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The RPGBOT.Podcast is a thoughtful and sometimes humorous discussion about Tabletop Role Playing Games, including Dungeons and Dragons and Pathfinder as well as other TTRPGs. The discussion seeks to help players get the most out of TTRPGs by examining game mechanics and related subjects with a deep, analytic focus. The RPGBOT.Podcast includes a weekly episode; and The RPGBOT.News and The RPGBOT.Oneshot. You can find more information at https://rpgbot.net/ - Analysis, tools, and instructional articles for tabletop RPGs. Support us at the following links: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/rpgbot BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/rpgbot.net TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rpgbotdotnet The RPGBOT.Podcast was developed by RPGBOT.net and produced in association with The Leisure Illuminati.

  1. RAVENLOFT - THE HORRORS WITHIN: The Best Ravenloft Book Since Ravenloft

    2時間前

    RAVENLOFT - THE HORRORS WITHIN: The Best Ravenloft Book Since Ravenloft

    Welcome to Part 4 of our Ravenloft: The Horrors Within review, where the real horror isn't Strahd. It's Ash's campaign. In the span of ten minutes, his players accidentally created Baba Yaga, nearly invented a magical nuclear weapon, tried to break the multiverse "just to see what happens," and immediately asked if they could automate it with a Rube Goldberg machine. At this point, the Dark Powers aren't tormenting the players. They're trying to survive them. Show Notes We wrap up our four-part review of Ravenloft: The Horrors Within by touring the remaining Domains of Dread, digging into the new monsters and NPCs, exploring haunted Bastions, and deciding whether Wizards of the Coast finally delivered the definitive Ravenloft sourcebook. Before the review even begins, Ash recounts the latest catastrophes from his home Ravenloft campaign. His players accidentally elevate a coven of hags into a new Baba Yaga, nearly tear open reality with artifacts capable of destroying demiplanes, and somehow conclude that the obvious solution is building a magical doomsday device. As always, the greatest threat to Ravenloft isn't the Dark Lords. It's the player characters. The panel finishes its tour of the remaining Domains of Dread, highlighting favorites like the haunted countryside of Mordent, Arthurian-inspired Shadowlands, Lord Soth's Sythicus, the folk-horror nightmare of Tepest, and the deadly jungle hunts of Valachan. Each domain receives new maps, campaign outlines, adventure hooks, and fully realized Dark Lord stat blocks that make them dramatically easier to run than previous editions. Attention then shifts to the new DM tools. Haunted Bastions become an instant favorite, adding supernatural events, cursed facilities, and even Backrooms-inspired liminal spaces to the 2024 Bastion system. The group also praises the new patron mechanics, expanded horror guidance, and dozens of flavorful campaign-building resources for Dungeon Masters. The bestiary proves equally impressive. New horrors range from Lovecraftian monstrosities and terrifying Relentless Killers to updated versions of classic Ravenloft creatures like the Dullahan and Grimishkas. Several monsters introduce brutal mechanics involving exhaustion, possession, regeneration, and instant death, giving horror encounters a unique identity beyond simply dealing more damage. Finally, the hosts deliver their verdict on the book. While the player-facing subclasses receive mixed reviews throughout the series, everyone agrees that The Horrors Within is a massive upgrade for Dungeon Masters. Between expanded lore, stronger adventures, memorable monsters, and fully developed Domains of Dread, this may be the best Ravenloft campaign resource Wizards has published for Fifth Edition. Ravenloft: The Horrors Within (affiliate link) RPGBOT.store - Pish Pash, My Memory is Trash! Other Stuff Rikki Tikki Tavi Roxane but it gets faster Spirited Away Content from RPGBOT.net DnD 5e Dark Gifts Guide Key Takeaways Ash's home campaign continues to prove that players are more dangerous than any Dark Lord. The remaining Domains of Dread receive substantial expansions with maps, adventures, and campaign frameworks. Shadowlands, Tepest, Mordent, and Valachan each offer unique horror genres beyond gothic vampires. Haunted Bastions are one of the most creative additions to the 2024 Bastion system. The liminal-space Bastion facility is basically the Backrooms for D&D. The bestiary introduces memorable new horrors, especially the Relentless Killer variants. Updated classic monsters receive more interesting mechanics while remaining faithful to their original themes. Named NPCs like Van Richten, Ez, Madame Eva, and the Weathermay-Foxgrove twins finally receive dedicated stat blocks. The book is packed with campaign hooks, DM tools, and adventure ideas that make Ravenloft easier than ever to run. Final verdict: player options are somewhat uneven, but for Dungeon Masters this is an outstanding sourcebook and one of the strongest setting books Wizards has released for the 2024 rules. 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 Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

    59分
  2. RAVENLOFT - THE HORRORS WITHIN: The Dark Powers Finally Updated Their Monster Manual

    3日前

    RAVENLOFT - THE HORRORS WITHIN: The Dark Powers Finally Updated Their Monster Manual

    Ravenloft is a setting built on fear, tragedy, and impossible choices. Naturally, we spent the first ten minutes arguing about whether Florida is its own Domain of Dread, listening to Ash tell a story about getting magically demoted from noble to peasant, and debating whether "lofting ravens" is a real phrase. Honestly, the Dark Powers couldn't have written a better introduction. Show Notes In Part 3 of our review of Ravenloft: The Horrors Within, we finally leave the player options behind and dive into the heart of the setting itself. Wizards of the Coast dramatically expands the Domains of Dread, providing campaign frameworks, detailed gazetteers, new maps, Dark Lord stat blocks, horror advice, Tarokka options, and enough adventure hooks to keep a party terrified for months. We begin by exploring the overall structure of the book and immediately appreciate how much more usable it is than Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft. Every major domain now includes lore, locations, horror themes, campaign outlines, one-shot adventures, and, perhaps most importantly, fully realized stat blocks for the Dark Lords themselves. No more "just use the Spy stat block." From Barovia to Lamordia, we tour some of Ravenloft's most iconic locations. We revisit Strahd's eternal torment, explore the political nightmare of Borca, marvel at Darkon's crumbling reality, survive Falkovnia's endless zombie siege, admire Har'Akir's gorgeous redesign, and gush over Lamordia's expanded support. Along the way we discover that some Domains received spectacular glow-ups while others inspired... spirited debate. Not every addition lands equally. The panel spends considerable time discussing Innsmouth and Cthulhu's inclusion, questioning whether cosmic horror fits Ravenloft's core theme of ironic punishment and personal damnation. The conversation turns into an entertaining deep dive on what actually makes a Dark Lord compelling and why some monsters work better as unknowable forces than boss encounters. By the end of the episode, one thing is clear: even with a few controversial choices, The Horrors Within dramatically improves Ravenloft as a campaign setting. Better maps, better adventures, better stat blocks, and substantially more support make this feel like the definitive version of the Domains of Dread. Key Takeaways The setting chapters are the standout portion of the book. Every major Domain of Dread receives significantly expanded support compared to Van Richten's Guide. Every major Dark Lord finally has a unique stat block worthy of an epic confrontation. New maps, campaign outlines, and one-shot adventures make the book far easier to run. Tarokka cards now tie directly into individual Domains and Dark Lords, adding flavorful campaign tools. Horror guidance remains solid, especially for GMs running gothic horror for the first time. Several redesigned Domains, especially Har'Akir and Lamordia, receive high praise for their presentation and atmosphere. Innsmouth and Cthulhu spark the episode's biggest debate, with questions about whether cosmic horror belongs in Ravenloft's established mythology. Lamordia emerges as one of the panel's favorite sections thanks to its expanded lore, updated locations, and memorable adventure hooks. Despite a handful of criticisms, the group considers the setting material a substantial improvement over previous Ravenloft sourcebooks. 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 Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

    1時間2分
  3. HELP, AID, ASSIST (Remastered) - Enhancing the Help Action: Character Options and Abilities

    5日前

    HELP, AID, ASSIST (Remastered) - Enhancing the Help Action: Character Options and Abilities

    So today's episode is about the Help action, the mechanic that exists so your party can finally contribute after rolling three consecutive natural 2s. We'll answer life's toughest questions: Is sacrificing your turn to give someone advantage actually worth it? Can an owl legally become the MVP of every combat? And how many class features can be stacked before your DM quietly starts targeting the familiar instead? Grab your emotional support Help action, because we're about to optimize teamwork so hard your rogue might actually say 'thanks.' Show Notes The Help action looks simple on paper: spend your action so someone else can do better. In practice, it's one of the most misunderstood and surprisingly powerful mechanics in D&D 5e. This week we dive into every angle of helping, from the basic combat rules to the mountain of class features, feats, spells, familiars, summons, and character builds that can turn a supporting role into the strongest play at the table. Along the way we discuss when giving advantage is mathematically better than attacking yourself, which subclasses excel at battlefield support, why certain familiars have become infamous for abusing the Help action, and how teamwork changes depending on your party composition. Whether you're building a dedicated support character or just trying to squeeze more value out of your turn, we break down when helping is heroic, when it's optimal, and when you're just enabling the barbarian's bad decisions. As always, expect plenty of rules discussion, optimization advice, friendly arguments, and a few detours into the weird corners of D&D design. Key Takeaways The Help action is stronger than many players realize. Giving another character advantage is often worth more than making a mediocre attack yourself. Action economy matters. A Help action isn't free. The value depends on what you're giving up and what your ally gains in return. Advantage scales with powerful attacks. Helping a rogue land Sneak Attack or a paladin land a massive Smite is often far more valuable than helping someone make a routine weapon attack. Familiars are support superstars. Features like Find Familiar, particularly with mobile options such as owls, can generate enormous tactical value by delivering Help while staying relatively safe. Some classes are built to support. Bards, certain Clerics, Battle Masters, Mastermind Rogues, and other support-focused subclasses have numerous ways to improve allies beyond simply casting buffs. Positioning is everything. The best support characters understand movement, sight lines, opportunity attacks, and initiative order just as much as damage optimization. Support isn't passive play. A well-played support character constantly makes tactical decisions that influence the entire battlefield. Not every Help action is a good Help action. Sometimes attacking, casting a spell, controlling the battlefield, or eliminating a threat is the better choice. Build synergy beats individual optimization. Characters designed to complement each other routinely outperform groups built around individual damage numbers. Helping extends beyond combat. Outside encounters, the Help action can dramatically improve skill checks when the assisting character can meaningfully contribute. Know your table. Some groups naturally coordinate tactics, while others benefit from discussing teamwork before combat begins. The best support players make everyone else look awesome. Good teamwork often creates the most memorable moments in a campaign, even if the support character never lands the finishing blow. 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 Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

    1時間2分
  4. RAVENLOFT - THE HORRORS WITHIN: Your Honor, It Was Only a Small Piece of Their Soul

    6月25日

    RAVENLOFT - THE HORRORS WITHIN: Your Honor, It Was Only a Small Piece of Their Soul

    The real horror in Ravenloft wasn't ghosts, vampires, or eldritch patrons. It was Riverside updating its interface five minutes before recording. Suddenly the buttons moved, the fonts shrank every time someone mentioned the layout, and Tyler entered a state of existential panic usually reserved for failed concentration checks. By the end of the night, we had learned two important lessons. First, change is terrifying. Second, apparently none of us can remember how to spell Ricky-Ticky-Tavi. Show Notes In Part 2 of our review of Ravenloft: The Horrors Within, we tackled the remaining subclasses and discovered that the second half of the book delivered some of the strongest player options in the entire release. Between ghost-powered rogues, shadow puppies, and undead warlocks, there was plenty to like. We started with the Phantom Rogue and found ourselves impressed by how well the subclass grows over time. While the early levels still feel sparse, Tokens of the Departed remains one of the coolest thematic mechanics in the game. Collecting fragments of souls and consulting them for answers creates exactly the kind of spooky roleplaying we want from Ravenloft. Next came Shadow Sorcery, and to everyone's relief, the beloved Hound of Ill Omen survived the transition to 5.5. The shadow puppy is back, the subclass still delivers incredible battlefield control, and several improvements make it one of the standout options in the book. This may finally be proof that Wizards remembers sorcerers are allowed to have nice things. We wrapped up with the Undead Patron Warlock, which continues to deliver strong flavor and solid mechanics. Form of Dread remains fantastic, and the subclass still excels at making enemies regret standing anywhere near the warlock. Meanwhile, we somehow spent far too much time debating damage dice, exhaustion mechanics, and whether exploding yourself counts as a valid combat strategy. By the end of the review, we came away feeling far more positive about the second half of the book than the first. Not every option is perfect, but there are several subclasses here we'd happily bring to a full campaign. Assuming, of course, that the recording software doesn't change its layout again first. Links Ravenloft: The Horrors Within (affiliate link) RPGBOT.store - Pish Pash, My Memory is Trash! Other Stuff Rikki Tikki Tavi Roxane but it gets faster Spirited Away Content from RPGBOT.net DnD 5e Dark Gifts Guide Key Takeaways Phantom Rogue starts slowly but becomes increasingly interesting at higher levels. Tokens of the Departed remains one of the most flavorful mechanics in the game. Shadow Sorcery successfully preserved the fan-favorite Hound of Ill Omen. The shadow puppy is still the best boy. Shadow Sorcerer is one of the biggest winners in the book. Undead Patron Warlock retains its strong theme and useful combat tools. Form of Dread continues to be one of the coolest transformation abilities available to warlocks. Several subclasses benefited from updates that fixed earlier Unearthed Arcana concerns. The second half of the book contains more hits than misses. Software updates remain more frightening than anything found in Ravenloft. 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 Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

    1時間7分
  5. RAVENLOFT - THE HORRORS WITHIN: Frankensteins Monster Deserved Better Numbers

    6月22日

    RAVENLOFT - THE HORRORS WITHIN: Frankensteins Monster Deserved Better Numbers

    Ravenloft is supposed to be full of gothic horror, tragic villains, and creeping dread. Instead, we somehow spent twenty minutes imagining a Midwestern Strahd saying You betcha before drinking your blood, arguing about wet burritos, and debating whether North Dakota counts as a real place. By the time we actually opened the book, the greatest horror wasn't the Dark Powers. It was realizing that someone somewhere willingly ordered a hot wet beef sandwich. Sponsor Spotlight: Mithos This episode is sponsored by Mithos, a modular, system-agnostic digital toolkit designed to make life easier for Game Masters. With customizable layouts, built-in player views, fog of war support, encounter tools, and an active community sharing content, Mithos helps keep your game running smoothly without juggling a dozen browser tabs. Whether you're running Dungeons & Dragons at a convention, Call of Cthulhu in a cabin, or your favorite indie RPG at home, Mithos puts everything you need in one place. Best of all, there are no subscriptions and no internet connection required. Learn more at rpgbot.net/mithos. Show Notes We finally returned to Ravenloft with The Horrors Within and dug into the new player options from Wizards of the Coast. Along the way we examined the subclasses, talked about what survived from the Unearthed Arcana playtest, and debated whether some of the changes actually improved the designs or simply made them safer. The Reanimator Artificer immediately caught our attention with its wonderfully creepy flavor. We loved the concept of Frankensteining together an undead companion and modifying it over time, even if the final numbers often felt disappointingly conservative. The subclass oozes atmosphere, but several features left us wishing Wizards had trusted the design enough to let it hit a little harder. The College of Spirits Bard received some welcome improvements from the playtest version. Moving the random spirit effects away from mandatory immediate use made the subclass far more practical, and controlled channeling solved many of the frustrations we had previously identified. This version finally delivers on the fantasy of consulting strange entities from beyond without constantly fighting against the mechanics. We also revisited the Grave Domain Cleric and looked at the redesigned Path to the Grave. While the old version was undeniably flashier, the new implementation is much easier to use in any party composition. It may not create those huge cinematic damage spikes anymore, but it provides reliable support every time it comes online. As always, our review quickly spiraled into side discussions involving Call of Cthulhu, sturgeon festivals, Midwestern rivalries, taxes, and the eternal mystery of why so many fantasy character illustrations are suspiciously attractive. That's just another day at the RPGBOT.Podcast. Links Ravenloft: The Horrors Within (affiliate link) RPGBOT.store - Pish Pash, My Memory is Trash! Other Stuff Rikki Tikki Tavi Roxane but it gets faster Spirited Away Content from RPGBOT.net DnD 5e Dark Gifts Guide Key Takeaways Ravenloft: The Horrors Within delivers strong gothic flavor and some excellent artwork. The Reanimator Artificer has fantastic thematic design but several mechanics feel overly cautious. Lightning interactions with the undead companion create some amusing and creative tactics. College of Spirits Bard benefited significantly from feedback and is much easier to play effectively. Controlled Channeling fixes many of the frustrations from the Unearthed Arcana version. Grave Domain Cleric lost some of its explosive potential but gained consistency. The revised Path to the Grave works better across a wider variety of party compositions. Several subclasses showcase great ideas that feel slightly undertuned. Flavor and atmosphere are consistently strong throughout the book. No matter how serious the subject matter becomes, the conversation will eventually derail into food arguments, regional insults, or bizarre fantasy accents. 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 Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

    1時間4分
  6. 2014 DnD 5e WARLOCKS Level 5 - 20 (REMASTERED): From Hexes to Hell: Leveling Up and Releasing the Darkness

    6月20日

    2014 DnD 5e WARLOCKS Level 5 - 20 (REMASTERED): From Hexes to Hell: Leveling Up and Releasing the Darkness

    Warlocks are the only class where the phrase "I signed a terrible contract and somehow came out ahead" counts as a character concept. By level 20, your patron has become equal parts sugar daddy, eldritch therapist, and extended warranty scammer. Somewhere between your third Eldritch Invocation and your fourth existential crisis, you stop asking whether the power is worth the cost and start asking if your soul came with roadside assistance. Show Notes In the second half of the Warlock deep dive, we continue advancing our example characters from level 5 all the way to level 20, exploring how the class evolves from a reliable blaster into one of the most customizable spellcasters in 2014 D&D 5e. Along the way we discuss new spell options, increasingly specialized Eldritch Invocations, Pact Boon upgrades, and the always-interesting challenge of squeezing maximum value out of a very limited number of spell slots. As the builds mature, we compare different approaches to survivability, damage output, and utility. The conversation highlights how Warlocks reward careful planning while still leaving plenty of room for weird and thematic choices. Whether you're building a Hexblade, Fiend, or something stranger, the class offers countless ways to personalize your character. Naturally, no discussion of Warlocks would be complete without jokes about selling your soul, suspicious contracts, and patrons who definitely read the fine print that you ignored. Between optimization advice and increasingly ridiculous examples, we discover that eldritch power and bad life decisions make an excellent combination. Key Takeaways Level 5 is a major power spike thanks to 3rd-level spells and additional Eldritch Invocation options. Invocations continue to define a Warlock's identity throughout higher levels. Pact Boons and invocation choices can dramatically change how two Warlocks of the same subclass play. Short rests remain essential because Pact Magic depends heavily on recovering spell slots frequently. Gift of the Ever-Living Ones and other defensive options can greatly improve survivability. Blade-focused builds use options like Thirsting Blade to keep pace with martial classes. Mystic Arcanum provides access to powerful high-level spells without changing the core Pact Magic system. Warlocks excel when players specialize rather than trying to do everything at once. The class rewards planning and understanding how individual features interact. Flavor and mechanics blend exceptionally well, making Warlocks one of the most thematic classes in 5e. 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 Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

    1時間3分
  7. PLANE OF WATER - Let's Just Get Through This Episode So I Can Have A Stiff Drink

    6月18日

    PLANE OF WATER - Let's Just Get Through This Episode So I Can Have A Stiff Drink

    The Plane of Water episode started exactly how you'd expect an episode about endless oceans to start: with stock prices, GTA 6 rumors, GameStop drama, and Randall suggesting you could solve inflation by storing barrels of oil in your apartment. Eventually everyone remembered there was supposed to be a podcast, which unfortunately meant confronting Ash's greatest weakness: deep water. What followed was less a lore episode and more a two-hour intervention where Tyler discovered underwater spiders exist, Randall weaponized ocean facts, and Ash spent the entire recording questioning every life choice that led him to this point. Somewhere beneath all the existential dread, there was also a Plane of Water. Show Notes This week we dove into one of the most intimidating locations in fantasy gaming: the Plane of Water. Despite containing an infinite amount of something every living creature needs, none of us sounded particularly excited to visit. We explored how the Plane of Water differs between Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder, from endless oceans and violent storms to strange underwater civilizations and terrifying megafauna. Along the way, we examined water genies, krakens, mysterious cities, giant jellyfish stretching across entire planes, and even an anglerfish so enormous that someone thought building a city on its back was a good idea. Pathfinder's version introduced even stranger concepts, including underwater suns, spheres filled with mysterious civilizations, and the return of elemental forces that literally control the tides. As expected, Ash spent much of the episode reliving childhood trauma and explaining why the ocean is secretly the most horrifying place imaginable. Tyler accidentally made things worse by introducing underwater spiders, while Randall enthusiastically contributed increasingly disturbing facts about deep-sea pressure, giant creatures, and dream-fueled tsunami nightmares. By the end, we learned that the Plane of Water contains incredible adventure opportunities, beautiful locations, and fascinating lore. We also learned that Ash would still rather spend a weekend in Hell. Links   2014 Dungeon Master's Guide (affiliate link) 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide (affiliate link) Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes (affiliate link) PF2 Rage of Elements (affiliate link) Forgotten Realms Wiki - Elemental Plane of Water Pathfinder Wiki - Plane of Water RPGBOT.Podcast Episodes The Abyss Arborea Archeron Arcadia The Beastlands Bytopia Carceri Celestia Elysium The Ethereal Plane The Feywild Gehenna Hades Hell Part 1 Hell Part 2 Limbo Mechanus Pandemonium Plane of Air Plane of Fire Shadowfell Other Stuff Dodgeball Movie Key Takeaways The Plane of Water in D&D is an endless ocean punctuated by occasional islands, violent storms, and regions ranging from sunlit seas to terrifying depths. Pathfinder's Plane of Water differs significantly, featuring a spherical structure, strange environmental effects, and unusual landmarks. Water genies and merfolk civilizations provide opportunities for diplomacy and exploration rather than constant combat. Krakens, brine dragons, and other aquatic monsters make the plane dangerous, but many creatures are simply focused on surviving in their own environment. Several bizarre megafauna inhabit Pathfinder's version of the plane, including continent-sized jellyfish and city-carrying anglerfish. Travel to the plane is possible through spells, portals, storms, and occasionally terrible luck. The Plane of Water offers strong inspiration for survival adventures, nautical campaigns, and cosmic horror themes. Despite its beauty and rich lore, at least one member of the cast would prefer literally any other destination. 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 Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

    1時間4分
  8. PF2E CLERICS 2 - The Real Villains Were Season Eight Writers

    6月15日

    PF2E CLERICS 2 - The Real Villains Were Season Eight Writers

    Nobody expected the second half of the cleric episode to begin with a discussion about wolves conducting hate crimes against coyotes, crows acting as aerial bounty hunters, and the lasting trauma of Game of Thrones season eight. Somehow this naturally transitioned into Pathfinder clerics, giant dragon towers, vampire bat transformations, and a godless revolutionary whose greatest enemy remains organized religion. In hindsight, this was probably the only possible outcome. Show Notes In the second half of our Pathfinder 2e Cleric build series, we advanced our morally questionable holy figures from level 11 all the way to 20. Before we even reached the introduction, however, we somehow found ourselves discussing wolf vendettas, crow conspiracies, Game of Thrones, British pronunciation crimes, and Pulp Fiction-inspired monologues. Naturally, this was exactly the kind of preparation required for high-level clerics. Randall returned with his godless anti-religious war priest, continuing his crusade to dismantle divine authority while simultaneously benefiting from divine magic. The contradictions only made the character stronger. Ash continued building a dragon-obsessed kobold servant of Dahak, leaning heavily into domains, summoning magic, and draconic heritage feats. Tyler doubled down on his undead survival machine, creating a cleric who would rather become increasingly horrifying than ever experience death again. As the builds progressed, the characters became increasingly absurd. Randall evolved into a social revolutionary capable of literally preaching atheism to enemies. Ash transformed into a majestic kobold empowered by dragons and armed with enough fire to solve nearly any problem. Tyler embraced his inner vampire, eventually turning into a bat, draining enemies, and becoming nearly impossible to kill. High-level spells stole much of the spotlight. Summoning dragons, collapsing enemies with Implosion, unleashing Massacre, and transforming into avatars of divine power all showcased just how spectacular Pathfinder's spellcasters become in the late game. Meanwhile, Randall's philosophy remained unchanged: peace is important, and anyone who disagrees can discuss it with the business end of a glaive. By the time we reached level 20, our collection of short kings had somehow become terrifying demigods. None of them were remotely good people, but they were certainly memorable clerics. Key Takeaways Levels 11 through 20 dramatically increase a cleric's power through doctrines, master spellcasting, and powerful class feats. High-rank divine spells provide some of the most cinematic effects in Pathfinder 2e. Harm-focused builds can become incredibly durable through self-healing and defensive feats. Domain spells continue to scale well into the highest levels of play. Heritage feats can dramatically shape a character's identity and capabilities. Avatar provides one of the most flavorful capstone spells available to divine casters. Additional 10th-rank spell slots are difficult to pass up at level 20. Warpriests gain survivability but still lag behind dedicated martial classes in weapon proficiency. Pathfinder 2e offers many ways to support unusual character concepts, including technically illegal godless clerics. Team Fun Size successfully evolved from weird clerics into full-blown nightmares for any GM. 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 Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

    57分
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番組について

The RPGBOT.Podcast is a thoughtful and sometimes humorous discussion about Tabletop Role Playing Games, including Dungeons and Dragons and Pathfinder as well as other TTRPGs. The discussion seeks to help players get the most out of TTRPGs by examining game mechanics and related subjects with a deep, analytic focus. The RPGBOT.Podcast includes a weekly episode; and The RPGBOT.News and The RPGBOT.Oneshot. You can find more information at https://rpgbot.net/ - Analysis, tools, and instructional articles for tabletop RPGs. Support us at the following links: Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/rpgbot BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/rpgbot.net TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@rpgbotdotnet The RPGBOT.Podcast was developed by RPGBOT.net and produced in association with The Leisure Illuminati.

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