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

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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?

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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

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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?

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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

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Question(s) answered this episode:

1. How did you get into tabletop gaming?

2. What are your thoughts on foam swordfighting?

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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

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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.?

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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

Episode 221: The Lost Blog Posts part 8, ft. Crossovers

Have you ever played (or wanted to play) the same character in two or more separate campaigns? Also, how would you feel if a Dungeon Master deliberately misled you when starting a campaign, in favor of setting up a twist later on? We tackle both of these topics (and more) on this week's episode, and it's a fun one!

And the winner of this week's Crit 3 drawing is T.B.! Congratulations, TB! 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 the (unfortunately ended) D&D Character Lab! And for books, adventures, and videos, check out Goblin Stone, Loresmyth, Aurican's Lair, and Jeff Stevens!

See you next week... unless we lied about the release schedule!

Episode 221: The Hits Keep On Comin'

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Question(s) answered this episode:

1. How would you feel if someone played the same character in multiple campaigns?

2. Would it be a bad idea to lie to my players about the type of campaign I plan on running, in favor of a big twist?

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Noteworthy Links:

The Lich Queen's Beloved, an epic-level adventure we played a long time ago

Escape from the Carnival of Horrors, a Goosebumps Choose-your-own-adventure book

Dawn of Worlds, a worldbuilding RPG

Tommy Westphall Universe

Detective Munch, a character appearing in numerous TV show continuities

St. Elsewhere final scene

Family Matters

Mr. Ed... was a ZEBRA?

Farscape

Episode 220: The Lost Blog Posts part 6, ft. Charles Manson Quotes

Hello everyone! This week we talk about creating witches in D&D, we talk about using magic to bypass deafness, and lots more- so come along for the ride!

And the winner of this week's Crit 3 drawing is Dustun F! Congratulations, Dustun! 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 the (unfortunately ended) D&D Character Lab! And for books, adventures, and videos, check out Goblin Stone, Loresmyth, Aurican's Lair, and Jeff Stevens!

See you next week, if you get the message!

Episode 220: And Leave Something Witchy

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Question(s) answered this episode:

1. What class/subclass is best for making a classic witch?

2. Can the Message Cantrip communicate with a deaf person?

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Noteworthy Links:

Rise of the Runelords

Sandman - Ramadan

Hocus Pocus

DnD Character Lab: Halloween with Inter-Party Conflict!

Stevie Wonder... iS nOt bLinD!?!!1?

The World's End

The Adventure Zone

Kondar, a magic sword from Baldur's Gate that is deadly to shapeshifters

Curse of the Azure Bonds

Acme Portable Hole from Who Framed Roger Rabbit

Episode 219: The Lost Blog Posts part 5, ft. Dustun

Welcome back! This week we're joined by a very special guest- our good friend (and frequent contributer to the show) Dustun! Dustun joins us as we discuss how to incorporate PCs with disabilities (mental and physical) into our games, and how to do so respectfully. So come along for the ride with us, and share your experiences below!

And the winner of this week's Crit 3 drawing is Jeff R! Congratulations, Jeff! 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 the (unfortunately ended) D&D Character Lab! And for books, adventures, and videos, check out Goblin Stone, Loresmyth, Aurican's Lair, and Jeff Stevens!

Have a great week!

Episode 219: Dungeons & Disabilities

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Question(s) answered this episode:

1. How would you integrate a PC with a disability into your game without just eliminating that disability? (And not just blindness, but missing limbs, using a wheelchair, etc.)

2. Have you ever roleplayed a mentally challenged person? Should that even be attempted? If so, what are your tips and suggestions for doing so respectfully?

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Noteworthy Links:

A Bug's Life

Crit Academy episode 46: Blind Adventuring

"I'm seein' double! Four Krustys!"

"I got two guns, one for each of ya."

Drax the Destroyer

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5)

Sterling Archer, the main character of the FX animated show

Combat Wheelchair

Rogue

Odo

Dr. Strange

Episode 218: The Lost Blog Posts part 4, ft. Dopplegangers

Hello again, listeners! This week we discuss change: First off, we address the Changeling race, and whether they're too powerful or not (spoilers, we don't think so), and then we talk about changing the weapon stats in the book. There's a lot of fun to be had in this episode, so come along for the ride!

And the winner of this week's Crit 3 drawing is Mathew W! Congratulations, Mathew! 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 the (unfortunately ended) 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... if you are who you say you are!

Episode 218: Open to Change

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Question(s) answered this episode:

1. One of my players wants to play a changeling. They seem way too powerful! Am I missing something?

2. How do you feel about changing weapon stats and mechanics from the ones in the book?

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Noteworthy Links:

Nowhere Men: The Nowhere Man Project

Dungeon Full Dive, an amazing virtual tabletop I've backed on Kickstarter

Golden Gun, a weapon from various James Bond movies and video games

Peter Griffin getting free samples 

The Adventure Zone

Goku's Power Pole

Episode 217: The Lost Blog Posts part 3, ft. Sidekicks

Have you read the Sidekick rules in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything? I hadn't, until recently- and they're kind of amazing! The examples in the book are only the tip of the iceberg, so come along with us this week as we dive in and come up with some of my favorite campaign concepts I've had in years!

And the winner of this week's Crit 3 drawing is Staci! Congratulations, Staci! 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 the (unfortunately ended) D&D Character Lab! And for books, adventures, and videos, check out Goblin Stone, Loresmyth, Aurican's Lair, and Jeff Stevens!

See you next week, same Gabe time, same Jeff channel!

Episode 217: On the Sidelines

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Question(s) answered this episode:

1. What do you think of the new Sidekick rules in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything?

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Noteworthy Links:

Spaghetti Aglio e Olio

The Mark of Cain, a magical brand from the TV show Supernatural that causes its bearer to be unkillable but have an unstoppable thirst for combat

The Witch Is Dead, a one-page RPG by Grant Howitt 

Sir Bearington, a popular D&D Greentext

Episode 216: The Lost Blog Posts part 2, ft. Trolls

Hello again everyone! No guests this week, instead we're treating you to another Gabe Rant(TM)- sort of. This one is a bit more structured than usual. And the topic: Trolls! Specifically, are trolls magical creatures? Why or why not? Prepare to learn more than you ever expected to learn about trolls, magical creatures, and magical trolls.

And the winner of this week's Crit 3 drawing is Matt V! Congratulations, Matt! 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 the (unfortunately ended) D&D Character Lab! And for books, adventures, and videos, check out Goblin Stone, Loresmyth, Aurican's Lair, and Jeff Stevens!

See you next week, if the trolls don't get ya!

Episode 216: Gabe's Treatise on Trolls

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Question(s) answered this episode:

1. Are trolls "magical creatures"? Why or why not?

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Noteworthy Links:

The Circle, a Netflix reality show that debuted last year

Willy's Wonderland, a horror movie starring Nicolas Cage most certainly based on Five Nights at Freddy's

Nowhere Men: The Nowhere Man Project

SrGrafo, a comic that spawned various memes

Tim the enchanter

Curse of the Azure Bonds, the computer game that got me into D&D

Dungeons & Dragons: Tower of Doom, by Friendquest

Episode 215: The Lost Blog Posts part 1, ft. Nathan H

We're back again with another guest- this week, it's Nathan Heard, AKA Seawood Scribe (the creator of Strahd's Manual of Shadow, that we gave away last year)! We had a great time talking with him about low-magic campaigns, grounded PCs, and mobile combats (and much more)! So come along with us for another great episode, and while you're at it, go check out Nathan's website and see what he's up to!

And the winner of this week's Crit 3 drawing is Karl L! Congratulations, Karl! 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 the (unfortunately ended) D&D Character Lab! And for books, adventures, and videos, check out Goblin Stone, Loresmyth, Aurican's Lair, and Jeff Stevens!

You all have a great week, you hear?

Episode 215: Staying Grounded

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Question(s) answered this episode:

1. Why do you think so many people play campaigns where magic is illegal or in some way limited?

2. How would you make a game of D&D more gritty and realistic while still having fun, and make it seem like the players are more like real-world heroes and less like demigods?

3. Do you have any tips on making a more mobile combat?

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Noteworthy Links:

Strahd's Manual of Shadow

Imaginext toys - I don't remember why this was referenced but here's the link

Kitchenaid Mixers

Avengers: Endgame 

Sanford and Son, an old TV show about a crotchety old man and his son working in a junkyard