Episode 167: The One Where We Figure Out The Hardest Question Of All

Hello everyone! We're back this week with another fun episode; this time around we talk about the ultimate roll of the dice: trying to find a group of players that will last for a whole campaign instead of quitting five or six sessions in. What's the formula? Is there any special trick? Would you say it's harder to find a reliable gaming group than it is to find a soulmate? Maybe! We also talk about making a Final Fantasy Summoner in D&D but that's harder to fit into a catchy paragraph.

This week's winner of our Unearthed Tips & Tricks drawing is Collins B! Congratulations, Collins! You should get your copy within the next few days. Whenever you have a chance to read it over, be sure to leave Crit Academy a review! They're a great group and would love to use your feedback to improve their products.

Would you like to enter the drawing? It's easy- just e-mail us at InterPartyConflict@gmail.com with "Unearthed Tips & Tricks" in the subject line! It's that easy! And remember- this is a new product, so if you won one of our earlier drawings, you can enter again!

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, and the (unfortunately ended) D&D Character Lab! And for books, adventures, and videos, check out Goblin Stone, Loresmyth, Aurican's Lair, Jeff Stevens, and The Kind GM!

Catch us next week, unless everyone flakes out (again)!

Episode 167: Always Summoning Help

RSS Feed Link

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

Question(s) answered this episode:

1. Keeping a full campaign going is hard. What's the best way to find 5 or 6 people who are going to show up consistently for that many sessions? Does it depend on the quality of the game or is it entirely based on the people?

2. Is there a D&D equivalent of a Summoner from the Final Fantasy games?

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

Noteworthy Links:

Harry Potter: Priori Incantatum

The Adventure Zone

Final Fantasy Summoners

Pathfinder Summoner class

Blue Mage class

Final Fantasy Tactics

Heroes

Episode 111: Zero Hour

Welcome back, everyone! This week we're talking about a few related topics: Creating your own vampaign vs. running an official pre-written one, rolling for treasure vs. picking it out by hand, and starting a campaign at level.... Zero?!

If you have any thoughts on any of those topics, be sure to let us know in the comments!

This week's winner of our Chapel on the Cliffs drawing is David J! Congratulations, David! You should get your copy within the next few days. Whenever you have a chance to read it over, be sure to leave Goblin Stone a review! They're a great company and would love to use your feedback to improve their products.

Would you like to enter the drawing? It's easy- just e-mail us at InterPartyConflict@gmail.com with "Chapel on the Cliffs" in the subject line! It's that easy! As always, we need more entries for this drawing, so you have very good chances of winning very soon!

And remember, Goblin Stone is just one of the great content creators in the Critnation Fellowship! For more books and adventures, check out Loresmyth, Aurican's Lair, and Jeff Stevens- and for more podcasts, visit our friends at Crit Academy and D&D Character Lab- as well as the new Actual Play podcast on the Critnation Fellowship, Brute Force and Ignorance!

One last thing- be sure to get yourself a copy of Crit Academy's Unearthed Tips & Tricks book! It's a great product, and I helped write it!

See you all next week, for another very special episode!

Episode 111: Unplanned Generation

RSS Feed Link

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

Question answered this episode:

1. My current campaign is wrapping up soon and I’m trying to decide whether I want to use a homebrew adventure path or an official WotC campaign. What are the pros and cons of each?

2. Do you prefer rolling loot on the random loot tables or planning out in advance what loot the players will find?

3. How would you go about playing at level 0?

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

Noteworthy Links:

Heroforge, a website where you can design your own tabletop miniatures

List of all official 5e adventure books

Dungeon Magazine issue 125, featuring The Faces Of Evil, the Age of Worms adventure mentioned in this episode

The Anointed One, a character from Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Kingdom Hearts is awful

Kung-Fu Hustle, a Wuxia-style kung fu movie

Inanimate Carbon Rod

Bonus episode 4: The one where everything is late and Gabe complains

Hello, everyone! In case you haven't listened to the episode yet, I should mention that this week's episode isn't a normal one, due to some technical difficulties going on. Specifically, I've been super behind for the last couple weeks, and this week I was without power for two of my three days off from work (so as a result I'm several days behind on lots of things- including this blog post, not to mention a bunch of Patreon stuff).

So this week has been incredibly hectic and I apologize for any momentary dip in quality of the show and how well we respond to listeners. You all are the lifeblood of this show, and I value each and every one of you- so I ask your patience and understanding until I can get all of this back in order again. Hopefully by the end of the month I can get everything back on schedule, so keep your fingers crossed!

In the meantime, though, we were still able to record an episode and get it out on time- so check out the episode if you can! Jeff and I spent about thirty minutes or so talking about something that both of us feel strongly about- the Warforged race (and why I think most people use them wrong). So come along, learn a thing or two about the non-robot robots of D&D, and you might even hear some secrets about how we make our show!

I should also mention- this week's Chapel on the Cliffs winner is Jack N! Jack, you should get an e-mail within the next day or so with instructions on how to redeem it. (If you don't, check your spam filter, or just e-mail me and I'll get you figured out.) Anyone else who wants to enter can do so by sending us an e-mail with "Chapel on the Cliffs" in the subject line! It's that easy!

And of course, Chapel on the Cliffs is created by Goblin Stone, one of the content creators on the Critnation Fellowship! For more adventures, check out Loresmyth, Aurican's Lair, and Jeff Stevens- and for more podcasts, visit our friends at Crit Academy and D&D Character Lab!

So thank you all for bearing with us, and I hope you have a great (electricity-filled) week!

Bonus Episode 04: Battery Powered

RSS Feed Link

Check out episode 53!

Hey, listeners!

This week we've got some fun stuff for you. We've started something very exciting that I'm happy to announce- every week from here on out, we're giving a random listener a free copy of Goblin Stone's adventure, The Chapel on the Cliffs! To be entered into the drawing, all you have to do is send us an email- at InterPartyConflict@gmail.com- and put "Chapel on the Cliffs" into the subject line. That's it! We'll be picking one person at random every episode. It's that easy!

This week, our episode is about adding new books to a campaign, and the risks and rewards that come with. If you're lucky, you might even get a small rant from Gabe too (which people seem to like for some reason). If you like our show and you want more content from us, head over to Patreon.com/interpartyconflict and see if any of the rewards appeal to you! Even a dollar a month gets you a bit of extra content, so check it out!

As always, check out the other podcasts on the Critnation Fellowship- Crit Academy and D&D Character Lab- and Goblin Stone, Loresmyth, and Aurican's Lair for great adventures.

Have a great week!

Episode 53: Splatbooks & Power Creep

RSS Feed Link

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

Question answered this episode:

1. Non-core books. Which ones do you use? Which do you hate? How much does it change the game as more books keep coming out?

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

Noteworthy Links:

D&D Shadow over Mystara

The Carnival Games video Gabe mentioned

Cheers, a 1980's American Sitcom that took place in a bar

A Complete List of 3rd Edition D&D Sourcebooks

Origin of the word "Splatbook"

Osteomancer and Cerebrex, two Prestige Classes Jeff mentioned

A Practical Guide to Dragons, a great book from WotC that has all of the lore and artwork of D&D dragons but none of the mechanics

MOBAs

4th Edition D&D Essentials

Healing Spirit

Illegal Danish: Super Snacks - A video Jeff mentioned in a bit that got cut from the episode

Burnt Offerings, the adventure that (I think) featured the fight with goblins in a glassworks

Episode 52 is here!

Hello, everyone!

Not a whole lot to report this week- we've got a fun episode that I hope you all like. We did start our Patreon last week, and it's going very well, but this episode was recorded riiiight before it went live so there isn't much in the episode about it. (Next week's episode will have us thanking all of our current patrons on-air, so if you're a patron then check that out next Tuesday.) If you'd like to check out our Patreon, head over to Patreon.com/interpartyconflict and see if the rewards appeal to you!

In this episode we talk about the origins of D&D, why it's so popular, and the stereotypes that come with it. Jeff and I also spend a little bit of time on the topic of drugs- mainly coming up with goofy slogans encouraging you to stay away from them- and while editing I realized that it may have been in poor taste. So if anyone takes offense to us goofing about such a serious topic, I do apologize. We take the safety of our listeners very seriously, and so if you or anyone you know may be struggling with drug abuse, and you're in the United States, then let me urge you to PLEASE call the SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357). Everyone goes through struggles in their lives but there's always people can help if yours get to be too hard for you to handle on your own.

Now, on a less somber note, be sure to check out the other members of the Critnation Fellowship- Crit Academy and D&D Character Lab for great podcasts, and Loresmyth, Goblin Stone, and Aurican's Lair for great gaming products.

Thanks, and stay safe, everyone!

Episode 52: Introducing D&D

RSS Feed Link

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

Questions answered this episode:

1. With the huge amount of systems, settings, and styles of Tabletop RPGs out there right now, why is D&D still the most known, go-to system? Does it come down to marketing dollars? Or is D&D just THAT good?

2. How do you feel about the "nerdy" stereotype that D&D brings with it?

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

Noteworthy Links:

UmActually.com is a real site for a podcast or something

The d100 I got for Christmas

Peewee Herman does a drug PSA

Seagulls! (Stop it now) - a video that Jeff and I joked about in a sequence that got cut from the episode

Chainmail, the game that eventually became D&D

An old episode of 60 Minutes about the "evils of D&D"

James Dallas Egbert III

Chick Tracts

Mazes & Monsters, a movie loosely based on James Dallas Egbert's story

Dexter's Laboratory- D & DD - The episode of Dexter's Lab that inspired many kids to play D&D

Stranger Things

Fantasy Football

Dark Souls: The Board Game

DotA

HarmonQuest, a live actual-play show made by Dan Harmon and starring comedians and celebrities

Roller Derby

Magic the Gathering

LARPing


TED Talks

Week 13: A Lovely April Morning

Funny story: I got this episode completely edited, uploaded to Soundcloud, and I was in the process of converting the file to video to post on Youtube when I realized that the file I was converting had somehow become 70 minutes of pure silence (including the file I'd uploaded to Soundcloud). Luckily, I save multiple versions of every episode as I'm editing, so as to not have to record the whole thing over again. (My hard drive is none too happy about it, though.)

Which is good, because I am very pleased with this episode! I think we cover some important issues and we make a compelling argument. (I just hope listeners feel the same way.) In this episode we talk about all sorts of problem players, telling your players to get the lead out and sado-masochistic obsessions. Er... something like that. Also Star Trek.

If you can, hit us up on iTunes and leave us a review. Or Stitcher, or Youtube, or wherever you get your podcasts. We really appreciate it! You can also submit questions and items of your own to InterPartyConflict@gmail.com. We'll read them on the air, and even say whatever name you tell us! (Within reason. Don't tell me your name is Gabe Sucksatdeendeeyadvice, unless you can provide a photo of a valid driver's license or passport.)

Episode 13: Rather Problematic

RSS Feed Link

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

Questions answered this episode:

1. Would you as a DM ever use a timer to force a player to act quickly in combat? (Rather than letting them fumble to figure out what to do on their turn?)

2. Have you experimented with reskinning classes and class features to emulate new or un-updated material?

3. How do you avoid being the problem player?

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

Noteworthy links:

Farscape, one of the best Science Fiction television shows of all time

Star Trek: Generations

Whirling Frenzy Barbarian variant from the 3.5 Unearthed Arcana

Twin Humanities, a Dark Souls podcast

Episode Eleven: Attack of the RSS Feed

So, this week and last week I've been having issues with our RSS feed. I installed an RSS tracker (since as right now, I have no way of tracking traffic on iTunes- good job not doing that yourself, Apple!) and after uploading last week's episode, a listener notified me that it wasn't showing up on some podcasting app. So I checked iTunes, I checked Stitcher, and Google Play, and it wasn't anywhere to be found. I tried getting help from Soundcloud (it was showing up on my Soundcloud account just fine, you could listen to it and download it there, but it wasn't showing up anywhere else) but they don't provide an easy way to get support and their community forums weren't any help either. In the end, I took off the tracker and re-uploaded the episode (with a different description, so I'd know if it was the original file or the new one) and the new one showed up in no time. (The original file never showed up, even after 24 hours.) This week, I re-installed the tracker, but had the same problem- though I was prepared so I was able to get it sorted out in just a couple hours. So I definitely won't be using that tracker anymore.

This episode is probably our angriest episode so far, and about half of it is me complaining. We have a Dragon's Hoard submission from Nicholas P, and it involves one of my favorite monsters in D&D, the Beholder! Remember that if you want an item of yours (or just one you really like) to be featured on the Dragon's Hoard, go ahead and throw us an e-mail at InterPartyConflict@gmail.com!

And if you can find us on iTunes/Stitcher/Google Play, leave us a review! We've got a couple so far but we can always use more. I'm going to be working on getting us onto Youtube as well, so keep an eye out if that's your thing.

Episode 11: Plays Well With Others

RSS Feed Link

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

Questions answered this episode:

1. Should I screw over the party if it's something my character would do?

2. Are there any Rules As Written that you really don't like?

3. How would I go about enacting a secret plan between myself and the DM?

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

Noteworthy links:

Hearty Dice Friends, our rival podcast 
(Also: Honey Heist, the one-page RPG where you play a Criminal Bear)

I wanted to find a link to the Ultimate Gaming Table I mentioned, but apparently the site that hosted it way back in like 2008 no longer exists. Here's the only image I could find from the original site.

Planck's Constant 

Here comes episode 2!

So, a few things I learned this past week:

1. I don't know how to use Twitter.

2. Jeff's audio setup is way better than my own.

3. I absolutely love our intro/outro music.

The second episode is up, and although it's a bit shorter (53 minutes vs. 70) this one is a bit closer to what I wanted originally. (I had only planned for each episode to be around 45-50 minutes, but the first kind of got away from me.) I need to come up with a better way to wrap up the questions (we didn't have any goofy/short questions like the favorite food one from the first episode) but I think the overall sound quality of this one is way better than the last.

Anyway, give it a listen!

Episode 2: Lawyers, Rule 

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

Questions answered this episode:

1. Is it okay to create new abilities/features for monsters that players cannot counter?

2. How to deal with Rules Lawyers?

3. Modules or not? Advantages of running a pre-written story vs making your own?

4. At what point do house rules become excessive?

5. How to get new players to RP more?

6. Should the GM keep a tight rein on the setting, or should the GM allow the players some room to add details?

7. Should a GM alter the setting heavily to make it more palatable to players who have issues with some, or even many, elements?

8. Should a GM enforce racism against drow in-setting if a player is honestly wanting to play a heroic drow?

9. How old do you have to be to role play in table top? Explain.

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

Noteworthy links:

Mushroom Kingdom Skyrim Mod

Pokeball Skyrim Mod

Macho Man Randy Savage Skyrim Mod

Thomas the Tank Engine Skyrim Mod

For anyone curious, the intro/outro music is "Inspiration" by Boxcat Games, from Nameless the Hackers RPG. Check them out!