As we wait for season 8, we discuss who should rule Westeros after the defeat of the White Walkers (going out on a limb there). Will it be the Mother of Dragons? Will Jon Snow unbend the knee? Is there a dark horse contender? Will Dorne – nope, that’s not happening. We both predict who it will be and make a case for our preferences.
We also discuss whether HBO’s treatment of one contender in season 7 is either genius or terrible, and we warn about the dangers of chimpanzees.
“I’m just a simple goblin. Do you know we don’t have a word for ‘family’ or ‘love’? Suffice to say, I don’t really understand your attachment to the small humans. I have noticed, however, that most of you will do whatever it takes to prevent … misfortune befalling your wee ones. Goblins also don’t have a word for ‘regret,’ but I know you do. Think about the regrets you’ll have if you don’t take my offer.”
-“Glassy” Salo, bootlegger, racketeer, businessman, goblin
In this installment of Creature Features, we look at the lowly goblin. Will you play them as tiny fodder, as roguish antiheroes, or as unchecked capitalists?
In this episode, Chris and Wayne discuss Alexander Macris’s article “All about Alignment” and whether or not there’s still value in having morality systems. However, with all their talk about trickle down and bad neighbourhoods, you’d think they were running for Congress on a Republican ticket.
The results are in for the tabletop role-playing industry survey that was distributed late last year and what a shock! Actually, the results weren’t that shocking, so we dedicate the first episode discussing them to the results that didn’t surprise us. Well, except for Wayne, who decides to get into one of the biggest surprises for him. (Big surprise.) In addition to this, we discuss some of the books and articles (see the tags) about the tabletop role-playing industry that helped determine what questions were asked on the survey.
Watch this space because we will be linking all of the questions and results to the survey here.
Chris: “Lyal, Can I play Batman in your DC game. Batman with a Scottish accent. ‘Ach. Ay’m the heerooo this city deserves, ya wee lass.'”
Lyal: “Wow. I’m not looking forward to that, but sure. Wayne?”
Wayne: “Hmm, maybe Sen … Sensible … Sensual … Sen … tence. Centennial. The Centennial.”
Lyal: “The Sentry. Wrong universe. How about Superman?”
Wayne: “No thanks. I do like Spee … Speeder … Speederma … Spice. Spicer … Spicerman …”
Lyal: “Spider-Man. Wrong universe, again.”
In this episode, we discuss the advantages of playing iconic characters as well as retelling classic or not so classic stories. Also, listen to find out what all the fuss about Sparks Nevada is.
Genghis Khan is the name, I’m ahead of my game
Still, drinking from teats, still with hoof beats
Still not loving the Caliphs (Uh hun)
Still rock my kharash in battle and a seige
Still got love for the steeeppes, repping one one one
Still the hooves bang, still arrows twang
Since I left, ain’t too much changed, still
Got a whole Tumen ridin’ at my back, you won’t even see when I’m coming to attack
Cause you think that we be a fleein’, yeah looks like we be retreatin’
But soon you’ll be seein’; that it’s you who is get beaten
You think we all dressed in fur, but I got fine lacquer armor and a bling silk shirt.
Still history won’t be bored,
Still have all the rage we have stored,
Still yo you gonna get served,
Still by the Mongol Horde!
Since I left, ain’t too much changed, still
For our next installment of Warriors, we look at the Mongolian Horsemen. A group who, even 700 years later, still represents the idea of an unstoppable, all conquering juggernaut.
…but the picture of the gnoll ain’t one of them.
In this episode, we discuss the latest playtest material. We talk about what we like and don’t like, and Wayne makes a case for elves of colour. We also come up with a winning business strategy for Wizards of the Coast to follow for D&D Next.*
*We recorded this episode before WotC announced their plan to emphasize campaign settings and adventures, which bears a striking similarity to our strategy.
Should D&D be everyone’s gateway into RPGs?
After about ten minutes of listening to us talk about D&D, you may start to question the “Non-D&D” part of the title, but we do move on to other games. We look at Exalted, A Song of Ice and Fire Roleplaying, Runequest, and Dragon Age. We evaluate each game’s system, setting, and presentation. We also discuss which ones would be good gateway games. At the end, we talk about an out-of-print game that presented fantasy races in new and badass ways.
