Episode 228: Let's Do A Head Count

Happy Tuesday, everyone! Have you ever gotten to the gaming table to play, but something was... missing? Maybe you only had three players, instead of four or five? Or you were lacking a healing? Or you start playing, and nobody is taking the lead and the group is just spinning their wheels? This week we're going over all of these scenarios and more, so come along and let us know what you think!

And another quick reminder to you all- be sure to check out Crit Academy's new Kickstarter for their 5e-based Superhero RPG, Capes & Crooks! It only has a few more days to go, so let's reach that goal!

And the winner of this week's Crit 3 drawing is James M! Congratulations, James! Be sure to leave Crit Academy a review, so they can keep on making great products! They're a great group and would love to use your feedback to improve their products in the future.

Every week we're going to be giving away this bundle of three new character option supplements from Crit Academy- the Warmind, the Skybreaker, and the Werecat- and all you have to do to enter is send us an e-mail with "Crit 3" in the subject line. It's that easy!

And if you'd like to help support the show and get some great additional content for it, head over to http://www.patreon.com/interpartyconflict and become a patron! Even a dollar a month gets you some bonus content, and there's lots of cool stuff there for anyone willing to help make the show better.

And remember, Crit Academy is just one of the great podcasts in the Critnation Fellowship! For more podcasts, visit our friends at Brute Force and Ignorance, The Kind GM, and D&D Character Lab! And for books, adventures, and videos, check out Goblin Stone, Loresmyth, Aurican's Lair, and Jeff Stevens!

Catch us next week- assuming everyone shows up!

Episode 228: It's Missing Something

RSS Feed Link

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question(s) answered this episode:

1. What changes would you make to best adapt a prewritten adventure for a party of three PCs?

2. What are some creative ways you have dealt with missing roles in a party?

3. What do you do when your character isn't built to be a leader but nobody else at the table takes the initiative?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Noteworthy Links:

Lord of the Rings

Final Fantasy

Sidekick Rules from Tasha's Cauldron of Everything

Wildermyth

Valkyria Chronicles

Aliens

Episode 227: How Do You Spell "Useless"?

Hello everyone! This week we're talking about spells- specifically, the spells that we think never get used! What are some spells you've never used? Never seen used? Conversely, what spells are good to give to NPCs to use instead? We'd love to hear your thoughts, so share them in the comments below!

And another quick reminder to you all- be sure to check out Crit Academy's new Kickstarter for their 5e-based Superhero RPG, Capes & Crooks!  They really need your support to meet their goal, so check them out!

And the winner of this week's Crit 3 drawing is Michael T! Congratulations, Mike! Be sure to leave Crit Academy a review, so they can keep on making great products! They're a great group and would love to use your feedback to improve their products in the future.

Every week we're going to be giving away this new bundle of three new character option supplements from Crit Academy- the Warmind, the Skybreaker, and the Werecat- and all you have to do to enter is send us an e-mail with "Crit 3" in the subject line. It's that easy!

And if you'd like to help support the show and get some great additional content for it, head over to http://www.patreon.com/interpartyconflict and become a patron! Even a dollar a month gets you some bonus content, and there's lots of cool stuff there for anyone willing to help make the show better.

And remember, Crit Academy is just one of the great podcasts in the Critnation Fellowship! For more podcasts, visit our friends at Brute Force and Ignorance, The Kind GM, and D&D Character Lab! And for books, adventures, and videos, check out Goblin Stone, Loresmyth, Aurican's Lair, and Jeff Stevens!

See you next time, unless you get Wished out of existence!

Episode 227: Spells Nobody Uses

RSS Feed Link

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question(s) answered this episode:

1. What are the spells that never really get used either by players or DMs? Why is that, and have you ever found new uses for them?

2. What are great spells for NPCs to have?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Noteworthy Links:

The Rise of Skywalker

Dark Souls

Dwarven Defender

Itchy & Scratchy

Futurama

T-1000

Encounter This

Uncharted

Curse of the Azure Bonds

Episode 226: Disobedient Player Edition

Welcome back! This week we're talking about what a DM should do when players are uncooperative- for better and for worse. What should you do when the players ignore your plot hooks? What should you do if they don't bother to learn the rules? We've got some great advice on both sides, so be sure to follow along with us!

And a quick reminder to you all- be sure to check out Crit Academy's new Kickstarter for their 5e-based Superhero RPG, Capes & Crooks! It looks amazing, and I hope you think so too!

And the winner of this week's Crit 3 drawing is Scott T! Congratulations, Scott! Be sure to leave Crit Academy a review, so they can keep on making great products! They're a great group and would love to use your feedback to improve their products in the future.

Every week we're going to be giving away this new bundle of three new character option supplements from Crit Academy- the Warmind, the Skybreaker, and the Werecat- and all you have to do to enter is send us an e-mail with "Crit 3" in the subject line. It's that easy!

And if you'd like to help support the show and get some great additional content for it, head over to http://www.patreon.com/interpartyconflict and become a patron! Even a dollar a month gets you some bonus content, and there's lots of cool stuff there for anyone willing to help make the show better.

And remember, Crit Academy is just one of the great podcasts in the Critnation Fellowship! For more podcasts, visit our friends at Brute Force and Ignorance, The Kind GM, and D&D Character Lab! And for books, adventures, and videos, check out Goblin Stone, Loresmyth, Aurican's Lair, and Jeff Stevens!

You better come back next week, and you better read the rules this time!

Episode 226: Aaaaand It's Gone

RSS Feed Link

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question(s) answered this episode:

1. What do you think about players sidelining the story entirely and going off on something completely unrelated? As a DM, should I try to engage them in the story still? Should I create a new story? Or should I just let them do their thing?

2. Am I a jerk for canceling a session since players didn't read the rules?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Noteworthy Links:

Capes & Crooks

The Lost Room

This Is Spinal Tap

Episode 225: Slingin' Spells & Slingin' Spells

Hello everyone! This week we've got no guests- just us two plain ol' normal hosts of yours- but we've still got a lot of fun to have on this episode. We're talking about a couple specific rules-based questions, revolving around the permanence and tangibility of a few particular spells in 5th Edition D&D- so come along with us, and let us know in the comments below whether you agree with our takes, or not!

And the winner of this week's Crit 3 drawing is BlackMagus2651! Congratulations, BlkMagus2651! Be sure to leave Crit Academy a review, so they can keep on making great products! They're a great group and would love to use your feedback to improve their products in the future.

Every week we're going to be giving away this new bundle of three new character option supplements from Crit Academy- the Warmind, the Skybreaker, and the Werecat- and all you have to do to enter is send us an e-mail with "Crit 3" in the subject line. It's that easy!

And if you'd like to help support the show and get some great additional content for it, head over to http://www.patreon.com/interpartyconflict and become a patron! Even a dollar a month gets you some bonus content, and there's lots of cool stuff there for anyone willing to help make the show better.

And remember, Crit Academy is just one of the great podcasts in the Critnation Fellowship! For more podcasts, visit our friends at Brute Force and Ignorance, The Kind GM, and D&D Character Lab! And for books, adventures, and videos, check out Goblin Stone, Loresmyth, Aurican's Lair, and Jeff Stevens!

Catch you next time, if you're not trapped in the nether dimension with the Wallgiver!

Episode 225: Spells Set in Stone

RSS Feed Link

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question(s) answered this episode:

1. The firebolt spell says it can target creatures and objects.  Do you let your players use other spells that don't specifically target objects to target them or no? I can understand a vicious mockery not breaking down a door but maybe an acid splash could.

2. If you cast "Wall of Stone" is the wall made of stone or magic?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Noteworthy Links:

/r/Outside, a subreddit where people treat the real world as if it were an MMORPG

The Hunger Games

Goatball, a fictional sport played by Goliaths requiring unique mechanics for tossing objects to one another

Super Mario World Credits Warp Glitch - I think Jeff was referencing this particular glitch, whereupon players are able to "beat" the game by manipulating the game's data mid-level in order to warp to the very end

Bag of Puppies + Great Cleave - a bit of theorycrafting from 3rd Edition D&D that would theoretically grant you a bunch of bonus attacks by killing a large number of weak creatures using Great Cleave

Shawshank Redemption

The Truman Show

Episode 224: Inter-Party Conflict Needs More Gay

Welcome back! We're joined by yet another guest this week, but this time it's not just any guest- it's our old friend and internet personality, Jamie (aka Rantasmo of the Youtube channel Needs More Gay)! I don't know how we went this long without having him on the show, but he's here, and this week we're talking about the identity of the characters we play and how much they mirror ourselves. There's a lot of insights to be had, so come along with us, and maybe do a bit of introspection along the way!

And the winner of this week's Crit 3 drawing is Nathan H! Congratulations, Nathan! Be sure to leave Crit Academy a review, so they can keep on making great products! They're a great group and would love to use your feedback to improve their products in the future.

Every week we're going to be giving away this new bundle of three new character option supplements from Crit Academy- the Warmind, the Skybreaker, and the Werecat- and all you have to do to enter is send us an e-mail with "Crit 3" in the subject line. It's that easy!

And if you'd like to help support the show and get some great additional content for it, head over to http://www.patreon.com/interpartyconflict and become a patron! Even a dollar a month gets you some bonus content, and there's lots of cool stuff there for anyone willing to help make the show better.

And remember, Crit Academy is just one of the great podcasts in the Critnation Fellowship! For more podcasts, visit our friends at Brute Force and Ignorance, The Kind GM, and D&D Character Lab! And for books, adventures, and videos, check out Goblin Stone, Loresmyth, Aurican's Lair, and Jeff Stevens!

See you all next week, and be true to yourselves!

Episode 224: It's My Life

RSS Feed Link

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question(s) answered this episode:

1. What types of characters do you tend to play, and to what extent do you tend to play an idealized version of yourself?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Noteworthy Links:

Needs More Gay, Jamie's Youtube channel exploring LGBT+ culture in media

Dominic Noble, a media analysis Youtube channel that Jamie is friends with

Order of the Stick, a D&D-based webcomic

Supernatural

Sliders

Mitchell & Webb, a British comedy duo

Hedonism Bot

Pathfinder 2nd Edition

Carol Channing

Monster Hunter

Grand Theft Auto

Westworld

The Purge, a series of movies about a future where a yearly holiday of hedonism and murder has supposedly eliminated crime

Critter Compendium on DMsGuild.com

Mage: The Ascension

Episode 223: Boffer Edition!

Hey everyone! This week we've got an episode that's not strictly tabletop-gaming based, but absolutely tabletop-adjacent: We're joined by two of my personal friends, Alan and Delilah, to talk about foam swordfighting and LARPing. Even if you've never done it, you should still listen- you'll definitely learn some things, and who knows, you might even want to try it out when we're done!

And the winner of this week's Crit 3 drawing is NJC! Congratulations, NJC! Be sure to leave Crit Academy a review, so they can keep on making great products! They're a great group and would love to use your feedback to improve their products in the future.

Every week we're going to be giving away this new bundle of three new character option supplements from Crit Academy- the Warmind, the Skybreaker, and the Werecat- and all you have to do to enter is send us an e-mail with "Crit 3" in the subject line. It's that easy!

And if you'd like to help support the show and get some great additional content for it, head over to http://www.patreon.com/interpartyconflict and become a patron! Even a dollar a month gets you some bonus content, and there's lots of cool stuff there for anyone willing to help make the show better.

And remember, Crit Academy is just one of the great podcasts in the Critnation Fellowship! For more podcasts, visit our friends at Brute Force and Ignorance, The Kind GM, and D&D Character Lab! And for books, adventures, and videos, check out Goblin Stone, Loresmyth, Aurican's Lair, and Jeff Stevens!

Come join us next week, unless you take an arrow to the knee!

Episode 223: Hitting People with Foam

RSS Feed Link

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question(s) answered this episode:

1. How did you get into tabletop gaming?

2. What are your thoughts on foam swordfighting?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Noteworthy Links:

Maumee River Leather, the online store where you can buy handcrafted leather goods made by our guests!

Thor: The Dark World

Rifts, a tabletop RPG from Palladium Books

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles & Other Strangeness, another tabletop RPG from Palladium Books

D&D episode of Dexter's Lab

Mazes & Monsters, a terrible movie about the "dangers" of roleplaying games

Brienne of Tarth, a character from Game of Thrones

Tomb of Annihilation, an official D&D 5e module

Nyan Cat

X-Men: Apocalypse

Gaylord Opryland, a massive hotel and convention center near where we used to live

Role Models

Ragnarok, one of the larger national events in the foam swordfighting community

If you're interested in checking out the various forms of foam swordfighting, here are some handy links:

Darkon

Nero LARP

A Page Specific to the Midwest area (specific to Michigan and surrounding areas) 

Shifted Lands (also specific to Michigan and surrounding areas)

Hearthlight

The Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA)- not foam, but widely accessible

And a Wiki page for groups!

Episode 222: Blog Posts Lost No More, ft. PotatoPlunderer

Welcome back! This week we're joined by a special guest- listener and contributor, Fionn! (Also known as PotatoPlunderer.) We're talking all about homebrew- tips on balancing it, where to begin when homebrewing a campaign, and so on. Come along for the ride, and be sure to share your thoughts and feedback below!

And the winner of this week's Crit 3 drawing is David J! Congratulations, David! Be sure to leave Crit Academy a review, so they can keep on making great products! They're a great group and would love to use your feedback to improve their products in the future.

Every week we're going to be giving away this new bundle of three new character option supplements from Crit Academy- the Warmind, the Skybreaker, and the Werecat- and all you have to do to enter is send us an e-mail with "Crit 3" in the subject line. It's that easy!

And if you'd like to help support the show and get some great additional content for it, head over to http://www.patreon.com/interpartyconflict and become a patron! Even a dollar a month gets you some bonus content, and there's lots of cool stuff there for anyone willing to help make the show better.

And remember, Crit Academy is just one of the great podcasts in the Critnation Fellowship! For more podcasts, visit our friends at Brute Force and Ignorance, The Kind GM, and D&D Character Lab! And for books, adventures, and videos, check out Goblin Stone, Loresmyth, Aurican's Lair, and Jeff Stevens!

Catch us next time, when we'll have some more special guests on the way!

Episode 222: Total Homebrew

RSS Feed Link

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Question(s) answered this episode:

1. You're creating a homebrew campaign. Where do you start the process and what follows after?

2. How do you best balance homebrew mechanics? For that matter, what are your opinions on homebrew in general?

3. How do you determine CRs for homebrewed monsters?

4. What are your tips on creating homebrew classes/races/backgrounds/etc.?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Noteworthy Links:

Mom's Spaghetti

Kubo and the Two Strings, a stop-motion film from 2016

Chrono Trigger

Rise of the Runelords

Matt Colville - Your First Town

Matt Colville - Monkeying with Monsters

Matt Colville - Action-Oriented Monsters

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim

Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master

Bob the World Builder

Dael Kingsmill: Monarchs Factory

Fantasynamegenerators.com

The NPC Generator I Unearthed via the Wayback Machine

Dawn of Worlds

Not Another D&D Podcast, another D&D podcast

Middle Earth: Shadow of War

The Ancient Magus Bride, the anime (I think) Jeff and Fionn were talking about

Kratos, protagonist of the God of War series