage, Reckless Attack, and another opportunity to smash something. 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 https://ashelydm.com/ https://ashelydm.com/ Randall Jamesd BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

Space Marines are dead, long live space marines? Also, Lorcana is working on a digital version, there's some cool looking D&D games coming, and what really happened with that "The Monolith" Kickstarter? Then, I take a look at "The Game Master's Book of Magic & Mayhem For Kids" from Media Lab Books. Amazon Affiliate Link

Space Marines are dead, long live space marines? Also, Lorcana is working on a digital version, there's some cool looking D&D games coming, and what really happened with that "The Monolith" Kickstarter? Then, I take a look at "The Game Master's Book of Magic & Mayhem For Kids" from Media Lab Books. Amazon Affiliate Link

At level 5, the Barbarian unlocks a revolutionary new combat technique: hitting the problem twice. From there, things escalate exactly as responsible game design intended. Randall gambles his way through Wild Magic, Tyler perfects the ancient martial art of being an unbearable pain in the ass, and Ash becomes a house-sized fairy with tiny butterfly wings, a returning elemental pike, and enough reach to poke somebody from the next county. Then Brutal Critical shows up and somehow the math becomes angrier than the Barbarian. Grab your greataxe, start screaming, and remember: if smashing something once didn't work, the rules now officially support smashing it again. Show Notes We're back with the second half of our 2014 D&D 5e Barbarian builds, taking Randall's Path of Wild Magic, Ash's Path of the Giant, and Tyler's Path of the Ancestral Guardian from level 5 all the way to 20. Extra Attack immediately delivers exactly what everyone came for: more smash. From there, the builds start developing very different personalities. Randall embraces the chaos of Wild Magic and Great Weapon Master, Tyler becomes increasingly obnoxious to anything trying to hurt his friends, and Ash discovers that being a flying, increasingly enormous fairy with a throwable elemental pike is every bit as ridiculous as it sounds. We dig into Instinctive Pounce, subclass features, feat choices, Relentless Rage, Persistent Rage, and the glorious absurdity of Primal Champion. We also spend a healthy amount of time asking why Brutal Critical is supposed to be exciting when critical hits refuse to happen on command. By the end, we have battlefield control, flying giants, magical gambling, angry ancestors, Polearm Master shenanigans, and Barbarians who are extremely difficult to kill. Basically, the class gets tougher, weirder, and significantly better at solving problems with repeated applications of a large weapon. Key Takeaways Level 5 is huge. Extra Attack effectively doubles the Barbarian's basic offense, while Fast Movement helps get the angry person into smashing distance faster. Instinctive Pounce is an excellent quality-of-life feature, letting you Rage and immediately move toward whatever has made the poor decision to exist nearby. Ash's Giant Barbarian becomes increasingly ridiculous. Elemental Cleaver turns his pike into a returning elemental weapon, and later features let his flying fairy become enormous, extend his reach, and attack enemies from extremely inconvenient places. Randall's Wild Magic Barbarian is built around controlled chaos. Bolstering Magic helps attacks and ability checks, while later features let him reroll Wild Magic effects and improve his odds of getting something useful. Tyler's Ancestral Guardian becomes an excellent defender. Spirit Shield reduces damage to allies, and Vengeful Ancestors eventually makes enemies regret hurting anyone except Tyler. Brutal Critical is the problem child. The crew likes the fantasy of gigantic Barbarian crits but argues that the feature arrives too rarely and scales too poorly to carry high-level damage. Polearm Master, Great Weapon Master, and eventually Sentinel turn the builds into increasingly nasty melee threats, particularly when combined with Reckless Attack and extended reach. Relentless Rage keeps Barbarians standing after hitting zero hit points, Persistent Rage finally makes Rage easier to maintain, and Primal Champion delivers a genuinely satisfying capstone with massive Strength and Constitution boosts. The overall verdict: Barbarians remain wonderfully straightforward at their core, but the subclasses are doing a lot of the heavy lifting at higher levels. Fortunately, sometimes all you really need is Rage, Reckless Attack, and another opportunity to smash something. 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 https://ashelydm.com/ https://ashelydm.com/ Randall Jamesd BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

On this week's show we look into an article that alleges LG's Smart TVs are listening in on your conversations even when the screen is off. We also do a quick rundown on what Dolby's AC4 is and where you can experience it. We also read your emails and look at the week's news. News: Streaming Is Raising Prices Faster Than Cable Ever Did More than half of consumers want live TV and streaming in one package  LG Smart TVs caught listening even with the screen off Stan from Pittsburg sent us a link to an article (LG Smart TVs caught listening even with the screen off) at FlatpanelsHD claiming LG smart TVs collect more data than many owners realize — including with the screen off. What the investigation found LG TVs use ACR (automatic content recognition): they snapshot what's on screen, including HDMI sources, for ad targeting. FlatpanelsHD notes this has been industry-wide for years, not unique to LG. The TVs scan the local Wi‑Fi network, identify other devices, and send back data such as IP address, location, and nearby network names. Voice features can transcribe speech after "Hi LG." The mic can stay active 10–15 seconds after silence. Researchers reported recording/transcription even with the display off, and that locally stored data can upload later when the set reconnects (including for a firmware update). That last point is presented as conflicting with LG's claim that its TVs "do not collect, record, or store ambient conversations." LG had not commented when the article ran. Flatpanel's Recommendation Turn ACR off if you can, or take the TV off the internet and use an external streamer (Apple TV, or Roku.). Firmware can be updated via USB instead of online. ACR is an old, industry-wide problem and it's unclear why the article focused only on LG. They still argue the mic/network findings are worth attention. They also link their earlier piece ranking Apple TV 4K as stronger on privacy because it doesn't do this kind of viewing tracking. Update - In a statement sent to Tom's Hardware, LG said "The claims made in the recently published video are not true. LG TVs process voice data only when the voice button on the remote control is pressed and held, or when a wake word such as 'Hi LG' is recognized after the user has activated the Far-Field voice recognition feature. Other than these instances, the TVs do not collect or record ambient conversations. (If the wake word is not recognized, no voice data is transmitted to the server; the audio processing for wake word detection is performed locally on the device and is immediately deleted.)" Dolby AC-4 One of our listeners, Scott, sent an email asking us to discuss Dolby AC-4 so that is what we are going to do today! Dolby AC-4 is Dolby's next-generation audio codec for broadcast and streaming. It was designed as a clean-sheet replacement for the older Dolby Digital family, not as a tweak of it. Compared with Dolby Digital Plus, AC-4 aims for similar or better quality at roughly half the bitrate. It natively handles channel-based audio, object-based Dolby Atmos, dialogue enhancement, loudness control, multiple language tracks, and different renderings for speakers vs. headphones in one bitstream. There are several profiles/levels: Level 3 — the version widely built into TVs (broadcast/OTT Atmos-style delivery). Level 4 — fuller Atmos metadata, including headphone/head-tracking features. IMS (Immersive Stereo) — a stereo-plus-metadata flavor used for Atmos music on phones and headphones. Is it backwards compatible? No. An AC-4 bitstream cannot be decoded by a Dolby Digital (AC-3) or Dolby Digital Plus decoder. Old AVRs, soundbars, and TVs that only know DD+ (AC-3) will not play AC-4. What is compatible is the playback path in new TVs and set-top boxes. Those devices decode AC-4 internally, then output whatever the next box needs: PCM stereo, AC-3, DD+, or Atmos over HDMI. So the living-room chain can still work; the codec itself is not drop-in compatible with older Dolby formats. Services that must reach mixed old/new hardware still send DD+ or AAC as a fallback. Devices that support it AC-4 decoding is common in UHD TVs shipped since about 2017, especially models that already license Dolby Audio (Dolby has said it is in a large majority of new UHD TVs). Early public commitments came from Samsung, Sony, and Vizio; it is also in many Android TV / Google TV platforms and some Amazon Fire TV devices. It is not universal: Pre-~2017 TVs, most older soundbars/AVRs, and a lot of cheap streaming sticks do not decode it. ATSC 3.0 ("NextGen TV") tuners are the main over-the-air path in the U.S.; tuner support is still incomplete across brands and model lines. Most consumer AVRs still expect Atmos via DD+ JOC (Joint Object Coding) or TrueHD, not a raw AC-4 bitstream from the source. Note - JOC  allows an Atmos-capable TV, soundbar, or AVR to use the "JOC" metadata to build the immersive mix. An older DD+-only device ignores the extra data and just plays the core 5.1 Studios and television Broadcast is the main home. AC-4 is an official audio system for ATSC 3.0 in the U.S. and is adopted by DVB in Europe. NextGen TV stations can (and some do) use it for Atmos, dialogue enhancement, and multiple presentations. Immersive AC-4 on U.S. OTA is still uneven; many 3.0 stations have not yet gone full Atmos. Streaming is later. Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+, and most other major video services still deliver Atmos as Dolby Digital Plus + JOC. Peacock has publicly committed to AC-4 (alongside Dolby Vision 2), with rollout described as later in 2026. Atmos music already uses AC-4 IMS on several apps. Studios still master Atmos the same way. The delivery codec is chosen per platform: cinema TrueHD, most streaming DD+ JOC, NextGen TV and a few future streamers AC-4. AC-4 is in the pipeline; it is not yet the default living-room streaming format.

Most RPG rules questions start with something reasonable, like Can I jump over this pit? or Does fireball set the curtains on fire? This one starts with a much more dangerous question: How many adventurers can we cram into one five-foot square before the rules collapse? Tyler digs into decades of D&D and Pathfinder rules looking for an answer, while Ash does increasingly questionable celebrity impressions, Randall weaponizes every edge case he can find, and Tyler's cats provide live demonstrations of why personal space is apparently optional. Show Notes This week, we're getting uncomfortably close as we dig into the surprisingly complicated rules for creatures sharing spaces. Can you walk through an ally? What about an enemy? Can a tiny creature just hang out in your square? What happens if somebody gets shoved into someone else? And, most importantly, can another player give you a piggyback ride and technically become your mount? We trace the rules from D&D 3.5 through 2014 and 2024 D&D 5e before arriving at Pathfinder 2e, comparing how each system handles movement, size differences, prone creatures, incapacitated creatures, forced movement, swarms, and all the weird situations where two creatures wind up occupying the same chunk of battlefield. Along the way, Tyler discovers that some rules are clearer than expected and others become significantly worse the longer you stare at them. Pathfinder 2e earns some praise for actually explaining what happens when creatures accidentally collide, while 2024 5e raises uncomfortable questions about exactly who falls prone and when. Meanwhile, Ash turns rules text into an excuse for a parade of impressions, Randall threatens the Grand Canyon with rules exploits, and the cats continue proving that tiny creatures respect neither game mechanics nor boundaries. DnD 3.5: Moving Through a Square DnD 5.x Shifting Combatant 5e: Moving Around Other Creatures 5.5: Moving Around Other Creatures PF2: Tactical Movement https://dicegoblin.com/  RPGBOT.Podcast Episodes Combat Maneuvers Jumping Key Takeaways D&D 3.5 was surprisingly explicit about moving through allies, enemies, helpless creatures, and creatures of dramatically different sizes. 2014 5e simplifies those rules considerably, but that simplicity creates some strange gaps when creatures accidentally or forcibly end up sharing a space. 2024 5e improves several things, especially interactions with Tiny and incapacitated creatures, but its rule about creatures falling prone when a turn ends while sharing a space creates a whole new argument about what exactly end a turn means. Pathfinder 2e gives the GM a clear answer when creatures accidentally occupy the same square: somebody gets moved, somebody may fall prone, and the GM decides how the mess gets resolved. Pathfinder 2e also handles willing creatures, unwilling creatures, prone creatures, Tiny creatures, objects, and forced movement with much more specific rules. Tumble Through exists for a reason. Forced movement in Pathfinder cannot simply put a creature somewhere it cannot normally occupy, which immediately kills several wonderfully stupid launching-people-into-the-air strategies. Swarms are the exception everyone should remember. They want to share your space because getting directly on top of you is how they ruin your day. The ultimate lesson is that creatures sharing spaces is one of those rules nobody thinks about until it happens. Then everyone stops the game, opens three rulebooks, and discovers they've been doing it differently for years. 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 https://ashelydm.com/ https://ashelygm.com/ Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

The piers of Kallisto reveal a terrifying truth—this city wasn't built for trade.-----You can find a map of Ness here.CREDITS  ✍️ Writer: Jake Kerr

Axel Ragnarsson goes into a stream-of-consciousness rundown of 11 lessons, mistakes, and hot takes on multifamily investing pulled from years in the trenches as both an active buyer and operator for this solo Multi-Family Minutes episode.This episode is essential listening for any investor — new or experienced — who wants a rapid-fire gut check on where they're wasting time, misreading risk, or misunderstanding how the market actually values their deals heading into 2027 and beyond.Join us as we dive into:You're saying yes to too many things — why chasing deals, partnerships, and asset classes outside your defined market, deal size, and strategy pulls you away from where your time is actually best spent.Most investors don't know their core competency — the three pillars of real estate investing (acquisitions, financing/capital, and operations) and why picking one to truly excel at — rather than doing all three at a mediocre level — is what creates a real edge."Rents are a market decision, vacancy is an operator decision" — why chasing the market down in small rent increments is a mistake, and why getting ahead of demand by pricing to clear the market beats holding out for a number that isn't there.You're probably not taking enough risk — especially investors under 30 — and why the "worst case" of a failed deal is rarely as catastrophic as new investors imagine.You don't make real money via cash flow in C-class rentals — why C-class assets are "trading assets," not "investing assets," and how the real returns come from buying right, stabilizing, and exiting rather than long-term hold cash flow.Always know who your eventual buyer is — why elevated NOI from mid-term rentals, rent-by-the-room, or other operationally intensive strategies won't get rewarded at exit the way owners expect, since buyers underwrite to their own (usually more conventional) operating plan.Get comfortable: rates aren't dropping and rents aren't spiking anytime soon — a realistic outlook suggesting the current rate and rent environment likely persists through 2027, into 2028, and possibly 2029.If a deal intimidates you, take the partner — a personal admission that some of the biggest early-career mistakes came from over-extending on deals with complexity better handled alongside a complementary partner.Environmental, title, and government issues are the ones to fear most in DD — unlike physical or tenant problems (which you can price), vague issues like unresolved fire-department sprinkler mandates or ambiguous title exceptions need full closure before moving forward.Revenue solves almost every operating problem — since the majority of multifamily expenses are fixed regardless of occupancy, the core of asset management is filling units, avoiding delinquency, and protecting occupancy — even if that means taking a lower rent now and refinancing later.The buyer who pays more than you probably has different goals or a different cost of capital — not necessarily better information — whether that's a 1031 exchange buyer, a hobbyist doctor-investor, a nearby owner paying a premium for proximity, or an out-of-market operator buying a foothold deal.Are you looking to invest in real estate, but don't want to deal with the hassle of finding great deals, signing on debt, and managing tenants? Aligned Real Estate Partners provides investment opportunities to passive investors looking for the returns, stability, and tax benefits multifamily real estate offers, but without the work - join our investor club to be notified of future investment opportunities.Connect with Axel:Follow him on InstagramConnect with him on LinkedinSubscribe to our YouTube channelLearn more about Aligned Real Estate Partners

Dungeons & Dragons 2 has a finished script, and the studio that made the first one already passed on it. Avengers Doomsday is deep in edits, the Russo brothers just called their script a living organism, and everyone lost their minds about it. Squeaks opens the show with a full report from the Pokémon World Championships in San Francisco, where the Moscone Center got taken over by TCG, Pokémon Go, Unite, and the new Pokémon Champions app, and where buying a single piece of exclusive merch turned into a timed-entry website that crashed on everybody. Then Allen Dunford joins Frank to talk about The Samurai Redneck Zombie Killer #1, the Comic Soup book he co-wrote with Kit Wallis that funded its previous record in a single day. Allen gets into the grindhouse and manga influences, why the story stays locked on two survivors instead of a community, and the Geek Freaks variant cover on the Kickstarter. Frank closes with the first News Quickfire, a tighter news segment built on listener feedback. The news run covers D&D 2's script and where the project could land, Netflix developing a live action Ravenloft while Forgotten Realms gets canceled, HBO's Baldur's Gate series with Craig Mazin, the real reasons Honor Among Thieves underperformed, the Avengers Doomsday improv conversation, Jim Cummings losing Darkwing Duck to a recast, and a full status check on Gargoyles, Hey Arnold, Doug, and the 90s reboot slate. Chapters 0:00 Intro: Patreon Upgrades, SideQuest Relaunch, and Show Changes 1:34 Squeaks at Pokémon Worlds: Moscone Center, Pokémon XP, and the Tournaments 5:21 The Merch Problem: Pokémon Center Lines, Resellers, and Scalpers 10:12 Guest: Allen Dunford on The Samurai Redneck Zombie Killer 21:37 Seven Years Indie, the Comic Soup Slate, and the Geek Freaks Variant 27:30 News Quickfire: D&D 2's Finished Script, Ravenloft, and Baldur's Gate 34:14 Avengers Doomsday, the Russos, and the Improv Panic 40:52 Darkwing Duck Recasts Jim Cummings, Plus the 90s Reboot Roundup 48:10 Wrap-Up and Listener Feedback Key Takeaways Pokémon Worlds was an incredible event wrapped around a broken buying experience. The Pokémon Center on site required a timed booking through a site that crashed, the second merch area turned out to be reseller tables selling singles for hundreds, and Squeaks walked out having spent twenty dollars and bought his Worlds backpack online later at roughly four times the price. Next year's Worlds moves to Singapore, so US fans have no idea when it comes back. The Samurai Redneck Zombie Killer started as a title and a cover. Kit Wallis brought Allen the name and the first five pages, posted the cover to Instagram, and the response was so far outside his normal engagement that they fast tracked the whole book. It beat Comic Soup's previous best campaign total in a single day. Allen and Kit built the book around two people instead of a community, borrowing the Leon and Mathilda dynamic from The Professional, right down to naming the samurai Lee. The art uses a manga inspired color scheme with the first five pages in full color before shifting to black, white, and splashes of red. Paramount Skydance passed on Dungeons & Dragons 2 as financially unviable, but Hasbro is shopping it. Honor Among Thieves earned around $205 million on a roughly $150 million budget split with Hasbro's E1, opened four days before The Super Mario Bros. Movie, landed a month after the OGL boycott, and never told non fans it was a family comedy. The Avengers Doomsday improv worry is overblown. The Russos worked the same way on Infinity War and Endgame, their visual reference is Once Upon a Time in the West, and Robert Downey Jr. said he would not have come back without them. Improv on a movie this size gets spent on one on one character scenes, not on Sentinels and VFX plates. Jim Cummings and Terry McGovern are both being recast in the Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg Darkwing Duck reboot, seven years after Cummings recorded the pilot that got it greenlit. The 2017 DuckTales storyline he voiced was about an actor destroyed by a Darkwing Duck recast. Gargoyles' live action version is dead but the animated one is alive, Hey Arnold is in conversations, an adult Doug has concept art out, and King of the Hill is the template everyone is pointing to. Quotes "Twenty bucks, because it was a horrible experience when it comes to purchasing anything." - Squeaks "It is a black mark on the Pokémon brand right now." - Frank "He had the title already. It does what it says on the label." - Allen Dunford "We're not focusing on a community. We're just focusing on two people trying to survive this thing." - Allen Dunford "In the indie sphere, you're not just the writer. The book doesn't stop at the script." - Allen Dunford "Improv works better when it's scaled down. It doesn't work super well when it scales up." - Frank All news discussed on this episode comes from GeekFreaksPodcast.com. If the Darkwing Duck recast or the D&D 2 situation got you fired up, send this episode to the friend who is going to have the loudest opinion about it. Follow Geek Freaks on Apple Podcasts and Spotify so new episodes land automatically, and leave a rating or review while you are there. It genuinely moves the needle for an independent show. #GeekFreaksPodcast Follow us: Instagram: @GeekFreaksPodcast TikTok: @GeekFreaksPodcast Twitter: @GeekFreaksPod Threads: https://www.threads.net/@geekfreakspodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thegeekfreakspodcast Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/GeekFreakspodcast Website: GeekFreaksPodcast.com Frank asked for it directly on this one, so tell him how the shorter News Quickfire segment is landing. Send your questions, reactions, and topic ideas, and let us know what you want more of and less of going forward.        

Bài của Chủ Tịch D. Todd Christofferson, Đệ Nhị Cố Vấn trong Đệ Nhất Chủ Tịch Đoàn của Giáo Hội Các Thánh Hữu Ngày Sau của Chúa Giê Su Ky Tô đăng trong tạp chí Liahona tháng 7, năm 2026 Các phép lạ luôn là một phần trong công việc của Chúa bất cứ khi nào chúng ta tìm thấy những người có đức tin trên thế gian (xin xem Mô Rô Ni 7: 33–37). Hầu hết các phép lạ được ghi lại trong thánh thư đều liên quan đến các nhu cầu cá nhân của mỗi người trần thế: các phước lành về thức ăn hoặc nước uống, sự chữa lành bệnh tật và thương tích, sự bảo vệ cho mọi người và quốc gia. Nhưng ngoài nhu cầu trước mắt này, các phép lạ của Thượng Đế cũng cho thấy rằng Ngài nắm giữ tất cả quyền năng trên trời và dưới đất và khả năng để làm tròn mọi lời hứa giao ước mà Ngài lập. Các phép lạ là bằng chứng rằng tất cả chúng ta, với tư cách là con cái của Thượng Đế, có thể đặt đức tin trọn vẹn và tột bậc nơi Đức Chúa Cha và Đức Chúa Con. Trong Kinh Cựu Ước, chúng ta đọc về một người đàn bà góa trung tín, là người đã tuân theo những chỉ dẫn đầy soi dẫn của tiên tri Ê Li Sê, gom góp càng nhiều chậu trống càng tốt và đổ dầu từ một cái chậu nhỏ của mình vào mỗi cái chậu đó. Dầu đã đổ đầy các chậu đó, chỉ ngừng đổ khi người đàn bà góa không còn chậu nào nữa. (Xin xem 2 Các Vua 4:1–7.) Khi chia sẻ câu chuyện đó, Chị Christofferson thích nêu ra rằng phước lành của Chúa về dầu dành cho người đàn bà góa đã mở rộng hết khả năng mà bà ấy có để nhận được dầu đó và có lẽ sẽ tiếp tục nếu bà ấy còn có nhiều chậu hơn—cho thấy rằng Chúa sẵn lòng ban cho những gì chúng ta sẵn sàng tiếp nhận. Ê Li Sê cũng tham gia vào việc chữa lành mà được nhiều người biết đến cho Na A Man, một vị lãnh đạo người Sy Ri hùng mạnh mắc bệnh phong. Tính kiêu ngạo của Na A Man khiến ông bị phật lòng khi vị tiên tri đã không đích thân chào đón ông và chỉ dẫn cho ông phải tắm ở dòng sông Giô Đanh tầm thường thay vì ở một trong những con sông “tốt hơn” ở Sy Ri. (Xin xem 2 Các Vua 5:6–12.) May mắn thay cho Na A Man, một trong những tôi tớ khiêm nhường của ông đã lên tiếng, nêu ra rằng nếu vị tiên tri đã đặt điều kiện chữa lành cho Na A Man khi ông thực hiện “một điều tuyệt vời nào đó,” thì Na A Man nên nắm lấy cơ hội đó (xin xem 2 Các Vua 5: 12–15 ). Khi cầu xin các phước lành, chúng ta cũng phải sẵn lòng chấp nhận cách Chúa trả lời chúng ta. Các phép lạ trong thánh thư không chỉ là những câu chuyện. Mà chúng thực sự đã xảy ra, cho chúng ta thấy cách Cha Thiên Thượng hành động trong quyền năng của Ngài. Các phép lạ dạy chúng ta rằng Thượng Đế, tùy theo mục đích, kỳ định và sự khôn ngoan của Ngài, sẽ ban cho chúng ta những gì chúng ta sẵn sàng tiếp nhận, nhưng “điều đó sẽ xảy ra vào thời kỳ riêng của Ngài, và trong cách thức riêng của Ngài, và theo ý muốn riêng của Ngài” ( Giáo Lý và Giao Ước 88:68 ). Các phép lạ cũng dạy chúng ta rằng những lời cầu nguyện và các phước lành của chức tư tế cần phải được thấm nhuần với đức tin, dựa trên sự vâng lời và xứng đáng, cũng như được Đức Thánh Linh hướng dẫn. “Các phép lạ, hoặc những biểu hiện phi thường này về quyền năng của Thượng Đế, không dành cho những người không tin,” Chủ Tịch Brigham Young đã dạy. Thay vì thế, “các phép lạ này phải an ủi Các Thánh Hữu, củng cố và xác nhận đức tin của những người yêu thương, kính sợ và phục vụ Thượng Đế.” Các Phép Lạ Ngày Nay Chủ Tịch Russell M. Nelson (1924-2025) đã khuyên bảo chúng ta nên “tìm kiếm và trông chờ các phép lạ,” khi nói rằng: “Mô Rô Ni cam đoan với chúng ta rằng ‘Thượng Đế vẫn chưa hết là một Thượng Đế có nhiều phép lạ' [ Mặc Môn 9:15 ; xin xem thêm câu 19;2 Nê Phi 27:23]. Mỗi sách thánh thư đều cho thấy Chúa sẵn lòng can thiệp như thế nào vào cuộc sống của những người tin nơi Ngài.” Chủ Tịch Nelson đã dạy rằng mỗi phép lạ, thời xưa lẫn thời hiện đại, “đều mất thời gian và có thể không đúng như những gì mà những người đó đã cầu xin Chúa lúc ban đầu. “Tương tự như vậy, Chúa sẽ ban phước cho anh chị em với những phép lạ nếu anh chị em tin nơi Ngài, “mà không nghi ngờ gì” [Mặc Môn 9:21]. Làm công việc thuộc linh để tìm kiếm phép lạ. Hãy thành tâm cầu xin Thượng Đế giúp anh chị em thực hành đức tin đó.” Chắc chắn, “công việc thuộc linh” đó gồm có việc cố gắng làm cho ý muốn của chúng ta phù hợp với ý muốn của thiên thượng. Khi chúng ta có sự sẵn lòng của Đấng Ky Tô, khi ước muốn của chúng ta là ước muốn của Đấng Ky Tô, và khi lời của Ngài ở trong chúng ta, thì “lúc đó chúng ta cầu xin những điều mà Thượng Đế có thể ban cho.” “Hãy Biết Ơn Ngài” Trong một buổi hội thảo dành cho giới lãnh đạo phái bộ truyền giáo vào năm 1996, Chủ Tịch Gordon B. Hinckley (1910–2008) đã nhớ lại một chuyến đi đến Hồng Kông, Trung Quốc. Ngay sau khi đến đó, ông được yêu cầu đến thăm một tín hữu Giáo Hội trong bệnh viện. Tiên lượng của chị ấy thật là tồi tệ—chị ấy sắp bị mù. Các bác sĩ nói với chị ấy rằng chị ấy sẽ mất thị lực trong vòng một tuần. Chủ Tịch Hinckley nói: Chị ấy hỏi liệu chúng tôi có ban phước cho chị ấy không và chúng tôi đã làm như vậy.” Thật là kỳ diệu, chị ấy đã được chữa lành. Chủ Tịch Hinckley nói: “Tôi có một bức tranh trong nhà mà chị ấy đã tặng cho tôi với dòng chữ ở mặt sau bức tranh: ‘Kính tặng Gordon B. Hinckley với sự biết ơn về phép lạ đã cứu thị giác của tôi.'” Trước đó, khi chị ấy trực tiếp bày tỏ lòng biết ơn, Chủ Tịch Hinckley đã nhẹ nhàng sửa sai cho chị. Ông nói với chị ấy: “Tôi đã không cứu thị giác của chị”. “Tất nhiên, chính Chúa đã cứu thị giác của chị. Hãy tạ ơn Ngài và biết ơn Ngài.” Khi suy ngẫm về các phép lạ ngày sau, Chủ Tịch Hinckley đã nói: “Lịch sử của Giáo Hội này đầy dẫy những phép lạ chữa lành. Tôi biết như thế. Tôi tin như thế.” “Chúng Tôi Nghe Tiếng Kêu Cứu” Ở Spanish Fork, Utah, Hoa Kỳ, Chad Groesbeck thức dậy sớm vào một ngày tháng Ba năm 2015 với một ấn tượng thuộc linh rằng một điều gì đó đã xảy ra với con gái của ông là Jennifer (“Jenny”). Điện thoại của con gái ông bị hỏng, vì vậy Chad không thể gọi cho chị ấy được. Ông cảm thấy rằng mình nên rời nhà và đi tìm con. Lái xe trên con đường mà con gái của ông có thể đã đi trên đường về nhà sau khi ghé thăm ông vào tối hôm trước, ông đã bắt gặp hiện trường một vụ tai nạn giao thông. Ở đó, ông nhìn thấy chiếc xe màu đỏ của Jenny bị lật và một phần của chiếc xe thì chìm dưới Sông Spanish Fork. Trước khi ông đến, bốn sĩ quan cảnh sát đầu tiên có mặt tại hiện trường đã nghe thấy tiếng ai đó kêu cứu. Đáp lại tiếng kêu, họ lao xuống sông để dựng thẳng chiếc xe lên. Ở đó, họ thấy rằng Jenny đã thiệt mạng trong vụ tai nạn tối hôm trước và đứa con 18 tháng tuổi của chị, Lily, đang bị treo ngược trên ghế an toàn dành cho trẻ em. Bất tỉnh nhưng vẫn bám lấy sự sống, Lily được đưa đi cấp cứu ở bệnh viện. “Các bác sĩ đã báo trước với gia đình rằng con bé có thể bị chấn thương sọ não, bị liệt, hoặc những di chứng lâu dài khác do hậu quả của 14 giờ đồng hồ con bé bị treo ngược trên ghế an toàn dành cho trẻ em trong chiếc xe hơi loại SUV lạnh buốt.” Nhưng năm ngày sau, con bé được xuất viện—khỏe mạnh và lành lặn. Sĩ quan cảnh sát Tyler Beddoes, một tín hữu của Giáo Hội Các Thánh Hữu Ngày Sau của Chúa Giê Su Ky Tô, không nghi ngờ rằng tiếng kêu cứu mà ông và các sĩ quan khác đã nghe vào buổi sáng hôm đó đã đến từ phía bên kia bức màn che. Sĩ Quan Beddoes, mà đức tin và niềm tin tôn giáo của ông đã bị suy yếu bởi nỗi đau khổ liên quan đến mặt trái của công việc cảnh sát, nói: “Tôi thực sự đã bắt đầu cảm thấy đức tin và nền tảng tôn giáo của mình đang lung lay cho đến khi có chuyện của Bé Lily.” “Chúng tôi đã cứu Bé Lily vào ngày hôm ấy và nghe được tiếng kêu cứu đó, nhưng trên thực tế, bé đã cứu tôi, và tiếng nói đó đã giải cứu tôi và đức tin của tôi.” Những người trong gia đình Groesbeck cũng cho rằng tiếng kêu cứu bí ẩn để được giúp đỡ và việc đứa bé sống sót là nhờ vào sự can thiệp của Chúa. Jill Sanderson, chị gái của Jenny, nói: “Chúng tôi không thể phủ nhận điều đó.” Sĩ Quan Beddoes nói rằng kinh nghiệm này “đã thay đổi quan điểm sống của tôi cũng như lĩnh vực thuộc linh.” Ông khẳng định rằng “những cuộc tiếp xúc với thiên thần” diễn ra thường xuyên. “Tôi nghĩ rằng nếu chúng ta thực sự mở rộng tầm mắt với điều đó, thì điều đó sẽ diễn ra mọi lúc.” “Dư Dả, Thậm Chí Còn Thừa” Tại một hòn đảo nhỏ ở Bắc Tarawa trên đảo quốc Kiribati, tủ đựng thức ăn của Peteru Mamoe Birita và vợ ông, Makurita, gần như trống không. Peteru quỳ xuống cầu nguyện và xin Cha Thiên Thượng ban thức ăn cho họ. Ông nói về lời cầu nguyện của mình: “Cụ thể là tôi đã xin cá.” “Tôi tin tưởng rằng Ngài sẽ ban cho nhưng tôi không biết Ngài sẽ làm điều đó như thế nào.” Cuối ngày hôm đó, một người đàn ông mang theo một bao cá đi đến trước nhà họ. Khi chiếc bao tải của người này vỡ bung ra, làm đổ cá xuống đất, Makurita nhanh chóng đưa cho người ấy một chiếc bao tải mới. Peteru nói: “Người này biết ơn lòng tốt của bà nên đã giao cho bà cá trong khi ông đi tìm các anh em của mình đến giúp đỡ.” “Khi quay trở lại, người này đã tặng vợ tôi hai con cá lớn như là một cử chỉ biết ơn. Chúng tôi rất vui mừng!” Khi có “đầy đủ và còn dư nữa,” Peteru đã cảm thấy được thúc giục để chia sẻ cá với một người bạn thất nghiệp đang gặp khó khăn để chu cấp cho gia đình mình. Peteru nói: “Khi đến nhà của anh ấy, tôi phát hiện ra rằng vợ con anh đang nằm bệnh viện, và anh ấy đã cầu nguyện để tìm ra cách cho họ thức ăn.” “Đôi mắt của bạn tôi đẫm lệ khi nhận con cá.” Về sau, Peteru biết được rằng vợ của người đàn ông ấy lại chia sẻ con cá đó với một góa phụ và hai đứa con đang bị bệnh của bà. Góa phụ đó cũng đã cầu nguyện để có được thức ăn. Peteru nói: “Kể từ ngày đó, tôi đã tạo thói quen cầu nguyện không chỉ cho nhu cầu của riêng tôi mà còn cho nhu cầu của những người xung quanh tôi nữa.” “Tôi đã chứng kiến cách Thượng Đế có thể nhận lấy một lời cầu nguyện đơn sơ—như lời cầu xin cá của tôi—và biến nó thành một phép lạ mà có thể chạm đến nhiều người.” Còn Phép Lạ cho Chính Tôi Thì Sao? Thị lực được cứu, mạng sống được giữ gìn, đức tin được khôi phục, lời cầu nguyện được đáp ứng—tất cả các dấu hiệu cho thấy Thượng Đế vẫn là một Thượng Đế có nhiều phép lạ. Chúng ta vui mừng khi nghe về những phép lạ như vậy ngày nay, nhưng sẽ ra sao khi phép lạ cho chúng ta không đến? Khi nghiên cứu các phép lạ trong Kinh Thánh, chúng ta thấy rằng không phải tất cả những người bị bệnh phong đều được chữa lành, không phải tất cả những người mù đều nhận được thị lực của họ và không phải tất cả những người đã chết đều sống lại. Một số người đã được làm cho lành lặn; một số người thì không. Vậy thì, giờ đây, những người không nhận được phép lạ không nên cảm thấy bị bỏ rơi hoặc kém cỏi trước mắt Thượng Đế. Phép lạ mà chúng ta hy vọng nhận được có thể không đến trong cuộc sống này, nhưng đó không phải là dấu hiệu của sự chối bỏ, không hài lòng hoặc thiếu tình yêu thương của Thượng Đế đối với chúng ta. Thay vì thế, Ngài có thể muốn chúng ta học được khả năng chịu đựng, kiên nhẫn, tin cậy, và hiểu biết, “vì Thượng Đế cần những người con trai và con gái dũng cảm sẵn lòng để được tôi luyện khi mà, trong sự khôn ngoan của Ngài, đó chính là ý muốn của Ngài.” Khi chấp nhận kế hoạch của Thượng Đế để chuẩn bị chúng ta cho thời vĩnh cửu, thì đôi khi chúng ta có thể cần phải thực hành đức tin là có thể không được chữa lành. Trong khi đó, chúng ta đừng bỏ lỡ các phép lạ xung quanh mình, kể cả các phép lạ của Sự Phục Hồi—Khải Tượng Thứ Nhất, Sách Mặc Môn, các vị tiên tri và sứ đồ tại thế, và công việc đền thờ trong ngày sau với quyền năng gắn bó của nó. Chúng ta hãy biết ơn phép lạ đi kèm với một sự thay đổi lớn lao trong lòng (xin xem Mô Si A 5: 2), phép lạ của sự hối cải và sự tha thứ và sự bình an kỳ diệu đến từ Đấng An Ủi khi nỗi đau khổ và thất vọng bước vào cuộc sống của chúng ta (xin xem Giăng 14:26–27). Phép Lạ Nhiệm Mầu Nhất? Anh chị em có thể tưởng tượng được niềm vui mà Giai Ru và người đàn bà góa ở thành Na In cảm thấy khi họ nghe Đấng Cứu Rỗi phán cùng những người thân yêu đã qua đời của họ: “Ta biểu ngươi, chờ dậy” ( Mác 5:41; Lu Ca 7:14), hoặc niềm vui mà Ma Ri và Ma Thê đã cảm thấy khi Chúa Giê Su gọi anh trai của họ: “Hỡi La Xa Rơ, hãy ra” ( Giăng 11:43). Tuy vui mừng với phép lạ của cuộc sống được đổi mới nhưng kết quả của những cuộc đoàn tụ gia đình trên trần thế cũng chỉ là tạm thời. Cuối cùng thì những người đã được làm cho sống lại rồi cũng sẽ chết một lần nữa. May thay, một phép lạ lớn lao hơn rất nhiều đã chờ đợi ba người đó và những người thân yêu của họ, cũng giống như phép lạ đó chờ đợi tất cả chúng ta. Đối với con cái của Đức Chúa Cha, nhờ có Vị Nam Tử của Ngài, phép lạ đó tạo nên sự lành lặn về mặt thể chất lẫn thuộc linh mà Chúa Giê Su Ky Tô đã có thể thực hiện cho tất cả mọi người. Và đối với con cái trung tín của Đức Chúa Cha, Ngài đã hứa “cuộc sống vĩnh cửu, là ân tứ lớn lao nhất trong tất cả các ân tứ của Thượng Đế” ( Giáo Lý và Giao Ước 14: 7). Chủ Tịch Dallin H. Oaks nói: “Phép lạ tột bậc … chính là Sự Chuộc Tội của Chúa Giê Su Ky Tô—chiến thắng của Ngài trước cái chết thể xác và thuộc linh cho tất cả nhân loại.” “Không có phép lạ nào khác có ảnh hưởng sâu rộng hơn hoặc vĩ đại hơn.” Giữa những niềm vui và thử thách của cuộc sống trần thế, cầu xin cho chúng ta luôn luôn thực hành đức tin nơi kế hoạch của Thượng Đế dành cho chúng ta và nơi phép lạ nhiệm mầu nhất trong tất cả các phép lạ đó. The post Podcast số 604 – Liahona tháng 7, 2026 – Một Thượng Đế Có Nhiều Phép Lạ – D. Todd Christofferson appeared first on Thánh Hữu Việt Nam.

Music from: 3 Pints Gone, A Wandering Songbird, Better Than Nun, Burly Minstrels, Chaste Treasure, Clearly Guilty , Crimson Pirates, Gus the Bardic Troubadour, Heather Dale, Hey Nunnie Nunnie, Joni Minstrel, Kindred Spirits, LandLoch'd, Malarky and Poppycock, Marc Gunn, Merry Measure, Merry Wives of Windsor, Misbehavin' Maidens, Rowan and the Rose, Sarah Marie Mullen, The Harlot Queens VISIT OUR SPONSORS Bawdy Podcast https://renfestbawdypodcast.libsyn.com Happy To Be Coloring Pages https://happytobecoloring.justonemore.website RESCU https://RESCU.org The Patrons of the Podcast https://www.patreon.com/RenFestPodcast The Ren List http://www.therenlist.com SONGS Song 01: Wild Mountain Thyme [01] by 3 Pints Gone from Health to the Company facebook.com/3PintsGone/ Song 02: Before I Was a Nun by Better Than Nun from #NunLyfe betterthannun.bandcamp.com/ Song 03: Burn the Bodice by Joni Minstrel from Joni Minstrel and the Revolution Against Monarchs UNKNOW WEBSITE Song 04: Hey Nunnie! Nunnie! by Hey Nunnie Nunnie from Hey Nunnie! Nunnie! heynunnienunnie.com/ Song 05: The Slothful Man by Merry Wives of Windsor from Here's to the Men mwow.net Song 06: The Virtue Song by Chaste Treasure from Questionably Chaste chastetreasure.com Song 07: Part Time Nun by Better Than Nun from Our Lady of Immaculate ~Vibes~ betterthannun.bandcamp.com/ Song 08: A-Rovin' by Misbehavin' Maidens from Busted misbehavinmaidens.com Song 09: Hard Times Come Again No More [03] by Gus the Bardic Troubadour from Gus' for Short GusTheBard.com Song 10: In Merry Measure by Merry Measure from Faire Warning myspace.com/merrymeasure Song 11: The Merry Sisters of Fate by Sarah Marie Mullen from The Wild Woods facebook.com/sarah.m.rua Song 12: I'll Tell Me Ma [08] by Marc Gunn from Irish Drinking Songs marcgunn.com Song 13: Farmer's Wise Daughter by A Wandering Songbird from Fledgling facebook.com/AWanderingSongbird Song 14: Spill the Tea by The Harlot Queens from Tea and Strumpets theharlotqueens.com Song 15: Our New Philosophy by Better Than Nun from Our Lady of Immaculate ~Vibes~ betterthannun.bandcamp.com/ Song 16: Two Bards and a Rogue(2018)(Sci-Fi,D&D) by Clearly Guilty from Throwing Shade facebook.com/ClearlyGuilty/ Song 17: Joan by Heather Dale from The Gabriel Hounds heatherdale.com Song 18: My Faire-Vorite Things by Rowan and the Rose from Rowan And The Rose facebook.com/RowanAndTheRose Song 19: Cloisterphobic by Better Than Nun from Our Lady of Immaculate ~Vibes~ betterthannun.bandcamp.com/ Song 20: Don't Wanna Go Home by LandLoch'd from The Devil's Own Invention landlochd.com Song 21: Whiskey You're the Devil [09] by Malarky and Poppycock from A Drink to All Song 22: Dispelling All Woes by Kindred Spirits from Dispelling All Woes thekindredspirits.com Song 23: Go Merrily by Burly Minstrels from Go Merrily jimhancock.com Song 24: Molly the Bold by Crimson Pirates from Jack of all Trades crimsonpirates.com/ HOW TO CONTACT US Please post it on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/renfestmusic Please email us at renfestpodcast@gmail.com OTHER CREDITS Thee Bawdy Verson https://renfestbawdypodcast.libsyn.com/ The Minion Song by Fugli www.povera.com Valediction by Marc Gunn https://marcgunn.com/ HOW TO LISTEN Patreon https://www.patreon.com/RenFestPodcast Apple https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/renaissance-festival-podcast/id74073024 Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/76uzuG0lRulhdjDCeufK15?si=obnUk_sUQnyzvvs3E_MV1g Listennotes http://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/renaissance-festival-podcast-minions-1Xd3YjQ7fWx/

How do you open a fantasy novel with action without confusing the reader? In this episode of The Dialogue Doctor Podcast, Jeff Elkins sits down with new fiction author Malcolm Coon to work through the opening of Malcolm's fantasy heist novel. Malcolm has built an epic fantasy world loosely inspired by a D&D world he created with his brother when they were kids. Now he is turning that world into a story about couriers, rooftops, rebellion, hidden danger, and a young character being pulled into something much bigger than himself. The craft problem starts with the very first scene. Malcolm wants to open with movement, danger, and a rooftop chase. But he also wants readers to understand the world, care about the character, and know what kind of story they are stepping into. That creates the central question of the episode: How do you balance action, tension, worldbuilding, and character emotion in the opening pages? Jeff and Malcolm dig into the difference between starting with action and starting with high pressure. They talk about why a solo chase scene can be hard to make emotionally engaging, how reflective prose can slow tension, and why sometimes the better opening is not "start with danger," but "start with joy, then interrupt it." They also get into practical craft tools writers can use immediately, including: How to keep a chase scene at ground level Why trigger should come before response How backstory can rob an action scene of tension When inner thought works in third-person close POV Why a character's "brain voice" has to be treated like another character How to use internal reflection at emotional turning points Why mentor characters need clear emotional pressure How supporting characters can reveal the protagonist's growth arc When to use an anchor character to show the path the hero must reject How to make an opposing POV feel like the hero of their own story As the conversation expands, Jeff and Malcolm move from scene-level edits into the larger architecture of the novel. They talk about Pep, a young courier looking for purpose, identity, belonging, and participation; Saul, the protective uncle figure who understands the cost of rebellion; and Maddie, the mysterious courier who pulls Pep toward the mission. This episode is especially helpful for fantasy writers, adventure writers, heist writers, and anyone revising an opening chapter that has cool movement but not enough emotional clarity yet. Listen in if you are trying to figure out how to hook readers, introduce your world, build tension, reveal character, and make your first chapter do more than simply start fast. Because a great opening scene does not just move. It teaches the reader what kind of story they are about to love. For more, check out DialogueDoctor.com

Welcome to the Underdark, where the sun doesn't shine, everyone wants to murder you, and Wizards of the Coast has apparently decided what this place really needed was more light. Sorry, Unlight. Totally different. We've got a glowing Barbarian who can't turn off the high beams, a Rogue whose subclass starts working sometime around retirement age, a Wizard with healing powers and questionable workplace safety practices, and finally a perfectly reasonable solution to all of these problems: put a tadpole in your skull and become a Mind Flayer. Somehow, that's the part we liked. Show Notes This week, we head underground to dig through the latest Unearthed Arcana: Underdark Options, featuring three new subclasses, a Ceremorphosis feat path, and the Mind Blast spell. First up is the Path of Unlight Barbarian, a character who rages so hard they become a walking lantern. There are some genuinely useful ideas here, including radiant retaliation, blindsight, and the ability to make enemies glow, but the damage numbers struggle to keep up and several abilities feel strangely dependent on fighting invisible creatures. Worse, your Barbarian apparently has no dimmer switch, so raging in the Underdark turns you into a thirty-foot beacon advertising free adventurers to every monster nearby. Then we meet the House Agent Rogue, built around charm, betrayal, and stabbing people who thought you were their friend. The fantasy is great. The mechanics are considerably less cooperative. Several of the subclass's signature abilities depend on creatures being friendly or charmed, but the tools needed to make that happen reliably either arrive far too late or don't interact with the rules the way the subclass seems to expect. By level 17, the House Agent can finally do much of what we wanted it to do at level 3. That is one hell of an onboarding process. The Imaskari wizard fares better mechanically. It can convert elemental damage to radiant damage, spend Hit Dice to hand out temporary hit points, heal allies, remove conditions, and eventually curse enemies with Unlight until they explode. There are some strong ideas here, particularly the bonus-action healing and restoration options, but the subclass feels like several different concepts sharing an apartment because none of them could afford rent alone. And then somebody finally releases the tadpoles. The Path of Ceremorphosis is easily the most interesting material in the UA. It lets characters gradually embrace Illithid abilities through a feat tree, picking up Psionic Energy Dice, telepathy, defensive abilities, tentacles, and eventually full Ceremorphosis. At the end of the path, you can become an aberration, gain Mind Flayer abilities, and choose between eating brains or spellcasting. Choose spellcasting. Mind Blast alone makes the decision pretty easy. A massive cone, an Intelligence save, psychic damage, and the stunned condition is an incredibly nasty combination. With Psionic Energy Dice potentially letting a high-level character use it repeatedly without spending normal spell slots, this is also the part most likely to receive a visit from the balance hammer before publication. Overall, Underdark Options is a mixed bag. The Barbarian looks salvageable with better scaling and stronger flavor. The Rogue probably needs to go back to the drawing board. The Wizard works, but doesn't inspire much excitement. Ceremorphosis, however, feels like exactly the kind of weird, dangerous character option the Underdark should be giving us. The Underdark is full of Drow assassins, Illithids, Umber Hulks, ancient civilizations, horrific monsters, political intrigue, poisons, spiders, and things with entirely too many tentacles. There is plenty of material here. We're just still trying to figure out why everyone is so excited about Unlight. Key Takeaways Path of Unlight Barbarian has some solid ideas, but weak damage scaling and mandatory glowing hold it back. The subclass's reliance on blindsight and revealing invisible enemies can become very campaign-dependent. House Agent Rogue has a fantastic betrayal fantasy, but its mechanics don't reliably support that fantasy. Several important House Agent abilities arrive far too late, with some of the subclass finally functioning properly around level 17. The Imaskari wizard is probably the strongest of the three subclasses mechanically, especially as a secondary healer. Spending Hit Dice for bonus-action healing and condition removal gives the Wizard some excellent action economy. Unlight still feels underdeveloped as a concept. The hosts wanted something stranger and more distinctly Underdark. Ceremorphosis is the highlight of the UA and continues the promising idea of character paths built through feat trees. Some Ceremorphosis options are niche, especially the tentacle and brain-eating mechanics. Mind Blast is extremely powerful thanks to its large area, Intelligence save, and ability to stun. Repeated Mind Blasts fueled by Psionic Energy Dice look strong enough that they may need adjustment. The hosts generally liked the villainous path concept and want to see more options built around it. Final verdict: mixed bag. The subclasses need work, but becoming a Mind Flayer is apparently a perfectly reasonable career move. 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 https://ashelydm.com/ https://ashelydm.com/ Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

Matthew Toffolo chatted with Lily Lejeune about their short story "The Memory Thief," which was adapted into a film. Lily explained the story's dystopian premise, where pronouns are outlawed, and discussed its inspirations from novels like 1984, Anthem, and Gallia's Daughters. She shared her background, including growing up on a farm in Iowa, learning to read late, and her journey into writing and competitive speaking. Lily also talked about her time in the Navy as a nuclear mechanic, her current studies in pre-law, and her passion for writing and D&D. The conversation covered her writing process, her aspirations as a writer and future lawyer, and her experiences transitioning from a non-traditional upbringing to conventional schooling. Matthew congratulated Lily on her achievements and expressed interest in promoting more of her work in the future. —- Subscribe to the podcast: https://twitter.com/wildsoundpod https://www.instagram.com/wildsoundpod https://www.facebook.com/wildsoundpod —— Love for you to try the Indy Film Festival AP. • Daily new film festival of the best new films from around the world. New archived festival to watch anytime. • Library of over 500+ award-winning films to watch anytime. Go to https://www.wildsound.ca and sign up for the free 3-day trial. Check out the daily film festival (and previous ones from last month) at https://www.wildsound.ca/browse Always an amazing lineup of films. Inspiring for storytellers.

Today we're building Barbarians, the D&D class for anyone who looked at tactical combat and thought, This needs fewer tactics and significantly more upper body strength. We've got Rage, Reckless Attack, enormous hit points, questionable wardrobe choices, and an ongoing debate over whether a shield is sensible equipment or an admission that you lack confidence in your own face. By level four, Ash has become a flying fairy giant with a pike, Tyler is weaponizing irritation, and Randall has embraced the ancient Barbarian tradition of solving probability with violence. Grab your protein shake, yell something incomprehensible, and roll initiative. SHOW NOTES In this episode of the RPGBOT.Podcast, we finally tackle the 2014 D&D 5e Barbarian from levels 1 through 4, and things immediately become louder, sweatier, and considerably less concerned with personal safety. We start with the fundamentals: Strength, Constitution, that glorious d12 Hit Die, armor choices, and why Unarmored Defense looks much better on paper than it usually works in practice. Then we get into Rage, the feature that turns getting punched in the face from a problem into something approaching a class strategy. We also talk about managing those limited early Rage uses and why running into every fight screaming may be thematically correct but mechanically questionable. At level 2, Reckless Attack gives Barbarians one of their defining tactical choices: advantage for you, advantage for everyone trying to murder you. Fortunately, Barbarians have a lot of hit points and remarkably little respect for consequences. Danger Sense adds some much-needed protection against Dexterity saves, because apparently surviving fireballs through sheer gym-bro intuition is a legitimate class feature. Level 3 brings Primal Knowledge and, more importantly, subclasses. We run through the Barbarian options, separating the powerful from the interesting and occasionally discovering that those are not the same thing. Ancestral Guardian is an effective defender but can feel repetitive, Wild Magic brings some desperately needed unpredictability, and Path of the Giant lets Ash fulfill the perfectly reasonable fantasy of playing a tiny fairy who gets angry, becomes enormous, and starts stabbing things from fifteen feet away. By level 4, the builds are taking shape. Tyler leans into Ancestral Guardian with a whip, shield, and Slasher to become an incredibly annoying battlefield defender. Randall grabs Great Weapon Master and combines it with Reckless Attack because accuracy penalties matter considerably less when you've already decided to roll everything with advantage. Ash takes Strike of the Giants, picks up a pike, and continues transforming his fairy into a flying problem with an increasingly ridiculous reach. It's everything you need to get a 2014 Barbarian through tier one: Rage management, big weapons, bigger hit points, questionable decisions, and enough tactical depth to prove that smash actually has several different settings. KEY TAKEAWAYS Strength and Constitution are the Barbarian's priorities. Dexterity helps, but investing heavily in it just to improve Unarmored Defense is usually difficult to justify. Medium armor is often better than it feels. The shirtless Barbarian fantasy is great, but half plate can save you a lot of ability-score investment. Rage is your core resource, especially at low levels when you only have a few uses. Don't waste it on fights that don't need it. Rage doesn't have to mean screaming fury. It can be cold focus, a physical transformation, magical power, or whatever fits the character. Reckless Attack is the Barbarian bargain: you get advantage on Strength-based attacks, but enemies get advantage against you. Fortunately, getting hit is already part of the job description. Danger Sense helps compensate for one of the Barbarian's defensive weaknesses by giving advantage on many Dexterity saves. Barbarians have limited utility outside combat, so backgrounds, racial abilities, and creative roleplaying can do a lot to make the character feel more rounded. Subclass power and subclass fun are not necessarily the same thing. Ancestral Guardian is strong but mechanically repetitive, while options like Wild Magic and Giant bring more toys to the table. Great Weapon Master pairs beautifully with Reckless Attack because advantage helps offset the feat's attack penalty. By level 4, the Barbarian already knows exactly what it wants to be: difficult to kill, extremely dangerous, and preferably standing much too close to whoever made the mistake of starting this fight. 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 https://ashelydm.com/ https://ashelydm.com/ Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

This week on Two Parents & A Podcast, happy Wednesday!! We open with a very important announcement: it's REST DAY (Harrison's rest day lol but maybe all of you could join him), which somehow spirals into a real debate: is "downhill" positive or negative?! (If you're running, downhill is great. If your week is going downhill…? you see the problem.) Then Jules brings a word from the people: collective effervescence.. the term for that shared-energy magic that happened at Wrigley (and at every Fenway “Sweet Caroline”, and every Coldplay "Fix You”). We're working it into daily (or bi-annual) rotation. Plus Alex reveals her special power: she wakes up in the middle of the night and just KNOWS what time it is (psychic or circadian? The chair delivery prediction says psychic), and we realize we are officially living in the "late 20s" of the century.. which sends us straight into Y2K pandemonium and what our 4-11-year-old brains thought was happening in 1999 hahaha Then the home front: the kids book gift tip we're stealing forever (find your kid's favorite book and keep copies on hand as gifts.. Going to Sleep on the Farm is out of print but on ThriftBooks for $6!!), the universal truth that when a toddler is awake they are AWAKE, and Tate's new bit: calling Alex.. Alex. She thinks it's hilarious. Then a segment your comments built: cities have MIDDLE names?! Chicago Marie. Cincinnati Eileen. Atlanta Nicole. We're solidifying Austin Riley.. comment your city's middle name, we need them all. And another follow up from the video game convo: where does drinking after work fall on the scale?! We get into it honestly AND share our rule for drinking as new parents: one parent is ALWAYS the metaphorical DD. Meaning one of us is ALWAYS sober enough to legally drive.. because you're on duty for the kids, and in an emergency you might literally need to drive. Simple, non-negotiable, works. And in wedding world: 818 Tequila is sponsoring weddings (no contracts, no posting requirements, just vibes.. genius or too far?), and OUR wedding planning continues: it's officially a seated dinner, and Harrison's dream late-night sponsor is DoorDash hahaha We close with the lightning round of internet topics: Dyson made a $499 TOOTHBRUSH (we started at sticker shock and talked ourselves into it.. if it touches your body twice a day!), gym bros discovered the pink tax, a new app that sends your texts by virtual carrier pigeon (110mph, and a 0.2% chance your message literally dies mid-flight.. we're obsessed), and a closing pep talk: we all need to TOUGHEN UP. A cup of coffee cannot ruin your day!! Hope everyone is having a great week :-) LOVE YOU GUYS! Timestamps: 00:00:00 Welcome back to Two Parents & A Podcast! 00:00:01 It's rest day!! (Lol) 00:05:35 Is "downhill" positive or negative?! 00:06:24 “Collective effervescence” - the word for what happened at Wrigley 00:11:26 Knowing the exact time when waking up - psychic or circadian? 00:17:09 We're now living in the “late 20s”?! (+ Y2K pandemonium) 00:21:05 The kids book gift tip we're stealing 00:24:24 When a toddler is awake, they are AWAKE 00:26:27 Tate thinks it's funny to call Alex.. Alex 00:28:29 What's your city's middle name?! 00:34:09 Video game follow up: where does drinking after work fall?! 00:36:06 818 Tequila is sponsoring weddings?!  00:40:58 Our wedding planning continued…  00:50:25 Alex is entering her fashion era (watch out)  00:52:22 Dyson made a $499 TOOTHBRUSH?! 00:L57:20 The "bro tax": gym bros now have their own pink tax 01:02:18 What if your texts traveled as slowly as a carrier pigeon?! 1:09:40 The pool chair debacle  1:11:43 We all need to TOUGHEN UP (a cup of coffee cannot ruin your day!!) 1:15:02 LOVE YOU GUYS! #twoparentsandapod -------------------------------------------------------------- Thank you to our sponsors this week: *Hers: Visit  https://forhers.com/TWOPARENTS to get a personalized, affordable plan that gets you. *Perelel: New customers can use code TWOPARENTS and get 20% off your first order at https://www.perelelhealth.com/twoparents *K12: Enroll online today at https://www.K12.com/twoparents. -------------------------------------------------------------- Listen to the pod on YouTube/Spotify/Apple: https://www.youtube.com/@twoparentsandapod https://open.spotify.com/show/7BxuZnHmNzOX9MdnzyU4bD?si=5e715ebaf9014fac https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/two-parents-a-podcast/id1737442386 -------------------------------------------------------------- Follow Two Parents & A Podcast: Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/twoparentsandapod TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@twoparentsandapod Follow Alex Fugman: Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/alexfugman TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@justalexfugman Follow Harrison Fugman: Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/harrisonfugman TikTok | https://www.tiktok.com/@harrisonfugman -------------------------------------------------------------- Powered by: Just Media House – https://www.justmediahouse.com/ -------------------------------------------------------------- Key Words:  two parents and a podcast, two parents and a pod, alex bennett, alex bennett fugman, harrison fugman, parenting podcast, mom podcast, dad podcast, drinking as parents, drinking after kids, alcohol and parenting, designated driver rule, sober parent, collective effervescence, city middle names, chicago marie, toddler calls parents by first name, toddler talking, kids books, best bedtime books, going to sleep on the farm, book gift ideas, dyson toothbrush, $499 toothbrush, bro tax, pink tax, carrier pigeon app, friction maxing, slow messaging, y2k, wedding sponsors, 818 tequila, toughen up, mom life, family podcast  Learn more about your ad choices. 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Welcome Back to the Brunch Breakdown Podcast! On #TheMenu: Kids vs. Adults at Breweries, The Greatest College College Football games ever, The Top Colleges for Binge Drinking, Dan wants everyone to know that the Brunch Breakdown is “Open For Business”, Chris thinks Elon Musk is a dummy, and DD's work is HARD (it's not). Plus Music, Beer, and More! See Yinz At The Table for another delicious episode! Thank you for listening and watching! Check out the SOUNDS OF BRUNCH Playlist on Spotify! WATCH Full Episodes of the @BrunchBreakdown Podcast on YouTube, Spotify, & Facebook. LISTEN on AMAZON, Audible, Spotify, Apple, and Everywhere You Get Your Podcasts. FOLLOW us on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and GoodPods!