Stack o’ Dice

Ep 147: The battle outside the abandoned temple has come to an end, and now the party must figure out how to proceed. With a redoubtable enemy so close at hand, time is of the essence, but differing objectives may pose an issue. Find out what happens next by listening now! ----- Our spot for Battlebards uses music from Battlebards! We hope you like our use of: Capital City - Middlegate - Score Mus...

Creation Corner: It's so easy to let game mechanics feel, well, mechanical. But they don't have to be! D&D and other RPGs draw from rich sources, and if we know a little more about them, we can find ways to use the extra detail to enrich our games. In this episode, we consider the 5e Rogue class feature of thieves' cant, and its shadowy origins as revealed through English literature from the 15 an...

Creation Corner: It's so easy to let game mechanics feel, well, mechanical. But they don't have to be! D&D and other RPGs draw from rich sources, and if we know a little more about them, we can find ways to use the extra detail to enrich our games. In this episode, we consider the 5e barbarian's rage, and how it seems to draw from the tradition of the Norse berserker. We'll look at some aspects th...

Ep 146: The party has reached the relative safety of the island of Boraion. Will a warm welcome await the women of the Kalligalas family? What else lurks on this seeming paradise? Listen now to find out what happens next! ----- Our spot for Battlebards uses music from Battlebards! We hope you like our use of: Capital City - Middlegate - Score Music by Shams Ahsan We're glad you're sharing our stor...

Ep 145: After locating the rest of the Kalligalas family, the party must now move to the next stage of the exfiltration mission. Things are about to get...interesting. Find out what happens next now! ----- Our spot for Battlebards uses music from Battlebards! We hope you like our use of: Capital City - Middlegate - Score Music by Shams Ahsan We're glad you're sharing our story; we really appreciat...

Ep 144: To preserve the status quo in the troubled city of Karavi, the party has made an uncomfortable alliance with local crime syndicate, the Kalligalas family. The heroes start to make good on their part of the agreement, and must now find where Papa Nico's immediate family has gone to ground. What awaits our friends? Listen now to find out! ----- Our spot for Battlebards uses music from Battle...

Special: We rejoin Herald as he recounts more about the early life of Edelenn's favorite hero (?). In this partial installment, we see the first of young Dieter's notable deeds. ----- Our spot for Battlebards uses music from Battlebards! We hope you like our use of: Capital City - Middlegate - Score Music by Shams Ahsan We're glad you're sharing our story; we really appreciate your support and hop...

Creation Corner: After getting the taste for our Creation Corner series again, we share another this week. This time, we take on drawing a map of the city of Karavi, where the current story centers. Sit down with Rhett as he draws a wobbly sketch of the city living in his head. Listen now (and follow along on Discord) to see how it's laid out. During this episode, we reference several things that...

Creation Corner: It has been A LONG TIME since we last put together a Creation Corner episode, so it's high time! Join us in this episode as we look at a book that is full of all sorts of great ideas for Dungeon Masters who are trying to build rich worlds. The Survey of Cornwall was published in 1602, and captures what life was like at the time; mining the text for details could help you round out...

Ep 143: The meeting with the Kalligalas family head concluded, the party has bunked back down in its hidden location, but the world continues to operate outside. Dmitri has more work he wants to do to help figure out what happens next, and the rest of the party has new toys to get to know. What happens next is ready for you to check out now! ----- Our spot for Battlebards uses music from Battlebar...

Special: We step aside briefly to consider and advance a couple story elements as we prepare for the release of the next actual play episode next week. Join us as we look westward and northward at a couple familiar figures. ----- Our spot for Battlebards uses music from Battlebards! We hope you like our use of: Capital City - Middlegate - Score Music by Shams Ahsan We're glad you're sharing our st...

Ep 142: In the last episode the team put aside the recreational activities to meet with Papa Nico Kalligalas. We resume with that conference, and what results. The only way to learn what happens next? You guessed it--listen now. ----- Our spot for Battlebards uses music from Battlebards! We hope you like our use of: Capital City - Middlegate - Score Music by Shams Ahsan We're glad you're sharing o...

Special: This special episode is a little bit of everything--special content outside the normal game, actual play, and just plain zaniness. Welcome to the one-page RPG called Adventure Skeletons, a fun little system that is helping us to explore events in another part of Edelenn. Join Lefty, Slim, and Scabby as they're given a special mission, and find out what happens. As Rhett notes in the intro...

Ep 141: A day of downtime adventures in the busy city of Karavi hasn't been enough for the heroes. Now it's time to gear up and visit Papa Nico at the midnight meeting. What awaits the party there? You know the drill--listen now to find out! ----- Our spot for Battlebards uses music from Battlebards! We hope you like our use of: Capital City - Middlegate - Score Music by Shams Ahsan We're glad you...

Ep 140: The worldbuilding effort continues as the party passes time before a big meeting with Papa Nico Kalligalas. What will they find to fill the time? How will Karavi grow through the players' imagination? You're just going to have to listen to find out. ----- Our spot for Battlebards uses music from Battlebards! We hope you like our use of: Capital City - Middlegate - Score Music by Shams Ahsa...

It's a party as everyone's favorite Ancestral Guardian barbarian hits a new level! Join us now to find out what Tira picks up at level 14, and as she remembers some past benefits that may not have stayed on her radar. (#UseYourStuffTira) ----- Our spot for Battlebards uses music from Battlebards! We hope you like our use of: Capital City - Middlegate - Score Music by Shams Ahsan We're glad you're...

Ep 139: A tense showdown in the marketplace of Karavi has left the heroes in an uncertain position. What will happen once the dust clears and the people of the city have a chance to react? Listen now to find out! ----- Our spot for Battlebards uses music from Battlebards! We hope you like our use of: Capital City - Middlegate - Score Music by Shams Ahsan We're glad you're sharing our story; we rea...

Special: We're going to take a week off of our main story to give ourselves a little breathing space. In the meantime, we hope you'll enjoy this unusual take on a few of the things going on around the world. As Rhett mentioned, here's the text for what appears in this episode: Loose Threads  1  The purple-dark sky is sown with stars above the wave-tossed shores of Karavi.  They are flowers in an e...

Special: Wamberbash stands in the shambles of what was once the Midnight Market. He's stunned by what's just happened, but not so much that he can't appreciate his ever-growing power. Join us as we talk through what Michael picks up for his favorite character! ----- Our spot for Battlebards uses music from Battlebards! We hope you like our use of: Capital City - Middlegate - Score Music by Shams A...

Ep 138: The Midnight Market is in full swing, and the party has been browsing the wares. It's a vibrant place, full of new things to experience and enjoy. But a distant voice calls out a strange name--Chiropoulos. What could it portend? Listen now to find out! ----- Our spot for Battlebards uses music from Battlebards! We hope you like our use of: Capital City - Middlegate - Score Music by Shams A...

Ep 137: Night has fallen over the sleeping friends as they recover from a long, long day of adventure. They awaken to the hushed sounds of a night market in the island town of Karavi. It's a new place, just waiting for the party to discover it. And somewhere nearby is one of the pillars for which they seek... Join us now to find out what happens next! ----- Our spot for Battlebards uses music from...

Special: The biography of Edelenn's favorite hero (?) continues in this week's special episode. In this partial installment, get a glimpse of Dieter's mysterious origins. ----- Our spot for Battlebards uses music from Battlebards! We hope you like our use of: Capital City - Middlegate - Score Music by Shams Ahsan We're glad you're sharing our story; we really appreciate your support and hope you e...

Ep 136: Another pillar ascended, another Bard freed, another portal chosen. The steamy jungles of Muwaka are fading into the background as the sparkling seas of Kassara beckon. What adventure awaits the party on the other side? Listen now to find out! ----- Our spot for Battlebards uses music from Battlebards! We hope you like our use of: Capital City - Middlegate - Score Music by Shams Ahsan We'r...

Ep 135: After facing the latest challenge, the party waits for the steam to settle so they can evaluate what to do next. Problem is, there are even more challenges to take on, and time is ticking. Join us now to find out what happens next in our ongoing story! ----- Our spot for Battlebards uses music from Battlebards! We hope you like our use of: Capital City - Middlegate - Score Music by Shams A...

Ep 134: Faced with a fearsome being, the party must now figure out if it's up to the task of salvaging the situation. There's a lot of work to do, so listen now to see how everyone contributes to the cause! ----- Our spot for Battlebards uses music from Battlebards! We hope you like our use of: Capital City - Middlegate - Score Music by Shams Ahsan We're glad you're sharing our story; we really ap...